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person:charyd01 or goldfd01 or alin06 or bearal01 or benstj01 or caplin01 or chawlh01 or kaploe01 or kalacs01 or katzl01 or kaufmj10 or langsc01 or liud03 or lowenj01 or mattoa02 or mehtam02 or michaj02 or moderf01 or nazzal01 or scherj02 or skolne01 or soomri01 or tatapv01 or thompn01 or weissj02 or zhdano01
Canagliflozin Reduces Kidney-Related Adverse Events in Type 2 Diabetes and CKD: Findings From the Randomized CREDENCE Trial
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE/OBJECTIVE:Canagliflozin reduced the risk of kidney failure and related outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the CREDENCE trial. This analysis of CREDENCE trial data examines the effect of canagliflozin on the incidence of kidney-related adverse events (AEs). STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, international trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:4,401 trial participants with T2DM, CKD, and urinary albumin:creatinine ratio >300-5000mg/g. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS:Participants were randomly assigned to receive canagliflozin 100mg/day or placebo. OUTCOMES/RESULTS:). RESULTS:, respectively; P-interaction=0.3), with similar results for AKI (P-interaction=0.9). Full recovery of kidney function within 30 days after an AKI event occurred more frequently with canagliflozin versus placebo (53.1% vs 35.4%; odds ratio: 2.2 [95% CI: 1.0, 4.7]; P=0.04). LIMITATIONS/CONCLUSIONS:Kidney-related AEs including AKI were investigator-reported and collected without central adjudication. Biomarkers of AKI and structural tubular damage were not measured and creatinine data after an AKI event were not available for all participants. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Canagliflozin compared to placebo was associated with a reduced incidence of serious and non-serious kidney-related AEs in patients with T2DM and CKD. These results highlight the safety of canagliflozin with regard to adverse kidney disease events.
Quality and Safety Outcomes of a Hospital Merger Following a Full Integration at a Safety Net Hospital
Importance/UNASSIGNED:Hospital consolidations have been shown not to improve quality on average. Objective/UNASSIGNED:To assess a full-integration approach to hospital mergers based on quality metrics in a safety net hospital acquired by an urban academic health system. Design, Setting, and Participants/UNASSIGNED:This quality improvement study analyzed outcomes for all nonpsychiatric, nonrehabilitation, non-newborn patients discharged between September 1, 2010, and August 31, 2019, at a US safety net hospital that was acquired by an urban academic health system in January 2016. Interrupted time series and statistical process control analyses were used to assess the main outcomes and measures. Data sources included the hospital's electronic health record, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Compare, and nursing quality reports. Exposures/UNASSIGNED:A full-integration approach to the merger that included: (1) early administrative and clinical leadership integration with the academic health system; (2) rapid transition to the academic health system electronic health record; (3) local ownership of quality metrics; (4) system-level goals with real-time actionable analytics through combined dashboards; and (5) implementation of value-based and other analytic-driven interventions. Main Outcomes and Measures/UNASSIGNED:The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included 30-day readmission, patient experience, and hospital-acquired conditions. Results/UNASSIGNED:The 122â€¯348 patients in the premerger (September 2010 through August 2016) and the 58â€¯904 patients in the postmerger (September 2016 through August 2019) periods had a mean (SD) age of 55.5 (22.0) years; the total sample of 181â€¯252 patients included 112â€¯191 women (61.9%), the payor mix was majority governmental (144â€¯375 patients [79.7%]), and most admissions were emergent (121â€¯469 patients [67.0%]). There was a 0.71% (95% CI, 0.57%-0.86%) absolute (27% relative) reduction in the crude mortality rate and 0.95% (95% CI, 0.83%-1.12%) absolute (33% relative) in the adjusted rate by the end of the 3-year intervention period. There was no significant improvement in readmission rates after accounting for baseline trends. There were fewer central line infections per 1000 catheter days, fewer catheter-associated urinary tract infections per 1000 discharges, and a higher likelihood of patients recommending the hospital or ranking it 9 or 10. Conclusions and Relevance/UNASSIGNED:In this quality improvement study, a hospital merger with a full-integration approach to consolidation was found to be associated with improvement in quality outcomes.
Lithium Treatment in the Prevention of Repeat Suicide-Related Outcomes in Veterans With Major Depression or Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Importance/UNASSIGNED:Suicide and suicide attempts are persistent and increasing public health problems. Observational studies and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials have suggested that lithium may prevent suicide in patients with bipolar disorder or depression. Objective/UNASSIGNED:To assess whether lithium augmentation of usual care reduces the rate of repeated episodes of suicide-related events (repeated suicide attempts, interrupted attempts, hospitalizations to prevent suicide, and deaths from suicide) in participants with bipolar disorder or depression who have survived a recent event. Design, Setting, and Participants/UNASSIGNED:This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial assessed lithium vs placebo augmentation of usual care in veterans with bipolar disorder or depression who had survived a recent suicide-related event. Veterans at 29 VA medical centers who had an episode of suicidal behavior or an inpatient admission to prevent suicide within 6 months were screened between July 1, 2015, and March 31, 2019. Interventions/UNASSIGNED:Participants were randomized to receive extended-release lithium carbonate beginning at 600 mg/d or placebo. Main Outcomes and Measures/UNASSIGNED:Time to the first repeated suicide-related event, including suicide attempts, interrupted attempts, hospitalizations specifically to prevent suicide, and deaths from suicide. Results/UNASSIGNED:The trial was stopped for futility after 519 veterans (mean [SD] age, 42.8 [12.4] years; 437 [84.2%] male) were randomized: 255 to lithium and 264 to placebo. Mean lithium concentrations at 3 months were 0.54 mEq/L for patients with bipolar disorder and 0.46 mEq/L for patients with major depressive disorder. No overall difference in repeated suicide-related events between treatments was found (hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.77-1.55). No unanticipated safety concerns were observed. A total of 127 participants (24.5%) had suicide-related outcomes: 65 in the lithium group and 62 in the placebo group. One death occurred in the lithium group and 3 in the placebo group. Conclusions and Relevance/UNASSIGNED:In this randomized clinical trial, the addition of lithium to usual Veterans Affairs mental health care did not reduce the incidence of suicide-related events in veterans with major depression or bipolar disorders who experienced a recent suicide event. Therefore, simply adding lithium to existing medication regimens is unlikely to be effective for preventing a broad range of suicide-related events in patients who are actively being treated for mood disorders and substantial comorbidities. Trial Registration/UNASSIGNED:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01928446.
Hypernatremia in the intensive care unit
PURPOSE OF REVIEW/OBJECTIVE:Hypernatremia is a relatively frequent electrolyte disorder seen in critically ill patients. As many as 27% of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) develop hypernatremia of variable severity during an ICU stay. Debate among specialists often ensues as to whether to correct hypernatremia or not. Some practitioners, particularly intensivists, believe that correction of hypernatremia with fluids may cause expansion of the extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) thereby worsening ventilation and impeding extubation. Other practitioners, including many nephrologists, do not expect correction of hypernatremia to lead to clinically apparent ECFV expansion, and fear other deleterious effects of hypernatremia. In this review we address the controversy regarding appropriate practice. FINDINGS/RESULTS:There are no randomized, clinical trials (RCTs) to guide the administration of electrolyte-free fluid administration in hypernatremic patients. However, there are associations, demonstrated in the literature, suggesting that hypernatremia of any severity will increase the mortality and length of stay in these patients. These associations generally support the practice of correction of hypernatremia. In addition, our knowledge of the distribution of total body water influences us towards correcting hypernatremia as an appropriate therapy. We do not expect that adequate RCTs addressing this question will be performed. SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS:Allowing persistence of any degree of hypernatremia is associated with increased mortality, length of stay (LOS) and postdischarge mortality. We expect that proper use of electrolyte-free water intake will avoid adverse outcomes.
Effects of canagliflozin on serum potassium in people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease: the CREDENCE trial
AIMS /UNASSIGNED:Hyperkalaemia is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and limits the optimal use of agents that block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In patients with CKD, sodiumâ€’glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors provide cardiorenal protection, but whether they affect the risk of hyperkalaemia remains uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS /UNASSIGNED:The CREDENCE trial randomized 4401 participants with T2DM and CKD to the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin or matching placebo. In this post hoc analysis using an intention-to-treat approach, we assessed the effect of canagliflozin on a composite outcome of time to either investigator-reported hyperkalaemia or the initiation of potassium binders. We also analysed effects on central laboratory-determined hyper- and hypokalaemia (serum potassium â‰¥6.0 and <3.5â€‰mmol/L, respectively) and change in serum potassium. At baseline, the mean serum potassium in canagliflozin and placebo arms was 4.5â€‰mmol/L; 4395 (99.9%) participants were receiving renin-angiotensin system blockade. The incidence of investigator-reported hyperkalaemia or initiation of potassium binders was lower with canagliflozin than with placebo [occurring in 32.7 vs. 41.9 participants per 1000 patient-years; hazard ratio (HR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-0.95, Pâ€‰=â€‰0.014]. Canagliflozin similarly reduced the incidence of laboratory-determined hyperkalaemia (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61-0.98, Pâ€‰=â€‰0.031), with no effect on the risk of hypokalaemia (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.71-1.20, Pâ€‰=â€‰0.53). The mean serum potassium over time with canagliflozin was similar to that of placebo. CONCLUSION /UNASSIGNED:Among patients treated with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibition with canagliflozin may reduce the risk of hyperkalaemia in people with T2DM and CKD without increasing the risk of hypokalaemia.
Controlled Study of Decision-Making Algorithms for Kidney Replacement Therapy Initiation in Acute Kidney Injury
BACKGROUND:Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is associated with high mortality and utilization. We evaluated the use of an AKI-Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plan (SCAMP) on patient outcomes including mortality, hospital and ICU length of stay. METHODS:We conducted a 12-month controlled study in the ICUs of a large academic tertiary medical center. We alternated use of the AKI-SCAMP with use of a "sham" control form in 4-6-week blocks. The primary outcome was risk of inpatient mortality. Pre-specified secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, 60-day mortality and hospital and ICU length of stay. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the impact of the AKI-SCAMP on mortality and length of stay. RESULTS:There were 122 patients in the AKI-SCAMP group and 102 patients in the control group. There was no significant difference in inpatient mortality associated with AKI-SCAMP use (41% vs 47% control). AKI-SCAMP use was associated with significantly reduced ICU length of stay (mean 8 (95% CI 8-9) vs 12 (95% CI 10-13) days; p = <0.0001) and hospital length of stay (mean 25 (95% CI 22-29) vs 30 (95% CI 27-34) days; p = 0.02). Patients in the AKI-SCAMP group less likely to receive KRT in the context of physician-perceived treatment futility than those in the control group (2% vs 7%, p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS:Use of the AKI-SCAMP tool for AKI-KRT was not significantly associated with inpatient mortality but was associated with reduced ICU and hospital length of stay and use of KRT in cases of physician-perceived treatment futility.
Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation, Functional Patency, and Intervention Rates
Importance/UNASSIGNED:National initiatives have emphasized the use of autogenous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) for hemodialysis, but their purported benefits have been questioned. Objective/UNASSIGNED:To examine AVF usability, longer-term functional patency, and remedial procedures to facilitate maturation, manage complications, or maintain patency in the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation (HFM) Study. Design, Setting, and Participants/UNASSIGNED:The HFM Study was a multicenter (nâ€‰=â€‰7) prospective National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases cohort study performed to identify factors associated with AVF maturation. A total of 602 participants were enrolled (dialysis, kidney failure: 380; predialysis, chronic kidney disease [CKD]: 222) with AVF maturation ascertained for 535 (kidney failure, 353; CKD, 182) participants. Interventions/UNASSIGNED:All clinical decisions regarding AVF management were deferred to the individual centers, but remedial interventions were discouraged within 6 weeks of creation. Main Outcomes and Measures/UNASSIGNED:In this case series analysis, the primary outcome was unassisted maturation. Functional patency, freedom from intervention, and participant survival were summarized using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results/UNASSIGNED:Most participants evaluated (nâ€‰=â€‰535) were men (372 [69.5%]) and had diabetes (311 [58.1%]); mean (SD) age was 54.6 (13.6) years. Almost two-thirds of the AVFs created (342 of 535 [64%]) were in the upper arm. The AVF maturation rates for the kidney failure vs CKD participants were 29% vs 10% at 3 months, 67% vs 38% at 6 months, and 76% vs 58% at 12 months. Several participants with kidney failure (133 [37.7%]) and CKD (63 [34.6%]) underwent interventions to facilitate maturation or manage complications before maturation. The median time from access creation to maturation was 115 days (interquartile range [IQR], 86-171 days) but differed by initial indication (CKD, 170 days; IQR, 113-269 days; kidney failure, 105 days; IQR, 81-137 days). The functional patency for the AVFs that matured at 1 year was 87% (95% CI, 83.2%-90.2%) and at 2 years, 75% (95% CI, 69.7%-79.7%), and there was no significant difference for those receiving interventions before maturation. Almost half (188 [47.5%]) of the AVFs that matured had further intervention to maintain patency or treat complications. Conclusions and Relevance/UNASSIGNED:The findings of this study suggest that AVF remains an accepted hemodialysis access option, although both its maturation and continued use require a moderate number of interventions to maintain patency and treat the associated complications.
Solid-Phase C1q/C3d Fixing Readouts Correlate with High Median Fluorescence Intensity (MFI) De Novo Donor-Specific HLA Antibodies and C4dâº Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplant Recipients
BACKGROUND Solid-phase assays to investigate the complement-activating capacity of HLA antibodies have been utilized to optimize organ allocation and improve transplant outcomes. The clinical utility of C1q/C3d-binding characteristics of de novo donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (dnDSA) associated with C4d-positive antibody-mediated rejection (C4dâº AMR) in kidney transplants (KTx) has not been defined. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sera from 120 KTx recipients that had dnDSA concurrent with protocol/cause biopsy (median 3.8 years after transplantation) were screened for C1q and C3d-binding dnDSA. The difference in the incidence of C4dâº AMR between recipients with and without C1q/C3d-binding dnDSA was assessed. RESULTS Over 86% of dnDSAs were class II antibodies. The immunodominant dnDSAs characterized by the highest median fluorescence intensity (MFI) in most recipients were HLA-DQ antibodies (67%). Most recipients (62%, n=74) had either C1qâº (56%), C3dâº (48%), or both C1qâºC3dâº (41.2%) dnDSA, while the remaining 38% were negative for both C1q and C3d. Of those with C1qâº/C3dâº dnDSA, 87% had high-MFI IgG (MFI=14144Â±5363 and 13932Â±5278, respectively), while 65% of C1qâ»C3dâ» dnDSA had low-MFI IgG (MFI=5970Â±3347). The incidence of C4d+ AMR was significantly higher in recipients with C1qâº (66%), C3d+ (74%), and C1qâºC3dâº (72%) dnDSA than in those with C1qâ»C3dâ» dnDSA (30%) recipients. Recipients with C3dâº/C1qâº dnDSA had higher C4dâº scores on biopsy. CONCLUSIONS C1qâº/C3dâº dnDSA were associated with C4dâº AMR and high-IgG MFI. Our data call into question the predictive utility of C1q/C3d-binding assays in identifying KTx recipients at risk of allograft failure. In conclusion, IgG MFI is sufficient for clinical management, and the C1q/C3d-assays with added cost do not provide any additional information.
Cystinuria: an update on pathophysiology, genetics, and clinical management
Cystinuria is the most common genetic cause of nephrolithiasis in children. It is considered a heritable aminoaciduria as the genetic defect affects the reabsorption of cystine and three other amino acids (ornithine, lysine, and arginine) in the renal proximal tubule. Patients affected by this condition have elevated excretion of cystine in the urine, and because of this amino acid's low solubility at normal urine pH, patients tend to form cystine calculi. To date, two genes have been identified as disease-causative: SLC3A1 and SLC7A9, encoding for the two subunits of the heterodimeric transporter. The clinical features of this condition are solely related to nephrolithiasis. The diagnosis is usually made during infancy or adolescence, but cases of late diagnosis are common. The goal of therapy is to reduce excretion and increase the solubility of cystine, through both modifications of dietary habits and pharmacological treatment. However, therapeutic interventions are not always sufficient, and patients often have to undergo several surgical procedures during their lives to treat recurrent nephrolithiasis. The goal of this literature review is to synthesize the available evidence on diagnosis and management of patients affected by cystinuria in order to provide physicians with a practical tool that can be used in daily clinical practice. This review also aims to shed some light on new therapy directions with the aim of ameliorating kidney outcomes while improving adherence to treatment and quality of life of cystinuric patients.
Protocolized Urine Sampling is Associated with Reduced Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: A Pre- and Post-intervention Study
BACKGROUND:Standard urine sampling and testing techniques do not mitigate against detection of colonization, resulting in false positive catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). We aim to evaluate if a novel protocol for urine sampling and testing reduces rates of CAUTI. METHODS:A pre-intervention and post-intervention study with a contemporaneous control group was conducted at two campuses (test and control) of the same academic medical center. The test campus implemented a protocol requiring urinary catheter removal prior to urine sampling from a new catheter or sterile straight catheterization, along with urine bacteria and pyuria screening prior to culture. Primary outcomes were test campus CAUTI rates compared between each 9-month pre- and post-intervention epoch. Secondary outcomes included the percent reductions in CAUTI rates compared between the test campus and a propensity-score matched cohort at the control campus. RESULTS:Â A total of 7,991 patients from the test campus were included in the primary analysis, and 4,264 were included in the propensity-score matched secondary analysis. In primary analysis, CAUTI/1000-patients was reduced by 77% (6.6 to 1.5), CAUTI/1000-catheter days by 63% (5.9 to 2.2) and urinary catheter days/patient by 37% (1.1 to 0.69, all Pâ‰¤0.001). In propensity score-matched analysis, CAUTI/1000-patients was reduced by 82% at the test campus versus 57% at the control campus, CAUTI/1000 catheter-days declined by 68% versus 57% and catheter-days/patient decreased by 44% versus 1% (all P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Â Protocolized urine sampling and testing aimed at minimizing contamination by colonization was associated with significantly reduced CAUTI infection rates and urinary catheter days.


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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Life’s a lot easier as an NFL general manager when your needs are obvious, when you have a ton of salary cap room, and when you can buy your way out of problems the way Mike Maccagnan did last year.
Need a secondary? Here’s a pile of cash, and say hello to Darrelle Revis, Buster Skrine, Antonio Cromartie, and Marcus Gilchrist. Need a big-time receiver? A fifth-round pick, a new contract and — poof! — here comes Brandon Marshall. Need a backup quarterback for Geno Smith? A conditional seventh-round pick (that turned into a sixth) for Ryan Fitzpatrick will do the trick.
But Year 2 has been a much more restrained and far more complicated scenario for Maccagnan, who was selected as the NFL’s General Manager of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America. There was no mad dash at the start of free agency. Giants GM Jerry Reese was the winner of that race when he doled out more than $200 million in contracts for four defensive players within hours after the signing period began.
And with the draft beginning Thursday night, Maccagnan still has plenty of decisions to make, none of them without a high degree of difficulty. Unlike last year, when the answers were obvious, the narrative has turned into the questions he now faces.
Does he take an edge rusher at No. 20 overall, say Shaq Lawson of Clemson or Noah Spence of Eastern Kentucky? Or does he take Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch and view him as the team’s quarterback of the future, a decision that could cloud Fitzpatrick’s future with the team? Or will he go after a young tackle to begin replenishing his aging offensive line?
Does he use Mo Wilkerson, who has been designated the team’s franchise player, as trade bait for a bold move up the board? While he wouldn’t say whether he has offered Wilkerson in any trade scenarios, Maccagnan did acknowledge he looked into moving up to the No. 1 slot held by Tennessee before the Titans made a deal with the Rams. The Titans can use help along the defensive line, so it’s not a stretch to think that Wilkerson wasn’t at least mentioned as part of a deal.
And what about Fitzpatrick? Maccagnan consistently has said he wants to re-sign the 33-year-old quarterback, who is coming off a career year. But the GM is not budging enough for Fitzpatrick’s liking, so the logjam continues. It’s no risk for Maccagnan, because Fitzpatrick won’t get anywhere close to what the Jets are willing to pay, likely in the $10-million-a-year range. So there’s no harm in waiting out Fitzpatrick; in fact, the greater risk lies for Fitzpatrick, who could find himself without a team — or at least with a lesser contract value — if the Jets make a move for a quarterback in the draft.
Maccagnan thus walks a fine line as he continues his offseason re-tooling, which last week featured a trade for Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady to fill in for the retiring D’Brickashaw Ferguson. He wants to build a competitive team for 2016, but also has an eye toward a more sustainable roster in the years beyond. Which is where the draft comes into play, because his theory — the correct theory — is that the backbone of your team is created by taking the right players on draft day.
He wore his best poker face during a meeting with reporters on Friday afternoon, during which he didn’t give away his intentions, instead leaving the door open for myriad possibilities. As he should.
“I understand how the process works,” said Maccagnan, a longtime NFL executive who previously had been the right hand man for Texans GMs Charley Casserly and Rick Smith. “I’ve been in the league for 26 years, but the interesting thing is the nuances, when you go from one chair over [in the front office].”
There has been some outside pressure, especially when it comes to re-signing Fitzpatrick, but Maccagnan seems oblivious to the calls from some (not here, by the way) to give the quarterback what he’s asking.
“It’s like playing chess,” he said. “As long as you have moves left, you feel comfortable, to a degree. That’s just the way it works. We feel like we’re making decisions that will help the team long-term. Part of those decisions are trying to get a deal done with Fitz, which is our intention. But we have to do it with the best intentions of the team.”
Translation: We’re not going crazy on a deal for a quarterback who had his career year at age 32 and had his worst game of the season when they needed him most with the playoffs on the line. Fitzpatrick figures to be back, although it may not happen for a while, because the Jets simply aren’t going to meet his demands.
It could be a week of clarity for the Jets, although there are no guarantees. The feeling here is that they don’t find a suitor for Wilkerson, who most likely will wind up playing on a one-year deal. But if the right offer comes along, then parting ways with a player who is asking for J.J. Watt money when he doesn’t play like the Texans’ star defensive end is at least an option. But only if the return is worthwhile. And with neither of the top quarterbacks available now that the Rams and Eagles have moved into the top two spots, it’s doubtful a good enough deal is out there.
In the end, Maccagnan hopes to finish draft week with a promising class of rookies to add to a veteran team coming off a 10-win season. Between now and then, there could be some intriguing moves that define the franchise in the years to come.
“We spend a lot of time preparing,” he said, “If we have options, we’ll be prepared to move on them if necessary.”

domain: news


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Are Disappointed REIT Shareholders Itching To Show Board Members The Door?
The pressure is on REIT boards to boost sagging share prices, and the longer prices are in the doldrums, the more board members are at risk of being removed from their positions by major shareholders, the Wall Street Journal reports.
A recent example: last month, nine of the 13 members of Cleveland-based Forest City Realty Trust’s board agreed to step down after persistent, and unsuccessful, shareholder pressure to improve share prices. New board candidates more agreeable to major investors will stand for election at the 2018 annual meeting. Ultimately, 11 of the board's 13 directors will be independent.
Hedge funds Starboard Value and Scopia Capital Management, which hold 3% and 8.3% of Forest City’s shares, respectively, will each appoint one director to the board.
The move came after Forest City underwent a six-month strategic review and talks with more than 50 potential bidders that ultimately came to nothing. The company said making way for new board members will improve its governance structure for the benefit of stockholders.
The Forest City shakeup is unusual in the slow turnover, tightly knit world of REIT boards, which often originated as family businesses (indeed, until recently the Ratnors had a controlling stake in Forest City). Now analysts believe other boards might be ripe for shareholder action, especially as proxy season gets underway.
For instance, Land and Buildings Investment Management hedge fund is nominating its CEO, Jonathan Litt, to the board of Taubman Centers Inc. The move is the hedge fund’s second try at a board seat at the REIT. Litt has been critical of the way Taubman does things.
In an open letter to the Taubman board, Litt said, "We believe this pattern of lackluster performance is directly tied to [Taubman Center]’s resistance to — namely its desire to do the bare minimum when it comes to enhancing corporate governance and independent board oversight."
Besides asserting that share prices are underperforming, Litt also said that the two new members added to the board last year are not truly independent from the Taubman family.
Reshuffling board membership is part of a larger relational change between investors and REIT boards, the Journal reports. Now more investors than before are weighing in on executive compensation plans, and board diversity and turnover are being discussed more as well.

domain: economics


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Yes, Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com is rounding up the worst airline passengers of 2009 — in May. Maybe he’s optimistic and doesn’t expect the lady who drank all the hand soap from the lavatory to be topped in the many months ahead — or maybe he just wants to write a follow-up in December. Either way, we love it.
Here are 2 of the 6:
“Liquid Soap Lady”: A woman on a United flight allegedly took pills and alcohol, then tried to bite a crew member’s leg. She also reportedly drank down the contents of a lavatory’s liquid soap dispenser (apparently for its alcohol content). Her explanation to the cops: “I sometimes do crazy things.”
“Get Me Outta Here”: An American Airlines jet had landed but was still waiting for gate space when an impatient passenger decided, “Enough!” He opened an aircraft door, deploying the emergency slide that he then used to make his getaway. He was detained by the cops but so were all the other passengers because they had to wait for “slide removal” before the aircraft could get to the gate.

domain: travel


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There has long been a tension between environmental regulation and the European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which has been addressed over time through progressive reform of the CFP. It is now recognised that Member States may comply with their obligations under EU nature conservation law by taking unilateral non-discriminatory measures within their territorial seas to protect the marine environment from threats posed by fishing. Nevertheless, fundamental uncertainties remain when it comes to the application of these obligations to offshore waters. This article explores the options available to coastal states in this context and the weaknesses of the procedures introduced to the reformed CFP in 2013. It is argued that compliance with nature conservation law in the context of fisheries is not discretionary and that in the absence of measures agreed at the EU level, Member States must comply with their obligations under the Habitats Directive in their capacity as a flag state. Finally, the article addresses the implications of Brexit for the protection of European Marine Sites in UK waters, suggesting that Brexit offers opportunities to strengthen the protection of marine ecosystems by making future access arrangements for foreign fishing vessels conditional upon compliance with nature conservation laws.
Appleby, T., & Harrison, J. (2019). Taking the pulse of environmental and fisheries law: The common fisheries policy, the habitats directive, and Brexit. Journal of Environmental Law, 31(3), 443-464. https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqy027

domain: literature


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Bloomfield Hills, Mich., April 9, 2015 – The 2015 Graduate Degree Exhibition of Cranbrook Academy of Art opens to the public with a special ArtMembers’ Opening Reception on April 18, and will showcase work from the next generation of architects, artists and designers who are shaping the future of art and design. The exhibition features pieces that are the culmination of two years of studio work from a diverse group of 69 graduates. The exhibition opens to the public on April 19 and will run through May 10, 2015.
The exhibition will fill nearly the entire 15,000 square feet of Cranbrook Art Museum and surrounding grounds. It is the most diverse exhibition offered all year as it showcases work from across all of the Academy’s 10 departments – 2D and 3D Design, Architecture, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture.
Art Sale + Community Day
Sunday, April 26, 1 – 5pm
Then on Sunday, April 26, go inside the Academy’s private studio spaces at our fourth annual OPEN(STUDIOS) Art Sale + Community Day. This is the only time of the year when the public is invited inside the private studio spaces of today’s emerging artists and designers. Student artists and faculty from each of the Academy’s 10 departments will be on hand to discuss their work and show off their creative environment. Select pieces of student art will be for sale.
Each OPEN(STUDIOS) ticket not only includes admission to the Art Museum, but also to the Institute of Science and a voucher for future admission to Cranbrook Gardens. Participate in hands-on activities for the whole family, have lunch at a mini food truck rally and more!
Tickets for OPEN(STUDIOS) are $12 online (by April 24) and $15 at the door. Children 12 and under are free. No strollers in the studios, and children must be accompanied at all times. To purchase tickets online, visit our website. Event will be held, rain or shine.
For high resolution photos of students at work, please email Julie Fracker at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Hours and Pricing
2015 Graduate Degree Exhibition of Cranbrook Academy of Art
April 19 – May 10, 2015
ArtMembers Opening Reception: April 18, 2015 from 6-8pm
Memberships may be purchased at the door.
September – May
Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 5pm
Saturday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm
June – August
Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Closed: New Year’s Eve & Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve & Day.
ArtMembers and Children 12 & under, Always Free
Seniors (65+): $6
Students with ID: $4
Barrier free access to the galleries of Cranbrook Art Museum can be accommodated through the adjacent New Studios Building. Visitors with disabilities are encouraged to call the Front Desk of the Art Museum at 248-645-3320 during regular museum hours for assistance. If you are planning your visit in advance, you may also call the Art Museum Administrative Offices at 248-645-3319 (Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm) for additional information.
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Cranbrook Academy of Art is the country’s top ranked, graduate-only program in architecture, design and fine art. Each year, just 75 students are invited to study and live on our landmark Saarinen-designed campus, which features private studios, state-of-the art workshops, a renowned Art Museum, and 300 acres of forests, lakes, and streams, all a short drive from the red-hot art, design, and music scene of Detroit. The focus at Cranbrook is on studio practice in one of 10 disciplines: 2D and 3D Design, Architecture, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture. The program is anchored by celebrated Artists- and Designers-in-Residence, one for each discipline, all of whom live and practice on campus alongside our students. For more information, visit us at www.cranbrookart.edu.
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domain: artistic


text:
“Flash Mob” Comes to the Courthouse
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is happy to announce the Milwaukee County Courthouse will once again host a “flash mob” to raise awareness and celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is happy to announce the Milwaukee County Courthouse will once again host a “flash mob” to raise awareness and celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired.
For the second year in a row, a crowd of people from across Southeastern Wisconsin, including dozens of students with visual impairments, will perform a “flash mob” dance outside the Courthouse.
County Executive Abele will present a proclamation at the event declaring Tuesday, October 15th, 2013, White Cane Safety Day across Milwaukee County.
After the “flash mob”, students will be providing information about the White Cane law and answer questions that people may have about blindness, braille, or other related topics.
What: “Flash Mob” outside the Courthouse
When: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 – Noon
Where: Wells Street side of the Milwaukee County Courthouse (inside if raining)
Contact: Julie Hapeman (414-405-8332 or JHapeman@gmail.com)
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by County Executive Chris Abele
The Engage MKE initiative allows County residents to balance their own budget for Milwaukee County.
These sessions will be interactive and are designed to provide meaningful and detailed feedback from all participants.
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele Reaffirms Commitment to Affordable Care Act, Women’s Healthcare ProtectionsAug 1st, 2017 by County Executive Chris Abele
Milwaukee County has experienced a 58 percent reduction in the County’s uninsured rate since the law took effect


text:
- SPECIES: Cynomolgus monkey
- SOURCE SPECIES: HEK293 cells
- RECOMBINANT PROTEIN SEQUENCE: Leu 44 - Ile 301
- FUSION TAG: His Tag
- TESTED APPLICATIONS: ELISA, WB
- APPLICATION NOTE: This protein carries a polyhistidine tag at the C-terminus. The protein has a calculated MW of 31.8 kDa. The protein migrates as 38-45 kDa under reducing (R) condition (SDS-PAGE) due to glycosylation.
- PREDICTED MOLECULAR WEIGHT: 31.8 kDa
- PURITY: >95% as determined by SDS-PAGE.
- PHYSICAL STATE: Lyophilized
- BUFFER: 50 mM MES, 100 mM NaCl, pH6.5
- STORAGE CONDITIONS: Lyophilized Protein should be stored at -20°C or lower for long term storage. Upon reconstitution, working aliquots should be stored at -20°C or -70°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
- NCBI OFFICIAL SYMBOL: CD38
- ADDITIONAL NAMES: CD38,T10,cADPr hydrolase 1
- Protein Accession Number: NP_001274206.1
- NCBI GENE ID NUMBER: 102126394
- CD antigen CD38 is also known as ADP-ribosyl cyclase 1, which belongs to the ADP-ribosyl cyclase family. CD38 is expressed at high levels in pancreas, liver, kidney, brain, testis, ovary, placenta, malignant lymphoma and neuroblastoma. CD38 is a multifunctional ectoenzyme that catalyzes the synthesis and hydrolysis of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) from NAD+ to ADP-ribose. These reaction products are essential for the regulation of intracellular Ca2+. The loss of CD38 function is associated with impaired immune responses, metabolic disturbances, and behavioral modifications. The CD38 protein is a marker of cell activation. It has been connected to HIV infection, leukemias, myelomas, solid tumors, type II diabetes mellitus and bone metabolism. CD38 has been used as a prognostic marker in leukemia.
- 1: Orciani M., et al., 2008, J. Cell. Biochem. 105 (3): 905–12.
- 2: Nata K., et al., 1997, Gene 186 (2): 285–92.
- 3: Malavasi F., et al., 2008, Physiol. Rev. 88 (3): 841–86.
- FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY
For additional information, visit ProSci's Terms & Conditions Page.
- Disclaimer: Products are intended for laboratory research purposes only and should be used by qualified personnel only. They are not intended for use in humans. ProSci is not liable for damages or injuries resulting from receipt and/or use of ProSci materials. Please refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for safe storage, handling, and use procedures.
CATALOG NUMBER: 11-442
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domain: health


text:
About the Role
Research Analyst at Newman Capital will play a key role in producing in-depth, analytical, insightful, and digestible content for the Newman brand by performing on-chain data analysis to study users' habits and behavior of wallets. Content will be a mixture of on-chain data findings, industry trends, infrastructure, and project analyses. This role will help raise the profile of Newman Capital as a leading alternative investment firm in Asia.
A successful candidate needs to be an excellent writer with experience and in-depth knowledge across the crypto and blockchain space, including Layer 0, 1, 2 protocols, DeFi, NFT, gaming, Web3 applications. At the same time, we expect this individual is already familiar with all the major on-chain analytic tools such as Dune Analytics and Messari.
At least two years of experience in the crypto and blockchain space with content producing experience
Experience in data science and related fields would be a plus
Excellent writing skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Bachelor's degree in a related field from a top-tier university
Outstanding analytical skills, detail-oriented, proactive and self-motivated
Ability to work well under pressure, with tight time restrictions
Demonstrates a high level of integrity
About the Company
Newman Capital is a leading alternative investment firm based in Asia. We specialize in tech-focused private equity, blockchain startups, and art and collectible investment. We commit our people, knowledge, and ideas to those who can drive disruptive change, and we believe talent is an essential prerequisite for any future success. That's why Newman has been investing in employees constantly, giving them opportunities to grow professionally and personally. Our team consists of talents from well-known technology, marketing, and asset management companies. Join us to invest, mentor, and empower cutting-edge businesses with tech-driven solutions. Learn more about Newman Capital at www.newmancapital.com

domain: finance


text:
You may be asking yourself why I would bother designing and producing my own longboard deck instead of just finding one out there that meets my needs. TL;DR: there is nothing out there that meets my needs. In fact, there really isn’t anything at all out there specifically for DIY electric longboard builders. We live in a world of concavity and typicality, and an electric longboard build requires some very atypical considerations, such as flat surfaces. Sure, you can find a deck that mostly fits your needs. My Bustin YoFace deck worked out pretty well for my now mostly Enertion and DIYElectric build. Its the popsicle trick deck variety of shape and concave, but at 41 inches it has plenty of wheelbase to squeeze electronics between. But as well as it worked out, a custom deck would always work better, and that is why I’m attempting to make my own.
What special considerations?
Most longboard decks have some kind of concave shape to them. There are completely flat varieties, but those often don’t have kick tails or are too long or too short or too flexible or just for whatever reason don’t suit my riding style or would be bad for mounting things to the bottom. This presents a dilemma for me: I need a flat surface on the bottom to mount electronics, but I also need the rigidity, ease of handling, and general feel of a kick tail concave. This dilemma can only be solved by me creating my own deck that meets my exacting specifications.
There are other concerns besides shape and feel, however. Since we’re talking about electric longboards and not just the standard gravity gliders, we’re also talking about places to put things like wires, battery packs, enclosures of electronic components, etc. Typically when you buy a standard longboard deck, you would also get an aluminum enclosure or maybe even a fiberglass or carbon fiber one, then just stuff everything in there and bolt it on. If you’re more creative you might take the deck into your garage and carve out cavities for wires and electronics, maybe even completely hide your custom batteries inside the deck if your ingenuitive enough. Most DIYers in this space however are going to order a kit or two and just try to strap things on however they can. For these people, and for myself as a builder, it would be a hell of a lot easier to have a deck that will already make the necessary accommodations for you.
So to sum up my requirements, I need all of the following: a sharp angled concave kick tail design with a completely flat bottom surface of suitable width onto which boxes or covers could be bolted on over any electronics that are fastened to it via either screws or industrial strength two sided tape, a routed out cavity four to six millimeters deep extending the length of a typical battery pack plus the length of a region large enough for a typical speed controller, radio receiver, high current electronic switch, and wiring, and finally inlaid (meaning hidden in the wood) wiring from the electronics cavity to the sides of the trucks where the motors are mounted. This deck would be accompanied by a custom shaped lid made of either fiberglass or carbon fiber. While the cavity would remain a constant, different lids could be made to accommodate different battery packs and electronics. For example, you might be using some standard LiPo packs like a Turnigy from a hobby site, or you might be using something more custom, such as ones from Alien Power Systems or the new SPACE battery from Enertion. You may even order some cells and roll your own battery pack with BMS included. The point is, a lid could be made to suit any dimensions.
Those aren’t the only requirements, however. I also have to be able to make these decks in my garage, which means a lot of DIY has to happen. To do this, a mold has to be made and a rig created to press that mold over the veneer while the glue is setting between the sheets of veneer. The good news is I’ve already created a mold and its basically flawless. The bad news? The clamps I made to press the mold weren’t up to the task. They broke.
But they did produce something I could learn from. The results of the attempt shown below tell me a lot about what needs to happen next.
So what I need now is a great big giant clamp that I can slide the whole mold into. This would also be known as a press, and I’m in the process of building one using 4″ x 4″ pressure treated timbers and a couple of small 2 ton hydraulic bottle jacks. Here’s a doodle of it:
It might not turn out exactly like that, but it will be pretty close. Its going to be three timbers deep, which is about 10.5″ and will have a 48″ x 12″ press surface made out of layered plywood that is stacked on top of the timbers. It should provide enough evenly distributed pressure to press the veneer properly and not leave any air pockets. I can tell by the failed results that pressure is definitely the issue at the moment. This should solve that. If anything, this press could reveal problems with the mold that haven’t become apparent yet due to lack of available pressure.
After the pressing comes the cutting
After the deck is pressed, I can use a router attachment for my dremel and carve out the shape of the deck. Because my design has a lot of hard angles, using a jigsaw might be a little risky on the inside corners of the shape. Using a router has the benefit of automatically rounding the corners to the shape of the tiny bit, where a jigsaw could easily cut too deep into the turn or otherwise not turn correctly. A bandsaw would be ideal, but isn’t an option since I don’t have one and don’t plan to buy one any time soon, and don’t really have room for it in my limited space anyway.
Once the shape is cut out and the edges are sanded smooth, I can route out the cavity in the bottom. I plan to keep this cavity forward, near the front truck but back enough to allow space for the wheels while turning. There also needs to be room along the edges to bolt the lid in place, though the edges could easily angle up past the concave line. To keep things simple, I’d like to use short, standard truck mounting bolts with nylock nuts and steel washers on the lid.
Once the cavity is in place, I can route out the wiring channels that will lead to the drive wheels. My first deck will use a dual rear motor configuration since that is what I currently have and am used to. However, these channels can be created to suit a single rear, single front, dual front, dual rear, or dual diagonal drive wheel configuration. The channels can be routed from the top of the deck, reaching from the electronics cavity to the drive wheels down the center of the deck then angling outward to a location just behind the truck hanger and just next to the riser. The holes at the end of the channels can be drilled to accommodate any size connector, but I’m choosing to stick with 5.5 mm female bullet connectors on both ends to keep things simple. This will require the creation of shorter male-to-male jumper wires for use inside the electronics cavity, as well as some customization or adaptation to the motor wiring. Modifying the motor leads to use flexible silicone wiring with 5.5mm male bullet connectors would be ideal.
Seal it and finish it
Once the channels are cut, its time to seal in the wiring and connectors. I’ll use fiberglassing resin for sealing in the connectors on the bottom of the deck, and for sealing in the wires running to them through the channels I cut on the top. After the resin hardens, it can be sanded down flush with the wood and the whole top can be painted a solid color and prepped for grip tape. Routing the channels from the top like this will leave the bottom flawless for staining.
I’ve settled on a bright red wood stain for the bottom and edges. This will really bring out the beauty of the wood while creating a bold styling to compliment the gold connectors and black wires and case as well as the general aggressive nature of the deck’s hard-angle design. The interior of the electronics cavity can be painted flat black via brush. I’ll likely use an enamel or other solvent based paint for this.
Logo lettering and design for the bottom can be silk screened in white along the edge of the underside of the deck to stay visible after the enclosure is bolted on. This of course means finding and debugging a silk screen kit that is flexible enough to meet this purpose. I’m shying away from using the traditional screen-in-frame setup and may instead use some kind of die-cut or knife-cut stencil screening technique that doesn’t require a frame. White lettering will compliment the red stain as well as the general boldness of the entire design. The entire deck can then be coated with a layer of polyurethane clear coat.
Grip taping is a custom order affair. I found a company that will sell you custom die-cut grip tape in quantities as low as 100 sheets. There is a setup cost, but it does allow you to design your own grip tape complete with logo. To complete the black,white, and red flavor of the deck design, the top of the deck can be painted white so that when the grip tape is applied, the white will show through the die cut lettering of the grip tape. This extra layer of polish should create a very professional finish.
My goal is to produce a deck that the DIY electric longboard community can use as a platform for their own custom builds. I want to provide a platform that allows you to use whatever kits you bring with you to produce something that feels finished and polished. There is so much good kit to choose from, with lots of competition in the creation of motor mounts, battery packs, and a number of other components. As of this writing I have yet to produce a completed deck. However, once the issues with creating a working and reliable press are resolved, the rest will essentially be a walk in the park. Hopefully there will be a demand for this design, which of course presents its own challenges. Scaling up should simply be a matter of constructing more presses, which creates a need for compactness and efficiency. Something else that presents a challenge is that I fully intend to keep parking inside my garage where all of this is taking place, so any sort of workspace I develop needs to be collapsable or compact in a manner that allows me to essentially put my entire workspace away, but that’s another post entirely.

domain: design


Electrically controlled functions in passenger cars, commercial and special vehicles are becoming increasingly complex. If damage occurs to the power and signal cables, the function of the vehicle suffers and the reputation of the manufacturer is also at stake. Our energy supply systems protect your moving cables. They are used B. in electric sliding doors, seat adjusters and boot lids. In doing so, they are geared to meet the latest requirements: not only do they fulfil the task of guiding cables through countless cycles in confined installation spaces, they are also light and quiet - important criteria in the age of electro-mobility and in the new interior.
This year, we are launching 168 innovations. Industry Manager Johannis Zournatzis will present the top news for the automotive industry in less than two minutes. This includes parts printed in 3D with igumid P150:
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Autonomous delivery vans, self-driving vans and conference shuttles with movable furniture: this is how the interiors may look like in the future, with more electrically moving components, efficiently used in confined spaces. Our e-chains ensure that the movement functions reliably, quietly and inconspicuously.
e-chains in sliding doors guide cables in the smallest installation space, e.g. for keyless entry systems and safety features. They prolong the cables service life due to defined radii and kinematics.
The electrics in cars have increased immensely and more and more systems are permanently supplied with electricity so as to offer the necessary driving comfort. e-chains are ideal for guiding cables safely from A to B.
e-chains are dimensionally stable in different environments and climate zones, and are able to cope with high acceleration and forces applied to them. Therefore, they protect cables in the wiper systems during constant movement.
The company Yanfeng Automotive Interior has developed a centre console that slides over 1200 mm. This required an energy chain for minimum installation space and with quiet operation. In addition, a standard stock item was required in order to keep the costs low. The ideal solution was found with the E2 micro.
See for yourself the quality of our products. The e-chain sample box contains information on energy supplies, applications in the automotive industry and the most important igus products: the e-chains E1, E2 micro and E2 mini.
In our test laboratory, the largest in the industry, more than 10 billion test cycles are carried out per year with energy chains and chainflex cables in a total of 180 test stations. The focus is on noise tests and the examination of tribological properties under varying directions of movement, temperatures, media and continuous load. The results are entered into our tools to calculate service life and allow for precise predictions regarding their durability.
Upon request, igus carries out customer tests so as to check the use of the products under completely individual conditions.


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25 New "Yes Man" stills02 Dec 2008
By TNPihl (JCO Editor-In-Chief)
25 new fantastic movie stills from Jim Carrey's upcoming comedy "Yes Man" have been released by Warner Bros. Pictures today, and you can see them all in our Gallery. We have added them in a big resolution. Click on the photos below to go to the Gallery.
© Warner Bros. Pictures/Melissa Moseley
For video clips, release dates, soundtrack info and the latest news, go to the "Yes Man" movie page.
-- With thanks to Linda. Click to comment this article.
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- Alan Knuckman on the democratization of trading
- The big (shocking!) economic number of the day
- Supreme Court’s bifurcated vax-mandate ruling
- Media warmongers are abuzz (Russia and Ukraine)
- Beginning of the end for the globe’s reserve currency?
- Readers on Russia and a trail of broken promises… How U.S.-Russia relationship is like the movie A Christmas Story… And more!
“We’re all ‘beach traders’ now,” says our options-trading guru Alan Knuckman.
“The ability to trade any market, anytime, from anywhere has changed everything. And yes, they’ll soon bulldoze the shoulder-to-shoulder trading pits of the past as well.”
Today we’re wrapping up our team’s 2022 predictions with Alan — who we used to describe in these virtual pages as “our eyes and ears in the Chicago options trading pits.”
But as the electronic age kept progressing, there were fewer and fewer pits to speak of — and in the pandemic era, they’re all but gone.
Though not necessarily bulldozed…
Matter of fact, the place where Alan perfected his skills during a 30-year trading career is about to become a substation for ComEd — the big electric company in Chicago.
“The utility has purchased the building at 333 S. La Salle St., formerly the largest trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade,” says the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The site has been little used for years because the old open-outcry pits — where brokers and speculators did business via hand signals — have been replaced by electronic markets.”
The building is a monument to the easy-money hubris that pervaded financial markets a generation ago — completed in 1997 at a stupendous cost of $182 million.
No bulldozer here: The electric company says it will leave the plaza outside as-is —
with statues representing industry and agriculture
“I watched it being built from the train station platform every day,” Alan tells me. At that time he was working at the old CBOT building nearby at 141 W. Jackson.
It was in the new building where Alan traded bond futures on the evening shift — a grind, yes, but one he took on willingly because that’s how he could hone his skills in the art of risk management. “Risk control was in its infancy then,” he says, “as stop losses were not offered overnight and the only way to monitor your positions was to call Japanese trading desks for prices.”
What was built for $182 million in the 1990s just sold to the electric company for… $39.5 million. Heh…
In between, the CBOT merged with the arch-rival Chicago Mercantile Exchange to form the colossus CME Group.
Bowing to the reality of electronic trading, CME Group shuttered most of the trading floors in 2015, a mere 18 years after the grand opening.
The pandemic killed off most of the rest — temporarily as of March 2020, but “temporary” then became “permanent” in the new normal of work-from-home.
The only contract still traded face-to-face is options on Eurodollars — dollar-denominated accounts in foreign banks and foreign branches of U.S. banks. (In the spring of last year, Alan was closely watching the Eurodollar trade, and correctly deduced for us that longer-term interest rates would begin a steady climb down — giving a lift to the major stock averages.)
Ironically, the Eurodollar pit will move back to the old CBOT building where Alan cut his trading teeth 30 years ago.
Bottom line: “Things have changed dramatically to democratize trading for all,” says Alan — “not just the old boys’ club that many fought so hard to get into, including myself.
“NOW is the best time in history to trade!”
For the last 2½ years it’s been my privilege to partner with Alan on The Profit Wire — a one-of-a-kind options trading service for everyday folks, taking advantage of that “democratization.”
We rely on a proprietary indicator that sniffs out insider activity in the complex trade for derivatives. Then Alan pores over the indicator’s data to pinpoint a simple options trade that retail investors can use to piggyback the insiders’ activity.
I’ve been looking over The Profit Wire’s 2021 scorecard this morning. The short story: We booked gains on 79% of our trades. Including the losers, the average trade generated a 19% gain over a hold time of 63 days. Those are real-world results obtained by people just like you.
And we’re off to a rollicking start in 2022 — booking eight winners of either 50% or 100%.
The Profit Wire is currently closed to new subscribers. We’ll let you know when we open it back up — probably late winter or early spring.
|➣||In the meantime, before January is over, I plan to enlist Alan’s help for a deep dive into the Nancy Pelosi stock and option trades that keep making news every few weeks. There’s a fascinating story the media are overlooking — one that you can use to your own advantage.|
The stock market is stumbling as the week winds down and earnings season gets off on the wrong foot.
Three of the Big Four commercial banks reported their numbers this morning: JPMorgan Chase delivered better-than-expected figures… but as we write, shares are down more than 5%. Ditto for Citi… which is down 2.5%. Bucking the trend is Wells Fargo, which delivered a big “beat” on revenue and is up 3.4%.
At last check, the Dow is off two-thirds of a percent and below 36,000. The S&P 500 is down a quarter percent, a touch below 4,650. The Nasdaq is slightly in the green at 14,824.
Gold is down slightly at $1,817… but silver has slipped back below $23. Cryptos are mostly in the green, Bitcoin at $43,196 and Ethereum at $3,290.
The big economic figure of the day is a shocker — retail sales shrinking 1.9% during December, in contrast with expectations for a flat number.
And the number is even worse if you throw out auto sales (notoriously volatile month to month) and gasoline sales (rising gas prices can skew the headline number higher). Here, the expectation was for a modest 0.2% jump and the actual number is a 2.5% slide.
Blame it on inflation, blame it on the virus or blame it on these factors: “Some of this may be lack of inventory or reluctance to buy big-ticket items that did not get discounted this year,” says a summary from Econoday, “but it also suggests that many consumers started shopping early and/or pared back on gift-giving.”
Not quite so shocking, but nonetheless disappointing, are the industrial production numbers.
U.S. industrial production fell 0.1% last month — violating expectations of a 0.3% increase. Drill down into manufacturing and the disappointment is even worse — a 0.3% drop versus expectations for a 0.5% jump. Utility output was also soft, but mining and energy production moved up.
Thus the “cap ute” rate fell slightly; 76.5% of U.S. industrial capacity was in use during December.
At least when it comes to this important metric, America’s still stuck below pre-pandemic levels.
Now come the mandate lawsuits?
As you’ve likely heard by now, the Supreme Court split the difference yesterday with two vaccine-mandate rulings.
The court struck down the vaccine-or-test mandate for private firms with 100 or more employees. The 6-3 majority said what we said from the beginning: The mandate is executive-branch overreach — far beyond the powers Congress envisioned when it passed the legislation creating OSHA in 1970. Instead, the executive branch was using OSHA to impose “broad public health measures” that are “untethered, in any causal sense, from the workplace.”
End of story? Hardly, depending on who you listen to…
Meanwhile, a 5-4 majority upheld the vaccine-no-testing mandate for health care providers that take Medicare/Medicaid money. The logic amounts to: “You take the gummint’s money, you dance to the gummint’s tune.”
Which is always the danger, right?
Only problem is now there’s no end in sight to the spectacle that’s emerged in recent days — vaxxed-but-tested-positive health care workers brought in to cover shifts previously held by unvaxxed-but-tested-negative workers who’ve quit or been fired.
Talks over the Ukraine standoff have reached a “dead end” per Russian diplomats — coincidentally at a moment the dollar seems to have peaked.
As we write, elite media are abuzz with anonymous Biden administration claims that Moscow is planning “a false-flag operation” in eastern Ukraine, creating the pretext for a Russian invasion. The stories are bylined by all the worst media warmongers — including David Sanger in The New York Times and Natasha Bertrand at CNN.
Yesterday, we spelled out how a Russian invasion could mark the beginning of the end for the dollar’s role as the globe’s reserve currency.
Coincidentally or not, the U.S. dollar index — which measures the greenback against six other developed-world currencies — took a huge spill the last couple days, as you see in this six-month candlestick chart from StockCharts.
Can’t blame it on the U.S. inflation numbers this week, either — sky-high, yes, but as expected.
Too, there’s a Bloomberg article: “A growing chorus of investors is betting the world’s reserve currency has reached a peak in a dramatic turnaround from a month ago when positioning in the greenback was the most bullish since 2015.
“K2 Asset Management recommends selling the dollar for Asian emerging bonds and European stocks, while Brandywine Global Investment Management is buying commodity-linked currencies. Bleakley Advisory Group LLC favors gold and silver.”
No, Ukraine doesn’t factor into these investors’ calculus. Too soon for that. The train hasn’t exactly left the station… but the conductor is blowing the whistle more insistently.
Ukraine, meanwhile, pops up in our mailbag — which we haven’t checked for a couple of days now…
“Your clear-eyed analysis of the NATO-Russia discussions is spot-on, particularly the historical context,” a reader writes.
“Russians have a historical memory of their borders being repeatedly assaulted by enemies abroad – Charles XII of Sweden, the Poles, Napoleon and Hitler. They lost 20 million (!) of their people fending off the last of these villains – that’s 70 times the number of humans the U.S. lost in WW2.
“Further, the post-WW2 West is seen as an alliance of serial liars and hypocrites by nationalist Russians. We first told them we would not expand NATO and promptly broke that promise. We dismembered one of their allies (Serbia), gratuitously went to war against Saddam Hussein in 2003 on false pretenses, recklessly blew up Syria by encouraging protests against Assad and then proceeded to utterly destroy Libya when it posed no threat to either the U.S. or Western Europe (NATO).
“From their perspective, the single-greatest threat to global stability and peace is the U.S. and NATO.
“There is more than a grain of truth in that assertion, painful as it may be to admit it for many of us who are steeped in mythology about the U.S. being international do-gooders, that in turn necessitates a bloated weapons budget.
“I’ve been a reader of The 5 since you started. Keep it up!”
“When I began to read yesterday’s episode it almost immediately invoked memories of the holiday classic A Christmas Story from 1983,” writes another.
“As you might recall the character in that movie that created daily havoc in the neighborhood was Scut Farkus — different spelling but similar pronunciation and no known relationship to Evelyn Farkas — whose quote kicked off your daily missive.
“However, I can see parallels between the movie, the events that preceded it by several years and the more current events occurring in Ukraine.
“The movie centered on the nearly obsessive preoccupation of Ralphie Parker to convince his parents to grant his one great Christmas wish, a Red Ryder BB gun. Ralphie was undeterred by all of the noise of the day and the constant threat of Scut Farkus and his toady, Grover Dill. Eventually we learn that Ralphie did indeed get his prized BB gun and the story ended happily.
“You might also remember that Scut Farkus ended up with a bloodied nose when a distraught and disappointed Ralphie Parker took him on in the alley and surprised him with a flurry of punches to the face.
“Let’s hope today’s political leaders can resolve their differences without resorting to a rumble in the alley. At worst, let them all get their tongues stuck to the frozen flagpole and we can hope that a BB gun is the most destructive they might become.”
The 5: Your stream of consciousness might be even weirder than my own. But thanks for the humorous diversion — which we could all sorely use going into the weekend!
The 5 Min. Forecast


The introduction of predictive analytics to the dialer technology created more success stories as it ensures a higher number of connection between agents and customers. The combination of these two technologies has made the dialers more result oriented and intelligent.
Moreover, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration added more to utilities of cloud predictive dialers. CRM is a system to manage all company’s interactions with potential, current and previous customers. It became easier for the agents to find specific information about individual customers.
In addition to this, cloud technology has also supported the core of this idea because every analytics converges to data accumulation and analysis. Customer relationship management (CRM) is an extension to the predictive dialer, and it makes customer-agent conversation highly effective. How it happens, let’s look into it.
Specific Customer Details
With individual customer-specific information, agents are more likely of entertaining the call with efficiently and closing the call on a positive note. When the dialer is integrated with the CRM, these customer-specific details are availed while the agents communicate with the customers.
Predictive dialer works on an algorithm that helps in connecting the maximum number of customers to the available agents. While talking to customers, it gets a lot easier for the agents to use the information stored in CRM to make a purposeful business communication.
Optimized Lead Management
CRM integration helps in optimizing the lead management develops a faster and smarter work environment for the agents. It includes information related to sales, customer communication history, contact information and it also serves this data to the agents, automatically.
Predictive dialer integrated with the CRM, carries features of call logging, call back, call recording and other automated processes that save the agents’ time, substantially. With more time in hands, the agents become capable of connecting to the best leads and close the calls efficiently in the least time invested.
The best time to call the customers is determined, automatically and the predictive dialer software filters out the ‘do not call’ numbers, fax lines or answering machines to ensure connection to the worthwhile connections only. And to complete this filtering CRM keeps all the customer information stored.
Capturing Call Activity
The CRM integrated predictive dialer captures all type of call activities, and it directly feeds into the CRM for managing better leads and keep track of the perfect time to call the customers.
The data analysis gives several insights into the real-time metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), such as average handling time, cost per interaction, customer satisfaction, etc.
Record the Sales Calls for Analysis
The predictive dialer records all the agent calls that can further be analyzed to give a new way or redirection to the customer-agent communication. Call recording also helps in analyzing the call patterns that further makes the best possible conversion over the connected calls.
Sales involve a lot of persuasion of the customers over the value propositions that are conveyed in the limited number of minutes on a phone call. Having said this, it becomes essential for the agents to be well-trained in effective business communication.
Call analysis also ensures that the agents are up to date in their knowledge about the product and services. CRM further helps in compartmentalizing the call recording according to a different set of customers. CRM integration can be helpful in mapping the recordings with the clients, which may be required for liabilities issues.
Extensive reports from the predictive dialer provide a clear picture of the call details with the specifics of the customer conversation. These reports can be downloaded in various data formats, like XLS, PDF, CVS, etc.
A holistic view of the available information is enough to revisit every interaction happened like all the calls or emails. So, this kind of a comprehensive view helps the agents to pitch the product or service, efficiently.
An agent is working on a customer’s account; he gets to see all the information on his screen in real-time. In this way, the overall productivity increases and makes sure that the agent conversation with the customers is always relevant and on the track of sales.
Predictive Dialer + CRM = Sales Acceleration
The predictive dialer integration with CRM helps in making the most out of the available resources. The agents get the information handy and make the best possible business communication with the customers.
Sales is a result of complete preparedness. And Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration prepares the predictive dialer for the best possible sales results.
Latest posts by Vipul Srivastav (see all)
- Why is the Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) a Business-Oriented Model? - March 2, 2020
- How Your Support Team Can Benefit From Quality Assurance - February 26, 2020
- 5 Things Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know About International Toll Free Numbers - February 24, 2020


Legendary Nigerian record label owner, Kenny Ogungbe better known as Baba Keke is a household name when it comes to the music business in the country
Baba Keke has carved a niche for himself in the old school and contemporary music in Nigeria with his Prime Time Africa and Kennis Music platforms.
The veteran broadcaster has turned raw and upcoming talents into superstars in the last couple of years and most of them are eternally grateful for his impact on their successful music careers.
In this article, Legit.ng takes a look at some music talents that have benefitted from Baba Keke's Kennis Music record label and how he transformed them into the stars they are today.
2Baba is arguably the most successful artist to ever be on Kennis Music's platform. The multiple awards-winning superstars had his debut album as a solo artiste Face2Face under the label.
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The album housed hits like African Queen and Nfana Ibaga which earned him international recognition.
2Baba joined the Label after he left the Platashun Boyz group and became a solo artist. Baba Keke produced his Face2Face album.
2. Eedris Abdulkareem
Another artist that benefited from Kenny Ogungbe's music label is Eedris Abdulkareem.
He was introduced to Baba Keke by Steve Babaeko during the Primetime Africa programme on Rayposer.
Eedris released three albums under the label including monster hits like Jaga Jaga and Mr Lecturer.
Jaywon is another successful artiste that was signed to Kennis Music. He has several hits released under the label including This Year and Facebook Love.
4. Tony Tetuila
Tony Tetuila was a member of the defunct Remedies before he went solo under the Kennis Music label. He released four successful albums for the label including My Car.
Essence is another proud member of the Kennis Music family. She is the Label's first lady and the voice behind the popular Superstory soundtrack.
6. Joel Amadi
He is one of the longest-serving artistes on the Kennis music label. He released several hit songs for the platform and will remain eternally grateful to Baba Keke.
7. Kelly Handsome
Kelly Handsome is another successful artist under the Kennis Music label, his Maga Don Pay track remains an evergreen.
Another ex-Plantashun Boyz member, Faze had a successful stint under Baba Keke's label.
D'Banj, Wizkid, Fela rated among top 10 Nigeria's greatest afrobeats stars of all time
Afrobeats sound has evolved since the time it was birthed in the country in the times of Late Fela Anikulapo Kuti who did an amazing job to project the lovely genre of music.
Other superstars have taken up the mantle to further promote Afrobeats to the rest of the world with their unique styles and deliveries.
Legit.ng compiled a list of the top 10 Afrobeats superstars who have done their best to stand out in the ever-competitive industry.


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The Cambridge Innovation Center is located next to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus and is one of the largest and most successful co-working operators in the Boston area. And it may be expanding to St. Louis.
The Cambridge Innovation Center has provided flexible office space to some 1,200 startups since 1999, many of them tech and life sciences companies founded by MIT students and faculty. Now the company is in talks "to open two new innovation centers, one in Baltimore and another in St. Louis, by the end of 2013," according to an article in the Boston Globe.
“We are really trying to create communities of people who are making an impact,” chief executive Tim Rowe told the Boston Globe. “We really should be doing that everywhere.”
BizNext reached out to Cambridge Innovation Center and was told that at this point the company was not ready to confirm an expansion to St. Louis or discuss any details.
If the expansion to St. Louis does happen, the Cambridge Innovation Center would become another option for entrepreneurs in St. Louis. The T-REx technology incubator in the Railway Exchange Building downtown offers flexible office space for startups and has attracted more than 50 tenants in less than two years, and the Lab1500 co-working space recently opened its doors at 1500 Washington Ave.


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Chicago >Food & Dining > Nix Restaurant
163 E Walton St, Chicago, IL | Directions 6061141.899901 -87.622685
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, Central
Outstanding! Bravo! – The fact that this restaurant is in a hotel should not dissuade you from going there. The food is absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. We wanted to order one of everything from the menu! We had the cherry encrusted grouper and new york strip steak. Fabulous!! Oh my God the mashed potatoes!! So good! The staff was very friendly, the decor stunning. We sat in the window seats which allowed us to watch the flow of night traffic go by. Just a great wonderful dining experience!
International restaurant in the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel caters to tourists, business travelers and locals. – In Short
NiX's long, narrow room has the feel of a quiet gallery, with modern art on the walls and wildly patterned carpeting in an otherwise black-and-white space. The subdued atmosphere matches the luxury hotel surroundings. The upscale menu boasts a melting pot of international influences, from Brazilian steak sandwich and Thai chili-glazed salmon at lunch to Moroccan lamb chops and Amish chicken roast on the pricier dinner menu.
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domain: food


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The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Friday threw a farewell party for outgoing Chief Justice David Maraga.
JSC throws farewell party for Chief Justice David Maraga (Photos)
CJ Maraga's term officially ends in a few days
The news of the farewell party was shared by the CJ who thanked the commission he has chaired for the past five years.
In his statement, the outgoing President of the Judiciary said it was his pleasure serving alongside the able JSC team, and he wishes them the best, as they continue serving Kenyans.
"I thank the Judicial Service Commission for the farewell luncheon today. It was my utmost pleasure serving as your chair and wish you well as you continue to serve Kenyans," said CJ Maraga.
David Maraga is Kenya's 14th Chief Justice and the second under the new Constitution.
He took office in 2016 after the early retirement of his predecessor, Willy Mutunga. Prior to that, Maraga had served as a judge for 13 years.
Here are Photos of the farewell party:
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The Art of Civil Action
Political Space and Cultural Dissent
Published by Valiz.
Edited with text by Philipp Dietachmair, Pascal Gielen. Contributions by Andrew Barnett, Llorenç Bonet, llya Budraitskis, Giuliana Ciancio, Milena Dragi?evi? Šeši?, Max Haiven, Stefan Kaegi, Ivan Krastev, Thijs Lijster, Tomislav Medak, Borka Pavi?evi?, Yudhishthir Raj Isar, Igor Stokfiszewski, Hakan Topal.
How do the arts contribute to the formation of democratic processes? How does culture constitute public space and a civil domain? The Art of Civil Action argues that cultural initiatives play an underappreciated but crucial role in unlocking dormant democratic potential in our societies. Arts and culture can be a cornerstone of the civil domain, and an anchor as communities reconcile their local and global identities and roles.
The Art of Civil Action considers how to establish a sustainable, transnational civil space, and what role culture and the arts can play in this process, through a colorful mix of case studies on citizen-led cultural initiatives from Europe and around the world. Social scientists, cultural theorists, activists and artists contribute conceptual perspectives on how the arts and culture can help build a locally rooted civil society in a globally connected context.

domain: library


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Consultant and professor of ophthalmology
Chris Hammond has been the Frost Professor of Ophthalmology at King’s College London and consultant at Guy's and St Thomas' since 2011.
After Cambridge and Oxford Universities, he was a registrar at the Western Eye Hospital, a senior registrar at St Thomas’ and completed his paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus Fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital, all in London.
He was appointed as consultant at Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in 2000, and was awarded the prestigious NIHR Senior Research Fellowship in 2008 in recognition of his groundbreaking research.
Chris has previously been both training programme director and regional adviser for the London Deanery/RCOphth, and is the ophthalmology lead for the London(South) Comprehensive Local Research Network.
Education and training
- Cambridge University MA, 1985
- Oxford University MB ChB, 1988
- Member of the Royal College of Physicians, 1989
- Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, 1991
- MD (Research) University of London, 2000.
Chris is one of the leading international researchers into the genetic epidemiology of common eye diseases including glaucoma, cataract, myopia (short sight), dry eye disease and age-related macular degeneration.
His research group is based in the Department of Twin Research at Guy's and St Thomas' and is identifying genetic variants associated with these eye conditions, looking at genetic and environmental factors and their interactions.
- Fellowship of ARVO (Association for Research into Vision and Ophthalmology)
- International Glaucoma Association Fellowship, 2013
- Elizabeth Paice London Deanery Award for best teaching institution (St Thomas’ Eye Dept), 2012
- NIHR Senior Research Fellowship, 2008.
Last updated: April 2022

domain: medical


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I made this headband for the fabulous Ariana Grande.
Made to order taking a few days before shipping. Beautiful blacklace bunny ears with a lace veil, attached together to a satin covered headband. The lace is as the photo of Ariana.
This item is machine and hand stitched by me, with great care and attention to detail.
The ears stand approximately 10" high and can be gently bent and manipulated.
Ariana Grande looks beautiful in the veil bunny ears I made for her. You will receive the same design as Ariana.
Shipping & delivery
This item is made-to-order and will be posted to you by Talulahblue within 3 days of receiving payment.
|Shipping destination||Cost||Additional items|
|Rest of the World||£10.00||£5.00|
This is a custom-made item and cannot be returned unless faulty.


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Hear me out. I'm not letting the person who played you off of the hook, but would you agree with the idea that people who tend to get cheated on repeatedly have a trait or flaw somewhere that causes them to be attracted to jerks? Would you agree that often there are big glaring signs that you are dating an a****le? Signs that people conveniently ignore when they are want to beleive the best about someone? So actually many times these people are actually delusional, believing a fairytale about the person they are with rather than seeing them for who they really are.
So in light of that, it's kind of your own fault if you get played by someone? Food for though. What do you guys think? Am I just a prick? Or a realist?
Most Helpful Guy
I say so. If you know that a certain girl or guy is a player or comes from a background of two timing and being unfaithful you should blame know one but yourself if you get played. if you thought that they would change I have zero sympathy. I believe that people can change, but you do need to be cautious in situations like this. I know some people who fall into traps like this because the girl or guy has almost all the traits of a good partner and tend to overlook the player past because "this time it will be different". There are signs so look out for them1

domain: sociology


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Back to lesson
1. How do you transform a shape or text into a path?
Add a layer mask to the layer
In the layers Panel Right click on the text layer and select Create Work Path
In the Layer styles select Stroke
2. How can to open up the Brush preset menu?
Go to Menu/Window/Brush.
With the Brush tool selected right click anyway on the canvas.
Go to Menu/Type/Panels.
3. To apply a brush preset to a path you should...
Grab the pen tool and right click on the visible text path: Choose the Vector Mask option.
Grab the pen tool and right click on the visible text path: Choose the Stoke Path option.
Grab the Brush tool and right click on the visible text path: Choose the Stoke Path option.
Back to the top
© 2017 GoSkills Ltd.
Skills for career advancement


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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church will celebrate its 65th anniversary in January 2019. Before World War II, there were no Episcopal churches on Whidbey Island, which lies in Puget Sound northwest of Seattle. During the war, the Navy established a seaplane base in the small farming town of Oak Harbor on the north end of the island. After the war, as Navy aviation grew, the base expanded dramatically, bringing many military families to the area and rapidly increasing the population of Oak Harbor (now the island’s largest town).
Beginning in 1952, several young Navy spouses who had grown up in the Episcopal Church began talking about establishing a parish in Oak Harbor. Bishop Stephen Bayne met with them, and soon thereafter St. Stephen’s was organized. (Legend has it that the parish was named after the Bishop.) As of January 1, 1954, Bishop Bayne declared St. Stephen’s to be a mission church of the Diocese of Olympia. It became a full parish on November 6, 1977.
In the ensuing years, the church grew steadily and by 1991, St. Stephen’s had more than 200 members. To accommodate that growth, it has built three different sanctuaries on the same plot of land it has owned since it began. The first A-shaped building (now the office and chapel) was constructed in 1954. The second sanctuary (now the parish hall) was built in 1960. And the third sanctuary, which we use today, was erected in 1982, including a lower floor for classrooms.
From the 1970s to the early 2000s, as social and other changes divided the national Episcopal Church, St. Stephen’s became an epicenter of those divisions. As tensions grew in the congregation in the mid- to late-1990s, more than 100 members left to join other churches in the area. In 2004, about two-thirds of the remaining parish members, then numbering about 80, voted to leave the Episcopal Church and place themselves under the oversight of a breakaway Anglican bishop in Brazil. The other one third – by then only about a dozen or so – called themselves the “Faithful Remnant” and endured harassment, loss of friendships and other disrespect during this time. Eventually, they were even turned away from worshipping in the main sanctuary. But they hung together by meeting in homes and then in the tiny All Saints’ Chapel in the original 1954 building on the campus. A covenant signed by the breakaway Anglicans and the then-Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia allowed the Anglicans to remain in possession of the main sanctuary and most other areas of the St. Stephen’s campus until June 2014.
In 2007, when Gregory H. Rickel became Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia, he made it a top priority to resolve this intolerable situation at St. Stephen’s. With his determination and help, the breakaway Anglicans finally left the St. Stephen’s campus in 2014 and established their own church in Oak Harbor, where they remain today.
The “Faithful Remnant” of Episcopalians regained their church in an emotional “homecoming” service that year, and ever since the congregation has worked tirelessly to renew itself, restore and repair the campus buildings and grounds, expand its community outreach and raise its visibility to become known as the most radically welcoming, inclusive, open and accepting church in the area.
To read a full history of our parish, please click here: St. Stephen's History

domain: history


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Medical negligence can be defined as medical malpractice caused by healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, surgeons, and nurses. Medical negligence is a term used when healthcare professional causes harm to the patient unintentionally. The harm can be in the form of an injury, pain, or suffering.
Medical negligence is an unfortunate phenomenon, and it comes with severe consequences. Depending on the extent of negligence, the victim, their families, and close ones suffer miserably. As civilized humans, we turn to doctors when we feel ill and think we have some kind of disease. We do this because we trust that a medically qualified professional will never harm us but benefit us. When the opposite (medical negligence) happens, our trust breaks, and as a result, we suffer from pain and injury because of it.
Why Medical Negligence Happen
There are many reasons behind medical negligence. From poor communication to lack of skills or training, medical negligence can happen because of anything. However, whatever the case is, it is the duty of the healthcare professional to protect your wellbeing. If you are injured during a diagnosis, no one will be responsible but the healthcare professional treating you.
According to The Rules of Professional Conduct for Medical and Dental Practitioners and The Code of Ethics, the following are some scenarios where the healthcare professional could cause medical negligence:
- Attending a patient late who needed urgent medical attention.
- Display of incompetency in the patient’s assessment.
- Failing to make the right diagnosis, even when the symptoms were so clear that a reasonably skilled healthcare professional would easily notice them.
- Not being transparent to the patient. For instance, not revealing to the patient that a certain diagnosis may have side effects like loss of an organ or deformity.
- Carrying out a procedure without the patient’s consent, especially when the consent was necessary.
- Making a diagnosis mistake. For instance, amputating the wrong limb, terminating a pregnancy inadvertently, and prescribing the wrong drug.
- Failure to transfer or refer a patient at the right time.
- Failure to act in the best interest of the patient.
- Failure to communicate with the patient properly, especially when the communication was crucial.
The ratio of medical negligence in Scotland is considered to be more than the south of the border. However, that’s not the case across all specialties. As per the survey, doctors working in private clinics face lower claims than doctors working in National Health Service Hospitals.
One should know that negligence is not only occurred in the medical field, professionals of professions like engineering, law, and construction also make mistakes.
Health professionals are human. They sometimes make mistakes. It often happens because sometimes they fail to double-check or take shortcuts. After all, taking shortcuts seems easier than following the standards of operations provided by Scottish medical authorities like the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NICE.
Although medical negligence mostly happens unintentionally and mistakenly, these mistakes should not be taken lightly as human lives are involved. With slight negligence from the doctor’s side, a patient can lose his/her life.
Healthcare professionals should come together and work as a team in order to treat the patient effectively. When everything is double-checked and proper standards of operations are followed, healthcare professionals can minimize the number of medical negligence cases drastically.
Make a Medical Negligence Claim with Wallace Legal
If you are a victim of medical negligence and you suffered immensely because of it, then you should make a claim to get the compensation as soon as possible. We at Wallace Legal have the best team of personal injury lawyers in Glasgow and the rest of the UK. We have been working in the law industry for years. Our lawyers know the laws and regulations of personal injuries and medical negligence. We will make sure that the healthcare professional who caused you pain and suffering is proven guilty, and you get compensation for your losses.
The best thing about Wallace Legal is that we work on a “No Win No Fee” policy. This means that our lawyers will work hard to win you the claim, but if something goes wrong, Wallace Legal will not charge you for anything.


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Are you ready to let the good times roll? Connor James is an “Awesome” up and coming country star. It is no “Mistake” that he has been generating a lot of buzz in the country music scene recently. If you like country music, you do not want to miss this show!
As always, NO COVER!
Connor James is an up and coming country artist. He has been touring around Canada in 2018 and is finally coming to town. Connor has released two original singles, one of which (Awesome) was nominated for ACMA’s “Song of the Year.” The other single (Mistake) brought him even more success as it was played on many hit country billboard stations. Listen to both of them on his website by clicking on the link below:


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So many choicesJames Bond, Fairy, their favourite superhero? Our kids photoshoots can be based around any theme your little one loves and we love to see them bring their favourite comforts with them too. Old and tatty teddies are very welcome! We do everything we can take make sure children feel comfortable when they arrive. It is important to us that they find the experience fun and a happy kiddie is what we need for a photoshoot. It is not unusual to see a superhero or a fairy around the studio to help excite and relax any small visitors to the studio!
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Shipping Announcement: We are out of the office until July 6. Any orders placed between June 22 and July 6 will ship July 9. Shipping will resume July 9.
Connect with us on Instagram @VintageVirtuosa.
Super light weight semi-sheer airy gown with a lace beaded bodice and long flowing rayon (?) crepe skirt.
The dress is semi-sheer and unlined, pulls on over the head and zips up the side with a metal zipper. Also one hook and eye closure at the back of the neck.
The listing is for the dress only. The crystal belt is not included, please email me for availability if interested.
Note: The dress is semi-sheer with no lining so plan on adding a slip of your own.
Condition: Hole at bottom of skirt in the front, a larger smudge mark on right hip, see last 2 images.
Length 59" - 60 1/2"
:*Slate Blue with Black Atomic Print*Shirtwaist Button-Down Bodice*Crystals in the Buttons*Dolman Sleeves*Pleated SkirtLabel: R & K Originals Condition: Excellent. Missing 3 large and 5 small...
Lovely 1920s flapper silk night gown in a ballerina pink with lace at the bodice and handkerchief hemline. Wear it as a dress, it's very...
$ 185.00 $ 125.00
A hint of peach done in the softest gauzy fabric with beautiful handwork needlepoint panels, pintucking and amazing two-tiered bell shaped skirt, all in one...
I love the notched collar, the grosgrain trim and the hip pockets on this 1940s sheer embroidered lace dress. And the color too, a soft...