text:
Someday, I would like to go to India as an Ambassador of American Culture and take it to the masses and share how it brings prosperity to all when we mind our own business and let others mind theirs. Freedom is an American Value that needs to be shared and exported. America leads the world in everything about life and we need to export democratic values around the world. The moderate majority of Hindus need to speak out.
Courtesy of the Economist
India is working itself into a frenzy about interfaith marriages
THE older woman’s slaps come quick and hard, followed by a shrill, “Have you no shame?” The younger woman sits still, eyes downcast, holding a hesitant hand to her stinging cheek as if in disbelief. Captured earlier this month in the city of Aligarh, 140km south-east of the Indian capital, Delhi, this little act of violence was mild by the standards of videos that go viral across India’s 1.2bn mobile phones.
Yet the scene was widely shared, and for compelling reasons. The two women were complete strangers. The older one happens to be Sangeeta Varshney, a prominent local member of India’s ruling party. The younger woman, who is Hindu, had been spotted sitting in a teahouse with a man who is Muslim. In a later interview on television, Ms Varshney explained that as a mother and a Hindu herself, she had a God-given right to hit the other woman. This was, she continued, a clear-cut case of “love jihad”.
Ms Varshney is far from alone in believing that the 80% of Indians who are Hindu face a concerted, predatory effort to entice their womenfolk away from the faith. One populist Hindu organisation’s helpline claims to have “rescued” 8,500 girls from “love jihad”. A website called Struggle for Hindu Existence carries endless titillating stories about Muslim youths luring Hindu maidens into wickedness. Repeated police investigations have failed to find evidence of any organised plan of conversion. Reporters have repeatedly exposed claims of “love jihad” as at best fevered fantasies and at worst, deliberate election-time inventions. Indian law erects no barriers to marriages between faiths, or against conversion by willing and informed consent. Yet the idea still sticks, even when the supposed “victims” dismiss it as nonsense.
In May, a court in the southern state of Kerala summarily annulled a five-month-old marriage on grounds that the wife, a convert to Islam, had disobeyed her parents and been lured into a potentially dangerous liaison with a Muslim man. Sensitivities in Kerala have been high since the discovery, last year, that several newly-wed Muslim couples had emigrated to fight for Islamic State. Still, it seemed bizarre for a judge to order this 24-year-old woman, who had converted a year before meeting her future husband, while studying at a medical institute, to return to her parents’ house. She has been held there ever since, under police guard and, say the few who have attempted to visit her, against her will. Even as her husband mounted a legal challenge to the divorce ruling, India’s supreme court in August ordered a special anti-terror unit to investigate his background.
It is not only Muslims who are accused of preying on Hindu women. A 28-year-old Hindu woman filed charges against a yoga centre in Kerala earlier this month, alleging that she had been held there against her will for three weeks, abused and indoctrinated in an attempt to make her divorce her Christian husband. Her affidavit alleged that another 60 women had been held at the centre in similar circumstances.
And it is not just Hindus who harbour suspicions. Earlier this month a Buddhist organisation in Ladakh, a mountainous region on the borders of Tibet, issued a stark warning. All Muslims in the area would have to leave, or risk the consequences, unless Syed Murtaza Agha “returned” his wife, Stanzin Saldon, to her Buddhist family. For several days Muslim-owned shops in the region stayed shut, but the danger seems to have passed.
Miss Saldon, a 30-year-old development consultant who says she converted to Islam five years ago, published a persuasively eloquent letter in Indian newspapers. It states bluntly that she married out of love and for no other reason, and feels insulted by the accusation that she might not be able to think for herself. The Buddhist elders, who had termed conversion a “wicked and depraved act”, have fallen silent.
“Women often become a marker when sharper lines get drawn between communities,” says Charu Gupta, a historian at Delhi University. Efforts by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to build inter-caste alliances among Hindus have brought religious differences more to the fore, she believes. Still, says Ms Gupta, it is a shame to see state institutions and India’s courts take on the role of prejudiced patriarchs: “They have internalised a demonisation of the Muslim male, and see women as essentially foolish and immature.”
In Aligarh, police did not arrest Ms Varshney for assaulting a young woman. They did not bother the Hindu vigilantes who had hauled the couple out of a teahouse. But they charged the Muslim boyfriend with “lewd behaviour”. Only several days later, following a public outcry over the video clip and at the prompting of local women’s-rights groups, were charges pressed against Ms Varshney.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Invading the bedroom”
# # #


text:
Closed July 2nd - 4th
Ice Cream Social: Click for details!
Click for Details!
Great Lakes Energy People Fund Grant provides new Early Literacy Stations for kids!
KCL Looks to the Future By Purchasing Property Next Door
Browse the archives
See back issues of the Leader and Kalkaskian from 1879 through 2012!

domain: library


text:
Immigration Rules for your vacation in Germany
• EU citizens don't need a visa.
• Citizens of the USA, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland do not need a visa for stays up to 3 months (only passport).
• Most nationalities from Africa and Asia need a visa for any purpose.
• No matter where you come from - you are required to carry your passport or ID.
Credit Cards and the Euro Currency on Vacation in Germany
• Official currency is the Euro "€".
• Credit cards are not very common, use them only for petrol stations, large shops and major hotels.
• Most acceptability have American Express, MasterCard and Visa.
• Carry cash or a Eurocheque card as well.
• Change money at banks, post offices, airport or train stations.
• Travellers cheques are hardly accepted.
• Most banks are affiliated with several international ATM networks (Cirrus, Plus, Star and Maestro).
Daylight saving times, Summer and Winter time - Times in Germany
Germany operates on Central European time (CET), which means that the country is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the United States and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Summer daylight saving time comes into effect on the last Sunday in March at 2am, when clocks are put forward one hour and ends on the last Sunday in October. Official times (eg shop hours, train schedules) are usually indicated by the 24-hour clock, eg 0730 is 1930.
Most public pay phones no longer accept coins but only Deutsche Telecom (DT) phonecards, which are available in denominations of € 5, € 10, and € 15 from post offices, newsagents, some tourist offices and public transport offices. You can also buy prepaid cards from other providers which can save money and are used by dialing a PIN. Credit cards can only be used from a small number of public phones.
Germany operates on a GSM network, which is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia, but not with the North American or the totally different system in Japan. T-Mobile, Cingular and some other U.S. wireless firms do use GSM, but on different frequency bands. A multi-band cell phone allows you to use the same phone in the USA and Europe. However, there are several alternatives, including buying or renting an unlocked GSM wireless phone just for use in Europe and other GSM areas of the world (about 190 countries). The coverage is good in Germany, and there's a funny thing you should know: When Germans talk about their cell phones, they use an english word for it you may not understand: They call it "Handy".
• Electric sockets are 230 volts AC, 50 Hz.
• European-style round two-pin plugs are in use.
• You need a transformer and a plug that fits the German socket.
Driving the famous German Autobahn
• There are no tolls to pay on German Autobahn.
• Strict drink driving laws, only allowing 0.5 per mil blood alcohol.
• Seat belts front and rear are obligatory everywhere.
• No hand-held mobile phones are allowed while driving.
• To hire cars you'll need to be at least 21 years old and hold a valid driving licence and a major credit card.
Speed limits on Autobahn and other roads:
• Speed limits are implemented rigorously, radar traps are frequent.
• City 31mph/50kph, two laned highway 62mph/100kph.
• Unless otherwise marked, most motorways (Autobahn) have no speed limit but 81mph/130kph is recommended.
• Every valid driving licence is accepted.
• Non-EU (European Union) members need an international driving license or an official German translation.
Driving rules in Germany:
• If there is no policeman, no signal or no sign indicating the right-of-way, then right-of-way is always given to traffic approaching from the right. This also includes situations where main roads and small side streets cross at uncontrolled intersections.
• Driving in Germany is on the right hand side, overtaking only on the left side.

domain: travel


text:
The journey of recovery after hip-facture surgery: older people’s experiences of recovery through rehabilitation services involving physical activity
Peer reviewed, Journal article
MetadataVis full innførsel
Purpose: This study sought to explore and describe the experiences of recovery among community-living older people undergoing rehabilitation involving physical activity following hip-fracture surgery. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 5 men and 16 women ( age range: 67 - 84 years). The data were analysed by means of systematic text condensation. Results: The analysis revealed the following four interrelated themes: 1) what participants bring to the recovery situation matters; 2) support through individually tailored rehabilitation services, involving physical activity, – is key to recovery following hip fracture surgery; 3) needing professional help on the journey from helplessness and vulnerability to being more confident and active; and 4) making progress and regaining function represent the essence of recovery. Conclusions: All four identified themes relate to how physical activity, as an aspect of rehabilitation services, contributes to the recovery process for patients who have experienced a hip fracture. Differences were reported with regard to the services used, and all the participants were at the mercy of what their municipalities chose to offer in terms of rehabilitation services.

domain: health


text: This is truely top class tv show and I really love it. Ridiculousness - Season 16 is by far one of the best online tv shows I've ever watched. The hollywood, cannot boast with a large number of better tv shows. It wasn't easy to leave the cinema, when I saw it first time. Great actors and great story. However, I think that well-chosen actors and an interesting script are not pushed to the background by music, because a good tv show consists of many elements. I hope you're excited, so start watching it now!.

domain: artistic


AURORA | If a city plan moves forward, Aurorans experiencing homelessness exposed to the new coronavirus could soon be waiting out quarantines in a local hotel.
City of Aurora Homelessness Director Shelley McKittrick said Wednesday she is “confident” the city will be able to contract with local hotels or motels to house homeless Aurorans, who, during the pandemic, can’t comply with stay-at-home orders and are at a higher risk of exposure to the virus in crowded shelters.
“We are working on securing, probably, an entire hotel so that we can have quarantine space available,” McKittrick told the Sentinel.
She said free rooms would be available to homeless people worried that they had been exposed to the virus or had tested positive. People discharged from local hospitals with nowhere to go could also be quarantined in the hotel, as well as first responders exposed on the job.
No people congregating at area shelters have tested positive for the new coronavirus, McKittrick said. But she expects cases to appear as the pandemic spreads through Colorado.
Councilwoman Alison Coombs said city council and staff would be mulling a possible hotel deal this week.
“That is part of the conversation – how we can use space in hotels to house people,” she said.
Aurora shelters are also working to keep serving the homeless population while also keeping their environments safe.
The City recently supplied wedding tents to the Aurora Day Resource Center, a shelter on the Fitzsimons medical campus. Staff used the tent for social-distance-friendly shelter space in the parking lot stocked with cots, heaters and a portable toilets, McKittrick said.
It’s a workaround for the Day Center, which can now only have about 50 people inside the building under social distancing rules.
Last year, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative counted about 400 homeless people living in Aurora shelters, on the streets or in transitional housing. In the pandemic-induced recession, tenants and homeowners with lost incomes are at risk of landing on the streets too, McKittrick said. Local and federal stays on evictions, including those in Arapahoe and Adams counties, are aiming to keep as many U.S. residents in their homes as possible while the recession deepens.


text:
The story of how a "white trash troublemaker" from Scottsdale created a successful career as a comedic supporting character in TV and movies.
In his first book, Spade details the years before the fame—feeling ashamed to borrow money from friends, crashing on their couches in Los Angeles and New York, accepting low-paying gigs at comedy clubs—and his disappointment even after getting the plum job for which he is perhaps best known: a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He started out as a "lowly writer/performer,” not an on-stage performer, a position he craved, and he explains how he often he felt he was “legitimately in over my head.” Nonetheless, Spade remained in the writers' room, frustrated as he was “punching up sketches that I wasn’t in (sour grapes alert).” It took several seasons before he finally found his voice as an important recurring character: the sarcastic Hollywood correspondent on the show’s "Weekend Update” segment. The author educates readers on the mechanics of putting together a weekly, 90-minute, live comedy show—e.g., why the sketch that closes the show is dubbed the "5-to-1"—and his anecdotes about the show’s hosts and musical acts are mostly amusing. His kinship with fellow SNL cast member Chris Farley remained strong throughout their shared, blockbuster movie career—though the author devotes only a short chapter to Farley's premature death. In recounting his adolescence, Spade recalls that he wasn't the class clown: "I wasn't the loud attention getter.” Curiously, the author provides scant acknowledgment of his TV work on Just Shoot Me! and Rules of Engagement, and he barely mentions his nominations for several industry awards. He does, however, provide copious, often crude accounts of his disappointments with his early sex life—and his successes later on.
Some vulnerability mixed with crass, frat-boy humor.


text:
”Even though it was on sale...”
”We want to be conscious adventurers, as Peak Performance calls it
”The day started off with a three hour surf session”
”Packing some beauty favorites for France”
”Read the washing label inside the item ”
”Made with ethical and sustainable silks, leather, cotton and wool”
My tattoo means ‘everything happens for a reason’ in Latin. It is something I have always believed so I thought it would be an appropriate first tattoo for me!
arm, everything happens for a reason, omnia causa fiunt, word
arm, love gratitude, mercy, word
My newest tattoo, the butterfly!
I see myself as one because I feel like i’ve finally left my cocoon.
I am satisfied with myself, I’m as beautiful as a butterfly.
I’ve always been fascinated with geometric tattoos and since all of my tattoos are animalshaped, I chose to have a fox. Wisdom, strategic and adaptation
animal, arm, fox, geometric

domain: design


text:
Hi! I recently bought some new rod bearings for my 07 3.6 cts. Does anyone have the torque specs for the rod cap bolts??
Recently bought some rod bearings for my 07 3.6 cts, does anyone know the torque specs for the rod cap bolts??
Hey everyone, new to the forum and I'm glad I found it! I recently became the primary driver of a 2007 CTS sedan, 3.6L and a little under 24,000 miles (yes that's right!). I'm jumping head first into the world of Cadillac ownership and maintenance :LOL:
One issue I've had for a while now is...

domain: hobby


text:
Doctoral disputation in psychology at Åbo Akademi University on working memory and its training
Date: Monday December 17, 2018
Time and place: 1pm at Auditorium Salin, Axelia, Piispankatu 8
Author and title: Daniel Fellman: “Verbal Working Memory Training in Health and Disease: Outcomes and Underlying Mechanisms”.
Opponent: Professor Elisabeth Stine-Morrow, University of Illinois, Beckman Institute
Kustos: Professor Matti Laine, Åbo Akademi University
All interested are welcome to participate in the event!

domain: psychology


Weltmeister Achat 34/80/III/5/3 Piano Accordion - 80 basses, 34 treble keys, 5 treble registers, 3 banks of reeds on treble side, 3 bass registers, 4 banks of reeds on bass side, includes straps and c...
Advantagesthere isnt any
Disadvantagesviolence, cheekiness and bad language
AdvantagesIf you have nothing to do or if you don't know the other it's cool.
DisadvantagesA big mistake in the series which worked higher


text:
Mike Nichols’ movie The Graduate, released on December 22, 1967, is one of the most important films of the late 1960s and one of the most beloved American films of all time.
The movie is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb, who wrote it after graduating from Williams College.
The film was nominated for seven Oscars at the 40th Academy Awards, and Mike Nichols won the Academy Award for Best Director. It marks the screen debut, in the title role, of Dustin Hoffman, who portrays Benjamin Braddock, a bright college graduate, uncertain of his future who has a tangled affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of his father’s business partner, and then proceeds to fall in love with her daughter Elaine, portrayed by Katharine Ross.
During the production of the movie, director Mike Nichols was a big fan of Simon & Garfunkel’s music, but he never expected that they would agree to do his film’s soundtrack. He managed to convince them to allow the use of a few songs for the film. These later proved to be an integral part of the storytelling process and brought the music of Simon & Garfunkel to a wider audience.
Nichols used three existing Simon & Garfunkel songs: “The Sound of Silence,” “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” and “April Come She Will.” However, he needed a new song and asked Paul Simon to contribute a new song for the soundtrack. Simon told him that they were busy touring and that he only had “a song about times past — about Mrs. Roosevelt and Joe DiMaggio and stuff,” but it wasn’t finished.
The song was originally titled, Mrs. Roosevelt and had absolutely nothing to do with the plot of the movie. It was a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt and the passing of a more innocent era. When Nichols realized the title had the same number of syllables as “Mrs. Robinson”, he asked Simon to change the title and the song “Mrs. Robinson” was born.
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” became the first rock song to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was popular in many other countries and has been covered by a number of artists, including Frank Sinatra, the Lemonheads, and Bon Jovi.
As written by the Rolling Stone magazine, “Nichols became close friends with the duo and cast them both in his 1970 movie Catch-22, though he cut Paul’s part shortly before filming.
Art remained in the picture, refusing to drop out just because Paul lost the job. This didn’t sit well with Simon, and both parties now claim the ensuing fight was a key factor in their split.”

domain: entertainment


text:
On Tuesday evening, Kotapadi J Rajesh, who runs KJR Studios reportedly helped director Majith, who famously directed Vijay and Priyanka Chopra starrer Thamizhan, and was battling Coronavirus in a private hospital in Vadapalani. The director had reached out to several people in the film fraternity to help him. Rajesh reportedly stepped in and settled the hospital bills paving the way for Majith’s discharge. The director has now recovered from Covid19.
The director has thanked the producer for his timely gesture.
#Majith, dir of #Vijay‘s #Tamizhan, has thanked producer Kotapadi J Rajesh for paying his hospital dues and getting him discharged! Majith, undergoing treatment for #Covid19 at a pvt hospital, got cured but was unable to pay. Rajesh responded to his appeal for help. @proyuvraaj pic.twitter.com/4WWC5e4Ml2
— Manigandan K R (@cineobserver) June 16, 2020
On the same day, 20 Indian soldiers had been martyred in a face-off between India and China at the Indo-China border in Ladakh.
Among the slain Indians was L Pazhani, from the village of Kadukkalur in Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu. Havildar Pazhani served the Indian army for 22 years and was planning to retire in 2021.
KJR Studios took to Twitter to announce that the production house would be pledging a sum of five lakh rupees to the family of the soldier. The Tamil Nadu government also announced a solatium of 20 lakhs to the soldier’s family.
Our heart goes out to Soldier #Pazhani’s family. He feels one of our own… Our own Ranasingam! No money would equate the death of a warrior. But here’s whatever little we could… We pledge 5 lacs to Pazhani’s family for his mighty sacrifice. May his souls #RIP 🙏🏽
— KJR Studios (@kjr_studios) June 16, 2020
Meanwhile, KJR Studios’ upcoming films are in different stages of production. The banner is waiting for the lockdown to end to start production and post-production work on Sivakarthikeyan’s Doctor and Ayalaan. Recently, the team of Doctor commenced with editing when the Tamil Nadu government allowed the resumption of post-production activities.
Official statement from FEFSI pic.twitter.com/vgaDHMO6N3
— Cinepuram (@cinepuram) May 11, 2020
The first look poster and teaser of Vijay Sethupathi–Aishwarya Rajesh‘s long-delayed Ka Pae Ranasingam recently dropped and has garnered over three million views. The film is in post-production stage.
Santhanam‘s Dikkiloona also had three quirky posters drop last month. The film is in the post-production stage.

domain: news


text:
Airlines tout their frequent flier programs as great ways for travelers to earn free flights. As a result, many fliers spend years diligently racking up miles through travel and airline credit cards, all in the hopes of scoring a free ticket at the end of the slog.
But, often, when travelers actually redeem their miles, they find that they must also pay hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars in taxes and fees on a ticket that they thought was supposed to be free. So what’s going on, and how can you avoid these hidden charges?
These are the most common and expensive fees airlines tack onto their award tickets and some strategies to help you get out of paying them.
The miles you redeem for a ticket are generally put toward the cost of airfare only, not government taxes or surcharges levied by the airline. Just like with a paid ticket, you’ll be responsible for covering those out of pocket.
Taxes are fairly easy to predict, and you can get a good sampling of how much they cost by searching flights similar to the one you’re thinking of booking. However, carrier-imposed charges (sometimes called fuel surcharges) can skyrocket to hundreds or thousands of dollars per ticket. How much you end up paying depends not only on your frequent flier program, but also on the carrier you fly, and even the destination. That makes predicting how much you’ll be on the hook for very difficult.
How to avoid them: Though carrier-imposed surcharges vary widely, there are a few hard-and-fast rules to plan by. One very specific tip: avoid award travel to and from London since these flights incur some of the highest surcharges in the industry, especially on British Airways.
For example, a paid round-trip economy fare from Los Angeles to London on British Airways in October would cost $511. If you redeem 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for that flight, you'll still have to pay a whopping additional $344 in taxes and fees. That’s because the actual airfare is just $167 and the remainder of the ticket price is taxes and British Airways-imposed fees. On the other hand, if you redeemed the same number of AAdvantage miles for American Airlines’ own flights on the same route on the same dates, you’d only end up paying $172 in taxes and fees—half the amount (but still not inexpensive).
It pays to shop around among partner airlines before redeeming miles because the program you redeem miles from matters a lot. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program has some great award-chart values. But if you redeem Aeroplan miles for tickets on Air Canada’s own international flights or on certain partners like Lufthansa, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars on top of your mileage. By contrast, Air Canada’s partner United—which you can book on using Aeroplan miles, thanks to Star Alliance—does not pass on carrier-imposed surcharges on award tickets.
Among the other airlines to watch out for in terms of high fees are Air France/KLM, Austrian, and Emirates.
Phone booking and award processing fees
Airlines have improved their websites dramatically in recent years so that award tickets on their own flights and those of their partners are mostly bookable online. The downside to those improvements is that many airlines will now charge you to book your award over the phone. Usually this fee is around $15-$25.


text:
In unusual move, Hawaii’s firefighters union endorses a candidate for chief
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu’s fire commission has narrowed down the list of potential candidates to be the next chief.
Acting Chief Lionel Camara, Jr. and acting Deputy Chief Sheldon Kalani Hao have been working together since Manuel Neves left the top position earlier this year.
And in an unusual move recently, Hawaii’s Fire Fighters Association announced it’s endorsing Hao.
“This is the first time that I know of, that the union has taken this kind of position,” said HFFA President Bobby Lee. “The last eight years have been pretty challenging with this administration.”
Lee said the union sees Camara as an extension of the previous administration, which often clashed with the union.
Camara was the deputy chief under former Neves.
Months before Neves announced he’d leave, some of the firefighters testified before council members that Neves and the HFD administration weren’t taking public safety and firefighter safety seriously.
The testimony centered around more training for rescuers.
Camara said in an interview with Hawaii News Now on Monday, that he was not always in agreement with Neves and his policies.
“I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t work,” Camara said. “Moving forward, I’m my own person, I have to make my own decisions.”
Hao was the battalion chief in the operations division and the union sees him as a firefighter, not administrator.
“It was time for a change,” Lee said.
Hao said he and Camara work well together and said if he is chosen he knows he has to try to bridge the gap between the lower ranks, the union and the administration.
“We have to put the personalities aside and focus on the issues,” Hao said.
Both will make presentations before fire commissioners Wednesday at 10 a.m. at an emergency meeting called over the chief search.
Public testimony will be taken by phone.
Copyright 2021 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.


text:
Citi Live More Dining | Bentley Restaurant[Invite] Citi has a dining program where Citi customers dining with Citi partnered restaurants will receive a complimentary bottle of wine with their Meal. We popped into Bentley Restaurant for dinner and to check out the Citibank Dining Program free wine offering and the unbelievable food from Brent Savage. Housed in an corner site of Hunter and Oconnell Street, Bentley Restaurant inside is an intriguingly luxe and cutting edge feel with suspended black batons hanging in the space breaking up what is a fairly neo classical space. Black dominates the space and the restaurant has a look that is both classy and luxe.
The darkly modern look that Bentley has starts at the entry portico, travels up the bar and along the kitchen and upstairs to where the elevated dining space sits. It’s high ceiling spaces are reduced with the addition of the black members hovering in the air, with that hint of mysterious art installation feel.
Citi Customers will get this delicious Mount Pleasant Philip Shiraz free at Bentley Restaurant as part of their Citibank Dining Program. A nice cool climate shiraz that drank well with the dishes from The Bentley’s tasting menu.
Across the Bentley tasting menu that we got into tonight, it is the clarity and sharp simplicity behind these dishes that made each stand out and a reminder with each bite that this one is one of Australia’s best restaurants. Their light Snapper Dashi that melded with the celery heart shavings and cured apple to duck with pickled muntries – its like biting in mini berries that tasted like apples. Amazingly pretty dish is more than just looks – one that revealed itself when with each bite with each component coming into sharp focus on the palate.
Pork Cheek featured a melt on your tongue piece of pork with a flavoursome jamon crust in lieu of pork crackling. A light and compelling dish contrasted with their wagyu with jerusalem artichoke and shimeji mushrooms that followed – a dish very much grounded by the jerusalem artichokes and mushrooms with their earthy flavours marrying well with that tender wagyu skirt that’s left to stand on its own merit.
Yogurt, black olive and lemonade fruit. A curiously black blob arrives with a creamy white yogurt centre. Lemonade fruit is the dominant flavour, a light refreshing palate cleanser of a pre dessert that you savour in small bites. There is little acidity but the yogurt’s tartness is noted. Bentley’s Violet Ice Cream is one we’ve had before one – a delicate ice cream dessert with fizzy sherbet twigs that seem to reference the sticks suspended in space here. Dinner is book-ended with amuse bouches and petit fours. Their salted caramel button a bonanza of savouriness.
All these served up on gorgeous chuchu crockery. Diners looking to experience more out of dinner are able to look at what Citi is offering. Dinner at Bentley was sublime with attentive and friendly staff who talked indepth about the dishes tabled and offered insights into Savage’s cuisine. Highly Memorable.
Citi Live More Dining Bentley Restaurant
27 O’Connell St, Sydney

domain: food


There were no new COVID community transmission cases in Queensland yesterday, State Premier Anastacia Palasczuk said this morning.
There were six new COVID cases in this state – but all were people currently in hotel quarantine.
The Premier described it as “wonderful news”, however masks must still be worn until April 15.
A 77-year-old dual PNG/UK national died yesterday in the ICU ward at Redcliffe Hospital from complications with COVID having been airlifted in on March 28.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young says Redcliffe was the “most appropriate place to provide that care”.
Dr Young thanked the staff at Redcliffe Hospital who helped care for the man and urged everyone to continue following the restrictions a “little bit longer”.
“Thank you to every single person who has come forward and got tested,” says Dr Young, “like those young men a few weeks ago who did and helped us find that cluster.”
Queensland’s figures currently stand at 73 active COVID cases in hospitals and yesterday 5396 vaccinations were given taking the state’s total to 94,762.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, the State Member for Redcliffe, said she was hearing of a “very high compliance with mask wearing” and urged anyone with symptoms to get tested.
“Would like to see those testing numbers stay high in this 14-day period,” she says. “I hope by tomorrow morning we’ll have 100,000 vaccinations in Queensland.”
There's more news here
A Warner mum is planning to make a splash and surprise her family with a new pool for Christmas after winning more than $16,000 in the latest Super 66 draw.…
Ladies who are looking to meet new people and try their hand at a wide range of activities and workshops are being encouraged to join a new social group that has started in Moreton Bay. …
Students from Bribie Island State High School will be better prepared for life beyond school with funding for a new program. Find out more...…
Money raised from the upcoming Colour Frenzy event in North Lakes later this month will be donated to the animal rescue group Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute Rescue of Queensland Inc, also known as SHAMROQ …


Michigan man killed in metal drum explosion
TRAVERSE CITY – A northern Michigan man has died after authorities say he was struck by part of a metal drum that exploded.
Antrim County Sheriff Dan Bean says 70-year-old Charles Lundy of Kewadin was welding something onto an enclosed, 55-gallon drum Monday afternoon in a pole barn near his home. According to Bean, the drum’s end burst and hit him, and might have killed him on impact.
Bean says that it’s possible that pressure had built up inside the drum, causing it to explode.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/1JeinsK ) Lundy was welding the drum’s ends to make a wheel that he planned to use to move his dock and swimming raft.
Information from: Traverse City Record-Eagle, http://www.record-eagle.com


text:
Business News›credit policy
Battery-swapping policy out soon; K’taka calls meeting on Infy’s non-compete clause
Bloomberg reports the government is also close to wrapping up a national battery-swapping policy for electric vehicles – a crucial part of India’s EV growth plans
Women improve their share in both bank deposits as well as credit
Bank credit to women borrowers accounted for 22.5% share in bank loans to individuals, during 2021-22, up from 19.5 percent five years ago according to RBI's recently released basic statistical returns (BSR). A lot is being done by public sector banks thanks to the push by the government.
Banks are rethinking partnerships with credit-card based fintech firms
RBI’s directive on June 20 barring prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) from being loaded through credit lines has further acted as a catalyst to concerns among banks and the fintech industry, sources added.
Banks rethink fintech ties; Byju’s may rename WhiteHat Jr, sacks 300 at Toppr
Now, some banks that have tied up with financial technology companies for such products are rethinking these partnerships. RBL Bank for one has told its fintech partners it will halt support services from June 30.
When will you receive salary, full & final settlement under new wage codes?
The Code on Wages, 2019 has mentioned the various timelines for making payment of salaries, full and final settlement (if an employee resigns). The new law has shortened the timeslines for making payment to employees as compared to the current rules. Read on to know by when your employer is required to credit salary in your bank account.
RBI stance on fintech has government backingGovernment officials told ET that the RBI order, published late Monday, came after commercial lenders had raised concerns with the banking regulator over likely rule breaches by fintech companies.
Fintechs to ping government, RBI on central bank noteThe industry groupings are likely to also highlight the quantum of global capital that’s been invested in the space and how such disruption can affect the investor outlook, people aware of the matter said.
Demand intact, it’s up to us to capture the market, says IndusInd Bank CEO“On the consumer side, credit card spends have never been so good. The credit card spends continue though the revolving rates are very low right now and in the SME and the MSME side, there is enough demand to cater to the market. Large corporates are showing green shoots specifically in the cement and steel industries. The public capex cycle will lead to the private capex cycle,” says Sumant Kathpali
RBI’s new mandate sparks confusion among fintechs; Foxconn may make EVs in IndiaThe regulator’s directive quickly sparked confusion and frustrations among fintech startups, which told us the RBI appears to be giving banks full control over innovation in the fledgling sector.
CIBIL Rank & Company Credit Report: Transforming access to credit for MSME business ownersCreating awareness amongst MSMEs and empowering them to get credit with information about their credit profile through CIBIL Rank & Company Credit Report
RBI says non-banks can't load credit lines on prepaid instruments; investors spooked as DeFi bubble popsOn Monday evening the Reserve Bank of India issued a clarification on prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) such as wallets and prepaid cards, saying non-bank institutions cannot load credit lines onto them.
European stocks muted on French election, inflation jittersSwedish gardening power equipment maker Husqvarna dropped 1.8% after it said production in the second quarter had been constrained by continued component supply shortage.
RBI hikes limit on auto-debits from debit, credit cards sans OTP to Rs 15,000The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the hike in amount for e-mandate for recurring payments made via credit and/or debit cards sans additional authentication (such as OTP) to Rs 15,000 from Rs 5,000 currently. Read on to know how this new rule will help you in making recurring payments.
From credit card payments, bills and insurance premiums, don't delay your money decisionsMayank’s history of delayed payments and decisions can affect his financial situation in multiple ways. It will show up in his credit information report and will result in a poor credit score, which in turn will translate into high cost of borrowing and stiffer terms when he needs to take loans.
RBI allows UPI payments via Rupay credit cards: How you can make UPI payments via credit, debit cardsBy adding one's credit card or debit card to UPI apps, one can make payment without swiping it at a POS machine. Just scan a QR code and choose the added credit/debit card as payment method to make the payment.
Bankers hail RBI's monetary policy focus on taming inflationSBI chief said that enabling more headroom for urban and rural cooperative banks to finance the housing sector will bring about a level-playing field in the cooperatives space, while linking Rupay credit cards to UPI will add more avenues for growth and financial inclusion and convenience to customers.
Here are 8 highlights from RBI monetary policyAlong expected lines, the MPC voted unanimously to increase the policy repo rate by 50 basis points to 4.90 per cent. Sonam Srivastava, Founder at Wright Research said, "This announcement gives us a lot of confidence and reassurance the RBI is not falling behind the curve and is more proactive than not in its efforts to curb inflation and stabilize the Indian economy during global turmoil. The additional reforms announced for the cooperative banking and payment system would also have a positive impact." Here are the top highlights of the RBI monetary policy:
RBI hikes repo rate by 50 bps to 4.90%; focused on withdrawing accommodationReacting to the announcement, BSE Sensex tumbled over 400 points and NSE Nifty slipped below 16,350. However, markets soon pared the sudden losses with the benchmarks trading 0.4 per cent lower.
How to get different insurance policies in exportsInsurance covers are required not just to help a business stay afloat in a crisis, but a cover is mandatory in several cases.
Axis Bank CEO Amitabh Chaudhry's six-point guide on how to build a robust credit ecosystemThe growth impact of these macro policies can be further reinforced by sector- and segment-specific measures. Facilitating a robust credit ecosystem for financing these ambitious initiatives remains a key ask. MSMEs have emerged as a key segment both for sustaining growth and as a pool for absorbing bank credit.
RBI Monetary Policy: ECLGS pushed credit growth to micro and small businesses to 20%“Growth in credit to industry recovered to 6.5% in February 2022 from a low of 1.0% a year ago, aided by higher flows to MSMEs and a turnaround in large industry,” the report stated.Load More
BACK TO TOP


text:
The Inflammasome Signaling Pathway Is Actively Regulated and Related to Myocardial Damage in Coronary Thrombi from Patients with STEMI
Background. The Nod-Like-Receptor-Protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and the Interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathways are central mechanisms of the inflammatory response in myocardial reperfusion injury. Expanding our knowledge about the inflammasome signaling axis is important to improve treatment options. In a cross-sectional study, we aimed to study presence, localization, and genetic expression of inflammasome- and IL-6- signaling-related proteins in coronary thrombi and circulating leukocytes from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, with relation to myocardial injury and time from symptoms to PCI. Methods. Intracoronary thrombi were aspirated from 33 STEMI patients. Blood samples were drawn. mRNA of Toll-Like-Receptor-4 (TLR4), NLRP3, caspase 1, Interleukin-1β (IL1-β), Interleukin-18 (IL-18), IL-6, IL-6-receptor (IL-6R), and glycoprotein 130 (gp130) were isolated from thrombi and circulating leukocytes and relatively quantified by RT-PCR. A part of each thrombus was embedded in paraffin for histology and immunohistochemistry analyses. Results. Genes encoding the 8 markers were present in 76-100% of thrombi. Expression of TLR4 in thrombi significantly correlated to troponin T (, ), as did NLRP3 (, ). Troponin T correlated with expression in circulating leukocytes of TLR4 (, ), NLRP3 (, ), and IL-1β (, ). IL-6R expression in thrombi correlated significantly to troponin T (, ), whereas gp130 was inversely correlated (, ). IL-6 in circulating leukocytes correlated inversely to troponin T (, ). There were no significant correlations between genes expressed in thrombi and time from symptom to PCI. Conclusions. The inflammasome signaling pathway was actively regulated in coronary thrombi and in circulating leukocytes from patients with STEMI, in association with myocardial damage measured by troponin T. This supports the strategy of medically targeting this pathway in treating myocardial infarction and contributes to sort out optimal timing and targets for anti-inflammatory treatment. The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov with identification number NCT02746822.
Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is usually caused by plaque rupture and subsequent thrombus formation in a coronary artery. Restoring blood flow as soon as possible is of great importance in order to limit myocardial damage, and urgent revascularization by thrombolysis or acute percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the cornerstone of treatment of these patients today . In selected cases of large residual thrombus burden after the initial restoration of blood flow, thrombus aspiration is recommended .
Despite this treatment, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains one of the leading causes of death in the western world . Considerable research has been performed to further reduce myocardial damage caused by coronary thrombi. A special focus has been on inflammation and immune-mediated damage, with the hypothesis that inflammatory responses might be excessive and harmful to myocardial tissue rescued by revascularization, i.e., myocardial reperfusion injury, and contribute substantially to the final size of the myocardial infarction (MI) . However, anti-inflammatory interventions in clinical studies have mostly failed to reduce MI-size or improve patient outcome [4, 5]. This might be due to the great complexity of the inflammatory responses, with different players, that might play different roles during a myocardial infarction and the following repair phase. Some studies have reported changes in cellular composition [6–9], and our research group has previously shown genetic expression of inflammatory proteins in coronary thrombi in STEMI patients to be related to the time axis from symptoms to PCI . Further knowledge about the molecular mechanisms involved is needed to sort out potential therapeutic options. Percutaneous thrombus aspiration provides an opportunity to study characteristics of the occluding thrombus ex vivo.
Two inflammatory signaling systems have been of particular interest, the Nod-Like-Receptor-Protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and the interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling system. The NLRP3 inflammasome regulates the activation of caspase 1, which induces pyroptosis and activates the central proinflammatory cytokines Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Interleukin-18 (IL-18) [11, 12]. The mechanisms behind the regulation and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome are not fully understood, but the Toll-Like-Receptor-4 (TLR4) seems to be an important mediator . The Cantos trial showed that canakunimab, a human monoclonal antibody blocking IL-1β, prevents recurrent cardiovascular events , indicating the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway to be of special importance.
IL-6 is involved in a broad specter of inflammation and infection responses . In classic signaling, IL-6 binds to membrane-bound IL-6 receptor (IL-6R), which interacts with the signaling receptor protein glycoprotein 130 (gp130), mediating anti-inflammatory effects. In trans-signaling, IL-6 binds to a soluble form of IL-6R (sIL-6R), exerting an effect on membrane-bound gp130, mediating downstream proinflammatory responses . Gp130 also exists in a soluble form, sgp130, which can bind to soluble IL-6/IL-6r-complex and thereby inhibit trans-signaling . The IL-6R antagonist tocilizumab has been shown to reduce myocardial injury assessed by troponin T in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) . The NLRP3-inflammasome and the IL-6 pathway seem to be linked by IL-1β-stimulating production of IL-6 . Further downstream C-Reactive-Protein (CRP), produced in the liver as a response to IL-6, has been demonstrated to be a sustainable clinical marker of cardiovascular disease [19, 20].
We hypothesize that inflammasome- and IL-6-signaling-related proteins are present and actively regulated in coronary thrombi. We therefore aimed to investigate the genetic expression, presence, and localization of the inflammasome- and IL-6 signaling-related proteins in coronary thrombi from STEMI patients, and whether these were associated with the degree of myocardial injury and time from symptoms to PCI. Circulating levels and gene regulation in circulating leukocytes were also assessed.
2.1. Study Design and Population
33 patients admitted to Oslo University Hospital Ullevål with STEMI treated with primary PCI in the time period of August 2015 to January 2019 were included in the thrombus aspiration in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (TASTI) study. Inclusion criteria were patients of both sexes, age 18-85 years, with typical symptoms of acute myocardial infarction and STEMI in ECG, treated with primary PCI with thrombus aspiration. STEMI was defined as new significant ST-elevation in at least two adjacent ECG-leads. Significant ST-elevation was defined as ≥0.1 mV in the standard leads and precordial lead V4-V6, and ≥0.2 mV in precordial lead V1-V3. Presumed new left bundle branch block or typical posterior infarction pattern, with ST-depressions in lead V1-V4, was considered as STEMI equivalents. Exclusion criteria were signs of infection, pulmonary embolism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or arrhythmias, abnormal renal or liver function, autoimmune disease, and malignant disease. The study was approved by the Regional Committee of Medical Research Ethics in South-Eastern Norway with approval reference number 2015/169 and conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. All patients gave their written informed consent. The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov with identification number NCT02746822.
Intracoronary thrombi were retrieved by standard aspiration catheter, washed with saline, and split in two. One part was stored in 10% buffered formalin, chemically processed, and paraffin-embedded for later histology and immunohistochemistry analyses. The other part was snap-frozen in RNA-later solution (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and kept frozen at -80°C for later isolation of RNA and gene expression analyses. Peripheral blood samples, including Pax-gene tubes (PreAnalytix, Hombrechtikon, Switzerland), were drawn at the end of the PCI procedure and repeated the next morning. Serum was processed by centrifugation at 2500 × g for 10 min and stored at -80°C until analysis. Demographic variables were recorded. Cardiac troponin T values (cTnT) were measured in serum at the hospital central laboratory by commercial electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (third-generation cTnT, Elecys 2010, Roche, Mannheim, Germany). The interassay coefficient of variability was 7%.
2.2. Laboratory Analyses
2.2.1. Gene Expression Analyses
RNA was isolated from the snap-frozen part of the thrombi using High Pure RNA Tissue Kit with the addition of Proteinase K Solution (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany), stabilized by lysing buffer, and homogenized by the use of termomixer (Termomixer Eppendorf, Eppendorf AG, Hamburg, Germany) and stainless steel grinding balls (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany). RNA from the PAXgene tubes was isolated by use of the PAXgene® Blood RNA Kit (PreAnalytix, Qiagen, GmBH), with an extra cleaning step (RNeasy®MinElute® Cleanup Kit, Qiagen). Quality and quantity of RNA (ng/μL) were evaluated by use of the NanoDrop™ 1000 Spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific, Wilmington, Delaware, USA).
cDNA was synthesised from an equal amount of RNA with qScript™ cDNA superMix (Quanta Biosciences, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA). Real-time PCR was performed on a ViiA™ 7 instrument (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA) using TaqMan® Universal PCR Master Mix (P/N 4324018) and the following TaqMan® assays: TLR4 (Hs00152939_m1), NLRP3 (Hs00918082_m1), Caspase-1 (Hs00354836_m1), IL-1β (Hs01555410_m1), IL-18 (Hs00155517_m1), IL-6 (Hs00174131_m1), IL-6R (Hs01075664_m1), and gp130 (Hs00174360_m1) (Applied Biosystems). β2-microglobulin (HS99999907_m1) (Applied Biosystems) was used as endogenous control, and mRNA levels were determined by relative quantification (RQ) using the Delta Delta C(T) Method (DDCT) . With a relative quantification (RQ) value of 1.0, the gene analyzed was equally expressed as the reference sample.
2.2.2. Circulating Levels
Commercially available ELISA kits were used for the determination of circulating levels of IL-6, IL-6R, gp130 (Quantikine® HS ELISA, R&D Systems®, Minneapolis, USA), and IL-18 (MBL, Medical & Biological Laboratories CO., LTD., Nagoya, Japan). Coefficients of variation in our laboratory were 10.6%, 3.6%, 5.2%, and 2.6%, respectively.
2.2.3. Histology and Immunohistochemistry Analyses
The formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded thrombi were serially sectioned at 3.5 μm. Section 1 and 7 were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). The HE sections were morphologically staged into different thrombus age groups according to the criteria listed in Supplementary Table 1. These are based on criteria previously reported by Carol et al. . In our slightly modified classification, we included the organizational pattern of neutrophil granulocytes and the presence of monocytes.
The other serial sections were immunohistochemically stained for TLR4, NLRP3, caspase 1, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, IL-6R, and gp130, all in the same order, using antibodies as listed in Supplementary Table 2. The immune stains were performed using Dako system (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, USA), an automated immunostain system based on the ABC avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. The system includes deparaffinization, antigen retrieval, and incubation with primary and secondary antibodies, respectively. Enzyme-mediated detection with horseradish peroxidase labelled to diaminobenzidine reporter molecules was used for color detection. All sections were counterstained with hematoxylin. Optimal antigen retrieval, antibody concentrations, and incubation times were pretested with positive and negative controls. The immunostained thrombi were then semiquantitatively graded from negative, to a few , some , and many  positive cells, and classified as either immunohistochemical immune-enzyme negative (IH negative) or positive (IH positive).
Furthermore, dominating type of immunopositive cells (neutrophils and/or monocytes), localization of staining within the cells (membranous, cytoplasmic, and/or nuclear), and registration of extracellular stating were recorded. The histopathological judgements were done individually by two pathologists. Interobserver agreement was tested for the morphological classification and staging of the thrombi in HE sections, as well as for the immunohistochemical scoring of antibody signals in the thrombi. The interobserver agreement was substantial with Kappa scores of 0.82 to 0.86 .
2.3. Statistical Analyses
Data are presented as , median (25th, 75th percentile), or numbers (%) as appropriate. Nonparametric tests were used, as most variables were skewed distributed. Spearman rho was used for correlation analyses and Mann–Whitney -test for comparing groups. Missing values were excluded from the analyses. values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The analyses were performed using STATA IC/15.1.
3.1. Baseline Characteristics
The baseline characteristics of the 33 patients analyzed are shown in Table 1. Median age was 58 years, 91% were male, 49% were current smokers, and 12% had diabetes. Median time from the start of symptoms to PCI was 152 min, whereas median peak troponin T was 3434 μg/L. The culprit lesion was located in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in about 50% of the patients.
3.2. Gene Expression Analyses and Circulating Levels
Of the 33 aspirated thrombi, 30 were successfully analyzed for gene expression. Analyses of gene expression in circulating leukocytes could be done for all patients () at time of PCI, whereas the next day, three were missing () for NLRP3, caspase 1, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6R, and gp130; 4 were missing () for IL-6; and 5 were missing () for TLR4. All circulating markers were successfully analyzed at the time of PCI (), whereas the next day, one was missing for all markers ().
We found genes coding for the eight different markers to be present in 76-100% of the thrombi that could be successfully analyzed (Figure 1(a)). Genes encoding IL-1β were found in 100%. In circulating leukocytes, all markers were expressed in 100% of successful samples both at the time of PCI and the next day. Levels of gene expression (RQs) in the aspirated thrombi and in circulating leukocytes at the time of aspiration and the next morning (day 1), as well as serum levels at the same time points, are shown in Supplementary Table 1.
We found no significant correlations between genes expressed in thrombi or leukocytes and circulating levels of the corresponding markers at either time points (Supplementary Table 4).
3.2.1. Associations with Myocardial Injury (Table 2)
The gene expression of TLR4 and NLRP3 in thrombi correlated significantly to peak troponin T ( and , respectively). When dividing peak troponin T values into quartiles (Qs), TLR4 mRNA in Q4 was 1.8-fold higher () compared to Q1-3, whereas NLRP3 mRNA in Q4 was 2.0-fold higher () compared to Q1-3 (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)). In circulating leukocytes at the time of PCI, the expression of TLR4 and NLRP3 correlated significantly to peak troponin T (, , respectively), as did also IL-1β (). A tendency was also observed for Caspase 1 and IL-18, however, not statistically significant. Similar correlations were seen in the samples drawn the next morning (data not shown).
In thrombi, IL-6R expression correlated significantly to peak troponin T (), with a 2.5-fold higher median level in Q4 vs. Q1-3 of troponin T () (Figure 2(c)), whereas a significant inverse correlation was observed for gp130 mRNA (). In circulating leukocytes, IL-6 expression correlated significantly inverse to peak troponin T (). None of the circulating markers, neither at the time of PCI nor the next morning, showed significant correlations to peak troponin T.
Due to the small sample size, any adjustments have not been performed. However, when grouping data according to smoking status and hypertension, no differences could be found comparing Q4 of troponin T vs. Q1-Q3. This comparison could not be done with respect to sex, as there were no female patients in Q4 of troponin T. There was also no significant difference in age when comparing Q4 of troponin T vs. Q1-Q3. Comparing results between patients with diabetes mellitus () vs. patients without showed no significant differences, and also, when excluding patients with diabetes from the analyses, similar results were obtained. This was also the case when comparing patients on statins () vs. not on statins and when excluding patients on statins from the analyses.
3.2.2. Associations with Time from Symptom Onset to PCI
As shown in Table 3, there were no significant correlations between genes expressed in the thrombi and time from symptom to PCI. Also, when dividing time at the median (152 min) to explore any cut-off level, no associations with time were observed. In circulating leukocytes at the time of PCI, genes for IL-6 correlated inversely to time (, ), whereas circulating markers did not correlate significantly (Table 3). In samples drawn the next morning (day 1) (data not shown), there were no significant correlations between time to PCI and genes in circulating leukocytes, whereas for circulating markers significant positive correlation for gp130 (, ) was observed (data not shown).
3.2.3. Changes in Levels of Circulating Markers and Gene Expression in Circulating Leukocytes from Time of PCI to the Next Morning (Day 1)
As shown in Figure 3, all of the circulating markers were significantly higher the next day compared to the time of PCI (IL-18, IL-6, and gp130 with , IL-6R with ). mRNA levels of TLR4, NLRP3, IL-18, and IL-6R were significantly lower on the next day (, , , and , respectively), whereas mRNA encoding IL-1β, gp130, Caspase 1, and IL6 did not change significantly.
3.3. Histology and Immunohistochemistry
Of the 33 aspirated thrombi, 27 contained sufficient material for morphological studies and immunohistochemical analyses.
3.3.1. Thrombus Age
Five (18.5%) of the thrombi were categorized as stage 1 (<1 day old), six (22.2%) as stage 2 (1-5 days old), and two (7.4%) as stage 1+ (1 day + old). 14 of the thrombi (51.9%) showed histological characteristics of both stage 1 and stage 2 and were classified as stage , indicating a process of repeated episodes with fresh bleeding and new thrombus expansion within a lytic thrombus. None of the retrieved thrombi were morphologically organized (stage 3) according to the classification scheme (Supplementary Table 2).
We found no coherent statistically significant differences in the levels of thrombus genes or levels of genes in circulating leukocytes between the different histological stages of thrombus age (Supplementary Table 5). For circulating markers, we found significantly higher levels of IL-6R in the patients with morphologically older thrombi when comparing stage 1 vs. stage 2 () and stage 1 vs. all other stages (), but not when comparing stage 2 vs. other stages.
3.3.2. Immunohistochemistry Analyses
Immunohistochemistry staining of the different markers was found in 44% to 100% of the thrombi, as shown in Figure 1(b).
Localization by immunohistochemistry staining showed all markers to be present in the cytoplasm of monocytes (Supplementary Table 6). TLR4, IL-1β, IL-18, Caspase 1, and gp130 could also be seen in neutrophil granulocytes. In addition to localization in cytosol, TLR4 was seen in the cellular membrane, whereas Caspase 1 and gp130 also could be found in the nuclear membrane. Pictures (a)–(e) in Figure 4 show typical immunohistochemistry staining of the eight different markers, as well as one HE section.
The main finding in our study is that inflammasome-related markers are genetically upregulated in coronary thrombi and circulating leukocytes in patients with STEMI. In thrombi, we found that genes encoding TLR4, NLRP3, and IL-6R were increasingly expressed with increased myocardial damage measured by troponin T. In circulating leukocytes genes encoding TLR4, NLRP3, and IL-1β showed positive associations with troponin T.
The Cantos trial  showed clinical effect of blocking IL-1β in patients with previous myocardial infarction at least 30 days prior to inclusion. Our data of genetic upregulation in thrombi suggest that the inflammasome-related markers are active components already at the time of thrombus formation, indicating that anti-inflammatory treatment targeting the inflammasome signaling axis could be of benefit in the early phase of treating STEMI patients. This has been investigated in the recent ASSAIL-MI trial , where a single dose of the IL-6R antagonist tocilizumab was given to patients with STEMI prior to PCI, showing significantly better myocardial salvation index by cardiac MRI in the treated patients vs. placebo .
Some of the strongest correlations between peak troponin T and the genetic expression in thrombi in our study were for TLR4 and NLRP3, which both are markers upstream in the inflammasome signaling axis. This can be interpreted as an argument for moving upstream also when medically targeting inflammation in the setting of myocardial infarction. NLRP3 inhibitors have shown promising results in animal models of myocardial infarction [26, 27]. Oral NLRP3 inhibitors have been developed  and are tested on patients with gout .
Genetic expression of the inflammasome-related markers in circulating leukocytes at the time of PCI was also associated with peak troponin T, especially for genes encoding TLR4, NLRP3, and IL-1β, indicating a more generalized upregulation of the genes with myocardial injury. When trying out anti-inflammatory targets in patients with coronary heart disease, it seems that finding the right patients, those with residual inflammatory risk , who potentially will benefit the most, is of great importance. In the CANTOS study, they used high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) to identify such patients with as one of the inclusion criteria . In a later subgroup analysis, they found that the patients on active treatment with the greatest reduction in hsCRP had a 31% reduction in all-cause mortality , vs. no significant difference in all-cause mortality for the whole study population. This shows a great heterogenicity in response to treatment, also after selecting patients according to elevated hsCRP. Thus, our findings of genetic upregulation in circulating leukocytes at end of PCI being related to peak troponin T is interesting. It might be hypothesized that expression levels of these genes in the acute setting of a myocardial infarction can help identify patients that will benefit the most from targeting the inflammasome signaling axis. This however needs further elucidation.
Whereas genetic expression of the markers related to the NLRP3 inflammasome, as well as IL-6R, showed a positive association to peak troponin T, mRNA encoding gp130 in thrombi, and IL-6 in circulating leukocytes associated inversely with peak troponin T. This might be explained by the complexity of the IL-6 signaling system, with classic signaling, trans-signaling, soluble form of receptors, and maybe also feedback mechanisms. Circadian cycles of levels of IL-6 in STEMI-patients have been reported . This can affect our results, as all patients in the study were included in daytime. The descriptive design of our study does not provide information to depict these mechanisms further, other than pointing out that the IL-6 signaling system also seems to be actively regulated in the thrombi and circulating leukocytes of these patients. This is underscored by our finding of positive immunohistochemistry enzyme staining of gp130 in the cytoplasm of 100% of the investigated thrombi.
We found that levels of mRNA in circulating leukocytes encoding the inflammasome-related markers were lower the next morning when compared to time of PCI, whereas the circulating markers were higher. This could indicate negative-feedback mechanisms, and hence indicates the importance of measuring mRNA in circulating leukocytes at an early timepoint in the course of a MI for potential identification of patients that will benefit the most from targeting the inflammasome signaling axis.
The immunohistochemistry enzyme analyses in our study also show that the inflammasome-related markers are abundantly present. All of the investigated markers could be found located in the cytoplasm of monocytes in the thrombi. It therefore seems probable that they also play a role in the thrombus itself, and not only in the inflammatory processes taking place in the infarcted myocardium and its border zone after reperfusion. One study has suggested prothrombotic functions of the NLRP3 inflammasome by showing reduced human platelet aggregation response after NLRP3 inhibition in vitro . Several publications in recent years have described the linkage between inflammation, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis in cardiovascular disease [35, 36]. Our findings support the general theory of interplay between innate immune cells, the inflammasome axis, and thrombotic mechanisms actively taking place in human coronary thrombi and may also indicate that the inflammasome-related markers are involved in the formation of intracoronary thrombi.
Statins are suspected to mediate some of their effects through modulating inflammatory responses. Rosuvostatin was shown to attenuate the expression of NLRP3-inflammasome-related markers in circulating monocytes from patients with coronary atherosclerotic disease . In another setting, in patients with ARDS , rosuvostatin was shown to associate with elevation in plasma IL-18 levels. In our study, no differences in the thrombi gene expressions in statin users vs. not users were observed, but the number of patients is too small to draw any conclusions.
In STEMI patients, hyperglycemia has been associated with higher thrombus size, different thrombus composition with higher content of macrophages, and higher inflammatory state in their thrombi compared to thrombi from normoglycemic patients . We could not find any significant differences in the investigated genes in the thrombi from patients with diabetes vs. patients without in our study. However, as only 4 patients had diabetes, a larger study is needed to elucidate this aspect.
Our finding does not support any associations between time from symptom onset to PCI and expression of the inflammasome-related markers in thrombi or circulating leukocytes. This is in contrast to a previous report showing some inflammatory markers in coronary thrombi to be associated to ischemic time . In this study, however, median ischemic time was longer (240 vs. 152 min), making it more likely to detect any potential relation to time. Other reasons for the discrepancy can be several. First, time from symptom onset to PCI is a clinical parameter with some inaccuracy. It is well known that many patients have on-and-off symptoms, often over several hours or even days, before an acute worsening sets off contact with healthcare takers. Defining an exact timepoint of onset of symptom can be challenging, if not even impossible. This makes the data uncertain, and the effect of this uncertainty is greater when the number of data is small. Second, intracoronary thrombi might develop stepwise. This is supported by our own findings of different histopathological age-stages within the same thrombi in more than half of the cases, which also matches well with the clinical fact that many patients have on-and-off-symptoms. In these cases, thrombus formation probably is a process exceeding over time until it causes the clinical picture of a STEMI.
We could not find any significant associations between circulating levels of the measured markers and the corresponding genes expressed in thrombi or leukocytes and also no associations to troponin T. This may be due to the low sample size, as circulating IL-6 previously has been shown to associate with troponin T in a larger STEMI population .
Another likely reason is that the proteins measured are involved in inflammatory responses in several organs throughout the body, and the amounts reaching the circulation caused by a myocardial infarction are probably too small to have an impact on total levels in the circulation.
A major limitation is the small sample size of our study, making adjustments for known risk factors like age, sex, and hypertension difficult. Studying subpopulations can also not be reliably done. Only 3 (9%) were female, which is not representative for a typical cohort of patients with STEMI. This adds to the limitations, as gender differences in troponin levels in patients with AMI  and mortality for STEMI  have been shown. Patients included in the TASTI study are a selection of STEMI-patients, considered to profit from thrombus aspiration as evaluated by the PCI-operator in charge of the actual procedure. As such, patients included represent a subgroup with an extra tendency for thrombus formation, thus, the generalizability of the study results can be discussed. Nearly all patients were given intravenous heparin and clopidogrel orally before arriving at the hospital, as well as gpIIa/IIIb antagonist during the procedure, before the thrombi were aspirated. This may have affected the thrombi. The markers analyzed are a selection made from a broad range of mediators potentially involved in responses in myocardial ischemic disease, although the selection is based on existing knowledge on the field. Peak troponin T as sole indicator of myocardial injury is also a limitation.
The inflammasome signaling pathway was actively upregulated in coronary thrombi and in circulating leukocytes in patients with STEMI. Genes encoding TLR4, NLRP3, and IL-6R in the thrombi were increasingly expressed with increased myocardial injury measured by troponin T. In circulating leukocytes genes encoding TLR4, NLRP3, and IL-1β associated significantly with troponin T. These results support the strategy of medically targeting this pathway in treating myocardial infarction and contribute to sort out optimal timing and targets for anti-inflammatory treatment.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
We thank the staff at the Center for Clinical Heart Research and Department of Radiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål for excellent collaboration and the laboratory staff at the Department of Pathology Oslo University Hospital, for laboratory assistance. The study was supported by Stein Erik Hagens Foundation for Clinical Heart Research, Oslo, Norway.
Supplementary Table 1: gene expression levels. Gene expression levels (RQ) in the aspirated thrombi, circulating leukocytes, and serum levels. Supplementary Table 2: histologic thrombus age stages. Estimated age and histologic characteristics of the different thrombus age stages. Supplementary Table 3: antibodies. Listing of antibodies used for immunohistochemistry analyses. Supplementary Table 4: circulating markers towards genes. Correlations between circulating markers and corresponding genes expressed in thrombi and in circulating leukocytes. Supplementary Table 5: differences between histologic age stages. Data grouped according to histologic age stages. Supplementary Table 6: localization by immunohistochemistry staining. Cell types, and localization within the cells, of the different markers visualized with immunohistochemistry staining. Supplementary Table 7: STROBE Statement Checklist. (Supplementary Materials)
B. Ibanez, S. James, S. Agewall et al., “2017 ESC guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation: the task force for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC),” European Heart Journal, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 119–177, 2018.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
Y. Nagata, K. Usuda, A. Uchiyama et al., “Characteristics of the pathological images of coronary artery thrombi according to the infarct-related coronary artery in acute myocardial infarction,” Circulation Journal: Official Journal of the Japanese Circulation Society, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 308–314, 2004.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
J. Scheller, A. Chalaris, D. Schmidt-Arras, and S. Rose-John, “The pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of the cytokine interleukin-6,” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, vol. 1813, pp. 878–888, 2011.View at: Google Scholar
O. Kleveland, G. Kunszt, M. Bratlie et al., “Effect of a single dose of the interleukin-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab on inflammation and troponin T release in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial,” European Heart Journal, vol. 37, no. 30, pp. 2406–2413, 2016.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
A. J. Viera and J. M. Garrett, “Understanding interobserver agreement: the kappa statistic,” Family Medicine, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 360–363, 2005.View at: Google Scholar
A. K. Anstensrud, S. Woxholt, K. Sharma et al., “Rationale for the ASSAIL-MI-trial: a randomised controlled trial designed to assess the effect of tocilizumab on myocardial salvage in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI),” Open Heart, vol. 6, no. 2, article e001108, 2019.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
A. K. Anstensrud, ESC Digital Conference 2020, Abstract Online, 2020.
S. Toldo, A. G. Mauro, Z. Cutter et al., “The NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, OLT1177 (dapansutrile), reduces infarct size and preserves contractile function after ischemia reperfusion injury in the mouse,” Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, vol. 73, no. 4, pp. 215–222, 2019.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
C. Marchetti, B. Swartzwelter, F. Gamboni et al., “OLT1177, a β-sulfonyl nitrile compound, safe in humans, inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome and reverses the metabolic cost of inflammation,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 115, no. 7, pp. E1530–E1539, 2018.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
V. Klück, T. L. T. A. Jansen, M. Janssen et al., “Dapansutrile, an oral selective NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, for treatment of gout flares: an open-label, dose-adaptive, proof-of-concept, phase 2a trial,” The Lancet Rheumatology, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. e270–e280, 2020.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
P. M. Ridker, T. Thuren, A. Zalewski, and P. Libby, “Interleukin-1β inhibition and the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events: rationale and design of the canakinumab anti-inflammatory thrombosis outcomes study (CANTOS),” American Heart Journal, vol. 162, no. 4, pp. 597–605, 2011.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
P. M. Ridker, J. G. MacFadyen, B. M. Everett et al., “Relationship of C-reactive protein reduction to cardiovascular event reduction following treatment with canakinumab: a secondary analysis from the CANTOS randomised controlled trial,” The Lancet, vol. 391, no. 10118, pp. 319–328, 2018.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
A. J. Rogers, J. Guan, A. Trtchounian et al., “Association of elevated plasma interleukin-18 level with increased mortality in a clinical trial of statin treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome,” Critical Care Medicine, vol. 47, no. 8, pp. 1089–1096, 2019.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

domain: literature


Al-Baraqua II Capsizes
A boat carrying passengers to a religious festival capsized as it left Djibouti's main harbour yesterday, killing at least 69 people.
The ferry was transporting up to 300 people to the northern town of Tadjourah when it overturned and sank in the Red Sea shortly after midday. Ismael Tani, an adviser to Djibouti's president, told the Associated Press that the death toll was expected to rise.
The victims were taken to Tapelletier hospital, where officials said that 36 people had been admitted with injuries. More than 70 were reported to have survived, and at least 20 were still unaccounted for.
Local television reports suggested that the traditional wooden boat had been carrying between 250 and 300 people, all from Djibouti, to a religious ceremony scheduled for today.
The al-Baraqua II capsized on April 6, 2006, in the Gulf of Tadjoura off the coast of Djibouti's capital of Djibouti City. The ferry was carrying passengers from the capital to a religious festival in Tadjoura when the accident occurred, shortly after departure. As of April 11, the death toll stood at 113 with many still missing.
Djibouti president Ismail Omar Guelleh has ordered an investigation into the sinking. Early reports suggest the ferry may have been overcrowded. About 200 people were believed to be on board the ferry when it capsized.
At least 69 people have died when a boat capsized in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti.
The authorities say the vessel was on its way from the port of Djibouti to the town of Tadjoura.
They say 36 people who were injured in the accident are now being treated in hospitals in Djibouti.
It is believed the boat was carrying more than 200 passengers who were travelling to a religious festival. The cause of the accident is not yet known.


|Published:||Oct 24, 2012 6:17 PM EDT|
|Updated:||Oct 24, 2012 8:17 PM EDT|
LEE COUNTY, Fla.- The Lee County Supervisor of Elections said these letters are trying to discourage people from voting or they're trying to steal personal information.
The letter is from Seattle and it is making its way to at least 20 Florida counties. The letter is marked as being from the Supervisor of Elections and claims the voter was taken off the rolls because they aren't citizens.
Sharon Harrington, the Lee County Supervisor of Elections, said while they've only seen a few cases, her office wants to make sure residents are aware of the fraudulent letter.
"People have to be very very careful, we're cautioning anybody, if there's anything that does not look like it came from us, they just need to bring it to our attention," said Harrington.
Harrington said people need to pay attention to the postage. Her office only sends these types of letters by certified mail. If you receive one, report it.
- 10 whales dead, dozens stranded in Everglades
- Toddler apparently drowned in canal
- Lehigh family wants schoolbus back
- Grace Church's worm farms help students with special needs
- Woman charged with DUI, crashing into school bus
- New marina, dry boat storage facility in Cape Coral
- Rescuers work to herd stranded whales away from SWFL shore
- Florida Supreme Court to discuss medical marijuana Thursday
- Collier County first responders investigate hazmat situation
- Oma's Heart to give out last vouchers for holiday toys


C-mount Xenoplan and Cinegon lenses
Van Nuys, CA
Schneider Optics’ C-mount Xenoplan and Cinegon lenses were selected by NASA to monitor aspects of the recent Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. During the rendezvous between the shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope, and thereafter — while seven astronauts replaced six gyroscopes, batteries, and a sensor used to guide the telescope — the lenses were the “eyes” of the cameras that delivered high-resolution images to the shuttle and to engineers on Earth.
Mounted in the shuttle’s payload bay, the three lenses were able to survive the severe conditions encountered during launch, without the need for modifications. On Earth, the lenses are typically used for 3D measurements in scientific and industrial applications, including advanced robotic vision, machine vision, metrology, and visual inspection systems where high reliability and precision are essential. The Xenoplan and Cinegon compact C-mount lenses feature precision irises with a locking mechanism. This improves control of grey-scale calibration and F-stops, and provides a wide magnification range. A focus mechanism enables very fine focus adjustment and locking without backlash, and a broad range of filters can be accommodated.
The Hubble Space Telescope service program is not the first time NASA has chosen Schneider lenses. In 2006, during NASA’s successful STS-121 mission, the Space Shuttle Discovery utilized a Xenoplan Compact C-Mount lens on its orbital inspection boom HD camera to scan the orbiter’s exterior for damage while in orbit.
For Free Info Click Here


text:
A titanically explosive eruption of sound shattered the skies above, sundered the earth below, and collapsed the nearby mountains. The chaos was hectic, devastating, and yet the roar kept lingering in the air as space trembled ceaselessly about.
It didn ’t seem to originate from a normal beast, but a being of heaven, something directly out of myth! Those who were nearby quivered with fear, their bodily functions almost shutting down, their cultivation bases going haywire, and their minds blaring with a sensation of crisis. Like a flock of birds startled by a gunshot, those who were searching for those special locations that held desolate pearls shattered wildly.
Within a collapsed mountain within the Desolate Land, crumbled until it was nothing more than a pile of large rocks, a faint grey wave of light undulated from the gaps and cracks. The sky became tainted in a greyer tint.
After a short while, a hand pierced through the rocks and grasped a nearby boulder, digging its fingers deeply into its surface. The hand was by no means ordinary, having hexagonal grey scales that were absolutely gorgeous, shimmering with radiant grey light. The hand ’s nail was sharp, long, and black.
It left distinct claw marks on the rock ’s surface as it exerted force. The rock crumbled into dust, and the hand fell into the pile of rocks, once more hidden. After a brief period, another hand shot out but this hand was flawless, without the slightest blemish, with an exquisite set of neatly cut and trimmed nails.
It grasped another rock, pulled, and a head popped out of the rubble. With a deep exhale, Wei Wuyin ’s head fully escaped and felt the world was slightly brighter than before. He looked at the sun, realizing the solar star above was experiencing a slight change.
”Nine months? ” Murmuring to himself, Wei Wuyin circulated a little of his astral force to invigorate his innate wind energies, controlling them as he slowly levitated above the rocks, escaping the fate of being buried.
As he floated above the rocks, he looked at his surroundings to verify that he hadn ’t appeared somewhere else. Fortunately, he was still in the Desolate Lands.
”An entire nine months, huh? ” Its been quite a while since Wei Wuyin had cultivated in seclusion, and this was probably the longest he ’d ever cultivated without any other interactions, focused purely on himself. The last time he remembered such an incident was during the Yang Yore Fields at the Scarlet Solaris Sect.
Thinking of that moment, he nostalgically thought of Wei Si, that muscle-headed adopted cousin of his. He was the only living member of his family, despite his status of being adopted. Wei Wuyin had tried to find him, had Su Mei investigate the incidents that happened that left him rampaging and taken away, but there was nothing.
Now that he met those outsiders that had unknown intentions, unknown origins, he realized that the starfield wasn ’t one without visitors from beyond. Lin Ming ’s female companion on the Myriad Yore Continent was likely the same type of person. In that case, could Wei Si have been taken away by one of these visitors?
There was also another question that he didn ’t really know, and even now, it bothered him sometimes. It was: ”Could Wei Si have been a Blessed? ”
This question lingered for a moment before he helplessly smiled, thinking of the Yang Yore Fields once more. There was a particularly stimulating event regarding Yan Zhu, a fellow Core Disciple who birthed a Seed of Spear Intent. He didn ’t know what happened to her, but if she actually gave birth to Spear Intent, she might be suitable to recruit for the Ascendants.
His Celestial Eyes brightened with a mysteriously obscure light, but only a frown remained as it dimmed. He couldn ’t get any sort of feeling from her, as if she was no longer a part of the immediate world.
Was she dead?
After a long moment of silence, he sighed wistfully. Cultivation was difficult; the last time he saw her was nearly twenty years ago, and innumerable events have happened since then.
”The path of life is about moving forward, always. I just hope Wei Si is alive. I miss that beefy kid. ” Wei Wuyin couldn ’t determine Wei Si ’s current state, even with his Eye of Truth, and it only verified that he had been taken far away, outside of his perceptive reach.
After spending several more moments in silence, Wei Wuyin shook off the melancholic feelings with a faint smile. He clenched his fist, feeling the flow of blood within his body. It was like a torrential river, surging with immense force that could crush mountains, overturn oceans, and rend the sky.
After nine whole months, Wei Wuyin had refined a little over a million desolate pearls into draconic pearls. That was an extremely arduous and time-consuming task, and even the first time he ’d performed this wasn ’t instant. But the sheer number also developed a problem, Kratos couldn ’t digest it as swiftly as he ’d done before!
While recovering its Bloodline Source was swift, the apparent increase of its innate qualities was extremely slow! Wei Wuyin had to supplement the draconic blood energies and essences himself, cultivating the Bloodforging Mystic Method to find another outlet. The Bloodforging Mystic Method was a Cultivation Method that was created by the Bloodforge Emperor, a subordinate of Wu Yu. It touched upon concepts that exceeded the Mortal Limits.
It typically required one to find blood-type of materials to cultivate, and it even halted Zuhei from rapidly progressing due to this need. There weren ’t many objects naturally formed within the heaven and earth of the starfield that could progress it, but the draconic pearls were perfect materials for it!
Originally, the method was filled with various flaws and inconsistencies within, but Wei Wuyin had spent an entire year reforging it with his comprehension of the Alchemic Dao and the True Dragon Transmutation Method to make it suitable for those who cultivate using their beating hearts, while removing the bloodline lineage requirement. With this, he made it extremely suitable for himself and Zuhei to cultivate, but there was another issue.
The Bloodforging Mystic Method could be considered an Evil Method, but that was only in its later stages. During its foundational stages, one merely needed to condense their essence blood into Bloodforge Runes, and then they could use various energies to improve its qualities and power. With these runes alone, one ’s bloodline power would strengthen as their cultivation advanced.
The resources required after the first level was still beyond this starfield ’s means unless one commenced a massive slaughter of cultivators with refined blood energies, condensing them into Blood Pills often used by Evil Cultivators. Otherwise one needed to gather blood-enhancing herbs and materials, which the starfield rarely gave birth to.
Yuan Longshi was fortunate to have had unique resources left behind by the Bloodforge Emperor, but he still devoured beasts to drain them of their blood energies for his cultivation and recovery of blood energies. He had reached the third level of the Bloodforging Mystic Method, the Bloodforging Battle Armor.
Wei Wuyin wasn ’t really willing to slaughter others for their blood energies, be it human, beast, elf, or demon. It clashed with his own principles. While he respected Evil Cultivators, understanding that cultivation was difficult, and in cultivation there was no wrong or right, there was no too far or too little, but it wasn ’t the path he wished to take. There was always another way, sometimes even better.
As an Alchemist, he understood this principle extremely well.
Till now, he hadn ’t cultivated the Bloodforging Mystic Method. But now that he had the sufficient resources, obtained without slaughtering a single life, he wasn ’t going to delay.
”Unfortunately, despite reaching the later stages of the Bloodforging Mystic Method, refining a million draconic pearls, I couldn ’t break past the limits of mortality within my bloodline. ” Wei Wuyin felt an unbreachable wall as he entered the Seventh Stage of the Mark of Mortal Myth, reaching the utmost limits of his bloodline.
There was a wall of the Mortal Dao. He felt that he needed something specific to advance. When he thought of that something, for some reason, he recalled that Solar Star with the ring circulating around it.
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists. Kratos was no longer restrained, he had access to his Bloodline Abilities, and his physical body had been refined with the Bloodforging Mystic Method and his peak Mortal Myth-tier True Dragon Bloodline!
”It ’s time! ” Kratos ’ voice sounded within his mind.
”Time! Time! Time! Let ’s do it! ” Ori started to get overly excited.
The other two remained silent, but Wei Wuyin could see their anticipation. He faintly smiled, looking at the sky. Since Jiang Feilan had met him that day, offering her Yin Renewal Physique and Primal Yin that contained the secrets of her cultivation, Wei Wuyin didn ’t restrain himself. They dual cultivated numerous times, and he fully comprehended the Fourth Stage of the Astral Core Realm, the Spatial Resonance Phase!
But the others were unwilling to advance, seemingly waiting for Kratos to fully recover. Now that it had, Wei Wuyin felt the trigger to ascend to the next stage!
With heroic laughter, he flew higher into the sky.
You'll Also Like
SSS-Grade Cafe in Front of The DungeonChapter 49 6 hours ago
The Return Of The God Level Assassin [BL]Chapter 825 10 hours ago
Pet KingChapter 1013 August 10, 2022
My Werewolf SystemChapter 410 6 hours ago
The King of Hell's Genius Pampered WifeChapter 30 August 10, 2022
History's Strongest Senior BrotherChapter 30 August 10, 2022
Demon's DiaryChapter 30 August 10, 2022
What Do You Mean My Cute Disciples Are Yanderes?Chapter 30 August 10, 2022
Nano MachineChapter 483 August 10, 2022
Number One Dungeon SupplierChapter 1351 12 hours ago
Inhuman WarlockChapter 897 August 11, 2022
My Three Wives Are Beautiful VampiresChapter 427 August 5, 2022


text: For one day only, Chelsea FC fans can experience this stunning opportunity to lace up their football boots, take to Stamford Bridge’s hallowed turf and score a penalty at the iconic Matthew Harding End. This is THE ultimate experience for any Blues fan! Visitors will receive a guided tour including the press room, home dressing room and the ‘Bring Your Boots’ pitch experience which includes pitch access and a photograph with the club’s stunning silverware collection. 'Outdoor' football boots must be supplied by attendee with studs, blades or moulds being acceptable. Guests also receive a souvenir lanyard and an official guidebook.


text:
Quran Stories (Yousaf`s (Alysalam) Life in prison)
Yousaf's عليه السلام Life in Prison is a beautifully illustrated Quran story for young children. It consist of easy language and is designed to enhance to reading experience for children and their parents. It's simple and easily comprehensible. The Quran Stories are authentic delightful collections of short stories from the Quran told for children.


text:
Submitted by: Carmen Milenkovic, SCC Executive Director
I’ve only started here. July 2nd was my first day.
What I’ve come to know, seated at my desk on the second floor, is that I fashion any possible reason to wander down the staircase to the gallery below. Opening the door to that magical space immediately changes my mood, relaxes my sometimes frenetic mind and draws a gasp.
The exhibit on now – Art of the Book – is simply beautiful. If you haven’t made it to the Gallery you have until Saturday the 12th of July at 5PM to wander through its profound display of book binding and creation.
|Susan Carr, Mexico, 2012. Photo by Mike Sullen|
I take in one or two of the pieces with each descent down the staircase. I wonder at the inspiration and marvel at the execution. I’m not a creator but I’m a passionate book lover. And it’s not only the content that makes me a fan. I love the feel of the book, the softness of the front cover, the way the pages flip open, and the paper on which the printed word is lovingly held. I run my finger down the spine, and read the notes – the raves, the bios, the synopses – and I assess its possible place on one of my shelves (or more likely the piles that I’ve come to accumulate). I must say that I have to hold my hands behind my back as I wander through this exhibit – everything about the art pieces cries out to be touched, and yet I know I shouldn’t.
|Patricia Owen, Collected Proverbs of Erasmus, 2013. Photo by Mike Sullen|
On Monday, I was in the gallery at the same time as Martha Cole, a major Saskatchewan artist, one of our patrons, and a member of the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild – the organization that curated and is touring Art of the Book 2013. She was with a friend, a fellow artist, visiting the exhibit. Les Potter introduced us; following a brief exchange, we stopped to look at Collected Proverbs of Erasmus by Patricia Owen. Martha told us that this was a masterpiece as it was carved from wood and wrapped with a fine skin of goat leather that was then painted. I’ve looked at that piece many times, but it wasn’t until Martha told me about its intricacies did I realize how truly wonderful it was. I hadn’t picked up the catalogue, available to all gallery visitors, to read about the process. And so, even though my eyes recognized something special, I didn’t understand why – until I spoke with Martha.
Thanks Martha. I’ll pick up the catalogue from now on.