The lengthy COVID test hold-ups have been blamed partly on people needing to be tested before travelling interstate.
Why must people go somewhere by plane for holidays?
Why not holiday somewhere in NSW?
Why not use the chance to escape from Sydney and spend your holiday simply exploring, in the COVID-safe cocoon of your car?
Today's cars are great for lengthy journeys, even the smallest ones. So why don't young people drive?
I checked the statistics, as best as I could ascertain in this holiday period.
A CarAdvice story from 2017 said only 80.1 per cent of people aged 17 to 20 in NSW hold a licence. That number has declined since 2012.
In the 21 to 25 age group, 91.4 per cent of people had a driver licence, but that figure had declined too.
An RACV study showed that, "... for the years 2001 to 2016, there has been an overall 18 per cent decrease in young Victorian adults aged 18 to 24 holding a driver licence. In 2016, over a third (37 per cent) of Victorian adults aged 18 to 24 did not hold a driver licence."
Victorian metropolitan figures declined, while rural numbers increased by 4.7 per cent.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The RACV survey revealed declines in the proportions of young adults with driver licences in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany.
The UK has had a 20 per cent drop in the overall number of under-25s learning to drive.
Why? I can understand the British figures because of tightening rules in London.
While visiting Britain in 2007, at the Rye Railway Station I discovered that the price of an annual ticket to London would be over 2000 pounds.
The ticket-seller explained that the normal annual salary in Rye would be about 20,000 pounds, but in London the same job would command 25,000 pounds.
"And here in Rye you can own a car," he added.
Questioning further, homes in Rye generally had room to garage a car, and there were no punitive taxes when driving, as in Central London.
So is this an inner city phenomenon?
I couldn't find a Wagga figure, but I know that my grandchildren couldn't wait to have their Ps, and it seems their friends likewise want to drive.
We in Wagga have wide open spaces, and little difficulty parking. Our "peak hour" crushes on the Gobba Bridge or along Pearson Street would make a city driver laugh.
It might be more to do with high-rise living.
Regular readers of this column may recall my story about hosting a very senior public servant for three days, as we toured the Riverina visiting schools.
It was July, mild temperatures, sunshine, green grass, kangaroos - he concluded that the Riverina was so pretty that he would like to bring his family.
"Where's the nearest airport?" he asked as we drove along the shores of the Blowering Dam at dawn.
When I explained that it was far easier to simply drive down the highway, he said they didn't own a family car.
Holidays? They went to Bali, Fiji and so on. Being near the airport had its advantages, he said.
The problem is that Australia is not just Sydney or Melbourne. If city voters aren't getting out to see the "real Australia" then they will continue to vote for policies that disregard regional areas.
Here's another problem: According to the Legal Aid website, Narrandera LGA ranked Number One in NSW for driving without a licence, up 69 per cent over the past two years.
Does that imply that maybe the number of hours required and the cost, could be factors?
Not only disadvantaged youth, but city dwellers may find the Learner conditions too onerous.
I recently bought a Valiant in suburban Sydney, purchased new by the family in 1967.
I sent some pictures of this car's adventures in the Riverina - snow at Kunama, dirt roads near Ladysmith, next to canola crops, on the plains near Deniliquin.
The family replied that the Valiant's longest journey out of Sydney had been to the Central Coast.
Maybe city people not driving to the country for holidays is nothing new.
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Christmas Card Wrapped up our christmas card for this year...just a tad late on this but it's worth it.
Ho Ho Ho And Stuff Next up in my profile series...which really didn't become a series because I have client work. Hoping to do another two before Christmas.
Change The World 3 Some medical illos for the section describing what giving could change in the lives of the hurting.
Change The World 2 One of my favorite sections of the design is this. Literally every side of this is a section for the over all design and it created this intersecti...
Change The World A small icon Illo for a graphic I am working on that focuses on how artist, developers and designers can effect world change by giving towards the ...

domain: design


This is not a new idea at all but it is seldom applied. I like to call it “being lazy”. The essence is to identify what is painful and then eliminate the pain. Spend some time each sprint to eliminate pain and see huge productivity improvement.
Here are some examples:
- It takes a few minute to compile the code, load the binaries to the embedded device, and restart the program. This is done many, many times a day when we are working on the code. The idle time is not enough to work on a different task but is definitely enough to break my chain of thought. Instead, I spent about a day to create a Docker image containing the entire tool chain to compile and run the program. We can now compile the code and run it. No more waiting time.
- I recently joined a project which has its own source control system different from everyone else in the company. It isn’t integrated with the code review tools so doing code review was a pain. People complained about it but tolerated it anyway because while it was painful, it was not that painful. I, on the other hand, didn’t want the pain at all (see this post where I described a temporarily method to make it less painful). I talked to DevOp and asked for an integration with the code review tools. Now, it is all integrated. No pain at all.
- When implementing a particular feature, think about what’s the general problem then solve the general problem. Any instances of the general problem can then be trivially solved. This is exactly what libraries do.


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The affordable education loan option
Durban - The unsolved murder of a Pietermaritzburg gynaecologist seven years ago has been linked to the heavy contingent of bodyguards that her husband, a local district mayor, still has.
Yusuf Bhamjee became mayor of the Umgungundlovu District Municipality two years after his wife, Sabera, was attacked at the Burger Street Hospital Complex.
She was stabbed in her face and neck. A source close to the investigation said leads had been followed and several people detained and questioned over the years. But to date, no solid evidence had been found linking any of them to Sabera’s murder.
While Bhamjee has managed to sidestep reporters’ questions and the public brouhaha over the decision to assign 16 bodyguards to him and his deputy, a source close to the mayor said his wife’s murder had much to do with it.
Bhamjee was living in fear for his own safety, said the source, who has requested anonymity but whose name is known to the Daily News. Bhamjee did not respond to calls or smses.
At the time of the murder, police had suspected that the doctor had known her attacker, or that the suspect had knowledge of the security system code and had a duplicate key, because there was no sign of forced entry.
No one has been arrested and speculation was rife then that the brutal slaying may have been a way of getting to Bhamjee, a respected political activist and Struggle stalwart. This motive has never been proved.
The source said the murder “proved enough of a threat to necessitate more bodyguards” for Bhamjee. “Without saying too much, it must be noted that politics in this country is very complex by its very nature. The mayor is a well-known figure and requires adequate protection.”
Opposition political parties were stunned this week when it was revealed that Bhamjee and his deputy have had 16 guards assigned to them since they were inaugurated, at a cost of nearly R1.3 million a year.
Bhamjee boasts an entourage that is significantly larger than that of even Premier Senzo Mchunu, who has five bodyguards.
Umgungundlovu municipal manager, S’bu Khuzwayo, confirmed that 11 of the bodyguard positions were filled, while five remained vacant.
The bodyguards worked shifts and were not all on duty at the same time, he said.
“The cost of the officers is absorbed by the district municipality,” Khuzwayo said.
But he would not disclose why the mayor required this much protection, saying only that a risk analysis conducted by the police dictated the number of bodyguards assigned to Bhamjee.
Bhamjee, who was voted best mayor at the Inaugural Municipal Excellence Awards last year, found himself in the middle of a storm recently when two of his bodyguards were accused of shooting at a motorist who refused to make way for the mayor’s car that was travelling in convoy on the N3 to Durban.
Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said the VIP guards were not employed by the SAPS.
They were employed directly by the municipality, contracted by a private security detail.
The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the municipality declined to comment on the employment of the guards.
One of the VIP protection officers, Thulasizwe Mbanjwa, has a previous conviction related to the murder of Richmond “warlord”, Sifiso Nkabinde.
Nkabinde was expelled from the ANC in 1997 for allegedly being a spy for the apartheid government.
He was also accused of starting a low-level war that left 120 people dead in the Richmond area.
Nkabinde was killed in January 1999. Mbanjwa served jail time for the incident.
Last week, Mbanjwa appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on an attempted murder charge for the recent N3 shooting.
He was granted R5 000 bail.
Mbanjwa allegedly failed to disclose his previous conviction of murder to the magistrate hearing his bail application.
This could result in his bail being revoked. Opposition parties have called on authorities to investigate how Mbanjwa was employed as a VIP protection guard with a criminal record.
“It is completely inappropriate for anybody with a criminal record to be employed by the security industry, especially at government level,” DA MP John Steenhuisen said.
Khuzwayo would not comment on how Mbanjwa was employed.
“I wish to reiterate that the matters raised about the appointment of bodyguards are at the core of the confidential employer-employee relationship which is underpinned by relevant labour legislation,” he said.
“Furthermore, this matter is now the subject of the official SAPS investigation which must be allowed to run its full course, without any undue influence.”
The Daily News established that internal disciplinary measures against Mbanjwa had started after his suspension in the wake of the N3 shooting incident.

domain: news


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Earlier today the House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) held a virtual hearing on The Rent Is Still Due: America’s Renters, COVID-19 and an Unprecedented Eviction Crisis. Witnesses Cashauna Hill, Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center; Mike Kingsella, Up for Growth; Ann Oliva, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Jenny Schuetz, The Brookings Institution discussed the need for ongoing financial assistance to families. Several bills were discussed, including the House-passed Heroes Act and the Supporting HOMES During Health Emergency Act of 2020, which would allocate an additional $14 billion for the HOME Program.
Enterprise Community Partners is leading a sign-on letter detailing the importance of including funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program in the next COVID-19 relief package considered by Congress. Please reach out to Alexander Williams, policy analyst at Enterprise by COB Friday, June 12 to join the letter.

domain: politics


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dance sound space poetry
(starting in 2011)
Inspired by an image proposed by the visual artist Floriano Secciani while working on the dance performance installation “Ugo” (performed in 2007 in Sophiensaele Berlin), Raffaella Galdi’s research has been dedicated to the exploration of an object and its influence on space and inspiration for dance movements: a sculpture-like white pointed hat. The research concentrated on two fields. The first one was the exploration of a movement language and imagery in dialogue with the object (the hat). The second one was the investigation of a possible sound installation/stage design to support and broaden this imagery. The nine hats did not only create strong images, but also influenced movements due to their size, weight and texture and thus evoked a physical research and dialogue with the objects and the creative potential of their “partnership”. The shape of each hat, a cone, also suggested a specific connection to space and sound. Therefore, Galdi used part of the research time to investigate a possible installation that supported the imagery and movement language she was exploring. The sound sources were placed inside five of the nine hats (more info). Searching for moments and ways to underline or add suspense to the dialogue between body and objects, Galdi experimented with ways of letting sound and objects/sculptures interfere both spatially and on a level of meaning.
The research has been divided in various working blocks conducted in 2011 and 2012.
From the research project dance - sound / space - poetry, Raffaella Galdi gave shape to PAULA, a 50 minutes dance performance with an installation touch, the space poetry. It premiered 26th April 2013 in Kunstmühle Braunschweig.
Rosella Canciello, dance
Raffaella Galdi, concept, dance, hats concept and construction
Mira Moschallski, assistance and dramaturgy
Dietrich Oberländer, technical support, adviser
Friedrik Olofsson, hats technical sound concept and construction
Eva Sophia Sutter, dance
© 2013 InCorpo All rights reserved
“The artist belongs to his work, not the work to the artist” (Novalis)

domain: artistic


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Franchise Burger Restaurant for Sale in Cumming GA Great Opportunity!
This franchise burger restaurant for sale prides itself on serving a high quality food hot off the grill. Their burgers made with 100% Black Angus beef patties, and other various products like the turkey burger make it THE hamburger destination in town. This franchise burger restaurant for sale doesn’t stop at burgers – they also serve chicken made to order and served straight from the grill, salads topped with only the freshest, most flavorful ingredients, and a selection of delicious shakes that guests can choose to accompany their meals.
This franchise burger restaurant for sale is part of a brand with more than 65 units throughout the country. The start-up cost for this burger franchise for sale ranges anywhere between $125,000 and $500,000. Why would you build a new store with zero sales when you can buy this open and operating store with proven numbers? Buy this franchise burger restaurant for sale and be part of a brand that’s successfully tapped into the most popular food in the U.S.
This franchise burger restaurant for sale consists of a free standing building with drive-through, a beautiful patio and ample parking. The space is over 3,000 square feet big and located in the charming county of Forsyth, Georgia. This is a high income area with lots of surrounding businesses and easy access to a main highway. Forsyth County values its history, and promotes a vibrant economy. According to the area’s website, this community works together to keep Forsyth the best place in the county to work, live and play. Forsyth, Georgia is just a quick 60 mile trip from Atlanta, Georgia and is home to seven colleges.
Sales last year at this franchise burger restaurant for sale exceeded $600,000 and returned a nice profit to the owner/operator. The restaurant is located in a busy area with diverse businesses in the neighborhood, for a monthly rent of $5500. The kitchen is equipped and comes with tons of equipment - everything needed to serve up the hot and juicy burgers and sandwiches and more that keeps the guests coming back for more.
For further information about this franchise burger restaurant for sale, contact the restaurant brokers today.
- Listing#: 4463
- Price: $99000
- Location: Cumming
- Franchise burger restaurant for sale in Forsyth County, Georgia
- This franchise burger restaurant for sale prides itself on serving a high quality food hot off the grill
- Famous brand with more than 65 units throughout the country
- Sales exceeded $600,000 last year and returned a nice profit to the owner
- Monthly rent of $5500 for over 3000 sq ft space
- Free standing building with drive-through, a beautiful patio and ample parking
- Located in a high income area with lots of surrounding businesses
- Franchise Burger Restaurant for sale

domain: food


Based on the 2007 short film ‘Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse’ by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Jason Stone, ‘This Is The End’ is a 2013 apocalyptic comedy movie co-written and co-directed by Rogen and Goldberg themselves. The narrative revolves around a house party that actor James Franco throws for a bunch of his celebrity friends, including Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson. Soon, their wild celebrations are interrupted when a deadly apocalypse erupts out of nowhere, causing the deaths of many guests and trapping the others in the house.
The leftover celebrities find themselves stuck in Franco’s house as they not only have to deal with the apocalypse but also each other. The serious subjects of apocalypse and death are countered by the hilarious takes on them as the viewers’ funny bone is tickled amidst such a disastrous situation. What makes the narrative all the more entertaining are the hilarious performances from some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including James Franco, Rihanna, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Emma Watson, and Paul Rudd. Moreover, the apocalyptic setting and the backdrop of Franco’s house are likely to make you wonder where ‘This Is The End’ was shot. Well, if you are one such curious soul, we have got you covered!
This Is The End Filming Locations
´This Is The End’ was filmed in Louisiana and California, specifically in New Orleans and Los Angeles. The principal photography for the apocalyptic movie reportedly commenced in late April 2012, under the working title ‘The Apocalypse’ and then ‘The End of the World’ later. The production got wrapped up in around 50 days or so, in early July of the same year. Although the story is set in Los Angeles, a majority of the shooting took place in New Orleans because of the financial incentives that the filmmakers received from the city. So, let’s not waste any time and jump right into the middle of the apocalypse and learn all about the specific locations that appear in the movie!
New Orleans, Louisiana
Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘This Is The End’ were lensed in and around New Orleans, a consolidated city parish in the southeastern region of Louisiana. A big warehouse-cum-soundstage in the New Orleans suburb of Harahan was transformed into a studio for shooting many scenes for the movie. The filmmakers constructed a full-sized house to depict James Franco’s house in the center of the warehouse, where a majority of the film was shot. Since it was much cheaper to reconstruct Melrose of Los Angeles in a parking lot in New Orleans than to shoot on the actual Melrose, the production team chose to rebuild a portion of Melrose Avenue in the Crescent City itself.
Los Angeles, California
Additional portions for ‘This Is The End’ were also seemingly taped on location in Los Angeles, a major city in Southern California. It is possible that the cast and crew members utilized the locales of LA to record a few exterior scenes for the movie. Apart from the James Franco-starrer, the City of Angels has featured in many movies and TV shows, such as ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘Bullet Train,’ and ‘The Patient.’
Read More: Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies on Netflix


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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight Love to Beverly. She lost 110 pounds with low carb eating and exercise. Here is what she shared with us:
Hi, My name is Beverly and I started my journey a Year ago. I have lost 110 pounds and counting. I weighed 250 pounds and now I am down to 140 pounds. I cannot believe it myself. I have to pinch myself to see if it is me! No weight loss surgery. My diet consists of a low carb diet, Naked smoothies and no sodas. I went from 4 or 5 diet Pepsi’s a day to no Sodas at all. I am a Social Worker here in New York and to get my exercise I go up and down Subway-stairs and do a lot of walking. I have not reached my ideal weight but I am pressing forward. I have battled my weight since my High School years and now I have entered into a Lifestyle change. I am loosing weight to be totally free from all medicines. My inspiration came from My SIS Laura Whitaker (Teamfit page), and most of all checking out the stories and tips from Black Women Losing Weight! Thank You for The Page and Inspiration!

domain: health


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More than a Game: Super Bowl Initiative Helps Scientists Study the "Normal" Breast
Connie Rufenbarger has always believed that healthy women would willingly donate breast tissue for research if they were convinced the samples could be used to help find a cure for cancer. Now, she has proof: More than 1,800 women have given breast tissue to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU (Indiana University) Simon Cancer Center.
Rufenbarger, an advocate for breast cancer research, was instrumental in developing the bank. Its donors have no signs of cancer or breast disease when they provide specimens, making the repository a unique resource for learning about the "normal" breast and how it changes over women's lifetimes.
This weekend, the number of samples in the bank will grow tremendously. Seven hundred women have registered to donate tissue before next month's Super Bowl festivities in Indianapolis. As part of an event billed as Indy's Super Cure , some 600 volunteers will collect tissue, blood, and detailed health histories from the donors.
"The Super Bowl is an incredible opportunity," said Rufenbarger, who has survived breast cancer twice. When the Super Bowl host committee first approached the Komen Tissue Bank about a tissue drive, Rufenbarger envisioned a 1-day event involving 100 donors. But in keeping with the spirit of the Super Bowl, she developed a more ambitious plan.
The Need for Normal Tissue
Experts in the breast cancer field have been discussing the need for normal breast tissue for more than a decade. In 1997, NCI convened an expert panel to identify barriers to progress in preventing and treating breast cancer. The first barrier the panel identified was a "limited understanding of the biology and developmental genetics of the normal mammary gland."
In its report, the panel said that a more complete understanding of the normal breast throughout development—from infancy through adulthood—would be critical to advance the field. Now that the Komen Tissue Bank will have more than 2,000 donors, the staff wants to get the word out to researchers. (Investigators can submit proposals to obtain specimens to study.)
Studying normal breast tissues could reveal early changes that precede breast cancer and could be useful in predicting future risk for the disease. Normal tissue also could be particularly useful for researchers studying cancer prevention, according to Dr. Worta McCaskill-Stevens of NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention.
Prevention researchers have largely relied on breast tissue obtained from patients who were biopsied for clinical reasons or who underwent breast-reduction procedures. Although these tissues may appear benign, they may not be truly normal; the optimal "control" tissue would come from women without breast cancer or other breast lesions, Dr. McCaskill-Stevens noted.
"The ultimate question is: How does normal tissue become malignant?" she added.
Building the Bank
When the idea of a normal breast tissue bank was presented at a 2004 scientific meeting in Indianapolis, some people doubted it could ever happen. Healthy women, they said, would never volunteer to have an invasive procedure that did not offer them a clear benefit, would cause discomfort, and might carry some risk. The regulatory bodies that approve research studies would have to review the plans, they noted, and obtaining approval could be difficult.
Rufenbarger, who attended the meeting, never doubted that women would participate. She and Dr. Anna Maria Storniolo, professor of clinical medicine at the IU School of Medicine, worked closely with ethics experts to develop protocols that allowed women to make an informed decision about donating specimens—initially blood and later blood and breast tissue—for unspecified future research.
Once the IU School of Medicine had carefully reviewed and approved the protocols, women began to donate blood at Komen Race for the Cure events in Indiana and Dallas, and then breast and blood samples at the tissue drives.
Some women have volunteered to donate again, even before walking away from the needle used to collect tissue, noted Dr. Storniolo, who co-directs the tissue bank. "These are women who have ice packs on their breasts as bruises are just beginning to form," she added.
"Critics doubted that women would flock off the street to donate tissue, but they have—at least in Indiana," said co-director Dr. Susan Clare, associate professor of surgery at the IU School of Medicine. She credited advocates like Rufenbarger for making the bank possible.
"Connie just would not let this idea go away," Dr. Clare said. "Breast cancer advocates want this disease to be over. And they want researchers to use this repository and find creative ways to study normal tissue."
Some people have argued that the Komen Tissue Bank may not actually have normal tissue. They have suggested that most donors would be relatives of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and that these donors might themselves be at a higher risk of the disease.
A recent study provided evidence to the contrary. Dr. Amy Degnim of the Mayo Clinic and her colleagues compared three sources of breast tissue that might be considered normal: samples from the Komen Tissue Bank, from women with benign breast disease, and from women who had breast-reduction procedures.
The study showed that the vast majority of tissue sections from the Komen Tissue Bank that were reviewed were histologically normal. The same could not be said for the sections from breast-reduction procedures or benign breast disease. This implies that tissue from the breast-reduction procedures "is probably not a great source of normal tissue in research studies," Dr. Degnim said.
"I would argue that the samples in the bank are the 'real' normal and that these are some of the highest quality breast tissues available," said Dr. Clare. The staff use standardized procedures to obtain the tissue, and samples are frozen within 5 minutes of collection.
Although the majority of donors to the Komen Tissue Bank are Caucasian, the bank has been reaching out to minority populations to increase diversity and make the resource more useful for researchers. Dr. McCaskill-Stevens noted, for example, that members of the Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program, in Cook County, IL, will be participating in the future.
The bank is unique in another way: Four of the donors have developed breast cancer, including one of the very first donors, Traci Runge. (A video about her is online .) "All four women were wise enough to contact us prior to starting treatments," said Dr. Clare. "They asked if we wanted samples of their cancers. These are incredibly precious specimens."
Profiling Normal Tissues
Changing as it does during adolescence, menstrual cycles, nursing, and menopause, the breast may be the most dynamic organ in the human body. The physical definition or molecular profile of a normal breast in each of these stages is still largely unknown, however.
"The poetry here is that normal is not a point; it's a cloud," said Dr. Mark Sherman of NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), whose team has studied specimens from the Komen Tissue Bank. He noted that testing someone's cholesterol involves comparing results to a range of numbers. "This is just not possible with breast cancer, because there are not any normative values for the molecular features of the normal breast," Dr. Sherman said.
Using specimens from the Komen Tissue Bank and other sources, his group is trying to identify physical characteristics of the breast that could improve risk models for breast cancer.
Some risk factors for developing breast cancer include age, race, prior breast cancer or breast carcinoma in situ, number of first-degree relatives with the disease, age at onset of menstruation, whether a woman has given birth and at what age, and a history of breast biopsies.
"These risk factors have been identified, but we really don't know how the risk factors might be causing changes in the breast," said Dr. Jonine Figueroa, also of DCEG. She is investigating whether physical features of the breast, such as the number and size of lobules, are associated with any of the known breast cancer risk factors.
Dr. Sherman cautions that it is still early days. "The value of defining the morphology and molecular characteristics of the normal breast is unclear," he said. Nonetheless, he is optimistic that understanding how breast cancer risk factors are related to the microscopic appearance and molecular characteristics of the breast could reveal clues to the disease, as well as potential markers of risk.
"We're called mammals because we breastfeed our young," said Dr. Sherman. "Information about the normal breast and how it changes should be part of our basic knowledge about the human body. This is fundamental."
New Partnerships between the Public and Scientists
"This work has to be bigger than breast cancer," said Rufenbarger, noting that everyone who has been involved in the project has been affected by cancer in some way. She believes the project can be a model for developing resources to study other normal tissues that become cancerous, such as the skin.
Dr. Sherman and his colleagues at NCI have already begun to repeat the model by studying other normal tissues, such as the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) and the ovary, although these studies use tissues that were removed as part of clinical care.
The Komen Tissue Bank suggests that new partnerships between the public and scientists can expedite the research process, noted Rufenbarger. "The lesson here is that the public is willing and capable of participating in research studies like this one if we can develop a system that allows scientists to tell the public what they need," she said.
—Edward R. Winstead

domain: biology


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The Group for the Promotion of Pharmaceutical chemistry in Academia (GP2A) will hold the 31st Annual GP2A Medicinal Chemistry Conference at the School of Pharmacy, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille – France, 23-25th August 2023.
The registration platform will open soon to submit abstracts for poster and oral presentation. The GP2A conference offers an opportunity for PhD students and early career researchers to share the stage with our invited speakers, so this year a number of abstracts will be selected for oral communication.
Further information about the conference will follow soon.
Members of the GP2A network are entitled to substantial registration discounts, so be sure to enrol as a network member prior to registration.
For more information about the GP2A network, please feel free to visit our website: www.gp2a.org
The first event organized by the recently launched Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Division of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland, jointly with the RSC Carbohydrate Interest Group took place in Queen’s University Belfast on 21-22 November 2022.
The meeting, organized by Prof Gerd Wagner (QUB), brought together over 2 days a great line of speakers with research interests in Carbohydrate and Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology from across Ireland, UK and Europe. It also featured the Dextra Award Lecture by Prof Gavin Miller (Keele University). Importantly, a dedicated Early Career Researcher session provided an opportunity for PhD students, postdocs, and early stage academics to present their research.
Following an open call for nominations for this prestigious award and an independent and international review process, we are delighted to let you know that Professor Grace Morgan, School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, is the recipient of the ICI Boyle Higgins’ Gold Medal and Lecture Award 2022. Professor Morgan’s profile may be found here. Our warmest congratulations to Professor Morgan. Professor Morgan delivered an outstanding award lecture during the ICI Centenary Congress 2022.
Following an open call for nominations for this prestigious award and an independent and international review process, we are delighted to let you know that Professor Tadhg Begley, an Irish chemist, UCC alumnus, Distinguished Professor, Derek Barton Professor of Chemistry and Robert A. Welch Foundation Chair, at Texas A&M University in the US, is the recipient of the ICI Boyle Higgins’ Gold Medal and Lecture Award 2021. Professor Begley’s profile may be found here. Our warmest congratulations to Professor Begley. Professor Begley delivered an outstanding award lecture during the ICI Centenary Congress 2022.
Pictured: Professor Patrick Guiry (ICI President) presenting Professor Tadhg Begley with his award during the ICI Centenary Congress in the Royal Irish Academy, 17th November, 2022
Following an open call for nominations for the ICI Annual Award for Chemistry (Eva Philbin Public Lecture Series) 2021 and an independent review process, we are delighted to announce that the 2022 recipient of this award is Professor Carmel Breslin, Department of Chemistry, Maynooth University (Click here to view Professor Breslin’s profile on the MU website)
Our warmest congratulations to Professor Breslin. Professor Breslin presented an outstanding award lecture during the ICI Centenary Congress which took place in the Royal Irish Academy on the 17th November, 2022.
Pictured: Professor Patrick Guiry (ICI President) presenting Professor Carmel Breslin with her award during the ICI Centenary Congress in the Royal Irish Academy, 17th November, 2022
The ICI Annual Award Ceremony and 73rd AGM are taking place in RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences on Wednesday, 8th June, 2022 commencing at 16.00 in the Albert Lecture Theatre.
The ICI Award Ceremony Programme may be found here: ICI Annual Award Ceremony 2022 Programme


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Mount Richardson is a hidden jewel in the Glentui tramping tracks near the Oxford township. This Sunday, we went to explore Mount Richardson.
Glentui tramping tracks
Returning to Glentui Picnic Area from walking Mt Richardson Track Richardson Track Time: 2 - 4 hr one way Starting at…
We started at around mid day, drove for about twenty minutes to the Glentui picnic area (see the link above). We reached the Glentui picnic area around mid day, and found a signpost that said Mount Richardson, a climb of 1047 metres would be about a couple of hours away. The sky overcast and a mild chill in the air, we could not see the peak from the picnic area, but assumed that it would be cold out there in the top. We put on our jackets and started out.
We sidled up a steady uphill narrow track through a dense beech forest. Walking up, we could see far down in the forest floor the Glentui river flowing that would eventually form a pool. The Glentui waterfall would cascade down from the little pool in the rock. After about fifteen minutes of steady walk upstream, we stopped by a mountrain stream. A few birds flew above us, quickly hiding in the foliage, their whirring of wings and calls breaking the silence of the forest. The mountain stream added a meditative soundscape to the moody afternoon atmosphere.
After another hour of steady climb, the track became rough, with loose rocks slipped beneath our feet and dry gravel; We kept slipping as we negotiated steep slopes over dry gravelly loose soils and rocks. Trees had fallen and crossed the track. By two hours, we could feel it was getting tough.
Through a parting in the forest, we could see Canterbury in the far out; we could sense how high we climbed. Wispy clouds rolled in, we could feel the condensation settling on us, a cold waft of misty mountain air caressed us as we pressed on. Nectar like dewdrops from the tree trunks suspended in the mountain air.
The climb got rough by then, we scrambled over fallen trees and slipping rocks. Then, our nine-year old daughter almost gave up. After two and a half hour of steady climb, she was tired and needed rest. We stopped, toying with the idea we might return from that point. We munched on apples and dates and sipped water. A family of father, mom and two children and two dogs passed by. They were returning, they said, the children gave up to go up any farther.
We were in two minds. On the one hand we could give up and return. On the other, it was tantalising to do the summit, as we knew we were not far from the mountain top. We climbed a little more, then stopped, legs tired, it was endless climbing at that point through a rough track. Mou and Maurine (mom and daughter) decided to drop anchor and rest. I went up to scout the route on the way to the mountain top.
I walked for another ten minutes through the terrain filled with loose rocks as fast as I could, breaking into a jog. I could sense the breath, pant, and sweat and the tiredness rising within me. I clambered up a scree and a short walk later, reached the mountain top. Then I return to our resting point. Which was when, mum and daughter were rested enough and were now raring to go.
We started. It turned out that while Mou and Maurine were resting by the trackside, they met a couple who went past them aiming to reach the summit. The couple told them there was a longer but flatter slope on the other side of the mountain top they could take to go down. They thought it’d be easier for us as we were travelling with a child, instead of this steep path if we returned the way we came up. So, if we could muster a little more energy to go up the mountain top, there would be an easier way out. Longer. But easier. Shall we?
The long descent home
How long would that way be for us? We had no idea at the moment. As we continued to climb, on the way up a scree slope, we met a couple with dogs on leash. The man had a sombrero hat and he held a pair of dogs on leash. He told us that he went over the other side of the mountain top and then kind of lost their way. He was confused that there were a couple of tracks, not knowing which way to go, and one of the tracks led to what looked like a moutain bike path, but then again, he got confused, did not know which was which so he returned and would rather prefer the way he came up.
Anyway, we reached the summit. The day was dull and at past two in the afternoon with thick clouds rolling in, there was not much of a view by then. On a sunny day, we would be rewarded wiht a spectacular view of the Rolleston range and the Canterbury plains. We stopped for a while, then moved on.
The couple that Mou and Maurine met earlier told them that as we would go past the mountain top, we would reach a flat area with a signpost that would indicate that we shold go down the right hand side of the track and we should keep going, choosing the “right right way” (see the image above). We had no idea at the moment what it was or how long we had to walk. This was our first trip to Mount Richardson. The route looked flat and went through a bush.
It was an arduous walk downwards for three more hours. The first part of the downhill walk was flat indeed, but soon it became rough and quite steep with loose rocks and gravel, and slippery slopes. Our feet were tired by then from the long walk all day. As I walked with tired numbed feet, words of Thich Nhat Thanh in Peace at Every step came to mind, to tread on the earth is the real miracle.
Miracle of walking
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either…
I focused on the breath, the in-breath and the out-breath. I relaxed and tried to lose myself in the flow of the journey. I tried to feel every little gravel beneath my feet as I pressed on. I slipped and fell, and rose. And fell again. Moved on. I had to reach home. We had to reach home. The three of us. A team, a bondage. A promise that we were in it together.
Unfortunately, the NZ DOC did not really maintain this part of the track. I’d say it was challenging for young children, then again at the end of a long journey for over five hours now. By now evening was closing in, daylight faded, and we wondered if we should have taken the other route. After three hours of long, challenging downward journey, we finally reached a point of a green and yellow signboard — the first in a long long way in the trek since the one near the mountain top. The heart leaped in joy at its sight. Here was hope.
The signboard said that the carpark, our destination was just another hour and a half away.
You’d know it had to be wrong. It was an underestimation.
For us at that point, it would be at least another couple of hours of walk. It was getting dark, the orange triangles in the black beech trees in a dark gloomy forest when evening closed in added an eerie contrast of hope and despair. In that challenging hour of absolute wilderness, we wondered if we had done the right thing in starting out that late in the day. There was no place to stop; no place to rest. We sidled down a narrow track along a steep slope by the side, so our ony option was to walk. We carried on.
After another two hours of steady downward walk, we finally reached the carpark we started from. At that point, we knew we had scaled a mountain and made it to the carpark. The kid wanted to have a cup of hot chocolate when we would reach the nearest town.
We nodded. We would. If only the coffee shop at the nearest town would still remain open. The engine in the car purred to life and we left the silent, dark mountain and the forest behind. Sure enough, the couple of coffee shops in Oxford had already closed. The child was tired in the backseat. We longed to be home.
The smoothness of a slope is not necessarily the best factor for going downhill. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter.
The brochures and websites about Mount Richardson track were conflicting. You couldn’t trust. Some said you could do the track easily and others would tell you would need three to four hours one way. Thanks to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation maintenance, and fallen logs strewn across the track at various points, and need to jump or climb over fallen trees, traversing a thousand and fifty metres rise, I’d say is not for the feeble of heart. I am sure that on a sunny day we would be rewarded with a spectacular view, but not on a gloomy day like today.
If we were to do it again:
- We’d take the route from the Glentui carpark area and sidle up the route towards the Glentui waterfall and come down the same track. Never again we’d take the “easy” but long track beyond the summit. Not worth it.
- I’d never again trust the times posted by the NZ Department of Conservation about destination. Never. Multiply the timings by a factor of 1.5 to 2 depending on your speed. I think they are written for world class mountaineers and ultramarathoners, not for people with family who are out there to take a day’s trek in the mountains. I’d take it easy and have plenty of time on my hand to take the trip. Start really early.
- I’d go easy, relax, and take in the view of he the dark and dense beech forest on the way. It was beautiful out there. Truly beautiful. I’d tread silently and softly and mix with the beautiful birds. I’d take in the beauty of walking through a forest up the hills as the sound of mountain streams and bird calls defined the soundscape of the hills. What a feast for the senses.
- Lastly, I’d choose a sunny day for some breathtaking view from the mountain top.
Another day, another time.

domain: geography


text:
In my last blog I mentioned our heartache at not seeing our target bird - the migrant Blue Rock Thrush at the University of the Philippines' campus. On my birthday even! Little did I know that such bad luck would still be with us three weeks later.
Bright and early this morning my wife and I were at the La Mesa Ecopark hoping to see the Violet Cuckoo and maybe even the Grey-faced Buzzard. Our friend, Maia, saw the cuckoo yesterday and happily posted her sighting in her blog. I contacted her for the directions and she said the bird usually frequents the trees near the fishing pond. "It usually perches above the balete tree," Maia said. Almost four hours later and the only birds that perched on the balete tree were the Yellow-vented Bulbuls.
Early on we were joined by another friend, Bong Nabong. He just came from the spillway looking for the Grey-faced Buzzard which was seen yesterday as well by another friend and neighbor, Chin Fernandez. "Never showed up," Bong informed us about the buzzard.
Cynthia and I eventually gave up on the cuckoo. The only consolation we got was me being able to photograph a Common Kingfisher and my wife a Pygmy Flowerpecker.
We tried the spillway and got the exact same statistics: zero! nada! zilch! We asked the Security Guard in the area if he had seen the raptor. "It was here yesterday," he said, "up above those trees across the spillway." "Did not see it today though," he continued.
A Violet Cuckoo above the balete tree and a Grey-faced Buzzard above the trees across the spillway - and yet none showed up today. Not that they were lifers to be for us (although we have not seen a male Violet Cuckoo yet) but still the disappointment of lucking out on both species was quite hard to bear.
As I was reviewing our CF cards at home I was shocked to discover that we only took a total of 38 shots - 18 for Cynthia and 20 for me. Thirty eight shots in a span of four hours! This could be our worst birding day! Ever!


text:
Last week, I set out for the historic city of Boston to attend the second scientific meeting of the International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Alliance (PMSA). Established in 2012 by six founding members –the MS Society of Canada among them – the PMSA connects resources and experts from around the world to better understand and accelerate the development of treatments for progressive MS.
Attendees of the second PMSA Scientific Meeting, including researchers, representatives of member MS Societies and the MS International Federation, and people living with MS
Progressive MS is a subtype of the disease that is set apart from relapsing-remitting MS by a gradual accumulation of clinical disability and neurological damage. Unlike relapsing-remitting MS, for which there are 10 approved disease-modifying therapies available, there are currently no approved therapeutic options that slow the progression of disability in those living with progressive MS. The lack of clear understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms and pattern of the disease make it extraordinarily elusive to treat, and is a frustrating reality for people living with MS who constantly face the uncertainty about whether their symptoms and disability will worsen over time.
Fortunately, there is hope on the horizon. The scientific meeting gathered 80 or so of the top minds in progressive MS research from across the globe – including basic scientists, clinicians, and industry partners – under one roof to find solutions based on what we know and in spite of what we don’t know about progressive MS. The goal of the meeting was to clarify and challenge the existing evidence supporting different disease mechanisms that underlie progressive MS. We also heard from a handful of researchers that hail from other biomedical fields, including cancer and Fragile X syndrome, to hear about lessons and strategies learned from other diseases that can be applied to progressive MS research.
Over the course of almost two days, an enormous amount of exciting research was presented that gave me great confidence that we’re making significant strides to develop solutions to end progressive MS. We heard about a host of molecular mechanisms that represent potential targets for new therapeutic strategies that could halt the progression and reverse the disability of this form of the disease. Also showcased were promising bench-top models for progressive MS, including a way to recreate the disease in animals so that we can better the disease mechanisms and screen new drug candidates. Finally, we heard updates from the pharmaceutical industry about drugs and interventional strategies that are under development and in clinical trials. The overall message of the meeting was that although there is still much to be learned, we’re beginning to see some real progress in understanding progressive MS and accelerating the development of new treatments thanks to this critical collaboration across disciplines and international borders.
We’ll be featuring more research updates from some of the great work presented at this meeting as it becomes available. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you – please leave your comments below!


Authorities in the UAE are looking at the best ways to implement an electronic tagging system for convicts.
The topic came up for discussion during a meeting of the Ministerial Development Council in Abu Dhabi, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Under the policy approved by the cabinet last year, electronic tags could be used on those facing trial, on bail or under house arrest.
It can pin the exact location of the person and offers an alternative to jail for those who commit minor offences.
The move is aimed at integrating prisoners back into society, while allowing authorities to track them effectively.


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text: We stopped for a late lunch here and was pleasantly surprised. It was not too busy the time we visited and had quick service. We ordered lamb chops and a traditional lamb gyro. Super all around. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was very nice and the service was excellent.


text:
Two types of genetic carrier, the IncP genomic island and the novel IncP-1? plasmid, for the aac(2')-IIa gene that confers kasugamycin resistance in Acidovorax avenae ssp. avenae.
ABSTRACT: A unique aminoglycoside antibiotic, kasugamycin (KSM), has been used to control many plant bacterial and fungal diseases in several countries. The emergence of KSM-resistant Acidovorax avenae ssp. avenae and Burkholderia glumae, which cause rice bacterial brown stripe and rice bacterial grain and seedling rot, respectively, is a serious threat for the effective control of these diseases. Previously, we have identified the aac(2')-IIa gene, encoding a KSM 2'-N-acetyltransferase, from both KSM-resistant pathogens. Although all KSM-resistant isolates from both species possess the aac(2')-IIa gene, only A.?avenae strain 83 showed higher resistance than other strains. In this research, kinetic analysis indicates that an amino acid substitution from serine to threonine at position 146 of AAC(2')-IIa in strain 83 is not involved in this increased resistance. Whole draft genome analysis of A.?avenae 83 shows that the aac(2')-IIa gene is carried by the novel IncP-1? plasmid pAAA83, whereas the genetic carrier of other strains, the IncP genomic island, is inserted into their chromosomes. The difference in the nucleotides of the promoter region of aac(2')-IIa between strain 83 and other strains indicates an additional transcription start site and results in the increased transcription of aac(2')-IIa in strain 83. Moreover, biological characterization of pAAA83 demonstrates that it can be transferred by conjugation and maintained in the host cells. These results demonstrate that acquisition of the aac(2')-IIa gene takes place in at least two ways and that the gene module, which includes aac(2')-IIa and the downstream gene, may be an important unit for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance.
Project description:Kasugamycin (KSM), a unique aminoglycoside antibiotic, has been used in agriculture for many years to control not only rice blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea but also rice bacterial grain and seedling rot or rice bacterial brown stripe caused by Burkholderia glumae or Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae, respectively. Since both bacterial pathogens are seed-borne and cause serious injury to rice seedlings, the emergence of KSM-resistant B. glumae and A. avenae isolates highlights the urgent need to understand the mechanism of resistance to KSM. Here, we identified a novel gene, aac(2')-IIa, encoding a KSM 2'-N-acetyltransferase from both KSM-resistant pathogens but not from KSM-sensitive bacteria. AAC(2')-IIa inactivates KSM, although it reveals no cross-resistance to other aminoglycosides. The aac(2')-IIa gene from B. glumae strain 5091 was identified within the IncP genomic island inserted into the bacterial chromosome, indicating the acquisition of this gene by horizontal gene transfer. Although excision activity of the IncP island and conjugational gene transfer was not detected under the conditions tested, circular intermediates containing the aac(2')-IIa gene were detected. These results indicate that the aac(2')-IIa gene had been integrated into the IncP island of a donor bacterial species. Molecular detection of the aac(2')-IIa gene could distinguish whether isolates are resistant or susceptible to KSM. This may contribute to the production of uninfected rice seeds and lead to the effective control of these pathogens by KSM.
Project description:Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae is a phytobacterium which is the causative agent of several plant diseases with economic significance. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of strain RS-1, which was isolated from rice shoots in a rice field in China. This strain can cause bacterial stripe of rice.
Project description:Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae is the causal agent of bacterial brown stripe disease in rice. In this study, we characterized a novel horizontal transfer of a gene cluster, including tetR, on the chromosome of A. avenae subsp. avenae RS-1 by genome-wide analysis. TetR acted as a repressor in this gene cluster and the oxidative stress resistance was enhanced in tetR-deletion mutant strain. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that TetR regulator bound directly to the promoter of this gene cluster. Consistently, the results of quantitative real-time PCR also showed alterations in expression of associated genes. Moreover, the proteins affected by TetR under oxidative stress were revealed by comparing proteomic profiles of wild-type and mutant strains via 1D SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS analyses. Taken together, our results demonstrated that tetR gene in this novel gene cluster contributed to cell survival under oxidative stress, and TetR protein played an important regulatory role in growth kinetics, biofilm-forming capability, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, and oxide detoxicating ability.
Project description:IncP-1, IncP-7 and IncP-9 plasmids often carry genes encoding enzymes involved in the degradation of man-made and natural contaminants, thus contributing to bacterial survival in polluted environments. However, the lack of suitable molecular tools often limits the detection of these plasmids in the environment. In this study, PCR followed by Southern blot hybridization detected the presence of plasmid-specific sequences in total community (TC-) DNA or fosmid DNA from samples originating from different environments and geographic regions. A novel primer system targeting IncP-9 plasmids was developed and applied along with established primers for IncP-1 and IncP-7. Screening TC-DNA from biopurification systems (BPS) which are used on farms for the purification of pesticide-contaminated water revealed high abundances of IncP-1 plasmids belonging to different subgroups as well as IncP-7 and IncP-9. The novel IncP-9 primer-system targeting the rep gene of nine IncP-9 subgroups allowed the detection of a high diversity of IncP-9 plasmid specific sequences in environments with different sources of pollution. Thus polluted sites are "hot spots" of plasmids potentially carrying catabolic genes.
Project description:This study investigated the transcriptomic response of rice pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) strain RS-1 to ß-lactam antibiotics in particular Ampicillin (Amp) and the result highlights the importance of Amp-induced differentially expressed genes in the virulence of Aaa strain RS-1. Overall design: 1 sample (Aaa strain under Amp (+) condition) with 2 biogical replicates; our previous RNA-Seq squencing result of Aaa strain under Amp (-) condition [GSM1220690 and GSM1220691 in GSE50522] was used as the control.
Project description:Outer membrane (OM) proteins play a significant role in bacterial pathogenesis. In this work, we examined and compared the expression of the OM proteins of the rice pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1, a Gram-negative bacterium, both in an in vitro culture medium and in vivo rice plants. Global proteomic profiling of A. avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1 comparing in vivo and in vitro conditions revealed the differential expression of proteins affecting the survival and pathogenicity of the rice pathogen in host plants. The shotgun proteomics analysis of OM proteins resulted in the identification of 97 proteins in vitro and 62 proteins in vivo by mass spectrometry. Among these OM proteins, there is a high number of porins, TonB-dependent receptors, lipoproteins of the NodT family, ABC transporters, flagellins, and proteins of unknown function expressed under both conditions. However, the major proteins such as phospholipase and OmpA domain containing proteins were expressed in vitro, while the proteins such as the surface anchored protein F, ATP-dependent Clp protease, OmpA and MotB domain containing proteins were expressed in vivo. This may indicate that these in vivo OM proteins have roles in the pathogenicity of A. avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1. In addition, the LC-MS/MS identification of OmpA and MotB validated the in silico prediction of the existance of Type VI secretion system core components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the in vitro and in vivo protein profiles, in combination with LC-MS/MS mass spectra, in silico OM proteome and in silico genome wide analysis, of pathogenicity or plant host required proteins of a plant pathogenic bacterium.
Project description:A Klebsiella pneumoniae strain of sequence type 313 (ST313) recovered from hospital sewage was found carrying the plasmid-borne colistin resistance gene mcr-1, which was bracketed by two copies of the insertion sequence ISApl1 on a 57-kb self-transmissible IncP-type plasmid of a new IncP-1 clade. The carriage of mcr-1 on a self-transmissible broad-host-range plasmid highlights that mcr-1 has the potential to spread beyond the Enterobacteriaceae family.
Project description:The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a class of macromolecular machine that is required for the virulence of gram-negative bacteria. However, it is still not clear what the role of T6SS in the virulence of rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) is. The aim of the current study was to investigate the contribution of T6SS in Aaa strain RS2 virulence using insertional deletion mutation and complementation approaches. This strain produced weak virulence but contains a complete T6SS gene cluster based on a genome-wide analysis. Here we compared the virulence-related phenotypes between the wild-type (RS-2) and 25 T6SS mutants, which were constructed using homologous recombination methods. The mutation of 15 T6SS genes significantly reduced bacterial virulence and the secretion of Hcp protein. Additionally, the complemented 7 mutations ?pppA, ?clpB, ?hcp, ?dotU, ?icmF, ?impJ, and ?impM caused similar virulence characteristics as RS-2. Moreover, the mutant ?pppA, ?clpB, ?icmF, ?impJ and ?impM genes caused by a 38.3~56.4% reduction in biofilm formation while the mutants ?pppA, ?clpB, ?icmF and ?hcp resulted in a 37.5~44.6% reduction in motility. All together, these results demonstrate that T6SS play vital roles in the virulence of strain RS-2, which may be partially attributed to the reductions in Hcp secretion, biofilm formation and motility. However, differences in virulence between strain RS-1 and RS-2 suggest that other factors may also be involved in the virulence of Aaa.
Project description:To study the role of broad-host-range IncP-1 plasmids in bacterial adaptability to irregular environmental challenges, a quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed that specifically detects the korB gene, which is conserved in all IncP-1 plasmids, in environmental samples. IncP-1 plasmid dynamics in a biopurification system for pesticide wastes were analyzed.
Project description:Recent research has shown that pathogen virulence can be altered by exposure to antibiotics, even when the growth rate is unaffected. Investigating this phenomenon provides new insights into understanding the virulence mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. This study investigates the phenotypic and transcriptomic responses of the rice pathogenic bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) strain RS-1 to ß-lactam antibiotics especially Ampicillin (Amp). Our results indicate that exposure to Amp does not influence bacterial growth and biofilm formation, but alters the virulence, colonization capacity, composition of extracellular polymeric substances and secretion of Type VI secretion system (T6SS) effector Hcp. This attenuation in virulence is linked to unique or differential expression of known virulence-associated genes based on genome-wide transcriptomic analysis. The reliability of expression data generated by RNA-Seq was verified with quantitative real-time PCR of 21 selected T6SS genes, where significant down-regulation in expression of hcp gene, corresponding to the reduction in secretion of Hcp, was observed under exposure to Amp. Hcp is highlighted as a potential target for Amp, with similar changes observed in virulence-associated phenotypes between exposure to Amp and mutation of hcp gene. In addition, Hcp secretion is reduced in knockout mutants of 4 differentially expressed T6SS genes.

domain: agronomy


text:
Maria Archimandriti was born in 1981. She has a degree in Balkan Studies and a specialization in marketing. Her poems have been published in various newspapers and literary journals. She has participated in European poetry festivals. Her first poetry collection titled Η μοναξιά της καμπύλης [The loneliness of the curve] (Κέδρος, 2015) was shortlisted for the Award for Newcomer Poet of the Hellenic Authors’ Society (Yannis Varveris Award), as well as for the State Award for Newcomer Author. Puente, her second poetry collection, is published by Polis (2020).
Maria Archimandriti spoke to Reading Greece* about her latest poetry collection Puente, which “constitutes, above all, an attempt to depict, in a poetic way, our journey toward the other human being”, commenting that “the primary bridge that is poetically depicted in the book refers to the transcendence of self as a prerequisite for the meeting with the Other”. She explained that “initiation to Puente’s world presupposes a kind of familiarity through which an internal submersion is made possible”, and concluded that “the poems of the book reflect the experiences of modern individuals and bring to the fore the various different aspects of reality”.
Your last poetry collection Puente was recently published by Polis. Tell us a few things about the book.
Puente is my second poetry collection following The loneliness of the curve. It was written within a period of more or less four years. Puente constitutes, above all, an attempt on my part to depict, in a poetic way, our journey towards the Other, the other human being, a meeting which presupposes a reconsideration of existing ways of co-existence and thus the development of new modes of thought and behavior.
In Spanish, puente means bridge. Which are the various connotations that this ‘bridge’ acquires in the book? What role does your poetic language play in this respect?
The book is titled Puente for two primary reasons. The former has to do with its theme, that is the need of modern individuals to build bridges with their respective ghosts. This need leads to a transcendence of the self, through a journey of internal quest during which memories are brought to the surface, desires and narrations from the unconscious are unearthed, while their mortal nature and deficiencies are put into question. The primary bridge that is poetically depicted in the book refers to the transcendence of self as a prerequisite for the meeting with the Other.
The latter has to do with morphology: the poems of the collections are stones supporting the pillars, the book’s distinct units, which, through four prose-like poems, connect with each other in order to form the bridge’s arc. The book has been written by having the form of a bridge.
The notion of time seems to be a recurrent point of reference in your poetry. How is this time defined in your writings?
I reckon that, at this point, we should distinguish between the linear time of our daily routine and the extended time of our spiritual life. The latter is much closer to the notion of time in my poetry. Non-linear, irregular and unruly, the poem’s time aspires to comment on the immobile time of immortality. Within this framework, my aspiration was to free the poem of time, so that resting out of time, the poem’s meaning is received in its integrity by the reader.
In her review of the book, Barbara Roussou uses a cinematic terminology in order to pinpoint a visual illustration of the poems. How would you comment on the intricate relation of image-reality-language?
It was a conscious decision on my part to lay emphasis on images as the main poetic means of the book, given that my aim was to build a world for the reader. Initiation to Puente’s world presupposes a kind of familiarity through which an internal submersion is made possible. I wanted to provide the reader with familiar stimuli, images that would awaken his/her memory. My intention was for my poetry to appeal to the reader’s own experiences. At least that was my intention.
In your own words, “the poems of the collection refer to modern reality and its relation to both its virtual and metaphysical dimension”. How does poetry converse with the world it inhabits? Could poetry be used to imagine what could be radically different realities?
There is the quantum nature of poetry, to which poetic time, which is by definition timeless, plays a pivotal part. Poetry, in its timelessness, constitutes the dreamy illustration of the real and contains our infinite reflections. The readings of our own self within the poetic space are definitely finite.
The poems of the book reflect the experiences of modern individuals and bring to the fore the various different aspects of reality. The harsh reality, the virtual reality, the promising, metaphysical reality, all comprise a world of the continuous re-definition of the self.
If I had to further explain these words, I would say that every attempt to transcend our self and to appease our memory, every effort that brings us closer to forgiveness, rewards us with a new prospect of our self, and of the world that surrounds us.
*Interview by Athina Rossoglou

domain: literature


text:
Well, this has been a head-turning experience for all of us. Things are changing by the hour. We’ve never been in a situation where we are ordered to stay home and keep a safe distance from others while having our resources restricted.
How do we deal with all this rapid change?
There is a lot of uneasiness out there. This is understandable. We feel uncertain about the future and out of control with our options because we don’t know what is happening next.
One thing we do have some control over is the spread of our negative emotions such as fear and anxiety. Emotions are contagious, too. Being around others who are scared and troubled can ramp up our own feelings of worry and distress.
Reflect and Engage
This can be the perfect time to reflect on our lives, what is important to us and who we will be through this process.
You have heard a lot about the spread of COVID-19 and what physical steps to take about reducing it – handwashing, social distancing, wearing masks and others.
Now, here are some suggestions to help decrease the negative emotions:
1. Focus on the good things in your life. Express gratitude for what you have. This is a great opportunity to take stock of the good things in your life – family, pets, job, friendships, beautiful flowers, singing birds. It also brings you into the present moment and out of anxiety about the future.
2. Do something to help others. Even with social distancing, this can be accomplished by donating food and paper goods to shelters, assisting neighbors who may not be able to get out, volunteering at hospitals or supporting first responders and all the people out there right now who are providing the services we need.
3. Go for a walk. Be outside and get some fresh air. I see people in my neighborhood walking their dogs and taking kids for a walk or stroll. They are smiling.
4. Stay informed AND limit your contact with, and participation in, negative voices on social media, TV news and those around you. Don’t let others’ fears and concerns escalate your own.
5. Send positive thoughts to yourself, family, friends and out on social media. Watch uplifting movies, shows, podcasts – whatever feels good to you.
6. Consider meditation and mindful breathing. There are many resources online if you have never done these practices before. These won’t eliminate your fears, but they may help you reduce your anxiety and feel calmer.
You may come to appreciate the time you are out of the busyness of the world. Give yourself an opportunity to see what you are capable of during this crazy time. There may be more good things in your life than you’ve been giving yourself credit for.
If you want to talk about what’s going on in your current situation, professionally trained WHEN Advisors are available to schedule individual coaching sessions that can help you get through these uncertain times. Call 855-943-WHEN (9436).
Stay well, and check back often!
Randy Miller, Founder &
Chief WHEN Officer
Dr. Elaine Stewart, ND,
Chief Health Officer

domain: psychology


text:
Aaron Buerge from Season 2 of ABC’s The Bachelor has filed for bankruptcy.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Buerge has filed for Chapter 7 level bankruptcy. He reportedly has $9.3 million in liabilities, with only $2.3 million in assets.
Buerge was briefly engaged to bachelorette Helene Eksterowicz. They had ended their engagement only weeks after the show stopped taping. The Associated Press reported that the couple had broken up in a New Jersey Starbucks.
The papers filed in Kansas City indicate that Buerge, who was president of First National Bank, and his wife Angie, a recruiter at Ozarks Tech Community College, made $17,216 a month. The former Bachelor also owns a grand piano bought for $15,000, a diamond wedding ring, and a gold pocket.
Looks like being on The Bachelor doesn’t set you up for life!

domain: celebrity


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DJ Riz Entertainment is a Dallas-based wedding DJ team that specializes in Indian, South Asian, and Multicultural weddings. If you love music and want your wedding to be a celebration that everyone remembers for years, hire DJ Riz Entertainment. Our team has won multiple awards and have been recognized for being one of the best DJs in the country. Your guests will love us because we will keep them on the dance floor! Most of our couples want to hear Bollywood, American Top 40, and Hip Hop at their weddings.


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Situation in Dima Hasao district of Assam has turned volatile with various organizations on Sunday threatened to launch agitation if the government transfers an inch of district land to the proposed Nagalim.
Hundreds of protestors with national flags in their hands under the banners of various organizations staged the protests in Haflong. Since morning the protestors gathered at the at Shambhudhon point braving cold weather.
The agitators opposed even the formation of satellite council including the territory of the district in the proposed Naga Framework Agreement. If the government does so on December 25, Dima Hasao will burn the next day, the agitators threatened. They also said they would stop respecting the tri-colours if the government fails to understand their sentiment.
A number of Dimasa bodies – including Jadike Naiso Hosom (JNH), Dimasa Students Union, Dimasa Mothers Association on Sunday expressed their resentment on the issue of transfer of part of Dima Hasao territory in the proposed Nagalim.
It may be mentioned the hill district has witnessed series of agitation programme against proposed Naga Framework Agreement. On December 12, hundreds of agitators from different parts of the district gathered at the New Haflong railway station and also at Maibang railway station at 8 AM to voice their protest against proposed Naga Framework Agreement. They shouted slogans against any move to include the territory of the district in the Greater Nagalim.
In fact, simmering tension prevails in the district over the Greater Nagalim issue. Even movement of NSCN-IM cadre was noticed in bordering areas like Bongkhar, Sonapur, Prasademik, Khepre in Maibang sub-division of the district.

domain: sociology


DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division are the Competent Monitoring Authority responsible for annual sediment sampling at 7 sites in waters around Northern Ireland. The sites are part of the Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP); a UK wide monitoring programme coordinated by the Clean, Safe Seas Evidence Group (CSSEG). The data generated is used to assess the status and trend of contaminants concentrations in sediment, and contributes to the UK's requirements under the Oslo and Paris Convention (OSPAR). Northern Ireland data has also been used in national assessments, such as Charting Progress 2, and to support the UK's 2018 assessments for Descriptor 8 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Monitoring sites are assigned to regions for reporting and assessment. Belfast Lough Inner, Belfast Lough Outer, Larne Lough, Strangford Lough and Carlingford Lough are in the Irish Sea. Lough Foyle and the Bann Estuary are in the Minches and Malin Sea (Irish and Scottish West Coast). The Irish Sea and Irish and Scottish West Coast are reported under OSPAR Region III. The sediment data used in the 2018 CSEMP assessment using data from MERMAN may be cited with the citation provided by Marine Scotland https://doi.org/10.7489/12227-1.


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that moment when I explain how a PRNG works and my 9yo shouts “aha! that’s how minecraft terrain generation works” #parenting #win
OH: "bacon is our whey" #fitness
during my #QConRio talk I’ve mentioned some books, here’s the list: blog.qmx.me/qconrio-2014-j…
I'm very excited to announce I'm joining @digitalocean in may! Looking forward to work on a product I'm a happy customer since forever :)
OH: "Arch Linux is the CrossFit of Linux"

domain: hobby


|Written by Jeff Wood|
|Friday, 29 June 2012 00:00|
At a regular meeting June 19, the Cottonwood City Council approved three last-minute measures before the city takes over the Cottonwood Area Transit and Verde Lynx bus systems from the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority on Sunday, July 1.
The council approved the purchase of transit management software and services, the hiring of a second transportation supervisor to work under the transportation manager, and an intergovernmental agreement between the city and ADOT for interim grant funds.
City of Cottonwood Admini-strative Services General Manager Rudy Rodriguez said the requests came so close to the date of the takeover in part because of delays in hiring a transportation manager.
For the full story, see the Wednesday, June 27, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
Recent Articles by Jeff Wood :
- Cottonwood city manager wins Zimmerman award
- Technology hits school
- Local National Night Out is state’s biggest
- Dozens arrested in Operation Rx
- Clarkdale hires Randy Taylor as police chief
- Cottonwood City Council looks to save taxi voucher
- Republican congressional candidates visit Verde Valley
- Grant loss may close food bank
- Man fires pistol during robbery
- City strives to fairly apply codes to all


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Court grants police transit remand of artist in theft case in UP
Muzaffarnagar: A local court has granted transit remand to Mumbai Police of a cinema artist wanted in connection with a theft case.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Narender Kumar yesterday granted Mumbai Police the transit remand of Bhawna Vishkarmi, after the expiry of police custody remand.
The accused, a Muzaffarnagar-based girl was arrested by Mumbai Police earlier this week for allegedly stealing the ornaments of her landlord, D Mahanto, Sub-Inspector Mumbai police said.
Mumbai Police had brought the girl on a three day police remand here for recovering the stolen ornaments. But the remand expired yesterday and no recovery was made, he added.
Download the all new Zee News app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with latest headlines and news stories in Politics, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, Business and much more from India and around the world.
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he registration in the Property Registry, the appraisal of the property, the agency, the Tax on Documented Legal Acts … A mortgage brings with it a series of expenses that must be assumed by the owner of the same or by the bank that grants it.
In this article we tell you what they are and the jurisprudence that the Supreme Court has established in several judgments related to the payments that borrowers were obliged to make before the new mortgage law came into force in June 2019.
Who paid what before June 2019
Before the entry into force of the mortgage law of 2019, most of the expenses associated with a mortgage were assumed by the owner of the same. For two years the Supreme Court, through several judgments, has given the client the possibility to recover 100% of some of these payments if the clause by which the payment is considered abusive. For this, the judge must consider it null and void and also the limitation period cannot have expired (on this matter there are different opinions of what it should be).
In any case, if you have formalized your mortgage before June 2019 you have the right to claim from the bank with which you signed it the expenses you assumed at the time.
And right now, what expenses does the incumbent have?
The public deed of a mortgage involves a series of expenses:
Appraisal. If the appraised value of a home is not known, you can not take out a mortgage loan. Its price varies between 150 euros and 400.
Copies of the public deed. The notary sends a free simple copy of the deed, the rest must be paid by the credit holder. Its cost depends on the number of pages but is usually around 50 euros.
The holder of the mortgage will also have to pay the opening fee of the same if it is contemplated in the conditions offered by the bank. This commission is paid only once and includes all the expenses that the entity can claim for the study, processing and granting of the loan.
And the bank?
The expenses of the notary. They range between 0.3% and 0.5% of the mortgage
liability Gestoría. Among the procedures that must be paid are the registration of the property in the Property Registry and the payment of the corresponding taxes. There is no set fee but the fees of the managers range from 150 euros to 500.
Tax on Documented Legal Acts. Since the entry into force of RD-Law 17/2018, on November 10, 2018, this expense must be assumed by the bank. Its cost ranges between 0.5% and 1.5% of mortgage liability, depending on the Autonomous Community.
It is important to remember that there are financial institutions that offer to pay for all the procedures, including the appraisal of the house.

domain: finance


By Intrepid Solutions
Comments are Off
award, intel, intelligence, Navy, subcontract
Intrepid was awarded a subcontract to support the Office of Naval Intelligence – Intelligence Analysis and Data Support contract.
GovCon Leader Dennis Kelly Appointed Executive Chairman of Intrepid Solutions
December 11, 2020
Intrepid Receives ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 Certifications
October 21, 2020


Some in power might want to point at the August unemployment numbers as a sign that a stronger economy is just around the corner. But it is clear this country is still facing a serious jobs problem that is disproportionately hitting those who need help the most.
Six months into this coronavirus-induced recession, the U.S. is still 11.5 million jobs below where it stood earlier this year. The brunt of that is being felt by women, Black and Latino workers. And with the recovery seen as slowing (the 1.4 million gain in jobs last month was down from July, which was down from June), the pain is going to continue.
As it stands, some 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits. Of course, those benefits are much less generous since a $600 weekly bonus paid for by the federal government came to an end in July. And with no congressional agreement expected on enhanced benefits anytime soon, low-income workers and their families will continue to suffer.
“With this kind of slowing in job growth, it will take years to return to the pre-pandemic labor market,” wrote Elise Gould, an Economic Policy Institute (EPI) senior economist, on the group’s website. “And without the $600 boost to unemployment insurance, jobs will return even more slowly than had policymakers stepped up and continued that vital support to workers and the economy.”
One area where real gains could come from government intervention is in the public sector, where employment is still 831,000 below its pre-pandemic level in February. The Teamsters and others have called on federal policymakers to step up and provide more fiscal relief to state and local governments. That way, they can continue to provide necessary services and prevent unnecessary cuts to their budgets as their revenue falls in the face of the historically large shutdown in economic activity.
In fact, EPI recommends lawmakers push to increase public-sector employment through the hiring of additional public health workers and contact tracers. The group also asserts that current challenges to schools require more, not less, education staff in coming months as a way to jump start the economy.
In short, work needs to be done to help those at the bottom of the pay scale who were doing all they could to support themselves and their loved ones before COVID-19 hit. And the GOP Senate legislative alternative currently being floated is not the way to do it.
Hardworking Americans deserve to have a government that works for them. But right now, that’s not the case.


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Camco Aero-flo RV Roof Vent Cover / Black Top with Black Base is designed to allow fresh air ventilation and light into your RV, rain or shine. A swing open design makes cleaning easier. Can be installed easily by mounting to the existing 14″ x 14″ roof vent. Vent cover made of rugged UV stabilized resin. Hardware included


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DIPOLARIn situ 18 May 2019 - 20 July 2019
DIPOLAR winds up the cycle on affinity between artists and works, proposed by Sophie Vigourous in which a sensitive dialogue is established between the works, in order to try to learn from them, and reflect about the notion of intellectual friendships, collaboration, homage, duets and dualities.
After Affinité(s) and Mais pas du tout, c’est platement figuratif! Toi, tu es spirituelle mon amour! (co-curated by Anaël Pigeat and Sophie Vigourous), DIPOLAR is proposing an exhibition of two studio artists who have decided to establish a conversation between their works within the gallery space. Started more than a year ago, their project has been developed around formal and discursive relations between the silkscreened paintings of Eva Nielsen and Jennifer Caubet’s sculptural installations. The interplay of scale, incidentally, is a common feature in the works of both these artists, who produce territories shying away from the existing world, in which the proportions are confused and blurred. The confrontation and merger of forms betray reality and tend towards abstraction. Similarly, the artists’ work transforms our perception of trivial elements, and lends them another magnitude.
Vernissage : 18/05/2019 4:00 pmExhibition's artists > Exhibition's artworks


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AltMed Florida will open the first medical marijuana dispensary in Sebastian on Saturday, January 25, 2020.
The cannabis dispensary will be located at 1701 U.S. Highway 1 in the small strip mall between Tire Kingdom and Dollar Tree.
“We are proud that Florida patients are choosing our dispensaries thanks to our modern open-concept retail experience, professional service and our unmatched product quality,” AltMed Director of Corporate Affairs Todd Beckwith told Sebastian Daily.
“As a Florida owned company, we take our obligation to serve patients across the state very seriously, as exemplified by becoming the first to open three dispensaries in 24 hours,” Beckwith added.
Pure Hemp Farms says cannabis patients will receive 25 percent off their entire first purchase, and the first 100 patients will receive a MÜV SWAG bag with their purchase.
Following the grand opening, patients will also be able to order online at the AltMed Florida website for express pick up or delivery.
“Our dispensaries set the standard for quality products, service and overall patient experience at our current locations and we’re excited to offer our premium MÜV medical cannabis brand to even more patients as we expand our presence across Florida,” AltMed Florida CEO John Tipton told Sebastian Daily.
AltMed Florida is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida.

domain: medical


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6 Best Organic Weed Killers for Well-Manicured Lawns and Gardens
Say goodbye to weeds—for good!
Knowing how to kill weeds is an indispensable gardening skill, but at times, it can feel impossible to master. Without the right tools and maintenance, those pesky plants will pop up faster than you can spot, grab, and toss ‘em. Whether it’s your lawn, garden, or backyard that's in peril, there's usually no shortage of crabgrass, dandelions, pigweed, and other weeds draining the soil of nutrients and harming the plants you actually want to thrive. And no, those adorable gardening gloves you just bought will not help matters much.
That’s why many gardeners turn toward traditional herbicides and chemical weed killers. Hey, they get the job done! But those products also have the potential to harm wildlife and contaminate your fruits and veggies, which is seriously unfortunate. If you're wondering where to turn next, you might want to try adding one of these organic weed killers to your toolbox. The best products make fighting weeds a whole lot easier without posing a risk to pets, the environment, and safe food production. You'd only invest in organic flower fertilizers, so why should your weed killers be any different?
Read on to learn which organic weed killers we believe will keep your garden and yard weed-free, then grab your gardening shoes and get to work. You've got this!
20 Best Annual Flowers for Your Garden
How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes This Summer
25 Beautiful Blue Flowers to Plant in Your Garden
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2021 Lucid Air
- $169,000 (estimated)
- Spring 2021
What to expect
- First vehicle launched by startup automaker Lucid
- More than 1,000 horsepower from dual electric motors
- Claimed 500-plus miles of range on a single charge
- Kicks off the first Air generation launched for 2021
What is the Air?
The 2021 Lucid Air is the debut vehicle from American EV startup Lucid Motors. Taking a page out of Tesla's playbook, Lucid is launching its brand with a high-end luxury sedan boasting eye-popping performance and range numbers. The Air is also equipped with interesting new tech, such as two-way charging that allows you to use the car as a battery for your house. The Lucid Air serves as a hotbed of new ideas, and we can't wait to try them for ourselves. We expect the Air to be released in the spring of 2021.
What's under the Air's hood?
As with many electric vehicles, the 2021 Lucid Air's powertrain is housed below the passenger compartment. The battery packs — which provide up to 113 kWh of capacity — are arranged side by side and span the length between the front and rear wheels. The initial launch version of the Lucid Air, dubbed the Dream Edition, will come in a dual-motor configuration that allows for all-wheel drive. Each motor can produce a staggering 650 horsepower, with the dual-motor version capping output at a combined 1,080 hp. Lucid plans to offer single- and tri-motor configurations (with two motors in the rear) in the future.
Lucid says the Air in the Dream Edition configuration will hit 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and pass the quarter-mile in a hair under 10 seconds. If these performance numbers are accurate, the Air would be one of the quickest production cars in the world.
What's the Air's range like?
Lucid sent shockwaves through the EV world when it announced the Air's range will be 517 miles on a single charge. Though not verified by the EPA, the range test was conducted using EPA standards, so the final figure is likely to be similar. The Air's battery pack offers 13 kWh more capacity than the top-spec Model S, while claimed efficiencies in the powertrain's construction account for the remainder of the gains versus the Tesla's max range of 402 miles.
All EVs with a high-capacity battery pack can tap into the growing network of DC fast-charging stations, and the Air is no different. Because most electric vehicles with DC ports use a 400-volt architecture, they can't take full advantage of the newest generation of chargers. By contrast, the Air uses a 900-volt system, making it one of just a few vehicles that can tap into nearly the full 350-kW charging rate promised by the newest Electrify America stations.
This capability allows the Air to recharge at up to 20 miles per minute using these stations, depending on certain factors such as the car's state of charge. That's great for road trips. For home use, the Air's 19.2-kW onboard AC charger ensures charging at home won't take too long either. Level 2 charging, Lucid says, can add up to 80 miles of range per hour.
The Lucid at-home charging station is unique in that it can also draw power from the Air and pump it back to your house. This essentially turns the car into a battery, so if there's a blackout at your house, you can tap into your car's stored electricity. Lucid also envisions lower bills for owners. The idea is that you charge your car at night when electricity is cheap, then use it to run your house in the afternoon when rates are higher. It's an intriguing concept, and one that further separates the Air from other EVs on sale.
How's the Air's interior?
Like many new EVs and luxury vehicles, the Lucid Air has a screen-heavy interior that features few physical controls. A volume knob and basic climate controls are sandwiched between two touchscreens — the upper is the primary infotainment screen and is part of the instrument panel cluster, while the lower offers more in-depth control of the climate system. You can also swipe information from the upper screen to the lower if you want more real estate to navigate through the menus.
Lucid is positioning the Air as a midsize car with the interior space of a full-size. From our time with the vehicle, it feels more like the Model S, which strikes a balance between those two classes in terms of room. The back seat isn't as spacious as what you'll find on a Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7 Series, and the sloping roofline cuts into headroom somewhat. The rear seats also feel a little close to the floor — a result of four battery packs that reside below that section of the floor. These four packs will be removed with future models with less range (and lower price tags), creating a recessed floor with more vertical room.
The Dream Edition will launch in a five-seat configuration, though later models will be available in a four-seat layout with a control panel in the rear. This is how you'll configure your Air if you want lounging rear seats with power adjustment.
How's the Air's tech?
The Air will come standard with a full suite of advanced driving aids that Lucid calls DreamDrive. It includes such features as adaptive cruise control, lane centering and automatic parking. These are all par for the course for luxury vehicles currently, but Lucid is also equipping the Air with future-proofing hardware including high-resolution lidar. The idea is that once the software is finalized, Lucid will beam over-the-air updates to enhance the car's automated driving capabilities. Lucid is aiming for the Air to achieve Level 3 autonomy during the Air's life cycle. Level 3 means the car can perform automated driving but the driver must be ready, with warning, to take over at all times.
How's the Air's storage?
The concept of space maximization extends to the Air's cargo-carrying capabilities. The front trunk is absolutely massive, with a false floor to separate your gear and keep items from rolling around. The traditional trunk is also quite large, though the car's low ride height means you'll likely have to bend over to place items inside.
Lucid is the newest auto manufacturer on the block, and its introductory sedan is nothing if not impressive. An EV with a Mercedes-like interior and the acceleration of a Bugatti Chiron? Sign us up!


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Main article: Far Harad
Far Harad is the name given to all lands beyond the Great Desert of Near Harad. These lands are mostly uncharted by Númenoréan explorers, and so little is known about them. Far Harad is home to many exotic animals and plants. The Moredain people live here, and other factions of Far Haradrim are planned for the future.
This category is for everything found in Far Harad.
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Pages in category "Far Harad"
The following 96 pages are in this category, out of 96 total.


- Ridge Michiels
The symphony from their kot
In times of corona, the musicians of the student symphony orchestra are still keeping up with each other. Although rehearsals have been cancelled, which is unfortunate, we have still found an alternative. Social distancing? Check. Playing music together? Of course!
We are already looking forward to the summer because we are hard at work behind the scenes, developing our very first concert programme. A group of enthusiastic digital adventurers of Symphonic City Sounds have now teamed up, thanks to the wonders of technology, to give you a taste of Mozart’s Gran Partita!
This article was written for fromyourkot.be, an online platform that was created in times of corona at the request of the University of Antwerp.
Are you keeping busy and staying creative in quarantine? Let us know!