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Neither the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) nor sleep duration are associated with measures of insulin sensitivity or β-cell responses in adults with either prediabetes or recently diagnosed but untreated type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to study results published in Diabetes Care.
Using data collected during the run-in and baseline phases of the RISE Adult Medication Study, investigators analyzed both insulin sensitivity and β-cell responses to identify which components of the glucose regulatory pathway were associated with OSA and sleep duration.
The final cohort included 221 participants (57.5% men; mean age, 54.5±8.7 years; BMI, 35.1±5.5 kg/m2) who completed the baseline procedures for the RISE study, polysomnography, and 1 week of actigraphy. Of these patients, 73% had prediabetes and 27% had recently diagnosed, treatment-naive T2D.
As measured via wrist actigraphy, OSA duration was 6.6±1 hours a night; 22% had a mean sleep duration of less than 6 hours a night. Mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was 8.5±4.6, with 37.1% of participants having a score indicative of excessive daytime sleepiness.
A large majority (89%) of participants had OSA (mild, 20%; moderate, 28%; severe, 41%); 29% of participants reported having a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine at home, but 16 people within this group had never used it. Among the 49 participants who did use their CPAP, 41 self-reported adherence of ≥4 hours for ≥ 5 nights/wk.
Participants with untreated, severe OSA had a higher waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio compared with participants without OSA or with mild but untreated OSA. The results of unadjusted analyses indicated no differences in hyperglycemic clamp-derived variables across OSA categories.
Participants with moderate or severe untreated OSA also trended toward lower insulin sensitivity, quantified by insulin sensitivity (P =.051). These participants also had higher levels of insulin sensitivity measured by the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (P =.003). No evidence of lower insulin resistance in participants who self-reported CPAP adherence was noted.
The results of multiple regression analyses using continuous variables, higher apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and higher 3% and 4% oxygen desaturation indices were associated with higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). A 40-unit higher AHI was associated with a 0.12% higher absolute value of HbA1c. Higher AHI, 4% oxygen desaturation index, and microarousal index were all associated with increased incremental glucose area under the curve, which remained significant after excluding participants who were adherent to CPAP therapy.
The researchers noted no sex-based differences in the association of OSA and sleep duration with any outcomes.
Study limitations include potential bias resulting from the use of baseline analyses, a lack of directly quantified body fat, and a lack of objective CPAP adherence data. Causality cannot be determined because of the cross-sectional nature of the analysis.
“OSA and short sleep duration are highly prevalent in [adults with obesity] with prediabetes and recently diagnosed untreated [T2D], but… there were no significant associations between OSA severity or short sleep duration with various components of the glucose regulatory pathway,” the researchers concluded. “In [individuals with obesity], treatment of OSA is important, but our results underscore the need for a comprehensive approach that includes additional interventions, particularly exercise and weight loss.”
Disclosure: This clinical trial was supported by Allergan, Inc.; Apollo Endosurgery, Inc.; Abbott Laboratories; Novo Nordisk; and Philips Respironics. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.
Mokhlesi B, Tjaden AH, Temple KA, et al; for the RISE Consortium. Obstructive sleep apnea, glucose tolerance, and β-cell function in adults with prediabetes or untreated type 2 diabetes in the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) Study. Diabetes Care. 2021;44(4):993-1001. doi:10.2337/dc20-2127

domain: health


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Are you able to live a full life without close friends? Are friendships an asset or a liability? In the spirit of the movie Girls Night, I wanted to do a show to discuss the importance of friendships. For some of us, friendship can be more valubale then our family relationships. Especially those friendships we've fostered since childhood. We share secrets, love, laughter, and good and bad experiences. How much importance should we place on fostering new friendships?
Please join me this Sunday, August 6th at 7:00 p.m. and share your best friendship experiences.

domain: sociology


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The ALS Association and its partners submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration to further inform the agency’s implementation of the final guidance on the development of drugs and treatments for ALS. The comments underscore the need for urgency and commend the FDA for including voices from our community in its rule making process. Click here to view the comments.
The ALS Association has been working closely with members of the ALS community and the FDA to create a landmark, patient-led guidance initiative that will help drive ALS drug innovation more quickly from the laboratory to the patient, providing feedback to the agency, hosting a national workshop, and creating a report that informed finalization of the guidance.
In our latest comments, the Association and our partners recognize the Agency’s efforts to address community concerns raised after the draft guidance was published in 2018, as reflected in changes made to the final version of the guidance. We express appreciation to the FDA for recognizing the central role people with ALS must play in the development of treatments.
Our comments also emphasize the need for FDA to exercise its regulatory flexibility to approve drugs as quickly as possible and to work with drug manufacturers to increase flexibility in trial design. We commend the agency for incorporating language in its final guidance document that will encourage more rapid trial enrollment and broad inclusion criteria for trial enrollment. In addition, we agree with the agency that alternative trial designs, including those that incorporate the use of mobile technology, will encourage greater participation in clinical trials.
We stress the need for creativity in minimizing exposure to placebos and are pleased the agency supports trial sponsors increasing access to experimental therapies.
We also point to the willingness of ALS patients to accept significant risks for potential treatment benefits that needs to be taken into consideration as part of the agency’s flexibility. We further express concern with the agency’s decision to remove language that could be used to slow the approval process and encourage vigilance and urgency that the approval process be conducted expeditiously.
FDA guidance documents explain the agency’s interpretation of specific policies. Guidance documents are not laws or regulations but can provide helpful recommendations in the drug development and approval process. With the encouragement of the agency, the community’s contribution is intended to provide much broader and deeper input to the FDA on topics that inform their understanding of ALS and the community consensus on key therapy development topics.
Click here to view the FDA guidance document.

domain: news


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Middletons Steakhouse & Grill - Chelmsford
We went for dinner there at Christmas and it was perfect. This time the lamb wasn’t cooked properly at all had to send it back 3 times. Can’t fault the ribeye steak tho
Great food just waited a little longer than usual for the bill to come.
First visit to Middletons. Food was good quality, service was ok - Very friendly, although quite slow. Very noisy environment though and felt like I had to raise my voice considerably to talk to my girlfriend opposite me!
Nice decor with relaxed, but accommodating service. All the food was great, with steaks cooked to perfection. Set menu provides a really affordable option for those on a budget (a la carte menu a little on the pricey side). All in all a great first experience - we'll no doubt be back!
Good food, attentive waiting staff and a nice atmosphere.
Arrived to Middleton’s with my family and was greeted very kindly from a member of staff. From my online booking they made a point of reassuring me about my nut allergy that everything I ordered would be safe which is fantastic and I don’t get that much anymore. We sat down and had a beautiful meal, would definitely recommend and I’ll be going back soon. Thank you!
First time of going there & will definitely go back. The food was gorgeous & nice size portions
Had a lovely evening at Middletons - food was wonderful and service very good and friendly
Steak is great here. Lovely ambiance and surroundings, nice service.
friendly helpful staff and great food an service.
Restaurant has a decor and relaxing feel about it.
Overall a great experience but despite being very quiet in the restaurant when we arrived, the meal itself felt a little rushed.
We ordered a gin & tonic upon arrival but this came just a minute or two before the food. I would have liked 5-10 minutes to enjoy the gin first.
The waitress called Aneta was extremely friendly and polite.
Food and service were fab I would recommend for a good steak !
Firstly, the service was very slow, especially considering there were only 4 other tables. We placed an order but when the food arrived, one of them was wrong. It then took them another 10 minutes to rectify by which point everyone else was half way through. The roast itself was delicious, as were the gravy and all the accompaniments. We asked for condiments which never arrived. When it came to dessert, this was awful. The chocolate fondant was hot but cold on the inside so no ‘fondant’ and the banoffee pie was a complete disappointment. It tasted like it was stale - that ‘fridge’ taste!
My review would've been 5 stars had it not been for the amount of meat in the Sunday roast. The Yorkshire's were gigantic, the vegetables cooked to perfection, the crackling (I had roast pork) was crunchy and crisp, and it was possibly the best cauliflower cheese that I have ever eaten in my life. The only thing that let the Sunday roast down was the amount of meat in the portion (3 small medallion sized slices). Bar that, it was a lovely lovely meal; we love going there for food!
Delicious roast dinner 😋
Nicely decorated and large space but the service was exceptionally slow as not enough staff. Added to that our starters went missing as taken to the wrong table and then left under the hot lamp for ages whilst they worked out what the mess up was. Don’t think we will be going back on a Saturday evening again.
Food was very good, friendly staff and prompt service, if any thing the food service felt a little rushed, but overall the experience was very good and we will return. Thank you
Great service and lovely atmosphere. The set menu is really great and the value amazing and food just as good. Second visit and definitely be back.
Perfect lunch place. The menu offered many options, particularly for a vegetarian and someone who is gluten intolerant. The food was delicious and the service was very attentive. I would definitely recommend the restaurant to others.
We had over an hours wait for food due to a problem in the kitchen. Our waitress was very apologetic and we were offered frre desserts and coffee. I would certainly go back again in the hopes that normal service has been resumed! We all had the set lunchtime menu which was good value for money so no complaints there.
Good food and service! Very busy so definitely worth booking!
Excellent food, atmosphere and service. Our waitress Mikaela was outstanding tending to all our requests promptly and efficiently. Have visited several times and have nothing negative to report. Probably one of the top three restaurants that Chelmsford has to offer.
We go to this one and the Norwich branch, we absolutely love it and the food is always so good!
Amazing service and really friendly staff the food was so good
Unfortunately, the wait for our food was over 1 hour, however, they did recognise this without us saying anything and they gave us a free drink and desert. So although a little frustrating they didn't have to be told, the addressed it.
We had the 3 course set menu for lunch on Saturday. I had the pate with sourdough bread. It was delicious. My daughter had the spare ribs which she enjoyed. For mains I had the salmon salad & my daughter had the minute steak. I was surprised at how little flaked salmon was in the salad, probably about a dessert spoonful if that. We both had the raspberry meringue for dessert which was so tasty.
On the whole we were happy with the meal but won't have a set meal again.
The waiter was attentive, friendly & polite.
Our family of 4 had a lovely dinner for my partners birthday. Staff were friendly and we didn’t have to wait long for them to take our drink orders then food orders. To keep the kids entertained they were given crayons to colour in their menus and do puzzles.
The children’s 3 course menu were great value for our two (8 and 6 years) they especially loved the desserts. The adults enjoyed the steak which were cooked perfectly and really tasty.
A lovely decorated birthday brownie & candle were brought out with the desserts for my partners birthday which was a lovely touch. As the restaurant got busier we did have to wait longer for dessert than we had for our main but they were worth waiting for.
Food is amazing, service brilliant, will definitely return
Excellent meal and first class service
Very enjoyable evening - food and service were very good.
Great menu and tasty food. Love to return soon!! Pity you dont get vouchers to encourage people to try it for the first time
Myself and my partner came to celebrate our anniversary. We had never been before and we will definitely be back!
We both had 3 courses and I cannot fault anything with the food. Everything was cooked perfectly and was very tasty! I recommend the beef wellington it was delicious. Compliments to the chef's.
I believe our waiters name was Stefan. He was very lovely. Always making sure we was okay, but he did not over do it.
The restaurant itself was nice and clean and the music isnt too loud.
I will definitely be recommending my friends and family and we will definitely be back.
Thank you for a lovely meal!
Food as usual could not be faulted but the service was somewhat slow. Despite ordering steak or a roast dinner we were served after people who arrived later than us. They too had ordered the roast.
Delicious steak and very good service , would highly recommend it and will be going back
Service was very good. Food was good and we were surprised how quickly the food arrived. We had mock tails which were great. We will definitely be returning.
First time at Middletons on a Saturday night table booked at 8.30pm
First the positives, staff were very good, drink menu very good all supplied in very nice glasses. However I’m afraid I didn’t find the food matched. Mussels although tasty were very small, the ribs were good but no better than any other chain restaurant, my burger supposed to be a blue burger was lacking in any cheese with an over sweet bun and no gherkin, my friend had a mixed grill, steak over cooked and chop undercooked, frozen onion rings then deep fried not for me.
Overall some positives, but not the premium steak house product I was expecting
Very good choice of menu, food was great, staff were lovely. I like the interior of the restaurant and the loos are definitely worth a visit.
food portions were tiny and not filling however nice cocktails and service was brilliant. food did take a bit long to come but was busy Saturday.
We come to Middleton's regularly. I have a 10 and 7 year old, and the options for children are very good.
The set menu is outstanding value and the quality of the food is excellent.
What's more we always get good and friendly service. Highly recommended.

domain: food


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WILMINGTON, MA — Do you know a Wilmington Public School staff member who has gone above and beyond the expectations of their job for the betterment of our community? If so, We’re One Wilmington wants to hear from you!
Please complete and return this nomination form, or send an email with the requested information to firstname.lastname@example.org, no later than July 31.
(NOTE: The above announcement is from We’re One Wilmington’s latest e-newsletter.)
Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email email@example.com.


The annual KwaZulu-Natal Manufacturing Indaba, to be held on the 22nd August 2018 at the ICC in Durban, South Africa is a revered platform for assembling provincial manufacturers and businesses to explore growth opportunities, uncover the latest manufacturing incentives and trends, as well as to network and collaborate with relevant contacts vested in the sector. The event has announced its agenda which includes a dynamic offering of engaging sessions discussing a range of thought-provoking topics, amongst which are the 4th Industrial Revolution, maximising the market for manufacturers and accessing new markets for manufacturers.
The conference will host forums on the 4th Industrial Revolution and its implication on manufacturing units within the sector. Well-versed industry leaders will impart their knowledge of opportunity development and management of threats whilst proactively implementing strategies to fortify competitive advantage and boost profits through the digitalisation of manufacturing operations. Panel discussions focused on this theme have been devised to educate both small and large manufacturers on the relevance that Industry 4.0 has to every company, thereby empowering manufacturing facilities to improve their innovation tactics and consequently their bottom-line.
A focussed session will delve into how industry players in the sector can thrive by maximising the manufacturing market making use of government grant incentives. Various tools are available to support industrialists in this endeavour and will be thoroughly unpacked, while a greater understanding of how government can contribute to the success of such firms though various incentives, investment opportunities and financial solutions will also be explored.
Moreover, forums have been set up to educate players of the manufacturing domain about the various financing opportunities available to them. These dialogues will explore funding options to encourage investment in South Africa’s manufacturing facilities, assisting them to initiate and execute potential projects. Numerous conditions are required to be met by candidates in order for businesses to gain access to funding initiatives and these panels will serve as platforms to inform potential applicants thereof.
The Conference programme offers a stage for robust discussion and debate on the everchanging nature of the manufacturing landscape which deems acquiring constant access to emerging markets essential. Managing these changes requires a thorough understanding of economic trends that will have a significant impact on manufacturers. Furthermore, forums led by industry experts will unpack prevalent growth opportunities in the small business manufacturing environment and how these smaller enterprises ultimately enable the accelerated growth of larger, more established manufacturing units.
The productivity debate is a pertinent topic within the manufacturing industry. Adopting technology, cultivating talent across the generations and encouraging skills acquisition are fundamental factors to enhancing productivity rates within the sector. Implementation of such strategies will be explored in detail to encourage manufacturers to grow their establishments and create a competitive edge that will see them at the forefront of the industry.
The KwaZulu-Natal Manufacturing Indaba is where industry players converge to discuss prevailing and future concerns whilst acquiring access to relevant networks, content and ideas that empower individuals and manufacturing units to prosper in this highly competitive sector. The event represents the ultimate marketplace for practical educational opportunities that help industry professionals discover what incentives are available from the Province and government to support KwaZulu-Natal manufacturers in growing their businesses, thereby striving to contribute to South Africa’s manufacturing economy in its entirety.
MORE ABOUT THE MANUFACTURING INDABA
The annual KwaZulu-Natal Manufacturing Indaba will be hosted at Durban ICC , Durban on the 22 August 2018. The aim of the Manufacturing Indaba 2018 and its provincial roadshows is to focus on and boost the growth potential of key industry sectors, namely: automotive, construction, metals, forestry, paper & packaging, chemicals, aerospace & defence, industry products and services, and to provide a platform for informative and interactive sessions with the prime movers of the nation’s manufacturing sectors.
The 5th annual Manufacturing Indaba, taking place on 19-20 June 2018, will comprise a two-day conference and exhibition and is hosted in partnership with the Department of Trade & Industry
(the dti) and the Manufacturing Circle. The event is designed specifically for private and public company representatives to hear from industry experts as they unpack challenges and find solutions for growth across the manufacturing sectors, as well as find out about the latest global manufacturing trends and what impacts manufacturers. Register today to participate in the discussion, covering a range of relevant manufacturing topics.
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER TOPICS
- Disrupting existing business models
- IoT Brings Potential Opportunity to Africa – Leading Africa into the 4th Industrial Revolution
- The way forward for Africa’s Industrialisation
PANEL DISCUSSION TOPICS
FOCUS ON AFRICA:
- Investment led trade and regional economic industrial integration. Value added exports as a key driver of growth.
- Understanding what Africa needs? Lessons from African manufacturers
- Building an industrial financing and incentives ecosystem
- How beneficial is the Chinese-Africa partnership and how can African manufacturers benefit from this relationship? (China is the world’s largest consumer market)
FOCUS ON INDUSTRY 4.0:
- Skills for the future
- Future of production and Cyber Physical systems
- Smart Future Business Strategies and Engineering innovation
- Global value chains and future maintenance Services
FOCUS ON SECTORS:
- The growth and transformation of the Mining Sector and the value addition for manufacturers
- Building the value chain for the Agro-Processing Sector and the how this impacts manufacturers
- The impact of the 4th industrial revolution in the Automotive Sector and the downstream application for suppliers to the OEMs
- Industrial development in the energy sector
The annual Manufacturing Indaba provides a platform for international and local industry players in manufacturing to discuss challenges and to share examples and solutions. Some of the 2017 Manufacturing Indaba conference discussions focused on supporting local industry and creating a demand for local goods, contributing to the manufacturing value chain, skills improvement, and initiatives that can assist in moving Africa towards a more advanced manufacturing industry.
Topics and insights from the previous event forms the foundation of the critical themes for the upcoming 2018 Manufacturing Indaba, which has the overarching event theme of “Manufacturing our Future”. Some key points on the required factors for success and the challenges to overcome, as highlighted at the 2017 conference, include:
FACTORS FOR SUCCESS
- Reinforcing the culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, supported by expertise
- Ongoing risk assessment, understanding the market and adapting to change
- Modern infrastructure: internet, access to new markets, advanced machinery and equipment, specialised and skilled employees
- Progress from a producer of raw materials (the smallest place in the value chain), to include value added activities
- High-impact, low-cost interventions (e.g. Pareto and fishbone analysis)
- Safe, environmentally compliant workplace
- Capable employees with continuously developing skills
- Incentive programmes and policies tailored to support industrial development
- Promoting greater inclusivity, more equitably spread and moving away from false empowerment
- Investing in business with high labour usage to preserve jobs
- Achieving greater coherence in localisation
- Becoming more EFFICIENT and more COMPETITIVE
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED
- Global challenges: low demand and investor confidence, lasting impact of 2008 financial crisis, oversupply in some sectors resulting in cut-throat pricing
- Impending uncertainty of the 4th industrial revolution and what impact this will have for manufacturers
- High unemployment rate
- Wages are increasing and productivity is falling
- Low levels of private sector investment due to the period of slow worldwide economic growth
- Domestic market not big enough; we need to be a trading economy. Some import opportunities have closed, but unlike China and India we cannot turn to our local markets
- Electricity costs are increasing above inflation
- Marginal effective tax rate is among the highest for manufacturing
- Skills shortages
- Inefficiencies in roads and infrastructure
Join us at Manufacturing Indaba 2018 to participate in the debate and to learn what
industry specialists say about Manufacturing our Future in Africa.
Visit our new website: www.manufacturingindaba.co.za to learn more about this prestigious event.
The annual Manufacturing Indaba has its sights set on expansion and growing the current offering to manufacturers both from South Africa and from the SADC region. To support this growth strategy, the event has relocated to the Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton, to allow for added venue space to grow the exhibition and the various conference components of the event.
South Africa has developed an established, diversified manufacturing base that has shown its resilience and potential to compete in the global economy. The manufacturing sector provides a locus for stimulating the growth of other activities, such as services, and achieving specific outcomes, such as employment creation and economic empowerment. This platform of manufacturing presents an opportunity to significantly accelerate the country’s growth and development. Underpinning manufacturing is the Department of Trade & Industry’s (the dti) Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), which aims to achieve structural development and to increase competitiveness of South African manufacturing. * IPAP is discussed and featured extensively in the Manufacturing Indaba Conference.
Export growth and internationalisation of South African companies is supported by the Department of Trade and Industry via the South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC) and the newly formed Trade Invest Africa. The Trade Invest Africa Initiative aims to be the arm of the dti that coordinates and implements South Africa’s economic strategy for Africa, premised on the Development Integration approach. The initiative will focus on advancing the priorities for Africa set out in the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and the National Export Strategy, as well as the opportunities uncovered through continental trade negotiations. With the support of the SAEEC, the dti and Trade Invest Africa, the event will grow to be representative of the region. With a focus on developing Intra-Africa trade relating to manufacturers in the SADC region and the South African manufacturers, the exhibition will host Country Pavilions showcasing manufacturers, county investment agencies and the respective government departments. This will provide the necessary business matchmaking to take place to foster Intra-Africa trade to support Africa’s growth trajectory of 5,5% as predicted by the International Monetary Fund.
Additional new offerings to the Manufacturing Indaba include:
- Aligned to the new venue, the Manufacturing Indaba will launch a new side event conference specifically related to Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT).
- The launch of the Small Business Indaba Exhibition providing for Supplier and Enterprise Development showcases of Black Industrialists.
- Expansion of the Small Business Indaba Conference to include added focus on growing small manufacturers.
“The 5th Manufacturing Indaba continues to be the flagship manufacturing event for South African and for the first time, African manufacturers to participate in. Our aim is to develop and grow the event for the benefit of manufacturers, creating valuable thought leadership content and a successful business engagement platform at the exhibition to provide access to new markets for our manufacturers, stimulating growth and creating employment.” Says Liz Hart, Managing Director of the Manufacturing Indaba.
Hashtags: #MFGIndaba #ManufacturingTheFuture #ManufacturingMatters #SBI
Entrepreneurs, government and corporates attended the third annual 2016 Manufacturing Indaba held at the Emperors Palace in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng on 28 and 29 June.This year’s conference theme, “manufacturing the future”, was a challenge to attendees. The goal was to imagine an ideal industrial future that worked to the benefit of the globe. This year’s Indaba also focussed on small to medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
About the conference
The Indaba’s emphasis is on key industrial sectors. For the governmental co- hosts (the Department of Trade and Industry [the DTI], the Department of Science and Technology, the host City of Ekurhuleni, and the Department of Public Enterprises) the Indaba offers an opportunity to boost the country’s industrial sector, especially those that hold the promise of sustainable growth and job creation.Julie Cunningham, marketing manager of the event, says visitors were able to take advantage of the opportunity to engage with powerhouses in the manufacturing sector at the interactive sessions. Panel discussions included the gas industrialisation strategy and what this means for manufacturers and pathways to African development: trade; regional, industrial and integration.Speakers across the various panels included Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Rob Davies, Gauteng Premier David Makhura, City of Ekurhuleni, councillor Mondli Gungubele and the Gautrain management agency CEO Jack van der Merwe.
Boost for black business owners
Engineering News reported the DTI’s black industrialists’ programme will be boosted by R500-million. The department’s acting chief director Takalani Tambani explained the funds were approved for eight selected companies across key manufacturing sectors including plastics, pharmaceuticals, metal fabrication and electro-equipment.He encouraged black business owners to form partnerships and joint ventures with one another to be able to compete in the mainstream economy.
Earn valuable CPD credits


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A Voice of One Delight
Friday, 17th August 2012 @ 8:35 pm
with Clare McCaldin (mezzo-soprano) | Tête à Tête Festival
McNeff: A Voice of One Delight
In 1822 the poet and radical thinker Percy Bysshe Shelley was drowned off the coast of Italy. His body was cremated on the beach in front of a crowd of onlookers, the first event in a series of actions by his family and other supporters to create a carefully-crafted image for posterity. So who was he really?
Written two years ago by Steven McNeff as a concert piece, A Voice of One Delight is here reworked as a stage piece for mezzo-soprano and piano, directed by Joe Austin.

domain: artistic


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As a full-service group whose practice spans the globe, Stites & Harbison’s Intellectual Property and Technology (IPT) Group counsels and represents both domestic and international clients across the full range of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and licensing.
All businesses have intrinsic value in the creativity, invention, and innovation that makes them unique. In order to reach full commercial potential, however, an idea, product, or service must be properly protected. What distinguishes Stites & Harbison is our commitment to fully understanding not only our clients’ intellectual property but also their business and the markets in which they compete. This allows us to provide the greatest return on our clients’ intellectual property assets.
Our attorneys provide effective and efficient counsel from the creation and registration of intellectual property assets through the management and enforcement of intellectual property rights both in the United States as well as internationally.
Members of the IPT group possess technical experience and hold advanced degrees across a wide variety of fields including engineering, biology and life sciences, chemistry, and computer science. Through our office in Alexandria, VA, our attorneys can easily visit the United States Patent & Trademark Office to advocate for our clients in person.
In addition to securing patents, trademarks, and copyrights at the state, national, or international level, Stites & Harbison’s IPT Group also assists in developing and implementing intellectual property protection plans which are tailored for each client, whether an independent inventor, start-up, well-established business, or university. We work to maximize the value of our clients’ intellectual property through licensing agreements, sponsorship agreements, and other relationships with third parties. We draft and negotiate the appropriate terms related to the intellectual property, whether they are central to or incidental to a larger transaction. When needed, we also issue validity, infringement, and right-to-use opinions regarding our clients’ or a third-party’s intellectual property.
Stites & Harbison’s IPT Group has extensive experience litigating intellectual property matters before federal and state courts throughout the nation. This experience also extends to all levels of appeals, including the United States Supreme Court. Our firm's litigators aggressively protect the intellectual property assets of our clients, and defend those who have been wrongfully accused of infringing others’ intellectual property rights. The firm has handled a number of significant and well-known intellectual property disputes and has served as lead counsel in intellectual property litigation in more than 30 states. Examples of our IPT group’s work can be found here.
The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA) introduced several amendments to federal trademark statutes, known as the Lanham Act, that should prove favorable to brand owners when the TMA becomes effective on December 27th.
Assignor estoppel is an equity-based doctrine that can be invoked during the course of patent litigation to prevent an assignor, after assigning their interests to a patent to another, from later asserting that the patent is actually invalid.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association (TDLA) has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Rachel Dix Bishop as the recipient of the 2021 Rising Star award.
President Biden has announced plans to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory and other powers to increase the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements as COVID-19 cases continue to climb.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 93 lawyers are included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Additionally, 11 attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 14 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.
IP attorney Joel Beres is set to speak at the AIPLA's 11th Annual Trademark Boot Camp webinar Aug. 30-Sept.2, 2021.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mari-Elise Paul as one of 20 Trailblazers profiled from around the world in WIPR’s Diversity Trailblazers 2021 list.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Kentucky Intellectual Property Alliance (KYIPA) names Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker to its Executive Advisory Committee.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine recently selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker to the 2021 edition of Managing IP’s “Top 250 Women in IP.” This is the seventh time Decker has been honored on this list, and she is the only attorney honored from Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine has named nine Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys to the 2021 “IP Stars” list. Managing IP recognizes the most highly regarded intellectual property attorneys in the U.S.
LEXINGTON, Ky. —Stites & Harbison, PLLC announces the addition of four attorneys to the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology (IPT) Service Group.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is ranked 3rd in “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” for 2021 in the medium company category. The firm has made the list 15 times.
Following the most recent slew of high-profile ransomware attacks, the White House deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, Anne Neuberger, issued an open letter to the private sector urging action to increase cyber defenses to match the nation’s increasing ransomware threat.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Chambers USA selected 22 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in Kentucky and Tennessee for inclusion in their 2021 guide.
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
On June 3, 2021 at 10:00 EST, Mondaq will be hosting a webinar featuring Stites & Harbison attorneys, Sarah Cronan Spurlock and Mari-Elise Paul discussing U.S. privacy and data security developments.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Leadership Louisville Center has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney James Hayne to participate in the Ignite Louisville Class of Fall 2021.
Kentucky-based Stites & Harbison PLLC has expanded its operations to Ohio for the first time in nearly 200 years with a new office in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, the firm announced Friday. Led by member Robin D. Miller, the Cincinnati-area office is currently operating with the help of attorneys from the nearby town of Covington, Kentucky, but the firm said it hopes to hire more Cincinnati full-timers by the end of 2021.
CINCINNATI—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced today it has opened a Cincinnati, Ohio office to better meet the increased needs of its clients in the region. The office will be led by Member (Partner), Robin D. Miller.
INTA recently premiered its first webcast in its “Looking Through the Leadership Lens” series, which features industry officials providing unique perspectives on leadership and development topics. INTA News article by Mari-Elise Paul.

domain: law


The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs – Christina Hopkinson
by Stephanie Pegler, of Chicklit Club
Working mother Mary is sick and tired of the mess in her house – and the fact that husband Joel seems oblivious to it. So just like she does star charts to get her young sons to behave, she creates one for her husband -a carefully devised Excel spreadsheet which counts up all his misdemeanours, with points off for good behaviour. In six months, Mary will decide: if his star chart proves he is an asset, he gets to stay. If not … This is a hilarously funny insight into the battle of the sexes being waged on the domestic front across the world. Hopkinson nails perfectly the daily frustrations that can drive a wedge into long-term relationships. Read it if you’re up to facing some of your own home truths.


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Christian Bale is thought by many to have become an “actor’s actor.” He is fully committed to his characters, often staying in character during shooting, and he is not afraid to lose or gain weight in order to make a character more believable, as was the case with his Oscar-nominated role as former U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney in “Vice.”
Good reviews are something that Bale has gotten used to during his three-decade film career, beginning with his starring role in Steven Spielberg‘s “Empire of the Sun” when he was only 13 years old. In that time, Bale has been nominated for three Oscars (winning one for “The Fighter” with bids for “American Hustle” and “The Big Short”), three Golden Globes (winning one, again for “The Fighter”) and five Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations of which he won two (for “The Fighter” and “American Hustle”). His 2022 films included “Amsterdam” for David O. Russell and “The Pale Blue Eye” for Scott Cooper.
Let’s take a look back at his eclectic career in our photo gallery featuring his 12 greatest films, ranked from worst to best. Which one is your favorite?


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Walker, John (1770-1831) (DNB00)
WALKER, JOHN (1770–1831), antiquary, son of John Walker of London, was baptised at the church of St. Katherine Cree on 18 Feb. 1770, and was elected scholar at Winchester in 1783. He matriculated from Brasenose College on 14 Jan. 1788, graduating B.C.L. in 1797. In the same year he was elected fellow of New College, retaining his fellowship till 1820. He also filled the posts of librarian and of dean of canon law. In 1809 he published a 'Selection of Curious Articles from the "Gentleman's Magazine"' (London, 8vo) in three volumes. This undertaking had been suggested by Gibbon to the editor, John Nichols, some time before, but Nichols could not find leisure for the task (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. viii. 557; Lit. Illustr. vol. viii. p. xi). Walker accomplished it with great judgment, and was rewarded by the sale of a thousand copies in a few months. A second edition, with an additional volume, appeared in 1811; and a third, also in four volumes, in 1814.
Walker made valuable researches in the archives of the Bodleian Library and of other university collections. In 1809 he brought out ‘Oxoniana’ (London, 4 vols. 12mo), consisting of selections from books and manuscripts in the Bodleian relating to university matters. This was followed in 1813 by ‘Letters written by Eminent Persons, from the Originals in the Bodleian Library and Ashmolean Museum’ (London, 2 vols. 8vo). Both are works of value, and have been largely used by succeeding writers. Walker was one of the original proprietors of the ‘Oxford Herald,’ and for several years assisted in the editorial work.
In 1819 Walker was presented by the warden and fellows of New College to the vicarage of Hornchurch in Essex, and resided there during the rest of his life. He died at the vicarage on 5 April 1831.
Besides the works mentioned, he was the author of ‘Curia Oxoniensis; or Observations on the Statutes which relate to the University Court’ (3rd edit. Oxford, 1826, 8vo). He was the first editor of the ‘Oxford University Calendar,’ first published in 1810. An ‘auction catalogue of his library’ was published in 1831 (London, 8vo).
[Gent. Mag. 1831, i. 474; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1715–1886; Allibone's Dict. of English Lit.; Macray's Annals of the Bodleian Library, 1890.]

domain: library


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To make up for not taking photos during the day on Friday, I took lots when we walked over to town in the evening. They were taken with my point-and-shoot, so some of them are a bit blurry! First, we have the rather impressive tree in the town centre
then a decoration on a building .........
....... and a slightly blurry row of them
the tree in front of the Town Hall
this is true!
these cuties are in the window of the wool shop
another tree - this one at the entrance to a car park!
lots of lovely gifts
it's just as well this shop was shut, or I may have come home with a tractor mug!
the lights on the new bridge
and to finish ........ the lights look as if they are floating in the night sky


Eyjafjallajökull Ash Continues to Disrupt Air Traffic
View Larger Image (left)
Figure 1 (right): Color-coded plume height map
Ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, viewed here in imagery from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft on May 16, 2010, once again disrupted air traffic over Europe with the closure of major airports in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The image is a natural-color, nadir (vertical) view of the scene, with the volcano itself located outside the upper left corner of the image. The ash plume is visible as a brownish stream of particles situated above lower-level clouds. Stereoscopic images acquired by MISR's other cameras are used to derive the height of the plume. Figure 1 shows a color-coded plume height map, which is retrieved at 1.1 kilometer (0.68 mile) horizontal resolution, and with vertical accuracy of about half a kilometer (0.3 miles). Close to the source, the plume reaches altitudes exceeding 8 kilometers (26,247 feet), descending to about 6 kilometers (19,685 feet) about 250 kilometers (155 miles) downwind. These heights exceed the values observed by MISR about a week earlier.
The images cover an area measuring 275 by 186 kilometers (171 by 116 miles).
MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Terra spacecraft is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. The MISR data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center in Hampton, VA.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.


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Boy, it has been a rainy month of September!
If you are subscribing to Mark Chien’s “Wine Grape Information from Penn State”, you probably seen this, but here’s a link to NOAA on the precipitation record from Irene and Lee. It gives you an idea of how we started this month with a lot of moisture in the air. As you can imagine, this type of weather will increase risks of having late season rots.
I have heard some people had an outbreak of Botrytis, sour rot, ripe rot, etc. The pictures above are examples of Botrytis bunch rot. The management strategies for these rots are discussed in the previous post. Since temperature during these rain events were low and we have not have many days with sunlight, you may want to keep your clusters hanging little longer. Please keep remind yourself about the PHI when you decide to apply fungicides.
One of the strategies for sour rot and Botrytis management discussed was the management of birds. Tony’s group has been using a bird netting, and here’s the good picture of the efficacy of it. As you can see, the clusters inside of the net are not damaged while the ones outside of it are gone.
Also, if you take a look at the first picture of Botrytis, you will notice that the berries at the top side of the picture was damaged by either bird or bees. It is not uncommon to see the start of Botrytis on the damaged berries since it can grow on higher sugar contents than many other pathogens.
The other concern is on the foliar infection of downy mildew, which can also cause defoliation. It is important to keep these leaves healthy to have a good accumulation of carbohydrates to the trunk. At this point, we need to concern about the PHI, thus, the materials you can use against downy mildew is limited. Both captan and Phosphorous acid materials have a 0-day PHI (Note: captan has 48-72 hour REI).
Because we had many extended wet hours, some of you are having potential issues with molds growing on the surface of berries. The one I saw at several places are the ones look like sooty mold on apples. We know that the sooty mold of apple is caused by numerous species of fugal complex, thus, I would expect the same. These fungus are surviving on some nutrient matters on the surface of berries and probably the infection is superficial. Apple growers are applying captan for it, thus, I assume we can do the same.
I have heard that in the mast, these molds (or spores of them) sediment on the bottom of the tank, and probably do not cause any ill effects. However, unfortunately, I do not have much information. If you have experience to share, please let me know.

domain: agronomy


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Floss and brush, use listerine if you have it, and make sure you change your clothes and wash your face and hands...you'll want to get rid of all traces of it.
Brush your teeth?Homeopathic treatment for ragweed allergy?
is it possible to still have an affect if i was to see this guy lets say tomorrow at 2pm ?Good allergy medicine?
highly doubt itI have bad allergies, the medicine I am taking is not helping
If you don't floss and brush, it's possible....peanut allergies can happen with trace amounts, so just make sure you've brushed your teeth and washed and you should be fineHow do I know if I have a milk allergy?
k thanks alot
i dont want to send the guy to the hospital on our first date that would soooo bad and id hate my self
thanks alot again gladly appreciate itCan you get allergies from your sperm ?
Brush your teeth & mouth wash. & if you really want to be on the safe side, do NOT kissNickel allergy
It depends how severe his allergy is. If he could have an attack on the smell of a peanut, then I suggest you have a shower and wear different clothes. Brush your teeth, floss thoroughly, and use listerine. Make sure your hands are clean too.can you be allergic to nuts but still eat peanut butter?
Depends how allergic this person is..does the smell give them an allergic reaction? if so definetly make sure u wash ur face and hands properly. If itz only a digested allergy n this person is ur partner i suggest u don't kiss using tongue for that night even with brishing ur teeth. Wash hands!!! I myself suffer from peanut allergieswhy do people get allergies?

domain: medical


UNA For the first step of their own R35 GT-R modified, the United States is purchased SP conversion kit to upgrade, this kit contains modifications SP GT2871 turbo body and SP strengthen "Europe is estimated electricity", with the well known HKS turbo pipe Road kit containing the intake line, crankshafts
HKS SQV intake relief valve, mushroom top, and then the original diameter from 60mm throttle increased to 63mm, while the intake cooler upgrade kit for the Trust to increase, which has an intake not only increase the number of coolers thickness, while the original monolithic intake cooler air intake mode to the left and right to an independent manner, that is to say each responsible for three-cylinder turbo unilateral pressure to reduce bilateral turbine airflow at the same time into an intake cooler air stream generated by the interference, thereby increase efficiency. In order to boost engine power in terms of supply, the original gasoline pump will be upgraded to HKS modified product, available flow 250L per minute, then the injectors replaced SP 1000c.c. The upgrade kit, with Sard gasoline blending pressure valve to provide the required power of the vehicle fuel consumption, as the exhaust system, UNA is self-developed titanium 89mm X Pipe middle and tail section exhaust system, this would have completed the initial engine hardware system modification. Conrods
Peripheral portion substantially the same as the previous setting, but this kit is to strengthen the abdominal engine upgrade, it can boost the value from the original level of 1.5 bar to 1.9 bar.


The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB isn't the only recent graphics card from Nvidia with upgraded memory. VideoCardz (opens in new tab) has shared two renders of a custom GeForce RTX 3080 12GB, a rumored Ampere graphics card that has been in the rumor mill for a couple of months now.
As far as the ingredients go, the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB will presumptively continue to use Nvidia's GA102 die, the same silicon that's inside the GeForce RTX 3080. However, the rumors point to a more generous amount of enabled Streaming Multiprocessors (SM). While the regular GeForce RTX 3080's silicon has 68 SMs (8,704 CUDA cores), the 12GB variant may arrive with two additional SMs. That would reportedly put the core counts to 8,960 CUDA cores, 280 Tensor cores, and 70 RT cores. It's not a massive upgrade, but a 3% higher amount of CUDA cores should give the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB a fairly noticeable advantage in benchmarks.
The GeForce RTX 3080 12GB, as its name denotes, will arrive with 12GB of GDDR6X memory, 2GB more than the standard GeForce RTX 3080. The memory modules likely won't change, and we'll probably see 19 Gbps chips on the GeForce RTX 3080 12G. However, the revamped Ampere graphics card presumably comes with a 384-bit memory interface. The wider bus would allow the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB to hit a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GBps, 20% higher than the regular GeForce RTX 3080 with its 320-bit memory interface.
Having more cores and memory means that GeForce RTX 3080 12GB should have a more demanding TDP. The GeForce RTX 3080 has a 320W TDP, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB ends up debuting with a TDP rating between 340W to 350W. If there is any truth to the rumor, then the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB's TDP could be in the same league as the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (350W).
Regarding the EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB FTW3 Ultra Gaming, the graphics card appears to feature the same 2.75-slot design as the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB FTW3 Ultra Gaming. The beefy iCX3 cooling system is still present, and the graphics card continues to depend on three 8-pin PCIe power connectors to get all the juice it requires. If it weren't for the "12GB GDDR6X" label on the packaging, you wouldn't be able to tell the two apart.
VideoCardz believes that Nvidia could launch the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB tomorrow while lifting the review embargo and giving retailers the green light to sell the new Ampere monster. Given the graphics card shortage, there will likely be limited stock. Whatever is available may not be at MSRP, either.


Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink? Lately it’s been said that we’re just one drought away from rationing our water supply to extend us through another year. New construction of homes have been approved locally behind Magic Mountain and in nearby Tejon Ranch. As you’ve read, many ask, “Where are we going to get the water to supply these new homeowners that will now put an extra burden on a diminishing commodity?”
Our biggest resource of water is just off the coast of California. It’s called the Pacific Ocean! In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia relies upon 75 percent desalinated water for supplying fresh water to their country. They have limited natural resources to rely upon to quench their thirst for water.
It’s different here in California. We depend on water supplies from the Colorado River, about 55 to 65 percent, and from the Owens Valley aqueduct system, about 25 percent. The remainder of water resources supplying our thirsty city comes from our local aquifers. Even now those resources that are being used are on the verge of drying up.
Instead of draining precious water resources from Northern California and Colorado, which has impacted their supply and our own local water resources (Mono Lake, Owens Lake, etc.), why don’t we build a desalination water supply system up and down our coast? This system would help stop relying on outside resources and put good use of our money toward this infrastructure instead of just paying for this one-time consumed resource and provide a constant supply of fresh water to our ever-growing population.
We could also use and sell the salt byproduct from this process to help offset the costs. There are approximately nine successful plants up and running in California. The largest one is in Oceanside. This idea was proposed in the early 1950s and 1960s as my father was involved in designing and implementing this valuable process, but before it could ever be built this project was cancelled.
We need to have future-minded thinkers involved to expedite this system before all our dams, lakes and rivers dry up. Have you seen the water levels at Pyramid, Castaic, Piru and at Hoover and the Glen Canyon Dam lately? Even the Northern California lakes are at their lowest levels. Even now the reservoirs are filling up, not with water but sludge from the recent fires. These water supply storage facilities need the silt to be dredged out to help them store the water that all of us up and down the state need.
We have the technology today to build these plants to supplement our growing needs for today and future populations.
In conclusion, I propose that we stop taxing Colorado and California’s fresh water supply chain and start looking forward for a water supply system for the future, instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul.


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Tornado Burger, the Houston burger joint that patterned itself after In-N-Out, may soon get some competition from the real thing. The Orange Country Register has confirmed that Southern California’s iconic fast food burger chain, In-N-Out, has plans to enter the Texas market.
In-N-Out is famous for its quality ingredients including never-been-frozen hamburger patties. The chain maintains its own meat packing plant in Southern California to supply fresh burger patties to each location every other day. Up until now, company spokesman have said that didn’t want to open any outlets beyond a 500 mile radius of the meat plant because of logistics.
The first In-N-Out burger stands will be in the D/FW area. In order to service the Texas In-N-Out hamburger stands, the company will open a second meat plant in Dallas.


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Own your own museum quality Limited Edition print of the Original 'Captain Sir Tom Moore' painted by Michelle Turner unveiled on 1st July 2020 and now hung on permanent public display in the foyer of The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Read the story here.
These prints are created from high-quality wood, milled with simple clean lines and presented with a satin finish. - Simple, elegant design - Premium, fine art paper with a gently textured surface -Handmade by specialist picture framers -Delivered ready for hanging
Free UK Delivery.
Only 10 editions of each variation available.
For more exclusive Limited Edition Captain Sir Tom prints visit PRINTS or our range of Captain Sir Tom giftware visit GIFTS


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Curious about what’s been happening at NS GovLab? Join us in our Co-Creation Garden series to learn more about what seeds we’ve been planting and the learnings we’ve been harvesting along the way.
This week in Episode 2, we are sharing what we’ve been exploring around a prototype called “In My Shoes”. “ In My Shoes” started as an idea created by Dana Perry and Tara Taylor during an NS GovLab event. Since then, the idea has evolved into a prototype that is focused on using arts-based methods to engage people in decolonial and anti-racism conversations.You can learn more about the idea and journey behind this prototype below!

domain: design


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Black White And Red Living Inspirations With Enchanting Grey Room Pictures Jordans House
Black white and red living inspirations with enchanting grey room pictures jordans house are ideal with incredible grey white red living room with and inspirations ideas. Here are a couple underlying factors and can nonetheless be a very good decision.
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6 collection of grey white red living room in the following paragraphs to advice your whole the task effortlessly.
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"Back to Post"
Jul 27, 2018 by Aliza Monique
#grey white red shift dress #gray white red comforter sets #grey white red socks #grey white red bathroom #grey white red color scheme #grey white red bedroom


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With the theme “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often,” the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Leyte Chapter joined forces in conducting a bloodletting activity at the DAR Regional Office in Tacloban City.
Doctor Arden Rama, who headed the PRC team in this activity held on Thursday, January 25, disclosed that a total of 14 blood bags were collected from DAR employees and other walk-in blood donors.
According to him, all the collected blood bags will be stored in our blood banks and will be given to patients in need of blood, especially in our hospitals.
“I would like to thank DAR Eastern Visayas for inviting us” he added.
Robert Anthony Yu, DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director, stated the importance of voluntary blood donation, “It's not simply about helping those in need. It also improves your physical well-being”.
He also extends his gratitude to the PRC team for conducting this yearly activity as DAR Eastern Visayas promotes not just the welfare of its employees, but also that of the community.
This activity is facilitated by the DAR’s Gender and Development (GAD) point person, Carlo Casillar. (ARVIN S. CADIGOY)


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Zanzibar — MAINLAND teams ABC and Don Bosco Lioness excelled in the just ended Union Basketball League after being crowned champions in both, men's and women's category respectively.
The five-day event climaxed on Thursday at the Gymkhana Club court
and the two Mainland finished top of their respective league categories,
putting host teams in the shadow.
Defending champions ABC managed to retain the men's title for the
second successive years after collecting eight points, winning all their
four games on their way to glory.
The unstoppable ABC side kicked their campaign with a 65- 51 win over
Polisi Zanzibar before thrashing African Magic 79-49 in the second
They also clobbered Rangers 85-50 and wound up their title defence by
beating Stone Town. Polisi settled for the second position on seven
points, while Stone Town won third place despite tying on five points
with African Magic. Stone Town secured third place courtesy of goal
Rangers finished bottom of the table with four points. In women's
category, Don Bosco Lioness were undisputed winners after winning all
their four matches to finish the league with eight points.
African Magic took the second slot on goal average over Nyuki after
the two teams tied on five points each. The two teams registered one
victory each, while conceding three defeats.
The winners were presented with trophies and certificates by the
former Prime Minister Fredrick Sumaye who was the guest of honour in the
final day of the championship.
The tournament brought together eight teams, two from Mainland and
six from Zanzibar. The men's league featured five teams with three of
them competing in women's category.


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Firemen to sell their skills to meet funding shortfallBy Amy Taylor
February 01, 2013
HAMPSHIRE firemen have voted to sell their skills to the public to meet a shortfall in funding over the coming years.
The county’s Fire & Rescue service met on January 30 to discuss setting up a trading company to provide ‘specialist’ services to the public and bring in extra revenue.
The meeting, postponed from January 18 due to snow, saw the fire service’s finance and general purposes committee recommend creating the company, which could generate up to £1 million by its third year. A final decision will be made by the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority on February 14.
The proposal comes despite a forecast underspend of £4.2m in the fire service’s budget, left over from the third quarter of 2012/13.
John Beckerleg, director of corporate services for Hampshire Fire & Rescue, said the underspend was part of the service’s forward plans to combat the fall in government funding, predicted to last for at least another four years.
“We’re looking at a reduction of 25%, so rather than waiting until now, we have been planning a series of efficiency measures over two years, and more gradually reducing our spending,” he said.
A large chunk of the underspend will be transferred to the fire service’s reserves, including £1m to its improvement and sustainability (I&S) reserve, where the funds will be kept for projects such as building in the future and vehicle maintenance.
“It’s money put aside to identify opportunities that will save us money over time,” Mr Beckerleg said, adding that measures were being taken across all fire stations in the county to cut costs.
“With the trading company, we expect more of the same in funding cuts, so in effect what we are thinking is if our grant is continuing to go down, what measures can we take to protect frontline services?
The idea of fire services selling their technical expertise is not a new one, with several other forces in the country having done the same, including Essex, West Midlands and Lancashire.
“There is quite a market for fire related training in various guises, and the more specialised skills which we have got and others are interested in having,” said Mr Beckerleg.
“It’s all about trying to enhance the provision we have got, not taking it away from existing services in Hampshire.”
Skills like those of the county’s urban search and rescue teams would be particularly marketable, he added, as well as risk assessment procedures. Statutory functions, including tackling fires, chemical or biological hazards, promoting fire safety, or attending road accidents, would not be commercially traded.
Crisis management, driver training, work first aid, equipment testing, and working at height instruction would all be on the list of permissable activities.

domain: economics


Hurricane Harvey has flooded parts of Texas with over 30 inches of rain, killed at least 10 people, and injured many others, reports the New York Times. Thousands of Houston residents were left stranded and in need of shelter, and several large spaces and religious centers have kindly opened their doors. However, one place is making waves for hestitating to pitch in: the Lakewood Church, a Houston megachurch owned by pastor and "televangelist" Joel Osteen. The spacious arena-style venue seats 16,800, making it an ideal venue for a disaster relief shelter.
Instead of giving back to his city by offering up Lakewood Church, Osteen simply tweeted his well wishes for those affected by the storm.


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Back to Previous Page
Blackpool's most iconic carmaker is about to make a return... from an unlikely source.
In a growing market sector, Audi has launched the A1 to go up against the MINI, Alfa MiTo and Citroen DS3.
Saturday saw the superstars make their presence felt at the Festival of Speed...
Thursday's Moving Motor Show was an interesting new development for the Festival of Speed...
Friday saw the classic action heating up at Goodwood...
Jaguars damaged in low-speed accident in the Pavillion at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show
Here's Octane's pick of all the new metal on display at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed...
Alfa is celebrating its 100th birthday with a spectacular statue, that will form the centrepiece for this year's Festival of Speed.
Over 100 Lamborghini cars past and present, and their drivers, gathered in Switzerland for a dynamic celebration of the marque.
New www.RASR.org Site Directs Racers to Sanctioned Racetracks
The all-new Super Sport has been unleashed at the Ehra-Lessien test track and has smashed the previous speed record for a production car.
Franco Lombardi's Alfa Romeo A6GS scoops the prestigious Style et Luxe...
The secret to removing oxidation and restoring a show car finish to antique single stage paints.
Choosing the right polish.
Cleaning your paint.
Removing oxidation without abrasives.
We pick what we think are the five best Lamborghinis ever.
Sealing the paint.
The first polishing steps.
The final polishing steps.
Refining the Redesign
The Ultimate High Performance Mustang
Watch as the experts from Steele Rubber Products show you how to remove and replace the often overlooked bumpers that keep your hood and...
Specialty Vehicles Help Ford Carve Out a Successful Performance Niche
Models, Colors, and Years…There’s a Mustang Registry for Everyone
Browse Bentley S1s For Sale
Browse Mercedes-Benz 600s For Sale
Better Ideas For Resto-Mod Mustangs
Browse Mercury Meteors For Sale
Browse Lancia Flaminas For Sale
Browse Lancia Lambdas For Sale
Ferrari's new 950-horsepower supercar rolls out in Geneva sporting a hybrid drivetrain and a 217 mph top speed!
Browse BMW 326s For Sale
Browse Mercedes-Benz 300Es For Sale
Browse Frazers For Sale
Browse Kiblinger Highwheelers For Sale
Browse Aston Martin Vanquishs For Sale
Browse Packard Custom Eights For Sale
Browse Panhards For Sale
Browse Volvo Customs For Sale
Bringing a bit of British performance & style to the deep south.
Browse Edsel Customs For Sale
Browse Mercedes-Benz 220s For Sale
Browse AC Customs For Sale
Browse MG 1100s For Sale
A focus on Volkswagen
Another "news" gem from GM. Love that offroad action!
It takes a special woman to be a car guy's mother.
Browse Dodge Standards For Sale
The third in a series of videos guiding you through the conception and birth of the Aston Martin One-77.
Please select a field.
From Customs, Chevys, Fords to the Classics, these magazines provide the latest cutting edge information to fuel your passion.
How likely would you be to recommend this site to a friend or colleague?

domain: hobby


For Clients & Applicants
Special menu for DSS customers. How to apply, renew & report changes, other key information.
For latest news on the DSS Response to COVID-19, please visit www.ct.gov/dss/covid
Attorney General Tong Announces $82,500 False Claims Settlement With Brookfield Dentist
Insurance Commissioner Reminds All Insureds Are Eligible for ‘No-Cost’ COVID-19 Testing and Treatment
Governor Lamont Announces Appointment of Deidre Gifford as Acting Commissioner of Public Health
Attorney General Tong, U.S. Attorney Durham, DSS Commissioner Gifford announce settlement with Connecticut Counseling Centers over Drug Testing Overpayments
Welcome to the Connecticut Department of Social Services. We hope you find this website both helpful and informative. Please add us to your bookmarks and check back frequently for up-to-date information on the services we offer.


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I am looking for a group that plays either D&D 3.5 or 4.
I haven't played regularly in almost 20 years. I used to play first edition in the '80's. My group started to get into second edition before we slowly disbanded and became 'grown-ups.' Parts of my old group reformed in 2004 and played 3.5 for two sessions before disbanding again (Honestly, we were worse than the Cure).


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The Big Brother Naija reality show’s two biggest names are set to collaborate on a new project as Tacha and Dorathy link up in what is expected to be an exciting project.
Talking about one of the biggest names to have ever come out of the Big Brother Naija
reality show, there is no doubt that Natasha Akide, popularly known as Tacha,
will be ranked highly.
Tacha, who got disqualified from the season four edition of the reality show, has been
able to defy all odds by going places many have never tipped her to go.
The beautiful screen diva has become one of the most sorts after brand influencers
as she has become a role model for the upcoming generations.
Dorathy, on her part, has also been on a high ever since she came runners up at the
fifth edition of the reality show as she’s been bagging endorsement deals with notable brands.
Both reality stars have now been spotted together at a shoot that is probably meant for an upcoming project.
It was a memorable time for talented brand influencers and reality stars who
were so glad to meet with one another.
Tacha and Dorathy showed fans the love they’ve been able to grow with one another over the past few months, and fans will be hoping this continues.
See video of their reunion below:

domain: entertainment


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In a barren land during the Switch, the period when oxygen levels plunged and the green world withered, Alina, Quinn, and Bea leave the dome with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks and walk straight into the heart of danger.
Prisoner by Alan Gratz. Based on the life of Jack Gruener, this book relates his story of survival from the Nazi occupation of Krakow, when he was eleven, through a succession of concentration camps, to the final liberation of Dachau.
The 39 Clues: Unstoppable Book Breakaway by Jeff Hirsch - Dan Cahill and his sister Amy travel from the hottest to the coldest regions of the world in order to stop someone from using their own power against them.
See Jane Run_Jayne, Hannah. Riley Spencer never thought twice about keeping secrets from her parents, but when she finds a birth certificate with the name Jane O'Callahan hidden in her baby book, she must consider that her parents are lying to her.

domain: literature


This DIY semiconductor cooler is a form of solid state cooling that incorporates both semiconductor technology and electronic assembly technique.
Adopt TEC1-12706 semiconductor chilling plate, good quality for use.
Removal of existing computer fan from desktop.
Great Peltier cooling unit for DIY electronic enthusiasts.
Installation of one computer fan.
Component test and cleanup.
It must install radiator heatsink when power on, not responsible for burn peltier if heatsink is not assembled.
12VDC 6A power is needed, but not include in this kit.
Connect the red cable to the positive terminal and connect the black cable to the negative terminal.
If the hot and cold reverse direction, please change the pole piece cooling.
Color: Silver + Black
Power Mode: 12VDC 6A power (Not Included)
Semiconductor Chilling Plate: TEC1-12706
Working Current: 90mA
Item Size: 120 * 100 * 90mm / 4.72 * 3.94 * 3.54in
Item Weight: 375g / 13.23oz
Package Size: 12 * 11 * 10cm / 4.72 * 4.33 * 3.94in
Package Weight: 390g / 13.74oz
1 * Refrigeration Radiator


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This year again, let’s take fresh air and come to the Banyan hotel in St Anton http://www.banyan-hotel.com!
In need of reconnecting with nature? Don’t hesitate any longer; St Anton is the solution for nice holidays with all the activities during the summer season.
Spending holidays in the Arlberg is synonym of new experiences. Benefit from small and big sensations that offer the Nature around. At the hotel Banyan, come and enjoy the fresh air and sunny days to go hiking in family or with friends, have a picnic by the lake, in one word… disconnect!
To make your holidays even better, several activities are possible during all the summer season and everybody will find something to do: Climbing paths, worldwide known, make some sports in harmony with Nature, gondolas to take you to the highest point to enjoy the view.
And what better after a long day full of activities than enjoying hotel Banyan facilities: wellness area and its swimming pool, the bar for a happy moment with friends and the comfort of our rooms to refill batteries and start all over again the day after.

domain: travel


Make a list of all of the biggest problems on the planet and you’ll likely write things like “lack of fresh drinking water,” “food shortages,” and “air pollution,” just to name a few. If you then analyzed the list to pinpoint a single key that could help solve all the major problems, you’d likely narrow it down to one thing: Energy.
Energy is needed to do just about everything. Whether you want to convert salt water to fresh water or increase agricultural production, you need energy. In short, for all the biggest problems on the planet, the solution involves, to a great extent, energy.
This means that if we can solve the energy problem, then we can solve some of the biggest problems on the planet. The good news is that we’re on our way to doing some major transformations in energy.\
One thing we know for sure, though, is that as more people need and use energy on the planet, prices will go up unless we have something to offset the cost of energy. Fortunately, there is something that will offset the cost of energy, and that is intelligence energy management systems.
In order to make energy management systems intelligent, you need to put chips on just about everything from cement to plastic, roads to light bulbs, and of course machines. But chips alone won’t help; we need to get them to communicate with each other including using wireless connections. When machines talk to other machines, we refer to this as M2M (machine to machine communications). This technology is so ripe for development and wide scale deployment that China expects to have over one billion machines talking to each other by the end of the decade.
By getting machines to talk to other machines, by putting intelligence in everything that uses energy (including buildings and appliances), and by making the electronic grid a smart grid that can get smarter each year, we can do amazing things.
How amazing? The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy just completed a study. They estimated that the United States could slash 12% to 22% of our energy needs and usage just by using intelligent energy management systems.
And that’s not all. By 2015, the US Department of Defense believes they can cut up to 30% of the entire department’s energy needs simply by using better energy management software and making things intelligent.
We’re in the process of making cities more intelligent, including the roads, the stop signs, the traffic lights, and anything that uses energy. Currently, though, most of the things that use energy are dumb and they’re not connected other than to get power. But if we connect them to make them intelligent, then suddenly you can reduce energy use tremendously just as the demand is increasing.
If we don’t implement intelligent energy management for our cars, buildings, roads, and everything that uses fuel and energy, the costs of energy will rise fast. What’s interesting, though, is that the price of intelligence is going down just as the power of intelligence is going up, and that’s thanks to Moore’s Law. In other words, processing power doubles every 18 months as the price drops in half. So the cost of making things intelligent is dropping very quickly. That’s something to capitalize on.
Make no mistake: An energy revolution is occurring. Petroleum, coal, wind, solar…all are needed. The key is combining the old (made intelligent) with the new (with some new technology that allows for M2M communications all connected to intelligent power grids). Only then can we have a less polluted and more efficient future with a reasonable cost for energy.


The newly resurrected Lone Ranger and his right-hand man, Tonto, band together to fight injustice.
Armie Hammer - Page 2
Though we had heard rumors about Tom Cruise starring in a Guy Ritchie-helmed adaptation of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,' it looks like the project is moving forward and has just added Armie Hammer as Cruise's partner in arms.
Things have been awfully quiet around Disney's upcoming 'The Lone Ranger,' but with the summer movie season rapidly approaching, we can probably expect to start seeing a lot more (and getting sick) of it sooner rather than later. Two new character posters have arrived, each spotlighting the heroes of the film: Johnny Depp's Tonto and Armie Hammer's Lone Ranger.
Though audiences may not be quite as excited for 'The Lone Ranger' as they are for 'Iron Man 3' or 'Fast and Furious 6,' we think this 'Lone Ranger' Super Bowl trailer could change their mind.
While we're getting ready to see 'The Lone Ranger' premiere an all-new trailer during the 2013 Super Bowl this Sunday, Disney has released another poster in addition to its recently released teaser trailer.
A new 'Lone Ranger' trailer is one of the many new pieces of footage we'll get to see at the 2013 Super Bowl, and just as Disney released a sneak peek at the upcoming one for 'Oz: The Great and Powerful,' we now have a preview from 'The Lone Ranger.'
"There come a time when good man must wear mask." So intones Johnny Depp to Armie Hammer in 'The Lone Ranger' trailer, which reveals that director Gore Verbinski is up for being a little weird in his big budget blockbuster.
The planned 'Justice League' movie has been in a state of constant fluctuation on both the casting and director fronts. It felt like as soon as George Miller got the job helming the project, he just as quickly lost it shortly after news of his lead actor picks came out. While Warner Bros. is still shopping around for the right person to lead the 'Justice League' team, they might at least have gotten one step closer to deciding who should follow in Christian Bale's footsteps as Batman.
'The Lone Ranger' just released its first teaser trailer, showing off Johnny Depp in yet another outlandish costume -- this time for Tonto -- and Armie Hammer in his next role as Mr. Lone Ranger himself. While we were excited to se the first official footage of some of the action sequences, scenery and makeup, we couldn't help but think of Jon Stewart and how he may or may not have an illegitimate son out there.
We've been getting some great looks at the new 'Lone Ranger' film starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, but here's the first official 'Lone Ranger' poster to sufficiently keep you wanting more until the film's release... sometime next year.


An entrepreneur from Taiwan, Sumchi Wu, came up with an original addition to the bike in the form of magnets mounted in the pedal, with which he can be parked, or rather “glued” to metal objects, such as street lights or pipes.
Sumi Wu has already set up a campaign in Indiegogo to finance the project. A pair of pedals with magnets from aluminum alloy will cost $ 45, and in the plastic version – only 30. In addition to the pedals, there is a parking “point” – a metal wall plate, which is attached to the home parking.
For sure, many cyclists will appreciate the simple, but very useful invention of the Taiwanese inventor, called Pedal Park. In combination with high-tech “smart” anti-theft locks , which do not need to be mounted at each parking lot, the use of bicycle transport is more convenient than ever.


Two new microscopes, both the first of their kind, could help biologists observe how the brain develops and viruses attack, say researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The first captures small, fast-moving organisms at an unprecedented rate and double the spatial resolution of a conventional microscope; the second displays large-cell samples in 3-D while decreasing the amount of harmful light exposure to the cells. The first, 10 to 100 times faster than traditional technologies, also enables cell components that were once quite blurry to become sharply defined. “It’s always helpful to look at smaller and smaller things,” said Dr. Hari Shroff, lab chief of the section on High Resolution Optical Imaging at NIH’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). “Looking at a fixed cell at high resolution can tell you where different parts of the cell are at any given moment, but because much of biology depends on the movement of very small proteins finding each other and interacting, we really needed to look at how things move in a live cell.” Shroff and research fellow Dr. Andrew York found an answer to these problems with their new instant linear structured illumination microscopy (iSIM), described in a paper published in Nature Methods (doi: 10.1038/nmeth.2687). Building on traditional SIM technology, the iSIM allows real-time, 3-D superresolution imaging of small, rapidly moving structures such as individual blood cells moving through a live zebra fish embryo. “What we’ve essentially done is eliminate the need for extensive computer processing by creating a better microscope at every stage of data gathering,” Shroff said. “Before, we relied on computer software and algorithms to do things like sort through hundreds of images, eliminate out-of-focus light and combine the individual images together. Now, we can do most of that optically with the microscope itself.” (a) MSIM image of microtubules stained with Alexa Fluor 488 in a fixed cell. Scale bar: 5 μm. (b) Magnification of the boxed region in (a); MPSS = multifocal-excited, pinholed, scaled and summed images. MSIM = MPSS and deconvolved image. (c) Magnification of respective regions in (b); scale bars: 1 μm. (d) Plots of intensity along the respectively colored lines in (b). Full-width half-maximum values are: wide field, 299 nm; MPSS, 224 nm; and MSIM, 145 nm. Courtesy of Dr. Hari Shroff, NIBIB/NIH. This means that researchers can see the images instantly, instead of waiting hours or sometimes days, and the data takes only about 1 percent of the hard-drive space as that produced by previous microscopes. The second microscope, described in a paper published online in Nature Biotechnology (doi:10.1038/nbt.2713), builds on selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), which uses a thin beam of light to illuminate only the single plane being imaged. This prevents the biological sample from being overexposed to light. Traditionally, SPIM microscopes rotate the sample so that they can clearly see all the dimensions, but this severely limits the imaging speed and can increase the damage done to the cells from light exposure because of the many extra images taken at multiple angles. As a result, the ability to capture fast cellular motion is lost. To combat this, Shroff and NIBIB staff scientist Dr. Yicong Wu developed a dual-view SPIM (diSPIM) microscope with two separate detection cameras. The cameras are set at a 90° angle to capture perpendicular views of the sample, resulting in undistorted 3-D images. Because only two views are acquired, the microscope can still capture events at very high speed – high enough to image very fast moving viruses. Also, with relatively simple modifications, traditional single-camera SPIM microscopes can be converted into the dual-camera diSPIM. The real challenge in developing this technology was to find a way to combine the two disparate images from the two cameras, which required the creation of a new postprocessing software algorithm.


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There’s been a lot of focus recently in the news on the American Jobs Plan, which is the first component of Biden’s upcoming infrastructure package, but I wanted to make a quick video covering some recent reports about the second component of that package, which is the American Families Plan.
Mentioned In the Episode:
➡ Child Tax Credit for 2021: https://youtu.be/4G6UrFdMKmo
IRS Tax Relief:
➡ Do you owe the IRS more than $10,000 in back taxes? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.org and let me know how much you owe by year.


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BBC to spend more outside London
The BBC will be compelled by communications regulator Ofcom to spend more money filming in the UK’s regions outside London.
At least half of all BBC programming will have to be filmed in the regions, with spending proportionate to local populations.
Regulation of the BBC passes to Ofcom from April and the current consultation on regulating the corporation will run until mid-July this year.
“The BBC is the cornerstone of UK broadcasting,” said Kevin Bakhurst, content and media policy director for Ofcom.
“It should deliver quality content for its whole audience, with programmes that reflect the UK’s rich culture and showcase all its talents.”
Last month the BBC announced new pledges to boost spending in Scotland by £20m, much of which accounts for the launch of new channel BBC Scotland.
The corporation will also increase its spending in Wales by 50%, which will include investment in a new BBC Wales iPlayer channel.
Also on The Knowledge
A starry cast headed by Gemma Arterton and Alessandro Nivola is preparing to film Black Narcissus at Pinewood Studios and in Jomsom, Nepal.
The company behind period drama Mrs Wilson is working on Too Close, a new drama for ITV starring Emily Watson.
Film London recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Apulia Film Commission and with Fondazione Sardegna Film Commission.
The ninth film in Universal’s Fast & Furious franchise is set to shoot in Edinburgh in September.
Mark Wahlberg is lined up to star in Infinite, which is currently setting up a UK shoot.
Director Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, which has the working title Let Them All Talk, is currently shooting scenes on board Cunard’s ocean liner Queen Mary 2 heading for Southampton.


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Oct. 22, 2008 -- An experimental multiple sclerosis drug proved to be much more effective for the treatment of early MS than a widely used treatment in a study, but the efficacy came at a price.
Patients with early relapsing-remitting MS treated with the drug alemtuzumab had far fewer relapses and evidence of MS progression than patients treated with the approved treatment, interferon beta-1a.
Remarkably, some patients who got the experimental drug had less disability associated with their disease three years after starting the study than at entry, raising hopes that the treatment might stop the disease in its tracks before it progresses to its crippling stage.
1 Alemtuzumab Death
But nearly one in four alemtuzumab-treated patients also developed treatment-related thyroid complications.
Even more troubling, 3% of the patients developed a potentially life-threatening autoimmune condition, which resulted in the death of one patient.
Study co-author Alasdair Coles, PhD, tells WebMD that phase III trials will soon be under way to determine if the benefits of alemtuzumab outweigh the risks in patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
According to the National MS Society, relapsing-remitting MS accounts for 85% of people who are first diagnosed with MS.
The study appears in the Oct. 23 issue of TheNew England Journal of Medicine.
"The phase II results are very exciting, but this is not ready for routine use," he says. "We need to know more about the long-term effectiveness and adverse effects. That is our challenge over the next few years."
Developed by Cambridge University researchers several decades ago, alemtuzumab was the first monoclonal antibody made for use in humans, and it is approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
It works by targeting and destroying certain immune cells, which normally protect against infection but are believed to be damaged in MS and other autoimmune diseases, resulting in the destruction of healthy tissue.
Cambridge researchers first tried the drug in patients with advanced multiple sclerosis, with little success.
The newly reported phase II trial included only patients with early, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who had not been treated with other MS drugs.
Between December 2002 and July 2004, 334 patients in Europe and the United States were enrolled in the study.
About a third of the patients were treated with the first-line therapy interferon beta-1a, given by injection three times a week. The remaining patients were treated with alemtuzumab, given by infusion in once-a-year cycles.
The initial cycle involved four-hour infusions given daily for five days. Twelve months later, most patients got a second, three-day course of the drug.
Three years after the trial was initiated, treatment with the experimental drug was associated with dramatic reductions in clinical relapses and a reduction in inflammatory activity (as seen on brain MRI scans) compared to the interferon treatment.
But Cole says the fact that the experimental treatment actually appeared to reverse damage to brain tissue caused by MS is the most exciting finding from the study.
"That is unprecedented and very big news," he says. "Another important part of the strategy involves treating patients very early in the course of the disease with the most effective agents we have."
The study was funded by the drug companies Genzyme and Bayer Schering Pharma AG, which own the marketing rights to alemtuzumab.
In a Wednesday morning news conference, Genzyme Medical Director Susan Moran, MD, addressed the death that occurred during the study.
The patient died from an autoimmune-mediated blood condition known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Moran said the death could have been avoided if ITP had been recognized as an adverse effect of the treatment.
"Unfortunately, the patient had symptoms of ITP but did not seek medical attention prior to diagnosis because this was not recognized as an adverse event," she says.
Once the risk was known, patients in the study were monitored closely for ITP. Five additional cases were identified, and all were managed with treatment.
Close Monitoring Essential
Moran says all the patients enrolled in the phase III trial and all patients who end up taking the drug if it is approved for MS will have to be monitored closely for this adverse effect.
Researchers are also working on ways to identify patients who are most likely to develop ITP before treatment and to identify the MS patients who are most likely to benefit from early, aggressive therapy.
In an editorial published with the study, neurologist and longtime MS researcher Stephen L. Hauser, MD, writes that it is not yet clear if alemtuzumab will prove to be an acceptable first-line treatment for early MS.
Hauser is chief of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.
"Taken together, the toxic effects associated with alemtuzumab considerably dampen any enthusiasm for its routine use in patients with multiple sclerosis until more is known about its long-term safety and sustained efficacy," he writes.
John Richert, MD, of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), tells WebMD that it is increasingly clear that aggressive treatment early in the course of disease is a better strategy than waiting until MS progresses.
He agrees that alemtuzumab's role in MS treatment remains to be determined.
Richert is vice president for research and clinical programs for NMSS.
"This may be the breakthrough drug we are looking for, but we won't know that until the phase III study is done," he says.


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Howie Mandel is always looking for a challenge.
Mandel began his career as a standup comedian but has branched out to acting (St. Elsewhere), hosting game shows (Deal Or Now Deal) and judging reality shows (America’s Got Talent). Mandel took a few minutes recently to chat about his career to advance his July 26 appearance at the Casino Regina Show Lounge.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Q: There’s a feature on you that’s part of the PBS Pioneers of Television section of their website. Do you consider yourself a television pioneer?
A: “I feel as old as a pioneer but no, I didn’t pioneer television.”
Q: You’ve been in the business going on 40 years now. It’s called a business for good reason as it’s a dog eat dog world. Is there a secret to fashioning a lengthy and successful career?
A: “Just do it. Nike has the secret and the secret for me has been to just continue. It’s really easy to give up because it is dog eat dog but the one mainstay is what I’m coming (to Regina) to do — standup. Regardless of everything else I’ve done, whether I’m judging or hosting a game show, doing cartoons or acting or whatever, I’ve always have standup. Standup is my joy, standup is my comfy place, standup is what I live to do. But what people should know (if they’re coming to the show), don’t bring the kids to my live shows. I’m an adult and I don’t really edit myself and what I really love about standup is, unlike everything else I do, there are no marks to hit, no lines to recite, no editing to do. Anything can happen. That’s my freedom and that’s my primal scream at the end of the day.”