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At the edge of a cliff: Crisis in Los Angeles
Crunch-time for county after years of red ink
With TB control programs across the country caught between flat federal funding, declining state and local revenues, and increasing numbers of foreign-born patients, many TB controllers sound as if they are pointed straight down on the slope of the so-called "U-shaped curve of concern" — the part of the cycle when funding for TB falls off, provoking rising case loads, which, in turn, inspire renewed attention and funding.
Even though Los Angeles County has its own situation-specific set of problems, it’s tempting to call TB controllers’ troubles there emblematic of trials besetting programs elsewhere in the country.
One cruel irony in Los Angeles is that the TB control program, though having to bear deficits along with the rest of the county health system, is innocent of having contributed to the crisis, TB experts say. "If anything, TB control has probably done better than other parts of the system in shifting to outpatient services," says Annette Nitta, MD, TB controller for the county. "Public health in general is not responsible for racking up the debt. The part of the system that’s bleeding money is the hospital side."
For years, the county’s health care system was heavily weighted toward inpatient care, causing it to hemorrhage rivers of red ink. Adding to the fiscal woes were strong public employee unions, plus huge numbers of indigent patients without insurance, many of whom are foreign-born workers. Since 1995, the county has struggled to eliminate costly redundancies in its hospital system, shifting more services to outpatient care.
Indeed, if $54 million from a 1995 federal bailout weren’t about to run out, the county still would be plodding along, painstakingly implementing the necessary structural reforms, adds John Schunhoff, PhD, chief of operations for county public health.
Unfortunately, time has run out. In the face of a health department deficit projected to run as high as $800 million by 2005-2006, the county Board of Supervisors recently approved cuts of $57 million, including a 10% cut to public health spending amounting to $8.9 million.1 Eleven of 18 county health clinics are destined for closure. Though none of those is directly involved in TB case management, some of the clinics do TB screening and treatment for latent infection; and that, in turn, stands to adversely effect the rest of the program, Nitta contends. "Those people will have to go somewhere else, and that conceivably will interfere with case management," she points out.
In addition, High Desert Hospital (located in Lancaster), the state’s only civil detention facility for noncompliant TB patients, also is scheduled to close. One plan to bring in revenue and keep High Desert open calls for the facility open a skilled-nursing wing whose patients would come from the state Department of Corrections.
Alternatively, one of the public hospitals still standing after the cuts might be able to open a civil detention facility, says Schunhoff. "But that’s touchy, too, since the future of those facilities is also up in the air," he adds.
Despite redundancies and other expenses linked to inpatient care, a big chunk of the trouble is not of the county’s making. "Indigent care is a huge factor driving the crisis," says Nitta. Even though TB patients are eligible for Medicaid reimbursement — in theory, at least, though the state has had only slight success in getting them enrolled in the program — neither private nor public insurance or reimbursement are available to indigent patients seeking care other than for communicable diseases from the county health system.
Too, the state is disproportionately burdened with medically indigent patients, Nitta points out. "Of all states in the union, California has the highest proportion of medically indigent people," she says. The number of medically indigent patients in Los Angeles County alone equals 2 million people.2 Plus, the medically indigent make up the whopping portion, 80%, of the county health system’s caseload.
Clearly, it is the medically indigent who will bear the brunt of the cuts. "There’s no argument from the county that this is where the burden will fall," says Schunhoff. Yet public health may also wind up paying a heavy price. According to Nitta, TB cases in the state are up, from 3,297 in 2000 to 3,332 in 2001; and in LA County, instead of continuing the recent trend of fairly robust dips each year, cases fell only slightly last year, from 1,065 cases in 2000 to 1,046 in 2001.
1. Health threats strain staffs. Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2002.
2. Give health chief options. Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2002.
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domain: health


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"Yunus Emre" (1240?–1320?) was a Turkic peoples/Turkish Poetry/poet and Sufism/Sufi Mysticism/mystic. He has exercised immense influence on Turkish literature, from his own day until the present. Because Yunus Emre is, after Ahmet Yesevi and Sultan Walad, one of the first known poets to have composed works in the spoken Turkish of his own age and region rather than in Persian or Arabic, his diction remains very close to the popular speech of his contemporaries in Central and Western Anatolia. This is also the language of a number of anonymous folk-poets, folk-songs, fairy tales, riddles (tekerlemeler), and proverbs.
Like the Oghuz languages/Oghuz Book of Dede Korkut, an older and anonymous Central Asian epic, the Turkish folklore that inspired Yunus Emre in his occasional use of tekerlemeler as a poetic device had been handed down orally to him and his contemporaries. This strictly oral tradition continued for a long while.If you enjoy these quotes, be sure to check out other famous poets! More Yunus Emre on Wikipedia.

domain: artistic


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SPEECH TITLES AND/OR TOPICS
After Dinner Speaker | Diversity | Entertainment
"Provocative." "Opinionated." "Real." These are a few of the many names associated with Ananda Lewis, an award-winning broadcast personality who is seen on the hit celebrity news show, The Insider with Pat O'Brien. Some of Ms. Lewis's previous accomplishments include hosting her own talk show The Ananda Lewis Show, as well as hosting shows and specials on BET and MTV, earning her recognition from peers and the adoration of a worldwide fan base who continue to watch her star rise. Recognized as one of our country's new generation of leaders, this Howard University graduate has long been committed to social activism and youth causes that bridge the generation gap, including race and prejudice, mental health, literacy, prevention of worldwide childhood starvation, and animal cruelty prevention.
Some highlights of Ananda Lewis's career include her roles as celebrity spokesperson for Pepsi, BBK Healthcare, Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and celebrity spokesperson and on-air radio host for Moet & Chandon. Active in humanitarian causes, Ananda Lewis participated in a five-day mission of feeding and clothing children orphaned by AIDS in Ambo, Ethiopia, and was a featured panelist in MSNBC's "Live Race Relations Forum" from the historical 16th St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL. Ananda Lewis hosted the United Nation's "International Day of Ending Racial Discrimination" with Mary Robinson, and hosted the White House Teen Suicide Prevention Forum with former Surgeon General, David Satcher. Along with Tipper Gore, Ananda Lewis was a featured speaker at the White House launch of the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign- White House launch. Ananda Lewis was awarded the NAACP Image Award in 2001 for her MTV Special, True Life: I Am Driving While Black, and won the Teen Choice Awards for "Best TV Personality" nomination in 2002. She was voted one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2000, one of Cosmopolitan Magazine's "Fun Fearless Females" in 2001, and voted a "Cosmo Girl of the Year" in 2001.
Ananda Lewis has been featured in such magazines as Vogue, Essence, Self, Cosmopolitan, Allure, W, US, Honey, and TV Guide. Her celebrity talk circuit appearances include appearances on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The View, The Howard Stern Show, The Chris Rock Show, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn,Hollywood Squares, and BET Tonight with Ed Gordon.

domain: celebrity


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NCSO: 4:44 p.m. Sunday, 280th Street and Ulrich Avenue, Worthington.
1:03 p.m. Sunday: 200 block of 110th Avenue, Pipestone County, hay bales on fire. Holland First Responders dispatched.
2:03 p.m. Monday: 300 block of East Fourth Street, Lismore, kitchen fire.
WPD: illegal burning, 6:04 p.m. Sunday, 1500 block of Clary Street.
Lyon County Sheriff’s Office: Roberto Cruz Cespedes, 19, of Sioux Center, Iowa was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of driving while suspended and speeding. Cruz Cespedes was also served with an active Sioux County arrest warrant for failing to appear on the original charges of forgery, second-degree theft, stalking, harassment and violation of a no-contact order. A passenger in the vehicle, Andrea Garcia, 19, of Sheldon, Iowa, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance-first offense and possession of alcohol under legal age. Two other passengers, Maria Garcia, 21, and Alejandro Abundes, 18, both of Sheldon, were released on citations for open container and possession of alcohol under legal age, respectively. Both Cruz Cespedes and Garcia were transported to the Lyon County Jail.
WPD: property damage, 9:51 a.m. Monday, 1200 block of Elmwood Avenue.
NCSO: dog bite, 2:15 p.m. Monday, 1100 block of Fifth Avenue, Brewster.

domain: news


What kind of fabrics do you use when you do the Iron_On embroidery patterns? I picked up 5 Aunt Martha's Hot Iron Transfers from Joann's yesterday. I couldn't resist, they were $1.99 each. I thought I'd use them for some random things when quilting, but mostly when I do labels and stuff. Can they be used on any fabric? Should the fabric be solid colored or can it have a light print on it? I'm just curious.


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Scrumptiously Sticky Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe made in just 15 minutes are here to please your seafood cravings.
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 5 Min
Once your shrimp has been peeled and deveined, if they didn’t already come that way, pat them dry with a paper towel.
In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, ginger, honey, and soy sauce. Mix to combine and set it aside.
Toss around the shrimp in a bowl with cornstarch, making sure they’re all evenly coated.
Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. If you have a cast-iron skillet use it! Otherwise, a regular skillet will work.
Add shrimp to the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to overlap. Cook for about 1 minute on each side until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove them onto a plate once they are cooked.
Pour in the soy sauce and honey mixture you have set aside and bring it to a boil. Cook it for about 2 minutes before returning the shrimp back into the pan.
Coat each of the shrimp with the sauce and remove from the heat. Serve on top of a bed of rice or alongside some potatoes or veggies. Garnish with red pepper flakes and green onions and enjoy!

domain: food


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This article focuses on understanding the temperature and heat flux fields in building roofs, and how they are modulated by the interacting influences of albedo and insulation at annual, seasonal and diurnal scales. High precision heat flux plates and thermocouples were installed over multiple rooftops of varying insulation thickness and albedo in the Northeastern United States to monitor the temperature and the heat flux into and out of the roof structures for a whole year.
The analysis shows that while membrane reflectivity (albedo) plays a dominant role in reducing the heat conducted inward through the roof structures during the warmer months, insulation thickness becomes the main roof attribute in preventing heat loss from the buildings during colder months. On a diurnal scale, the thermal state of the white roof structures fluctuated little compared to black roof structures; membrane temperature over white roofs ranged between 10°C and 45°C during summer months compared to black membranes that ranged between 10°C and 80°C. Insulation thickness, apart from reducing the heat conducted through the roof structure, also delayed the transfer of heat, owing to the thermal inertia of the insulation layer. This has important implications for determining the peak heating and cooling times.
P. Ramamurthy, T. Sun, K. Rule, E. Bou-Zeid, The Joint Influence of Albedo and Insulation on Roof Performance: An Observational Study, Energy and Buildings (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.02.040
Source: Energy and Buildings
Publication Date: February 2015

domain: literature


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Doctor refuses to see unvaccinated patientsPlay Video - 2:16
January 30th, 2015
Doctor refuses to see unvaccinated patients
Dr. Natalie Azar joins TODAY to discuss the CDC saying it’s fairly certain the measles outbreak began with a foreign tourist. Meanwhile, a California doctor says he won’t treat patients who haven’t been vaccinated for measles.

domain: medical


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Head to Sandown and you can enjoy wonderful bay views, indulge in a spot of golf or even take the kids to the Dinosaur Museum - with so many things to do, you'll struggle to fit it all in.
Sandown's golden sand beach is perfect for a relaxing day in the sun. There's a lovely seafront where you can rent deckchairs and beach huts, and a 19th century pier where there are amusements, mini golf, children's play area and an outdoor funfair. The beach has flown the Seaside Award flag for over a decade and is the perfect place for safe family bathing.
For thrill seekers, Sandown has several watersports centres where you can improve your surfing and windsurfing skills. The most popular base for activities is Sandown Bay.
If you want to take in the beautiful sights of Sandown take a walk around Culver Down. The beautiful coastal path offers panoramic landscapes with great views across the English Channel.
Dinosaur Isle is the first purpose built dinosaur attraction in the UK. With life sized models of dinosaurs and excavated dinosaur skeletons, a trip here is sure to provide a quirky and fun day out, with lots of hands-on activities teaching visitors about all the different types of dinosaur.
Sandown is also the home of the Isle of Wight Zoo, where you can get close to animals, from lemurs to lions. The Zoo also runs tours of different exhibitions all day long and you'll have lots of chances to watch the zoo keepers feed the animals. For the younger kids, Zoolittle Farm is the perfect place to see rabbits and goats.

domain: geography


Le rendez-vous du vendredi soir entre 21H à minuit quand la Nuit Zébrée est de repos.
En direct et en public les invités de Piu Piu viennent partager leurs perles et pépites cachées au fond de leur Ipod.
Sound Opinions is the World's only rock and roll talkshow. Hosted by Jim DeRogatis of WBEZ and Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune. Each week Jim and Greg bring you the latest music reviews. Plus, tune in to hear exclusive interviews and performances. Sound Opinions is a production of WBEZ Chicago and distributed by PRX. Updated weekly.
France Bleu Poitou est LA radio des artistes de la région. Elle diffuse leurs créations tout au long de la semaine et propose chaque weekend la découverte d'un nouvel artiste ou d'un nouveau groupe à l'occasion d'une heure de Live.
iHeartRadio presents “Inside The Studio,” a brand-new, in-depth series featuring intimate conversations with some of music’s biggest stars. Each episode features an unscripted sit-down with artists on the verge of releasing new material – rounded out with a sound-rich tour through their lives and discographies. Taking advantage of podcasting’s lean-in approach, “Inside The Studio” reveals previously unseen sides of artists, giving fans the sort of access that is missing from much of today’s music coverage. Inside the Studio is written and hosted by Joe Levy, a Contributing Editor at Rolling Stone, and correspondent for Access Hollywood who is frequently seen on The Today Show and CBS This Morning, and is produced by iHeartRadio and Audiation.
Radioline gives to users access to more than 110 000 News, Sports, Talk, Music radio stations and podcasts worldwide. The user can easily find and listen to his favorite radio stations, and discover new ones according to his mood, location, musical taste and more!
Radioline gives to users access on multiple devices to more than 110 000 News, Sports, Talk, and Music Radio stations and Podcasts worldwide since 2006.


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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Sri Lanka Saturday signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) after bilateral talks to further promote cooperation in trade, technical education and media, officials said.
The visiting President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani witnessed the signing ceremony here at Prime Minister House along with the members of their delegations, a statement from the PM office said.The first MoU was signed for the cooperation in media and it was signed by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Aishaq Awan on behalf of Pakistan and Minister for External Affairs Prof G.L Peiris signed the MoU on behalf of Sri Lanaka.
The second MoU signed by Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Economic Affairs Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Sri Lankan Minister for External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris on behalf of their respective government for credit of US dollars 200 million for improving Pakistan’s export from Sri Lanka.The third MoU was signed by Secretary Ministry of Professional and Technical Education Qamar Zaman Chaudhry and Secretary to President of Sri Lanka Lalith Weerathunga on behalf of Sri Lankan government for enhancing cooperation in technical training in different fields.
The MoU was signed for the cooperation between National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTEC) of Pakistan and Tertiary And Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka.Under the agreement to promote cooperation in media, both the countries will enhance the exchange of news stories, special programmes, important publications to highlight the historical, cultural, social, sports and literature of the two countries through radio, TV, agencies and information establishments.
The two countries will also explore the avenues for joint productions of documentary fields on topics of national and historical interests.Under this MoU, the two countries will also exchange of visits and training facilities of the TV, radio and print journalists experts media managers and trainees on reciprocal basis. – Onlinenews


At about the time this post appears, Barack Obama will take the oath of office and officially become our 44th president, following in the footsteps of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan — and also Millard Fillmore, Chester Arthur, and Jimmy Carter. To steal a phrase from a popular movie, any president is like a box of chocolates; you don’t know what you’re going to get until it’s too late.
People have asked me since the election how I will approach the Obama presidency, but it’s really not that much of a mystery. I’m not going to be rooting for his failure, because I’m rooting for America. I believe most people feel the same way; Obama won the election and for better or worse, he’s our president. But that doesn’t mean that any of us will sit quietly for the next four years or the next four days.
The campaign is over, and now Obama has to govern, which means he has to start backing policies and initiatives that will reveal himself and his direction very clearly. If Obama really wants to succeed in restoring the economy and creating jobs, he’ll have to find ways to motivate capital back into action — which will mean keeping taxes low, especially on capital-gains rates, and cutting government intervention. Policies which confiscate capital will make the situation worse, and I will point that out as often and as vociferously as possible.
On foreign policy, we need strength, deterrence, and tenacity in dealing with enemies. Allies who don’t support that won’t be worth much as allies, and multinational organizations more intent on anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism are a waste of time. Expect me to loudly criticize the Obama administration for following useless policies designed to increase the Kumbaya factor at the expense of our national security.
Campaign issues, like Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and so on, no longer matter. Obama won the election. In four years, he’ll run for re-election, and what will matter will be the things Obama did between now and then. When Obama does something right, I’ll praise it, but I’ll speak up when policies go bad and mistakes are made. That’s part of being an American.
Best of luck, President Obama. My prayers are with you, for support and wisdom as you assume the burden of this office and lead our country. When you fail to provide that leadership or demonstrate wisdom, though, don’t expect me to be silent. I’m rooting for America, not the coach.


The National Electricity Board (PLN) has warned that Bali can expect period blackouts between the dates of September 23 - November 23, 2009, as repairs are undertaken on a gas-powered electrical generating plant near Gilimanuk in Bali's far west.
As reported by The Jakarta Post, consumers are being warned that the key areas of Kuta, Nusa Dua and Denpasar can expect to experience several hours of blackouts on each day during the specified period.
While PLN is renting additional power generators to help reduce the need for blackouts. When operating at full capacity, PLN supplies Bali with 562 megawatts of power against a peak hour demand of 490 megawatts. The planned repairs at the Gilimanuk generating station will reduce Bali's supply to just 432 megawatts, insufficient to supply all the island's power demand at peak hours.
Bali's power supply comes from a diesel-generated plant in Pesanggaran (152 megawatts), Pemaron (80 megawatts), the Java-Bali interconnection (200 megawatts), and Gilimanuk (130 megawatts).
Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced
if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com.


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If you’re an African-American woman struggling to lose weight, a new study shows that your troubles might not lie solely in your eating and exercise habits, but rather in your DNA. A report published in the International Journal of Obesity finds that African-American women lose less weight than their Caucasian counterparts, even with comparable dietary and physical activity routines.
According to the study, the reason for the difference is that black women’s metabolisms — the process by which your body converts food into energy — are slower than white women’s. Thus, they burn fewer calories per day, which causes them to lose less weight. This means that African-American women have to either burn more calories (i.e., exercise more) or ingest fewer calories (i.e., eat less) in order to lose the same amount of weigh as Caucasian women. Even when resting, white women burn more calories due to their higher metabolism.
The study, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, involved 105 “severely obese” women — 39 black and 66 white — with similar body mass index (BMI) measurements (a measurement of body fat based on height and weight). They were placed on the same low-calorie diet (1,800 calories per day) and given the same exercise regimen. After six months, the black subjects lost an average of seven to eight pounds less than the white subjects. Using electronic monitors and other means, a close eye was kept on the women so that there would be no impact on the findings due to individuals cheating on their diets or slacking on their exercise.
Differences in metabolism have typically been attributed to age (the rate slowing after age 40), gender (men’s rates being faster than women’s), body type (more muscle or more overall weight triggering a higher rate) and family heredity, but now race may also have to be taken into consideration. As such, doctors and other medical professionals specializing in weight loss should factor in race when coming up with diet and exercise regimens for their patients.
One possible reason for the racial difference in metabolic rates is that the American diet is based largely on European foods, meaning that people of European descent may have bodies that have evolved to burn these foods more efficiently. Backing up this theory are studies that show that Asians with Western diets have issues with metabolism and diabetes at a much lower BMI than white people.
Due to a lack of data, it remains to be seen if there is a similar difference in metabolism between African-American males and Caucasian males, but early indications imply that there is little or no such disparity.
(Sources: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, HealthDay, WebMD, National Institutes of Health)

domain: biology


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Posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014 by Russ Fischer
Michael Almereyda is the latest to tweak William Shakespeare’s work to suit his purposes. Almereyda’s Cymbeline sees him teaming one more with Ethan Hawke, who starred in the director’s Hamlet in 2000. Cymbeline envisions the original text as “an epic battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang set in a corruption-riddled America.” Ed Harris also stars, along with Milla Jovovich, John Leguizamo, Penn Badgley, Dakota Johnson and Anton Yelchin. Check out the new Cymbeline trailer below, along with a new clip.
Cymbeline premieres this week at the Venice Film Festival, and will hit the US in 2015. Trailer and clip via The Film Stage.
Cool Posts From Around the Web:
King Cymbeline, leader of the Briton Motorcycle Club, clashes with the corrupt Roman Police while his radiant but disobedient daughter Imogen fends off assaults on her honor and her life. Cymbeline’s wife and her son aspire to take over the king’s empire, and Imogen’s marriage to Posthumus is undermined by sinister interference from Iachimo, a malevolent stranger. Shakespeare’s timeless themes are love and betrayal, revenge and forgiveness, death and renewal.


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The Government is to move away from a “last-minute” approach to providing asylum seeker accommodation, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan claimed. He made the comment as anti-immigrant protestors continued their campaign in Roscrea, Tipperary for a fourth consecutive night.
The Greens leader said the coalition plans to cease using private sector facilities and instead concentrate refugees in larger State-owned buildings.
He said some locations have already been selected but that the process “will take time”, though he did not disclose where these would be situated.
What has been said
Mr Ryan said: “We do need to switch away from relying on this large number of small and emergency facilities from the private sector towards using a certain number of centres that will be better for everyone.” He added that they won’t be on such a “needs-must basis at the last minute”.
Mr Ryan continued: “In a challenge which we have which is largely arising from a shortage in accommodation, firstly we don’t blockade and we don’t burn. Burning down our accommodation is doing nothing.
“It’s illegal, it’s criminal but also, we have to have a fundamental understanding that in managing this we can’t completely shut the doors and say ‘Ireland is full’. We do recognise that we have to help communities where people are coming in and we have to create a system which is not based on emergency response.”
He told RTE: “We have had to do that in the last two years because it has been unprecedented having to find 100,000 accommodation units at no notice in very challenging circumstances. We have done that but we will change towards a more long-term, sustainable solution.”
A protest has been under way for days in Roscrea over plans to house family applicants in a hotel in the town. Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said there was no way around plans to put asylum seekers there.
He said: “We are responding to a humanitarian crisis and in the situation in Roscrea, we are responding to the needs of families to ensure that they will be accommodated. As long as people continue to seek international accommodation, we will have to do that.”
He also denied that protests at centres in Mayo and Carlow earmarked for male-only asylum seekers had no influence on his department instead deciding to house families in the buildings.
The Government has faced criticism for alleged U-turns after the Department of Integration scrapped plans to house 50 male asylum seekers at a former hotel in Ballinrobe and the Capuchin Friary in Carlow following protests.
The department said it now intends to accommodate families including children at the sites instead.
Mr O’Gorman, who rejected claims the Government had bowed down to protestors, said his department is under “very significant pressure” to provide accommodation for families and female applicants.
He said: “It’s not because in both of those locations, the change in policy was solely to do with our need to accommodate families.” Mr O’Gorman said the Government is not in a position to provide accommodation for all male applicants, adding: “That’s not a situation that I want.”
He denied claims that protests had any impact on his department’s decisions.
The minister added: “If we have hadn’t made those changes in Carlow and Ballinrobe, we would have seen families left unaccommodated. It was an operational decision and the officials in my department have to have that flexibility to deal with the needs of the people who are before us on that particular day.”
He said his department needs to move to a longer-term planned approach nationally rather than a “reactive” method.
Speaking on Newstalk, he said: “We’ve had to take accommodation where we can find it because of the significant need and the significant increase in demand both in terms of Ukrainian and international-protection applicants.
“We need to move to a more planned approach where we identify — across the country — a number of locations for accommodation centres where the State is in control of those.”
The department expects to deal with up to around 15,000 international protection applicants every year.
Mr O’Gorman said: “It is a still a small number compared to the amounts that many other European countries provide asylum to and it’s also a small number in terms of a country of a population of five million people.”

domain: sociology


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BAA`s seven UK airports handled a total of 8 million passengers in January 2002, a fall of 3.9% against the same month last year, which, as indicated in the third quarter results, represents continued recovery on the results of October -12.0%, November -10.6% and December -6.4%.
The gradual recovery extends across all major markets. North Atlantic and domestic traffic showed the strongest improvement and were down in January by -10.1% and -2.7% respectively. This compares with -13.0% and -6.5% in December. Other long haul traffic also improved, down -4.7% in January compared with -6.0% in December. Heavy discounting by airlines on Irish routes resulted in strong Irish traffic growth of +10.9%.
Among individual airports, traffic at Stansted grew +17.2%, Glasgow was up +4.3% and Edinburgh added +10.2%. Growth at these airports has continued to be buoyed by strong marketing by low fare scheduled carriers.
Heathrow improved from a fall of -6.8% in December to -3.9% in January, re-confirming the trend by airlines to protect their positions at Europe`s leading hub. Gatwick`s figures remained stable at -16.4%. By the end of February, new routes by easyJet will come on line, giving them a total of 22 daily departures from Gatwick, making it the airport`s second largest scheduled airline.
Air transport movements fell -4.4% in January. Cargo tonnage was also down by -7.8%, showing a reduction in the rate of decline seen over the last few months.

domain: economics


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Casey’s stock performance
As a result of weaker-than-expected results, Casey’s General Stores (CASY) stock has fallen about 2.6% this year. It’s currently trading at $115.78, or ~18.0% below its 52-week high. In comparison, convenience store players CST Brands (CST) and Murphy USA (MUSA) have managed to stay positive, rising 0.50% and 11.2%, respectively, to date.
Supermarket players have also delivered mixed performances. The stock prices of Kroger (KR) and Supervalu (SVU) have fallen ~15.0% and ~18.0% YTD, respectively. On the other hand, Whole Foods Market (WFM) and Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) have risen 14.0% and 27.0%, respectively, to date.
A look at Casey’s dividend payments
Casey has paid regular dividends since 1991. It increased its dividend per share at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10.0% between fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2016. It paid $0.88 in dividends in fiscal 2016, which was a rise of 10.0% YoY (year-over-year). For fiscal 2017, annualized dividends are $0.94, which is 7.0% more than the previous year.
Casey’s has a dividend payout ratio of 17.0%, which means it distributes 17.0% of its earnings to investors as dividends. That’s lower than dividend-paying retailers Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT), which have dividend payout ratios of 34.0% and 50.0%, respectively.
The company’s stock offers a one-year forward dividend yield of just 0.80%, which is lower than Walmart’s at 2.4% and Target’s at 4.6%.
Investors looking for exposure to Casey’s can invest in the ProShares S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats (REGL), which has about 2.2% of its holdings invested in the company.
In the next part of this series, we’ll find out how Wall Street analysts are rating Casey’s.


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Weatherford International Ltd.
News about Weatherford International Ltd., including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
ARTICLES ABOUT WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL LTD.
In one of the biggest settlements for corporate misbehavior overseas, a Swiss oil services company agreed to pay over $250 million to resolve charges that included defiance of sanctions against Iran.
November 27, 2013, Wednesday
Some of the largest oil fields auctioned by the Iraqis went to non-American companies, but American-based concerns have won the largest subcontracts to drill for oil and refurbish equipment.
June 17, 2011, Friday
Weatherford International is buying two divisions of the Precision Drilling Corporation, an oil services company based in Calgary, Alberta, for about $2.28 billion.
June 7, 2005, Tuesday
Weatherford International, an oil field services company, said yesterday that it had acquired the oil-services provider Orwell Group for about $165 million in stock and $85 million of assumed debt to expand its international position and add spare...
April 24, 2001, Tuesday
The Tesco Corporation, the Canadian oil service company, said yesterday that it had sold a division that offers new-technology drilling services to the Houston-based Weatherford International for $33 million. Tesco said it sold its specialized und...
March 13, 2001, Tuesday
The oil field products and services provider Weatherford International Inc. said yesterday that it had agreed to buy the Alpine Oil Services Corporation of Calgary, Alberta, for around $55 million in stock. Alpine's services include drilling, flow...
May 16, 2000, Tuesday
Weatherford International said yesterday that it had acquired the Williams Tool Company for $64 million in stock, or about 1.75 million shares. Williams Tool, based in Fort Smith, Ark., provides underbalanced pressure control technology for drilli...
September 16, 1999, Thursday
Weatherford International Inc., which makes and rents tools used to drill oil and natural-gas wells, agreed yesterday to buy Dailey International Inc., a maker of tools that remove obstructions in wells, for $195 million in stock. Weatherford, whi...
May 22, 1999, Saturday
Weatherford International Inc. will acquire the Enterra Corporation, another energy service company based in Houston, in a stock swap valued at about $540 million. The acquisition was the most recent toward consolidation of the domestic oil servic...
June 27, 1995, Tuesday
Weatherford International Inc. and the Tuboscope Vetco International Corporation said yesterday that they had ended merger talks, canceling an agreement reached last month to swap stock in a $370 million deal. The Houston-based oilfield service co...
August 18, 1993, Wednesday
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Proper Writes Leuven is starting the year off with ‘Daemon Tales’. Tell us tale of worlds unknown and undiscovered, sapped with adventure and mystery. Tell us a poem that unravels reality. 132 more words
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For the past 11 years we’ve been publishing these tiny little books on the best-loved (sometimes hated), most popular and often most misunderstood albums in pop, rock, soul, hip-hop and electronic music. 437 more words
Calling all budding writer-illustrators aged 16 and above: This is an opportunity to produce your own Children’s Picture Book!
In a 9-session series, P L A C E S will take you through the basics of writing and illustrating for children under the mentorship of established writers and illustrator. 89 more words

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Ever3: The tool to attract and retain talent in your company
We collaborate on a platform that integrates the latest advances in neuroscience and AI to analyze the variables determining talent loss and attraction.
HÉLIX 2: Big Data and AI to finance companies
Plain Concepts' project Hélix 2 uses Big data and AI to develop a company with which companies seek and find funding.
Customer 360 Profiles for Optimized Decision-Making | Armas Trasmediterránea
We helped Trasmediterránea with the creation of 360 profiles of their clients to optimize their business decisions by having a real-time solid vision of them.
ASSAF.E: The Future Data Strategy for the Farming Sector
ASSAF.E has relied on Plain Concepts to create a platform that is capable of ingesting and transforming data in a programmed and automatic manner.
Data Platform to Enable Advanced Analytics and a Modern Reporting Experience | Carreras Logistics Group
Plain Concepts helped Carreras Logistics Group start their journey towards data governance and become a technology-driven company by deploying Sidra Data Platform.
BBVA Valora View: An Augmented Reality App
BBVA Valora View is a mobile app developed for BBVA that helps you find properties for rent or sale. This app combines Big Data, Xamarin, and Augmented Reality to transform the way people find their new home.
Repsol: Optimization of oil field processes
Excalibur is the tool developed by Repsol that uses statistical and mathematical techniques to analyse the information needed to reduce the risk of error and optimise the process of detecting and extracting oil deposits, visualized with 3D geological models developed with the Evergine that simulate the real state of the deposits.
Asisa: How To Migrate Over 100 Databases With No Interruption of Service
Plain Concepts in full collaboration with Microsoft Spain planned and executed the migration of all Asisa’s databases to Azure. Now Asisa has access to an innovative and optimal environment to manage their resources and investments with agility.


Only this morning, in a surprise move, the eldest of two stepsisters to our new princess and queen-to-be announced that she would be bringing charges against the village cobbler. The petition itself has not been made public as yet. However, this reporter has managed to ferret out a hint of the basis behind this latest legal action.
Rumours have flown through the royal court recently that the prince’s marriage to our beloved new princess was not sanctioned by the princess’s own family. The rumours have yet to be substantiated and when approached for an interview, the family refused to make a comment.
This reporter has also uncovered evidence that the Princess’s family has been in dire straits for some time. Apparently the Princess’s stepmother made some bad investments and business decisions after the passing of the Princess’s father some ten years ago. Could this be one of the reasons for the recent legal action taken? Until the documents are made public, we will have only rumour to rely on. So I leave it to you.
In Other news: An update on The Recent Grimm Report Debacle:
The situation has been remedied. It was largely a miscommunication and has been amicably settled.
I am going to leave my previous post up so everyone who wants to see it, can. And because I know how frustrating it is to walk in on a situation and find that the subject of everyone’s discussion has been removed.
At this time, I am not actively working on any more articles for the Grimm Report but that is due more to my own process than anything else. I am not a journalist by trade or talent so I think I will be sticking to Novels and Novellas in the foreseeable future.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not make a judgment on The Grimm Report blog based on this recent event.
Read their blog and decide for yourself what you think of them.
THANK YOU for visiting!
Have a GREAT DAY!
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- Cinderella Retellings: A Bibliography (thebookwars.wordpress.com)
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A getaway for two in the gardens of Coleton Fishacre on the South Devon coast.
A cosy cottage packed full of character features and with stunning views over the Calke Estate.
On the Tyntesfield estate, this former hunting lodge has an octagonal summerhouse and farmland views.
An open fire and low-beamed ceilings mean this getaway is packed with Cotswold charm.
A Crom estate courtyard cottage set close to the shores of the Lough Erne.
Countryside views all around from this apartment on the second floor of a 17th century mansion.
Stay in the grounds of the Lytes Cary estate in this pretty Victorian cottage.
At the entrance to the Hanbury estate, this handsome lodge has miles of walking trails on the doorstep.
Sea views over Lundy Bay and Pentire Head from this ground floor apartment set away from the crowds.
A cliff-top cabin with a whole lot of history, just metres from the coastal path.
A little cottage packed with original features and distant views out to sea.
In the tiny village of Morthoe, this cosy cottage has Woolacombe bay just round the corner.
In Avebury, this gorgeous detached cottage is within the famous Neolithic stone circle.
A converted former officer’s quarters sitting on the impressive St Anthony’s Head.
In the heart of the Cotswolds, this snug, period cottage and courtyard garden is perfect for couples.
A romantic little wood cabin, perching above the secret beach of Penarvon Cove.
A gorgeous traditional thatched cottage on the Gunby estate with walks all around.
A one-bedroom shepherd’s hut sitting in a secluded valley close to Portcothan beach.
With its pretty cottage styling and garden, Granny’s is a great base for exploring the Dodman.
A snug one-bedroom English country cottage in the village of Selworthy with views over Exmoor.


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Anavar is an anabolic steroid that is commonly used to improve athletic performance and build muscle mass. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and is only available with a prescription.
Anavar is a very popular steroid among bodybuilders and athletes because of its ability to promote muscle growth and strength without the associated risks of other anabolic steroids. Anavar is used to increase muscle size, strength, and endurance while reducing body fat.
In this article, we will discuss the expiration date of Anavar and its effects on the body.
We will also discuss how to store it to maximize its shelf life and the factors that affect its shelf life. Finally, we will provide some tips to remember when taking Anavar.
What is Anavar and How Does it Work?
Anavar is a synthetic anabolic androgenic steroid, and it is the brand name of the active ingredient oxandrolone. It is primarily used to promote weight gain following surgery or physical trauma and to reduce the symptoms of certain medical conditions.
Anavar works by increasing the amount of protein synthesis in the body, which helps to build muscle mass. It also enhances nitrogen retention, which helps to reduce body fat.
Anavar has been used by athletes for performance enhancement purposes for decades, as it helps to improve strength and promote muscle growth.
It is known to help reduce fatigue, boost endurance, and improve recovery time. It can also be beneficial for weight loss, as it helps to reduce fat without impacting muscle mass.
Does Anavar Have an Expiration Date?
Anavar is an anabolic steroid that is used for bodybuilding and other performance-enhancing activities. It is also used for medical purposes, such as treating osteoporosis and Turner’s syndrome. As with any medication, it is important to know whether Anavar has an expiration date.
Anavar does have an expiration date, but it is not necessarily the same as the date printed on the bottle. The expiration date on the bottle is the date by which the manufacturer guarantees the product will remain safe and effective. The actual expiration date of Anavar depends on several factors, including how it is stored and how often it is used.
In general, Anavar is safe and effective for up to two years after the date printed on the bottle. After that, the active ingredients may start to break down, making the product less effective. Expired Anavar may not be as safe to use, as the active ingredients may have lost some of their potency.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the expiration date on the bottle of Anavar and to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storage and use. It is important to dispose of any expired Anavar.
How Long Does Anavar Last?
Anavar is a potent anabolic androgenic steroid developed to help medically treat muscle-wasting diseases. It has a long half-life, meaning that it remains active in the body for a longer period than most other steroids. This is important because it allows users to enjoy the benefits of Anavar for an extended period.
In general, Anavar can last anywhere from 8-12 hours in the body. However, this is dependent on the individual and the dosage taken.
It is important to note that Anavar is a very powerful steroid and should be taken under the guidance of a medical professional.
Anavar should be taken in divided doses to ensure that the body can process and metabolize the drug properly.
Anavar should be taken with food or a light snack to minimize any potential side effects. This will also help to ensure that the drug is properly absorbed into the bloodstream, allowing it to remain active in the body for an extended period.
Effects of Expired Anavar
Expired Anavar can have many different effects on the body. When the drug is taken past its expiration date, it can become ineffective, leading to a lack of desired results. In addition, expired Anavar can also be dangerous, potentially leading to adverse side effects.
These side effects can range from mild to severe and may include nausea, vomiting, headaches, fatigue, and even organ damage. It is important to avoid taking expired Anavar, as the risks far outweigh the potential benefits.
How to Store Anavar to Maximize Its Shelf Life
Storing Anavar to maximize its shelf life is essential to ensuring that the medication is effective and safe. It is important to store Anavar in a cool, dry place away from heat, light, and moisture.
Do not store Anavar in the bathroom or anywhere else that is at risk of high temperatures or humidity. It is also important to keep Anavar out of the reach of children and pets.
It is recommended to store Anavar in an airtight container to protect it from light and moisture. It is important to keep the Anavar in its original package or container and to never transfer it to another container. This will help to maintain the quality and effectiveness of the medication.
Factors That Affect the Shelf Life of Anavar
When it comes to determining the shelf life of Anavar, several factors can affect the length of time it can be stored. Temperature is one of the most important factors, as Anavar should be stored in a cool, dry place that is free from light and moisture.
Proper storage of Anavar will help to ensure that it maintains its effectiveness over time. Anavar should be stored in a sealed container that is not exposed to air, as oxygen can hurt the chemical compounds in Anavar.
Other factors that can affect the shelf life of Anavar include the type of container it is stored in, the amount of Anavar in the container, and the purity of the Anavar. By taking these factors into account and properly storing Anavar, it is possible to extend the shelf life of the product.
How to Store Anavar to Maximize Its Shelf Life
Storing Anavar properly is an important factor in extending its shelf life and ensuring its effectiveness. Anavar should be stored in its original container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and any other sources of heat or moisture.
Ideally, it should be stored at a temperature between 15 °C and 25 °C. It is also recommended that the container be kept tightly sealed when not in use. Furthermore, Anavar should be kept out of reach of children and pets to prevent accidental ingestion.
When transporting Anavar, it is important to ensure that it is kept in a cool and dry environment to maintain its effectiveness. All of these steps should be taken to ensure that Anavar is stored correctly and that its shelf life is maximized.
Tips to Remember When Taking Anavar
When taking Anavar, there are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure the best results and safe usage.
- It is important to take the recommended dosage, as taking too much can increase the risk of side effects.
- It is best to take Anavar with food, as this will help reduce the risk of nausea and stomach upset.
- It is important to stay hydrated while taking Anavar, as dehydration can increase the risk of side effects.
- It is important to take regular breaks from Anavar to give the body a chance to rest and avoid potential side effects.
By following these tips, individuals will be able to get the most out of their Anavar usage and minimize the risk of any unwanted side effects.
In conclusion, Anavar does have an expiration date. It is important to store Anavar properly and check the expiration date before using it to ensure the best results.
The length of time that Anavar lasts depends on a variety of factors, including how it is stored and the purity of the product. Using expired Anavar can have adverse effects on the user, such as increased side effects or diminished results.
It is important to follow the instructions for storing Anavar and be aware of the expiration date to ensure the best results from this product.
Does Anavar have an expiration date?
Yes, Anavar does have an expiration date, as do all medications and supplements.
How long does Anavar last?
The shelf life of Anavar depends on several factors, including how it is stored. Generally, Anavar has a shelf life of up to two years.
What are the effects of expired Anavar?
Taking expired Anavar may lead to decreased effectiveness of the drug, an increased risk of side effects, and adverse reactions.
How can I store Anavar to maximize its shelf life?
To maximize the shelf life of Anavar, it should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or sources of heat and moisture.


Hayley Kiyoko – ForeverPublished By Julie On 6th Dec 2023 at 5:49 am
Hayley Kiyoko ft. johnny rain – Forever MP3 Download
Award-winning artist “Hayley Kiyoko” dropped a new song titled “Forever”, stream on Naijafindmp3.
|No. of Downloads:||4326|
|Audio size:||3.5 MiB|
|Bit Rate:||320 kBit/s|
Forever is a song released by Hayley Kiyoko; an artist, rapper, singer and song writer. This is a hip hop music and when we say hip hop we meant the backing music for rap, the musical style incorporating rhythmic and/or rhyming speech that became the movement’s most lasting and influential art form.
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Click here to download “latest foreign music”.
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This was a sketch rendering of what I made to be a princess. After seeing the Lord of the Rings I felt inspired to draw this costume after seeing Liv Tyler (Arwen) in the movie wearing all those delicate dresses I loved so much!
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Ironically for a project based on the sheer size of its main story vehicle, Poseidon comes in at a short 90 minutes, barely meeting current norms for feature length films. This remains its primary shortcoming though also a blessing as in most other aspects it’s a passable, if not even remotely brilliant, foray providing viewers with sufficient frills but nothing much to retain in the longer run.
A remake of 1972 disaster flick The Poseidon Adventure, Wolfgang Petersen’s version lacks the sheer impact of its predecessor which, although no masterpiece in its own right, still heralded the onset of 70’s calamity-vision in a way the modern retelling could never hope to repeat.
There was also a made-for-TV edition a couple of years back but it seems few have had the pleasure of beholding it over this tight, $150 million gargantua. You’d be right to wonder where the money ended up considering they barely give out an hour and a half of movie, but then perhaps it would be enough to look at the totally Titanic-scuttling visuals to understand Poseidon’s expense account devoted itself to plastics instead of content.
In true rollercoaster-ride fashion, little time is wasted on introducing characters, backstory or any other such trifling matter. Petersen charges ahead like Achilles lunging at the Trojan army, probably pushed along by the looming specter of rolling credits.
Enter a New Year’s Eve ball aboard the world’s premier cruise ship, or at least presumed premier going on size, grandeur and behemoth dining area. It’s based upon real-world floating palace Queen Mary 2, with elaborate set designs and authentic-looking environments. Unfortunately, not enough time and space are devoted to exploring the ship and its voyage, with everything moving along too fast to linger on mood-building components.
The captain goes on a bit about how everyone’s lives will be better riding on Poseidon’s back into the future, when the conn detects trouble a-brewing. The god’s namesake finds herself confronted with a monstrous freak wave, a wall of water done well in impressive CGI but still ludicrously oversized, eclipsing the 200ft boat.
Following this brief preliminary segment, the bulk of the movie commences, pitting characters against a capsized luxury superliner where danger lurks at every corner. Unlike the original, in this rendition most of the passengers are cast aside early on, leaving the movie to center around a small group of survivors as they struggle to reach safety on top (now bottom) of devastated Poseidon.
Leading the charge are former NYC mayor Robert Ramsey (Kurt Russell in one of his weaker roles recently), who also faces challenges from his semi-renegade daughter (Emmy Rossum), and gambling maestro Dylan Johns (Josh Lucas from Hulk and Glory Road). There’s very little tension between these two protagonists, with whatever conflict injected into the story coming from either the dying ship and ever-possible drowning, or Kevin Dillon’s badly-conceived character, an annoying lounge lizard that fortunately exists stage prematurely.
As do a few of the characters in a distinctly gory fashion, at least within the context of a PG-13 release. Overall, Poseidon’s quite emboldened in its depiction of miserable demises, with people falling, drowning, getting impaled and burning like there’s no tomorrow basically at every juncture. Together with smooth pacing and consistent effects, this trait buttresses Poseidon’s worth as a quickie indulgence.
Beyond acceptable sea-faring adventure and maritime visuals dwarfing anything we’ve seen thus far, the film has little of note. Even veteran performers like Richard Dreyfuss (portraying a broken-hearten socialite contemplating suicide just before disaster strikes) fail to save the day, resulting in a mix that doesn’t keep viewers entranced on the basis of acting prowess alone.
No, shorter than its precursor and lacking the heroic naivete so typical of big-budget adventure stories of that halcyon era, the new Poseidon comes and goes without leaving too much of a trace, good or bad. Scant character development and hard-boiled drama that seemingly just happens out of nowhere conform with an altogether different movie-making ethos, one reflecting events of latter periods, where audiences are presumed to possess shortened attention spans and a cynical palate. Gone are the long-winded romanticism and emotional import, instead this incarnation, stem to bow, steers closer to the flash-disaster method employed in similar contemporary projects.
And that’s a shame, because with that cargo in tow, Poseidon’s doomed to sink beneath the rippling waves of cinematic history like so much wreckage.
Rating * * *


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Grayscale Posted on August 11, 2011 by Raes of Sun At dawn she tried again to breathe life into her pale wrinkled memory.
Evocative – aging -Alzheimer’s.
lovely image, so poignant and sad at the same time. . .
I am just finishing up the fine details for my first Focus Generator based book. I will commit to having it complete in 30 days. Will not play with FG again until the book is complete, I don’t want to get side tracked.


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Bacteriophages: The Enemies of Our Enemies
Bacteriophages (in Greek, those that devour bacteria) or just phages are the viruses able to kill bacteria. According to the latest data, the main role played in nature by these “bacteria killers,” which are the most abundant cell organisms on Earth, is to considerably accelerate organic matter decomposition (eventually, to carbon dioxide and water). Thus, by influencing the global geochemical processes, phages maintain the matter and energy exchange in the Earth’s biosphere. As for humans, since many bacteria are our enemies, it looks reasonable to use phages as an efficient and safe “biological weapon” for eradication or control of hazardous and pathogenic bacteria
Similar to all viruses, bacteriophages border on the living and the inanimate. Outside the host cells, most bacteriophages exist as virions, objects resembling intricate molecular crystals; they “live their lives,” i. e., they reproduce only in bacterial cells, since the bacteriophage genome is insufficient for autonomous existence.
The world of bacteriophages is diverse: over 500 bacteriophage species of manifold shapes and structures are known today. In relation to bacteria, phages may be either temperate or lytic. Temperate phages insert their genomes into those of bacteria and do not immediately manifest their “murderous” activity: hiding in the bacterial genomes, they reproduce together with their hosts and then kill the hosts’ numerous progeny. As for lytic phages, they kill bacteria immediately after infecting them. The latter simple phages are currently most attractive objects for biotechnological and therapeutic purposes.Bacteriophages live in soil (about 108 phages per 1 g soil); in rivers, lakes, and oceans (106 phages per 1 ml of sea water); and in other living beings (the human gastrointestinal tract contains about 1012 phages). As for the total bacteriophage population, it reaches according to scientific estimates an astronomic value of 1031 phages, or 109 tons of substance. This peculiar “dark matter” of biological origin spans the overall earth biosphere.
Some more statistics: assuming that an average diameter of a phage particle is 50 nm, all bacteriophages of the globe put in line will cover a distance of 5 × 1020 kilometers or 5 × 107 light years! This is the distance to Virgo Supercluster, nearest to us, while only 4.2 light years separate us from the nearest star, the Proxima Centauri.
Bacteriophages were discovered over one hundred years ago almost simultaneously in different countries. As early as the late 19th century, several researchers (N.F. Gamaleya, a Russian microbiologist, among them) discovered some minute agents able to pass through the pores of porcelain filters and kill bacteria.
In 1915, F. Twort, an Englishman, and F. d’Hérelle, a Frenchman, succeeded in isolating these agents (afterwards, d’Hérelle spent many years struggling with Twort in attempts to prove his priority). It was d’Hérelle who named the discovered particles “bacteriophages.” He immediately grasped their potential as antibacterials and pioneered in administering a phage preparation for treating dysentery in children as early as 1919
Bacteriophages, these natural combat vehicles, have a most simple structure: their genetic material, be it DNA or RNA, is packed in a protein envelope equipped with “weapons,” special tools for attacking bacteria.
The genome of different phages may vary in length. Some phages have very short genomes, as small as 3.5 kilobase pairs, comprising information about only three to four proteins. Moreover, the genes encoding these proteins have to overlap. The genome sizes of other phages may be comparable to that of large, intricately organized viruses of multicellular animals, reaching 170 kilobase pairs in length (the largest known phage has a genome of 480 kilobase pairs). Such a genome can code for up to 200 different proteins and such phages are large and complex in their structure.MIRACLES OF BACTERIOPHAGES Since olden times people have encountered cases of miraculous healing of infectious diseases. Today, we have grounds to explain some of such instances by occasional use of bacteriophages. Note that these bactericidal agents are ubiquitous over the globe, being present in soil and water, and muds and mixtures of natural products have been used for healing inflammations and wounds since ancient times. Similar cases of miraculous healing may have given rise to such ceremonies as bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges or baptizing in the Jordan River.
Also, the antibacterial activity of natural products was used not so long ago. In the 1920s, Holy Archbishop Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky), a talented surgeon, when being in exile in a remote village, got to know about the local sorceress who could heal septic wounds and carbuncles with a mixture of soil, sour milk, and ash. Luke tried to understand the nature of this method by experimenting with the composition of the remedy. However, the treatment results were poorly reproducible (as well as the results of all researchers who worked with bacteriophages at that time). Sometimes this mixture led to an amazingly rapid recovery, but in some cases it did not help at all. Lacking suitable facilities for his work or the possibility to read medical literature, Luka had to cease his research. Nowadays we know that the efficiency of a phage preparation will depend on whether it contains the bacteriophages specific for the pathogenic bacteria of an individual patient
A lytic phage in its appearance is most similar to a robot spacecraft able to dock with a target object. The phage head, a protein container with packed DNA, is connected with the “tail”, which is a protein structure resembling tentacles and housing the so-called recognition elements, capable of binding with receptors (specific proteins or polysaccharides) on the surface of bacteria.
After docking with the target bacterium, the phage sticks to its surface. Hundreds of phages may simultaneously attack one bacterium; however, a single phage is sufficient to kill it. Note that the phage–cell interaction is very specific. A particular phage can interact only with its target bacterial species and is unable to attach itself to human cells.
Once a phage settles itself on the bacterial surface, its tail punctures the bacterial wall with the help of specialized proteins. Through the tail channel, the genetic material is injected into the cell. The phage genetic programs take control over the cell’s life-supporting systems, switching all host material and energy resources, as well as molecular “machinery” to synthesizing phage proteins and genome copies.
The bacterium will die. In the next half-hour, hundreds and thousands of new phage particles are synthesized; then the cell is destroyed, releasing another brigade of bacterial killers.
According to estimates, bacteriophages kill half of the world’s bacterial population every two days. That is why bacteria, known for their rapid reproduction, have not yet covered the entire surface of our planet with a thick layer: if there were no phages, it would take them a few days.Strange as it may seem, frequently bacteriophages do not kill all the target bacteria. For example, both live bacteria and the phages that infected these bacteria may be present in the same fecal sample. Note here that feces contain bacteria at a concentration of 105—108 CFU/g, which considerably exceeds the amount necessary for phage exponential growth. Bacteriophages most efficiently kill bacteria in the culture but appear unable to inhibit them in the body. Presumably, there is a natural mechanism that provides the coexistence of “hunters” and their “prey”
Despite this highest antibacterial efficiency of phages, bacteria have not vanished from the face of the earth. The fact is that these two types of organisms have coevolved over many millions of years; this coevolution, though, might be called an “arms race.” Thanks to mutations, phages constantly “invented” new warfare tools and tricks, while bacteria, in turn, “invented” ingenious protection means.
For example, the DNA of all bacteria carries special labels (methylated bases). Besides, specialized bacterial enzymes, restriction endonucleases, cleave any DNA lacking such labels, including phage DNA. However, some phages learned to simulate such labels, thus escaping the bacterial defense.
Another protective mechanism used by bacteria involves changes in surface receptors: in this case, a phage just cannot recognize “its own” bacterium. In response, there appear phages whose recognition elements have been altered so that they are capable of binding with new bacterial receptors. Phages and bacteria have several mechanisms for such modifications of their genetic programs. Mutations may appear randomly during genetic replication. In addition, genetic recombination allows different phage species to exchange fragments of their genomes and even grab fragments of bacterial genomes.
In addition, changes in the receptors of a pathogenic bacterium, from a medical standpoint, can be fortunate for humans, since bacterial receptors are the virulence factors that determine survival and reproduction of a pathogen in the host body. Moreover, bacterial mutants resistant to phages are usually less pathogenic than their progenitors.
Phage therapy: per aspera
Discovery of viruses that kill bacteria gave rise to a new method for the control of bacteria. The most evident application is phage therapy, i.e. the use of bacteriophages for treating human bacterial infections. An advantage of this approach is a most stringent specificity of phages, affecting only their “favorite” infectious agents.
For medical purposes, bacteriophages were first used as early as 1915, when Félix d’Hérelle, one of their discoverers, used such a preparation to cure dysentery in children. However, the further history of phage therapy was anything but easy. The approach suggested by d’Hérelle was too much ahead of his time, so he had to spend many years struggling for the recognition of his discovery. This struggle involved his famous French colleagues, who denied d’Hérelle’s views on the nature of these bactericidal agents, regarding them as enzymes. The truth triumphed only in the 1940s, but d’Hérelle, tired of the struggle, had left for the United States long before.
In 1934, d’Hérelle came to Tbilisi (Georgia), where they had put in operationunique facilities for developing phage therapy. From 1918, there had been a laboratory of microbiology there led by George Eliava which later became an institute, Eliava had been sent to the famous Pasteur Institute to master new techniques and to purchase equipment; there he met d’Hérelle and got acquainted with his amazing discovery.
Thus, Eliava started to dream about founding a world center for study of bacteriophages in Tbilisi. Josef Stalin took interest in this project, and a building for the future Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology, and Virology (now named after Eliava) was constructed and equipped in 1930. However, the further events followed a typical USSR scenario of those times: in 1937 Eliava and his wife were arrested; he was shot as an “enemy of the people” while d’Hérelle returned to Paris. Nonetheless, the institute survived and successfully continued to work.
In the early 1940s, they started to use phage therapy in Europe and in the United States. Millions of patients received such preparations; however, the treatment results were ambiguous and irreproducible. The advertised miracles failed, and the very idea of phage therapy was discredited. The reason was that not only the manufacturers, but also the scientists themselves lacked the necessary knowledge about phage properties and about the mechanisms of their function, to say nothing of the reliable technologies for manipulations with viruses.
With failure after failure, pharmaceutists and physicians could not but sigh with relief with the advent of antibiotics. These relatively inexpensive chemical substances with a wide range of antibacterial effects and a long shelf-life seemed to radically solve the problem of infectious diseases. In western countries bacteriophages were forgotten for many years. The French company for manufacturing commercial phage preparations founded by d’Hérelle switched to other projects (in particular, the famous cosmetics and beauty company L’Oreal originated from it).
The phage research was continued only in the Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The largest manufacturer of phage preparations was the Georgian institute founded by Eliava: by the 1980s, about 1200 people worked there and the preparations were sent for clinical trials throughout the Soviet Union. Bacteriophage production was also organized in Ufa and Gorky (now Nizhni Novgorod).
In addition, a political aspect also played an important part in cessation of phage research abroad. Given that phage therapy developed in the Soviet Union, it was politically “incorrect” for western scientists to be involved in the research associated with the name of Stalin. This was the time of Lysenkoism, when western science had a skeptical attitude towards anything done by Soviet biologists.
Recent years brought about a new round of interest in phage therapy. Antibiotics have not become a panacea when dealing with bacterial infections: at present, the design of new drugs fails to keep up with the increasing number of bacteria that acquired resistance to the existing antibiotics. As of today, 40 % of staphylococcal infections in the United Kingdom hospitals are caused by such strains, and about 90 000 patients die annually from hospital infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria in the United States. If we recalculate these rates per the world population, it will be three to five million deaths per year.
The World Health Organization alerts the world of the coming “post-antibiotic” era, when there will be no drugs to treat common bacterial infections. Against this background, phage therapy looks the most promising direction that could lead to effective personalized treatment methods. The necessary knowledge about phages and about the mechanisms of their interaction with bacterial cells as well as the technologies for working with viruses is now available.
Currently, only virulent lytic phages are used in phage therapy, namely “tailed” bacteriophages of the order Caudovirales and filamentous phages belonging to the families Leviviridae (with single-stranded RNA genome) and Inoviridae (with single-stranded circular DNA genome).
As is mentioned above, the host range of phages is usually very narrow, being confined to one or several closely related bacterial species. On the one hand, such a strict specificity is good for therapy, since it allows for elimination of a particular organism without interfering with the overall bacterial community of the human body. On the other hand, in the case of an emergency (when there is no time to identify the particular bacterium that has caused an infection in a wound or on a burned surface), it is necessary to have medicine that would simultaneously affect several bacterial species that are potentiall pathogens. Phage cocktails – a mixture of several phages differing in their host specificities – are usually applied.
This approach was used by d’Hérelle. The d’Hérelle cocktail, which he brought from Paris as early as 1930, is still one of the main phage preparations, being the major component of the Georgian Pyophage and Russian Intestiphage. In Tbilisi, they used phage cocktails to design preparations for treating gastrointestinal diseases and septic wounds. The drugs were intended for use during epidemics or military actions. Army trials and a large-scale experiment conducted in Tbilisi on preventing gastrointestinal distress in children, demonstrated good efficiency of such cocktails.
Phage cocktails are produced as standard preparations targeted at the bacterial communities frequently occurring in commonly known diseases. Indeed, more effective cocktails will result if the components are selected to hit the bacterial community of an individual patient . In order to compose such a custom-made cocktail, it is necessary to test the patient’s bacteria for sensitivity to the phages from the collection in order to select the needed strains. If the required phages are absent, they should be searched for in natural substrates.
In general, the search for bacteriophages is rather simple. Specimens from various sources–aquatic bodies, soil, sewage runoff – are applied to a bacterial culture. If the bacteria are killed, they are removed by centrifugation, and the remaining solution is tested for its activity. Then the phage is propagated by cultivation in the corresponding bacterial culture. Moreover, phages may be vacuum-dried and administered in capsules. In such a form, the phage preparation retains stability for 14 months at a temperature of up to 55 °C.
So far, the broadest experience in phage therapy has been acquired by the specialists from Tbilisi and a specialized center, the Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy (Wroclaw, Poland); there, they produce small batches of bacteriophages intended for trials.
From the very first Polish researchers have focused on personalized therapy. They have used phages for experimental treatment of chronic cases after unsuccessful antibiotic therapy. This center has already had thousands of patients, many of whom have been completely cured.
The clinical trials have demonstrated a high efficiency of phages in treating infectious lung diseases: a single intranasal portion of a phage preparation is sufficient to inhibit a throat, nasal, or lung infection. Phages are no less efficient in eliminating pathogenic bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract. A high efficiency of phages has been also shown for almost all cases of pyogenic ulcer of diabetic foot, lung diseases, mastitis, and urogenital infections. The list of diseases may be continued; moreover, no side effects caused by bacteriophages have been observed.
In the United Kingdom, phage preparations have been successfully tested for treating chronic otitis, a malady hard to cure, owing to the so-called microbial films of drug-resistant bacteria. Research in this field is almost absent in France, the cradle of phage therapy, although the Pasteur Institute did, until recently, produce custom-built phage cocktails.
The Russian company Mikrogen manufactures phage preparations on a large scale. They are available in the drugstores of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Phage preparations manufactured by Mikrogen and the Tbilisi Center for Burn Infections successfully passed trials in Belgium.
Nonetheless, bacteriophage therapy has not been yet officially approved in most countries: neither the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) nor analogous European agencies have given their approval. Within the European Union area, phages are used for treating patients only at the above mentioned Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy (Poland).
Thus, the interested patients are treated in a medical tourism mode. The Phage International Inc. (California, United States) directs patients from various countries, those who suffer from chronic diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria, to either the Tbilisi Center for Phage Therapy or to its own clinic in Mexico.
Pick out phages
Why isn’t phage therapy in common use yet? It is evident that antibiotics should be the drug of choice for acute life-threatening cases when there is no time to select a specific agent, whereas bacteriophages as more friendly agents are preferable for treating chronic infections.
Skepticism of many experts, especially of those from western countries, is one of the major factors hindering the medical use of phages. Following the unfavorable tradition, western scientists still distrust the positive research results of the Soviet Union times, although they themselves have fallen behind in this particular area.
However, a stronger reason is that large pharmaceutical companies are not interested in bacteriophages. These companies want exclusive rights to inventions, whereas phages are natural agents hard to patent; besides, the very idea of phage therapy was patented long ago. In addition, these companies have made huge investments in the production of antibiotics, so they do not want any competition with inexpensive phage-based drugs.Currently, bacteriophages as specific agents eliminating bacteria are used in therapy for both human and animal diseases as well as in plant protection and food preservation.
For example, in 2006 the FDA approved bacteriophage cocktails for treating meat and other agricultural foodstuff. In this case, phages were regarded as food supplements. Phages were also approved for use as disinfection agents.
Phage aerosols have been successfully tested in experiments on protecting poultry on large farms as well as fish, in fish farms
As for physicians, they have been routinely taught to prescribe wide-range antibiotics in order to attain the maximum effect. In contrast, phage therapy implies a large toolkit of drugs to be tested and individually selected for each patient. Eventually, this considerably increases the cost of such a personalized treatment. Moreover, though people continue to die of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, this market is rather small from the economic standpoint and treatment of such diseases is fraught with legal implications.
On the other hand, the FDA now admits that phages, owing to their high specificity and nontoxicity, may help where alternative approaches fail. Correspondingly, the FDA plans to work out practical recommendations for using lytic phages in therapy. For this purpose, it is necessary to sequence their genomes, outline safe cultivation conditions, and perform up-to-date standard animal tests for their toxicity. If a phage cocktail is to be used, each of its components should be characterized. Finally, to prove the efficiency of such preparations it is necessary to conduct controlled clinical trials.
Thus, phages may find a considerably wider use than we currently imagine. In particular, state-of-the-art techniques are able to construct phages that produce antibacterial toxins and directly deliver them into bacterial cells. Modern genetic engineering allows of a real phage design, for example, constructing phages that display an altered or broadened specificity. Moreover, synthesizing a complete phage genome is now quite feasible.
Individual phage components and substances used by phages to kill bacteria are now undergoing tests as antibacterial drugs. An example is bacteriocins, fragments of phage tail structures, which damage the bacterial cell wall forming pores, so that the cell rapidly loses vitally important ions and dies.
Another developing direction is the use of phages for drug delivery, be they antibodies or chemical therapeutics. It is possible to load a phage particle with up to a thousand molecules of antibodies or several thousand molecules of antibiotics. Moreover, attaching polyethylene glycol molecules to the surface of a phage allows such a phage to circulate in the blood for a long time. In addition, the phages carrying certain peptide antigens on their surface may be used as vaccines.ANTIBIOTICS ADVANTAGES:
have a wide range of antibacterial activity and are easily patentable
affect a patient’s own microflora, which brings risk of secondary infections;
are unable to focus on the infected site;
cause side effects, including allergies and peptic disorders;
induce emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains;
require much time and money for the design of new antibiotics BACTERIOPHAGES ADVANTAGES:
highly specific (it is possible to find a killer bacteriophage for any bacterium);
search for a new phage takes just several days or weeks;
phage production is inexpensive and ecologically friendly;
do not cause dysbiosis;
are nontoxic and cause no side effects;
are eliminated from the body after killing the pathogen
have a too narrow selectivity: to guarantee successful treatment it is necessary to identify the pathogen;
are hard to patent owing to the diversity of agents
It is evident that stimulating phage therapy advances in the 21st century should be realized at state level. It is necessary to create all the required conditions for constructing and maintaining a repository for the phages that act against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. As for all types of approval documentation, the problem has quite a simple solution: phage preparations may be regarded as similar to influenza vaccines. Indeed, live influenza vaccines, which are cocktails of several virus strains with a constantly changed composition, are produced every year. Official approvals are granted to these virus cocktails; so, why not use this scheme for phages?
The current situation is Russia is unique: phage therapy is officially permitted, and a wide range of “individual” phage preparations and phage cocktails are produced. Why are they so rarely used? The main reason is the personalized approach mentioned above. Indeed, standard phage preparations do not guarantee positive results; and once a preparation fails, this not only disappoints the physician in charge, but also may put the patient at risk in the case of an acute disease.
The way out is evident: it is necessary to test the bacteria of an individual patient for their susceptibility to a phage preparation. This requires well-equipped centers with phage collections and facilities for microbiological testing. Provided the development of a network of such centers under the program for personalized medicine is realized, our country stands a good chance to be among the leaders in this most important field of biomedicine.
Kozlova Yu. N., Repin V. E., Anishchenko i dr. Shtamm bakteriofaga Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ispol’zuemyi v kachestve osnovy dlya prigotovleniya asepticheskogo sredstva protiv sinegnoinoi palochki // Patent RU 2455355 C1. 2011.
Tikunova N. V., Morozova V. V. Fagovyi displei na osnove nitchatykh bakteriofagov: primenenie dlya otbora rekombinantnykh antitel // Acte Naturae. 2009. № 3b. S. 6—15.
Kropinski A., Lingohr E., Moyles D., et al. Endemic bacteriophages: a cautionary tale for evaluation of bacteriophage therapy and other interventions for infection control in animals // Virology J. 2012. V. 9. P. 207–215.
Miedzybrodzki R., Borysowski J., Weber-Dabrowska B., et al. Clinical aspects of phage therapy // Adv. Virus Res. 2012. V. 83. P. 73–121.
Summers W. Bacteriophage therapy // Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 2001. V. 55. P. 437–451.
The work was supported by the Center for New Medical Technologies (Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, Russia)


A Mushrooming Shortage in the Keystone State:
Few folks know that Chester County, in Pennsylvania, accounts for nearly 50% of total mushroom production in the United States. According to a harvest report from Produce Alliance, mushroom production in southeastern Pennsylvania is coming up short following a heat wave this past summer. As a result of this year’s production setback, US retailers may be forced to increase imports from other global producers. We queried the global trade landscape within Gro and found that while China was the world’s largest producer of mushrooms and truffles in 2013, two years later the United States’ top two foreign suppliers of mushrooms in all forms were Canada and the Netherlands. China was in third place. Given that USDA-NASS still forecasts that the producer price of the most common type of mushroom will decline by 3% this year, we will keep a watch on the monthly trade flow matrix and US wholesale prices in Gro to see if faltering output in the Keystone state has an impact on retail prices.
Canada and the Netherlands export the most mushrooms to the US
Colombia’s Coffee Harvest Update Is on Deck:
Brazil’s leading coffee producer, the Cooxupe cooperative, reduced its export outlook for 2016 by slightly over 10%. This was due, in part, to consumers in Brazil turning to arabica as a replacement for declining robusta supplies. On the back of this market shift, the key reference for arabica coffee (KC futures), soared to a multi-year high this week. Traders are pondering whether the benefits of a replanting and coffee rust prevention program will offset the impact of dryness during early flowering. For our part, we will be closely watching the October harvest report from Colombia, a leading exporter of arabica coffee.
Sugar Futures Stall Ahead of Monthly Brazil Sugar Update:
UNICA, Brazil’s sugar association, is scheduled to release its bi-weekly production update today. According to a survey conducted by S&P Global Platts, industry analysts anticipate that the report will show that the amount of sugarcane crushed during the first two weeks of October dropped by 6.8% from the year ago period. Also this week, the Thailand Sugar Association predicted that the country’s sugarcane output will decline year-over-year by 3 million metric tons in the 2016-17 marketing season. Accordingly, the Thai government is working with growers and mills to improve productivity in order to prevent a similar drop in sugar production during the upcoming crush season. SInce the USDA still has the country’s sugar output slightly rising from the 2015-16 season, initial crush reports in November bear monitoring.
A Canadian Snowstorm Heats Up the Global Vegetable Oil Market:
As of last week, 20 to 25% of the Canadian canola crop had yet to be harvested, according to CHS and agriculture.com. Parts of Canada received 15 to 18 inches of snow last week preventing growers from finishing the canola harvest in Canada and parts of North Dakota. Canola is known as rapeseed in Europe. Recently the European Commission's Mars agro meteorology division reported that dry soil conditions in France and Germany during the rapeseed planting window may hurt production potential in the region. With canola futures hitting a 6-month high this past week, we will be keeping an eye not only on Canadian weather forecasts, but also on the finish of the US soybean harvest (i.e. soyoil potential).


text: Cilia-generated fluid flow in an ‘organ of asymmetry’ is critical for establishing the left-right body axis in several vertebrate embryos. However, the cell biology underlying how motile cilia produce coordinated flow and asymmetric signals is not well defined. In the zebrafish organ of asymmetry—called Kupffer’s vesicle (KV)—ciliated cells are asymmetrically positioned along the anterior-posterior axis such that more cilia are placed in the anterior region. We previously demonstrated that Rho kinase 2b (Rock2b) is required for anteroposterior asymmetry and fluid flow in KV, but it remained unclear how the distribution of ciliated cells becomes asymmetric during KV development. Here, we identify a morphogenetic process we refer to as ‘KV remodeling’ that transforms initial symmetry in KV architecture into anteroposterior asymmetry. Live imaging of KV cells revealed region-specific cell shape changes that mediate tight packing of ciliated cells into the anterior pole. Mathematical modeling indicated that different interfacial tensions in anterior and posterior KV cells are involved in KV remodeling. Interfering with non-muscle myosin II (referred to as Myosin II) activity, which modulates cellular interfacial tensions and is regulated by Rock proteins, disrupted KV cell shape changes and the anteroposterior distribution of KV cilia. Similar defects were observed in Rock2b depleted embryos. Furthermore, inhibiting Myosin II at specific stages of KV development perturbed asymmetric flow and left-right asymmetry. These results indicate that regional cell shape changes control the development of anteroposterior asymmetry in KV, which is necessary to generate coordinated asymmetric fluid flow and left-right patterning of the embryo.


Published on 17 Oct 2012
“ The biggest benefit to deploying QRadar was that after the initial implementation, we were up and running immediately. ”
—Security Administrator, A World-Class Pediatric Medical Center
A World-Class Pediatric Medical Center
As the number of patients served is expected to increase, this world-class pediatric medical center needed a solution that would help centralize its security and compliance programs, and that could scale security operations for comprehensive visibility into the network architecture. Using an advanced security information and event management solution from IBM, the organization’s security administration team was able to gain deep insight into the network environment and detect malware that previously hadn’t been identified.
As the number of patients served is expected to increase, the this world-class pediatric medical center needed a solution that would help centralize its security and compliance programs, and that could scale security operations for comprehensive visibility into the network architecture.
An advanced security information and event management solution that centralizes and correlates logs and events to provide staff with integrated security intelligence.
● Provided deep insight into network environment ● Detected malware that previously hadn’t been identified ● Saved administrators time
IBM products and services that were used in this case study.
IBM Security QRadar SIEM
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text:
Bard College: Chamber Music Circle series opens 66th concert season, 8 p.m. June 18, Olin Hall, Annandale-on-Hudson. Admission: $30, $5 for students. Hvcmc.org or call 339-7907.
Unison Art Center: Kristin Andreassen And Rayna Gellert, 8 p.m. June 18, Unison Art Center, 68 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz. They combine songwriting, sisterly harmonies and the rhythm of fiddle tunes and percussive dance. Tickets will be available at the door on the night of the performance for $20 members/$24 nonmembers. Full-time students with ID admitted for half price. Tickets are available online at UnisonArts.org.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church: BachFest is an annual multi-weekend festival of five concerts and multiple church services celebrating the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Visit hudsonvalleysocietyformusic.org or call 256-9114. Featuring Bach’s keyboard works, 3 p.m. June 19 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 17 South Ave., Beacon. Admission $15; students and children enter free.Visit hudsonvalleysocietyformusic.org or call 256-9114.
Tusten Theatre: Live music with singer/songwriter Tom Pacheco, 7:30 p.m. June 18, 210 Bridge St., Narrowsburg. Opening act Angelbeth. $15 at the door or for reservations call 252-7272. The concert is a benefit for WJFF Radio Catskill and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.
Middletown’s Festival Square: Classic rock concert featuring Tangent, 7-9 p.m. June 17. Free.
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, Hyde Park: Music in the Parks, free lawn concerts, June 22, July 20, Aug. 3, 17, 24, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, Hyde Park. Outdoor concerts at 7 p.m. in June and July. August concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. Visit at nps.gov/vama for full concert dates, locations and times.