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RV travel is a life-changing experience for kids and the whole family. However, creating a designated space for each family member to sleep, relax, and live can be challenging. From a DIY RV bunk bed to a whimsical RV kids room, these six families made the most of their tiny homes on wheels. Any kid would envy these fun, beautiful, and functional RV bunk room remodels.
This full-time RV family upgraded to a Keystone Raptor fifth-wheel toy hauler to make more space for their two growing girls. Bradley & Irene Lincoln’s stunning RV renovation included a complete RV bunk room remodel.
The couple removed a closet, redid the floors, and built RV bunk beds and storage spaces to maximize the upstairs room. Pastel tones, shiplap, and industrial light fixtures give the area a cozy feel.
Irene kept her designs simple, budget-friendly, and drawn from nature. Her goal was to create an open and spacious RV for her family. The couple achieved that objective with this RV kids room.
Travis and Meredith are professional RV renovators. As parents of four boys, they are experts in building a safe and comfortable RV kids room.
The couple often adds an RV bunk bed ladder into the RV kids room and bunkhouse. “Travis has 11 years of welding experience as a fabricator, so he is able to custom build beautiful ladders and rails that not only provide the bunk with extra support but give kids the ability to sleep in their beds without the fear of rolling off,” says Meredith.
The couple says the key is to build the rails low enough for kids to climb over easily but high enough to create an extra barrier while they sleep. These rails make an RV bunk bed that is both beautiful and functional.
The Gossett family wanted a home they could take with them while Daniel moved around the country for his baseball career. Painting the interior of this Grand Design Solitude fifth-wheel brightened the space and made it their own.
The couple converted the second bedroom into an RV nursery for their young daughter. The couple removed the couch and replaced it with a full-sized crib. The littlest Gossett has plenty of space for her play table, books, and stuffed animals. Little touches like a pink curtain and garland make this the perfect RV kids room for their daughter to grow up on the road.
The Lahrs family downsized from a 4,000-square foot house to a 400-square-foot Heartland Torque toy hauler. The family lived and traveled in the fifth wheel for four years. When the eldest child left for college, the family decided it was the perfect time to customize the space.
Due to the second bedroom’s slide, Luke and Melissa had to get creative to build the RV bunk bed. They split the bottom slide bed into two twin-length mattresses. Then they built a third DIY RV bunk bed above the original sleeping space. By cutting memory foam mattresses, they were able to achieve the perfect custom size.
This new RV bunk bed gave the family more space to store the kids’ games, books, clothes, and belongings. The rest of the RV contains beautiful multi-use family spaces for everyone to live, work, and spend time together.
Mike and Katie Gerkin sourced inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest for their RV kids room. “I love natural wood and wanted to incorporate as much as possible without adding too much weight. Having two young kids, my husband and I were both worried about using white paint on the walls, so we went with grey. My style is to keep things simple and clean with some added textures.”
The birch-patterned wallpaper behind the RV bunk bed brought the feeling of nature indoors and added pop to the Gerkin’s simple design. The RV bunk bed is perfectly sized for their two traveling kids. The couple created a beautiful space for their family to read and play in their Palamino Sabre fifth wheel.
Jerry and Jaime Rae were already preparing to move full-time into an airstream when they discovered that Jamie was expecting. They had to find a way to build a mini baby nursery inside an under 200-square-foot RV.
Jerry utilized just 18 inches of space next to the bed to construct a safe sleeping platform for the baby’s bassinet. After she outgrew the space, the couple added a small crib to their L-shaped lounge.
They can maintain their nursery nook by keeping baby items to a minimum. The Rae’s found they just needed a good sound machine, a few outfits, and toys to comfortably raise their baby while traveling.
Amy & Jeff Rutherford and their two daughters lived through the chaos of renovating a used RV while they were living inside it. They converted the bedroom and queen bed into a DIY RV bunk bed for their kids.
After adding some colorful paint, the kids made the space their own. A long bench with open shelving adds plenty of storage for games, toys, books, and crafts. The girls have plenty of space to spread out, roadschool, and play.
Looking For More RV Kids Room Ideas or RV Bunk Bed DIYs?
We feature RV renovations in every issue of Rootless Living magazine. As part of our mission to help families live, work, and explore on the road, we share full-time RV families’ stories. Subscribe to learn how to make money, roadschool, and enjoy the experience of traveling with your kids. Also check out our sister RV magazine for even more helpful articles and tips.

domain: travel


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In the mood for breakfast? Here are some of the best brunch spots in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv has much more to offer than just top-notch night life and beautiful beaches with endless sunshine; it’s also a city that has perfected the art of brunch. If you walk down any major street, you’ll find at least a few places with brunch specials on offer. And in Tel Aviv, brunch isn’t only for Sundays – every day of the week is the perfect day for brunch! If you’re looking for some of the best places to go for brunch in Tel Aviv, look no further! We’ve found some of our favourites for you: here’s a round up of some of the best brunch spots in Tel Aviv.
Kicking off our list is none other than Benedict, a breakfast-lovers paradise and famous all-day breakfast spot. Seriously – this place is open 24/7 and only serves breakfast. Benedict’s menu is full of classic Israeli and Mediterranean breakfast dishes, Eggs Benedict (after which the restaurant was named), and delicious sweet pancakes.
Kick off your day with one of their Eggs Benedict for brunch (they come with an unlimited bread basket, side salad, and complimentary mimosa!), or end your night out with a late night snack of their signature Oreo Pancakes that are to DIE for. Like we said, it’s one of the best places to go for a delicious meal any time of the day. Check out their menu HERE!
Next on our list is Cafe XOHO, an American-style cafe in the Dizengoff area. This cute cafe is super popular with expats and New Olim. Cafe XOHO is famous for its bagels – if you haven’t tried them yet, you have to! We recommend going with the “everything” bagel.
Cafe XOHO serves up classic breakfast foods like eggs any way, pancakes, and bagel sammies. They also offer Vegan-friendly options! Order a cappuccino or a mimosa to top off your morning. And don’t forget to save room for dessert! Cafe XOHO serves home-baked cookies at 3 for 12 shekels…delish! Check out their menu HERE!
BIGA – Sarona Market
Away from the main hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv’s city centre is BIGA, located in Sarona Market. While it might be out of your way, it’s totally worth the trek, as Sarona is one of the best places to go in Tel Aviv for good food! BIGA serves up a full dairy menu (no meat here!) with Mediterranean options, including eggs and omelettes, salads, and fresh pastries. Their signature, though, is their bread: BIGA has the best bread – it’s freshly baked, and best enjoyed with spreads like hummus, avocado, labneh, and tahini. And the best part: they even have gluten-free options! Get a cappuccino to go with your breakfast – you won’t be disappointed.
Hakovshim is one of Tel Aviv’s hidden gems – and not to be missed! This little bistro cafe is upscale but reasonably priced and serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We definitely recommend checking out Hakovshim for your next brunch date: it’s hands-down one of the best brunch spots in Tel Aviv! Their Sausage Waffle – a sweet waffle topped with arugula, slices of corned beef, poached egg, and honey mustard sauce – may be the best meal you ever eat. Order a “morning fizz” (mimosa, sangria, or beer) to go with it…yum!
On one of the Carmel Market’s side streets lies a hipster’s paradise in Yom Tov, a charming little cafe. Don’t be turned off by its tiny exterior – walk up the stairs inside and you’ll find a huge space with tons of mismatched chairs and tables, which adds to the overall hipster vibes. Yom Tov is one of the best places to go for a bite to eat, and it’s super popular with the local 20-something crowd! Bring your laptop and stay for a while (ask for the wifi password and get some work done while you sip your coffee!), or come for brunch with your crew. We recommend one of the poached bruschetta dishes (pictured) and an iced Americano.
So there you have it – our roundup of the best brunch spots in Tel Aviv! Want more travel tips and recommendations for your next trip to Tel Aviv? Check out Gooster, your best travel buddy, for tips for travellers, tricks, and recommendations, personalized just for you – chat today on Facebook Messenger!
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Shadows Strike (Immortal Guardians #6) by Dianne Duvall
This is a paranormal romance novel (Rated NC-17)
(Four Ethan Hearts)
The Immortal Guardians protect the innocent in secret. Sometimes the secret gets out...
U.S. law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can’t guess: an attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by an eighth very different immortal. A handsome, brave man fighting at her side, a man she misses when she wakes.
Then the dream comes true. Heather is flung into a war between predators and protectors of humanity, the man from her dreams beside her again. Except now that she’s awake, she isn’t sure she can trust Ethan, or the shadow organization he represents. The U.S. military doesn’t trust either of them. But against an onslaught of evil like the one that’s coming, it will take everything they have just to survive...
So, the good and the not so good.
The story starts off great. I found it to be as intriguing as all the other books in the series. But then I think the story strayed away from the couple and onto the bigger picture. And having the bigger picture is awesome, one of the things I like most about this series.
However, I think that we didn’t get as much from the couple because as a couple they were all that interesting. There wasn’t the push and pull and that’s not always necessary. But it was like they fit right away and what was there to talk about after. And Ethan was a favorite of mine. So I hoped for more maybe.
That’s the main reason why I didn’t give it perfect marks, but the story flowed smoothly. And we got to see as usual some of the other couples come into action. Which is great, because I’ve loved each of them.
I will still eat this series up like a kid with Halloween candy. It’s one of my favorites and very well written. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Kristen Potter does an excellent job with narration. I can’t imagine anyone else reading the series.
My book boyfriend Ethan.
*Disclaimer - I am not the owner of this picture. I found it on the web for causal fun use on my blog for which I receive no compensation. If this picture belongs to you (you are the copyright owner) please let me know and I will remove it.

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Background/Aims: Although ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, apoptosis, and genomic instability are all potentially involved in the pathogenesis of melanoma, in vitro studies investigating these changes in the radial growth phase of this neoplasm are still lacking; therefore, this study was designed to investigate these changes.
Method: An in vitro system consisting of three radial growth phase Wistar melanoma cell lines (WM35, WM3211, and WM1650) was established. Cells were UV irradiated (10 mJ/cm2 for UVB and 6 J/cm2 for UVA), harvested after UV exposure, and evaluated for viability and apoptosis using Trypan blue and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP digoxigenin nick end labelling assays, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction based microsatellite assays were used to examine the cell lines for the presence of microsatellite instability (MSI) using 21 markers at the 1p, 2p, 3p, 4q, 9p, and 17p regions.
Results: Exposure to UV initiated progressive cell death associated with pronounced apoptosis, with UVA having a greater effect than UVB. MSI was found in UVB (WM35 and WM3211) and UVA (WM35) irradiated cell lines at 1p, 9p, and 17p, but not in non-irradiated cells. The prevalence of MSI was higher after UVB irradiation (14%) than UVA irradiation (4.7%), and was most frequently found at D1S233.
Conclusions: The ability of erythemogenic UV irradiation to induce both apoptosis and MSI in radial growth phase melanoma cells is suggestive of its role in melanoma pathogenesis. This instability may reflect a hypermutability state, oxidative stress induced DNA damage, replication infidelity, or a combination of these factors.
Ultraviolet irradiation (UVR) is an important aetiological factor in the development of cutaneous malignant melanomas (CMMs), acting both as an initiator and a promoter in the course of multistep melanoma tumorigenesis.1 In this regard, exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) leads to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine (4–6) pyridone photoproducts. The incorrect repair of these products generates mutations and increases genetic instability.2,3 Exposure to UVB also leads to transcriptional activation of several oncogenes,4 and the generation of photoxidative stress, which inhibits the anti-oxidative defence mechanisms.5 In contrast, UVA genotoxicity is induced by the generation of reactive oxygen radicals,6 which can cause DNA damage that is potentially tumorigenic.7
“Several in vivo studies have revealed the involvement of ultraviolet irradiation, apoptosis, and microsatellite instability in the advanced stages of cutaneous malignant melanoma”
Microsatellites are repetitive DNA sequences of 1–6 base pairs scattered primarily in the non-coding regions of DNA. Neither the factors that restrict them to these regions nor their exact biological roles are clear.8 Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a variation in microsatellite pattern length between tumorous and matching non-tumorous tissues.8 MSI can be separated into high (MSI-H; > 30% of tested markers), and low (MSI-L; < 30% of tested markers) instability patterns. MSI-H has been described in families with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer and is associated with mutations in mismatch repair genes. Although MSI-L has also been reported in several tumours,8 including benign naevi, melanocytic dysplastic naevi,8 primary CMM,8,9 and metastatic CMM,8 the underlying mechanisms of this instability pattern are still unknown.
Several in vivo studies have revealed the involvement of UVR,10–12 apoptosis, and MSI8,9 in the advanced stages of CMM. In these tumours, several molecular pathways mediate the activation of a variety of prosurvival and proapoptotic proteins that seem to play a role in melanoma tumorigenesis.13 However, in vitro studies examining these changes in the early stages of CMM are scarce. Therefore, we used an in vitro system consisting of control (non-irradiated) and irradiated Wistar melanoma (WM) cell lines (non-tumorigenic, radial growth phase cells) to explore cell viability, apoptosis, and genomic instability after UVR. We divided the cell lines into three groups: UVA irradiated, UVB irradiated, and non-irradiated (control) groups. We carried out three sets of experiments to investigate the following questions: (1) what is the effect of a single exposure to UVA or UVB on cell viability? (2) What is the effect of a single exposure to UVA or UVB on apoptosis? (3) What are the genetic alterations in microsatellites associated with a single UVR dose in radial growth phase melanomas?
Three human WM cell lines (a generous gift from Dr M Herlyn, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, USA), derived from (non-tumorigenic) radial growth phase CMMs, were established as described by Dr Herlyn (fig 11).). Two cell lines (WM35 and WM3211) were maintained in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum and insulin (5 mg/ml), and the third one, WM1650, was maintained in RPMI medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum and 10 ng/ml TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate).
A dose of 10 mJ/cm2 UVB was used according to the following rationale: (1) in vivo, doses of UVB in the range of 30 to 150 mJ/cm2 (~ 1–5 minimal erythema doses; MED) are normally encountered and (2) erythema induced by solar UVB results from the penetration into the dermis of approximately 10% of the total UVB dosage. Therefore, in vitro UVB doses ranging from 3 to 15 mJ/cm2 (or 1–5 MED dermal equivalents) are equivalent to the amount of irradiation reaching melanocytes at the basal layer that is needed to cause sunburn (~ 1 MED).14,15 In contrast, for UVA, the transmission through the epidermis is ~ 19% (at wavelength 365 nm), and its MED is 15–20 J/cm2. The 6 J/cm2 dosage used for UVA is the minimum dose that can induce oxidative stress and compromise the antioxidant enzyme system. Of note, these last two effects are responsible for the potential carcinogenic capability of UVA.16–18
The cells were maintained in tissue culture flasks (25 cm2) until they attained confluence. The cells were then trypsinised, suspended in medium, and seeded into several 100 mm2 petri dishes (1 × 105 cells/ml) in phosphate buffer saline. For UVB irradiation, the cells were irradiated under a bank of six FS-40 UVB lamps (Philips, Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA) from which UVB and UVC wavelengths, not normally present in natural solar radiation, were filtered out using Kodacel cellulose film (Eastman-Kodak, Rochester, New York, USA). The light contained radiation in the wavelength of the UVB range (290–320 nm). The total dose of irradiation (10 mJ/cm2 for UVB) was calculated using a radiometer (IL-700) with UVB detectors (SED240; International Light Inc, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA). For UVA irradiation, the cells were irradiated under a bank of two Q-Panel UVA (UVA-340 lamp, ASTMG-53) fluorescent lamps (Q-Panel, Cleveland, Ohio, USA). Most of the radiation from this lamp is in the UVA region (320–400 nm), with a small amount in the UVB spectrum. The total dose of irradiation (6 J/cm2 for UVA) was calculated using a radiometer (IL-700) with UVA detectors (SED033; International Light Inc). Immediately after irradiation, the phosphate buffered saline was removed, and the cells were overlaid with fresh medium and returned to the incubator. Controls (non-irradiated cells) were handled similarly, but were not exposed to UV irradiation. The cells were evaluated for viability, apoptosis, and the presence of genetic changes (including MSI and loss of heterozygosity (LOH)) after UV irradiation.
Plasma membrane function and structural integrity were determined by the Trypan blue exclusion test.19 Briefly, cell suspensions at a high concentration (106 cells/ml) were prepared by trypsinisation, centrifugation, and resuspension. Equal amounts (0.1 ml) of cell suspension and the Trypan blue dye were mixed thoroughly, transferred to the edge of a cover slip, allowed to run into the counting chamber of a haemocytometer, and left for one to two minutes. Both the number of stained cells and the total number of cells were then counted. The percentage of viable cells was determined by calculating the percentage of unstained cells.
To evaluate the apoptotic response after the UV exposure described above, the irradiated and non-irradiated WM cell lines were harvested at 0, 4, 12, and 24 hours after irradiation. We examined apoptosis with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP digoxigenin nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay before and after irradiation. The TUNEL technique was performed using the commercially available QIA33TDT-FragEL™ kit (Oncogen Research Products, Boston, Massachusetts,USA) in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. Positive controls were obtained from the manufacturer and consisted of HL-60 promyelocytic leukaemia cells. Some specimens from UV exposed WM cell lines were used as negative controls by substituting distilled water for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in the protocol, as suggested by others.20 The sections were then examined with a BH-2 Olympus microscope. The cells were then processed for evaluation by transmission electron microscopy (Tecani 10 EM and Gatan MSC with digital micrograph camera).
A panel of 21 microsatellite markers (12 markers at 1p, five at 9p, and one each at 2p, 3p, 4q, and 17p) was obtained from Research Genetics (Huntsville, Alabama, USA), and their characteristics are available online (http://www.resgen.com/products/HuMPs.php3).
DNA was extracted from the cell lines using the DNeasy™ tissue kit (Qiagen, Valencia, California, USA), as described by the manufacturer.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed in a 10 μl volume containing 1× PCR buffer (10mM Tris, 50mM KCl (pH 8.3), and 0.02% Tween 20), 0.2 μM each of the unlabelled and ATP [γ-33P] (ICN Biomedical, California, USA) labelled primers, 1 μl of DNA supernatant, 0.2 U of Taq DNA polymerase (PGC Scientific, Frederick, Maryland, USA), 125 mM each of dNTPs, and 1.5mM MgCl2. PCR was performed using a “touch down” approach: five minutes at 94°C, followed by 36 to 38 cycles of one minute at 94°C, one minute at 56–60°C, and one minute at 72°C; with a final elongation step for nine minutes at 72°C. A “hot start” was also used by adding Taq DNA polymerase when the temperature in the initial ramp was > 80°C. PCR products were resolved on a 6% Long Ranger sequencing gel (FMC, Rockland, Maine, USA) and exposed to BioMax MR film (Kodak) for 24–72 hours. All PCR reactions and gel loadings were repeated at least twice, and only identical results were reported.
MSI was defined by variations in the DNA banding pattern between irradiated and non-irradiated cell lines. Because we were working on cell lines without matching normal control DNA, only irradiated cell lines presenting with more than two alleles for each locus were considered unstable.21 Irradiated cell lines with MSI at one or more loci were scored as MSI positive.8 Instability at more than 30% of the tested loci was used as a cut off between MSI-L and MSI-H. Samples without MSI were scored as microsatellite stable (MSS).8 During this assay, irradiated cell lines were simultaneously assessed for LOH. The heterozygosity loss was evaluated by comparing the intensities of the two alleles in informative cases. LOH was scored whenever the radiographic signal of one allele was absent or 50% reduced in the tumours, as determined by visual comparison of the allele intensities and use of the SciScan 5000 densitometer.
The UV treated cells showed rounding up and detachment from the culture plate when compared with the control cells. Comparison of the mean values of viability among irradiated and non-irradiated cell lines revealed two facts: (1) both UVA and UVB induced pronounced cell killing within 24 hours after irradiation; and (2) UVA induced more cell killing than UVB. Similar responses were seen in all three cell lines, and fig 22 provides a summary of the viability assays in WM35. This figure shows that the mean viability was highest in non-irradiated cells, followed by the UVB irradiated cells, with the lowest values being seen in the UVA irradiated cells. The mean viability values of the non-irradiated and irradiated cell lines were significantly different, and the p values were lower for the UVA irradiated group, indicating greater significance (fig 22).
None of the negative controls stained with the TUNEL technique showed immunoreactivity, whereas positive TUNEL staining was seen in the positive controls. Semiquantitative evaluation of apoptosis by counting the number of TUNEL signal positive cells in both the non-irradiated and UV irradiated cell lines revealed the following two facts: (1) in the control (non-irradiated) cells, few cells showed positive signals at the designated times, whereas UV treated cells showed greatly increased numbers of positively stained cells; and (2) UVA irradiation induced more apoptosis than UVB. A similar response was seen in all three cell lines, and figs 33 and 44 provide a summary of the TUNEL assay results in WM35 cells. These figures reveal that the apoptotic mean values were the highest in the UVA irradiated cells, followed by the UVB irradiated cells, with the non-irradiated cells showing the lowest values. The mean apoptotic values were significantly different between the non-irradiated and irradiated cell lines, with the p values being lower in the UVA irradiated group, indicating greater significance (fig 33).). Positive TUNEL results are indicative, but not proof of, the presence of apoptotic cells, because there are several forms of programmed cell death that can induce DNA degradation in the absence of apoptotic caspase activation. Therefore, the apoptotic activity in our series was also confirmed by the ultrastructural detection of characteristic apoptotic patterns in the irradiated WM cell lines. These features included: (1) incomplete condensation of the chromatin pattern, displaying a microgranular network (fig 5B5B);); (2) condensed chromatin near the periphery, close to the nuclear envelope, seen as one or several large homogenous masses (fig 5C5C,, D); (3) irregularity of the nuclear membrane (fig 5D5D–F);–F); and (4) partially disrupted chromatin, as indicated by the presence of one or more nuclear vacuoles (fig 5C5C,, E, F).
MSI was detected in the WM35 and WM3211 cell lines after UVR, but not in WM1650, in duplicate sets of experiments. The allelic pattern in irradiated cells was characterised by the presence of novel bands above or below those present in non-irradiated cells (fig 66).). MSI was found at four loci in the WM35 cells (D1S2734, D1S233, MYCL1, and IFNA) after UVB irradiation and at one locus (D1S233) after UVA irradiation. In the WM3211 cells, MSI was seen after UVB irradiation only, and was found at five loci (D1S2663, D1S233, D1S513, D9S171, and TP53). Overall, the most frequently affected locus was D1S233. In keeping with the MSI-L pattern reported previously by us in excised melanocytic dysplastic naevi and CMM,8 the frequency of MSI ranged from 0.0% to 19.0% and from 0.0% to 4.7% after UVB and UVA irradiation, respectively (table 11).
Previous studies of excised melanocytic skin tumours revealed the involvement of UVR, apoptosis, and a gradual increase in MSI, which correlated with the progression and increased aggressiveness of these tumours.22–24 Based on these studies, we hypothesised that UVR contributes to the molecular pathogenesis of CMM arising on sun-exposed skin by causing MSI, which results in mutations in genes involved in neoplastic transformation and tumour progression. To test our hypothesis, we exposed radial growth phase CMM cell lines to UVA and UVB and examined them for viability, the presence of apoptosis, and MSI using TUNEL and PCR based microsatellite assays.
In agreement with other studies, our data revealed that UVR (in the range capable of causing sunburn in vivo) generally induces cell death and a drastic increase in the apoptotic activity in the irradiated WM cell lines,25–28 suggesting excessive underlying DNA damage beyond the capacity of the repair system.29 This DNA damage may be either in the form of accumulated pyrimidine dimers (induced by UVB) or oxidatively modified bases (induced by UVA). The accumulation of these products as a possible mechanism for the apoptosis seen in WM cell lines concurs with the apoptotic changes induced by UVA and UVB.28,30 Because DNA absorbs little, if any, UVA, the genotoxicity of UVA is mostly the result of the generation of reactive oxygen radicals,6 which have a definitive role in apoptosis.31 In support of this principle, exposure to H2O2 is a potent inducer of apoptosis in HL-60 cells,32 and oxygen radical scavengers can block DNA nuclear fragmentation and the formation of apoptotic bodies after UVA irradiation.28,33
“Ultraviolet irradiation generally induces cell death and a drastic increase in the apoptotic activity in irradiated Wistar melanoma cell lines, suggesting excessive underlying DNA damage beyond the capacity of the repair system”
In vivo, melanoma cells are traditionally thought to be highly radioresistant. However, several factors may have contributed to the response of the melanoma cells to UVR seen in our study. First, the radioresistance of melanoma cells was noted in an in vivo system, where skin microenvironmental factors probably influence the cells and contribute to this resistance. The in vitro system used here is not affected by changes in the skin microenvironment after UV exposure. Second, ionising rather than non-ionising irradiation (UVR) has been used in the radiotherapy of melanoma.
The MSI-L pattern found in irradiated WM cell lines is in keeping with other studies reporting similar changes in excised melanocytic lesions.8,22 This finding also supports our hypothesis that UVR can induce MSI in these lesions, suggests that MSI can arise early in melanoma pathogenesis, and suggests that UVR may be a driving force in the evolution of at least some CMMs, such as those arising on sun exposed skin. Because MSI may affect the function of the genes in which the microsatellites reside, the presence of MSI in the markers flanking the melanoma susceptibility genes in the 1p and 9p regions warrants further mutational analysis of these genes. Interestingly, UVB produced more MSI than UVA. In this regard, because UVB penetrates less deeply than UVA, the greater effect of UVB on MSI may help explain why most CMMs begin superficially in or near the epidermis.
We suggest three possibilities to support our hypothesis and to explain how UVR was able to induce MSI in the irradiated WM cell lines. First, the presence of MSI after a single exposure to UVR may merely represent a hypermutability state in these cell lines. In this regard, because exposure to UVR in vitro represents a dramatic change in the environment of WM tumour cells, it is conceivable that the cells acquire selective advantages by generating additional mutations, perhaps in the microsatellite repeats, to adjust to the in vitro conditions.34
Second, the presence of MSI after UV exposure may reflect underlying DNA damage by reactive oxygen species. Because UVR inhibits free radical scavenging activity35 and inactivates antioxidant enzymes,5,36 it enhances DNA damage by reactive oxygen radicals. The generation of these radicals is estimated to be responsible for 20 000 hits to DNA/cell/day,37–40 representing a major source of mutations. The role of oxidative stress in melanoma tumorigenesis is supported by three observations, namely: (1) oxygen radical induced DNA damage is involved in some tumours, such as breast cancers41; (2) CMM cell lines constitutively produce and accumulate hydrogen peroxide at levels comparable to activated polymorphonuclear lymphocytes42; and (3) exposure of DNA to reactive oxygen species in vitro can induce MSI,43 even in the absence of MMR gene defects, by several mechanisms. One of these mechanisms involves the retardation of DNA polymerase at sites of oxidative base damage, with subsequent strand displacement and misalignment of the growing strands at different positions on the template. Furthermore, strand scission within the microsatellite repeat sequences by reactive oxygen species enhances the possibility of strand misalignment, with the subsequent generation of insertion or deletion loops. The reactive oxygen radicals can also induce single strand breaks in the microsatellite sequences, increasing the formation of slipped strand intermediates.44
The third possibility is that the presence of MSI after UV exposure may reflect underlying DNA replication infidelity. As a part of the response to the UV irradiation of WM cell lines, there is accumulation of damaged DNA photoproducts that stimulate the induction of stress induced secreted proteins in the cell lines.45 Subsequently, these proteins promote activation of the genes encoding extracellular proteins,46 cytokines,47 and several yet unidentified proteins. These three protein classes are also involved in inducing replication infidelity, and may favour genetic instability and oncogenic transformation.4,48 In support of this concept, the secretion of these proteins was found to induce genetic instability in mouse T lymphoma cell lines after UVR,4 and some of these proteins are constitutively expressed in several cancer prone syndromes49 and tumour cell lines.50
The absence of LOH after UV irradiation in WM cells is in agreement with previous studies,51 and suggests that the initial genetic events after UVR do not include LOH at an early stage. This observation is in accordance with the fact that LOH is usually associated with exposure to ionising irradiation but not to non-ionising irradiation.52
Of note, further experiments on the same cell lines are suggestive of increased malignant potential. In this regard, UVR was able to induce both point mutations in the mismatch repair genes53,54 and ultrastructural changes in keeping with malignant changes. However, determining whether the cells that survive UVR have in fact an increased tumorigenic potential relative to the parental ones (for example, growth as xenografts in immunosuppressed mice) will require additional experiments. The results of our present study will be useful to compare and contrast with such subsequent investigations.
To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to suggest the induction of apoptosis and MSI in WM cell lines after exposure to UVR. However, whether MSI reflects a hypermutability state, oxidative stress induced DNA damage, replication infidelity, or a combination of these three must be determined by further investigations.
This work was supported by Merit Review Funding from the Department of Veteran Affairs and NIH grant AR01326. The authors thank Dr S Emancipator for his exceptional guidance and helpful insight throughout this project. We are also grateful to Ms K Kleckner for preparing the tables and figures for submission.

domain: medical


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- Created by: Pip Dan
- Created on: 05-06-16 14:07
Beauty in Jane Eyre
Physical appearance is a major theme in Jane Eyre. As a child growing up, she was always treated differently because compared to her cousins, she wasn't nearly as beautiful. In a society where beauty in a woman was valued highly, it gave those with beautiful exteriors more opportunities and better treatment from those around them. Jane endured many unnecessary hardships as a result of her plain, forlorn, and average looks. This idea was present in almost every aspect of a woman's life.
External beauty versus internal beauty:
- Throughout the novel, Brontë plays with the dichotomy between external beauty and internal beauty.
- Both Bertha Mason and Blanche Ingram are described as stunningly beautiful, but, in each case, the external beauty obscures an internal ugliness.
- Bertha’s beauty and sensuality blinded Mr. Rochester to her hereditary madness, and it was only after their marriage that he gradually recognized her true nature.
- Blanche’s beauty hides her haughtiness and pride, as well as her desire to marry Mr. Rochester only for his money. Yet, in Blanche’s case, Mr. Rochester seems to have learned not to judge by appearances, and he eventually rejects her, despite her beauty.
The two adjectives Jane most frequently uses to describe herself are “plain” and “little”; based on the nineteenth-century ideals of beauty, Jane would have good cause to consider herself less than gorgeous. Plain might better be termed “monochromatic.” Jane’s fair skin, hazel hair and green eyes and lack of outstanding features would, especially in her own opinion, render her plain. Her style of dress, which she frequently terms “Quaker,” adds to her often colorless appearance. Jane is also tiny. She compares herself unfavorably to the tall Blanche and the curvy Rosamund, both of whom meet the cultural beauty ideal far more successfully than she. Her height and slight figure both add to her childlike appearance, which Rochester thinks of as “elfin,” but which would not have won her any prizes at nineteenth-century beauty contests. Because she is small and not flashy, Jane thinks of herself as plain. But her plainness actually suits her. Unlike the vain and shallow Blanche or the kindly but not spiritually rich Rosamund, Jane is a deep and introspective person whose very “plainness” allows her to blend in and observe those around her. It also draws the attention to her rich and well-developed personality in contrast to her un-remarkable outer person. Though she fulfills the conventions of dress and style of the period, Jane is a character whose inner beauty is far more important than her superficial features.
Only Jane, who lacks the external beauty of typical Victorian heroines, has the inner beauty that appeals to Mr. Rochester. Her intelligence, wit, and calm morality express a far greater personal beauty than that of any other character in the novel, and Brontë clearly intends to highlight the importance of personal development and growth rather than superficial appearances. Once Mr. Rochester loses his hand and eyesight, they are also on equal footing…


I bought a Biostar TForce6100-939 Socket 939 Barebone Kit / AMD Athlon 64 3200+ OEM / 512MB DDR PC3200 (I EXCHANGED IT FOR 2 512Mb TWIN STICKS) / CPU Fan / ATX Mid-Tower Case / 450 Watt Power Supply . . . I just started to put it together so this will be the first of many questions that I'll be asking ('m sorry). The instructions that came with the motherboard are very poor. They consist of one page that explains how to place the CPU and one page that explains how to install the RAM, which are the two easiest things to do. The remainder of 2 pages only point out power headers, but it doesn't say what should be connected to them.
For right now, though, this is my question . . .
All computers that I've seen have an A Drive. I was told that a computer has to have an A Drive and it can't do without one. The kit that I bought didn't include an A Drive. Do I need one in order for the computer to work? I bought a benq DVD/CD read/write, etc, ROM drive. Would that be sufficient to start off with?


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Weight Loss Program For Workplace
The idea of a challenge may be influenced by weight-loss reality shows, but a group environment makes weight loss more attainable and desirable to average participants. a study published in a 2012 issue of obesity found that when people are supported and inspired, such as by co-workers, they have a better chance of losing weight.. The whole 30 books may be available at your local library. the library is a great source for weight loss programs and cookbooks. i work for a public library and i know my library system has the whole30 : the 30-day guide to total health and food freedom, the whole30 day by day: your daily guide to whole30 success/ hartwig, melissa, and the. Join now. weight watchers is a household name for the majority of americans. why? because it works. in fact, the u.s news and world report named this the best weight-loss diet for 2016 in their.
Tops provides the weight-management component to your employee wellness program in the form of on-site weight-loss support chapters. tops chapters are an affordable, flexible, and convenient way for employees to take charge of their health and weight. The best office workplace weight loss challenge ideas one could argue that there is no better place to pick up bad habits than working in an office. as someone who used to work in the finance department, it would be hard for me to disagree.. “you are the biggest loser in this office!” normally, those are not words that most people want to hear out of their boss’s mouth! nevertheless, these words are being said in offices all around the country, as businesses implement workplace weight loss programs inspired by the television show the biggest loser..

domain: health


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text:
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions Â— increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels Â— that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
It has been established that patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MS) have significantly greater incidence of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Indeed, diabetes is a nationwide epidemic in the United States affecting nearly 26 million Americans, with 90-95% of these cases being T2DM. The monetary costs for diabetes alone accounts for an estimated 245 billion dollars in the United States annually. CVD is the primary cause of death in people with T2DM and ranks number one in fatalities worldwide. Similar to increased incidences of individuals with T2DM, diagnosis of people with MS is steadily rising.
Journal Article is sometimes called a Scientific Article, a Peer-Reviewed Article, or a Scholarly Research Article. Together, journal articles in a particular field are often referred to as The Literature.
Journal articles are most often Primary Research Articles. However, they can also be Review Articles. These types of articles have different aims and requirements. Sometimes, an article describes a new tool or method.
Last date updated on July, 2014

domain: literature


Planning commissioners gave the downtown plan a final sendoff last week, passing their approval of the plan’s environmental review on to the City Council.
Commissioners also voted for amendments to the city’s all-encompassing General Plan, needed to make it conform to the new district plan.
The commission voted 7-1 on both measures at the May 13 meeting, with only Gene Poschman in opposition. Patti Dacey was absent.
City Planning and Development Director Dan Marks said he believed the draft and final environmental impact reviews (EIRs) are adequate. “All the issues that were raised have been adequately addressed,” he told commissioners. “We’re ready to consider endorsement.”
Poschman said he had submitted a lengthy list of comments, and had been surprised at some of the answers provided in the final document.
When he pointed out that the commission’s revisions to the Downtown Area Plan Advisory’s Committee’s own version of the plan would lead to a significant loss of views of the Berkeley hills to some flatlands residents, the EIR’s authors responded that views of the hills are only protected by law for other residents of the hills.
Poschman also charged that the EIR’s assessment of greenhouse gas generated by the plan had failed to adequately address the impacts of building new high-rises.
After Poschman finished, James Samuels moved for approval of the plan, followed by the vote.
Commissioners spent more time revising the language of the General Plan amendments, changing or largely eliminating old sections of the plan referring to downtown development based on the previous 1990 downtown plan to bring them into alignment with the new area plan.
By the time the commissioners had finished, even Poschman said he’d vote for the revisions—if he were in favor of the commission’s revisions of the new downtown plan.
But when Harry Pollack moved for approval, Poschman cast the lone dissenting vote.
Both the commission’s revisions and the original DAPAC draft will be before the City Council when they deliberate on a final document. But given the short time available, councilmembers will have little time for serious changes.
DAPAC’s version is more restrictive in the numbers of tallest buildings allowable in the city center, and would impose more stringent “green building” requirements and other amenities to be financed by new development. The commission’s draft is considerably more developer-friendly.
While councilmembers received their first briefing on the plan and accompanying documents Tuesday, May 19, formal action isn’t scheduled until June 2, when a hearing on the plan and amendments is scheduled, with a second meeting on the plan tentatively scheduled for Bastille Day, July 14.
The plan was created as the result of the settlement of a city lawsuit challenging UC Berkeley’s projected off-campus growth through 2020. In addition to compensatory payments offsetting some of the costs of the planned 850,0000 square feet of new construction, the university also agreed to share costs of preparing the new plan.
The university must also approve the new plan, which was originally scheduled for city adoption by May 28, then approved delay without imposing cost sanctions that might otherwise have applied.
With the downtown plan out of the way, commissioners will be focusing in upcoming meetings on completing the long-delayed Southside Plan and on making revisions in West Berkeley zoning to make bigger projects easier to build.


This site is now read-only. You can find our new documentation site and support forum for posting questions here.
Be sure to read our welcome blog!
GATK 4.1 HaplotypeCaller detected the same variant in one technical replicate, but failed in another
I tried to use GATK 4.1 HaplotypeCaller to detect EGFR T790M variant in a few technical replicates. It turned out that HaplotypeCaller detected the same variant in one technical replicate, but failed in another replicate. The sample is the commercial EGFR T790M positive control.
The following are the IGV screenshots, the first one HC called T790M while the bottom one HC failed even though we can see T790M in both pre-processed and HC bamout bam files.
I also have a few diluted sample runs with no T790M detection and the bamout bam files have no read at all at that region while the reads are there in the pre-processed bam files.
These are amplicon based data with very high depth ( > 12,000x). I tried to adjust parameters and so far --max-reads-per-alignment-start 0 --disable-read-filter NotDuplicateReadFilter --adaptive-pruning true --kmer-size 10 --kmer-size 15 --kmer-size 20 --kmer-size 25 --kmer-size 30 is the best I can get as I can identify T790M from 4 out of 12 T790M positives.
Thanks a lot for the help!


Liz Carey has worked as a writer, reporter and editor for nearly 25 years. First, as an investigative reporter for Gannett and later as the Vice President of a local Chamber of Commerce, Carey has covered everything from local government to the statehouse to the aerospace industry. Her work as a reporter, as well as her work in the community, have led her to become an advocate for the working poor, as well as the small business owner.
Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – More than 800,000 federal employees are working without pay during the government shutdown. And that financial insecurity may or may not endanger the workers ... Read More
Bell County, KY (WorikersCompensation.com) – A Tennessee surveyor is dead after a coal mining accident in an eastern Kentucky.
A spokesman for the Kentucky Energy and Environment cabinet said Jeffrey ... Read More
Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, accounted for nearly 20 percent of all fatal injuries in 2017, according to a report out by the US Bureau of ... Read More
Cambridge, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Injured workers in mining and construction, as well as workers employed at small firms and in rural counties, are more likely to receive prescriptions for ... Read More
Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - Frequent shootings in 2018 prompted some lawmakers to protect first responders suffering from PTSD through legislation.Providing workers’ compensation ... Read More
Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to a recent report, trucking deaths on the job reached a record high in 2017,and experts are blaming truckers.
A report from the US Bureau of ... Read More


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Working with Allegheny Health Network Women’s Behavioral Health clinical staff, we redesigned two in-person patient spaces focusing on layering therapeutic childcare programming and developmental activities for young children whose mothers are receiving perinatal mental health treatment at the center. The facilities are part of Pittsburgh’s First Maternal-Infant Health Program and designed to improve maternal mental health outcomes as well as the parent-infant relationship.
Our design approach was to provide multi-layered experiences that add interactive and informal learning experiences for parents and children that support the services offered in person, as well as in-home programs and other outreach activities. CMP can provide space planning and interior design recommendations; fixtures, furnishings and Equipment plans; and professional development trainings for implementing the informal learning practices related to social-emotional learning activities.
Interested in learning more about this collaboration or in creating an


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Marriage is the divine institution that is part of what we call common grace. God makes rain for good and evil just as He granted marriage to good and bad.
About Pastor Jean TSHIBANGU
See more books from this Author
Published October 31, 2012
Health, Fitness & Dieting, Self Help, Parenting & Relationships, Religion & Spirituality.


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Good health is very important to live a happy and long life, it is the key of success. Bad health affects our both, personal and professional life. Today, people are very busy in their life or work so they are neglecting their health and fitness. It is very important for human beings to stay fit and healthy in order to live a long disease free life. Today, In this article, we are going to discuss few easy ways through which we can maintain our good health and fitness. You can get a healthy and fit body through having a good diet, drink plenty of water and exercising.
Good diet helps you to get a healthy body. Exercise is very important in order to get a healthy and fit body. Exercise will help you to reduce your extra weight and feel you happy or energetic. So it is important for you, do exercise on a regular basis. The technology changing day by day and it can affect on every field whether it is education, political or medical field. Today, you can chat with a doctor online and tell him/her your problem. There are many websites available on the internet by which you can chat with a doctor online. If you want to get more information then you can also talk to a doctor in minutes and get the detailed information.


Www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf. Www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf. Www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/k1024.pdf. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online. Español Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Eastern Time Important. Application for Recognition of Exemption. To apply for recognition by the IRS of exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Code, use Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption, and its instructions.
The application must be complete and accompanied by the appropriate user fee. See Application Process for a step-by-step review of what an organization needs to know and to do in order to apply for recognition by the IRS of tax-exempt status. Frequently asked questions about applying for exemption generally, and Form 1023 specifically, are also available. You may also want to take our on-line mini-course about applying for exemption. Except for churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and public charities whose annual gross receipts are normally less than $5,000, organizations will not be treated as described in section 501(c)(3) unless they notify the IRS by applying for recognition of section 501(c)(3) status. Www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1023.pdf. Www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/charities/QuickGuideHandbookFeb2011.pdf. Charities & Trusts. Exempt Organizations Forms and Instructions. 1This column indicates the revision date of forms currently being accepted by the Exempt Organizations Determinations office.
Outdated forms will be returned without any action by the Service on the request. 2Because Form 8871 must be filed electronically, a paper version of Form 8871 may not be filed and is not available for download. The freely available Adobe Acrobat Reader software is required to view, print, and search the items listed above. Form 990 Resources and Tools for Exempt Organizations.


text:
Medicaid providers will be subject to new audits by Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs), beginning in January 2012.
These new audits will be in addition to existing audits being conducted by Medicare RACs, Medicaid Integrity Contractors (MICs) and Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs), among others. “The Medicaid RAC audits, mandated as part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Health Reform Act), are expected to result in the recovery of $2.13 billion over the next five years.”
Medicaid RAC auditors will receive contingency fees of between 9% and 12.5% of amounts recovered as a result of overpayments, resulting in total contingency payments to Medicaid RACs of approximately $190 million to $266 million over the next five years. Medicaid providers will thus face audits from entities that have large financial incentives and resources to mount aggressive challenges to payments received from Medicaid programs.
Download the full article here (PDF):

domain: law


text:
Here are fifteen sets, each with thirteen original songs (195 tunes) that you might find worth a look.
The musical credit goes to Jay Cobra on guitar, Ted Hesketh on slide, Bill Barclay on keyboards in set 14 and of course Mitch Lazer and son Rhys for everything. Cudos also to Adam, Max, Joon and Stephan (the group "Lady") for the three rocky tunes in set ten and set twelve and thirteen in their entirety. Also on set fifteen thanks to Andrew Leonard (harmonica),Sarah Reid (backup vocals) and Peter Carson (keyboards).
The mandolin musical credit in the first four tunes of set one and two (as of Jan 2012) goes to Chris Terhune, an old friend who reappeared in my life after an absence of thirty three years.
Download what you want with the little note icon. In this modern world of scaleable bits/bytes unless there is proprietary hardware associated with a product it is essential free. Interesting times we live in!
My hope is that someone out there might enjoy these tunes.
ps- Some have asked me about the copyright thingy at the end of each tune. I just left the boiler plate in because I was to lazy to remove it. Besides copyright doesn't mean anything these days, so feel free to use any of this content just like it was under creative commons copyright.


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Over 130 scientists are slamming the draft environmental report into a proposed LNG terminal on Lelu Island over salmon habitat and other key issues. The concerns – expressed in a letter yesterday calling on the Trudeau Government to disregard the draft report on the project – come near the end of the public comment window, which closes Friday.
Report “scientifically flawed”
The letter, signed by such respected salmon experts as SFU’s Dr. Jonathan Moore, BCIT’s Dr. Marvin Rosenau, and retired senior DFO manager Otto Langer, calls the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s draft report on the project “scientifically flawed” and based on “inadequate” information. Said Langer, “The CEAA report is less than scientific, full of speculation and wishful thinking.”
The report took a tough stand on the project’s carbon footprint, warning of “significant adverse environmental effects” to the climate, but critics say it fell short on recognizing the damage the Petronas-led project would inflict on vital salmon habitat in the Skeena Estuary.
“You couldn’t find a worse location to develop in terms of risks to fish. The CEAA report does not acknowledge that this LNG proposal is located on critical habitat of Canada’s second largest wild salmon watershed”, said Charmaine Carr-Harris of the Skeena Fisheries Commission.
5 big mistakes
The scientists’ letter lists five key mistakes made by CEAA with its report:
- Misrepresentation of the importance of the project area to fish populations, especially salmon
- Inadequate consideration of multiple project impacts and their cumulative effects
- Unsubstantiated reliance on mitigation
- Assuming lack of information equates to lack of risks
- Disregard for science that was not funded by the proponent
On the last two points, the scientists highlight fundamental flaws in the review process and its scientific methodology, noting:
[quote]CEAA’s draft report is not a balanced consideration of the best-available science. On the contrary, CEAA relied upon conclusions presented in proponent-funded studies which have not been subjected to independent peer-review and disregarded a large and growing body of relevant independent scientific research, much of it peer-reviewed and published…The CEAA draft report for the Pacific Northwest LNG project is a symbol of what is wrong with environmental decision-making in Canada.[/quote]
Citizens can add their voice
The window for public comment on CEAA’s draft report remains open until Friday end of day (see instructions for submission here). After that, the review panel will weigh the feedback it has received and produce a final report sometime in the coming months. It will then fall to the Trudeau government to decide whether or not it wishes to issue an environmental certificate for the project, over these serious climate and salmon concerns.

domain: news


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"I have no desire to live ... all I pray for is death," Sunanda Pushkar wrote in an e-mail to her husband Shashi Tharoor + nine days before she was found dead in a luxury hotel room here, police has told a city court.
The police also told the court that Sunanda's death was due to poisoning and 27 tablets of Alprax were found in her room but it was not clear how many pills she had consumed.
Sunanda's mail and messages on social media have been taken as a "dying declaration", Delhi Police told additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal, who today reserved for June 5 its order on whether to summon Tharoor as an accused in the case.
The Delhi Police had on May 14 accused the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, of abetting Pushkar's suicide and urged the court that he should be summoned as an accused in the four-and-half year-old case, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him.
In a nearly 3,000-page chargesheet, the police has named Tharoor as the only accused while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to cruelty.
The couple's domestic servant, Narayan Singh, has been named one of the key witnesses in the case.
Pushkar was found dead in the suite of a luxury hotel in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
The Congress leader has been charged under sections 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
Under section 498A, the maximum punishment is up to three years of imprisonment, while jail term up to 10 years is prescribed under section 306.
The chargesheet, which includes several annexures including medical reports, said that Pushkar died within four years of her marriage with Tharoor. The couple had entered the wedlock on August 22, 2010.
The suite of the South Delhi hotel, where Pushkar had died, was sealed by the police on the night of her death for investigation. An FIR was registered by Delhi Police on January 1, 2015 against unknown persons under IPC section 302 (murder).
According to prosecution sources, the chargesheet has mentioned that Pushkar was allegedly subjected to mental as well as physical cruelty. Tharoor has not been arrested in the case.The special investigation team (SIT) on April 20 had told the apex court that a draft final report has been prepared after conducting "thorough professional and scientific investigations" in the case relating to the death of Congress MP's wife.The Delhi High Court had last year on October 26 dismissed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking court-monitored SIT probe into the death of Pushkar, terming his PIL as a "textbook example of a political interest litigation", instead of public interest litigation or a PIL.Later, Swamy had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The top court had then asked him to satisfy it on the question of maintainability of his plea.


- FIFPro reaction to latest FIFA crisis
FIFPro is disappointed to learn that some of world football’s highest-ranking officials are now suspended by FIFA’s Ethics Committee as the game lurches from one crisis to another.
While inappropriate to comment on individuals under investigation, a pattern has emerged that leaves FIFPro with little or no confidence in the ability of FIFA to reform from within.
- Research links severe injuries to mental illness
New FIFPro research shows that symptoms of mental health problems are more widespread in current and former professional footballers than in the general population. Next to that, FIFPro has found a strong correlation between severe injuries and surgeries and the mental wellbeing of players.
- “Knowing people simply care is a huge help”
One year ago Chris Jackson shocked family, friends and followers of New Zealand football. In an interview with FIFPro, the former New Zealand national team captain disclosed he had been suffering from mental health issues for decades, since he was fifteen
- Mental health: a unique CBA in New Zealand
The New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association (NZPFA) proudly presented its newest Collective Bargaining Agreement for the players of the New Zealand national team, also known as the All Whites. As the first CBA in global football, it contains measures to help prevent players suffering from mental illness.
- FIFPro to unveil new mental health research
On Tuesday, October 6, FIFPro will release a seminal exploration of mental health disorders in professional footballers. Conducted by FIFPro’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge (Assistant Professor at the Academic Medical Center of Amsterdam), and Professor Gino Kerkhoffs from the Academic Medical Centre of Amsterdam, this research surveyed over 800 current and former players from 11 FIFPro member countries on 3 continents. It is an immediate follow-up to Dr. Gouttebarge’s 2014 mental health research.
The information gained from this research will seek to further inform all stakeholders within football about the widespread nature of these medical problems and lead a debate around the supportive measures which are necessary for those suffering.
- Stars attend as India's best players celebrated
Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Sandesh Jhingan were chosen by their peers as the best Indian footballers for 2014-15. They were among the best of the I League and the Indian Super League (ISL) who were honoured at the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) awards.


To remember when there was no Fidel Castro blowing cigar smoke and abuse our way, one has to remember nickel soft drinks, Mamie Eisenhower and the words to "Two Silhouettes on the Shade." As it happens, I do, but that's not the point. The point is the durability of evaded, or only partly addressed, problems.
The Castro problem, we might reflect, given the recent dip in Fidel's prospects for earthly enjoyments, never needed to become the Castro problem. We could have thrown the bum out, in other words, and spared Latin America and the world a lot of subsequent, not to mention continuing, distress.
Instead, we -- the United States -- let slip the opportunity. Sentimentality, carelessness, it's hard to know what exactly undermined our planned KO of Castro, which was launched on President John F. Kennedy's watch and produced the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The United States outsourced the invasion to a band of Cuban exiles who got themselves walloped and captured.
And so, instead of helping a democratic government to power, we reached uneasy accommodation with a communist despot ready to act at any time to spread Sovietism through Latin America -- from a base, as it was then conventional to say, "90 miles off our shores." A lot of Latin Americans got killed on account of Castro, and a lot still languish in his prisons. Cuba is a hellhole -- a kind of perverse inspiration to the likes of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who think Castro got it about right.
Plenty of time for rehearsing all that sad saga once the Lord finally moves Castro to a different domicile. Meanwhile, the impending end of Fidelismo provides -- it should anyway -- food for thought about the risks not only of coming down hard on hard-core anti-American types, but of failing to come down on them at all.
Dictator-toleration, as a foreign policy concept, is presently making a comeback. Iraq hasn't been good for the opposite principle, namely, throw the bum out. Nor, in practical terms, can there be any warrant for going after everyone in the world who might not like us. On the other hand, names like Iran and Syria come to mind as durable threats we might have dealt with in the past, given more will than we displayed. How often did we need the nasties in Tehran to tell us how much they hated us, and the whole West? There was the hostage crisis of 1979-81. Now there is Hezbollah, as well as the apparent project of building nuclear weapons. Iran's own "final solution" to "the Jewish problem"?
Surely some bells went off in highly placed heads at some point in the past. Did the Cuban example come to mind -- the example of what happens when you let malice and hatred breed without interruption? What now does anyone do with Iran? Is there a good answer?


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A straw poll hosted by AccountantsDaily, which asked ‘Has the government adequately communicated the changes to the financial services licensing regime?’, indicates a majority of accountants are dissatisfied with the available resources.
Of the 1,063 participants, 72.2 per cent voted no, while the remaining 27.8 per cent voted yes.
Industry lawyers, including The Fold Legal’s Jaime Lumsden Kelly, conceded that ASIC’s guidance in some cases “is not as clear as it should be”.
Nevertheless, ASIC has warned accountants there will be no grace period or leniency where non-compliance is detected.
“Frankly, if you decide after 1 July to give advice on establishing or operating an SMSF and you don’t have the requisite licence, where you’re not operating under a licence for someone who does, you’re acting illegally,” ASIC commissioner Greg Tanzer said earlier this year.
“Then you’re joining the club with the investment scammers, the property spruikers, and all of the other people who choose to operate illegally.”
Accountants have been warned on several occasions that the regulator will likely be shadow shopping with them, particularly in light of the $127 million budget boost the government gave ASIC in May.
“Even without the boost, we knew it was going to happen. It means that it might happen even more so, and it’ll be more intense,” said the Institute of Public Accountants’ Vicki Stylianou.
“If I was an accountant, I’d be thinking ‘there’s a greater chance of being caught out’.”

domain: politics


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I'm not eligible either, but there's got to be some way to beat the system!whitese said:I have opened every car I have gotten that had a gamepiece and have won nothing. Even though I am not eligible as a Canadian, I am sure I could find a nice American who could claim the prize for me - or share the $10,000
Figure that one out if I ever win something!!
From the official rules on PM's website:D-68pontiac said:second chance drawing???

domain: hobby


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Rated 2 out of 5 by bety room is dusty and dirty
room is dusty and dirty, furniture is broken, air conditioning has some problem.
March 6, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Jianx The best place at Siem Reap, besides Angkor
I don't normally review my stay, but this has got to be the best Starwood hotel I've ever stayed. Hence, my first review. The location of the hotel was perfect for a short bicycle ride to Angkor city. The pool actually offered great length for an actual swim and was beautiful! Love the platinum benefit for unlimited cocktails at the Naga bar in the evenings. Breakfast offerings were some of the best I've ever seen - choices were plentiful.
Most importantly, staffs were extremely professional, polite and friendly! Special shout for Ouk Chanminea at the front desk for his extremely great and passionate service! He really made you feel valued as a platinum member.
January 29, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by Sophia100 disappointed
This was the worst SPG hotel I have ever stayed in. Rooms are dark and claustrophobic, food in the restaurant was inedible. Both breakfast and lunch was really below any street food you could get in Siem Reap. The outdoor Terrace was not maintained and the staff at breakfast had to be asked three times to come out and clear our plates. All areas seem very old and worn. Just a real disappointment, will think twice about staying at any other Meridien in the future.
January 9, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lynnemce Amazing Staff
This hotel was over and above my expectations in all aspects...the staff was absolutely amazing. I am a Starwood F&B employee of 43 years and this hotel provided such a warm, caring and genuine atmosphere that I can only hope to carry even a small bit of it home to pass on to my fellow employees and our guests.
For starters, there is a waiter, Sotha Noun, at the morning buffet that is one of the most exceptional, passionate and aspiring young men I have ever met in this business...he's very eager to please and to learn anything you may have to offer, his English is fabulous (although he is a little soft spoken and the background music and noise competed with him) and he just seems to live and breath a desire to make everyone happy while being able to grow from the interaction.
The front desk experience was the best and they were over the top in taking care of us as our friend had pneumonia and had to spend the night in a wonderful hospital there...the staff was so helpful arranging for hotel transports to and from the hospital and then special care getting us to the airport.
Unfortunately, the medical situation took up a good portion of our extra time as we were only there 2 days to see Angkor Watt so we didn't get a chance to fully enjoy the hotel...but I did get a treatment at the Spa which was wonderful. Oh...I almost forgot...the Italian restaurant was great...best Carpacchio I've ever had!
February 5, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by wetravel One and only SPG property in Cambodia
Truly enjoyed our stay here. The concierge in both shifts is a wealth of information and always very helpful. Hotel provided free pick up from airport which was appreciated. Enjoyed the Happy Hour Platinum benefits in bar. Good selection! Sauna too small, pool architecture great. Our whole family liked Hotel.
January 31, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Hiro49 Good for Japanese
Good Japanese communication with staff and many Japanese sign and assistance such as food menu etc. A Korean front staff can speak good Japanese with beautiful smile.
Unfortunately there were many Chinese and Korean tourists too. Some tourists made noise now and then.
January 28, 2014
Rated 3 out of 5 by twsch Did not feel this hotel recognised my Platinum status
Despite being SPG Platinum for the last 8 years, the hotel thought I was Gold and said I would need to check back the day before departure for a 4pm late check out. It took them some time to research and agree that I was Platinum, so the check-in was annoyingly lengthy, and then nothing was really offered to me; no upgrade (the hotel was not full) and apart from the card for the room key which stated "Platinum Preferred Guest", little else was done. Yes there was some WIFI tokens issues (which ran out part way through my stay, so I had to replenish them from the desk). The fruit basket was not replenished throughout our 4 day stay, despite being eaten on Day 1.
However the property is nice and the concierge staff are helpful and friendly. Breakfast was good, but two points; the tea is weak. I mean weaker than what you get on an airplane, so we had to take our own teabags ! Secondly, the staff are so focused on clearing used tables that they do not pay enough attention to the patrons that are still there. I had to try countless times to get staff attention for another cup of tea/coffee and eventually requested that they leave the pot, as I had seen so many other tables do. It seemed like a common issue!
All in all a pleasant stay with comfortable rooms and helpful friendly staff. However ALL OTHER Starwood Hotels across the globe have done more for me as a Platinum member. If this hotel had been the norm, I would seriously consider if it was worth maintaining the SPG status.
Some improvements to me made, in my opinion.
May 3, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Sarahteh Great location!
Hospitality was great ..!
December 16, 2013


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Leading the Way to Develop Reference Assays for COVID-19 Vaccines
Advanced Assays and Expertise for SARS-CoV-2 Research
In January 2020, Nexelis, a Q² Solutions Company, initiated work on SARS-CoV-2 to rapidly support the global pandemic response. In partnership with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Nexelis’ leading scientists developed in vivo models; expressed, purified, and characterized viral proteins; and designed viral and surrogate pseudovirion neutralization assays (PNA). Our team produced assays measuring humoral and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants to evaluate vaccines and antivirals in all phases, from lead optimization to preclinical through large-scale, advanced clinical.
To date, we initiated collaborations and agreements with the leading large pharma and biotech companies around the world for in vivo, preclinical, and clinical development of:
- mRNA vaccine
- DNA plasmid vaccine
- Live attenuated vaccine
- Non-replicating viral vector
- Protein subunit
- Therapeutic and prophylactic antibodies
- Antivirals marketed for other indications
Modification of the VSV Virus
Pseudotyped Virus Production
Pseudotyped Neutralization Assay
Winner 2022 ViE Best Central/Specialty Laboratory
Recognition for Reference Assay Development in the COVID-19 Field
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) reference lab for all grantees
- The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) referral lab for humoral and cellular testing
- World Health Organization (WHO) public statement signatory for collaboration on COVID-19
- UK Health Security Agency strategic partner
- Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium for Antibody-Based Therapies (CoVIC) partner
- Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)/Operation Warp Speed COVID-19 Medical Countermeasure Support Service Partner for high-throughput SARS-COV-2 assay development and testing
COVID-19: Timeline of Events
Nexelis and UKHSA played a determinant role in the struggle against SARS-Cov-2, partnering with multiple multinational pharmaceutical companies, innovative biotechnology companies, governmental and nongovernmental bodies including BMGF, CEPI, and BARDA. We developed reference vaccine and drug efficacy assessment assays and transferred their technology to a network of clinical testing laboratories all over the world.
During these 18 months, Nexelis and UKHSA supported more than 60 COVID-19-related development projects and testing of more than 50,000 samples per month in BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories.
Timeline of Events & Contributions in the fight against COVID-19
WHO Director General declares the novel coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as of Jan 30, 2020, based on multiple events.
UKHSA receives early information about the upcoming pandemic situation. The SARS-CoV-2 Victoria/1/2020 genetic sequence is publicly released on Jan 12, 2020, and the strain was received at the laboratories of UKHSA, our strategic partner, a few days later.
The strategic partnership in place between Nexelis and UKHSA enables us to understand and prepare for the pandemic earlier than any other commercial entity. Unlike other groups, Nexelis gets a head start planning for the industry’s immediate needs such as sequencing and rtPCR as well as tools to assess drug and vaccine efficacy against the emerging disease.
The situation highlights the competitive advantage of Nexelis’ close relationships with the world’s premier academic teams in the vaccine field.
Nexelis and UKHSA discuss R&D avenues and potential vaccine targets. In the race to develop a vaccine, being the commercial leader means starting from scratch with no reagents, constructs or assays available off the shelf.
The overall R&D budget needed exceeds Nexelis’ budgetary allocation, but management decides to initiate:
- The production of receptor-binding domain (RBD), nucleocapsid (N) and spike antigen (S) asspike proteins viewed by the team as the most probable target
- The production of lentivirus pseudoparticles due to the shortage in BSL-3 testing capacity globally to overcome a bottleneck in the development of new vaccines
- The development of animal models (initially hamster, ferret and mouse then rat and pig at a later stage) needed for challenge studies
Nexelis’ decision to initiate SARS-CoV-2 work without even having obtained any kind of client commitment provides the company with a critical timeline advantage, illustrating our ability to move faster than less agile organizations.
BMGF sponsors the development of universal preclinical grade assays made available to all their grantees. Based on a successful existing collaboration with Nexelis in the malaria area and discussions with our experts, BMGF decides to entrust Nexelis with this strategic project.
The assays are intended to be developed based on a construct from the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aiming to facilitate the acceptance of the assays by all stakeholders.
BMGF and CEPI bring about a paradigm shift in the vaccine R&D area that involves more open collaboration and communication between stakeholders. This shift facilitates easy review of universal assays by regulatory bodies and improved access to new medication in developing countries.
Business-wise, it means an evolution in Nexelis’ business model. R&D efforts previously structured on a fee for service basis did not enable Nexelis to keep any IP on the assays developed. R&D assets now remain the property of Nexelis, accessible through an access fee. The decision to proceed with this new model took in less than a week — another demonstration of Nexelis’ superior agility.
The change in model increases barriers to entry into the vaccine bioanalytical field and a consolidating factor around a couple of leading players.
Nexelis joins WHO’s prestigious signatory list of key opinion leaders working to accelerate the development of safe and effective vaccines for SARS-COV-2.
Nexelis, with its strong credentials in Protein Sciences, quickly switch to a VSVΔG-luciferase format from the previous low yielding lentivirus pseudoparticle generation system. The production issue faced by Nexelis might have been a project killer for a CRO with weaker credentials in the field of protein sciences. The quick adoption of a new production system showcases the strategic importance of Nexelis’ same-site clinical testing teams (such as the protein sciences team), a unique function of Nexelis.
BMGF extends its project scope to pseudoparticles neutralization assay, Spike ELISA, RBD ELISA, nucleocapsid ELISA, ELISpot IFN-g, ICS, spike ELISA – IgA, qPCR, and designates Nexelis as its referral laboratory. No other CRO in the world would have the capacity to develop and high-throughput test so many later-stage assays.
A first Phase I/II clinical testing assignment is executed, outside the BMGF agreement, for an international pharmaceutical company’s vaccine, which was among the first group to reach the commercial stage.
Nexelis participates in a SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Assay Concordance Survey (SNACS) panel testing comparing the results of 48 reference laboratories around the globe (18 using a wild-type assay and 30 a PNA method). The results demonstrate the excellent precision and accuracy of Nexelis’ assays and shows our PNA assay to be among the best in class. The outcomes of the survey are widely distributed to the scientific community by lead investigator David Montefiori from Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI).
Nexelis’ PNA method surpassed the wild-type methods, which is the industry gold standard, in precision and accuracy, and the results showed our PNA method was more robust than most of the wild-type assays run in a BSL-3 environment. Further evidence to support acceptance by regulatory bodies. As PNA assays can be performed in a high-throughput BSL-2 environment, we were able to solve a good portion of the industrial issue of a world shortage in BSL-3 testing capacity.
CEPI partners with Nexelis, asking us to provide a fully validated clinical version of the assays developed with BMGF support and to produce reagents needed for future clinical testing purposes.
The agreement includes a technology transfer of various ELISAs as well as PNA and VNA assays from Nexelis and PHE to several global laboratories selected by CEPI based on critical reagents produced by Nexelis in Laval.
Consequently, Nexelis has unique technology transfer experience, which will emerge as an increasingly important differentiator in years to come.
Nexelis transfers Spike ELISA and PNA methods developed in Laval to our Seattle facility for a non-human primate (NHP) study, whose samples export from the US would have required a minimum of two months.
Seattle, whose historical core business was in the biomarkers field, successfully adapted promptly to this priority responding to industry needs and initiated infectious diseases activities (ligand binding, neutralization, cell-based assays) for a number of pharmaceutical sponsors and governmental or nongovernmental organizations.
Leveraging the existing scientific skills enabled Nexelis to further enlarge its service offering to sponsors in areas such as cytokines and HIV testing.
The SARS-CoV-2 events happened to be an integration accelerator for Nexelis where our different laboratories joined forces to serve the needs of our clients, including the recently acquired ImmunXperts site in Belgium. ImmunXperts, a Nexelis company world class immunogenicity science, were leveraged in the development of several of our assays.
CEPI announces the creation of a global network of clinical sample testing laboratories to reliably assess and compare the immunological responses generated by SARS-COV-2 vaccine candidates.
The network uses the same testing reagents originating at Nexelis and PHE labs, and each laboratory follows common protocols to measure the immunogenicity of multiple SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates (both CEPI-funded and non-CEPI-funded developers).
The laboratories initially selected for this vaccine assessment network were:
- Nexelis (Canada) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- VisMederi (Italy)
- Viroclinics-DDL (Netherlands)
- ICDDR (Bangladesh)
- THSTI (India)
Since Oct. 2020, additional labs were qualified:
- Q2 Solutions (U.S.)
- NIBSC (U.K.)
- UNAM (Mexico)
Overall, 40 assays are being transferred from Nexelis to the various laboratories.
The initiative from CEPI gives to Nexelis and UKHSA a central, visible role in the deployment of a global harmonized solution in the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
Contract executed with BARDA for the testing in Seattle for a 384-well MSD assay to assess binding antibodies for S, RBD and N. The validated assay was transferred from VRC at NIH and validated in Seattle (S-ELISA) to support testing from multiple sponsors being funded by BARDA.
BARDA recognizes Nexelis teams’ expertise and willingness to support a complex project benefiting multiple sponsors. BARDA shared its praise with our team in Seattle stating that they were doing “spectacularly” well – high praise given BARDA’s internal and network of resources.
The acquisition of GSK Marburg vaccine development site adds a group of 70 scientists with a 20-year legacy in the virology field under Novartis and GSK management.
Nexelis decides to expand its laboratories in Gosselies, Seattle and Laval with the aim to reach a capacity of one million tests per year.
The combination of all our initiatives: a fast ramp-up in Laval (a two-fold capacity increase in one year), a reallocation of our resources on vaccine projects in Seattle and the Marburg acquisition make Nexelis the unquestioned industry segment leader, with a capacity far exceeding other bioanalytical laboratories with a presence in the vaccine area.
Our company partners with CGI to deploy a fully digital solution that will be a determinant component in the development of Nexelis testing capacity.
Publication in Nature Protocols by UKHSA and Nexelis teams “Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody by wild-type plaque reduction neutralization, microneutralization and pseudotyped virus neutralization assays publication”
The U.K. government pledges £29m more to fast-track vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants in Porton Down facilities. The BSL-3 clinical capacity is expected to double by January 2022.
Nexelis decides to initiate the deployment of BSL-3 laboratories to further support SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. These laboratories will also be used to develop assays supporting vaccine evaluation for re-emerging, resurging or newly emerging diseases.
Validated wild-type neutralization assays will be transferred from UKHSA to Nexelis. Nexelis and UKHSA have supported more than 60 development programs including four out of five vaccines first reaching the commercial stage.
There is a community consensus around two points:
- Uncertainties about the efficacy of existing vaccines on variants and the duration of their immunological protection make it unrealistic to believe that the SARS-CoV-2 R&D efforts will cease in the short term
- The world needs to be better prepared for the next pandemic
Nexelis intends to maintain a capacity available to SARS-CoV-2 projects. Nexelis is in active discussions around initiatives to shorten developmental processes with governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
Publication in Nature Communications by members of CoVIC and key Nexelis’ scientists, “COVA1-18 neutralizing antibody protects against SARS-CoV-2 in three preclinical models” features data generated by our team in Laval, QC.


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24k Gold Plated Eternal Preserved Rose - Eternal Love Series
Eternal Love Series - Ana Hana With superior craftsmanship, our Eternal Love collection is made entirely out of real rose stem and petals, 100% handmade curation, no two roses are the same. Product size: 8x28cm Comes in a gift box...
Flower Tea by Ana Hana
Hand picked and crafted in Singapore by Singapore's Top Gifting Company, Ana Hana Flower Blend: 01) Floral Sencha (Caffeine)02) Floral Fruity (Non-Caffeine) Loose tea leaves - Floral Tea Gift Set - Perfect for gifts - Unique Floral Design containers ...

domain: design