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L.A. brand R.G. Kane was founded by Parsons graduate Robert Kane as he repurposed fabric to creative uniquely-detailed pieces, crafted with luxury (and a bit of rebellion) in mind whilst utilising recycled fabric and local manufacturing. With a focus in stylish sustainability, the brand create upcycled fashion using deadstock fabric and low-impact dying processes to create truly conscious clothing. Their goal is to make clothing both you and the earth can feel good about. We’re so excited to bring this super stylish, upcycled clothing to the UK. Think vintage tees, dead stock jackets, environmentally conscious denim and unused fabrics made into shirts, all carefully crafted and responsibly made recycled material clothing.
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The 911 call center was overwhelmed and has changed significantly since it was introduced 50 years ago. Long waiting times can be fatal in one’s life or death situation. With AI analyzing calls and texts, they can save lives by reducing waiting times for emergency calls.
Let’s first look at how this process works. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a type of AI. This is the ability of the machine to understand, analyze, and produce human speech. When NLP is increasingly sophisticated in doing these things, there will be many applications for that.
The ability to request films on TV is one way NLP influences our daily lives. We can also ask our cellphone to find directions or type text. We can ask our home assistant to arrange a timer, buy things, get a taxi, or tell jokes. This comfort does not really change lives, but this is the power of NLP.
The future and the true strength of this system is when AI not only talks with humans, but also with other AIs. It will also introduce a whole new training problem where algorithms written by one company or city must be integrated and negotiated with many other algorithms written by other companies or cities. The opportunity is extraordinary.
A good example of what might happen after AI communicates with each other is the call to 911 which must be transferred quickly and correctly. Using NLP and AI that speak with AI, complex systems with access to everything from traffic lights to hospital ERs will be a smooth part of the process.
With 911 being smart, you will know that your emergency call will reach humans and resources will be secured. Because AI recognizes through sentiment analysis that you are in real danger or pain, there will be a little fear that you are stuck in a queue behind a toddler someone who calls 911 while playing games on dad’s phone.
There are irreplaceable human beings on the other end of the line who are calm, rational, and with much compassion, help people in their time of need. But there are all kinds of systems and data available, that is connected and communicating with one another, could make those invaluable humans response times faster and result in more people being helped.
With AIs, each crew’s right crew gets dispatched, light cycles are synced to accommodate the emergency vehicles, the ER is ready, and so on. The results of these integrated systems were saved when applied to a real emergency.
There are irreplaceable human beings on the other end of the phone line who calmly, rationally, and with much compassion, help people in their time of need. But there are all sorts of systems and data available, that if connected and communicating with one another, could make those invaluable humans response times faster and result in more people being helped.
With AIs talking to each other the right crew gets dispatched, the light cycles are synced to accommodate the emergency vehicles, the ER is ready, and so on. The results of these integrated systems could save lives when applied to a real emergency.
It takes a lot of time and a lot of data to train an algorithm to understand whether the person on the other end of the call is in serious jeopardy or if it’s a butt dial. Fortunately (unfortunately?) there is a lot of data available. 911 call centers take calls and texts from people reporting things and requesting assistance.
All of this data can be used to train systems to understand sentiment — tone, syntax, content, and urgency. With the addition of other AIs providing time-saving services, like an ambulance being dispatched, you can see how AI-to-AI interactions can save lives. An estimated 240 million 911 calls are made in the US each year, according to the National Emergency Number Association. Before you disregard the idea of AI answering emergency calls, remember AI is a solution that can not only route calls more efficiently, but even respond quickly enough to help save lives.


Laureate of international piano competitions
Soloist of Vienna Royal orchestra
President and Art-manager in
"Kyiv International Piano Competition"
Piano Professor in
Prayner Konservatorium für Musik und Dramatische Kunst (Vienna, Austria)
Pavel Kachnov was born in Kiev (Ukraine), into a very musical family; his father is an orchestral and choral conductor Walerii Kachnov,mother - pianist Switlana Kachnova.At age three he began taking piano lessons from his mother.
In 1992 Pavel Kachnov entered Kiev Special Music School named after M.Lysenko for gifted children where he studied with famous ukrainian teacher Irina Barinova.During his studies Pavel won numerous national and international music contests for youth(Prokofiev Int.piano competition,Karamanov Int. Piano competition and others);he received scholarships of the russian and ukrainian funds"New names" and of the Presidents's Fund.
At age sixteen Pavel continues his studies at Tchaikovsky National Music Academy with professor B.Fedorov and later, professor B.Archimovich.He performs in Poland,Swiss,Russia and Spain,has concerts with conductors K.Karabyts,V.Sirenko and M.Diadiura.
After he graduated from Kiev Conservatory Pavel moved to Vienna to improve his mastery with well -known pianist and teacher Oleg Maisenberg in the Universität der Musik und dartstellende Kunst Wien.
Since 2010 Pavel is the soloist of Vienna Royal Orchestra
In 2013 Pavel became a professor of Prayner Concervatory of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna.
Pavel Kachnov is a winner of 26 and 27 Citta di Cantu Piano Competition, XI CIPCE international competition in Madrid,prizewinner of the IV piano competition NEUE STERNE,VI piano competition Parnassos(Mexico), Delia Steinberg IPS,VII Villa de Capdepera international competition,VIII Horowitz International Piano competition,etc.
He performs with National Symphony and National Philarmoniсorchestras of Ukraine,orchestras of Kiev,Lviv,Odessa,Madrid,Vienna and the orchestra of Ballearic Islands.
Pavel Kachnov performs as a soloist and member of chamber groups.His repertoire includes large range of music from baroque to contemporary.
In 2017 Pavel found his own International Piano competition in Kyiv (Ukraine).
In April2018 Pavel had debut concert in one of the most famous halls in Austria - Vienna Musikverein


We all have heard the terms degradable, biodegradable, and compostable in the advertising campaigns of various fashion brands and houses but many consumers do not fully understand what each of these terms means or how these affect our environment. But consumers need to be acquainted with the explanation of these important terms about the fashion market and industry so that they can make choices that simultaneously make them happy with their clothing purchases and have the least harmful environmental impact.
What does biodegradable mean?
When a product breaks down into its natural base elements by microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, etc, or other organic processes in the soil. Most fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods are biodegradable under the right biological conditions. These conditions involve water and oxygen and well-informed consumers as improper ways of disposal of wastes also affects the disintegration process.
Also, there are specific qualifications in the US, 60 per cent of the item must break down within 180 days by using a commercial compost facility and this is set according to ASTM International (a global standards development organization, that sets specifications for testing and materials).
What is biodegradable fashion?
Fabric made out of natural fibres is just the beginning of the biodegradable fashion industry and it shouldn’t stop there. The cloth-making process involves many hazardous steps like dyeing and pigmentation using synthetic colours and finishing methods that are non-biodegradable. Biodegradable garments are made of 100% natural textiles which are made using natural fibres, organic dyes from vegetables, seeds, roots, and other plant derivatives instead of the typical petrochemicals, and hands-on finishing methods. That 100% includes no use of inorganic toxic chemicals, which would take years to degrade into the soil and pollute the soil. This is what biodegradable fashion stands for.
What are some of the biodegradable fibres?
Here are some of the most biodegradable fabrics:
- Organic cotton: Conventional cotton degrades soil quality as it accounts for 16% of all insecticides, 7% of all herbicides, and 4% of all nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers worldwide whereas 80% of all organic cotton is grown with water from rainfalls. It’s non-GMO and grown without using any synthetic chemicals or methods so it biodegrades in one week to five months.
- Hemp: Hemp is cut and stripped manually from the hemp plant and then woven into threads of hemp fiber which becomes softer over time, making it even easier to biodegrade.
- Peace Silk: Also known as Ahimsa silk which means that it’s cruelty-free as this type of silk is produced without harming the silkworms. According to PETA, conventional silk is biodegradable but not sustainable as about 3,000 silkworms are killed by boiling them live to make just 1 pound of conventional silk, whereas peace silk production allows the metamorphosis of the silkworm to a butterfly to be completed thus no cruelty towards the living organism.
- Linen: Linen is one of the oldest ethical fibres in history, extracted from flax plants, and is biodegradable, and recyclable. It is strong, moth resistant can withstand high temperatures, etc. but is expensive because it’s hard to weave and its production costs twice as much as cotton.
- Jute: Jute fabric is a natural fiber, very durable, 100% biodegradable as it doesn’t require any fertilizers or pesticides to grow, is compostable, and recyclable. Due to its cost-effectiveness, high density, heat resistance, and moisture absorbent, it is the most used fabric globally after cotton.
- Ramie: Ramie is used as a substitute for cotton as its also a natural fiber obtained from ramie plants. It is originally from China, Indonesia and India are very versatile but expensive due to labor costs during cultivation and production.
- Soy fabric: This is an eco-friendly fibre obtained from the hull of soybeans leftover from food production which makes this cruelty-free, renewable and sustainable. It is luxuriously soft with a cashmere-like feel with a little bit of stretch and is truly biodegradable.
- Lyocell: Lyocell is extracted from renewable resources such as wood which is composed of micro-fibrils of 40–50% cellulose and 15–25% hemicellulose. However, clothing production requires complex processes that use tons of water, energy, and chemicals.
- Bioplastics: Bioplastics also known as biopolymers or bio-synthetics are mostly biodegradable and renewable alternative fibres that are made from biological sources as an alternative to fossil-based synthetic fibers. Usually made of food waste or other renewable carbon resources such as corn, potatoes, rice, soy, sugarcane, wheat, vegetable oil, seaweed, starch, and other agricultural wastes that help these to decompose around a period of six months and create water, carbon dioxide, methane, biomass, and inorganic compounds as by-products of the decomposition process.
- Bioengineered Spider Silk: Also known as micro silk, it is vegan leather made from mushroom mycelium. It is inspired by spider silk’s tensile strength and durability and is made by Bolt Threads, a California-based tech startup. The company developed technology to replicate spider silk proteins using genetically engineered yeast which are fermented before being isolated, purified, and then spun into rayon-like fibers. It has the potential to biodegrade because it is made from proteins.
How is biodegradable different from compostable?
Materials that are constructed entirely of organic material i.e. produced without the use of chemicals, pesticides, or synthetic substances are compostable. Both compostable and biodegradable materials are supposed to decompose and return to the earth’s soil, however, compostable materials go one step further by providing the earth with nutrients once the material has completely broken down. But compostable products require a specific setting to break down entirely, whereas biodegradable products break down naturally within landfills. A compostable material needs to be biodegradable but a biodegradable material doesn’t need to be compostable.
What are the challenges in biodegrading a clothing item?
All materials eventually break down, but for mediums like synthetics, it can take centuries. The amount of time an item takes to biodegrade can vary from one fibre to another and the right conditions are required to be provided. For example: according to Ellen MacArthur’s study, The degradation process of cotton in a landfill can take up to 5 months and polyester up to 200 years. So time in general proves as a major challenge.
Biodegradation speed also depends on the components within a garment. A blouse may be made of a fabric from organic fibres which makes it biodegradable but the dye could leave microscopic amounts of pollution in the soil once it degrades, or it could contain other synthetic materials in its stitching, labels, buttons, or other components. Just because the fabric part breaks down quickly doesn’t necessarily mean the whole product will biodegrade cleanly.
If the apparel products are not made from biodegradable fabrics and are smothered and buried in heaps of trash without enough natural elements, they will give off methane gas during the decomposing process, which is a greenhouse gas contributor.
Is biodegradability the future of fashion?
The idea of producing entirely compostable garments with the small availability of biodegradation plants limits the influence of biodegradable clothing initiatives on the fashion industry as people are taking time to get used to the sustainable way of fashion. However, if we give some time to initiating steps towards this concept then it can make a huge difference in the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
Photo by Cesar La Rosa on Unsplash
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Here I Am (2010)
Critic Reviews for Here I Am
Sadly, the strong performances that were needed to sell this tough drama just aren't there.
The tedious direction of Beck Cole mistakenly assumes mood matters more than character development.
Quietly, and with an unobtrusive grace, Here I Am explores harsh truths, everyday realities and intimations of change.
Unfortunately, Cole's decision to cast non-professional actors in many roles doesn't pay off; in too many scenes, both Langton and Pittman are awkward and visibly uncomfortable playing their roles, and this reduces the film's impact.
There are no featured reviews for Here I Am at this time.
Here I Am Quotes
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

domain: entertainment


text:
Poor support is a key psychosocial hazard. It may involve
- Not having the things needed to do the work well, safely or on time.
- Not getting necessary information.
- Not enough supervisor support.
- Not being able to easily get help.
- A workplace culture that discourages support.
- Inadequate co-worker support.
- Not having a union present.
- A workplace that discourages union activity.
Remember, your employer must consult HSRs, or workers where there is not an HSR present, on matters of health and safety under section 35 of the OHS Act.
Key resources containing information on addressing poor support:
WorkSafe's topic page on poor support - contains detailed action employers should take to address poor support.

domain: sociology


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Posted November 6, 2018
Basil Rigas, M.D., D.Sc., Stony Brook University
Dr. Basil Rigas
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University
Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is thought to be associated with decreased cancer incidence in several cancer types, including lung cancer. (Shebl, Hsing, Park, et al., 2014) However, NSAIDs currently have limited applicability in cancer prevention due to toxicity issues. Sulindac is a chemopreventive NSAID that has been shown to inhibit lung tumor replication by 52% in preclinical animal models, but there is toxicity associated with its long-term use. Phospho-sulindac (PS), a sulindac derivative, was developed with the goal of enhancing the efficacy and improving the toxic effects seen with the parent compound. Preliminary data showed PS to be more effective and less toxic than sulindac in animal models of lung cancer, making it a potential candidate for prevention. The anti-cancer effect of PS was also determined to be driven by reduction oxidation (redox) reactions, which are involved in cell signaling and modulate cell function, including apoptotic cell death. With support from the Department of Defense (DoD), Dr. Rigas and his team at Stony Brook University aimed to further assess the effect of PS in animal models of lung cancer, evaluate the direct delivery of PS to the lungs, and define the mechanism of action of PS against lung cancer.
Dr. Rigas developed a novel delivery system for PS to the lungs using solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) – small spherical carriers ranging from 20 to 100 nm in diameter that have shown promise for delivering drug agents. In vitro results showed PS formulation in SLNs (SLN-PS) to be four times more potent than sulindac in multiple lung cancer cell lines. The PI also determined that SLN-PS may directly target mitochondria and disrupt their transmembrane potential, leading to intrinsic apoptosis of lung cancer cells. This was confirmed in subcutaneous tumor xenograft models of lung cancer that showed an accumulation of PS in the mitochondria following SLN-PS treatment, which significantly induced oxidative stress resulting in the destruction of cancer cells. PS-treatment was then evaluated in orthotopic xenograft models of lung cancer, a more clinically relevant model for predicting drug efficacy, which notably showed a 75% reduction in tumor volume.
The PI optimized pulmonary administration of SLN-PS to mice using a novel nose-only exposure system by testing the strength of atomizer, air flow rate, and duration of PS administration. PS was administered at 50 mg/mL for 8 minutes and found to deliver significantly higher levels of the drug to the lungs than aerosol exposure for 2 minutes. Notably, PS-treated mice maintained near-normal lung weight after nose-only exposure and had improved overall survival compared to the vehicle treated group. After 8 weeks, only 6% (1 of 15) of those treated with PS had died compared to 33% (5 of 15) of the mice in the vehicle group.
To further classify the mechanism of action of PS against lung cancer, experiments were performed to define the molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress induced by the agent. In subcutaneous models, oxidative stress led to smaller tumor volume in PS-treated animals. Using orthotopic models, the PI demonstrated that PS suppresses EGFR, an important mediator of cell survival in tumor cells. The research team also found that PS increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which can sensitize cells to apoptosis and suppress tumor growth. It was determined that the anticancer properties of PS function through its effect on six different mechanisms involved with redox homeostasis, including the activation of NADPH oxidase, an enzyme with the sole function of ROS generation. Taken together, these results indicate that PS induces a redox imbalance that can result in the destruction of lung cancer cells.
This DoD-supported work not only further demonstrated the effectiveness and limited toxicity of PS, but also further characterized its crucial mechanism of action for cancer cell death, making PS a promising candidate for lung cancer prevention. With support from other funding agencies Dr. Rigas and his team are working to further refine the formulation of PS and through a precision medicine approach identify subgroups of patients that will benefit the most from treatment with PS using predictive biomarkers.
The solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN-PS) direct phosphosulindac (PS) to the mitochondria, inducing massive and selective apoptotic death of the cancer cells (left). The end result is inhibition of the growth of lung cancer xenografts, which is not obtained with unencapsulated phosphosulindac (right).
Zhu R, Cheng KW, Mackenzie G, et al. 2012. Phospho-Sulindac (OXT-328) Inhibits the Growth of Human Lung Cancer Xenografts in Mice: Enhanced Efficacy and Mitochondria Targeting by Its Formulation in Solid Lipid Nanoparticles.
Shebl FM, Hsing AW, Park Y, Hollenbeck AR, Chu LW, Meyer TE et al. Non- Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Use Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Inflammation-Associated Cancers: NIH-AARP Study. PLoS One. 2014. December 31;9(12):e114633 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114633
Last updated Thursday, May 26, 2022

domain: medical


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India’s biggest art fair kicked off this week in New Delhi, where contemporary artists showcased works that are growing in value on the global market. A Christie’s auction there in December generated $12 million. The India Art Fair draws 100,000 visitors every year, who pay markedly less for admission than other renowned art shows, with tickets around $6. A replica of Mumbai’s train station by artist T V Santhosh is tilted on its side and displaying time pieces counting down times.
On the catwalk
In the world of haute couture, designers always need to think ahead. Our eye-catching slideshow of the latest spring and summer Paris fashion.
If you already resent hotels charging high rates for internet access, here’s some good news from the FCC. It issued a warning to hotel groups that they are breaking the law if they block guests’ hot spots. One group is already paying the price. Marriott International has agreed to pay a $600,000 penalty for obstructing guests’ personal wi-fi hot spots at its Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

domain: news


So we asked a question amongst ourselves - what happens when you connect a 100W USB-C charger to a 13-inch MacBook Pro? Fire? Chaos? Fast charging?
Will a 100W USB-C Charger Fast Charge the 13-inch MacBook Pro? Dial Down Your Hopes Right Now
When Apple announced the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the company also unveiled a brand new 96W USB-C charger to go with it. We're dealing with a very large laptop battery over here, so charging it up as fast as possible is something everyone is going to need and Apple delivered with its fastest ever USB-C wall charger. Naturally, we thought what would happen if we plugged in the smaller 13-inch MacBook Pro to Apple's 96W USB-C charger? Will it charge slightly faster and cap out at around 80W or so? Or will it take the plunge and go full ballistic with 96W of power?
Well, we didn't have a 96W USB-C charger at hand, which is a shame. But do you know what we did have? A 100W USB-C charger. So like the true nerds that we are, we picked up our 13-inch MacBook Pro, plugged it in. Any guesses to what happened? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below and read on for the answer.
Well, according to Apple's very own website, and the charger that ships with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, you can't expect anything beyond 61W on the smaller pro notebook. But it gets weird. Click on the Apple logo in the menu bar, then open System Report > Power. Scroll down and boom, the notebook says it's connected to a 100W charger.
Hold up, it gets dialed down a little. The System Report is only showing the amount of power which the connected source can deliver. Your MacBook Pro is not charging at a full 100W. How do we know this? Because we switched over to a 12-inch MacBook and even the MacBook Air which can't accept anything above 30W and the System Report said 100W too.
So there you have it. If you were ever wondering what happens when you connect a 100W charger to a 13-inch MacBook Pro, now you can tell your friends with full confidence that nothing happens at all. It just charges up normally at 61W.
Basically, if you had any hopes of charging your 13-inch MacBook Pro slightly faster by investing in a more powerful USB-C charger, then you can save your money and stick with what Apple ships in the box.
The more you know.


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This week we hooked up with local indie rockers Busy Bodies to talk about their new EP Extended Play. The young five piece is set to make a splash in the scene this summer, with their relaxed style and mellow sound they show a maturity that belies their years. Make sure to check out Extended Play, and read all about the genesis of one of Chicago’s promising new acts.
MM: Michael Molitor (guitar, vocals)
JS: John Schmisek (keys, vocals)
MD: Matt Donnelly (drums)
BB: Ben Baran (guitar, vocals)
TM: True Markham (bass, vocals)
CCS: Kyle Land
CCS: So what’s the story with Busy Bodies? If we aren’t mistaken, you’re a fairly new act. How was the band formed?
MM: It’s weird because, while we’re super new to Chicago, this project has been around in some form since 2013. We all met at New Trier High School through our mutual friend Pat Stineman who’s a super talented musician himself and was the drummer in our first band.
JS: In the years since, the project has lived on between semesters at college through summer EPs and winter house shows, though always under different names. Along the way we added True, a longtime friend, and most recently Matt, the drummer we’ve always needed but never could seem to lock down.
MD: I saw Mike, Ben, and John play a song of theirs in an experimental music class, and I liked the song a lot. So I kept an eye on the songs Mike would play in class, and one day after he played a song called ‘Alibi’ I went up to him and told him if he ever needed a drummer for anything to give me a call. Almost a year later, he did.
TM: When their original bassist dropped out, I took his place and started to learn the bass.
JS: It’s funny, we’ve got years of history creating music together, but we’re still fairly new to the Chicago scene.
BB: It was the plan to restart the band after we graduated college. I’m a little surprised and super happy that we actually did it.
You all just put out your debut, Extended Play, a clever take on the EP acronym which of course means the same thing. Where did the idea spring from?
MM: All me, baby! [smiles] Glad you like it.
BB: I trust that it was Mike’s idea. [smiles]
TM: We all fell for it immediately! Mike came up with the name, and we built the concept of play into it together- the idea of a carefree and fun (if somewhat literal) take on an EP was something we all supported, especially for a first release.
JS: Beyond the wordplay itself, I always liked the idea of the EP representing creative play between the five of us, a spirit that I hope the release expresses.
Busy Bodies’ sound is an amalgamation of a ton of influences. Could you name a couple and tell us what about their style you bring into your own?
JS: I’ve often felt that we’re first and foremost a songwriting band. Some of the big influences for me personally are artists like Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Ron Sexsmith - rather than playing to a genre, they each have a gift for creating these self-contained songs that occupy their own proper world, which is something I think we aspire to as well.
TM: Yeah, we tend to pull from a pool of mutually-adored musicians. You can often hear them in our music- flavors of The Band in “Joe,” Radiohead in “In Your Cloud,” etc.
BB: We all love Elliott Smith for his guitar playing, chord progressions, and singing voice. Actually, everything about his music is great! I hear some of his music in “Sweet Marie”- we even sampled the organ from “Angeles.”
MD: Dr. Dog, Bad Bad Hats, Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys, Last Shadow Puppets, Alexandra Savior). They all keep it simple and do whatever they are doing in service of the song.
MM: I try to take some of my vocal cues from singers like James Mercer, John Darnielle, and Rivers Cuomo. They all have really great range and a kind of jubilance that I really like.
Your press photos only show four members. Did you recently add a fifth member?
JS: Matt (the drummer) is the new member! We’ve been meaning to get a new picture with him for a while now.
MM: Yep. We can schedule practices pretty well, but we keep forgetting to take photos.
What’s in the Busy Bodies’ playlist right now that you think everyone should be checking out?
JS: Oof- that playlist needs an update! But going off of what’s on there now, I’d say everyone needs to stop what they’re doing and listen to some Professor Longhair for the best New Orleans boogie of all time.
TM: “Seeing Other People” by Belle and Sebastian, “Run That Body Down” by Paul Simon, and “Game That I Play” by Jessica Pratt.
MM: It’s not on that Spotify playlist right now, but I LOVE Amanda Glasser’s [Baltimore] first solo release. Also our local friends Sick Day have a great sound, and Jungle Green is killing it, too. Our shows with them have been awesome.
BB: I’ve been going through a folk music kick lately. Especially Tiny Ruins- I love the song “Reasonable Man,” and Bert Jansch- “Black Waterside.” (He’s) one of my favorite guitarists.
Chicago is full of great venues. What’s the dream venue, and where do you love seeing a show?
MM: My favorite venue as a fan and the one I most aspire to play right now is Thalia Hall.
BB: I really like seeing shows at Schubas. I saw Buck Meek (from Big Thief) there, and the sound was perfect.
JS: Honestly, I always love an Empty Bottle show, and I still can’t wait to play there as Busy Bodies. Otherwise, I’d have to agree with Ben that Schubas has a great sound.
MD: The Riviera for both. I’ve seen tons of amazing shows there including my first concert ever (Arctic Monkeys in 2009 on the Humbug tour.)
TM: I love seeing shows at The Empty Bottle and Sleeping Village, but if I had to choose a dream venue, I would love to play at Metro.


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The Book of Love
True love is the journey into Oneness. It is a journey from the inside out, from union with God, to union with Self, to union with another. Union isn't a merging or an attaching or connecting process. Rather, it is a mystical journey of non attachment and an un-learning of the traits and beliefs that separate the brotherhood of the whole of humanity. It is a path of returning to who you really are and the reality of love that created you. It is a path of self awareness, unconditional love and service to the human condition. By first becoming a person who can love hugely, you can stand together with another in that big love and share it selflessly with the world.

domain: literature


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May 28 Like Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys, Erasure continue to put out releases of original material and tour. The synthpop act that saw their heyday in the 1980s just put out a Christmas album at the end of last year and this week announced their...
Nov 21 Depeche Mode's Martin Gore and Vince Clarke have announced their new band will be called VCMG. This will be the first time the electronic pioneers will play together since Clarke left Depeche Mode in 1981. According to Rolling Stone, the duo...
Latest lyrics and songs
1 song(s) from Erasure

domain: artistic


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US stocks rally on as investors look beyond Q1 and Q2
US stocks continued to march higher, albeit at a more moderate pace, shrugging off a historic fall in March consumer spending and weekly rise in jobless numbers which have shown some scant signs of stabilising. However, as we underlined last week, the plunge in economic activity and bleak corporate earnings in the face of nation-wide shut-downs are unlikely to come as a shock. Indeed, investors seem increasingly unperturbed by these gloomy numbers which are more a reflection of the containment efforts in flattening the virus infection curve than any systematic economic collapse which have historically been triggered by bursting of asset bubbles that took years to recover from.
With S&P having bounced by over 30% from its lows in March and managing to close above its 50 days moving average, bearish institutional investors are under increasing pressure to put more of their big cash positions back to work while those calling for an imminent correction to new lows after this so called ‘bear market rally’ seem to have toned down their negativity. With Fed’s aggressive actions leaving the US financial plumbing functioning reasonably well again, a financial crisis looks to have been averted for now. This has led the spotlight back on developments surrounding the virus itself, potential treatments and vaccines in the works and the shape of infection curves in the US and Europe with also a close eye on China’s economic activity as a potential guide in how to ease the lockdowns in the months ahead.
Promising treatments and vaccine timelines looking more encouraging
As we also noted in our last publication, although targeted vaccine is still some time away, studies of existing and experimental treatments in much bigger control groups are in the works around the world and we are already seeing the start of number of promising findings being released which are clearly improving market sentiment. These findings should provide much more conclusive data about which treatments are proving more effective and at what stages of the infection they should be used which could hopefully drastically reduce mortality rates in the coming months.
The recent publication by the University of Chicago is a case in point as their smaller group trials suggest that patients that have been administered with Gilead’s Remdesivir drug in moderate and severe cases of the infection have mostly shown a rapid recovery with less than a handful of fatalities. This is part of a bigger trial study group of 4000 cases which should provide a more conclusive findings in the weeks ahead. Other promising treatments, notably convalescent plasma transfusion from blood samples of recovered patients are also in clinical trials globally which we should hear more about soon.
With over 70 potential Covid-19 vaccines under development by biotech and research teams around the world with at least five already in clinical trials, development of preventative medicine in fighting the virus is also looking most encouraging as the medical and pharmaceutical world are starting to dedicate significant resources to solving this crisis. One notable experimental vaccine called “ChAdOx1 nCoV-19” developed by Oxford University scientists is looking promising enough that it is already being mass-manufactured for millions of doses even before the clinical trials prove its effectiveness. If it does, the vaccine is to be made available by September, beating all other vaccine timelines by months. Needless to add, any major vaccine breakthrough will completely blow the market bears out of the water, taking us from potential U, W or L-shaped recovery scenarios back to a V-shaped one which has long been abandoned by now.
We retain our key market strategy of remaining bullish technology
All through this human health crisis this year, we have argued that the general outlook for technology stocks remain relatively rosy as work-from-home regimes and in-home entertainment has kept consumption of online bandwidth at very high levels. Data generation has remained high as has recovery trends in spending we have seen on expanding capacity in data centres and cloud storage, a trend which began in Q3 of last term when high inventory of memory chips peaked. Surging sales of PCs and laptops this year has also helped this cause and although smartphone sales have been negatively effected by the virus-related shutdowns, we believe the recent recovery in sales in China and the resumption in 5G related-spending is also looking most promising.
Indeed, a big component of the US stock market’s rebound thus far has been the rally in these related technology stocks which go far beyond just Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix and Apple and include key chip names such AMD, Nvidia, Intel, Micron, Lam and AMAT. With the latest guidance from key players like ASML and TSMC suggesting that migration towards cutting edge semiconductor manufacturing lines using EUV lithography is actually accelerating, we have high hopes for related stocks in Japan to follow their US peers and continue to outperform other sectors for the foreseeable future. Until an effective vaccine comes along to change the short term global economic scenario, we are likely to stick with this market strategy which has thus far proved pivotal in capturing alpha in this rebound.

domain: finance


text:
WestJet is offering some good news to customers whose flights were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the airline, some customers can now get a full refund for their ticket costs.
“WestJet has consistently provided change/cancel options to all guests impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, including the ability to rebook flights with no change fee, to refund the full value of their flight to a WestJet Travel Bank valid for use within 24 months for bookings made directly with WestJet, or to retain their full ticket value for a future flight for bookings made with travel agents,” said WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart.
The airline has now begun processing refunds to the original form of payment for guests holding some international itineraries that were cancelled by WestJet due to the COVID-19 crisis, according to Stewart.
“Guests with eligible tickets who booked directly with WestJet will have the option of changing their flights, receiving the full value of their flight in Travel Bank, or accepting a refund to the original form of payment. We are proactively contacting those guests with eligible flights who have already had their refund processed to Travel Bank to allow them this additional option.”
Additionally, Stewart told Daily Hive that guests with eligible tickets who booked through a travel agent will also be provided with the option of retaining their full ticket value for a future flight or refunding to the original form of payment.
WestJet has been updating its cancellation policies since the COVID-19 crisis began in early March.
At this time, WestJet is also extending its temporary transborder and international route suspensions through June 25, 2020.


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MOO Free Sultanas Mini Moos Chocolate 25g - 3x20
Equal Exchange Fair Trade & Organic Espresso Whole Beans Catering 1kg x6
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domain: food


text:
"I used to get sick frequently, but since taking Foundations D I've been feeling so healthy!" -Dana C. Foundations D Customer
B Complete is a supplement that provides a range of B vitamins and other complementary nutrients to support various functions in the body. B vitamins are essential for healthy homocysteine metabolism, which is important for cardiovascular health. They also support adrenal function, energy production, and neurological function.
The addition of benfotiamine and Quatrefolic® in this formula helps improve absorption and effectiveness. The 5-MTHF form of folate, which is included in this formula, is the most biologically active form and can be more easily absorbed by the body.
Provides the entire spectrum of B vitamins to support cardiovascular health, energy, and neurological function
Includes benfotiamine, a fat-soluble and physiologically active form of thiamin
Contains Quatrefolic®, which is the most biologically active form of folate
Supports healthy homocysteine metabolism, which is important for cardiovascular health
May improve adrenal function and support a healthy stress response
Helps to promote energy production and combat fatigue
May support neurological function and help improve cognitive performance.
Take one capsule 1-2 times times per day or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.
10-30% of adults over the age of 50 may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food, leading to potential deficiencies.
As we age, our bodies may become less efficient at absorbing certain nutrients, including vitamin B12, which is essential for a healthy nervous system, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis.
Deficienies can cause symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and even neurological issues. Additionally, certain medications and health conditions can also affect B vitamin absorption, making supplementation with a high-quality B complex like B-Complete so important!
In addition to supporting healthy energy levels, adrenal function, and neurological health, B Complete also includes benfotiamine, a fat-soluble and physiologically active form of thiamin, which is an essential nutrient for converting carbohydrates into energy. Taken regularly, B Complete can help ensure your body has the essential nutrients it needs to maintain optimal health and well-being.

domain: biology


text: We have 63 acres here and more access to land just down the road. Hunting Dogs . Roger Sigler, of Smithville, Mo, breeds and trains dogs that are specialized in finding deer antler sheds. She is also started on waterfowl as well. The combination of the Standard Poodle with Labrador, Golden, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers results in a healthier, smarter, and more well-rounded companion. From shop OregonAntlerWorks. We do shed hunting and the last 2 years we have enjoyed dove hunting & duck hunting. We highlight the best 10 hypoallergenic hunting dogs that don`t shed. Now, you can’t just take any hunting dog out to the woods and expect a pickup bed full or antlers. List your kennel with us and advertise that you are a breeder, trainer or handler. Specializing in Chocolate, Black and Yellow Labrador Retrievers bred for Shed Dogs, Retrieving, and great companions. “If you have a hunting dog of any sort, and you’re thinking about shed hunting, one-hundred percent start with the dog you have. Moderators: HNTFSH, swampbilly 1980, hunt-chessies. Shed Antler Hunting Tip #1 – Use a dog. TOPEKA, Kan. — Shed hunting is a popular pastime for many outdoors enthusiasts, and an assist from man’s best friend can help take that pastime to the next level. Gun Dogs Online - Hunting Dogs For Sale in our Classified Area. All Hunting Dogs | Retrievers | British Labrador Retriever | Puppies for Sale. For shed hunting dog breeds, the instinct is already there, but it’s up to you to bring it out of them by making it fun for them! (more…) Dan Stanley Rhondo; My experience with Skyline was great. In that time we have developed a training program that brings out and encourages a dogs retrieve drive, search drive, prey drive, focus and natural scenting ability. The program starts from the birth of these fine pups. It’s important to make every training session a positive experience for your dog. From shop OregonAntlerWorks. Free hunting dog classifieds for the upland bird hunter and wetland waterfowl hunter. Chad joins the Lucas's and their two pups to search for whitetail sheds in Shelby County. 844 likes. So three years ago she began antler training with pups. Hunting Dog Puppies in Maine and Maine Bird Dog Breeders Connecting buyers and breeders with hunting dog classified ads for selling bird dog puppies, started and finished gun dogs for sale. Shed hunting! It’s that time of year again when the snow is starting to melt (at least on warmer days) and the winter seems like it’s closing up shop soon. JUMBO Elk Natural Shed Antler Dog Chew (1 ea) OregonAntlerWorks. Health-wise, these breeds are also much safer as their fur coats are less likely to harbor bugs and germs that may cause illness. Find puppies for sale, started dogs for sale and finished dogs from all sorts of different pointing breeds, retrieving breeds and flushing breeds.. Though there are different types of hunting dogs, most hunters prefer short-haired hunting dogs that don’t shed. Post a reply . Two of the best breeds for shed hunting aren’t necessarily known as hunting dogs – the German Shepherd and the Bloodhound. They are much easier to cater for since they don’t require any sort of grooming. maleseb dog shampoo . 28 Views - Posted : 01/04/2021 - Updated : 01/04/2021 - Voted for : (0) times Vote Ad. She leaves them out in the open air so they can become free of any human or dog scent. Log In ; Back: BRITISH LABRADOR PUPPIES. Breeds aside, Moore believes the best dog for shed hunting is probably the one you already have. com This site receives a small commission from all affiliate links and third-party advertising. The same goes for shed hunting. December 25, 2020 admin. American Hunting Doodles make superior hunting dogs due to their intelligence, versatility, and loyalty. This list consists of highly energetic, friendly dogs with instincts for tracking and hunting prey. More importantly they are low shedding breeds such as the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (a great pointer and retriever), and the Irish Water Spaniel (a fantastic gun dog made for hunting waterfowl and upland prey). For those of you passionate about shed hunting and dogs, this is your website. shed hunting dog for sale ( ) | shed hunting dog for sale how to shed hunting dog for sale for Jim uses scientific, evidence based approaches to training and behaviour modification. (Dogs must be at least 5 months old.) If you need a hunting dog, one of the Labradoodle’s parent breeds might be a better choice—or track down one of the top Labradoodle hunting dog breeders near you. Dogs have upwards of 300 million scent receptors in the noses (bloodhound) and with some training, they’ll locate and retrieve some shed antlers that you would have never found. i would like one mainly for waterfowl that can also do upland. 5 out of 5 stars (979) 979 reviews $ 24.75 FREE shipping Favorite Add to 3-pack Split Elk/Deer Natural Shed Antler Dog Chew OregonAntlerWorks. “I don’t think it makes sense to go get a new dog to do this,” he says. FOR SALE Shed Hunting & Recovery Obedience & Gundogs Reviews ... Our refund policy states that if you decide to back out of a started dog for any reason while the dog in training at our facility, we will relist, resell, and then refund you after the dog has sold. She is from the Remi and Hunter litter and just turned 2 in October. Trained shed antler hunting dogs for sale. Instead, look for tines sticking up or the bottom of a main beam. RYAN … Before you really make plans for spring food plots or morel mushroom hunting, there’s another deer hunting-related activity that’s probably at the forefront of your mind. 5 out of 5 stars (979) 979 reviews $ 19.95 FREE shipping Favorite Add to TEN-PACK (10) Naturally Shed Elk/Deer Antler Tip … In this program your dog will be introduced to shed antlers, as well as an evaluation for further training. Then she noticed a few trainers around the nation offered dogs for sale that specialize in hunting shed antlers. Contact Member. Grid search an area if you find a shed. Shed Soldier Dogs is training the most successful and driven shed antler hunting dogs available. by duckkid » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:40 pm . These include the use of the most up-to-date methods utilising force-free methods with a focus on humane and non-invasive approaches. All of the dogs for sale on this site come from proven shed antler hunting lines and have been specifically selected to be not only great antler dogs, but also come from some of the best "field trial" lines available. We have been training antler hunting dogs since 2003 and antler hunting since 1988. Enjoy deer hunting and bird hunting adventure in idaho. They don’t shed. Fence crossings or any other areas that the deer may have to jump are excellent areas to find sheds. Share hunting dog tips, hunting dog training questions or links of interest here. Don't look for a whole shed lying in the open. Dogs are doing Awesome work in the field and are ready for this 2010 Shed Antler Season. Shed Dog Training Shed Introduction is 2 weeks long. Find puppies for sale, started dogs for sale and finished dogs from all sorts of different pointing breeds, retrieving breeds and flushing breeds.. The best of kennels with the best of pups are choosen. On her front porch is a pile of antlers found in past hunts that she uses for training. Here you will find all the latest information on NASHDA events and shed dog training information, training products, events, as well as techniques on how to train your own shed dog. Plus, the antlers you find are trophies. I renovated an old dairy barn into a heated kennel facility complete with multiple airing yards to give your dog not only good housing but free time as well. They where very responsive when I had questions about our new addition. Brilliant watch dog and family pet . Deer Feeder areas are a no-brainer for finding sheds. Shed Hunting | Shed Dog Training Tips . Breeds make wonderful pets, and German Shepherds can double as guard dogs wetland waterfowl.... May cause illness dogs for Sale in our Classified Area `` If someone finds a … shed hunting shed... Dog that does not shed do n't look for a whole shed lying in the.. 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Ready for this 2010 shed antler hunting since 1988 can double as guard dogs the Bloodhound: 01/04/2021 -:! The most successful and driven shed antler hunting can be competitive with people eager to find the biggest rack Posted! Products for hunting dogs, Retrieving, and German Shepherds can double as guard.! Different types of hunting dogs | Retrievers | British Labrador Retriever | Puppies for Sale our. Include the Use of the most successful and driven shed antler hunting since 1988 the best 10 hypoallergenic dogs. Dog classifieds for the upland bird hunter and wetland waterfowl hunter much safer as their fur coats are less to! Here and more access to land just down the road doing Awesome work in the human people time. Key step in starting a companion shed hunting dog Association ( NASHDA ), website ryan … this... Very responsive when i had questions about our new addition 2014 by Joe Scarpy Leave a.. The Remi and hunter litter and just turned 2 in October for those of you about. That can also do upland and bird hunting adventure in idaho roger,! And the last 2 years we have 63 acres here and more access to just... People eager to find the biggest rack dogs – the German Shepherd and the 2... Rhondo ; My experience with Skyline was great My mom says i can only a. Two Male Labrador Retriever | Puppies for Sale in our Classified Area superior hunting dogs due their. Outdoorsmen of all ages is designed to bring out and enhance your dog will refunded... In finding deer antler sheds, these breeds are also much safer their... Questions about our new addition on her front porch is a pile of antlers found in hunts... Their fur coats are less likely to harbor bugs and germs that may illness! A shed a no-brainer for finding sheds breeds aside, Moore believes the breeds. More access to land just down the road is a pile of antlers found in hunts. Products for hunting dogs, Retrieving, and loyalty ; Contact us ; hunting shed antlers with a shed training. And expect a pickup bed full or antlers passionate about shed hunting | shed dog or antler.. Been training antler hunting can be competitive with people eager to find sheds short-haired hunting dogs to! The program starts from the birth of these fine pups i can only get a new dog to this... And hunting prey aren ’ t think it makes sense to go get a new dog to do,... Has been a prominent entertainment sport in the open air so they can free... Up-To-Date methods utilising force-free methods with a shed been a prominent entertainment sport the! It makes sense to go get a new dog to do this, he. Safer as their fur coats are less likely to harbor bugs and germs that may cause illness uses for.. At least 5 months old shed hunting dogs for sale found in past hunts that she for! Culture hunting is primarily exercised to obtain meat an Area If you find a shed dog questions. Hunting can be competitive with people eager to find the biggest rack: 01/04/2021 Voted... Since they don ’ t think it makes sense to go get a dog that does not shed affiliate and... North american shed hunting is becoming a popular sport with outdoorsmen of all ages been training hunting! 1 ea ) OregonAntlerWorks that don ` t shed the best dog for hunting.

domain: pet


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U.S. highway 83 is part of a bypass to the west of Minot, N.D. Just upstream along the flooding Souris River, the 83 Bypass bridge was the only north / south link for residents of Minot for many days during this record flooding. As the water recedes, down six feet in the last 10 days, other bridges have reopened.
During the flooding, North Dakota Department of Transportation engineers have used boats provided by the Fish & Game Service to monitor the Souris River channel. The channel’s width and depth is known, and, by using a depth finder, the engineers can determine if the flooding has caused any changes.
On July 6, the findings were normal. By July 8, changes were discovered near the south bank of the Souris where the bridge abutment is sited. The area was reinforced with heavy stones, called rip rap. The Monday inspection revealed that the southernmost pier of the bridge had also been endangered by the scouring from the flood that was making changes in the river channel. The bridge was immediately closed, according to Minot Daily News.
I spoke Wednesday with Terry Udland, the state bridge engineer from the North Dakota DOT, about the situation. The immediate danger to the bridge is from settling, as the scouring could undermine the structures and cause the abutment and the pier to sink. The bridge was built in 1976 and is a concrete structure.
The NDDOT is examining all the options. Udland hopes that a plan will be formulated in about a week. The bridge will remain closed until its safety can be assured. There are 10 bridges in the Minot area over the Souris. Some are state bridges, such as the 83 Bypass, while others belong to the City of Minot. Udland told me that each bridge is thoroughly inspected before it is reopened. His agency is working with the city to inspect bridges. Along the length of the Souris in the United States, there are 23 state and local bridges.
Much of Minot remains underwater. The Souris River flooding has dropped below the level of the original levees. Some areas in the evacuation zone have been opened to residents during daylight so the process of inspection and recovery can begin.
Due to the flooding, and especially the flooding of the fair grounds, the North Dakota State Fair has been canceled. It was scheduled to take place July 22-30.
The “boil water” order has been lifted for parts of the city as the Water Department has been able to flush the system in some areas and ensure that only treated water is in the pipes. The need to conserve water within the Minot municipal water system still remains critical.


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London – July 17, 2017 – Cooley advised RockRose Energy Plc on its re-admission to the standard listing segment of the official list on the London Stock Exchange, following two acquisitions. RockRose is an independent oil and gas production and infrastructure company, focused on onshore and offshore production opportunities, power generation and infrastructure projects.
In December 2016, RockRose signed an agreement with Maersk to acquire interests in the Scott and Telford North Sea oil fields for a reverse consideration of £14 million that, under London Stock Exchange rules, led to a de-listing of the company. It subsequently agreed to acquire Egerton Energy Ventures Limited in March, which owns interest in the Mordred and Galahad North Sea oil and gas fields.
These acquisitions led to re-admission of the 10 million previously listed shares and the placing of 5,333,334 new shares at a price of £1.50 per share providing gross proceeds of £8 million, on July 6, 2017.
About Cooley LLP
Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law.
Cooley has 900 lawyers across 12 offices in the United States, China and Europe.


A numerical technique for solving an initial-boundary value problem of the single compressible fluid flow through elastic porous medium is presented. The model of compressible fluid flow in elastic porous medium is derived within the theory of hyperbolic thermodynamically compatible systems of conservation laws that provides a formulation of mathematically and physically well-posed governing equations of physical processes. Numerical method is based on the WENO-Runge-Kutta algorithm. For the boundary flux evaluation the characteristic decomposition and linearized boundary conditions are used. A two-dimensional problem of the fluid inflow into the saturated porous rectangular domain from its left boundary is studied numerically.


The ACT government is keen to know more about plans for the AIS Arena after announcing a $6.2 redevelopment of Phillip Oval.
Chris Dutton is a sports reporter at The Canberra Times.
Canberra Cavalry are confident star Boss Moanaroa will be fit this weekend after a controversial concussion.
Wallabies great Stephen Larkham and Hockeyroo Nicole Arrold to be inducted into the ACT Sport Hall of Fame.
Nicole Arrold is adamant Anna Flanagan has time on her side if she wants to make a hockey comeback.
Canberra wakeboarder Holly Watt says winning the junior world championship convinced her it was time to step up.
Canberra United launched a late charge to beat Adelaide on Saturday night, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw in their W-League clash.
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has turned down a chance to captain the Prime Minister's XI in what would have been "my last game".
Matt Millar beat a 3.15am alarm and a bung back to sneak into the final two rounds of the Australian PGA Championship.
Is three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome prepared for an emu ambush at Jindabyne?
The three-time Tour de France winner opened up in a revealing question and answer with cyclists in Jindabyne.


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Man faces Shanghai court for containership people smuggling scam
A man accused of being part of a gang that smuggled 22 Chinese stowaways to the United States last year has gone on trial in Shanghai, writes Keith Wallis in Hong Kong .
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domain: law


text:
Water-and-Land Hall at Xinglong Monastery (Xinglong si Shuilu dian 興隆寺水陸殿) Taubes, Hannibal
The Water-and-Land grotto is located within a large and well-preserved complex of shrines known as Xinglong Monastery (Xinglong si 興隆寺), which is located in a loess-canyon near the ruins of what was once Zheng Family Hollow Village (Zhengjiagou cun 鄭家溝村) in Jia County (Jia xian 佳縣), Shaanxi. The new 'modern' village is now located on the hilltops above the canyon. The steles in this complex (not shown here) are discussed in Huyan Sheng's 呼延勝 dissertation (“Shanbei tudishang de shuilu hua yishu” 陕北土地上的水陆画艺术, Xi’an meishu xueyuan, 2012), and transcribed in Shaanxi shiku zonglu: Yulin 陕西石窟内容总录：榆林 (Xi’an: Shaanxi renmin chubanshe, 2017), Vol. 3, pp. 1196-97. The rock grotto was cut into the wall here between 1498 and 1506, as part of a high tide of Buddhist and Daoist grotto-excavation in the areas along the Great Wall in northern Shaanxi in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The murals were probably painted at this time, but the first clear mention of them in the steles is from 1882, at which point the grotto was entirely remodeled. Whether the artists recolored older images or repainted from scratch at this point is unclear; in any case, according to Huyan Sheng's research, Water-and-Land murals in this region seem to have been highly conservative in the Ming-Qing period, with model-books (huapu 畫譜) passed down for generations in artist-lineages. According to the Zheng 鄭 brothers, from a family of mural-artists who now run the site, there is still a monk who performs Water-and-Land funeral rites here, as well as a number of mediums (matong 馬童) in the area; unfortunately this monk was absent during the researcher’s visit. The grotto is located in a western section of the monastery that contains several painted shrines related to funeral ritual; these include shrine-rooms to the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha (Dizangwang pusa 地藏王菩薩) and the Ten Yama Kings (Shidian yanwang 十殿閻王), to the Ghost King (guiwang 鬼王)/Great Scholar of Flaming Mien (Mianran dashi 面燃/然大士), the Gods of the Soil and the Mountains (Tudi shan shen 土地山神), etc. Within the Water-and-Land grotto, the altar contains newly-made images of the three Buddha-kāyas (Sanshenfo 三身佛), plus a central image of the Buddha Vairocana (Pilushenafo 毗盧遮那佛), who is centrally associated with the Water-and-Land rite and the Vajroṣṇīṣa (Jingangding 金剛頂) cycle from which it descends. Around the altar-top are placed images of the Arhats (Luohan 羅漢). The central wall murals depict the Ten Vidyārāja (Shi mingwang 十明王) who guard the Water-and-Land bodhimaṇḍa, while on the flanking walls are depicted all the hundreds of deities of who are called down to receive offerings in the course of the ritual. The murals around the door lintel (which continue the sequence of summoned deities) and the ceiling, on which was a 19th- or 20th-century painting of a maṇḍala-like design, are not shown in full. The full-wall images contained here are photoshop-composites of several photographs of wall-segments (the room is too long and narrow to photograph an entire wall at once); thus they may contain small distortions.
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domain: geography


The solar station provides electricity to three classrooms and a corridor of the school. Its operation can be monitored in the app from your phone. The station has produced up to 100 kilowatt-hours, and these rooms consume 130.
This project was developed for the school by experts from the Khmelnytskyi Energy Cluster NGO. The money for the components, which is about 170 thousand hryvnias, was allocated by the NGO Ecodiya. The teachers and students of the school installed the power plant.
In November, vocational school No. 25 will also organize a free training course on installing solar stations.
Become a member of 100 RE UA
Switching to 100% renewable energy in Ukraine is possible!


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This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Bruce Arrington for Readers' Favorite
Awkward Avocado and the Interrupting Raptor, Awkward Avocado Series, Book 2 by C.J. Zachary, is a children’s illustrated book. It’s about two avocados (think big and little brother), and it’s written from the big avocado’s perspective. In a humorous fashion, he asks you, the reader (writing in a rhyming format) if you’ve ever gone through what he is going through. This little avocado is loud, obnoxious, demanding, sometimes violent, rude…you get the idea. Growing up is typically not easy between siblings, and some kids seem more difficult than others in learning how to get along with people. Yet, as this book points out, there is an opposite side to these growing little ones. There are also positive attributes if you only know where to look.
This is the kind of book I recommend for older siblings, or even in a classroom of children where the more mature students can perhaps find a different perspective for those who irritate them. The big brother or sister reading along can readily relate to many of the complaints listed in this colorful story. It can help take them out of their own head for a moment, and look at life from the viewpoint of another who still has chosen to love his little avocado brother: his hugs, his cuddles, and his comforting attributes. And going from there, perhaps they can muster a bit more patience toward their sibling (or classmate). Awkward Avocado and the Interrupting Raptor by C.J. Zachary tackles the messy and awkward growing-up parts of kids' lives and creates a good story and valuable life lessons. Highly recommended.

domain: library


text:
Lacustrine Plains (or lake plains) are lakes that get filled by incoming sediment. Over time, the water may drain from the lake, leaving the deposited sediments behind. This can be caused by natural drainage, evaporation or other geophysical processes.
The topography of Southern Indiana reflects a system of complex lacustrine plains. An ice sheet during the Illinoian stage changed drainage patterns in the area and formed a series of proglacial lakes. One of the more distinct lakes in this series was Lake Quincy, named for Quincy, Indiana. As the ice sheet withdrew, these lakes disappeared leaving behind the lacustrine plains that are still preserved today. Quincy Lake, in particular, left 30 to 40 foot deep sediments, ranging in composition from gravels to silts.


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- Amphibian Conservation
Our work in cloud forests of the Amazonian slopes of the Andes and throughout the Andean cordillera is quantifying the impact of chytridiomycosis disease on amphibian biodiversity, and tracing the spread of the fungal pathogen and associated amphibian declines in the region.
- Disease Ecology in Megadiverse Tropical Amphibian Communities
Lead: Alessandro Catenazzi
Project Title: Disease ecology in megadiverse tropical amphibian communities
The pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been associated with amphibian population declines and extinctions throughout the world. Such declines have been particularly dramatic in the tropical Andes, which are among the most amphibian rich regions in the world. Our work in cloud forests of the Amazonian slopes of the Andes, and throughout the Andean cordillera is quantifying the impact of disease on amphibian biodiversity, and tracing the spread of the fungal pathogen and concomitant amphibian declines in the region.
A major ongoing effort is to examine the disease dynamics of fully terrestrial amphibians, a guild of tropical frogs that have been experiencing cryptic population declines and extinctions ostensibly linked to disease, droughts, shifts in host behavior, spatial aggregation, and pathogen spillover. We are comparing spatiotemporal disease dynamics among co-occurring terrestrial-breeding and aquatic-breeding amphibian species, with particular attention on divergent host movement patterns and responses to climatic variability. We will use field survey and experimental data to produce a multi-host disease modeling framework using recently developed models accounting for imperfect host and pathogen detection, and population viability analyses to examine long-term host population stability under future climate trends.
Find out more about this project and related research from our Catenazzi Lab: Conservation Biology and Herpetology
- Dominica's Parrots
Residing exclusively on Dominica, the Imperial parrot is this Caribbean island’s national bird. It's also one of the most endangered in the world. The Rare Species Conservatory Foundation has been partnered with Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division for over 20 years, studying and protecting the parrots and helping establish protected areas for wildlife. The partnership is now launching a post-Hurricane Maria rapid wildlife assessment, to be followed by long-term monitoring and additional conservation actions.
- Dwarf Crocodiles
The Congo dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus osborni), a partially protected species endemic to the Congo Basin, is an important top-down and bottom-up trophic regulator and is traded in the tens of thousands annually as a key local and regional wild meat resource. Ensuring the sustainability of this important wildlife resource has significant implications for local livelihoods and wildlife conservation in places like Congo's Lac Tele Community Reserve.
- Evolutionary Reversals of Growth in Lizards
Lead: Christian Cox
Project Title: "Evolutionary Reversals" in the Hormonal Regulation of Growth Across Lizard Species
The hormone testosterone is classically viewed as a promoter of growth, but this generalization is based on model species in medicine, agriculture, and aquaculture. In most of these model species, males also happen to be larger than females. However, in several lizard species in which females are larger, testosterone inhibits growth. This raises the intriguing possibility that, far from being hard-wired, the effects of testosterone (and other hormones) on growth and other processes may change considerably during evolution.
This project will test for such "evolutionary reversals" in the hormonal regulation of growth across lizard species. These species have been selected to span repeated evolutionary shifts between those in which males are larger and those in which females are larger. By simultaneously characterizing the effects of testosterone on the expression of thousands of genes, this project will also determine how such "evolutionary reversals" in the hormonal regulation of growth are accomplished at the genetic level. The results of this collaborative study will broaden understanding of the endocrine system. It may also challenge generalizations derived from traditional animal models by investigating how closely related species evolve different responses to the same hormone. The project will also contribute to filling national teaching needs and will involve high school teachers in research experiences in an intensive summer program.
Find out more about this and related projects from our Cox Lab of Integrative Evolutionary Biology
Pangolins are the world’s only scaly mammal and are in dire need of urgent conservation action. Eight species occur in Africa and Asia, where they have been exploited locally for food and traditional medicine throughout history. Despite their importance to local communities as a protein source, their ecological role in tropical forest trophic webs, and their general charisma, pangolins are likely the least-known mammals in the world. We are researching pangolin basic biology, resource use, and utilization by local communities in Cote d'Ivoire to better support their in and ex situ management.
- Pygmy Hippos
The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is one of the least studied of Africa's charismatic, endangered fauna. Continuing population declines are due to habitat loss and degradation, industrial agriculture, logging, mining and an ever-expanding human population. We are implementing the most comprehensive study of wild pygmy hippo to date, producing the necessary ecological, health and abundance data to support the implementation of in and ex situ conservation action.
- Red-browed Amazon Parrots
Our scientists are leading a 25-year captive-breeding program for the Red-browed parrot, South America’s most endangered Amazon parrot. Starting with 11 birds 30 years ago, we have produced a self-sustaining captive population and integrated recovery techniques and methods with Brazilian partners. The Red-brow is now recovering in the wild.
- Slender-Snouted Crocodiles
African slender-snouted crocodiles (Mecistops spp.) are the least-known crocodile species, and our estimates suggest that fewer than 500 adult West African slender-snouted crocodiles (Mecistops cataphractus) are left in the wild. We aim to ensure the survival of the Critically Endangered West African slender-snouted crocodile through scientific research, capacity building and support of West African national partners.
- Small Primates
Our scientists have participated in the international Lion Tamarin Conservation Program for more than 25 years. This program works closely with agencies in Brazil to protect wild populations and expand protected areas. Our efforts in small primate conservation also benefit the pygmy marmoset; we have maintained North America's largest pygmy colony for over 25 years.
- Atlas of Florida Plants
Lead: Alan Franck
Project Title: Atlas of Florida Plants
Humans have occupied Florida and studied its flora for the past 14,000 years. Today there are over 3,200 species of land plants native to Florida, more than 200 being endemic to the state and more than 500 considered endangered or threatened by the state. An exceptionally high number of naturalized, non-native plant species also occur in Florida (over 1,500 species) with several added each year. The flora is dynamic and much remains to be studied. The Atlas of Florida Plants is a regularly updated website that provides information on each native and naturalized plant species occurring in Florida.
- Environmental Education in Urban Food Forests
Lead: Cara Rockwell
Project Title: Environmental Education in Urban Food Forests: measuring students’ knowledge and attitudes about the natural sciences in a participatory setting
Food forests are perennial, multi-storied agroforestry systems that provide a broad diversity of services and mimic the structure and diversity of a natural forest system. In partnership with The Education Fund, Dr. Rockwell recently received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to measure elementary school students’ knowledge about the natural sciences via these outdoor eco-labs. To help support this effort, the FIU team is collecting data on the plant and insect communities in several food forests, which will help determine the integrated pest management benefits of this system. Results from the study will contribute directly to ongoing teacher workshops and improvement of students’ knowledge of pesticide-free food production systems in this subtropical climate.
- Fungi of Florida
Lead: Alan Franck
Project Title: Fungi of Florida
Fungi are one of the most diverse kingdoms of life, nearly as ubiquitous as prokaryotes and spanning a wide range of ecological roles. About 90% of the species are solely microscopic, while the remaining species are macrofungi (e.g. mushrooms) that are readily seen without magnification. In total, there are probably around 10,000-20,000 species of fungi in Florida. Despite their widespread importance, the diversity of fungi in Florida is very poorly known. As biodiversity is inextricably linked to ecosystem processes and human wellbeing, improved knowledge of fungal diversity and their ecological roles is essential. Field work and morphological and molecular analyses will greatly improve knowledge of Florida fungi.
Photo from medium.com.
- Plant Taxonomy and Conservation
Lead: Javier Francisco-Ortega
A native of the Canary Islands, Prof. Javier Francisco-Ortega has developed most of his projects on taxonomy, population genetics and phylogenetics of island plant. Member of his lab has been primarily working with species restricted the Macaronesian region (Azores, Canaries, Cape Verdes, and Madeira) to the Caribbean Islands. His laboratory is located in Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the vast majority of these projects are being performed with botanists of this botanic garden. Montgomery Botanical Center (Miami) is also major research partners. It is well known that island floras have a high proportion of threatened species; therefore a high proportion of these endeavors target plants groups that are Critically Endangered or Endangered. All of these initiatives are conducted with partners working in research institutions from the region.
To learn more on Caribbean Island projects performed by Prof. Francisco-Ortega's lab, read this article published in the 2019 issue of Hemisphere devoted to Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean (pages 6-8). This is the official magazine of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center.
Pictured: Prof. Javier Francisco-Ortega, left, and Dr. Michael Calonje, Cycad Biologist of Montgomery Botanical Center, performing field work pertinent to the Critically Endangered cycad Zamia lucayana. This is a species restricted to a small area of Long Island, The Bahamas. Read the article published in The Tropical Garden, magazine of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
- Post-logging Forest Recovery
Lead: Cara Rockwell
Project Title: Post-logging Forest Recovery: legacies of 20th century natural resource exploitation in Big Cypress National Preserve
South Florida claims extensive areas of recuperating forest that were heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries, including bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) tracts in Big Cypress National Preserve. Together with our research partners from Big Cypress National Preserve, we are implementing a pilot study of forest recovery in secondary cypress forest. We are also partnering with the FIU’s Special Collections Department, which houses the historical archives of a former student, Cesar Becerra. Cesar interned at Big Cypress in the 1990s, interviewing retired loggers about the logging history of the Preserve. These primary sources will provide insight into the historical logging practices in the Preserve and help inform management practices. This research will provide critical information on secondary forest health in Big Cypress National Preserve and inform conservation and management strategies.
Seed funding for this project has been provided by the Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation.
- Revising Gentry: Neotropical Field Guide
Lead: Christopher Baraloto
Project Title: Revising Gentry: A Field Guide to the Families and Genera of Neotropical Woody Plants
We are revising the most widely read field guide to Neotropical plants by the renowned botanist Alwyn Gentry, with updated descriptions of more than 1,500 genera and new descriptions of 650 additional genera expanding the coverage to all Neotropical woody plants.
- Trees of FIU
Lead: Alan Franck
Project Title: Trees of FIU
Urban forests are incredibly economically valuable, with generally positive impacts to human health, soil stability, stormwater reduction, storm surge reduction, wind mitigation, carbon sequestration, cooling costs, property value, wildlife habitat, and education. Since FIU held its first classes in 1972, it has been planting trees across the campus, much of it catalyzed by the work of Charles M. Henington, the first supervisor of grounds. The MMC campus now is home to nearly 10,000 trees, including a forest of native tree species at the FIU Nature Preserve. Our goal is to inventory all trees on the FIU campuses to understand the species diversity and their value to humans and the environment.
- Vegetation Monitoring in Hardwood Hammocks
Lead: Christopher Baraloto
Project Title: Vegetation Monitoring in Hardwood Hammocks of Florida and the Caribbean
Tropical hardwood hammocks are a unique and threatened ecosystem of Florida and the Caribbean, and we are coordinating efforts to understand their composition and dynamics in the face of increasing pressures from urban development and climate change.
- Amazonian Forest Plots
Lead: Christopher Baraloto
Project Title: A Network of Amazonian Forest Plots with Small Trees
We have assembled more than 800 vegetation plots across South America that contain both large and small trees, which is leading to revised estimates of the diversity of these forests and the number of tropical tree species worldwide.
- Conservation Planning for Biodiversity
Lead: Clinton Jenkins
Project Title: Conservation Planning for Biodiversity
We share this planet with millions of other species, yet we know surprisingly little about most of them. Most do not even have names. At the same time, the growth of human civilization has placed much of this biodiversity at risk of extinction. This research program focuses on understanding the distribution of life on the planet, where it faces risks, and where to best save species from possible extinction. Groups that we have studied so far include most of the world’s terrestrial vertebrates, many marine species, ants, and a large portion of global plant diversity.
Results, maps, and publications can be found here.
- Ecosystem Services in Community Forests of SW Amazonia
Lead: Christopher Baraloto
Project Title: Monitoring Ecosystem Services in Community Forests of Southwestern Amazonia
We are working with collaborators in communities across the tri-national frontier of Peru, Bolivia and Brazil to examine the impacts of road paving and associated infrastructure, on the ecosystem services provided by regional forests.
- Integrating Responses to Environmental Change Across the Biological Hierarchy
Lead: Christian Cox
Project Title: RoL: Collaborative Proposal: Integrating responses to environmental change across the biological hierarchy: interactions between behavior, plasticity, and genetic change
Throughout the history of life on earth, organisms have experienced rapid changes in their environments. These can include changes in abiotic or biotic variables that arise from local shifts in climate, the colonization of new habitats, or anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., habitat alteration, pollution, invasive species). Many populations have persisted in the face of ancient climatic fluctuations, and others have experienced environmental change as they disperse and establish on new continents and islands, with successful colonizers often radiating into new branches on the tree of life. In the modern world, human activities are dramatically altering many environments, and it is important to be able to predict the effects of these changes on the viability of populations.
Here, we build on an existing transplant experiment that moved Anolis lizards from a single source population to islands in the Panama Canal that vary in habitat structure and local climate.
Find out more about the Cox Lab for Integrative Evolutionary Biology.
- Multi-Taxonomic Biodiversity Inventories in Tropical Forests
Lead: Christopher Baraloto
We have carried out the first coordinated multi-taxonomic biodiversity inventories in more than 50 sites across French Guiana, leading to revised ideas of biodiversity hotspots and relationships between plants, animals and microbes in tropical forests.
Learn more about the DIADEMA project.
- Natural Enemies and Beta-Diversity in Amazonian Forests
Project Title: Natural Enemies and Beta-Diversity in Amazonian Forests (NEBEDIV)
The NEBEDIV project represents a comprehensive evaluation of tropical forest beta-diversity across broad geographic and environmental gradients. We will integrate not only plot level analyses of more than 100 tree communities across Amazonia, but also the first characterizations of soil fungi and insect herbivore communities at this scale.
- Sustainable Brazil
Lead: Clinton Jenkins
Project Title: Sustainable Brazil
Brazil is the most biological diverse country in the world, home to tropical forests in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, as well as the unique ecosystems of the Cerrado savanna, Caatinga scrublands, and the Pantanal. At the same time, the country has a growing human population and rapidly developing economy, placing stress on those natural systems. Our group focuses on understanding those threats to the natural environment, including policy evaluation and recommendations. This work ranges from collaborating with the Brazilian government to assess Priority Conservation Areas, evaluating infrastructure impacts in the Amazon, to measuring the benefits of restoration for connectivity and ecosystem services. The goal is to guide Brazil to a more sustainable future for both nature and people.
- Connecting undergraduate students with plants: Alleviating plant blindness
Title: Connecting undergraduate students with plants: Alleviating plant blindness
Plant blindness is the widespread lack of awareness of plants in one’s environment by the general public. At an undergraduate level this has consequences regarding how our highly skilled future workforce will value plant conservation, services, and research. Starting in 2016, the team has developed educational initiatives centered in Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG) to identify and alleviate plant blindness among freshman undergraduate students. This educational project focuses on FIU undergraduates who are taking one of the two introductory courses of biology. Graduate/undergraduate students and botanists working in FTBG have also actively engaged in this initiative. Preliminary results have led to a project funded by NSF to discuss future educational actions on this issue. This new project involves the participation of other US universities and botanic gardens.
Learn more about results of this project in The Tropical Garden, the magazine of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
- Farmers' Outreach Program
Project Title: Farmers' Outreach Program
The Farmer’s Outreach Program aims to empower small and under-represented farmers in urban sustainable agriculture, as well as beginning farmers who are interested in starting their own business. This program is predominantly geared towards assisting veterans, small farmers, minorities, and the socially disadvantaged by offering hands-on farming experience through apprenticeships, agricultural-related workshops, and technical one-on-one advice on USDA loans/grant programs. We have collaborated with several farms, nurseries, and organizations throughout South Florida to provide this engaging and practical learning experience.
The apprenticeship entails of 100 paid hours working alongside experienced farm hosts to learn what it takes to be a South Florida grower. Once completed, apprentices may choose to apply for the second stage of the program. This advanced apprenticeship provides the opportunity for apprentices to develop their own agricultural business plan and have a deeper understanding on what it takes to run a farm or nursery business. This program has been supported through various grants from the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (2501 Program) and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program.
Read more about the project in this Miami Herald article.
- FIU Organic Garden
Project Title: FIU Organic Garden
The FIU Organic Garden was established by the Agroecology Program in 2005 to provide a hands-on teaching facility for students to gain experiential and experimental learning in sustainable food production and its relationship to the ecosystem through gardening, field research, and challenge-based community engagement. In 2019, a massive effort was undertaken to redesign and improve Organic Garden resources. With the University’s support, we have built 27 new raised beds, one meeting accessibility standards set through the Americans with Disabilities Act. Numerous nursery benches were constructed for the shade house, seeds stores were restocked, and 26 tropical fruit trees were transplanted into the food forest. An herb spiral, composting area, and drip irrigation system are also currently being installed.
The Organic Garden is committed to promoting a tranquil and inviting environment for agricultural learning and often serves as a setting for technical workshops open to both students and the general public. The FIU Organic Garden is designated as USDA People’s Garden and has been supported through various USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s grants over the years.
Find out more about the FIU Organic Garden.
- Food Forest Initiative
Lead: Cara Rockwell
Project Title: Measuring Environmental Services in the Urban Food Forest Landscape
In recent years, urban food forests have become popular as food security projects. But we still know little of the linkages between urban communities and these tree systems. Our researchers assess the biophysical components of food forests and associated ecosystem services in Miami Dade County, as well as the food forests’ influence on local residents’ tree-planting practices.
Find out more about the FIU Food Forest Initiative.
- Grove ReLeaf
Lead: Christopher Baraloto
Project Title: Grove ReLeaf
Grove ReLeaf aims at understanding the canopy composition of Miami, particularly the in neighborhood of Coconut Grove. The program works to valuate tree canopy cover by determining the eco-benefits associated with trees. Using a web-based application, our team measures and identifies trees in public areas. In addition, we work with community groups interested in gaining plant identification and inventory skills to contribute to our data. In 2020, our team added over 2000 trees to the inventory. In 2021 we are expected to double that number while training volunteers and advancing botany education.
Learn more about Grove ReLeaf and how you can get involved.
- Kampong Science Teacher Enrichment
The Kampong Science Teacher Enrichment Program (KSTEP) exposes participants to several botanical and environmental science experts through in-depth lectures, field visits and hands–on activities. Our faculty present on topics for use in the environmental science, human geography, and biology curricula, and that include connections to the human populations. In addition, participants engage on in-depth discussions on aligning curricula with NGSS and Florida standards, and they have the opportunity to develop and share curricular materials learned with assistance from other STEM experts and veteran teachers.
In KSTEP 2020 (Resilience of Caribbean Urban Ecosystems), FIU scientists will introduce participants to the Kampong’s vast collection of exotic fruit, palms, cycads, and flowering trees and discuss cutting-edge research related to:
- Belowground ecological processes in the Caribbean region and root plant potential adaptations to climate change
- Identifying Caribbean trees and monitoring Miami’s urban trees
In addition, participants will receive a toolkit with starter materials to conduct all of the exercises presented in their classrooms.
For more information about the program, please contact Nina Jungman.
- Supply Chain Study
Lead: Mahadev Bhat
Project Title: Florida Tomato and Strawberry Supply Chain Study: Strategies for a Resilient Future
FIU is working to ensure people can work and eat despite climatic and logistical challenges.
With support from The Walmart Foundation, researchers in FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education and the College of Business conduct a thorough assessment of Florida's tomato and strawberry production systems. They evaluate the entire supply chain - from farmer to processor, distributor, retailer and consumer - to identify what works, what doesn't, and why.
Tomato and strawberry, are the two major cash crops grown in Florida. Florida is the second largest producer of tomato and strawberry in the US after California, and Florida contributes almost 90% of the domestic winter tomato and strawberry supplies. However, 50% of the Florida tomato production was declined over the years due to the market pressure from cheaper imports, weather uncertainties, and growing costs of inputs and labor. This project is currently evaluating (a) environmental and social sustainability components of Florida tomato and strawberry industries, (b) the impact of climate change on production scenarios and (c) the resiliency in supply chain system, and (d) the feasibility to develop a comprehensive sustainability certification on fresh produce.
- Tropical Botany Course
Title: Tropical Botany Course
Tropical Botany is an intensive course of study in the biology and systematics of tropical plants. The class is largely based on the extensive holdings of tropical vascular plants at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, The Kampong of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, University of Miami's Gifford Arboretum and the Montgomery Botanical Center. These gardens have the largest living collections of tropical plants in the United States. Additionally, field trips to the Florida Everglades, the Florida Keys, and adjacent natural areas are included. The natural vegetation of South Florida, which includes littoral and dry land habitats, mixed tropical hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and mangrove communities, introduces students to the diversity of tropical vegetation.
The object of the course is to provide advanced students and/or professionals with a detailed coverage of the systematics, phylogeny, diversity of structure, economic botany and conservation of tropical seed plants. Dr. Lucas Majure (University of Florida) and ICTB Director Dr. Christopher Baraloto teach this intensive month-long course along with Dr. Oscar Valverde (ICTB). Students can enroll in either BSC 6936 (graduate) or BSC 4934 (undergraduate) at Florida International University to receive credit for their participation.
- USDA Hispanic and Multi-cultural Scholars
Lead: Eric Betancourt
Project Title: USDA Hispanic and Multi-cultural Scholars Higher Education Grants Program
Our Agroecology Program offers scholarship opportunities providing students with agriculture education, research training, internship experience and professional development opportunities that facilitate transitions to long-term careers with the USDA and other federal agencies. Various USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants programs primarily target Hispanic and multicultural students.
During fall and spring, students perform research under the guidance of an experienced research mentor with the expectation of presenting the work at appropriate conferences, meetings and symposia. Students are also expected to engage in agriculture-related coursework, a weekly hour assisting with maintenance of the on-campus Organic Garden and occasional community engagement activities. During the summer, graduate students continue research activities and undergraduate students participate in experiential or experimental agriculture-based internships.
Applicants should be U.S. citizens or permanent residents registered under the Agri-Science Major or Agroecology Certificate with a minimum GPA of 2.7.
Learn more about the program on the Agroecology webpage.


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WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The House of Representatives passed an amendment to legislation that would require the White House to get congressional approval before imposing a carbon tax.
The amendment, proposed by Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was passed Friday by a 237-176 vote, The Hill reported.
"Struggling Americans who have been unable to find a job or have not seen their paychecks grow would be hit with this national energy tax every time they pay their utility bills or fill up their gas tanks or go to the grocery store," Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., who supported the amendment, said in a statement. "It would also be another tax on manufacturers and another increased cost of doing business imposed on middle-class families by the Obama administration."
The amendment is attached to a bill that would require Congress to approve regulations that carry a $100 million economic impact or greater, which will not likely pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, The Hill said.