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Center for Health and Biosciences | Biomedical Research | Program
International Stem Cell Policy Program
INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL POLICY INITIATIVE
Human stem cell research — encompassing embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cell research — is viewed as a critical area of study by much of the science and medical community. While a significant amount of research is needed before embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells can be used in therapy, these cells have the potential to cure or treat debilitating injuries and diseases such as spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and diabetes. Understanding stem cells can impact developmental biology, cancer biology, regenerative medicine and other fields of biomedical research.
The mission of the Baker Institute International Stem Cell Policy Program is to bring together scientists, ethicists, policymakers, media experts, and community and business leaders to find new ways to engage the general public in a dialogue on international stem cell policies and the ethical use of stem cells for research. The program includes an international conference series titled "Stem Cells: Saving Lives or Crossing Lines." The program also sponsors local events and lectures; workshops that bring together scholars and scientists from the international community and conference reports on the workshops; and major public policy research. The program is part of the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program, led by senior fellow Neal Lane and fellow Kirstin Matthews.
Events and Publications
Previous International Stem Cell Policy Program Events and Major Publications
Stem Cell Research Booklet
A Science and Policy Overview
Questions and Answers Related to Stem Cells
The scientists behind the International Stem Cell Policy Program
Latest Policy Reports
Stem Cell Policy in the Obama Age: Texas, U.S., and U.K. Perspectives
Further Suggested Reading and Websites
Support for this program has been generously provided by the State of Qatar and the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani through the State of Qatar Endowment for International Stem Cell Policy.
Other past sponsors for events include:
Richard Lounsbery Foundation
British Consulate-Houston, Science & Innovation Section
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center
Stematix, Inc.
Huffington Foundation
Center for Health and Biosciences | Journal
Fifty Years of a National Program for the Treatment of Kidney Failure
Center for Health and Biosciences | Domestic Health Policy Analysis | Newsletter
Should Health Care Providers Ask Their Regular Patients About Their Sexual Health?
Center for Health and Biosciences | Domestic Health Policy Analysis | Commentary
How Mark Cuban's Prescription Drug Disruption Could Save Lives


Tucked away on 310 beautiful acres, Camp Tik-A-Witha is adjacent to the Tombigbee National Forest and just 30 minutes south of Tupelo, in Van Vleet, MS.
This camp is an outdoor enthusiast's dream, featuring a 20 acres lake with water inflatables, a swimming pool with slides and diving board, a challenge course, rock climbing tower, zip line, archery field, riffle range, crafts hut and playground. During the summer guests can enjoy the large water inflatable in the lake.
Camp Tik-A-Witha can accommodate 173 people, offering guests the option of several lodges, cabins, platform tents and tent camping.
The main camp area features the in-ground swimming pool, the Infirmary, Trading Post, playground and the Becky Cook Hall. Becky Cook Hall features a commercial kitchen, large stone fireplace, and is climate controlled. This space is perfect for large service units and council events.
Six camp units each include a unit house and shower house, and either cabins, or platform tents. The units are located a short distance from the main camp area.
Also available to guests are four lodges.
Carpenter Hall - features a great room, office and two bedrooms, one with three beds and a private bath and the other with two beds and a private bath. The lodge has a fully equipped kitchen and a fireplace, and has air conditioning.
Recently renovated Chippewa Lodge - features a sleeping hall with 7 sets of bunk beds and a community bathroom. The lodge has a fully equipped kitchen and is climate controlled.
Elizabeth Gwin Troop House - two story lodge features a full bath house below with a sleeping hall with 7 sets of bunk beds. The lodge has a fully equipped kitchen and is climate controlled.
The Infirmary - can also serve as a lodge when not in use during summer resident camp. It features 6 beds in the main living area and a community bathroom. The private leaders' suite will sleep two and includes a private bathroom. The lodge is heated.
Tik-A-Witha also houses an equestrian riding ring and barn for horseback riding and council equestrian programs.
Camp Tik-A-Witha is also the home to the Elizabeth Gwin Special Sessions [hyperlink to Elizabeth Gwin Special Session page], a summer camp dedicated to making the camping experience available to every child regardless of their mental and physical abilities.
The camp is open year round except during the summer, when it is used for resident summer camp.


Thorpe, Deborah E., and Jane E. Alty. "What type of tremor did the medieval 'Tremulous Hand of Worcester'have?." Brain (2015), available here.
When I last checked, this article had amassed over 5,000 page views and an impressive number of PDF downloads. I'd been parading it as an example of the value of open access publishing, helping me to reach record numbers of readers.
The metrics measurements have been reset at 1st December 2016, and it is impossible to view the number of readers and downloaders prior to this date. As an academic who publishes open access, and an advocate of this as a way of democratising research, this is deeply concerning. Without these statistics, it is impossible to gauge the impact of the research – only the page's Altmetrics survive as a shadow of the reach that I know that the article has had.
I've noted similar trends in other journals that have had a recent redesign. I've recently published in Cogent Arts and Humanities, an 100% open access journal. Yet, when I looked for the metrics for my article on children's drawings in medieval books, I noticed that their article stats have been completely removed from the article pages, in favour of a streamlined design. Again, only the Altmetrics survive, which are useful but should be supplementary to the main article metrics.
This is a 'metrics mirage' that is damaging to open access publishing, and frustrating to researchers. Bring back the stats!
← "Tremulous Hands: Handwriting and Neurological Disorders, Modern and Medieval" Documentary, now online.


British travellers have collectively lost 567 million days of passport validity worth more than £13m thanks to the Government's controversial new renewal policy, a study has shown.
Until September a Briton renewing their passport would have had any time left on their old document, up to a maximum of nine months, added to their new one. Someone whose passport expires on July 1, 2019, for example, would have been able to renew today and still be handed a fresh document valid until July 1, 2029. Now, however, a new passport issued to them today will only be valid until April 12, 2029.
A poll by Direct Line Travel Insurance of more than 2,000 Britons suggested passport holders have, on average, 159 days left on their travel document when they renew. An estimated 3.6m new passports have been issued since September, so it adds up to 567 million wasted days – or the equivalent of 155,000 10-year passports. With the cost of a new passport currently £85, Britons are, collectively, £13.2m out of pocket.
The changes have been widely criticised, not just for short-changing travellers but because they may encourage people to renew at the last minute to get full value from their document. That's a risky strategy as many countries, including Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Russia, Indonesia and the UAE, only accept passports with at least six months left to run.
The change came just six months after the cost of a postal passport application rose from £72.50 to £85 – a 17 per cent increase and well above the rate of inflation. For under 16s the cost is £58.50 (up from £46 a year ago, a 27 per cent increase). Online applications cost £75 and £49 for adults and children, respectively.
Huge DEEP FRIED River Shrimp – Thai Food at Legendary Kui Mong (กุ่ยหมง) Restaurant!


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Photo by William Callan/Courtesy Anine Bing
Designer Anine Bing On What to Do In Copenhagen
by Erin Florio
She dishes on places she revisits again and again in the Danish capital.
L.A.–based Dane Anine Bing has become the go-to designer for models and actresses off duty: Kendall Jenner, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Jessica Alba are all fans of her cool, laid-back basics—just-stretchy-enough charcoal skinny jeans with raw hems, simple studded black ankle boots, a perfectly tailored leather biker jacket. The former model and mother of two opened stores in Paris and Barcelona this past year, and yet she still found time for her annual pilgrimage to her native Copenhagen.
Check In Here
"I always tell friends to stay at the boutique hotel SP34 in the city's Latin Quarter—it's very central and in walking distance of pretty much everything. Its lounge, which has super comfortable couches, is also popular with locals meeting up with friends for drinks."
The All-Day Refresher
"Café Victor has been around forever; it's where the cool kids come for coffee, pastries, or champagne after shopping on Strøget. I'll come in and sit in one of the black leather chairs by the window and people watch with a glass of wine."
The Late Lunch
"I've fallen hard for the avo toast at Atelier September, but what I really love about the café is the design. The space is flooded with natural light and has lots of homey touches like houseplants and wonderfully mismatched vintage plates and silverware."
Dish It Up
"Five years ago, I threw out all of my own tableware and started collecting Royal Copenhagen's Blue Fluted porcelain from the flagship store here. I stop in every time I'm back—it's nostalgic for us Danes. My grandparents only used theirs on special occasions, but I use mine all the time—for my morning coffee, kids' meals, dinner parties."
Yogurt with lavender, apricots, and granola at Atelier September.
Photo by Mikkel Heriba/Courtesy Atelier September
The One-Stop Shop
"To me, the concept store Storm just feels like Copenhagen: It's clean and modern and loaded with brands like Céline and Haider Ackermann, plus cool little knickknacks. Last time I was in, I picked up celebrity-and-style photographer Terry O'Neill's self-titled hardcover."
Your Modern-Art Hit
"Growing up, my parents would bring me and my siblings to The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 20 miles out of town on the Øresundstrait. We loved running around its fantastic outdoor sculpture park. Now my own kids do the same. The museum also has painting workshops in the Children's Wing. It's brilliant for parents—I leave the kids and get in a few quiet hours to explore on my own."
What to Ship Back
"My home is practically a showroom for Klassik, one of the best stores in the city for vintage Danish furniture. I've hauled many Arne Jacobsen chairs back to L.A. with me. The last time I was in town, I came home with a Piet Hein–designed span-leg dining table."

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Exclusive: New STAR WARS Print From MondoTees!
MondoTees has been killing it with their Star Wars prints the last few months. They've had some of the coolest artists out there reimagine some of the most beloved scenes and characters from the original trilogy, and now we're proud to bring you the latest in this series - exclusively! Take a look at the next print coming from Mondo - A Linch Pin Droid!
By Devin Faraci Nov. 22, 2010
Here's what the artist had to say about the print:
My print is called "A Linch Pin Droid" and it's an exploded view of R2D2, my favorite character in the Star Wars Trilogy. For this print, I made certain that I stayed true to the original Trilogy and spent months watching and pausing it. Although this print is largely technical, I was hoping that by showing R2D2's individual tools and components all spread out, people can reflect on the moments in the Trilogy where he used those devices to save the day and the galaxy. - artist, Kevin Tong
Thanks to Justin and the MondoTees crew for this exclusive peek. It's not Black Friday anymore - now it's going to be Droid Friday!
Can THE MANDALORIAN Redeem Boba Fett?
Live-Action Bo-Katan Boards The MANDALORIAN In The Form Of Katee Sackhoff
Temuera Morrison & Boba Fett Return To STAR WARS
mondotees
By Andrew Todd, May 21, 2020
Can anyone?
By Evan Saathoff, May 12, 2020
Look, are they going to bring Chopper into this thing or what?
Thank THE MANDALORIAN season two, where all STAR WARS fan dreams come true.


In an urgent appeal issued from its offices in Colombo Wednesday, the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) appealed to the International Red Cross, UNHCR, Bilateral and Multilateral donors for humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced People (IDP) due to the war in the east.
Thousands of persons from Ralkuli, Kadakaraichchenai, Senaiyoor, Sampoor, Ilakkanthai, Sudaikuda, Paddalipuram and Upparu in the Trincomalee district have been displaced due to the ongoing air, sea, and ground attacks by the Security Forces of Government of Sri Lanka. The IDPs affected by the previous week's communal violence are also streaming into LTTE controlled areas from the government controlled areas. The number of IDPs has passed the 30,000 mark and continues to rise.
Due to extensive and continuous shelling and bombing the relief and rescue efforts are being severely hampered and travel to the affected areas to carry out humanitarian work has been nearly impossible.
The Santhosam Children's Home run by TRO which cares for over 40 orphaned children suffered a direct hit by a Kfir bomb and the number of causalities and extent of damage is unknown.
TRO's office at Kadakarachenai has also been severely damaged.
The extent of civilian causalities is not known but it is anticipated to be significant.
The IDPs consist of children, women, men and disabled of all ages who are seeking shelter in Temples, Mosques and Churches in the LTTE controlled areas.
Access to, and procurement of, these items is severally hampered as these items are not available in the LTTE controlled areas and transportation from government controlled areas is impossible. There are two co-op shops in these affected areas and neither have adequate stock to deal with the current and anticipated needs. Small shops that were previously open for business have all been closed due to the security situation.
There are also no hospitals in the area and the two available medical centers and dispensaries are staffed by visiting doctors and nurses. Thus far these medical personnel have been unable to report for work due to the continuing shelling.
TRO calls upon the ICRC and other international agencies to provide urgent relief and humanitarian assistance.
TRO also requests the Government of Sri Lanka to permit access to the affected areas.


Spend time on three different mountain biking recreation areas or explore the summer alpine at the top of the mountain.
Whether skiing or snowboarding, Hudson Bay Mountains hectares of powder and small crowds are a great draw for the winter sports enthusiast.
Join us all year round for your home away from home.
Located just 25 minutes from Smithers and situated on the slopes of Ski & Ride Smithers at Hudson Bay Mountain. The cozy rustic charm of this inn keeps guests returning year after year. After a day of outdoor activity, relax in front of the crackling fire or unwind in the hot tub while enjoying the spectacular views. Take an evening walk to gaze at the stars and surrounding mountain peaks.
In the heat of the Smithers area mountain bike action. Use the Inn as your kickoff point for a weekend on the mountain and check out all three mountain biking recreational areas available in Smithers.
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West Virginia To Provide Blockchain Voting All Over The State During Midterm Elections
West Virginia is launching out a blockchain-supported mobile voting application to all the 55 counties of the state. This is done so that in the midterm elections military personnel located abroad can more effortlessly cast their ballots.
The media earlier claimed that the state piloted the blockchain application in May for stationed military staff and their dependents from Monongalia and Harrison counties. Mac Warner (Secretary of State) claimed that the plan (at that time) was to expand the effort all over the county in November during the midterms if the pilot proved to be victorious.
Now, as per the media, Warner's office states that a round of 4 audits of the blockchain infrastructure for the application was concluded following the pilot stage and revealed no issues. The application was deployed and developed by Voatz (the voting tech startup), which claimed that the tech stores and encodes ballot information on a decentralized network. The tech guarantees that voting data is quickly transacted and safely encrypted.
Speaking of the blockchain, Ohio has turned out to be the newest US state to lawfully recognize data transacted and stored on the blockchain. The news follows after the state lawmakers issued a bill in May that wanted to treat smart contracts and blockchain data as electronic records in an attempt to offer secure harbor for the up-and-coming technology.
Part of the draft from that bill (SB 300) was later integrated into a later piece of SB200 (the legislation), which was accepted by the senate of the state in June. It was finally inked into Ohio law by the governor this week, as per the media report and press release. Uniform Electronic Transactions Act of Ohio has been clattered from the earlier iteration to claim that a contractor record that is secured via blockchain tech is believed to be an electronic record and to be in an electronic form.
Published in Technology
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Pharaoh got scared. He was warned in two dreams about a coming period of scarcity, and then called upon Joseph to develop a plan. Joseph, the son of Jacob, ended up storing 20 percent of the crops gathered in the fat, abundant years for the lean famine years.
The whole story in Genesis 41 would make a good basis for economic policy in these days of environmental doom and gloom. It also makes for a good spiritual policy. Preparing for the lean while fat is a personal sustainability policy, as well as a public one.
You might call it sacred chow.
So often, our practices become sacred cows — and we do them with a grimace on our face and an ache in our back, trudging along with our yoga mat to class or staring at something that looks like food, imagining it is good for us.
Eight years ago, I wrote a book called Sacred Chow: Some Holy Ways to Eat. I have finally realized that I like the book enough to revisit it with you, in some ways out of a spiritual and public desperation: Why does my own table look so fat while I have so many bad dreams about it not always being so? Why does my own table compare so badly with the empty ones of others?
In one way, "sacred chow" is helping Pharaoh out. It is not a sacred cow or even a discipline. Rather, it is being Joseph to the Pharaoh within you and outside of you. What does that mean, you might be asking? It means that we all have inner fears and an inner capacity to interpret those fears. We can be our own soothsayers.
Sacred chow is also eating in a sustainable way on four levels all at once: biologically, spiritually, politically and aesthetically. Many actually define sustainability by its simultaneous presence on many levels; sustainability links one action to another, in the opposite way that scientific method disperses them and keeps connections invisible.
Sustainability also links us to ancient traditions of earth and agriculture, food and ritual. It takes the flat out of the moment and makes time dense, at the very tables of our ordinary life. Sacred chow seasons our food, like Joseph seasoned 14 years (seven of bountiful harvest and seven of famine) and made them all sustainable.
I often have peasant envy when I think of Joseph. By peasant envy, I mean the unnecessary way that modern-day people accept detachment from the land and earth and the ritual of table, as though we were condemned to "unseasoned" food — in both senses of the word — that comes from packages instead of soil.
Back in biblical times, Joseph could manage the crops for his tribe. Today, within a global economy, I realize I have to manage my tribe and myself differently. I don't have as much control over my local or my locale as he did.
But we don't have to give up peasant ways to live in the 21st century. Connection to earth and ritual joy at tables can be ours, too. Without these connections, we have agreed to be unsustainable people — an agreement that comes at great peril to ourselves and to the earth.
Sustainability also recognizes the hidden costs of the hidden economy on our bodies and souls. Sacred chow is simultaneous consciousness about food for our self and food for the "other," particularly those who grow, produce and sell our food. It is beautiful eating in such a way that the joy of being well-fed extends to a larger portion of the world. My constant public prayer, when asked to say a blessing at table, is to say, "May everyone one day eat as well as we will tonight."
I echo Jesus' feeding of the 5,000, Moses' people finding manna in the morning, and the feast that ends each day of Ramadan. We eat well eucharistically and eschatologically. Peasants understand these rituals and redundancies, in that their depth makes the soul alive, their absence flattens it.
Many assume sacred chow is either for people with gourmet incomes or people without politics. "Foodies" are widely both praised and mocked. The praise is apt; the mockery is not.
Contrary to the reductionist "foodie" label, people who understand sacred chow are also deeply political people. If anything, a populist poverty can become the everyday wealth of food well-prepared and chosen. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson, sacred chow people turn poverty into elegance, small manna into large moments.
What are three things that allow you to become a Joseph to your inner Pharaoh when it comes to managing your own fears with confidence and making a plan?
One way is cooking. Millennials are eating out much more than their generational predecessors. Not only is such eating out expensive, it also comes in boxes and creates the phenomenon of eating on the subway or at your desk. Eating out worships at the altar of convenience, while cooking worships at the altar of the slow and the considered.
Another is enjoying food. Eating to enjoy is quite different than eating to fuel: The more beautiful your plate, the less you will eat. Eating less is a way to season our food. Is there a coming time of scarcity? Perhaps not in the U.S., but that time is already here for many in the global economy. Remembering that others don't have enough food will keep our plates beautiful and seasonally thin.
A third and final way is saying a prayer at meals. It's really quite simple, and alerts your inner Joseph to your inner Pharaoh. It says "thank you" for this food in this season here and now.
Will there be lean years? Unfortunately, yes. But we can prepare for them now by becoming more conscious about our food.


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text:
A Barker & Llewelyn Novel
A Barker & Llewelyn Novel (Volume 7)
Will Thomas
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Cyrus Barker is undoubtedly England's premiere private enquiry agent. With the help of his assistant Thomas Llewelyn, he's developed an enviable reputation for discreetly solving some of the toughest, most consequential cases in recent history. But one evening in 1888, Robert Anderson, the head of Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), appears at Barker's office with an offer. A series of murders in the Whitechapel area of London are turning the city upside down, with tremendous pressure being brought to bear on Scotland Yard and the government itself.
Barker is to be named temporary envoy to the Royal Family with regard to the case while surreptitiously bringing his investigative skill to the case. With various elements of society, high and low, bringing their own agenda to increasingly shocking murders, Barker and Llewellyn must find and hunt down the century's most notorious killer. The Whitechapel Killer has managed to elude the finest minds of Scotland Yard—and beyond—he's never faced a mind as nimble and a man as skilled as Cyrus Barker. But even Barker's prodigious skills may not be enough to track down a killer in time.
Facebook page for the Barker and Llewyelyn novels
Author Web Site
I understand it is said in scientific circles that if one attempts to boil a frog it will jump out of the pot, but if one raises the temperature of the water slowly it will never notice the difference until it is too late....
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Praise for Anatomy of Evil
"[A] classic detective duo…. The best fun in this Big Boys' Adventure Book is observing [protagonist Cyrus] Barker in action." —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review on Fatal Enquiry
"Readers will relish the appealing characters, clever twists, and colorful vision of late 19th-century London." —Publishers Weekly on Fatal Enquiry
"Well-crafted and immersive, this a great addition [for] Thomas' fans, as well as those of Alex Grecian and Anne Perry's." —Booklist on Fatal Enquiry
"Recommended for historical mysteries enthusiasts, Anglophiles, and Sherlockians. Fans of Alex Grecian, Anthony Horowitz, and Charles Todd should take special note." —Library Journal (starred) on Fatal Enquiry
"Readers rejoice and scoundrels take heed--the streets of Victorian London just got a little safer now that Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are back on the case! … Charming… powered by well-developed character dynamics and a delightfully idiosyncratic cast of characters. Newcomers are sure to be absorbed into these warm, witty, and richly atmospheric historicals, and devotees will not be disappointed." —Library Journal (starred review) on Fatal Enquiry
"A page-turner [with] a more physically imposing Holmes and a more intellectual Watson." —Kirkus Reviews on Fatal Enquiry
"With Fatal Enquiry, Will Thomas brings us a sixth entry in the suspenseful Barker & Llewelyn series set in the streets and back lanes of Victorian London. Throw in a beautiful and mysterious woman,… More…
"With Fatal Enquiry, Will Thomas brings us a sixth entry in the suspenseful Barker & Llewelyn series set in the streets and back lanes of Victorian London. Throw in a beautiful and mysterious woman, a dead nobleman, and accusations that Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn made him that way, stir well with Barker's oldest enemy Sebastian Nightwine, and you have a can't-miss winner." —Historical Novel Society on Fatal Enquiry
WILL THOMAS is the author of the Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn series, including The Black Hand, The Hellfire Conspiracy, The Limehouse Text, To Kingdom Come, and the Shamus and Barry award-nominated Some Danger Involved. He lives in Oklahoma.
Justin Greiman
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Home News & Analysis ARA extends US pension management with $240m account
ARA extends US pension management with $240m account
The Singapore-based real estate manager has launched a separate account for an unnamed US pension plan.
Michelle Phillips
Singapore-based ARA Asset Management has raised $240 million for a separate account focused on a value-add/core-plus strategy in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, according to a firm statement.
The separate account, named Morningside Investment Partners (MIP), was formed on behalf of a US state pension plan that the firm declined to name. However, PERE understands that the pension fund in question was the New York Common Retirement Fund, and that this would be the first time New York Common has invested with ARA.
US backing is not the company's first. Among the US pensions that it manages capital for is the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) which brought its commitments to the fund manager to $1.33 billion with a $300 million follow-on commitment to an existing separate account called ARA China Investment Partners.
"As ARA continues to expand its suite of fund platforms, we are delighted to have established this new strategic partnership," ARA Group chief executive John Lim said in the statement. "With this new separate account, ARA now manages capital for four of the top 10 largest US public pension funds."
According to PERE's Research and Analytics division, ARA's private fund platform also manages capital on behalf of California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), New Jersey Division of Investment, New York City Employees' Retirement System, and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
In a contrast to the strategies behind ARA's most recent fundraisings, the MIP separate account will exclude Mainland China from its mandate and focus solely on Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
The CalPERS separate account is focused entirely on greater China, while the firm's $411 million Asia Dragon Fund II has a much larger allocation to China than its predecessor. Like the CalPERS separate account, however, MIP will also be focused on a value-add/core-plus strategy, predominantly in the office and retail sectors.
This new account has brought ARA's total assets under management to S$23.7 billion (€14 billion; $19 billion) across its listed REITs and private funds. The firm is listed on the Singapore stock exchange and manages real estate through its REITs, private funds business, property management and advisory services.


Porsche AG will unveil its V10-powered Carrera GT high-performance roadster in March at the Geneva International Motor Show.
With more than 600 horsepower and racing-inspired technology, Porsche's top-of-the-line sports car delivers pure performance. The Carrera GT has a pure racing engine. Its 10-cylinder powerplant with dry-sump lubrication is based on Porsche's 5.5-liter V10 naturally aspirated engine developed especially for racing.
For production, technicians at the Development Center in Weissach, Germany, have increased the displacement to 5.7 liters. Maximum output is 612 horsepower (DIN-) at 8,000 rpm, with peak torque rated at 437 pound-feet. The Carrera GT has a top test-track speed of 205 miles per hour (330 k/h) and accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. Its specially developed six-speed manual gearbox allows it to go from zero to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 9.9 seconds.
The specifications demanded a consistent lightweight construction and sports car dimensions. With a length of 15.12 feet (4.61 meters), a width of 6.3 feet (1.92 meters), a height of 3.81 feet (1.16 meters) and a wheelbase of 8.96 feet (2.73 meters), the roadster weighs 3,042 pounds (1,380 kilograms).
Porsche developed a new construction concept for road and racing vehicles. The Carrera GT's monocoque and entire sub-frame are made of carbon-fiber- reinforced plastic (CFRP), and Porsche has applied to patent this technology. Carbon is the only material that, after complex processing, can meet the requirements needed to combine top-class driving performance and driving dynamics with minimum weight at maximum rigidity.
With attainable speeds of more than 186 mph (300 km/h), aerodynamics plays a crucial role. To achieve as high output co-efficients as possible (so- called ""downforce""), the Carrera GT has an underbody geometry that can only be found in similar form in pure racing sports cars. The underbody is completely cased in carbon fiber and provides an additional suction effect thanks to its rear diffusor and flow channels.
The Carrera GT also features the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system. Porsche has supplied this component since 2001 and is the first manufacturer to include it in a mass-produced vehicle (the 911 Carrera GT2). A global innovation -- the PCCC (Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch) -- transmits power to the drivetrain.
The Carrera GT's extremely light magnesium wheels are produced with a special forging process and are offered for the first time on a mass-produced vehicle. The tires were specially developed for the Carrera GT (265/35 ZR 19 in the front, and 335/30 ZR 20 in the rear).
The new Porsche roadster possesses a simple-operation roof system. It consists of two individual carbon fiber lightweight shells, each weighing only 5.3 pounds (2.4 kilograms). These shells can be stored in the front luggage compartment.
The first Carrera GT models produced at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany, will be delivered to customers at the end of 2003.


Google Home mini has a nice design that blends into any part of your home. I have had it on my bedside table, and next to my TV. It looked esthetically pleasing in both these locations. I, however, have considered a wall mounted Google Home Mini more than one occasion. When the new Lenovo made Google Assistant screens came out, I was thinking about wall-mounting again. Looks like there is now an official solution.
You can buy the Incipio Wall Mount for Google Home Mini here.


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time killer
Secrets can be killer.
Chapter 5: Who is the DEADEST of them all?
Who Is The Deadest Of Them All?
Lucinda is out of the hospital, and the school has opened back up, but Lucinda and her friends know the terror is far from over.
Sarah is at her locker looking at a picture of her and Destiny, "I miss you" she to the picture, as she is closing her locker someone is behind it. "Ahhh" she screams only to find Danny, the schools film nerd 2nd only to Deion. "Hey Sarah" he says with a big smile, "hi Danny, try to scare me to death why don't cha" she said with a smile.
"Oh no, I could never kill someone as cute as you" he says to her
"You're way to obvious" she says to him
"Better watch out Sarah, remember we seen that Wes Craven flick" Deion appeared out of nowhere.
"Oh come on" he says to him
"Film nerd, crush on cute girl, cute girl knows, then she ends up getting stabbed" Deion said with a smile, "I'm surprised you knew that?" Danny says to him. "Watch it vice president, you might be next" Deion said to him. "Alright stop this rivalry" she says to them. "She's right, even though I could school you countlessly in horror movies" Deion said as he begins to walk away, Danny looks at Sarah, "you know he means well" she says to him.
"I will someday be president of that club" Danny says
"Remember, we only have one more year here" she says to him as she tries to catch up with Deion.
But as Sarah is running she knocks into Donna, "watch it, big girl" don't wanna go to jail for murder now do you?" she says to her. "Donna, you don't intimated me, that was only one time 5 years ago" Sarah says to her. "Oh yeah that's right your name use to be Wideload Willis" Donna said with a laugh "why don't you back off Donna Ho" Deion said to her.
"Oh nice here comes, the geek to save Wideload Willis" Donna said as she walked away
"How can someone so smart and pretty, be such a…"
"Ho, slut, complete and utter bitch" Deion kept on going
"All of the above, I just wish I could show her ugly she really is" Sarah said as they both go to class.
When they arrive to class, there is a new student "everyone please welcome Robert Dallas" everyone says the usual hi's and then he sits down. "So now I wonder is done with reports, and who are ready to present?" Mr. Looming said as he sat at his desk. "Oh come on, you had a month to get these done, but due to the circumstances, you all have one more day"
"Robin, since you are new, I'm going to pair you up with Deion and Sarah, I hope you both make him feel welcome.
"Hi" he says to them
"Hey Robin, so we are doing our report on movies and real life" Deion said to him
"Sounds interesting" he says to them.
"Good, because he just came with it" Sarah said to him, "yeah, we should meet up in the library after school" Deion said to them.
"Alright, I just came from the library, so I know where that is" he smiles.
Meanwhile Donna is going through her locker, till she finds a letter from Allen saying to meet her after school in the gym showers. "Allen you naughty boy, you super-secret girlfriend dies, and now you want some brains in your life" she smiles and closes her locker, and leaves.
Meanwhile Deion, Sarah, and Robin meet in the library, where they begin to start the project "this is due tomorrow, and we are not even close to being done" Sarah said as she continues to type the paper, "I'll do the rest at my house, trust me it will not be a problem" Deion said as he tries to turn his phone on, but it is no use.
"Damn it my phone is dead" he says
"Need a charger?" Robin asked him
"Yeah, you have one, let's see if it fits" he said to him, and it does not
"Damn it, I'll be back I have a charger in my locker" Deion leaves
When he gets to his locker, he finds that it has been broken into "who the hell?" he said to himself he looks in their to find a note saying "When it comes to school sluts, this girl comes only 2nd" he says to himself, "he then turns around to find that all the lights in the school have gone out. "Damn it" he says to himself as he begins to walk back to the library.
"Robin, Sarah" he calls their names, but he gets no answer.
He discovers their books on the table, but they are nowhere to be found "Sarah?" he calls her name again, he checks behind the book shelves, only to have a hand touch his shoulder, he screams "who the hell?" he said "sorry" it was Sarah "where did you guys go?" he asked her "when the lights went out, Robin heard something, and he went to check it out, now he's gone" she said to him.
"Could it be?" he asked her
"Please don't say that" Sarah said to him
"What? They never found his body, and Marcus and Lucinda both received messages, and I just got mine.
He pulls it out for her to see, but Sarah notices, that his name is not on it, "this is not to you, this is to me" she said to him. "Oh shit, we gotta get out of here" he said to her. "The school can't be empty, there must be someone in here" Sarah said to him. "Robin, we find him and then we get out of here" Deion said to her and they both go to the doors to find them locked.
"These doors were just open" Deion said, then his phone begins to ring
"I thought your phone was dead?" Sarah asked him
"It's not now" he checks his phone, and there is a question
"One Hour to find her, One Chance to save her, one chance to save yourselves" Deion read the message.
"Sarah, where is your phone?" Deion asked her
"My locker" she said
Deion looked at the message one more time to find out it was sent 30 minutes to go, "he's going to kill someone else" he said to her. "Who?" Sarah asked him "the note said, she comes in 2nd to the school sluts" "who?" Sarah said as Deion got another message "there girls have 1 man in common" "I still don't get it?" but something goes off in Deion's head but he shakes it off as they hear an office door opening.
"We gotta get this door open" he said to her
"Why someone may be in there who can help us" Sarah said to him
"I've seen horror movies, and when a door just suddenly opens nothing good can come from it" he said to her
Sarah ignores him, and goes to the door anyway "Sarah" he calls to her, but she is till heading to the door. She looks inside to find an air vent open, and a note on the desk "Secrets, nothing but secrets" the note said to her and then she looks on the back of it to find a picture of Allen. "Who the hell is that?" Robin appeared out of nowhere behind her, and she punches him.
"Ouch" he said to her
"Sorry" she said as Deion comes to them
"Where the hell did you come from?" Deion asked him
"There is a door open over here" Robin said to them, and Deion and Sarah grab him and run to it, "What the hell is going on?" he asked over and over again. As a man dressed in all black with an ax comes out of the library. "Run" they all begin to run, but the killer chases them down a hallway. They get to an entrance only to find it locked.
"Damn!" Deion said as he sees the Ax reflect in the mirror and he pushes Robin and Sarah out of the way. "Run!" he yells to them, as the killer looks at him, Deion sees a door and goes through it. He is running as fast as he can, trying to open any door comes to. "Why the hell am I playing the hero" he said as the killer begins to catch up to him. He finds a classroom door unlocked he goes in there to hide, "now what do I do?" he said, as his phone rings "fuck" the messages says "found you" he sees the ax coming at him, he dodges it, and then he kicks the killer stomach.
"Should have went for the balls sack" he says as he continues to run again.
Then he gets another message, with a new question "how can someone so smart be so dead?" remembers what he said to Sarah about Donna, "oh no" Deion said he turns around only to find the killer in his face and then punches him in the face, as he lies on the ground the killer swings the ax, but Deion moves out of the way, and trips him, but the killer gets up, and swings him into a classroom. He is knocked on conscious, the Killer moves into kill him till Robin knocks him over the head with a large text book.
"Not how I pictured my first day" Robin said as he helped Deion up
"Thanks…where is Sarah?" he asked him
"Hiding" Robin said as both he and Deion turned around to find the killer gone.
Sarah finds herself in the gym, hiding as she gets a voicemail "do you have the answer?" it said to her, she tries to think. "Allen sure knows her name" "How the hell am I supposed to figure this out you damn bastard!?" she screams, as the killer jumps ontop of her and begins to strangle her. She knees him, and then he falls over. She runs to the main entrance, only to find them chained with Deion and Robin coming to the door.
"Deion please get me out of here" Sarah said as the killer gets up and charges towards her
"Sarah move!" he screams to her as the ax misses her face.
"Oh my god" she says "RUN!" Robin yells to her
She begins to run to the other side, as Deion gets one last message "Your Hour Is Up" Deion works hard to get the door open. "That won't work, the chains" Robin said as Deion looked to find the keys on a custodian cart he tires all the keys as Sarah tries to defend herself. Then as she is about the die, the lights come back on, and the killer is gone. "How the fuck it that possible?" Deion asked himself. "I don't know" Robin said as he looked at the door on the other side to find it cracked open. Deion unlocks the chain and runs to Sarah who is scared.
"Did you figure it out?" she asked him
"I don't know if he was trying to kill you or…" Deion says as the security officer comes in, "are you guys okay?" he asked them "do we look oaky" Robin said to him, "come on, let's get you out of here" "no wait there might be another student here, you gotta find her" Sarah said to him while trying to breathe.
"Will find them, but first we gotta get you out of here" The security takes them to the front, but while they are there Deion and Sarah received new messages "you lost" Deion and Sarah look at one another as Robin looks at them.
Donna is in the other half of the gym, in the showers waiting for Allen, she calls him because he is late "Allen where are you? I'm in our usual place call me back" she hangs ups her phone only to hear the showers running. She goes to turn them off, but she hears someone is in there with her, and she tries to see through the steam "Allen, this is not funny" she said as keeps on walking. Then she finds something written on the shower mirrors. "Mirror…Mirror… On the wall…who is the deadest girl of them all?" she said as she wipes it away only to find the answer at the end of mirror.
"YOU!!!" she said as she finds the Killer behind her she gasp only for him to smash her face into the mirror over and over again until she is dead. The killer turns the shower back on, and he leaves her body laying cold dead on the ground, but he leaves a note on her shattered face.
Deon Durr Author of Heroes: Volume 1, and creator of horror stories like this one.


The epicenter of the Renaissance in Florence started a cultural explosion. The Medici family led Europe into the Modern Age in the 15th century and out of the shadow of the Church. There was a passion for art and Florence quickly became the art capitol of the western world. The Medici's were powerful and wealthy bankers and accumulated enormous wealth. Art was first commissioned here just for the sake of art. Lavish frescoes now adorned the walls in palaces.
They started to see a celebration of the human body as seen in the original statue of David at the Galleria dell' Accademia by Michelangelo. Art and science were now combined. A change in architecture occurred and now architecture was meant to be viewed from all around and not attached (flat) to a building. This was a major departure from the past. We see the rise of Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Botticelli. They moved from the Gothic (pre-Renaissance) to Renaissance. Major events shaped the Florence we know today including the Black Death in 1348 and while Florence survived other areas like Siena and San Gimignano were devastated.
The Palazzo Vecchio (originally Palazzo della Signoria) was originally a seat of government and the temporary residence of the Duke Cosimo Medici till he moved to Palazzo Pitti across the Arno River. There are wonderful bronze statues in the Piazza of Hercules, Neptune, Perseus and Medusa in the Loggia dei Lanzi on the south side of the Piazza and then there is Cosimo Medici on his horse. This square has been the site of great public events throughout the history of Florence.
The Uffizi Gallery formerly the administrative offices of the Medici was commissioned by Grand Duke Cosimo I Medici in 1560 and now holds Italian paintings and it is the supreme museum for art history buffs. When the Medici moved their art collection here it became Europe's first modern museum to to the public.
The Piazza della Repubblica, the Grand Square was the site of the ancient Roman Forum a mere 2000 years ago and was the core of the original Roman settlement. The triumphal arch celebrates the unification of Italy. What a lively spot now in the evenings with outdoor cafes, musicians and a carousel.
Fun Fact: The Antinori's were winemakers starting in the 1200's. This crazy cart was how they took wine to town. Did you know Chianti wine must have Sangiovese grapes? Tignarello was their premier wine and still is and is available here in the US but let's face it we would rather be drinking it in Florence!
If you love red wine: the Chianti Classico of Tuscany is worth the trip!
Let's continue to explore Florence and Tuscany! Next read more about Michelangelo and his famous 'David'. Did you miss the previous blog on Florence! Here you go!
Need help planning your next trip to Italy? I highly recommend L'Esperta and Ashley Turney. She is a true expert on all things Italy and Italian!


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Homepage / Naval Warfare / ADSB Awarded $950 Million Contract with United Arab Emirates Navy to Build Falaj 3-class OPV
ADSB Awarded $950 Million Contract with United Arab Emirates Navy to Build Falaj 3-class OPV
ADSB, the regional leader in the new build, repair, maintenance, refit and conversion of naval and commercial vessels, was today awarded an AED3.5 billion ($950 Million) contract by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy, to build four Falaj 3-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). The new contract is the largest-ever order received by ADSB and reinforces the company's vision of becoming the leading regional shipyard through delivering innovative and dependable solutions that add value to clients and other stakeholders, both military and civilian.
Khalid Al Breiki, Chairman of ADSB and President – Mission Support, EDGE said: "This order represents a resounding vote of confidence in ADSB from the MOD and the UAE Navy. The contract will provide the company with a platform for sustainable profitable growth, while maintaining strategic national assets that are critical to the defence of the UAE."
David Massey, CEO of ADSB, said: "ADSB's relationship with key stakeholders has grown stronger since it has become a part of the EDGE Group. This contract underscores our mutual commitment to serving the UAE Navy with the right products and advanced shipping solutions – to enable a secure future. We look forward to expanding and enhancing our portfolio of vessels."
With core technical expertise in marine and naval project management, ADSB previously built the UAE Navy's Baynunah-class corvettes, the last of which was delivered in 2017. The Falaj 2 class (previous class) are patrol boats of the United Arab Emirates Navy classified as stealth inshore patrol vessels (IPVs). The Falaj 2 class is based on the Italian Diciotti-class offshore patrol vessel, in use with the Italian Coast Guard. Running one of the most advanced shipyards in the Middle East, ADSB operates three main naval programmes: corvettes, offshore patrol vessels and fast patrol boats.
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Service is the pass criteria for building strong partnerships. Since 1997, the skills of our technicians make our company a privileged partner for maintaining machinery and electrical equipment.
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Are you tired of looking in the mirror and seeing an aging face with saggy skin? Facial aging is inevitable, but when the changes that you see start to bother you—think sagging skin, looseness in your neck and a poorly defined jawline—you may want to consider a Facelift. It is the only rejuvenation option that will provide you with long-lasting improvement.
The end result will always be a more refreshed and youthful, but very natural version of yourself. Together, we will look at your face and the areas that are affected by the signs of aging to decide which techniques are best for you.
A Face Lift is perhaps one of the least understood of all aesthetic surgical procedures. Many people believe that a person needs to be quite mature to have this procedure done, or that the procedure itself results in a tight, expressionless "operated-on" look. In Dr. Lorenc's opinion, today's advanced Face Lift options work as well for patients in their 40s as they do for patients in their 70s, and his surgical objective is to subtly improve and refresh, rather than drastically alter, a patient's overall appearance.
Ask about a brow lift, lasers, or injectables if your upper face and forehead are a concern. Elevating the cheeks can give a more voluminous look, but unless there are fat transfers or fillers, there will be no additional volume.
Although a Face Lift can dramatically improve and rejuvenate your appearance, it doesn't stop the aging process. Keep in mind that your face will continue to age with time.
If you have any of the following conditions, a Face Lift might be right for you.
Also physically healthy men and women who are realistic in their expectations and interested in reducing the appearance of sagging face and neck skin. Patients with a well-defined bone structure and skin that still retains some elasticity often receive the best results.
Underlying muscle and facial tissue is tightened and repositioned. Loose, sagging, or excess skin is removed. Incision marks are shorter and hard to notice. Incision marks do not alter the hairline. The option for anesthesia can either be Local anesthesia in combination with sedation which is the more common one during Face Lift surgery, or general anesthesia.
Mini-Face Lift: Known as a limited-incision lift, this technique is ideal for younger patients with early signs of aging and sagging. It is less invasive and uses shorter incisions.
Mid-Face Lift: Designed to treat just the mid-face area, this type of lift elevates the cheeks to a more youthful position.
Full Face Lift: This lift targets other more serious signs of aging such as excess sagging and skin laxity, deep creases and jowling. It also provides the longest-lasting results.
A Mini-Face Lift may provide the results you're looking for with minimal scarring. The Mini-Face Lift is for those who have limited sagginess or excess skin in the mid-face, jawline and neck, and few concerns with a droopy brow.
These Face Lifts are less invasive and use short-scar and endoscopic techniques to reposition the underlying facial tissues for a more youthful contour. If you choose to have a Mini-Face Lift in your 40s, the rate at which the lower part of your face ages may decrease. It's becoming more common for women in their 40s and 50s to have smaller Face Lifts to correct early signs of aging and improve definition.
By using smaller incisions placed at the temples and in the hairline (which can be hidden easier), the underlying muscles are tightened, which provides a youthful boost to the face.
Procedure time for Mini-Face Lift is 60-90 minutes and the recovery time is one to three weeks. The more elastic your skin is, the longer-lasting the results will be—up to eight to 12 years.
The midface/cheek area is key in the formula for a more youthful appearance. With age, the fatty tissue that normally drapes over the cheekbones can sag. The result is less prominent cheekbones and a droopy fold of skin and fat between the nose and the cheeks (referred to as the nasolabial folds). By elevating and tightening the underlying structure of the cheeks and removing any extra skin in the area, the midface has a more youthful look to it and better definition. Many doctors elect to use an endoscope (a special tool with cameras that allows your surgeon to view and reach distant anatomies through small incisions) when operating on the midface, to reach deeper or more contained areas.
I like to perform this type of lift to target concerns in the middle of the face and cheeks with very small incisions that are about 1 to 2 centimeters in length, which makes for a minimally invasive operation.
The traditional Face Lift (technically known as rhytidectomy) is the most comprehensive way to reduce signs of aging from the forehead to the neck, and all areas in between. If you are in your 50s or 60s and opt for a traditional Face Lift, your face will age more slowly. This type of lift allows for fat redistribution, muscle reposition and reduced excess skin in order to provide the most enhanced results of all types of Face Lifts available today.
When Dr. Lorenc performs a full Face Lift, he hides the incisions in the contour of the ear, around the earlobe, and/or in the hairline. A small incision under the chin might be necessary if fat needs to be removed and if the muscle in the neck requires additional smoothing. For the most natural look, he uses the SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) technique, in which he tightens the deeper layers of tissue and the muscle below the skin and remove excess skin, which smooths out deep wrinkles.
Better healing*: Most often, having surgery when you're younger means that you should have an easier recovery.
Reduced cost: If you haven't entered the full-fledged realm of aging, you may not need to tack on additional surgeries.
Prevention*: Patients used to wait until their faces started to fall before they would lift it. Doing surgery early may help preserve the structure before it sags.
Though most patients only experience mild pain or discomfort, your doctor will prescribe a pain medication to help control any discomfort that you do experience.
Get your skin in good shape with regular use of a retinoid and treatments like chemical peels and microdermabrasion. Avoid the sun at all costs. If you are a smoker, stop smoking at least three weeks before and after surgery.
Get medical clearance from your primary physician. Your plastic surgeon will order blood work to assess your health and detect anything that may compromise your recovery.
Avoid taking anti-inflammatories, aspirin and certain herbs and vitamins, which can increase risk of bleeding. There will be preoperative photographs to document the changes. You'll need to sign informed consent documents that spell out the procedure you're having, what to expect, instructions to follow and any possible risks.
Eat well and try to avoid anything spicy, rich or greasy. Pack a bag, and be sure to include comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that you don't need to pull over your head. Bring a hat or scarf to wear on the way home.
Will I Have Facelift Scars?
The incisions for a Face Lift tend are behind the ears and in the natural creases of the skin. They are often healing as thin thread-like lines that are well camouflaged.
What Procedures Can Combine with a Facelift?
In many cases, a neck lift is performed in conjunction with a Facelift to achieve maximum rejuvenation and a natural-looking, balanced result. Since the face and neck are close to each other, they tend to age at the same rate. It's rare to see one showing the signs of aging while the other area is free of them.
Your surgeon may recommend a combination Face Lift and neck lift procedure for you if your skin is excessively saggy, or you have a loss of muscle tone. Similar to a Face Lift, a neck lift reduces fatty deposits, repositions underlying tissue and gets rid of excess skin for a more youthful look. Your surgeon may customize your procedure so that it tackles your aging.
If a Mid-Face Lift is performed along with an endoscopic brow lift, the cheek area can be elevated while raising or lowering the brow, addressing the upper and lower eyelids and treating under-eye bags. Another perk is that the surgeon can perform the two procedures through the same incisions.
If you are interested in learning more about a Facelift and would like to see if you are a good candidate, contact us at (212) 472-2900 to schedule a consultation at our office in New York City.


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Aptamer
Aptamers are oligonucleic acid or peptide molecules that bind a specific target molecule. Aptamers are usually created by selecting them from a large random sequence pool, but natural aptamers also exist in riboswitches. Aptamers can be used for both basic research and clinical purposes as macromolecular drugs. Aptamers can be combined with ribozymes to self-cleave in the presence of their target molecule. These compound molecules have additional research, industrial and clinical applications.
More specifically, aptamers can be classified as:
DNA or RNA aptamers. They consist of (usually short) strands of oligonucleotides.
Peptide aptamers. They consist of a short variable peptide domain, attached at both ends to a protein scaffold.
RNA and DNA aptamers
Aptamers are nucleic acid species that have been engineered through repeated rounds of in vitro selection or equivalently, SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) to bind to various molecular targets such as small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, and even cells, tissues and organisms. Aptamers offer the utility for biotechnological and therapeutic applications as they offer molecular recognition properties that rival that of the commonly used biomolecule, antibodies. In addition to their discriminate recognition, aptamers offer advantages over antibodies as they can be engineered completely in a test tube, are readily produced by chemical synthesis, possess desirable storage properties, and elicit little or no immunogenicity in therapeutic applications.
In 1990, two labs independently developed the technique of selection: the Gold lab, utilizing the term SELEX for their process of selecting RNA ligands against T4 DNA polymerase; and the Szostak lab, coining the term in vitro selection, selecting RNA ligands against various organic dyes. The Szostak lab also coined the term aptamer (from the Latin, aptus, meaning 'to fit') for these nucleic acid-based ligands. Two years later, the Szostak lab and Gilead Sciences, independent of one another, utilized in vitro selection schemes to evolve single stranded DNA ligands for organic dyes and human coagulant, thrombin, respectively. There does not appear to be any systematic differences between RNA and DNA aptamers, save the greater intrinsic chemical stability of DNA.
Interestingly enough, the notion of selection in vitro was actually preceded twenty-plus years prior when the infamous Sol Spiegelman utilized a Qbeta replication system as a way to evolve a self-replicating molecule. In addition, a year before the publishing of in vitro selection and SELEX, Gerald Joyce utilized a system that he termed 'directed evolution' to alter the cleavage activity of a ribozyme.
Over the course of the next sixteen years, many researchers have utilized aptamer selection as a means for application and discovery. In 2001, the process of in vitro selection was automated by the Ellington lab at the University of Texas at Austin, and at SomaLogic, Inc (Boulder, CO), reducing the duration of a selection experiment from six weeks to three days.
While the process of artificial engineering of nucleic acid ligands is highly interesting to biology and biotechnology, the notion of aptamers in the natural world had yet to be uncovered until 2002 when Ronald Breaker and his coworkers discovered a nucleic acid-based genetic regulatory element called a riboswitch that possesses similar molecular recognition properties to the artificially made aptamers. In addition to the discovery of a new mode of genetic regulation, this adds further credence to the notion of an 'RNA World,' a postulated stage in time in the origins of life on Earth.
Lately, a concept of smart aptamers, and smart ligands in general, has been introduced. It describes aptamers that are selected with pre-defined equilibrium (Kd), kinetic (koff , kon) and thermodynamic (ΔH, ΔS) parameters of aptamer-target interaction.
Recent developments in aptamer-based therapeutics have been rewarded in the form of the first aptamer-based drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), called Macugen offered by OSI Pharmaceuticals. In addition, Cambridge, MA - based Archemix (http://www.archemix.com) is leading the development of aptamers as a new class of directed therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of chronic and acute diseases. ARC1779, its lead proprietary candidate, is a potent, selective, first-in-class antagonist of von Willebrand Factor (vWF). ARC1779 is being evaluated in patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Phase I testing for ARC1779 was initiated in December 2006, and a Phase 2 study in ACS is planned to begin by the end of 2007.
Non-modified aptamers are cleared rapidly from the bloodstream, with a half-life of minutes to hours, mainly due to nuclease degradation and clearance from the body by the kidneys, a result of the aptamer's inherently low molecular weight. Unmodified aptamer applications currently focus on treating transient conditions such as blood clotting, or treating organs such as the eye where local delivery is possible. This rapid clearance can be an advantage in applications such as in vivo diagnostic imaging. An example is a tenascin-binding aptamer under development by Schering AG for cancer imaging. Several modifications, such as 2'-fluorine-substituted pyrimidines, polyethylene glycol (PEG) linkage, etc. (both of which are used in Macugen, an FDA-approved aptamer) are available to scientists with which to increase the half-life of aptamers easily to the day or even week time scale.
In addition to the development of aptamer-based therapeutics, many researchers such as the Ellington lab and the Boulder, CO-based SomaLogic have been developing diagnostic techniques for whole cell protein profiling called proteomics, and medical diagnostics for the distinction of disease versus healthy states.
As a resource for all in vitro selection and SELEX experiments, the Ellington lab has developed the Aptamer Database cataloging all published experiments. This is found at http://aptamer.icmb.utexas.edu/.
Peptide aptamers
Peptide aptamers are proteins that are designed to interfere with other protein interactions inside cells. They consist of a variable peptide loop attached at both ends to a protein scaffold. This double structural constraint greatly increases the binding affinity of the peptide aptamer to levels comparable to an antibody's (nanomolar range).
The variable loop length is typically comprised of 10 to 20 amino acids, and the scaffold may be any protein which have good solubility and compacity properties. Currently, the bacterial protein Thioredoxin-A is the most used scaffold protein, the variable loop being inserted within the reducing active site, which is a -Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys- loop in the wild protein, the two Cysteines lateral chains being able to form a disulfide bridge.
Peptide aptamer selection can be made using different systems, but the most used is currently the yeast two-hybrid system.
Selection of Ligand Regulated Peptide Aptamers (LiRPAs) has been demonstrated. By displaying 7 amino acid peptides from a novel scaffold protein based on the trimeric FKBP-rapamycin-FRB structure, interaction between the randomized peptide and target molecule can be controlled by the small molecule Rapamycin or non-immunosuppressive analogs.
Ellington AD, Szostak JW, "In vitro selection of RNA molecules that bind specific ligands.", Nature, 1990 Aug 30;346(6287):818-22. PMID: 1697402
Bock LC, Griffin LC, Latham JA, Vermaas EH, Toole JJ, "Selection of single-stranded DNA molecules that bind and inhibit human thrombin.", Nature, 1992 Feb 6,355(6360):564-6 PMID: 1741036
Hoppe-Seyler F, Butz K "Peptide aptamers: powerful new tools for molecular medicine.", J Mol Med. 2000;78(8):426-30.PMID: 11097111
Carothers JM, Oestreich SC, Davis JH, Szostak JW, "Informational complexity and functional activity of RNA structures.", J Am Chem Soc. 2004 Apr 28;126(16):5130-7. PMID: 15099096
Cohen BA, Colas P, Brent R, "An artificial cell-cycle inhibitor isolated from a combinatorial library", PNAS 1998 Nov 24;95(24):14272-7. PMID: 9826690
Binkowski BF, Miller RA, Belshaw PJ, "Ligand Regulated Peptides: A general approach for selection of ligand regulated peptide-protein interactions" Chem & Biol. 2005 July, 12 (7):847-55.
Sullenger BA, Gilboa E, "Emerging clinical applications of RNA" Nature 2002, 418:252-258.
Ng EW, Shima DT, Calias P, Cunningham ET, Jr., Guyer DR, Adamis AP, "Pegaptanib, a targeted anti-VEGF aptamer for ocular vascular disease" Nat Rev Drug Discov 2006, 5:123-132.
Bunka, D.H.J. and Stockley, P.G. "Aptamers come of age—at last.", Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2006 August;4(8):588-596 PMID: 16845429
Categories: Nucleic acids | Peptides
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Aptamer". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Aptamer.html


To provide the best care for breast cancer patients, you need the best tools to achieve the best results quickly and accurately.
The GammaPro Gamma Detection System. Simply the most sensitive and precise method for detecting radioactive seeds or locating sentinel nodes.
The GammaPro™ Gamma Detection System features a best in class signal detection to detect the deepest nodes in the densest tissue.


Centrally located Westend home with lots of potential. Open kitchen, living and dining room with deck access off the kitchen. Great potential in lower level with full kitchen, finished bathroom, potential for a fourth bedroom and family room.


Nik Schatz: Latest E-booklet Available, "Matters of Opinion"
Latest E-booklet Available, "Matters of Opinion"
How can they watch that TV show and still call themselves Christians?
I can't believe a Christian would dress like that at the beach.
Nobody who calls themselves a Christian can vote for that person.
We all know it's unhealthy, but we all do it - we compare ourselves with others. Christians especially do this. God never said He was running any kind of "Spirituality Contest", but we make judgments as though He were. In my latest e-booklet I take a hard look at Romans 14. While reading, I hope you discover that most personal standards in this life are not black and white. They are simply Matters of Opinion. Click on the "Books by Nik" tab above to read it now.


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Q: How to create a Runnable Jar File on Mac with Eclipse I am currently trying to turn my Java project into a Jar file but I have run  into a problem. When exporting the project, I am forced to add a .zip extension to my file to export it. When I unzip the file, I am left with a fileName.jar file but it is a folder. Shouldn't it be a file that I can double click and open? Or is that only on Windows?

A: I assume you are using 'File > Export > Runnable JAR file'.
In the export destination 'Browse' dialog just enter the jar file name with no extension. You should see that the Export destination field then has the '.jar' appended. The export should then create a jar file as expected.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Judge Halts Keystone Pipeline, in Setback for Trump Mounting Urgency, Bills Drive Environmental Lobbying Surge Nuclear Plants Go Belly Up in Democratic Districts. Then What?
Visiting Nevada's Yucca Mountain in 2011 was like walking through a ghost town, Rep. John Shimkus recalled in an interview this week.
It was the year after the Obama administration surrendered to fervent local opposition and halted work by the Department of Energy to prepare the site to store the nation's commercial nuclear waste, even though Congress designated it for that purpose in the 1987 Nuclear Waste Policy Act.
By the time Shimkus arrived, empty desks and cubicles sat abandoned where hundreds of people had worked on those preparations, which included submitting an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Illinois Republican would bring those observations back to Capitol Hill, admonishing DOE officials for what he called a "colossal waste of resources." His criticism was grounded in the $15 billion the federal government spent preparing and studying the site — an amount the Obama administration was willing to write off in the face of intense local concern, including from then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, over storing waste that would remain deadly for thousands of years.
Like a lone ranger in the Old West trying to right what he perceived to be an illegal action by the administration, the House's most vocal and intense proponent of turning Yucca into a nuclear waste storage site has visited Nevada five times over the past decade in an attempt to resurrect the project.
Now, eight years after that Obama administration decision, Shimkus' quest culminated on the House floor, where a comprehensive, bipartisan nuclear waste package passed Thursday, 340-72. It would give Yucca Mountain the needed policy jolt to start moving again.
Shimkus' approaches over the years have ranged from biblical rage to statesmanlike diplomacy. But despite a Senate roadblock awaiting the bill, he's pushed Yucca Mountain into the House spotlight.
Indeed, Shimkus was so determined to see his Yucca Mountain bill to the floor, Walden said, that he sent handwritten letters to the homes of House GOP leaders for seven straight days during a recess week to win their support.
No nuclear reactor operates within the boundaries of his district, but Exelon's Clinton nuclear station is 30 miles from its northern reaches. Illinois has six nuclear power plants with 11 generating units — and about 10,497 metric tons of high-level nuclear waste, the most in the nation.
Those nuclear ties have also come with some significant campaign contributions from Exelon Corp., the Chicago-based company that operates more nuclear plants than any other single company. Since he first ran for office in 1991, Shimkus has received approximately $111,949 in donations from the utility to his individual campaign account and PACs associated with him, according to OpenSecrets.org.
A military veteran and former high school U.S. government history teacher, he says his Yucca defense is also driven by his advocacy for law and order. He was furious, he said, when he perceived that the Obama administration ignored the law — the 1987 Nuclear Waste Policy Act in which Congress determined that Yucca Mountain should be the nation's nuclear waste repository.
"To have insider politics, presidential politics break the law, that's what really got me fired up … just the total disregard for the law by the executive branch," Shimkus said in the interview.
Despite that designation, the Obama administration called the site unworkable in the face of local opposition powered in Washington by Reid. But even Republicans in the state and on the Hill long complained that radiological leaks at the site could contaminate water supplies and that moving the material to the site could expose citizens to radiation should an accident occur.
Shimkus' anger about the decision would bubble to the surface during oversight hearings by the Energy and Commerce Committee and its environment subcommittee, which he chaired, a position he said he sought partially because of its oversight of the Yucca Mountain issue. His questioning of key Obama-era DOE officials was aggressive, to say the least.
Shimkus said the intense questioning was warranted. The Obama administration objectively broke the letter of the law, he said, and he cited support for his view in the various federal court orders directing the spending of money appropriated by Congress to continue the Yucca Mountain licensing process.
His approach has softened as he has taken on more responsibility as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee. He also acknowledges that with more Washington experience, he has learned how to better work with the other side of the aisle, as is evident in his successful bipartisan update to the Toxic Substances Control Act in the last Congress.
His willingness to work with Democrats helped produce the nuclear waste legislation that moved out of committee on a 49-4 vote. A central tenet of the legislation authorizes temporary sites to store nuclear waste consolidated from multiple plants, a policy identified as the preferred alternative to Yucca Mountain by the Obama administration.
The legislation softened from draft versions to maintain key state water and air quality permitting oversight in a nod to Democratic concerns. The bill would also provide financial incentives to Nevada.
Shimkus said he has tried to establish a productive dialogue with groups in the state. He has visited Reno twice to make his case, and he has spoken in front of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce annually for the past five years when they have visited Washington.
But to many in the state, Shimkus' policy ambition interferes with their state's rights, putting citizens' health at risk. The fact that the bill would expand the capacity of the Yucca Mountain site has not helped matters.
Titus said that during one of his trips to Nye County, where Yucca Mountain resides, he visited with pro-Yucca local officials.
"He's not been playing fair with us, we believe," she added.
That Nevada opposition extends to Republican Sen. Dean Heller and Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto — both of whom have the ability to scuttle consideration of the bill on their side of the Capitol. And Heller will face a re-election challenge in November from Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen; opposition to Yucca will be a yardstick for most voters.
Shimkus said the House vote is part of the process, along with renewed interest from the Trump administration, in Yucca Mountain's return. The administration's backing could put pressure on the Senate to find some type of matching effort on nuclear waste.
"Getting people on record is an important thing to do," Shimkus said.


The City of New Port Richey Parks and Recreation Department and the Cultural Affairs Committee are proud to announce they are the recipient of grant funding from the Florida Humanities Council for a weekly February 2019 Speakers Series to be held at the City of New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center at 6630 Van Buren Street. Each Monday evening during the month of February, starting at 6pm, there will be a free lecture on varying topics pertaining to Florida's vast cultural history. From the foods that are uniquely Florida, to living stories from the state's most colorful individuals, each evening promises to educate and entertain.
Gary Mormino is the Frank E. Duckwell Florida Professor of History Emeritus at USF S. Petersburg and a frequent contributor to the Tampa Bay Times. Mr. Mormino teaches a class in food history and is writing a book on Florida foodways.
What are the ten foods that define Florida? Key lime or Sweet potato pie? Was the Cuban sandwich invented in Tampa?
Mr. Craig Pitman, award-winning author and journalist for the Tampa Bay Times, will be sharing How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country and recounting some of the wilder stories from Florida's history and culture.
BettyJean Steinshauer is a Fellow in the Florida Studies program at the University of South Florida and the author of The Florida Journeys and will be leading the audience on a journey experiencing Florida through the milieu of three women authors in character and costume: Harriet Beacher Stowe, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
The Parks and Recreation Department is looking forward to partnering with the Florida Humanities Council and presenting to the area citizens a month long series of fascinating programs about Florida's history, culture and the people who have made Florida the great state it is today!
The Parks and Recreation Department of the City of New Port Richey was created by the City Council 50 years ago with the mission to "Create memorable recreational, parks and aquatic experiences to enhance the quality of life." In keeping with that mission, the Parks and Recreation Department hosts free family movie nights every month in Sims Park and a series of eight free concerts in Sims Park. Various events within the city parks such as Discover the Preserve celebrating National Kids to Parks Day, a zombie fun run and Scare Trails celebrating Halloween, and an annual children's art show at the City of New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center are just a few of the department's annual events.


Colombia-based dealership Elite Yachts has opened a new showroom in Cartagena that is exclusively devoted to the Azimut Yachts brand.
Located in a prime location within the Cartagena Convention Center, the showroom will help lift Azimut's brand presence from the heart of Colombia's nautical sector.
"Azimut Yachts has always been a leading brand in Colombia and it has more yachts than any other in our waters, so we decided to invest in a proper showroom in order to provide strong bases for further development and growth," managing partner Carlos Tramontini told IBI.
Elite Yachts was founded in late 2012, when the company because an official dealer for Bavaria motorboats and sailboats in Colombia. Elite then becamse a dealer for Axopar Boats and last year became the official dealer for Azimut.


Carlsbad-based BrightQube (www.brightqube.com) recently raised a round of funding from the Tech Coast Angels, for the firm's online photo marketplace and software. We recently caught up with Lee Corkran, the firm's CEO, to hear more about the company.
What's the idea behind Brightqube?
Lee Corkran: The idea behind BrightQube, is really enabling a broad marketplace for visual media. We looked at the industry around photography, and how it is currently being served--a number of us come from the industry--and we though there must be a better way to get pictures into the hands of the creative community, as well as allow much broader participation for everybody making and selling pictures.
How is your site different from the many micro-stock web sites out there like iStockPhoto, Fotolia, etc?
Lee Corkran: For one thing, it's the way the images are found and discovered on the site. For BrightQube, we were looking to turn visual search on its head. You're not looking at page after page of search results, instead, we use the current rich Internet to create an interface which provides much more abundant results to search. It's a more immersive, light-table approach, which is interactive like Google Maps. You can zoom in, zoom out, click and drag. Fundamentally it's a matter of getting the creatives--the image buyers--in front of the right image for creative choices. Right now, anything found past page three is never seen by a buyer, who doesn't have the time or patience for page-based search. Our approach to visual search is combined with the true ideal of allowing massive participation by anyone who has pictures to sell. There are niche players around microstock, where they use crowd sourcing and edit down to some images, and there are the pro sites like Getty and Corbis, whereas we embrace both ends of the spectrum. We will be deploying an open marketplace for anyone to upload what they wish to sell, and price it as they will alongside all the collections out there. We have a full spectrum--it's not just microstock, it's also premium and user-generated content, in an open market.
Is that user generated photography available now?
Lee Corkran: It will be pretty soon. We're in the first phase, which is what the initial funding is all about, which is building a technology and e-commerce platform. In doing so, we've managed to attract nearly 3 million images from both microstock and premium agencies. It's the first time this broad spectrum has been brought together on a single site. You'll find images that are comparable to microstock from iStock, as well as over 40 premium collections, including materials from Getty, Corbis, Jupiter, and other great niche collections. We're currently in the early stages of a user-generated on ramp now, we are looking to put that into private alpha in the next couple of months, with private beta in early fall.
What's the story behind the site and why you started it?
Lee Corkran: The eureka moment, the lightning strike of the idea came from a kind of epiphany. I had been in the industry for twenty years as a professional photographer, and happened to be represented by Corbis. I looked at the state of the industry, and saw that it was hard to find the pictures I was looking for, either from the desktop or online. I saw that we needed to enable an interface that really takes advantage of metadata, and provides a rich interface, and creates what should be a fun and fulfilling approach to finding pictures. Combined with the advancement of digital camera technology, and the broad distribution platform of the internet, it's an enabler for broad participation. We saw a really fundamental shift occurring in photography, and we manifested that to create a disruptive and innovative play.
Talk a bit more about your background in the industry?
Lee Corkran: I started out as a professional photographer. I was a combat photographer in the Air Force in Europe for eight years, and then I covered national events in Washington DC. For the past ten years, I've been running Internet product development for a number of photo sites. I got a masters in Interactive Media Design from RIT, and worked for Kodak, HP, and a few startups along the way, including Digital Railroad and Pixology. I have been on both sides--not only behind the lens, but behind the mouse--as photography has shifted to digital and online.
So what's the business model behind the company?
Lee Corkran: At the simplest level, it's an open marketplace. Connecting buyers and sellers is what we do around visual media. There is a certain participation we partake in that transaction. For the UGC, people will be able to subscribe to sell their imagery. It will be a combination of revenue streams, both commissions and subscriptions.
As a professional photographer, what do you think of all this amateur competition from people, things like Flickr, etc.?
Lee Corkran: I think it is all well and great. The democratization allows anyone who believes they've got the talent, and desire, to shoot great pictures, and that shouldn't be restricted. I think there is a joy to photography, and the business around it should be very beneficial to everyone. It's great that everyone participates. Frankly, in this kind of environment, talent will always be king. If you're a good photographer, and can find a market, you can do well. BrightQube was purpose built to provide that market. It's for someone like me who thousands of photos which are not represented by Corbis, to everyone on Flickr who may want to see their photos in a marketplace, and be self-actualized as a photographer. That's the beauty of the Internet.
Finally, talk about your experience getting funded?
Lee Corkran: It's been really great. I noticed early on, looking for seed funding to get the proof of concept going, that the Tech Coast Angels had announced some interesting seed funding initiatives. I had applied, and managed to get through the screening process, and was the first seed investment they made a year ago. We have been able to prove out and build our technology platform, and remove the technology risk around the investment, so they've come in for more participation. I find that angels are extremely helpful in their business background, experience, insights into further fundraising, and have been a really welcome surprise. Going from a solo entrepreneur, to bringing outsiders into a business, I am learning from them, and they are learning from me.