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Tag Archives: Global North
The Palma ratio measures income inequality, comparing the world's richest 10 percent with its poorest 40 percent. Economists at the Center for International Development have concluded that the middle 50 percent (i.e. the middle class) is stable across all countries surveyed, while the distance between the wealthiest and poorest grows.
According to the IMF, the United States has the world's greatest nominal GDP, and its GDP per capita is ranked tenth. Of the 86 countries compared by the Palma ratio, the United States' income equality ranks 44th, far below the other developed countries — no doubt it would rank lower had Scandinavian countries been included. Palma data reflects strong trends that the countries with greater income equality than the US have one of two common traits:
1. Countries in the Global North with more punitive progressive taxation rates
2. Countries in the Global South with lower GDP per capita
Further, the countries with less income equality than the US are all in the Global South.
Americans don't handle not being the best well. But rather than immediately lament the US rank, one must consider whether more income equality is something worth having. Income inequality between the rich and the poor is a natural growth; social elites are the best-educated, most well-connected, and healthiest individuals in any society and are able to maintain these resources by "hoarding" opportunities.1 Income equality, however, can only be created through government policies designed to make everyone equal. Such policies have natural order all backwards — man ought to be equal under the law, despite being unequal of ability. When considering that the state's proper function is to establish justice, it would seem that the only form of taxation which perfectly realises the universal virtue of justice is a flat rate. Unlike progressive taxation, the flat tax treats citizens as legal equals — whether taxes are low or high, in a just government, everyone pays the same share.
The United States' Palma ranking is right where it should be*, and is indicative of the country's uniqueness. The US features 132 companies on the 2013 Forbes Global 500 list, substantially more than any other country. The top five are rounded out by China (86), Japan (62), France (31), and Germany (29). The US is still a place where, by and large, the best have the greatest chance to succeed, in a way not present in countries with greater or less economic equality.
Living and studying in The Netherlands, I've observed a general complacency among the Dutch not found in The States. University tuition fees are heavily subsidised by the government, so Dutch students pay only €1,835 per year for tuition. Whereas the high cost of studies in the United States pressures American students to graduate on time or early, Dutch students, lacking a financial burden, have less urgency to do the same. To a greater extent, the tax system contributes to a complacent society — households annually earning upwards of €55,695 pay a 52% income tax rate. The Dutch welfare state provides such a breadth of services and taxes at such steep rates that it produces a largely unmotivated, hunger-less society. Dutch people know that they're all going to come out approximately the same in life, so why should they work hard? That attitude is reflected in OECD data from 2011, which shows that the Dutch work fewer hours per week than anywhere else in the world, at 30.5. The system itself disincentivises innovation, as evidenced by the mere twelve Dutch companies among the Fortune Global 500.
"Whether they realise it or not, people want to be able to understand that there are people higher and lower than they are on the socioeconomic totem pole; those above them may motivate them to work harder in pursuit of their goals, and those below them may remind them that they could have it worse off. The need for hierarchical order is with us from birth. The basic unit of human social existence, the nuclear family, is a hierarchy, evidence enough that social status is not learned behaviour."2
Social mobility, not income equality, is what we ought to value. However, it needs to be considered in relative, not absolute, terms. Absolute social mobility considers one's income compared to his parents, whereas relative social mobility considers that, and also frames it within the gains of everyone else — a class rank, if you will. Absolute mobility can grow for everyone as the economy expands, and relative mobility is a zero-sum game — when someone climbs the ladder, someone else slides down a chute. This is often lost in the discussion, given the link between upward social mobility and the American Dream.
I know what it's like to take the slide. In the late 1990s my father lost his job (justifiably) as an executive at a multi-billion dollar defence contractor and my life became a lot harder after that and my parents' divorce. There were immediate impacts, like switching to public school and moving from a six-bedroom house to a townhouse, as well as future consequences, such as difficulty affording my undergraduate and graduate studies. Am I happy this happened to me? Of course not, although it has played a role in my character development. However, I recognise that it is important for members of the upper and upper-middle classes to backslide and thus make upward mobility possible.
"When it comes to the economic malaise facing America, the biggest problem is not the widening gap between rich and poor, but the stagnation of social mobility. When the income gap of one generation becomes an opportunity gap for the next, inequality hardens into social stratification."3
— Richard V. Reeves, Brookings Institution
Regarding income inequality, the United States is between two undesirable extremes. China, whose wealth is disproportionately held by elites, has a largely poor population, and a GDP per capita ranked 87th, despite its nominal GDP ranking 2nd. At the other end of the spectrum, France has a relatively classless society because of punitive tax rates, which subvert the natural order of humanity, inhibit growth, extend state power, and create income-based legal distinctions among citizens. Aristotle's doctrine of the mean, that the moderate choice between two vicious and opposite extremes is the most virtuous, indicates that the United States is right where it should be with regard to global income equality.
Although there is one supreme and perfect form of justice, it, like all universals, does admit of degrees. Justice in economic policy must prioritise outcomes over intent. Even though it does create legal distinctions among citizens, progressive taxation — that is, temperate progressive taxation — enables the greatest number of citizens to live comfortably. This utilitarian approach is not a Marxist attempt to bludgeon the wealthy and erase class existence, but straight from perhaps the greatest American to ever live. In a letter to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson suggested that a "means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to…tax the higher portions or property in geometrical progression as they rise".4 Jefferson was concerned that without this variety of progressive rate, the political foundations of the Republic would be in jeopardy, as more and more wage labourers, dependent on proprietors with an egregious concentration of wealth, would have their political and economic autonomy eroded. In a state which (moderately) takes a greater share from some individuals than others, the legal distinctions among citizens are real, but are nominal when compared to the potentially deleterious effects of a flat tax.
Arguments for a flat national income tax based on theoretical appeals to justice can only amount to hypothetical posturing; no elected officials in a representative government would pursue such, whether because of held principles or concern for expediency. You want to lower taxes on the wealthy and raise them on everyone else? Good luck with that. Even if that did happen, the state's noble intentions would foreseeably contradict my positions that A. social mobility is important (for an economy and a society), and B. that, in the United States' case, the country is approximately where it should be with regard to income equality (and thus shouldn't take drastic steps in either direction). If everyone in a given state pays a 25% annual income tax, that one-fourth of lost income does more to damage the quality of life for a wage-earner than a 33% rate would harm the well-being of someone north of the 90th income percentile. A high flat income tax would stagnate and calcify socioeconomic status, contributing to the "sticky floor" that renders upward mobility increasingly out of reach, the poorer one is.
Depending on your perspective on tax policy, either flat or progressive taxes could be seen as just. Here we find that policy which aims toward justice and has ends which justify the means. An appeal to temperance, as used to consider income equality, reveals that the most just form of income tax is a softly progressive one, and partakes more in moderation than in European practice.
Tagged Aristotle, China, class, Developed country, doctrine of the mean, Economic equality, Economic inequality, equality, flat tax, Forbes 500, France, GDP, Gini, Gini coefficient, Global North, Global South, golden mean, government, Gross domestic product, hierarchy, income equality, innovation, justice, mean, nature, Netherlands, OECD, Palma, philosophy, political philosophy, progressive tax, progressive taxation, prosperity, social mobility, taxation, taxes, the state, United States, United States' Palma, USA, virtue, wealth


Whether it's your first time or your twentieth time, you never know what to expect on vacation with those lovable scamps! With its reputation as a safe country and its well-organized public transportation, Japan is already an ideal place to spend quality time with your family. Nonetheless, our travel experts compiled a list of tips to make your Japan Family Adventure with children a total breeze.
Remember to ask your children what they enjoyed about a certain activity or what they thought of a certain food. Not only will it give you insight to better organize future family holidays, but it's also a great opportunity to bond and learn more about your child's interests. If you have older kids, give them a taste of responsibility and let them help you choose the day's sites and meals. Asking them to take an active part in the trip will give you and your kids a rich and unforgettable experience in Japan.
As all parents know, hunger can trigger the worst of meltdowns in children (and adults, if we're being honest!). In between meals, we recommend that you stock up on some onigiri (white rice with savory fillings, wrapped in dried seaweed), edamame pods and Pocky. Convenience stores like Lawson, FamilyMart and 7-11 always have these portable and affordable snacks on hand.
Kids run, kids scream, kids play; it's just the nature of the beast. Luckily for them, there are some excellent green spaces in Japan. Let them roam freely in Shinjuku Gyoen while you're in Tokyo. You can admire the beautifully maintained grounds as you keep an eye on them. In Kyoto, there is plenty to explore in the Imperial Palace Gardens, safely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of traffic behind its stone walls.
Bring comfortable walking shoes and clothes that can be easily mixed and matched. If you aren't particular about what brands you use, Japan will probably have all the toiletries your family needs. You'll feel better moving from place to place with children in tow if your luggage is as light as possible. Of course, if your toddler can't bear to eat breakfast without his or her green Paw Patrol sippy cup, you best make space in your luggage!
Getting kids to stay still while waiting in a long line should be an Olympic sport! For any tickets that haven't already been conveniently booked by your favorite tour company, see if you can pre-book them online or by phone. Don't forget to check if they have a child discount!
Fill out a couple of laminated cards with your name, hotel address and contact information in the rare case that they get separated from you. The idea is that your children will have these in their pockets/clothing at all times. Even though Japan is known as a very safe, family-friendly country overall, this will give you peace of mind as you enjoy your time with your family in Japan.
Feeling ready to spend a relaxing and fun vacation in Japan with your kids? Check out our 12-Day Japan Family Adventure or get in touch with one of our specialists about customizing your perfect family getaway!


This is a very exciting time for you and we look forward to guiding you smoothly through this process, helping you to efficiently find the home of your dreams. There are several steps you need to take before you move into your new home. RPG Realty will Guide you through the process and introduce you to the world of real estate. When using a RPG Realty Sales Associate, you will feel confident your search for a new home will be very successful.
Selling your property can be a stressful process, but with the right people in your corner, it doesn't have to be! When you work with RPG Realty, you can be sure that you will have our knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills at work for you to arrive at the best market prices and terms. We will keep you up-to-date on what is happening in the market and the price, financing, terms and conditions of competing properties. With RPG Realty, we can assure you you're receiving the best information on how much to list your home for and when to sell.


The 2011 "top ten" and "toxic twenty" list is limited by several factors. First, and most importantly, the pollutants discussed within this report are those identified and deemed most relevant and urgent in terms of their toxicity and impacts by the Blacksmith Institute Technical Advisory Board. These pollutants include, but are not limited to, heavy metals, radionuclides, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fluorides, asbestos, cyanides, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and some pesticides.
The Technical Advisory Board evaluates pollutants that are not included in the list above on a case-by-case basis. The Board reviews the available environmental health literature on the biological effects of a given pollutant and comes to a consensus.


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The Best Things To Do in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
The Most Beautiful Beaches near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Montezuma Waterfalls, Costa Rica: A Complete Guide
Top 5 Things To Do When Visiting Montezuma, Costa Rica
15 Things You Should Know Before Travelling To Costa Rica
How To Get Around In Costa Rica Without A Car
Why You Should Visit Costa Rica: 10 Inspiring Reasons
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua: What To Do & Where To Eat
Living In A Tent On An Island In Panama – Daily Routine
7 Fun & Affordable Activities In Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Must-See in Bocas Del Toro, Panama: Red Frog Beach
The 6 Best Non-Touristy Places To Visit In Corfu, Greece
5 Useful Tips When Travelling To Corfu, Greece
Where To Stay In Corfu: 11 Dreamy & Budget-Friendly Options
Hacks & Tips
Morning Routine Of A Backpacker – Hostel Edition
15 Amazing Destinations To Add To Your Bucket List
20 Best Travel Movies To Watch When You're Bored At Home
My Worst Travel Experiences Of 2020
Day 1/180: The Arrival – Living Life In Costa Rica
Day 2/180: The Crime City – Living Life In Costa Rica
Day 3-6/180: The National Park – Living Life in Costa Rica
Day 7-14/180: The Cockroach – Living Life in Costa Rica
Day 14-21/180: The Downpour – Living Life in Costa Rica
Day 21-26/180: The Camping Experience – Living Life in Costa Rica
Day 26-57/180: The Cute Couple – Living Life in Costa Rica
Day 58-62/180: The Beach Day – Living Life in Costa Rica
Day 63/180: The Bite – Living Life In Costa Rica
Day 64-90/180: The Wooden Cabin – Living Life In Costa Rica
Get To Know Me! (Answering 20 Personal Questions)
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I recently spent three days in San Juan Del Sur, a colourful beach town in the South-West of Nicaragua. It was my first time in Nicaragua and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Because of all the negative rumours… Continue Reading…
By the time my stay in Montezuma was coming to an end, I was more than ready to get back on the road. Even though I'd had a pretty good time there, worsening allergies and isolation (try living car-less on… Continue Reading…
Montezuma is a small but quaint village in Puntarenas, a province on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. At first sight, you wouldn't think there's much to do in a quiet place like this, but I have found that the… Continue Reading…
Montezuma may be a tiny fishing village, but it harbours a magnificent network of waterfalls, natural pools and mountain rivers. It's the number one activity in this town that you simply cannot skip. I think I visited a total of… Continue Reading…
I've decided to write one single diary post about my month in Montezuma, because I'm simply too behind with everything to divide it up any further. Wish me luck in trying to fit in all the details without making you… Continue Reading…
I wasn't THE biggest fan of Bocas Del Toro, but I will never forget my trip to Red Frog Beach. When it comes to secluded jungle beaches, this is a true hidden gem amongst the Caribbean coast. I have another… Continue Reading…
If you're planning on visiting Bocas del Toro, I can already tell you that you're in for an adventure. From spotting dolphins in the wild to exploring deserted islands: Bocas del Toro has a lot more activities to offer than… Continue Reading…
Did you know that the first Airbnb I booked for my 6-month trip to Costa Rica was a tent in Panama? Are you confused, because I am. No, it's actually pretty simple. I knew I had to cross the border… Continue Reading…
My week in Panama went by in a haze. If I didn't already feel like I had stepped into another world then I sure felt like it now. Remember how I was talking about the poor state of the houses… Continue Reading…
It's remarkable how quickly humans adapt to a new environment. If you've read my previous diary entry, you'll know that I was struggling to adjust to the undomesticated lifestyle in Puerto Viejo. Yes, I love nature, but I never really… Continue Reading…
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Wayfair - Shop All Things Home is a Shopping app developed by Wayfair, LLC. We only share original APK files. You can download and install the latest version of Wayfair - Shop All Things Home APK from our direct download link. On this page we provide Wayfair - Shop All Things Home Varies with device apk file for 4.1 and up .This is a free app listed in Shopping category of apps. Use the download button on the top to download this apk. App Installs: 10000000 +.
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Scooter Braun, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and manager of Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly and more, is this week's Music Biz 101 & More radio show guest. In this special episode, Braun talks about what drives him, making deals, and much more. You should listen! Click to stream it live.
Based upon our lengthy Music Biz 101 & More radio show/podcast interview with Scooter Braun, we came up with some lessons students of the music & entertainment industry can learn. Click and read. Which ones are new to you?
In this live episode recorded in Nashville at Music Biz 2018, entrepreneur and music manager (of Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly…) Scooter Braun speaks about the Manchester bombing, working hard, family and work life balance. And much more. Click and listen!
Here's your weekly Music/Entertainment Industry social media wrap-up, from streaming royalty payments to pics to Music Biz tips. Click! This WILL help you.


Update time! This week and the coming weeks is going to be hard to give a satisfying update since we're working on polish.
Last week we did our first demo with a group of people with no attachment to us or the company for possible collaboration on the artistic side of things. We are proud to day that they thoroughly enjoyed it and have verbally agreed to work with us! Of course, nothing is set in stone until the contracts are signed, so I will withhold information on who this group is until everything is in order.
Other than that boss basics is done, so really not too much exciting things. Like I said, working on the details.
It's still got a bit more to go but this character will eventually teach the player about punches and cracked panels. With this enemy we've shown a little of all the enemies we are currently working on! Hopefully they'll be done soon and we'll have our World 1 Demo out soon.
No important feedback posted recently. Make sure to leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions!
Jeremy: Looking into publishers and pre-production on trailer.
After narration I'll be working on a few back-end things and then doing some updates on the WeaponUI. Like I said, updates are probably going to be short in the coming weeks.
Thanks for all your support! Let us know any comments or suggestions you have.


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Business CDX Innovation Startup Culture
How "Super Evolution" Can Upend Any Industry
By Drew Ianni | October 15, 2019, 10:08 AM | Techonomy Exclusive
This story originally appeared in Techonomy's Winter 2020 magazine.
When Eric Schmidt and Dror Berman launched the investment fund Innovation Endeavors nearly a decade ago, the former Google CEO and his business partner introduced a new model for venture investing. The new firm was built on an ecosystem model, in which portfolio companies are surrounded by strategic partners from academia, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, as well as large and small businesses within their industry.
Fast forward to today, and Harpinder Singh – a serial entrepreneur who'd worked with Innovation Endeavors as a part-time partner and advisor – joined full-time as it launched a third investment fund rooted in an ambitious new philosophy: super evolution.
Harpinder Singh, Innovation Endeavors partner.
The super evolution theory is based on the belief that a proliferation of data, computing and advanced engineering are making it possible to learn from and improve the physical and biological worlds at a significantly faster pace than ever before. The result is a "collapse of time," which makes it possible to run more business and data experiments faster, better and cheaper and, in turn, empowers even small companies and teams to innovate at scale. The idea is that such rapidly-scaling companies in targeted applications may be able to solve global problems with unexpected efficiency even as generating profits for their investors.
Techonomy recently spoke to Singh about why this approach is valuable. Here's an excerpt:
Techonomy: You introduced the super evolution theory two years ago. What have you learned?
Singh: The super evolution is definitely happening. Look at one of our portfolio companies, Plenty. Their indoor produce farms incorporate cameras and sensors that monitor and generate data on every aspect of growing conditions: temperature, light, irrigation, carbon dioxide, plant growth stage, and more. They've accelerated growth cycles that would take from four to six months on a traditional farm, to only one to two weeks at a Plenty farm. It uses machine learning to optimize each plant's taste, nutritional value, and yield, and has essentially condensed a century of breeding experiments into just three years. These optimizations mean Plenty can grow 350 times more produce per square foot than a traditional farm, while using just 1% of the water and a fraction of the land—without pesticides or herbicides.
The world needs to see a 70% increase in food production by 2050 to feed a growing population, and Plenty brings us one step closer to solving this global food challenge. This is the benefit of the super evolution theory in practice.
How does the theory inform your investment strategy?
When we evaluate companies and investments through the lens of the super evolution, we ask ourselves: Have the founders identified not only a market need, but a new way to connect the dots in an unexpected way using data, computing, and advanced engineering? If their new system combines the three pillars of the super evolution, and if it will fundamentally transform the traditional way of doing something, then we want to support and accelerate that company's growth.
How does Innovation Endeavors' ecosystem model work?
We focus on asking big questions, generating novel solutions and accelerating the way those solutions are brought to market. We bring a variety of stakeholders to the table, which fosters an environment where real business problems can be discussed frankly. We've built a number of ecosystems in various categories: agriculture, cybersecurity, and now life sciences. They've produced strategic partnerships between start-ups and top corporations and leading academic research institutions, accelerated market demand for key products, and even start-up acquisitions. We'll be launching more ecosystems for additional industries.
How might the super evolution theory help drive transformation within traditional industries like agriculture, shipping, or construction, for example?
Traditional industries and systems are sometimes so hidden in the backgrounds of our lives that they're able to keep working at a "good enough" pace. So when a technologist like me pauses to look at these traditional industries, it's easy to be startled by the status quo. Not only are there analog processes that could easily be brought online, but there are also advancements like in data, computing, and advanced engineering that could modernize infrastructures. We try to connect the dots between technologies we've encountered in other contexts that can help solve basic but essential functions in industries like construction or farming.
Have you encountered places where the theory doesn't apply?
It's natural for the mind to latch onto tech-centric examples. But the bigger power of the super evolution is that any industry can leverage the power of computing to glean intelligence from data and then apply new engineering approaches in novel, real-world ways. Now, that's something to be excited about!
RT @DonaldTreeHive: Siri and Alexa may be female, but AI remains resolutely male. https://t.co/E89eoPJigD @Techonomy about 2 days ago by Lyndsay Wise


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2.3 The military leader
Let us now consider another relatively early portrait, David's Bonaparte Crossing the Alps, in which the then First Consul is shown at the Great Saint Bernard at the start of the campaign which led to the defeat of the Austrians at Marengo in June 1800 (see Plate 10). In fact, Bonaparte had actually crossed the Alps on a humble
6.2.3 Groups
The large group portrait came to commercial prominence in the 1880s, probably as a result of the widespread introduction of dry plate negatives. These negatives could be bought ready made over the counter. They did not require immediate processing and they reduced exposure times significantly. The group portrait involved the production of a single negative and a potential sale to each member of the group. Customer costs were kept low without injury to the photographer's profits. School, work
6.1 The rise of the itinerant photographer
Happily, not all early family photographs were taken inside conventional studios. Sitters were frequently photographed in the open air or in temporary, makeshift studios. Portraits were taken in the street, at the fairground, at the seaside, at local beauty spots and in the parks and commons where town dwellers went for relaxation and entertainment on Sundays and holidays. Itinerant photographers who worked these venues would set up shop for the day, the week or longer, depending on situation
The final rite of passage, death itself, permeates the Victorian family album. Throughout the 19th century it was common practice, following the death of a relative, to commission memorial photographs. The overwhelming majority of these memorial photographs feature the person as living, not dead.
5.5.4 Confirmation
Image 53 Photographer/Painter: Henry Knight, St Leonards on Sea. Subject: F.E. and Amynora Field, 1877.
You may find it difficult to read the ver
5.5.2 Skirts and breeching
Look carefully at Images 46, 47 and 48.
Image 46 Photographer/Painter: Hills & Saunders, Eton. Subject: Michael Cahne Seymour, 1871.
4.9.2 Idealisation
Early photographers were adept at using natural lighting to idealise the sitter. Manuals of good practice were full of advice on adapting the lighting to soften wrinkles and wreathe blemishes in shadow.
For ladies of a certain age, who often give the photographer a deal of trouble, it is advisable to employ a very soft light falling in front, which softens the wrinkles and protuberances of the face, and obliterates
3.4 Characterisation and sexual stereotyping
In attempting to characterise their sitters, 19th-century commercial photographers did not intend or attempt any serious psychoanalytical exploration of individual character such as we perceive it today in our post-Freudian world. They sought instead to stereotype by age and sex within a narrow range of positive virtues, which had previously been approved, within the conventions of painting: modesty, simplicity and chastity for women; dignity, strength and nobility for men.
Click on 'View document' below to open and read the remainder of Audrey Linkman's article on 'Photography and art theory', then answer the questions.
3.3 Limited positive characterization
The painted portrait was, however, perceived to be more than a mere 'map of the face'. It was also meant to reveal aspects of the inner as well as the outer being.
Click on 'View document' below to open and read part of Audrey Linkman's article on 'Photography and art theory', then answer the questions.
3.2 Idealisation
There were fundamental principles of painted portraiture that affected every element of the portrait, from expression and pose to background and lighting. The first imperative was the need to idealize the sitter.
2.2 Photographs as primary sources
As a primary source of historical evidence the still photograph remains largely unexamined and unexplored. Many academic historians remain wedded to the written word and are often mistrustful or dismissive of the still image. Photographs continue to be used merely to prettify or to provide necessary breathing space in dense texts. In fact, the task of finding 'illustrations' is often only considered after a book is written. What could indicate more clearly that the photograph has n
2.1.1 Card mounted photographs 1860–c.1914
Image 3 Photographer/Painter: Anon.
1 How to avoid damage when handling photographs
Remember to treat your photographs with the consideration demanded by their age and fragility. Careless handling and storage will cause damage.
Handle photographs at the edges: the skin carries chemicals which cause deterioration (professional archivists wear cotton gloves).
Hold a photograph in both hands or support an unmounted print with a piece of cardboard to avoid unnecessary handling.
Never write on a photograp
be aware that photographs are shaped by a set of conventions based on ideas and practices which are not immediately apparent;
be aware that photographs, like other documentary records, are partial and biased;
be aware that photographs, like other documentary records, require critical analysis and careful interpretation;
be aware of the importance of contextualisation in analysing photographs.
Amis, Martin (1989) London Fields, Penguin.
Austen, Jane (1818) Northanger Abbey, Penguin.
Austen, Jane (1813) Pride and Prejudice, Oxford World's Classics.
Baldick, Chris (1990) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, Oxford University Press.
Beckson, K
In this unit you have been introduced to the main components of prose fiction and have been given the opportunity to develop and practise your critical and analytical skills. These are essential skills you will need to continue your stufdies in this area.
2.7 Style and language
What do we mean when we talk of a particular writer's style? It might help us to think of style as a way of organising and expressing narrative unique to the writer, as distinctive and personal a characteristic as the writer's handwriting or the prints on the fingers holding the pen. Just as no two sets of fingerprints are alike, so no two writers are alike. Writers write in a style that reflects their individual view of the world.
The word 'style' can generally be used to encompass
2.3 Narrative perspectives
Two of the most fundamental choices that face the author of a fictional narrative is to decide who is to be the narrator and how the story is to be narrated.
Click on 'View document' and read the attached


Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2019-04-19 15:15:33 UTC and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on http://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Going to college in Texas is an exciting opportunity to further your education and prepare for a fulfilling career in your respective area of study. Texas offers many choices when it comes to higher education, so make sure that you research each college and university so you can make a good choice. If you have any questions, contact the college and request more information from them. It also pays to take a tour of all the colleges in Texas so you can see which one feels right for you. You may want to research the Texas scholarships and Texas grants for college to see if you qualify for financial aid. Good luck in your search!


Follow the ebook numbers. Unit numbers, that is. A close look at the numbers indicates that those authors who continue to publish via traditional publishers might be harming their long term career prospects.
Most ebook market watchers fixate on dollar sales, which, while important, mask the true tectonic shift now underway in book publishing.
In 2012, ebooks in the US will likely approach 30% of trade book sales measured in dollars, up from about 20% in 2011, 8% in 2010, 3% in 2009, 1% in 2008, and 1/2 of 1% in 2007.
These numbers understate the unit market share of what people are downloading and reading, because ebooks are priced lower than print. At Smashwords, the average unit price (not counting free downloads) of customer purchases is $2.99.
Back in April at the RT Booklovers convention in Chicago, I presented data (click here to access the presentation deck) that examined how price influences unit downloads and overall earnings for indie authors. It wasn't a surprise that free books generated the most downloads, and lower priced books sold more units than higher priced books.
One surprise, however, was that we found $2.99 books, on average, netted the authors more earnings (profit per unit, multiplied by units sold) than books priced at $6.99 and above. When we look at the $2.99 price point compared to $9.99, $2.99 earns the author slightly more, yet gains the author about four times as many readers. $2.99 ebooks earned the authors six times as many readers than books priced over $10.
The picture painted augurs well for indie ebook authors, but indicates that authors who continue to publish with traditional publishers might actually be damaging their careers. Look no further than the bestseller lists at Apple, Amazon or Barnes & Noble to see that indie ebook authors are taking eyeballs from the authors of NY publishers. As I write this, seven of the top 30 bestsellers in the Apple iBookstore are distributed there by Smashwords.
The Apple iBookstore bestseller list is interesting because, near as I can tell, its rankings favor unit sales over dollar volume (unlike the bestseller list at our small Smashwords store, which measures aggregate dollars spent). Look at the Apple bestseller list and you'll see which authors are building their brands the fastest with readers.
Although a good publisher of high-priced ebooks can benefit authors in other ways, it'll become tougher and tougher for good publishers to do for authors what authors cannot already do for themselves. The tools and knowledge to professionally publish are becoming ever-more democratized. Authors need not spend a king's ransom to produce, distribute and sell a professional quality ebook.
With ebooks, and ebook publishing and distribution platforms like Smashwords, the printing press and distribution have been opened up to all authors.
As ebooks continue to become more important, and print becomes less important, we'll see more traditionally published authors joining the ranks of indie authors. I talk about some of these issues in this new Forbes interview out today, conducted by Suw Charman-Anderson.
Greetings from Anaheim, where I'm at the RWA 2012 conference. I'm doing a keynote talk Thursday and a workshop on best practices Friday. If you want to peek at the future of publishing, look no further than the amazing innovation taking place among indie romance authors. If you're at RWA, stop by and say hi!
in Romance section of Apple iBookstore.
Our friends at the Apple iBookstore today named R.L. Mathewson a break out author, and launched an exciting week-long promotional program to merchandize her romance books within the store.
For the last few weeks, R.L.'s books have been rising in Apple's store-wide bestseller lists. As I write this, she holds three of the top 20 slots in their store-wide bestseller list.
We interviewed R.L. Mathewson July 7 here in the Smashwords blog. Her books had been in the iBookstore for several months, and they were selling a respectable five or so copies a day, and then starting in early June sales suddenly took off.
In the interview, R.L. credited updated covers as the initial spark for the breakout. It's likely her improved covers caused more readers to take a chance on her, and then things snowballed, driven by strong reader word-of-mouth and fantastic customer reviews at Apple. Each of her eight books at Apple average 4.5 stars or greater out of five.
Here first title to break out was Playing for Keeps, which remains today the #8 bestseller in the U.S. Apple iBookstore. Following the breakout of Playing for Keeps, R.L.'s other titles began rising in the charts as well.
Now that our friends at Apple are putting promotional weight behind R.L.'s titles, she's likely to reach an even broader audience.
The Apple promotion has a few elements to it. On Apple's Romance page, they created a large banner that is one of several rotating banners.
On the right side of the banner is a list of rotating "bricks," which are small author-specific promotional images that rotate. Apple create a promotional brick for R.L. that links to a listing of all eight of her books. Readers who visit this page for even a few seconds will have multiple chances to discover R.L.'s books.
Apple also placed the brick on their main "Featured" page, which will provide R.L. even greater exposure to Apple's customers.
Congratulations to R.L. Mathewson, and our thanks to Apple for their strong support of Smashwords authors.
Click here to browse, sample or purchase R.L. Mathewson's books at the Apple iBookstore.
Stay tuned for our next author interview here at the Smashwords blog. We've got an interview with S.C. Stephens, who has also achieved incredible success at Apple and elsewhere. Her title, Thoughtless, is currently #18 in Apple's store-wide bestseller list, and Effortless is at #24.


The quickest mojito you will ever make, essential when you have a big thirst. Grandma's Cupboard Lime and Mint Rum Liqueur is ready for mixing with either sparking water or lemonade served over crushed ice and garnished with a lime wedge and mint leaves.
A lovely fruity number which enjoys both great popularity and a wide appeal. Grandma's Cupboard Raspberry Vodka Liqueur comes together very nicely with fresh apple juice and Amaretto.
A classic with a twist, combining Grandma's Cupboard Banana rum liqueur, Grandma's Cupboard Coconut Spiced Rum Liqueur, pineapple juice and lemonade.
Shake well and double strain into a martini glass. Top up with a dash of lemonade.
A great combination of Grandma's Cupboard Red Berry Gin liqueur with vodka (optional), clementine juice and grenadine, served with a shot of prosecco. It's a bit like a Pornstar Martini, but with Grandma the passion's gone!
Shake well and double strain into a martini glass. Pour a dash of grenadine down the side of a straw so that it sinks to the bottom and serve with a slice of orange and a shot of prosecco.
Grandma's Cupboard Lemon and Lime Gin Liqueur mixed with soda and served over lots of ice. Now that's refreshing!
Grandma is feeling very inspired by seasonal fruit this time of the year with her take on the classic Bramble. The Lemon and Lime Gin Liqueur works wonderfully well with blackberry jam in a shaker and topped up with lemonade.
1 teaspoon of blackberry jam.
Shake well and strain into a glass. top up with lemonade, garnished with blackberries and lemon peel.
Another classic revisited by Grandma. Two of the flavours of this great combination are already in Grandma's Cupboard Number 03 (Coffee and Orange). All that's left to do is to layer it in a shot glass with Baileys.
Keeping the classics going, Grandma's Cupboard Vodka and Raspberry Liqueur tastes fantastic in a shaker with pineapple juice.
Shake well and double strain into a martini glass, garnished with a fresh raspberry.
Espresso Martini can be made with all sorts of flavours, but we find it works particularly well with our Coffee and Orange Vodka Liqueur.
Shake well and double strain into a Martini glass, garnished with coffee beans and grated orange peel.
Why not try adding some chocolate bitters or a dash of Spiced coconut rum liqueur?
Shake well and strain into a wine glass with a dash of ginger ale, garnished with strips of fresh ginger.


text:
News Release 18-Jun-2007
Climate models consistent with ocean warming observations
LIVERMORE, Calif. - Climate models are reliable tools that help researchers better understand the observed record of ocean warming and variability.
That's the finding of a group of Livermore scientists, who in collaboration with colleagues at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, had earlier established that climate models can replicate the ocean warming observed during the latter half of the 20th century, and that most of this recent warming is caused by human activities.
The observational record also shows substantial variability in ocean heat content on interannual-to-decadal time scales. The new research by Livermore scientists demonstrates that climate models represent this variability much more realistically than previously believed.
Using 13 numerical climate models, the researchers found that the apparent discrepancies between modeled and observed variability can be explained by accounting for changes in observational coverage and instrumentation and by including the effects of volcanic eruptions.
The research, which will appear in the June 18 early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, casts doubt on recent findings that the top 700-meters of the global ocean cooled markedly from 2003-2005.
"Our analysis shows that the 2003-2005 'cooling' is largely an artifact of a systematic change in the observing system," said Krishna AchutaRao, previously of Livermore's Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI), now at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the lead author of the paper. "The previous research was based on looking at the combined ocean temperature observations from several different instrument types, which collectively appear to have a cooling effect. But if you look at the observational instruments individually, there is no cooling."
Observational estimates of ocean heat content change in the 2005 World Ocean Atlas are based on millions of individual temperature measurements; however, they are unevenly distributed in space and time. In fact, until recently, many portions of the global ocean were very poorly sampled. To get a complete four-dimensional picture of global ocean temperatures, most researchers use statistical methods to "infill" missing observational data.
Climate models provide spatially complete ocean temperature data, so unlike the incomplete observations, infilling is not required. By sampling the models only where there are observations, the Livermore team found that infilling had a pronounced effect on observed estimates of ocean variability, and brought model results closer in line with observations. Models agreed even more closely with observations when the cooling effects of intermittent volcanic eruptions were included.
The research team also looked at the impacts of changes in ocean observing systems. A warm bias in the older instruments was recently discovered by researchers in Germany. With the introduction of new instruments called Argo floats, more complete and more reliable ocean temperature measurements have become possible. The first Argo floats were deployed in the Atlantic in 2000 and their network has rapidly ramped up to several thousand floats with near-global coverage of the world's oceans.
"This transition from a measuring system biased warm to a more realistic one appears as a cooling. Obviously, models can't account for spurious variability caused by instrument changes," AchutaRao said.
Other Livermore authors include Benjamin Santer, Peter Gleckler and Karl Taylor. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Center for Atmospheric Research also contributed to this report.
Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a national security laboratory, with a mission to ensure national security and apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Laboratory news releases and photos are also available at http://www.llnl.gov/PAO and on UC Newswire.
/Applied sciences and engineering/Environmental sciences/Ecology/Applied ecology/Ecological modeling/Climate modeling
/Physical sciences/Earth sciences/Oceanography/Ocean physics/Ocean temperature/Ocean warming
/Applied sciences and engineering/Environmental sciences/Climatology/Climate change/Climate change effects


During a six hour productive board meeting on Monday, we made some key strategic decisions for our gosemofiber.com project. We will soon announce construction phases and pricing details. Plus, United Fiber's David shared Missouri's United Electric Cooperative, Inc.'s fiber success story. We are learning from our co-op peers as we work to bring broadband to southeast Missouri.


text:
Q: RabbitMQ configuration file in windows: tcp_listeners not working I am rather new in RabbitMQ.
I am trying to change the interface for rabbitMQ, and in my rabbitMQ connfig i have the following :
[
  {rabbit, [
    {tcp_listeners, [{"192.168.1.100",5678}]}
  ]}
].

The error I get is :
exception exit: {listen_error,{acceptor,{192,168,1,100},5678},
                                  eaddrnotavail}

If i add 127.0.0.1 instead of this ip, there is no error.
Am i missing some kind of set up here?

A: Rabbit can't use the provided IP + port combination. Likely 192.168.1.100 is not the IP of the machine, or the port 5678 is already in use.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his old research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself.
Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to find out the truth once and for all.
If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for.
But if she fails, not even the gods can help her.
In spite of great learning difficulty brought on by dyslexia, Hannah graduated from high school with honors and was awarded a scholarship in English to Utah Valley University.
In 2006 she graduated from UVU with her Bachelor's degree in English Literature and immediately began two of her most exciting adventures yet: Motherhood and writing her first novel.
Five and a half years later, Hannah completed Cobbogoth, a Young Adult Fantasy-Adventure novel, and book one in a seven book series.
She currently lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband Michael, and their son. Hannah actively seeks to inspire kids and adults by speaking about her experiences of becoming an author in spite of dyslexia.
Hannah still daydreams, writes stories, builds forts, chases after her boys, and works really hard to earn money.
Disclaimer: This is not a review. Promo provided by author and Bewitching Book Tours. Giveaway provided by author. Loves 2 Read is in no way responsible for prizes.
Thank you for hosting me on your website, Susan!


Chippendale has become known as one of Sydney's key creative art districts. More than a dozen art galleries and back streets adorned with street art murals all contribute to give the suburb its creative vibe. The area has also been the focus of a lot of creative architectural development over recent years and together with the diversity of students from the nearby Universities this has resulted in the traditional pubs and corner cafes of the small suburb being joined by vibrant Asian Hawker stalls, hipster cafes, high-end restaurants with degustation menus and small bars.


text:
Venturi America half-buggy, half-sportscar electric vehicle debuts in Paris
Venturi America
Venturi, the French electric vehicle (EV) specialists responsible for the world's first production electric sportscar, the Fetish, and the Volange, has unveiled its latest creation at the Paris Motor Show. The America concept is a new half buggy, half sportscar-style EV that is designed to blend an electric sportscar and an all-terrain leisure vehicle. The America borrows its electric motor from the new VM300 Fetish, which, with over 300 hp (+220 kW) and torque of 380 Nm, Venturi says is the, "most advanced electric motor ever designed for an automobile."
The motor is powered by a new 54 kWh lithium ion polymer battery pack and Ventec-developed battery management system (BMS), which provides a range of up to 300 km at a stabilized speed of 90 km/h (190 miles at 56 mph). The rear-wheel drive two-seater boasts a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph) and the on-board charger allows the battery pack to be recharged to 80 percent capacity in eight hours using a standard electrical socket, or in three hours using a fast charge terminal.
Venturi says the America's carbon monocoque chassis is its first designed to house a large volume of batteries. The body consists of two deformable cells positioned at the front and rear of the vehicle to provide extra protection for the occupants and the battery pack in the event of an accident. Venturi has also designed and tested the chassis to protect passengers from electromagnetic emissions from the vehicle's batteries.
The vehicle's lightweight chassis was specially designed to suit its high body, which, combined with its specific tire mounting, provides a center ground clearance of 285mm (11.2 in) and axel ground clearance of 190mm (7.5 in) to give it the versatility to handle highway driving and venture off the beaten track. The America is also pretty compact, measuring 4.12m (13.5 ft) long, 1.9m (6.2 ft) wide and 1.39m (4.56 ft) high to the roll bar.
The red, white and blue connections extend beyond the name of Venturi's new vehicle, with the company having just launched a North American office in Columbus, Ohio, to "pursue technical and commercial development in the U.S." The choice of Ohio may seem a strange one until you consider that Venturi is a supporter of the Bullet Buckeye team from Ohio State University, which set a world record average two-way speed of 495 km/h (307.7 mph) with the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 earlier this year.
The America is on show in Paris as a concept and there is no confirmation as to whether the car will join the very exclusive Fetish on the market. If it does, it will be at the very high-end of the EV chain – the Fetish, of which 10 have been sold, costs 300,000 euro.
#Buggies
#Paris Auto Show 2010
#Venturi
#World's First
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Why support the Uffizi Galleries? The Uffizi Galleries are one of the most important museums in the world: full of the energy that animates the society around them, they are an eternal testament to our history.
Each contribution helps our Museums to carry out its role of conservation and protection with more serenity and promptness, opening the doors to this beautiful world created by its great heritage.
By supporting us, you are providing the spark for a great initiative to expand beyond the material borders of a Museum, helping us to integrate more closely with society and increasing both the number of visitor services as well as providing additional resources for cataloguing activities, restoration work and scientific research.
Your support will also help us to achieve some important objectives earlier than planned, providing a tangible mark of your civil commitment and the trust you place in our abilities.
B) To donate 0.5% of your tax income to support the Uffizi Galleries' activities, please visit the official website of MIBACT (Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism) where you can get all the necessary information about payment methods.


Dr. Zahi A. Fayad, Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York 10029.
Objectives The authors sought to develop combined positron emission tomography (PET) dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify plaque inflammation, permeability, and burden to evaluate the efficacy of a leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) inhibitor in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis.
Background Multimodality PET/MRI allows combining the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque inflammation, neovascularization, permeability, and burden by combined 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET, DCE-MRI, and morphological MRI. The authors describe a novel, integrated PET-DCE/MRI protocol to noninvasively quantify these parameters in aortic plaques of a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. As proof-of-concept, the authors apply this protocol to assess the efficacy of the novel LTA4H inhibitor BI691751.
Methods New Zealand White male rabbits (N = 49) were imaged with integrated PET-DCE/MRI after atherosclerosis induction and 1 and 3 months after randomization into 3 groups: 1) placebo; 2) high-dose BI691751; and 3) low-dose BI691751. All animals were euthanized at the end of the study.
Results Among the several metrics that were quantified, only maximum standardized uptake value and target-to-background ratio by 18F-FDG PET showed a modest, but significant, reduction in plaque inflammation in rabbits treated with low-dose BI691751 (p = 0.03), whereas no difference was detected in the high-fat diet and in the high-dose BI691751 groups. No differences in vessel wall area by MRI and area under the curve by DCE-MRI were detected in any of the groups. No differences in neovessel and macrophage density were found at the end of study among groups.
Conclusions The authors present a comprehensive, integrated 18F-FDG PET and DCE-MRI imaging protocol to noninvasively quantify plaque inflammation, neovasculature, permeability, and burden in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis on a simultaneous PET/MRI scanner. A modest reduction was found in plaque inflammation by 18F-FDG PET in the group treated with a low dose of the LTA4H inhibitor BI691751.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world (1). Standard-of-care treatment for atherosclerosis is based on lifestyle modifications and intervention with statins to control hyperlipidemia. The accumulation of oxidized lipids in the arterial wall precipitates an active inflammatory and immune response, accompanied by increased neovascularization and permeability, which is key in promoting plaque instability, thrombosis, and clinical events (2). Recent years have seen considerable efforts in developing and testing new therapeutics, and in repurposing already available drugs, to specifically target plaque inflammation. These studies have spurred increasing interest in the development and validation of surrogate quantitative in vivo imaging markers of plaque inflammation and neovasculature/permeability to facilitate and accelerate the selection of new, more effective antiatherosclerotic compounds.
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) has been extensively used to quantify atherosclerotic plaque inflammation. The correlation between 18F-FDG vessel wall uptake by PET/CT and plaque macrophage burden has been established in both animal models (3) and humans (4). Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that has been validated in atherosclerotic rabbits (5–7) and patients (8) to quantify increased plaque neovascularization and permeability. The reliability of 18F-FDG PET/CT and DCE-MRI applied to atherosclerosis was found to be excellent (9,10). Both techniques have already been employed in several longitudinal preclinical (11–14) and clinical drug studies (15–17) to quantify changes in vascular inflammation and neovasculature/permeability in vivo and noninvasively. However, these studies employed separate, sequential PET combined with CT and MRI. The advent of multimodality PET/MRI scanners now offers the possibility to fully integrate these functional measurements within the same imaging session on the same imaging device (18).
In this study, we develop a novel, integrated PET/MRI protocol to simultaneously quantify in vivo, noninvasively plaque inflammation, microvascularization, permeability, and burden in aortic plaques of a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. We applied this protocol to evaluate the antiatherosclerotic effect of BI691751, a novel inhibitor of the leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), an enzyme necessary for the synthesis of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a lipid mediator with remarkable proinflammatory activity (19).
Atherosclerosis was induced in 49 New Zealand White male rabbits (3 months old, average weight 3.02 ± 0.29 kg, Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, Massachusetts) as previously validated (5,11–14). Four months after diet initiation, rabbits underwent baseline PET/MRI for the integrated evaluation of plaque inflammation, neovascularization/permeability, and burden (Figure 1). Following, rabbits were randomized into 3 groups: 1) placebo, kept on high-fat diet (HFD); 2) high-dose BI691751 (15 mg/kg/day) admixed with HFD; and 3) low-dose BI 691751 (3 mg/kg/day) admixed with HFD. Imaging was repeated at 1 and 3 months after randomization (Figure 1). Throughout the paper, time points are labeled as follows: 1) −4M, diet initiation; 2) −2M, 2 months after diet initiation and 2 months before randomization; 3) 0M, 4 months after diet initiation, time of baseline imaging, and randomization; 4) 1M, 5 months after diet initiation, and 1 month imaging after randomization; and 5) 3M, 7 months after diet initiation, and 3 months imaging after randomization. All procedures were approved by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
High-fat diet group is indicated in pink, high-dose BI691751 is indicated in green, whereas the low-dose group is indicated in blue. The timeline of the study is indicated in months from randomization: −4M, beginning of high fat diet, 4 months before baseline imaging and randomization; 0M, baseline imaging and randomization; 1M, 1 month imaging after randomization; and 3M, 3 months imaging after randomization. As indicated, histological analysis was performed on all animals at the end of the study. PET/MRI = positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging.
Blood samples were collected at months −4M, −2M, 0M, 1M, and 3M for plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides measurement, to quantify compound levels, and for LTB4 activity measurements.
Imaging was performed on a combined PET/MRI scanner (Siemens mMR, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). PET was acquired in 3-dimensional (3D) mode for 10 min from the diaphragm to the iliac bifurcation. A 3D T2-weighted SPACE (sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution) sequence was acquired to quantify plaque burden. A 3D T1-weighted segmented FLASH (fast low-angle shot) sequence employing spatial saturation bands to achieve black-blood signal, was used for DCE-MRI, after injection of 0.1 mmol/l/kg of Gd-DTPA (Magnevist, Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany) (6). Table 1 shows relevant MRI parameters. Figure 2 describes the image acquisition protocol.
The workflow for the imaging day is described. First, rabbits are fasted for 4 h and then injected with 18F-FDG. The tracer is allowed to circulate for 3 h, after which PET imaging is performed. Immediately after PET, MRI for plaque burden measurement is acquired, followed by DCE-MRI for the quantification of plaque neovascularization and permeability. 18F-FDG = 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose; DCE = dynamic contrast-enhanced; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; PET = positron emission tomography.
Images were analyzed using Osirix version 5.9 64-bit (Pixmeo, Bernex, Switzerland). PET images were fused with time-of-flight bright-blood MR angiography. Circular regions of interest were drawn around the aorta from the left renal artery to the iliac bifurcation, and in the perivertebral muscles. For each slice, the aortic region of interest maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) (11–14) and target-to-background ratio (TBR) were recorded. TBR was calculated by dividing slice maximum SUV by average muscle SUV across all slices. For DCE-MRI inner and outer vessel wall contours were traced on the temporal average of the acquisition (12–14). The validated parameter area under the curve (AUC) (Figure 3) was calculated up until 2 min after contrast agent injection, using a custom-made Matlab program (MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts) (12–14). Vessel wall area (VWA) (cm2) was calculated as the difference between outer and inner wall area traced on 3D T2-weighted SPACE (Figure 3).
Representative coronal (A) and axial (B) PET (overlaid on time of flight angiography), delayed enhancement (DE), area under the curve (AUC) from DCE-MRI, and anatomical MRI for plaque burden. (A) White arrows: left renal artery and aortic bifurcation. Orange dashed line: level of axial images in B. (B) White arrow indicates the abdominal aorta. In PET images, yellow indicates higher 18F-FDG uptake, whereas red indicates lower uptake. In AUC images, hot colors indicate high contrast agent uptake, whereas cold colors indicate low uptake. Abbreviations as in Figure 2.
Three paraffin blocks from the aortas were immmunostained with RAM11 antibodies, for macrophages, and CD31, for neovessels (5,12–14,20). Macrophage area (%) was calculated using a semiautomated, custom-made Matlab program (21) as the ratio between macrophage-rich areas (mm2) and total intima-media area (mm2). Neovessels were manually counted as CD31-positive cells in each layer, and also normalized per unit area (mm2) (5,13,14).
All parameters were averaged across the whole vessel for each animal and at each imaging time point. After tests for data normality, a paired nonparametric Friedman test was used to analyze changes in imaging metrics in each rabbit group, across the 3 imaging time points. A nonpaired, nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare biomarker values at baseline and during the treatment period, and histological markers at the end of study, across groups. Unless otherwise stated, values are reported in the text as median (interquartile range).
A more detailed description of the methods is reported in the Online Appendix.
In the whole rabbit cohort, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and stimulated LTB4 values were significantly higher after atherosclerosis induction (p < 0.001) (Online Appendix, Online Figure 1, Online Table 1). Total cholesterol was 69 mg/dl (51 to 130 mg/dl) at −4M, and 641 mg/dl (509 to 748 mg/dl) and 1,382 mg/dl (1,051 to 1,641 mg/dl) at −2M and 0M, respectively. Triglycerides were 81 mg/dl (61 to 109 mg/dl) at −4M, and 29 mg/dl (23 to 39 mg/dl) and 212 mg/dl (136 to 308 mg/dl) at −2M and 0M, respectively. No significant difference was observed in total cholesterol and triglycerides among groups over the 3-month treatment period. Total cholesterol for months 1 through 3 after randomization were: HFD group 936 mg/dl (819 to 1,357 mg/dl); high-dose BI691715 group 1,086 mg/dl (931 to 1,300 mg/dl); and low-dose BI691715 group 1,178 mg/dl (916 to 1,496 mg/dl). Triglycerides for months 1 through 3 after randomization were: HFD group 258 mg/dl (219 to 391 mg/dl); high-dose BI691715 group 207 mg/dl (151 to 361 mg/dl); and low-dose BI691715 group 239 mg/dl (141 to 274 mg/dl).
Stimulated LTB4 values were 3,887 pg/ml (2,398 to 4,684 pg/ml) at −4M, and 4,919 pg/ml (2,418 to 9,244 pg/ml) and 11,392 pg/ml (4,001 to 17,155 pg/ml) at −2M and 0M, respectively. Stimulated LTB4 values over the 3-month treatment period were significantly lower in the high-dose BI691715 (5,716 pg/ml [3,493 to 9,772 pg/ml]) and low-dose BI691715 (9,575 pg/ml [6,530 to 15,419 pg/ml]) groups compared with rabbits in the HFD group (13,361 pg/ml [12,405 to 19,054 pg/ml]) (Figure 4). More detailed results from the analysis of blood biomarkers are reported in Online Table 2. LTB4 exposure levels in the 2 treatment groups are reported in Online Table 3.
(A) Total cholesterol; (B) triglycerides; and (C) LTB4 stimulation. HFD = high-fat diet.
Five of 49 rabbits were excluded from the longitudinal analysis for poor image quality. At 0M, maximum SUV values for each group were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.18) (Figure 5A), and were: HFD group 0.47 (0.40 to 0.55); high-dose BI691715 group 0.57 (0.48 to 0.68); and low-dose BI691715 group 0.52 (0.40 to 0.61). Whole-vessel maximum SUV was significantly different among the 3 imaging time points only in the low-dose BI691751 group (p = 0.03; 0.42 [0.36 to 0.57] at 1M, and 0.49 [0.41 to 0.53] at 3M) (Figure 5A) (HFD group: p = 0.93; 0.47 [0.37 to 0.52] at 1M, and 0.44 [0.40 to 0.54] at 3M; high-dose BI691751 group: p = 0.12; 0.50 [0.47 to 0.56] at 1M and 0.50 [0.41 to 0.63] at 3M). At 0M, maximum TBR values for each group were also not significantly different from each other (p = 0.51) (Figure 5B), and were: HFD group 3.90 (3.48 to 4.23); high-dose BI691715 group 4.15 (3.42 to 4.85); and low-dose BI691715 group 4.57 (3.20 to 5.96). Whole-vessel maximum TBR was also significantly different among the 3 imaging time points only in the low-dose BI691751 group (p = 0.03; 3.81 [3.01 to 4.48] at 1M, and 3.68 [3.41 to 4.38] at 3M) (Figure 5B) (HFD group: p = 0.32; 3.05 [2.43 to 3.83] at 1M, and 3.15 [2.84 to 3.93] at 3M; high-dose BI691751 group: p = 0.73; 3.86 [2.97 to 4.51] at 1M and 3.70 [2.63 to 4.72] at 3M). Spaghetti plots are reported in Online Figure 2.
Box and whiskers graphs of 18F-FDG PET maximum SUV (A), maximum TBR (B), AUC (C), and VWA (D) in all groups over time. Boxes extend from the 25th to the 75th percentile. The line in the middle of each box indicates the median. Whiskers indicate minimum and maximum value. HFD group is indicated by pink. High-dose BI691751 group is indicated by green. Low-dose BI691751 group is indicated by blue. SUV = standardized uptake value; TBR = target-to-background ratio; VWA = vessel wall area; other abbreviations as in Figures 2 and 4.
At least 1 imaging session for 12 of 49 rabbits could not be analyzed. Therefore, these animals were excluded from the longitudinal analysis. At 0M, AUC values for each group of rabbits were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.48), with the HFD group AUC being 3.84 (2.96 to 5.09), the high-dose BI691751 group 4.51 (3.45 to 5.38) and the low-dose BI691751 group 4.18 (3.83 to 5.19). Whole-vessel AUC was not significantly different in any of the groups and across imaging time points (Figure 5C) (HFD group: p = 0.56; 4.11 [3.47 to 4.88] at 1M, and 3.96 [2.90 to 4.57] at 3M; high-dose BI691751 group: p = 0.26; 3.43 [3.28 to 4.22] at 1M, and 4.02 [2.54 to 4.28] at 3M; and low-dose BI691751 group: p = 0.06; 3.92 [3.33 to 5.02] at 1M, 3.57 [3.41 to 4.52] at 3M). Spaghetti plots are reported in Online Figure 2.
One imaging time point for 1 rabbit of 49 could not be analyzed, and therefore, this animal was excluded from the longitudinal analysis. At 0M, VWA for each group of rabbits was not significantly different from each other (p = 0.73), with the HFD group VWA being 0.08 cm2 (0.08 to 0.10 cm2), the high-dose BI691751 group 0.09 cm2 (0.07 to 0.10 cm2), and the low-dose BI691751 group 0.09 cm2 (0.08 to 0.11 cm2). Whole-vessel VWA was not significantly different among the 3 imaging time points for all groups (Figure 5D) (HFD group: p = 0.63; 0.08 cm2 [0.08 to 0.10 cm2] at 1M, and 0.09 cm2 [0.08 to 0.12 cm2] at 3M; high-dose BI691751 group: p = 0.25; 0.08 cm2 [0.07 to 0.10 cm2] at 1M, and 0.08 cm2 [0.06 to 0.09 cm2] at 3M; and low-dose BI691751 group: p = 0.18; 0.10 cm2 [0.08 to 0.11 cm2] at 1M, 0.10 cm2 [0.07 to 0.11 cm2] at 3M). Spaghetti plots are reported in Online Figure 2.
No significant difference in macrophage density (% area) was found across groups (n = 48; p = 0.85; HFD group 30.19% area [23.81 to 33.06% area]; high-dose BI691751 group 28.93% area [26.11 to 36.58% area]; and low-dose BI691751 group 31.33% area [24.95 to 33.42% area]) (Figure 6). For neovessels (n = 45), no significant difference was found in neovessel count in the tunica intima (p = 0.08; HFD group 283.80 [238.70 to 334.20]; high-dose BI691751 group 287.30 [233.90 to 353.00]; and low-dose BI691751 group 360.50 [286.60 to 408.50]), in total neovessel count (intima + media) (p = 0.05; HFD group 496.60 [445.30 to 592.80]; high-dose BI691751 group 581.10 [431.30 to 640.50]; and low-dose BI691751 group 626.30 [518.80 to 722.60]), and neovessel density (p = 0.13; HFD group 86.26 [76.82 to 91.62]; high-dose BI691751 group 83.47 [65.13 to 92.95]; and low-dose BI691751 group 89.99 [85.26 to 105.70]). However, a significant difference was found in the number of neovessels in the tunica media (p = 0.02; HFD group 206.70 [199.60 to 256.00]; high-dose BI691751 group 266.70 [198.10 to 309.50]; and low-dose BI691751 group 256.60 [237.40 to 312.40]) (Figure 7). Supplemental data regarding the correlation of imaging variables among themselves, and with histology, as well as measurements reliability can be found in the Online Appendix (Online Figures 4 to 6, Online Tables 1 to 6).
Boxes extend from the 25th to the 75th percentile. The line in the middle of each box indicates the median. Whiskers indicate the distribution minimum and maximum value. HFD group is indicated by pink. High-dose BI691751 group is indicated by green. Low-dose BI691751 group is indicated by blue. Purple-contoured zoomed-in images in representative Ram11 staining indicate macrophage-rich areas (purple arrow). HFD = high-fat diet.
Boxes extend from the 25th to the 75th percentile. The line in the middle of each box indicates the median. Whiskers indicate the distribution minimum and maximum value. HFD group is indicated by pink. High-dose BI691751 group is indicated by green. Low-dose BI691751 group is indicated by blue. Purple-contoured zoomed-in images in representative CD31 staining indicate neovessel rich areas (purple arrow). HFD = high-fat diet.
Leukotrienes are short-lived, potent lipid mediators implicated in several inflammatory processes (22). LTB4 has marked proinflammatory effects in atherosclerosis, by acting as a chemoattractant for inflammatory cells, and enhancing the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules, thereby promoting leukocyte extravasation in the vessel wall (19). mRNA levels of the 3 key proteins necessary for LTB4 biosynthesis (5-lypoxigenase [5LO], 5-LO-activating protein [FLAP], and LTA4H) are significantly increased in human atherosclerotic plaques (23,24). FLAP polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction in humans (25). Pharmacological or genetic targeting of LTB4 receptors 1 and 2 (BLT1 and BLT2) on inflammatory cells was shown to reduce atherosclerotic lesion size, and plaque macrophage content in hyperlipidemic mice and in atherosclerotic rabbits (26,27). Pharmacological inhibition of FLAP in atherosclerosis-prone mice has consistently shown reduced lesion size (28,29). In humans, inhibition of FLAP in patients carrying at-risk variants of genes involved in the biosynthesis of leukotrienes was also found to significantly suppress plasma biomarkers associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events in a dose-dependent fashion (30). Specific targeting of 5-LO in animal models has led to contradictory results so far (31,32). In patients, one 5-LO inhibitor (Atreleuton, VIA-2291, VIA Pharmaceuticals, San Francisco, California) has been evaluated (33,34) in a Phase II trial of 191 patients with recent acute coronary syndrome. Atreleuton was found to reduce whole-blood LTB4 levels in a dose-dependent manner. A lower frequency of new lesion formation was found by CT coronary angiography in a subset of 60 patients 24 weeks after treatment initiation (34). However, a follow-up study did not find a significant difference in carotid plaque inflammation by 18F-FDG PET/CT in subjects treated with atreleuton, whereas still confirming significant plasma inhibition of LTB4 activity (16). In line with these clinical results, our experimental study detected minimal or no effect of the LTA4H inhibitor BI691751 on plaque inflammation, and no effect on plaque size and neovascularization in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis.
Dual-modality PET/MRI combines the highly sensitive, quantitative information from PET, with the detailed structural information and excellent tissue contrast from MRI (18). It delivers less ionizing radiation compared with PET/CT, which is important when employing longitudinal studies to investigate chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis (18). In contrast to events-driven clinical trials, or preclinical studies limited to ex vivo endpoints, longitudinal imaging studies require fewer subjects and allow evaluating drug efficacy in a shorter amount of time, thus potentially facilitating and accelerating the selection of new antiatherosclerotic compounds.
Here, we investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of the LTA4H inhibitor BI691751 in an established rabbit model of atherosclerosis using novel, integrated PET-DCE/MRI. Two different dosing regimens of BI691751 were tested on the basis of previous observations that both these regimens provided effective LTB4 inhibition (∼90% for the high dose, and ∼50% for the low dose), and reduced plaque size and plaque macrophage content by histology in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis progression (unpublished data). We find a modest significant longitudinal reduction in maximum SUV and TBR by 18F-FDG PET in the low-dose BI691751 group, reflecting a reduction of plaque inflammation (p = 0.03 for both measures). The higher reduction in 18F-FDG uptake in this group, but not in the high-dose group, is an unexpected effect in this model that will require further investigation of the specific mechanism of action of BI691751 on vascular inflammation. Histological evaluation of aortic sections at the end of the study showed no significant differences in macrophage and neovessel density among groups. However, a significant difference in neovessel count in the tunica media (p = 0.02) was observed, mirrored by a trend in the tunica intima (p = 0.08), and in total neovessel count (p = 0.05). In agreement with previous studies using PET/MRI (35) (but differing from similar studies conducted on PET/CT [13,14]) we found no increase in 18F-FDG over time in the progression group. AUC by DCE-MRI also did not change upon treatment or progression, although a trend toward lower AUC values at the end of the study with respect to baseline was detected also in the low-dose BI691751 group (p = 0.06). No other imaging or histological metrics changed upon administration of either dose of the compound. Discrepancies between imaging and ex vivo results can be attributed to the fact that whereas histological analysis was only performed at the end of the study and investigated differences across groups, imaging was performed longitudinally and explored temporal differences in inflammation, neovasculature/permeability, and burden within the same group. As described in the Online Appendix, correlations between SUV, TBR, and AUC by imaging and neovessel count and macrophage density by histological analysis were found to be positive, moderate, and statistically significant in most cases, when calculated in the whole rabbit cohort at 3M.
Rabbit models of atherosclerosis have been extensively used and validated as a platform to investigate the efficacy of novel antiatherosclerotic compounds on established atherosclerotic plaques, and to facilitate drug development in cardiovascular disease (11–14). Rabbits, being more cost effective than larger animal models, such as atherosclerotic pigs, allow performing better powered and highly controlled studies of drug efficacy. Because of their relatively large size, rabbits can be imaged using clinical scanners, with protocols that are easily translated into humans, a significant advantage over smaller species such as atherosclerotic mice. Because the same surrogate imaging endpoints of drug efficacy can be used in animals and patients, this aspect facilitates planning of clinical drug trials. In addition to the present work, several studies in the past have employed this animal model to investigate efficacy of antiatherosclerotic drugs. Studies using PET/CT have demonstrated a reduction of 18F-FDG uptake in the rabbits aorta after treatment with liver X receptor (LXR) agonists (13), irbesartan (36), probucol (37), and liposomal glucocorticoids (11,12), or after switch to chow (non–high-fat) diet, alone (38) or with statins (35). Stabilization of SUV values was observed in rabbits treated with pioglitazone (14) and atorvastatin (13). Similarly, the AUC by DCE-MRI was significantly decreased after 3 months of treatment with pioglitazone (14) and liposomal glucocorticoids (11,12), and showed a trend toward a significant reduction in rabbits treated with atorvastatin (13). No differences in vessel wall area by anatomic MRI were detected here. This result is in concordance with published reports (13,14), although other studies using higher resolution MRI demonstrated a significant reduction in plaque burden in a similar rabbit model after 6-months treatment with LXR agonist and simvastatin, alone and in combination (39). Overall, these preclinical results are in good concordance with the outcomes of clinical studies that have used the same or comparable surrogate imaging endpoints of drug efficacy (17,40–45).
Although combined PET/MRI is becoming more and more common, this technology is still relatively new compared to PET/CT. Previous studies have validated 18F-FDG PET/MRI to quantify vascular inflammation, and found excellent agreement with PET/CT (35,46), with a slight underestimation of SUV values by PET/MRI (47). Potential issues with radiotracer quantification by PET/MRI, specifically related to the correction of tracers' signal attenuation, are well known, and are subject of active investigation (48) (Online Appendix). Here, we used a previously validated black blood, 3D, high-resolution sequence for DCE-MRI of the vessel wall. This approach allows for optimal vessel wall/lumen delineation during dynamic imaging, but does not allow to easily calculate quantitative modeling parameters of permeability (Ktrans) and microvascular volume (vp) (8). In lieu of these quantities, we have analyzed DCE-MRI data using the non–model-based parameter AUC (5), which has been extensively validated in this rabbit model. As already stated, no difference in VWA by MRI was detected in this study after treatment. This behavior may be attributable to the relatively big size of the MRI voxel (0.6 × 0.6 × 0.6 mm3) with respect to the rabbit vessel wall, which makes it very challenging to capture subtle changes in plaque burden. Last, but not least, although the balloon injury rabbit model of cardiovascular disease has been shown to develop atherosclerotic lesions with key characteristics of human plaques, such as inflammation and microvascularization, it still may not fully reflect the complex composition of human lesions. Therefore, translation of results based on surrogate imaging endpoints of drug efficacy from this preclinical model to humans will have to be carefully evaluated.
We used a comprehensive, integrated 18F-FDG PET and DCE-MRI imaging protocol to noninvasively quantify plaque inflammation, neovasculature, permeability, and burden in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis on a simultaneous PET/MRI scanner. A modest reduction was found in plaque inflammation by 18F-FDG PET in the group treated with a low dose of the LTA4H inhibitor BI691751.
COMPETENCY IN MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE: Combined PET/DCE-MRI offers the possibility to simultaneously quantify atherosclerotic plaque burden together with plaque inflammation and neovascularization/permeability, 2 important hallmarks of plaques at high risk for causing cardiovascular events. PET/MRI can be an effective tool to study noninvasively the efficacy of new antiatherosclerotic compounds, such as the LTA4H inhibitor BI691751 investigated here.
TRANSLATIONAL OUTLOOK: The integrated PET/DCE-MRI workflow implemented in a rabbit animal model of atherosclerosis can be readily translated into humans, because imaging protocols were developed and acquired on a clinical, combined PET/MRI scanner. The clinical values of these protocols to improve risk stratification of patients with cardiovascular disease, and the evaluation of treatment efficacy, need to be further carefully evaluated in humans.
The authors wish to thank Riley Delesha (employee of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Radiology at the time the study was performed) for her support with some of the reproducibility analyses performed.
Dr. Calcagno is supported by a Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association (16SDG27250090). Dr. Lairez was supported in part by grants from the Fédération Française de Cardiologie. Drs. Calcagno, Robson, Eldib, Mani, and Fayad are supported by NIH grants EB009638, HL071021 and HL128056. Drs. Hawkins, Kerr, Dugas, and Broadwater are employees of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Simpson is a former employee of Boehringer Ingelheim. Drs. Ehlgen and Niessen are employees of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. Drs. Calcagno and Lairez contributed equally to this paper and are joint first authors. Heinrich R. Schelbert, MD, served as the Guest Editor for this paper.
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When you meet someone, the first they you will notice is their skin. Altaire Clinic, in Fargo ND specializes in laser resurfacing treatments to make your skin shine. If your skin looks dull and tired, you may be considering treatments like a chemical peel or microdermabrasion. These are treatments that use chemicals or abrasive materials to remove the top layer of the skin promoting new skin to grow from underneath. At Altaire, we offer two alternative and natural laser resurfacing treatments.
The NanoLaserPeel treatment uses light energy to instantly remove the top layers of the skin at a depth that also accelerates the skin's own renewal process by activating special messenger cells. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels often don't get deep enough. Our NanoLaserPeel treatment has the precision to work at just the right depth, creating beautifully smooth, luminous skin.
Altair also offers Micro Resurfacing. This is an aggressive laser treatment. Using an erbium type laser, this treatment takes resurfacing to the next level. It is considered the gold standard for a cosmetic non-surgical treatment for skin tightening. The Micro Resurfacing laser treatment is able to tighten the skin, eliminate wrinkles, and reverse sun damage. Micro Resurfacing is great for those difficult areas such as around the eyes. Plan for about 1 week of downtime with this aggressive laser. Results will be immediate, but it will also stimulate collagen up to 6 months post laser. Please keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Making sure you have adequate healing time allows you to work with your provider to customize the treatment plan. There is no requirements prior to the treatment.
Can This Be Paired With Other Laser Treatments?
Yes, a lighter NanoLaserPeel can be paired with other lasers such as Halo or BBL to attain desired results.
Can I Do Injectable Treatments The Same Day?
No, there is inflammation created from the laser, so we recommend that you wait at least 1 week before doing any injectables treatments.
What Ares Of The Body Can Be Treated?
Most skin areas can be treated. Popular treatment areas are the face and neck, though some people also treat the chest and hands. You should discuss your needs with one of our providers.
Your skin will be cleaned in the treatment area and your eyes will be protected with safety shields. The physician will position the laser hand piece above the skin and will hold it in place as the computer-guided scanner moves the laser beam around the treatment area. Depending on the size of the area being treated, the procedure usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes.
One of the primary advantages of NanoLaserPeel is that it causes little pain because it does not penetrate very deeply into the skin. At its most shallow settings, most people can tolerate treatment with no anesthetic at all. For the more aggressive settings, numbing is used prior to the laser treatment. At Altaire, we offer Pro-Nox (nitrous oxide) to help ease the discomfort/anxiety as well.


What's with me and the late Saturday night posts lately?
Last time I stayed up past my bedtime and decided to do a post, I was filling my bowl with another frozen treat — my chocolate-banana-peanut butter mock ice cream.
Tonight I was feeling fruity.
And I thought you might be too, so I logged on to share this little ditty with you right quick.
Stick the whole can in your freezer and let it get nice and solid. When you're ready for your treat, take it out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for a while, or run it under warm water to loosen things up a little. Open the can and use a knife to slice through the semi-frozen peaches and dump into blender.
Blend on puree/high setting until smooth.
Posted on January 28, 2012 by Sarah @ Celiac in the City •	This entry was posted in Recipes: let's eat!, What's up in the city? and tagged chocolate banana peanut butter mock ice cream recipe, easy gluten free dessert, gluten free peach sorbet, late night gluten free snack. Bookmark the permalink.
I wish I could eat this. My mother had a cousin that owned a peach cannery in GA and he gave us a tour. I have never been able to eat canned peaches since then (I think I was about ten). Don't worry all the good peach went in the cans. I just can't get over the ones that were over ripe. Ugh! May try a version when fresh peaches come in season.
Love how creative you are. And you always find the easiest recipes for people to try out. You're fabulous.
LOVE it! I do that with bananas a lot!!
I used to make it all the time, years ago (pre-GF) but then kind of forgot about it — so glad it has reappeared around here!


July is National Ice Cream Month! But honestly, I think every day is a great day for ice cream and who doesn't love a Dilly Bar? I get asked all the time for a keto ice cream recipe that doesn't require an ice cream machine and here is one of my low carb ice cream recipes that do not require one. You could also make this Cherry Dilly Bar recipe dairy free if needed!
Place heavy cream in a blender and purée on high until stiff peaks form. With blender on low, slowly add the almond milk, sweetener, extract and salt. Blend on low until just combined. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. Pour into dilly bar molds. Place a wood popsicle stick into the center of each filled mold. Place in freezer to chill for 3 hours or until set.
Place the melted coconut oil or butter into a blender or mini food processor. Add natural sweetener, extract, natural food dye and salt. Puree until smooth. Dip frozen dilly bars into the coating. Place dipped bars on a piece of parchment and place back into freezer for 30 minutes to set. Store in airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
A great update from my phone client!
Would cashew milk work with this recipe?
where do I find dilly bar molds?
My name is Dan Burse. I am 52 years old. I have type 2 diabetes and suffered a heart attack 5 years ago. I have been folliwing the keto lifestyle for the last year and a half. I cut out dairy after purchasing your 30 day keto cleanse book. I also do intermittent fasting most days. I am having trouble losing the extra weight. My glucose levels still fluctuate between 4-7. I want to make sure I'm getting my protein levels in daily but how do I do that in a 6-8 hour eating window? Also my cholesterol levels are very high. But I refuse to take statins. Any advice you might have for me would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Maria, I just got done reading you and your husbands books "Keto", wow amazing book and so much information. I do have one question for you that I'm hoping you can answer for me. I'm a vegeterian(I I do eat dairy but no meat) is it possible to do a Keto diet if I don't eat meat?
Does eating keto change sensitivity to sun? I have not used sunscreen this year (a first) and have been outside lots and have not burned. I recall finding a reference to this (by you, I think) and cannot recall the source (to return to it myself).
We have nut allergies in my family. Can coconut milk be substituted for the almond milk?


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