Since my Sophmore year in High School, I've been improving my skills developing better iPhone applications by keeping up-to-date with WWDC videos and other reliable sources.
Building template pages with Node.js would be my second most strongest placeholder to compile websites such as SRJC's CS website.
After four years of employment at retail, I've had customer-faced positions and enjoy putting the needs of others before my own to build that outstanding experience.
From troubleshooting common issues to building a desktop computer, I've love to understand how a computer works and what build the best experience for every feature such as gaming.
Climbing up the ladder, I've worked from company to company, been given the manager role as my first position and I then grew to love becoming dependable by others.
Using InVisionapp as my service, I designed this site from thumbnails to a working mock up.
In the face of this kind of reality, we need to give them better, more effective tools for managing their lives and helping to make them more whole.
Designed, developed and deployed this iPhone application with light aid from a senior iOS developer as my mentor.
Work doesn't have to be boring and dull, but when something needs to be done and at a timely matter, it becomes my highest priority to best apply my sense of urgency.
To find that better more efficient method on completing a task or solving a problem is best achieved by having the patients and different perspectives and that is a skill I hope to never lose.
I'm not one to hesitate working with others if it means getting things done and building a healthier environment. In doing that, I feel more comfortable expressing stronger ideas and suggesting riskier methods.
Just like most task manager apps, Assigned differs by helping you measure each task by the amount of effort needed to complete the task and then help plan balancing the effort throughout the week on a calendar.
An "all in one" app for logging many types of information such as journals, map locations, personal preferences, stopwatches or timers to then later be referenced by. iLog will express all of Apple's technologies such as WatchKit, Today's Extension and more productive tools like Split-view.
Similar to iLog, Mulah is currently an offline financing iPhone app that tracks expenses, budgets, wish list items, IOUs, bills, and much more! Mulah helps how to save money from past expenses. Mulah will also use WatchKit to help quickly add purchases and update budgets and balances so you can continue enjoying your wealth!
After I joined the CS club, I knew we needed to update the current website into something club members and new guests can find useful. This new website presents all project details such as images, team members and what's next. This site also shows club events and helpful tutorial links and lessons to help join projects.


Matthew D. Sarrel Opera 8 Opera 8.0 promises to be a capable browser that offers some unique features, such as rearrangement of tabs and page zooming. Lack of support for ActiveX is a security plus, but a usability minus in our Microsoft-centric world.
Quick rendering. Superior tab organizing features. Zooms pages in and out accurately.
Opera 8.0 promises to be a capable browser that offers some unique features, such as rearrangement of tabs and page zooming. Lack of support for ActiveX is a security plus, but a usability minus in our Microsoft-centric world.
In the browser space, Firefox has been named the fringe candidate most likely to give Microsoft fits. But Opera has been happy to help in that department, too, and the new Opera 8.0 has enough going for it in terms of features, security, and speed to make advanced PC users actually consider paying for a browser.
Opera has a host of attractive and innovative features that make browsing easier. It also helps to organize information and keep it at your fingertips. We love the tabbed interface, and you can even drag-and-drop tabs to rearrange their order—something you can't do in any other major browser. Another plus: Opera has pop-up blocking that actually works.
The new version keeps track of closed tabs (and pop-ups that have been blocked), so if you realize you closed a tab (or let the browser block a pop-up that you actually wanted open) and shouldn't have, simply click on the trash can near the location bar and open the page again. We also like that you can configure the browser to open a set group of tabbed pages at startup. This means you can flip on your PC, go get your coffee, and come back to not only a launched browser but also CNN.com, NYTimes.com, PCMag.com, and the Drudge Report loaded and ready to go.
As before, bookmarks can be either a single page or a group of tabbed pages. Also as before, the browser keeps track of the top ten sites that you've visited, but you can now access them quickly via a link off the toolbar. A drop-down menu to the right of the location bar allows you to zoom in or out on any page, and pages can be squeezed into a narrow column that will reformat to fit. The only way to get this functionality in another browser is via a plug-in, and we found that Opera zooms pages more accurately than any Firefox plug-in.
Filling out Web forms is a little easier, thanks to Opera's Wand feature. It keeps track of passwords (if you so choose), as well as commonly requested information (name, e-mail address, mailing address, and so on) and offers to fill in this data automatically when a page calls for it.
Internet Explorer users will find surfing with Opera is much faster than they're used to; Opera's support for mouse gestures and keyboard shortcuts is superior to other entries, and Opera is the only browser to offer voice commands. After a 10MB download, can control Opera by clicking the mouse on the Voice menu bar button (or pressing scroll lock) and then saying "Opera back" or "Opera reload". Opera can also read web pages aloud. Voice commands require a headset.
The browser has a Flash animation player built in, but no support for ActiveX controls. That's by design, as ActiveX can be the on-ramp for malware, but it's also a drawback if you often visit legitimate sites that require ActiveX to take advantage of all their features.
Still, Opera includes all kinds of neat features, the most impressive being page zoom and the most promising being voice command. Even in this world of free browsers, the $39 price is well worth it.
Bottom Line: Opera 8.0 promises to be a capable browser that offers some unique features, such as rearrangement of tabs and page zooming. Lack of support for ActiveX is a security plus, but a usability minus in our Microsoft-centric world.


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Talking Al Pacino in 'Cruising' (1980)
Posted on Dec 18, 2019 Dec 18, 2019 by Erica D.
Today we reminisce about
Cruising (1980)
Directed by William Friedkin
Starring: Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen
* Published specifically for The All About Al Pacino Blogathon hosted by Gabriela at Pale Writer *
This article contains content and images that are of an adult nature so please exercise caution if you are subject sensitive or easily offended. In addition, there are many spoilers lying within so if you have not seen the film, I would highly suggest that you refrain from reading my words so that you can experience every plot twist and turn for yourself.
It is the summer of 1979 in New York and a series of violent murders involving gay men have been plaguing the city. The police believe that the same person may be responsible for a half a dozen other unsolved homicides from which only random body parts have been retrieved from the Hudson River. Despite making some connections and pinpointing other trends, the police have no solid leads on a suspect.
Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino), under pressure from his superiors in the face of an upcoming political election, decides to recruit a cop to go undercover so to help nab the murderer. He chooses Steve Burns (Al Pacino), a police officer usually assigned to standard patrol work, largely because he shares a physical resemblance to a number of the victims. Burns is sceptical of taking the assignment mostly because it would require him to pose as a gay man and actively pursue suspects by being willing to engage in homosexual activity. Having a serious live-in girlfriend, Nancy (Karen Allen), with whom he hopes to build a future also weighs on Burns but he ultimately decides to accept the assignment in the hopes of being promoted to detective status. He is not allowed to divulge any information about his work to Nancy or even to see her during the time that he will be undercover, which could be for many months.
Burns takes the alias John Forbes and moves into a West Village apartment in a part of the town frequented by the gay community. The person who rented the place before him happened to have been into BDSM, the exact subculture that Burns intends to explore. He befriends his gay neighbour, Ted Bailey, a struggling writer who shares and apartment with his boyfriend, a professional dancer on Broadway. Together they talk about the recent murders and about life in general. Immediately after settling in, Burns starts frequenting a variety of different homosexual bars/club in order to scope out the scene. On one particular evening he is refused entry in an establishment because it is (ironically) police night there and he is not dressed for the event. He is followed out by a young man named Skip Lee who is aggressively suggestive about wanting sex but Burns rebuffs him, only agreeing to meet up with Skip after more murders occur. Skip's temperamental profile is enough to interest the police to bring him in for questioning in regards to the murders so Burns works with the team to set-up a sting operation. The subsequent interrogation is brutal and completely against the books, humiliating an innocent Skip and disgusting Burns.
The assignment starts to break Burns' spirit and destroy his relationship with Nancy, who he has been secretly seeing all this time. He attempts to quit the job but is persuaded to stay by Edelson, giving Burns the fire to continue his search for the real murderer. When looking over several pages of images given to him from a Columbia University yearbook, it does not take Burns long to come across a familiar face – Stuart Richards, a Columbia graduate student and former student of a murdered gay professor who he has seen on numerous occasions in gay bars. Burns relentlessly stakes out Richards' whereabouts and eventually enters his apartment where he discovers evidence that could help pin him to the crimes. It is after this incident that Richards discovers that he is being followed but has no idea that Burns is a police officer. Richards, a schizophrenic who suffers from hallucinations and other anxiety, decides that he must stop Burns and the two have a silent agreement to meet late one night in Morningside Park. From there, we discover if Richards is indeed the guilty suspect though, at the same time, are disillusioned by yet another grisly murder and a very cryptic ending to the film.
Forethoughts
Cruising is a cinematic timepiece and captures a moment in history when free love still reigned, particularly in the gay community. Only one year after the film's release, the world was forever changed when the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially publicly identified and acknowledged the existence of AIDS. This deadly condition was incurable and in its early identifiable existence claimed many beloved figures and icons as its victims. The arrival of AIDS did not eliminate the occurrence of casual sex but the general population in the Western World was gradually educated to use protection in order to prevent the spread of disease. While even today not everyone follows the practise, the transmission of AIDS has greatly decreased in developed nations. Going back to the film, Cruising gives us a blind's eye view of what the pre-AIDS gay scene was like in New York City, at a time when general crime was rampant and the Big Apple was a very tough town.
The frustration felt by Paul Sorvino's Captain Edelson perfectly reflects the dark and unsure ambiance of the film. Despite him being a seasoned professional, the sight of a heavily wounded body still makes Edelson queasy. With no solid leads, he and his team become more desperate to make any suspect crack under pressure by using brutal, unethical tactics that shock even Burns. Edelson wants to go slow and catch the right guy but his higher ups want a suspect to take the blame to satisfy public outcry and, more importantly, their political ambitions. This pressure trickles down to Burns who, already on the verge of quitting the case, turns into a wolf on a manhunt when he tracks down Richards who he believes to the serial killer. As a spectator, you are attuned to the stress felt by the characters and it is hard to feel comfortable when watching the film. Granted the foundation of the story if not pleasant; after all it involves violence and extremely taboo subjects.
Al Pacino & discussion of his character
Unless you have been living under a rock chances are that you know of Al Pacino in some form, whether it is from having watched his films or having appreciated him as a contemporary pop culture icon. In my case, I have generally been more familiar with Pacino's public persona than I have been with his body of cinematic work. One of my first introductions to him was seeing the effect that he had on the character Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, who had a poster of Pacino's film Serpico hanging in his bedroom. Manero was fascinated with being physically compared to Pacino, especially since the thought made ladies fall weak at the knees. Other than that, I had seen parodies of The Godfather and had not understood the references because, truth be told, I have never been able to muster enough interest to watch the film saga. As the years have gone by, I have not seen a great many other Pacino projects although I will say that I really enjoyed both of his films that were released in 1999, The Insider and Any Given Sunday. As a Penn State alumna, I am also interested to see his performance in 2018's Paterno, a film that no doubt was as a real challenge for everyone involved.
Pacino was cast as Steve Burns at a time right before he would go through the first notable downturn of his career. After he rose to fame from 1972's The Godfather, the rest of the 1970's would be as successful for him despite there being two and three years between making movies. The 1980's would be his toughest decade yet as he made only five films and took a four year sabbatical from the screen between 1985's Revolution and 1989's Sea of Love. It has been noted that Pacino was not comfortable with the material and had a hard time grasping the material during filming; something that director Friedkin readily acknowledges is visible in his performance. Also, the literary Burns character was supposed to be an early twenty-something while Pacino was 39 during filming. Even though a few years could be shaved off without suspending disbelief, it was clear that Pacino was too old to accurately incarnate Steve Burns. It is perfectly plausible that Burns could have gotten a later start in life in terms of employment and the personal situation with his girlfriend (serious, but not yet engaged or married) but something just does not add up with that mindset.
Steve Burns is a fish out of water in his new environment and it shows in his body language and facial expressions. He goes into his first gay club with the ambition of a trained officer but lacking the authenticity of a curious young man looking to discover the scene and possibly hook-up with a lover. It is obvious that he is scoping out the scene but it is hard to be convinced that he is voluntarily willing to frequent these kinds of establishments. No love connections are initiated by him although he is propositioned several times over. In this sense, Burns remains oddly ambiguous when he should blend into the crowd a little better. A possibility is that Burns is passing Forbes off as a hesitant homosexual who is scared to dabble in this lifestyle. However, because so little back story – not to mention insight into his thoughts – is given about Burns, it is easier to take things for their face value even if there is much more to them beneath the surface.
The question about his sexuality and "how far" he actually goes is very obscure. Burns is obviously sexually attracted to women as he is in a serious, long-standing relationship with Nancy and they are seen both during and after coitus. There is a point in time when he is unable to perform sexually with Nancy, causing her much grief because she feels as if she revolts him. It is also a great source of frustration for Burns but again, he neither gives an explanation to Nancy due to the secretive nature of his undercover work nor is there a moment where any of Burns' private feelings are revealed to the viewer. If one takes the story for simply what we see on-screen, the closest that Burns gets to actually going through with a homosexual act is when he is with Skip Lee, the young man who is later roughly interrogated by the police. They are interrupted just as Skip is hogtying a scantily clad Burns. Looking between the lines, there is likely more than meets the eye. One night in the park while cruising under the tunnel in Morningside Park, Burns follows another man with the obvious intention of engaging in sexual activity. The man in question is none other than on-screen victim number 2, a link which adds even more complexity to correctly identifying the killer. (Victim number 2 conveniently enough also plays the killer of victim number 1, an identification that is unmistakable from watching the film and even moreso from looking at stills from the film.)
A shot taken from the film. No faces are shown.
A still showing the men who are clearly identifiable from their other scenes in the film. The man on the right is killer #1, later to be on-screen victim #2.
Upon reading other reviews and personal takes on Cruising, the most common remark concerns the film's ending. In essence, we as spectators are compelled to believe that Burns could be a cold-blooded killer who is responsible for Ted's murder. Since Richards is in custody, he could not be guilty. Oddly enough, Burns did take one of Richards' clubbing outfits (a police hat, leather jacket and aviator style sunglasses) and bring them back with him to Nancy's apartment. My theory about this is that he took these items as a souvenir which represents his emotional attachment to his undercover work. It could be that Burns discovered that he had homosexual tendencies and kept the items to use for himself. Also possible is that these items were kept as a trophy of sorts and will help him in explaining the specifics of his assignment to Nancy. After all, he was vocal about the strenuous psychological effects he experienced while on the job. In my opinion, Burns was completely innocent of any wrongdoing because it was not in his nature and the feelings he had for Ted were genuine and non-romantic that friends harbour for one another.
When it comes to indentifying the real killer, the analysis is more complex. For me, it is clear that there are multiple killers. Friedkin himself does not hide the fact that different actors were used for the first and second/third on-screen killings. What remains unclear is who is responsible for the off-screen murders and that of Ted Bailey. I cannot be sure of the initial killings but I am convinced that a minor character is responsible for Ted's death. That is person is Officer DiSimone of the 6th precinct. As shown in the first scenes of the film, DiSimone has a hostile attitude and a ruthless attitude on the street. He abuses his power as an officer as well as the human integrity of transvestite prostitutes, forcing them to perform sex acts on him and his partner. The moment that convinced me of his involvement was seeing him at a gay bar, checking out Burns in one of his first visits.
Officer DiSimone, making eyes with John Forbes while cruising at a bar.
Ironically enough, Stuart Richards is the man seen just before DiSimone.
It is almost as if he was put there was an Easter egg because DiSimone's face is only visible for a split second. I had to rewind and pause just to be sure of it, especially since I was rather shocked at my discovery. You see, I watched the film several times over to try and catch clues/details to better understand the story. My suspicion of DiSimone was very slow coming but now makes a lot of sense, at least to me. Now that this has been said, try watching when DiSimone is debriefing the details of the crime scene at Ted's apartment to Capt. Edelson. That would make Edelson standing right next to a killer who is considered "one of his own" and whom he has already defended against accusations of sexual abuse reported by a transvestite prostitute who also works as a police informant.
Here's something to really make you scratch your head: The shot of the first killer walking into the club is the exact same as the one shown at the end of the film hinting that Burns is a killer. Whether this is a result of bad editing or if was intentionally done to unsettle you is unclear but my guess is that Friedkin obviously wanted to make you question what exactly you were watching. Is it reality or just an illusion?
Timestamp: 4:55
Timestamp: 1:31:45
Owing to its controversial nature, Cruising was badly received by both audiences and critics while also outraging a good portion of the gay community with demonstrations occurring both during filming and after the film's release. Director William Friedkin had to tone down numerous scenes and portions of the script to satisfy censors and to attain a decent rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. Although Friedkin would have been satisfied with an "X" rating in order to tell the story as he intended, United Artists would not allow that and he was forced to edit the film until it attained a more appropriate "R" rating. The result is somewhat unsatisfying because there are many holes in the story and too many questions rattling around in your hear both while watching and afterwards. Giving Friedkin's efforts the benefit of the doubt, I believe that he did what he could with the constraints forced upon him and that this film should be lauded for striving to show moviegoers something different.
Burns emerges a changed man in many ways (note the sunglasses).
Having spent so much time revisiting this film in my head and studying the performances within, I am impressed with the quality of the acting and the seriousness given to the subject matter. I neither find Cruising to be derogatory or insulting, nor do I find the characters and lifestyles portrayed to be clichéd. It is not the kind of film that could be made today, especially with such rawness and lack of political correctness. This makes me want to further explore Al Pacino's filmography to appreciate both his talent and the sheer effort of his method technique. He has earned my respect.
Posted in Blogathons, Contemporary Film TalkTagged Al Pacino, BDSM, Gay, Karen Allen, Murder, New York City, Paul Sorvino, United Artists, William Friedkin
Merry Classic Film Talk: 'White Christmas' (1954)
Merry Classic Film Talk: 'The Shop Around the Corner' (1940)
7 thoughts on "Talking Al Pacino in 'Cruising' (1980)"
Pingback: Please welcome Mr Pacino: The All About Al Pacino Blogathon has arrived! – Pale Writer
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this film, Erica. It's clear that you've taken a lot of time and put in a lot of effort, which I really admire for, because, as you so rightly said, this is a very difficult film to be comfortable watching and to figure out. I think your theories about the killer are compelling. I have alternately believed that Burns is the killer and thought he was innocent. I still haven't decided. As you said, Pacino gives a really good performance, and I think he should be commended for taking such a different part after the ones he played in the 70s. I also think he looks really handsome in this film. I'm so happy you want to watch more of his movies. Hopefully this Blogathon will give you some ideas! Thanks so much for contributing such a detailed, well researched article! 💖
Thank you so much, Gabriela! 😀
I did indeed take some time on this and felt like I still could have gone into much more detail. LOL If only so many stones had not been left unturned, it would have brought more closure to certain questions. I've heard that the novel is slightly different from the film and in it, the killer(s) identity is revealed at the end. Being on the fence about the killer(s) is perfectly understandable because the ambiguity of it all is very well done. If you haven't already, I suggest watching two behind-the-scenes features that are on the DVD but also available online.
Pacino really impressed me with his performance and it's very different from his usual tough guy routine. He's actually quite soft spoken. His hold of method acting is very different from Dustin Hoffman's, for example, and in my opinion is more efficient because it appears very natural. By looking at his filmography, it seems that Pacino was quite selective of his film choices and was quite level-headed in knowing when he needed to take a breather.
Again, thanks for hosting this wonderful event! 🙂
Apr 25, 2020 at 07:08
This moody, menacing film holds up quite well, and would never be made today. Worth a revisit. Thanks for your take on it.
Aug 19, 2020 at 18:30
Hello there! Thanks for taking the time to comment about CRUISING. This film really made an impression on me and you are absolutely right that it would never be made today. I hope Pacino is proud of his performance.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar is another dark, violent film from the same period that has aged very well, and packs a real punch. As shocking as Psycho in its own way.
Oh definitely and its a terrific comparison. That is a tough film to sit through especially if you know how its going to end.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The City of Boise and R&L Carriers have reached a deal to mitigate the effects of a proposed trucking terminal on residents of a mobile home park south of Interstate 84.
The city will trade a similarly-sized piece of property it owns south of the mobile home park near the WinCo Foods distribution center. The previously proposed parcel owned by an R&L affiliate is 13.257 acres while the City of Boise land is 13.3 acres. The new property is further away from the Blue Valley Mobile Home Park and generally down-wind from the homes.
The property had a former fuel depot on it, and it has been owned by the City of Boise since 2001, according to Ada County Assessor records.
The Boise City Council will be asked to approve the trade, and R&L will have to go back through the application process for the new site.
The mobile home park existed before the City of Boise annexed the land.
Bieter said the city has no plans for the property, but says it is unlikely it will stay in city hands. He said they will have conversations with Blue Valley residents to help find a use that is more compatible with the homes.
R&L Carriers originally proposed to build a truck terminal with almost 100 bays last summer, adjacent to the Blue Valley Mobile Home Park.
The property carries an industrial zoning designation and R&L hoped to build the terminal. But neighbors, civic groups and the Idaho Freedom Foundation put up a vigorous fight prompting mediation, a lawsuit, and complaints over a closed-door chat during a city council meeting.
Bieter said Friday the closed-door meeting was to encourage R&L to "make this deal," and acknowledged that it caused intrigue. He said the city's non-disclosure agreement with R&L made it not possible to detail the conversation.
R&L proposed the project to include general parking, a drive-thru shop, fuel island and the truck loading terminal along S. Eisenmann Road.
Another retailer will pull up stakes at the Boise Outlet Mall - leaving just four outlet stores in a once-full shopping center.


Schools are having to be more creative about how they keep students studying foreign languages. The two schools below have used fast track French and mandatory Mandarin.
Many schools have experimented with fast tracking GCSEs at the end of year 10.
However, to our knowledge, ours is one of the few to allow pupils to take a GCSE in French at the end of year 9. This was central to our gaining language college status in March 2002.
The initial impetus was the desire to give new life to modern foreign languages within the school. MFL was traditionally the worst-performing department, suffering from low status, poor student recruitment and problems with motivation.
A radical solution was needed and, following consultation with staff, the decision was taken to prepare pupils for their GCSE in year 9.
The topic content seemed more appropriate for the age group and a fast track approach would obviate the need to revisit topics already studied, with a knock-on effect on student expectations and the pace of learning.
The students in the top two language sets study French for six periods over the three years of key stage 3, continuing with AS level French (or GCSE booster with a C grade) in years 10 and 11 in addition to studying a second language to GCSE.
Other sets follow a more traditional pattern of one or two languages at key stage 3 depending on their ability.
An extra period was given to languages from English in year 7. Additionally there are two year 9 examination preparation days and an exchange or study visit to France.
In key stage 4, as part of the language college bid, the top half of the year groups study two languages - and this has an obvious impact on option choices.
The rationale behind the fast track programme is presented to the chosen pupils who are given a Guide to Fast Track booklet, which offers advice for language learning. They are made to feel part of a ground-breaking initiative.
Some pupils initially questioned the programme, some have felt pressured, but most have been excited about taking a French GCSE two years before their peers.
Certainly once top GCSE grades are obtained on pieces of work, pupils share a real buzz and an ownership of the programme. Being in a fast track group now has real kudos!
We have also involved the parents, who are sent an outline of the programme, an order form for software and revision guides and ideas to help support their child's learning.
Only a few have expressed concerns over exam pressure in SATs year but dialogue and a planned two days off timetable to explore GCSE exam techniques have allayed concerns.
We have also issued interim French reports to parents to keep them informed of their child's progress throughout the year and to help us track the progress of pupils between sets.
The experiment has produced exceptional results with one year 9 boy this year achieving one of the top five results nationally.
Fast tracking requires a considerable amount of drive and energy on the part of the staff. The benefits, however, have been enormous. Overall the biggest impact has been the positive culture shift within the whole school to a focus on pupil learning and the sharing of good practice.
Our decision to offer Mandarin Chinese to all pupils from year 8 was in part a response to the school's linguistic diversity - we wanted to give all pupils the chance to start from the same level with a language they had not encountered before. Mandarin's growth as an international business language was also a factor.
More than 50 different languages are spoken within the school, and 58 per cent of pupils are bilingual or multilingual. Language competence and intercultural understanding have therefore played an important role in developing this new school community.
Kingsford opened in September 2000 with 260 in year 7 and has had to manage a period of rapid expansion and change. The school now has 1,500 students.
Mandarin is a demanding language and initial progress is slower than in other European languages. We have spent considerable time supporting pupils beyond the initial stages so that they can access courses at the appropriate level. Mandarin has been available as a GCSE option at key stage 4 since September 2004 but, even where students do not continue with their studies, they receive certificates of achievement at the end of year 9. Only those in year 9 doing ASDAN basic skills do not attend the Chinese lessons.
Learning through understanding and appreciating a different culture, ideas and people is a fundamental part of the languages curriculum. Generally, there are fewer resources available for Mandarin, which means that teachers have had to develop their own worksheets and other materials. These are structured around national curriculum requirements and incorporate significant intercultural awareness.
The worksheets are lively and accessible, with lesson topics such as 'Chinese New Year', 'discover Shanghai' and 'discover Beijing'.
Teachers were recruited from a variety of sources, including teacher assistants from a British Council scheme and initial teacher training at Goldsmiths University. Native Chinese speakers are fully trained and teach ASDAN courses in addition to Mandarin.
Every pupil in years 8 and 9 is taught Mandarin for an hour a week during the core day. In addition, Mandarin is integrated into the curriculum across the school - for example key stage 3 English lessons include Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah. There are Mandarin clubs in extended day activities, which include calligraphy, painting, cooking and paper cutting.
The school has strong links with organisations in China, including three partner schools in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Year 10 and 11 pupils have the opportunity to undertake a work experience placement in a primary school in China during the summer term. The HSBC Education Trust has also provided great support.
Mandarin Chinese is very much a part of the ethos of the school, and is valued by prospective parents. Students are very positive about learning Chinese and recognise the global importance of the language. Boys in particular are enjoying the challenge of learning a different script and motivation is high.
Kingsford is a relatively new school, and in these early stages Mandarin is starting to have a significant impact on take up of languages at KS4. This year 45 students have opted to take Mandarin GCSE and so far the policy of 'Mandarin for all' has been a success. We recently learned that our submission to become a specialist language college was approved.
The inclusion of Mandarin in the next pilot stage of the languages ladder is very important. Students will be able to gain credits for a six-stage 'ladder of proficiency' from 'breakthrough' to 'mastery', and they can choose to be assessed just on listening and speaking.
Mandarin sets Kingsford School apart from other schools and this is strongly reflected in the views of the students who are in the process of preparing for their GCSE Mandarin exams.
As one student said: "The Chinese culture is really interesting and to be able to speak Mandarin is brilliant! Learning Mandarin is easy once you get used to it. I thoroughly enjoyed going on a three week immersion to China because I had the best time of my life!"
Joan Deslandes is head of Kingsford Community School, an 11-16 school in Newham, in the Docklands region of London.


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5-Peat: Christ Church Girls Tennis Submits Its Place Among High School Sports Dynasties
Henry Carter, Staff Writer
It's become something of a tradition that the Christ Church Cavaliers Girls Tennis team received their annual ticket to the SCHSL AA State Final, but this championship capped off what looks to be the foundation of the program moving forward.
Defeating Philip Simmons 6-0 on Halloween, the Lady Cavs were able to capture their fifth straight state championship and their 12th title since 2005. The team's seniors, Sarah Allen, Mary Cage Carter, and Avery Nuckolls, were able to be a part of all five state championships, while making six straight championship appearances. All have been members of the team since seventh grade.
"It was our senior year and it was special that we ended our career with one final win," Carter said after their victory.
The Cavaliers finished with a perfect 17- 0 record and cruised through the state playoffs, qualifying for the state championship match. In the state final, the No. 3, No.4, No.5, and No.2 doubles made quick work of their opponents, earning the four wins the team needed to clinch the championship.
"Coach Adams always tells us a format to be generous before our matches and we apply that logic to every opponent we play", said Allen.
The Cavaliers, who are in the AA division, proved they are able to compete with teams in higher divisions, with former victories over AAAA and AAAAA opponents such as Greenville High School, J.L. Mann, Spartanburg High, and Mauldin. The Lady Cavs' dominance among teams in their region conference and across the state proves them to be a top tennis program even compared to schools with much more students. Going a combined 65-1 over the past five seasons, the Christ Church Girls Tennis Team has proved itself to be a top tier tennis program.
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BEDMINSTER, NJ and DUBLIN, IRELAND -- (Marketwired) -- 06/11/16 -- Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN) today announced additional data on Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) supporting its efficacy in reducing concentrations of potentially atherogenic lipoproteins (lipoproteins that could promote fat deposits in arteries) in patients with Type 2 diabetes and persistent high triglyceride (TG) levels despite statin therapy.
The poster (#1173), titled "Effects of Icosapent Ethyl on Lipoprotein Particle Concentration and Size in Statin-Treated Patients with Persistent High Triglycerides: ANCHOR Patients with Diabetes Mellitus," was presented on June 11, 2016. Lipoproteins such as low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) carry cholesterol, fat, and other lipids in the blood and are considered potentially atherogenic at persistently elevated levels. Researchers using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy observed that, compared with placebo, Vascepa administered at 4 g/day significantly reduced the median concentrations of VLDL and LDL particles in patients with Type 2 diabetes who, despite statin therapy, have persistent high TG levels (≥200 and < 500 mg/dL).
The analysis was led by Eliot A. Brinton, MD, FAHA, FNLA; Director of Atherometabolic Research at the Utah Foundation for Biomedical Research, and President of the Utah Lipid Center, both in Salt Lake City. Dr. Brinton will be available at an author question and answer session on Sunday, June 12 from noon to 2:00 PM CDT.
"The findings presented today suggest multiple lipoprotein-related benefits of pure EPA Vascepa in patients with Type 2 diabetes, which merit further investigation of the potential cardiovascular benefits from icosapent ethyl therapy in cardiovascular outcomes trials," said Dr. Brinton. "In addition to the significant reductions in potentially atherogenic lipoprotein particle concentrations with Vascepa 4 g/day, apolipoprotein B (Apo B), which is carried on VLDL and LDL, was also significantly reduced by 9.3% compared with placebo. Furthermore, ApoB levels were correlated with levels of potentially atherogenic lipoproteins. While further study of Vascepa is needed and ongoing, ApoB and potentially atherogenic lipoprotein levels have been linked in the broader scientific literature to atherosclerosis and heart disease, so these new analyses support the hypothesis that Vascepa could prove beneficial to this historically difficult-to-treat patient population believed to be at increased cardiovascular risk."
The clinical implications of lowering triglycerides with Vascepa 4 g/day are being investigated in the REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes study of statin-treated subjects with persistent elevated TG levels.
Dr. Brinton's analysis was a post-hoc subgroup analysis of patients with Type 2 diabetes enrolled in the ANCHOR trial for whom NMR data were available. ANCHOR investigated Vascepa as a treatment for patients with residual high TG (≥200 and < 500mg/dL) despite statin-induced control of LDL-C. ANCHOR enrolled 702 patients, of which the majority (73%) had Type 2 diabetes. The primary endpoint was percent change in TG levels from baseline to 12 weeks compared with placebo in subjects treated with placebo or Vascepa at 2 or 4 g/day. In April 2011, Amarin reported top-line results from the ANCHOR trial, which met its primary and secondary endpoints.
The data presented at ADA is an analysis of NMR measurements providing the concentration and size of lipoprotein particles (VLDL, LDL and HDL) in ANCHOR subjects with Type 2 diabetes, and comparing the results of subjects taking 4 g/day Vascepa (n=160) to those taking placebo (n=154).
The analysis showed that, compared with placebo, Vascepa significantly reduced the median concentration of: total (−11.3%; P=0.004), large (−48.9%; P < 0.0001), and medium (−12.0%; P=0.02) VLDL particles; total (−7.4%; P=0.009) and small (−13.1%; P < 0.0001) LDL particles; and total (−7.5%; P < 0.0001) and large (−29.7%; P < 0.0001) HDL particles. In addition, potentially atherogenic particle concentration (defined as total VLDL + IDL + LDL) decreased significantly (−7.7%; P=0.003). Both LDL and potentially atherogenic particle concentrations were significantly correlated with plasma Apo B at baseline (R2=0.49; P < 0.0001 and R2=0.53; P < 0.0001, respectively), which increased numerically for both at 12 weeks (R2=0.56 P < 0.0001 and R2=0.64 P < 0.0001, respectively).
The efficacy and safety of Vascepa 4 g/day in patients with Type 2 diabetes were consistent with the overall ANCHOR results.
As with many subgroup analyses, limitations of this analysis include the smaller sample size, the 12-week study duration and the post-hoc nature. Nonetheless, the results are suggestive of complementary beneficial changes in TG levels and lipoprotein parameters with Vascepa compared with placebo.
Amarin's clinical development program for Vascepa includes a trial known as REDUCE-IT, the first multinational cardiovascular outcomes study evaluating the benefit of pure EPA therapy, or any triglyceride lowering therapy, as an add-on to statins in patients with high cardiovascular risk who, despite stable statin therapy, have elevated triglyceride levels (≥200 and < 500mg/dL). Amarin recently announced that it has achieved its target enrollment of 8,000 patients for the trial and that an interim efficacy analysis by the independent Data Monitoring Committee of the REDUCE-IT trial is expected in September or October 2016.
Additional information on ANCHOR, REDUCE-IT and Amarin's other clinical studies of Vascepa can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the potential efficacy and therapeutic benefits of Vascepa and EPA, including implications about the potential clinical importance of the findings presented. These forward-looking statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein include uncertainties associated generally with retrospective sub-set analyses, research on biomarkers thought to be relevant in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, research and development and clinical trial risk generally, including the risk that study results in small sample sizes in short-term studies may not be predictive of future results in larger, longer-term studies and that studied parameters may not have clinically meaningful effect. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks associated with an investment in Amarin can be found in Amarin's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Amarin undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
BEDMINSTER, NJ and DUBLIN, IRELAND -- Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that Vascepa® (icosapent ethyl) capsules are eligible for five-year, new chemical entity (NCE), marketing exclusivity pursuant to the Hatch-Waxman Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This determination provides Vascepa with the benefits of NCE exclusivity afforded by statute. NCE exclusivity for Vascepa runs from its date of FDA approval on July 26, 2012 and extends until July 26, 2017. The statutory 30-month stay triggered by patent litigation following generic application submissions permitted on July 26, 2016 would expire on January 26, 2020, seven-and-a-half years from FDA approval.
"Amarin's goal is to protect the commercial potential of Vascepa to 2030," stated John F. Thero, president and chief executive officer of Amarin. "NCE regulatory exclusivity complements multiple patents covering Vascepa with expiration dates in 2030."
1-855-VASCEPA or the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about whether NCE exclusivity and Amarin patents would adequately protect Vascepa against competition and Amarin's plan to protect the commercial potential of Vascepa. These forward-looking statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described herein include the following: events that could interfere with the continued validity or enforceability of a patent; Amarin's ability generally to maintain adequate patent protection and successfully enforce patent claims against third parties; withstanding any challenge to FDA's NCE determination; commercializing Vascepa without violating the intellectual property rights of others; and uncertainties associated generally with research and development, clinical trials and related regulatory approvals and exclusivity grants. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks associated with an investment in Amarin can be found in Amarin's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Amarin undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
BEDMINSTER, NJ and DUBLIN, IRELAND -- Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) (NASDAQ (NBI): AMRN) today announced that target patient enrollment has been reached in its REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes trial of Vascepa (icosapent ethyl). Amarin also announced that the onset of approximately 60% of the target aggregate number of primary cardiovascular events within the REDUCE-IT study has triggered preparation for a pre-specified interim efficacy and safety analysis by the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC). Amarin currently expects the independent interim analysis to be conducted in approximately six months.
The REDUCE-IT study was designed to enroll approximately 8,000 patients. This enrollment target has been reached and Amarin is winding down patient enrollment on a country by country basis. Since the study commenced in 2011, over 20,000 patient years of study have been accumulated in REDUCE-IT.
"We are pleased to announce that we have reached the target enrollment in REDUCE-IT, the first multinational cardiovascular outcomes study prospectively designed to investigate whether there is a meaningful reduction in the occurrence of major cardiovascular events when EPA is added to statin therapy in high-risk patients with elevated triglycerides," said Steven Ketchum, Ph.D., president of research and development and chief scientific officer at Amarin. "Vascepa demonstrated a broad spectrum of favorable effects on lipid, lipoprotein, and inflammatory biomarkers compared to placebo in Phase 3 studies focused on patients with high triglyceride levels after statin therapy and on patients with very high triglyceride levels. Through long-term study of patients treated with Vascepa in REDUCE-IT, we aim to provide a robust dataset to determine whether the effects of highly-pure EPA omega-3 prescription drug therapy will lower the risk of cardiovascular events in the high-risk patient population studied."
The REDUCE-IT study's event rate continues to track to prior estimates. A pre-specified interim efficacy and safety analysis was designed to be conducted upon achieving approximately 60% of the 1,612 aggregate primary cardiovascular events within the study. REDUCE-IT patients are in the process of completing a study visit over the next several months, after which additional time is required by the contract research organizations to finish collecting and preparing data for transfer to and analysis by the DMC. As is typical for large-scale, multi-national studies, regardless of the strength of the study results this data preparation and transfer process is expected to take several months. The DMC's analysis is anticipated to occur in approximately six months.
Amarin will remain blinded to the interim and ongoing results of the REDUCE-IT study until after the study is ready to be stopped either at the interim analysis or at the final analysis. Guidelines for the independent DMC to recommend stopping the study for overwhelming efficacy require that the study achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint and generate robust findings on certain, pre-specified secondary outcome measures. Given the high thresholds of overwhelming efficacy required prior to a DMC recommending an early stop to a cardiovascular outcomes trial like REDUCE-IT, Amarin continues to expect that the DMC's interim analysis will result in a recommendation to continue the REDUCE-IT study as planned. Such a recommendation is most common for cardiovascular outcome studies.
Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States. REDUCE-IT is the first multinational outcomes study being conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular benefits of treating patients with high cardiovascular risk who, despite stable statin therapy, have elevated triglyceride levels.
"In many high-risk patients with cardiovascular disease, substantial residual risk for events remains despite optimal LDL-cholesterol reduction with statin therapy," said Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs, Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart and Vascular Center, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Principal Investigator for REDUCE-IT. "By design, the REDUCE-IT study has enrolled patients with high cardiovascular risk and elevated triglyceride levels despite statin therapy and will provide important information regarding the potential for high-dose EPA-only omega-3 therapy to confer incremental cardiovascular benefit beyond statin control of LDL-cholesterol."
Amarin believes that the REDUCE-IT study is positioned for success based on extensive review of existing data from clinical, epidemiologic and genetic studies. With the study's event rate tracking on schedule, the onset of the 1,612th primary cardiovascular event is expected to occur in 2017 with the publication of results anticipated in 2018.
REDUCE-IT is a global Phase 3, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate whether treatment with Vascepa reduces cardiovascular events in patients who have persistently elevated triglyceride levels despite stabilized statin therapy. The primary endpoint of the study is the time to the first occurrence of the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina. Secondary endpoints include time to event analyses of components of the primary endpoint.
Vascepa has been approved for use by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe ( ≥ 500 mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia. Vascepa is under various stages of development for potential use in other indications that have not been approved by the FDA. Nothing in this press release should be construed as promoting the use of Vascepa in any indication that has not been approved by the FDA.
BEDMINSTER, N.J. and DUBLIN, Ireland, - Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq:AMRN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization and development of therapeutics to improve cardiovascular health, announced today that it was informed yesterday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the FDA will convene an advisory committee on October 16, 2013 in connection with the FDA's review of the Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) seeking approval for the use of Vascepa® (icosapent ethyl) capsules as an adjunct to diet in the treatment of adult patients with high triglycerides (TG ≥200 mg/dL and < 500 mg/dL) with mixed dyslipidemia. The FDA has previously assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date of December 20, 2013 for completion of its review of the sNDA. The FDA will consider the recommendation of the advisory committee, but the final decision regarding the approval of the sNDA will be made by the FDA.
"ANCHOR clinical trial results demonstrated the important role EPA-only omega-3 can play in helping adult patients with high triglycerides and mixed dyslipidemia," said Christie M. Ballantyne, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston, Texas, and principal investigator of the ANCHOR trial. "In the ANCHOR trial, Vascepa lowered high triglyceride levels and showed robust reductions in a broad range of other lipid parameters on top of optimized statin therapy compared to placebo. Importantly, these beneficial effects were seen with a safety and tolerability profile comparable to placebo."
Vascepa was approved in 2012 as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe (≥500 mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia, based on the results of Amarin's MARINE clinical trial. The safety data from both the MARINE and ANCHOR clinical trials were reviewed by the FDA as part of the approval of Vascepa in the MARINE indication and are reflected in the approved product labeling for Vascepa. As is customary practice at FDA, yesterday's notification from the FDA is the only communication confirming the need for such a meeting. The FDA advisory committee topics and questions to the committee are anticipated to be made public by the FDA on its website in the week preceding the meeting, consistent with FDA procedure.
"For key first-in-class indications, an FDA advisory committee meeting is expected, and this public forum will be an important opportunity to discuss the ANCHOR data, which demonstrated Vascepa's unique potential as an adjunct to diet in the treatment of adult patients with high triglycerides (TG 200-499 mg/dL) and mixed dyslipidemia," said Eliot A. Brinton, MD, FAHA, FNLA, Director of Atherometabolic Research, Utah Foundation for Biomedical Research, and President, American Board of Clinical Lipidology. "Currently, many of these patients are receiving another prescription omega-3 which is not indicated for this disorder. Having instead an omega-3 product which lowers LDL-cholesterol in addition to triglycerides, has tolerability comparable to placebo, and is FDA-approved for use on top of statin therapy would be a welcome addition to the physician's armamentarium for comprehensive lipid management."
"With the support of the Amarin team, including our outside consultants, such as Christie and Eliot, we look forward to the advisory panel and working with the FDA to obtain regulatory approval of Vascepa for ANCHOR this year," said Joseph Zakrzewski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amarin.
Currently, Amarin only markets Vascepa for the MARINE indication, for which it was approved in 2012, and which includes approximately 4 million patients in the United States. The proposed ANCHOR indication would expand the Vascepa patient population to include adult patients on statin therapy with triglyceride levels ranging from 200 to 499 mg/dL (and mixed dyslipidemia). Amarin estimates that one in five, or nearly 40 million, U.S. adults have triglyceride levels in this range. Amarin began selling Vascepa on January 28, 2013. Amarin believes that many of the same clinicians who have prescribed Vascepa for its currently approved indication will prescribe Vascepa for the much broader indication, based on the ANCHOR study now under formal FDA review, if approved.
BEDMINSTER, N.J., and DUBLIN, Ireland, Sept. 26, 2011 – Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for the marketing and sale of AMR101 for treatment of patients with very high triglycerides. The submission is based on the entire data set from the Company's AMR101 development program, including safety and efficacy data from the Phase 3 MARINE and ANCHOR studies.
It is estimated that 75 million people in U.S. alone have triglyceride levels greater than 150mg/dL, including 4 million people with very high triglyceride levels (the triglyceride range studied in the MARINE trial) and 36 million people with high triglyceride levels (the triglyceride range studied in the ANCHOR trial). Elevated triglycerides are clinically stratified into three groups: very high triglycerides (>500 mg/dL), high triglycerides (>200 and <500 mg/dL) and borderline high triglycerides (>150 and <200 mg/dL). Clinical treatment guidelines include recommendations for triglyceride reductions in each of these groups and each group represents a multi-billion dollar market opportunity. In the top seven world markets it is estimated that the number of people with elevated triglyceride levels is at least two times that of the U.S. alone.
The treatment of patients with very high triglycerides was studied in the Company's MARINE trial. The treatment of patients with high triglycerides on statin therapy was studied in the Company's ANCHOR trial. Amarin plans to separately seek approval for the treatment of high triglycerides in patients on statin therapy (the population studied in the ANCHOR trial) after its REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes trial is substantially underway, which the Company expects will occur before the end of 2012 (final results of the REDUCE-IT outcomes study are not required for approval of the very high triglyceride indication).
In both the MARINE and ANCHOR trials, AMR101 achieved all primary endpoints and was well tolerated with a safety profile comparable to placebo. Each trial was conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement from the FDA. As recently announced, an SPA agreement was also reached for the REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes study.
AMR101 is a prescription-grade omega-3 fatty acid, comprising not less than 96% ultra pure EPA(icosapent ethyl), that Amarin is developing as a potentially best-in-class prescription medicine for the treatment of patients with very high triglyceride levels (>500 mg/dL) and as a potentially first-in-class therapy for patients with high triglyceride levels (>200 and <500mg/dL) who are also on statin therapy for elevated LDL-cholesterol levels (which we refer to as mixed dyslipidemia). Triglycerides are fats in the blood. Significant scientific and clinical evidence support the efficacy and safety of ethyl-EPA in reducing triglyceride levels and other important lipid and inflammation biomarkers, including Apo-B, non-HDL-C, Total-Cholesterol, VLDL-C, Lp-PLA2, and hs-CRP without increasing LDL-C. AMR101 demonstrated a safety profile comparable to placebo in two complete Phase 3 clinical trials.
NEW YORK, May 19, 2011 – Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, announced that three Amarin-sponsored studies on the benefits of pure EPA (icosapent ethyl) will be presented today at the National Lipid Association 2011 Annual Scientific Sessions (NLA) in New York City. The NLA is an association of clinical lipidologists, lipid researchers and allied clinical team members comprising of a total of five regional chapters representing more than 3,500 members from across the United States.
In the MARINE study, the largest study of omega-3 fatty acids in this population, AMR101 (pure EPA) significantly reduced triglycerides at both the 4 and 2 gram per day doses in patients with very high triglycerides (>500 mg/dL). While top-line data for MARINE was reported by the Company in November 2010, the NLA-presented poster provides additional data on efficacy endpoints, patient demographics and safety and tolerability of AMR101. In a separate release, the Company discloses additional details from this poster. The MARINE study results, as summarized in this poster, will be presented by its principal investigator, Harold Bays, M.D., Medical Director of Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center. This is the first time these MARINE results will be presented at a medical and scientific forum.
This paper will present an evaluation of results from 22 published studies discussing the effects of EPA and DHA on LDL-C. Across all studies (n=22), LDL-C increased from baseline in 75% of DHA−treated groups (by 0.2%−16.0%) compared with 40% of EPA−treated groups (by 0.3%−6.5%). The results also showed that both DHA and EPA monotherapies could lower triglyceride levels. The poster is authored by Terry Jacobson, M.D., director of the Office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Professor of Medicine, Emory University.
The paper will present data that shows EPA is a potent inhibitor of lipid oxidation at both normal and elevated cholesterol levels and that antioxidant activity was enhanced in combination with statins. The ability of EPA to prevent oxidation of lipids was significantly greater than DHA (p<0.001). The oxidative modification of polyunsaturated fatty acids in low-density lipoproteins is causally related to atherogenesis. The poster discussing EPA as an inhibitor of lipid oxidation is authored by Preston Mason, Ph.D., faculty member of the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, at the Harvard Medical School-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the efficacy, safety and benefits of the Company's product candidates and the timing of data publication. These forward-looking statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein are the following: anticipated operating losses and the likely need for additional capital to fund future operations; uncertainties associated generally with research and development, clinical trials and related regulatory approvals; the risk that SPAs are not a guarantee that FDA will accept an NDA or approve a product candidate upon submission; the risk that historical clinical trial enrolment and randomization rates may not be predictive of future results; uncertainties relating to the timing of data collection and analysis for the ANCHOR and MARINE trials; dependence on third-party manufacturers, suppliers and collaborators; significant competition; loss of key personnel; and uncertainties associated with market acceptance and adequacy of reimbursement, technological change and government regulation. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in Amarin's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
MYSTIC, Conn. and DUBLIN, April 18, 2011 – Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today reported positive, statistically significant top-line results from its ANCHOR trial for the Company's lead product candidate, AMR101. The Phase 3 trial met its primary and secondary efficacy endpoints for both the 4 gram and 2 gram daily doses.
The purpose of the ANCHOR trial was to demonstrate that AMR101 is effective in reducing triglyceride levels in patients with high triglycerides without increasing LDL-C ("bad cholesterol") levels in patients on background statin therapy. The ANCHOR trial investigated AMR101 as a treatment for high triglycerides (≥200 and <500mg/dL) in 702 patients with mixed dyslipidemia (two or more lipid disorders) on background statin therapy at LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) goal who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The majority of these patients were diabetic (73%). This is the largest trial with omega-3 therapy conducted in this important patient population. All patients were on background statin therapy with simvastatin, atorvastatin or rosuvastatin. Despite the benefits of statin therapy, patients in this population have significant residual risk for cardiovascular events. The trial's primary endpoint was defined as the percentage change in triglyceride levels from baseline compared to placebo after twelve weeks of treatment. In addition, the study was powered to demonstrate a lack of LDL-C elevating effect with AMR101 compared to placebo. The trial was conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the FDA.
The primary endpoint for triglyceride change was achieved at both 4 grams and 2 grams per day with median placebo-adjusted reductions in triglyceride levels of 21.5% and 10.1% for the 4 grams and 2 grams per day dose groups, respectively. These reductions were both statistically significant (p<0.0001 and p = 0.0005, respectively). The median baseline triglyceride levels were 259 mg/dL, 265 mg/dL and 254 mg/dL for the patient groups treated with placebo, 4 grams and 2 grams of AMR101 per day, respectively. Even greater reductions in triglycerides were noted with higher potency statin regimens. Results were positive and statistically significant in both the diabetic and non-diabetic patient groups.
The trial's key secondary endpoint was to demonstrate a lack of elevation of LDL-C in order to avoid offset to the primary target of cholesterol lowering therapy. The trial's non-inferiority criterion for LDL-C was met at both AMR101 doses. The upper confidence boundaries for both doses were below the pre-specified +6% LDL-C threshold limit. In fact, at the 4 gram dose the upper confidence boundary was below zero (-1.7%) and at the 2 gram dose the upper confidence boundary was close to zero (0.05%). Moreover, for the 4 grams per day AMR101 group, LDL-C decreased significantly by 6.2% from baseline versus placebo, demonstrating superiority over placebo (p=0.0067). For the 2 grams per day group, LDL-C decreased by 3.6% from baseline versus placebo (p=0.0867).
In addition, the ANCHOR trial demonstrated statistically significant decreases in all predefined secondary endpoints at both doses studied. These endpoints were non-HDL-C, Apo B (Apolipoprotein B), Lp-PLA2 (lipoprotein phospholipase A2) and VLDL-cholesterol. Non-HDL-C decreased in the 4 grams per day group by 13.6% (p<0.0001) and in the 2 grams per day group by 5.5% (p=0.0054) compared to placebo. These are important lipid biomarkers as they represent predictors of cardiovascular risk. Apo B is a sensitive index of residual cardiovascular risk and is generally considered to be a better predictor than LDL-C. Lp-PLA2 is an enzyme found in blood and atherosclerotic plaque; high levels have been implicated in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The safety profile of AMR101 was similar to placebo and there were no treatment-related serious adverse events in the trial. These results confirm and build upon the positive results for the MARINE Phase 3 trial announced in November 2010. The Company expects to present more details of these results at an upcoming scientific meeting.
In the U.S. alone, approximately 40 million people have triglyceride levels above 200 mg/dL. The majority of these patients have high triglyceride levels of ≥200 and <500mg/dL as studied in the ANCHOR trial with approximately 4 million of these people having very triglyceride levels >500 mg/dL as studied in the MARINE trial. Currently, no omega-3 based product is approved for the indication studied in the ANCHOR trial. In the seven largest pharmaceutical markets (U.S., Japan and five largest European markets), it is estimated that over 100 million people have mixed dyslipidemia.
MYSTIC, Conn. and DUBLIN, Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq:AMRN - News) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 12,000,000 American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") at a price to the public of $7.60 per ADS. The net proceeds to the Company from this offering are expected to be approximately $87.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses. The offering is expected to close on or about January 11, 2011, subject to customary closing conditions.
Jefferies & Company, Inc. and Leerink Swann LLC are acting as joint book-running managers in the offering, and Canaccord Genuity Inc. is acting as co-lead manager for the offering. Amarin has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,800,000 additional ADSs solely to cover over-allotments, if any. Amarin anticipates using the net proceeds from the offering to prepare for the commercialization of AMR101, its filing of a New Drug Application and for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The securities described above are being offered by Amarin pursuant to a shelf registration statement previously filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 23, 2010. A preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement relating to these securities may be obtained from Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, Jefferies & Company, Inc., 520 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10022, at 877-547-6340, and at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
MYSTIC, Conn., and DUBLIN, Dec. 15, 2010 – Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today reported the completion of patient randomization for its ANCHOR trial, a pivotal Phase 3 trial of AMR101. The Company indicated that it anticipates reporting top-line results from this trial by the end of Q2 2011 (the Company's previous guidance for the timing of such results was mid-2011).
MYSTIC, Conn., and DUBLIN, Nov. 29, 2010 – Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today reported positive, statistically significant top-line results from the MARINE study, its first Phase 3 clinical trial of lead drug candidate AMR101. The MARINE study, investigating AMR101 as a treatment for very high triglycerides (>500 mg/dL), met its primary efficacy endpoints as defined in the clinical trial protocol and demonstrated a positive safety profile. The Company believes that AMR101 has the potential to be the best-in-class product for this indication and that the MARINE study results may support additional patentable claims that could further protect the Company's rights to this product through 2030.
The study's primary endpoint, the percent change in triglyceride (TG) levels from baseline to week 12, was met for both the 4 gram and 2 gram dose groups. The MARINE study was required to meet a stringent level of statistical significance of 1% (p < 0.01), as agreed in the Company's SPA (Special Protocol Assessment) with the FDA. Twenty-five percent of patients were on background statin therapy. The patient group treated with 4 grams of AMR101 showed a significant median TG decrease of 33 % (P < 0.0001) compared to placebo, and the patient group treated with 2 grams of AMR101 showed a significant median TG decrease of 20 % (P = 0.0051) compared to placebo. The median baseline triglyceride levels were 703 mg/dL, 680 mg/dL and 657 mg/dL for the patient groups treated with placebo, 4 grams of AMR101 and 2 grams of AMR101, respectively.
In a pre-specified secondary analysis in the subgroup of patients with baseline TG > 750 mg/dL, representing 39% of all patients, the effect of AMR101 in reducing TG levels was even more pronounced. In this group, the median decrease in TG levels from placebo was 45% for 4 grams and 33% for 2 grams, both statistically significant (P= 0.0001 for 4 grams and P= 0.0016 for 2 grams, respectively). The median baseline TG levels in this subgroup were 1052 mg/dL, 902 mg/dL and 948 mg/dL for placebo, 4 gram and 2 gram groups, respectively. In addition, the subgroup of patients on background statin therapy had much greater median reductions in TG, which were also statistically significant, than those not on statin therapy.
Importantly, AMR101 did not result in an increase in median LDL-C compared to placebo at either dose (-2.3% for the 4 gram group and +5.2% for the 2 gram group [p=NS]). This is the first and only triglyceride-lowering therapy studied in this population with very high triglyceride levels to show a lack of elevation in LDL-C. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant decrease in median non-HDL-C (total cholesterol less "good cholesterol") compared to placebo with both of the AMR101 treated groups (-18% for the 4 gram group [p < 0.001] and -8% for the 2 gram group [p < 0.05]).
There were also statistically significant reductions in several important lipid markers, including Apo B, Lp-PLA2 (Lipoprotein-phospholipase A2), VLDL-C and Total Cholesterol. These results are particularly encouraging given that no other TG-lowering therapy studies have shown such results. For these achieved endpoints, p-values were <0.01 for most and <0.05 for all. Apo B (Apolipoprotein B) is a sensitive index of residual cardiovascular risk and is generally considered to be a better predictor than LDL-C. Lp-PLA2 is an enzyme found in blood and atherosclerotic plaque; high levels have been implicated in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, AMR101 appeared to be very well tolerated with a safety profile that appears to be both comparable to placebo and more favorable compared to other triglyceride lowering therapies. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events in the MARINE study. The Company will present more details of these results at an upcoming scientific meeting.
Based on the timing and nature of these results, Amarin intends in 2011 to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) seeking approval to market and sell AMR101 in the U.S. Previous Company guidance projected 2012 for the NDA submission. The Company further added that, based on the positive results of the MARINE trial, Amarin has advanced additional patent claims to add to its growing portfolio of U.S. and international intellectual property claims related to AMR101.
Dublin, Ireland and Mystic, CT, USA, November 18, 2010 – Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today announced the appointment of Kristine Peterson to its board of directors.
Ms. Peterson has more than 27 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including 20 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she was responsible for sales, marketing and general management in a variety of therapeutic areas, including leading the cardiovascular and metabolic disease business unit. She is currently Chief Executive Officer at Valeritas Inc., a medical technology company committed to the development and commercialization of innovative drug delivery solutions, with its lead product for the treatment of diabetes. Prior to joining Valeritas, Ms. Peterson was Chair for the biotech business at Johnson & Johnson, and was Senior Vice President of commercial operations and President at Biovail Corporation.
"Kristine's expertise in cardiovascular and metabolic disease, combined with her track record of success in commercializing products, will be invaluable to Amarin as we move our programs and our lead candidate AMR101 forward," said Joseph S. Zakrzewski, chief executive officer.
The appointment of Ms. Peterson increases the Company's board of directors to eight members.
AMR101 is primarily comprised of ethyl icosapentate (ethyl-EPA). Significant scientific and clinical evidence supports the efficacy of ethyl-EPA in reducing triglyceride levels. Near the start of 2010, Amarin initiated two Phase 3 clinical trials to investigate the efficacy of AMR101 in reducing elevated triglyceride levels in two distinct patient populations (the ANCHOR and MARINE trials). As separately reported, patient screening has been completed in both trials with top-line results expected for the MARINE trial before the end of 2010 and for the ANCHOR trial in mid-2011.
Amarin Corporation plc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with expertise in lipid science focused on the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The Company's lead product candidate is AMR101 (ethyl icosapentate), which is presently being investigated in two Phase 3 clinical trials, one for the treatment of patients with very high triglyceride levels and the other for the treatment of patients with high triglycerides with mixed dyslipidemia on statin therapy. Both of these Phase 3 trials are conducted under Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreements with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Amarin also has next-generation lipid candidates under evaluation for preclinical development. For more information please visit www.amarincorp.com.
DUBLIN and MYSTIC, Conn., Nov. 10, 2010 - Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today announced that, effective November 10, 2010, Joseph S. Zakrzewski has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Zakrzewski has served as the Chairman of the Board of Amarin since January 2010 and will continue to serve in that capacity.
Mr. Zakrzewski has more than 20 years of industry experience, including significant contributions to Reliant Pharmaceuticals as Chief Operating Officer during the period when Omacor®/Lovaza® was successfully developed, approved, launched, and marketed for reducing very high triglyceride levels, leading to its 2007 acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline. Mr. Zakrzewski, until recently, was Chief Executive Officer of Xcellerex Inc, a private Massachusetts-based biotechnology company. Although Mr. Zakrzewski currently serves on the boards of directors and in other advisory roles for various companies, Amarin is his primary business commitment.
Additionally, John F. Thero has been appointed President of Amarin. Since November 2009, Mr. Thero had been the Company's Chief Financial Officer, a role in which he has been responsible for a significant portion of the Company's operations. Mr. Thero has more than 20 years of senior management experience, including broad responsibilities in finance, business development and commercial operations. Prior to joining Amarin, Mr. Thero was Chief Financial Officer at ViaCell, Inc., where he helped guide the company to its successful sale, and Abiomed, Inc., during its transition from a development-stage company into a commercial entity.
Mr. Colin Stewart, who has been serving as the Company's President and CEO and a director of the Company, resigned effective November 10, 2010 to address personal matters.
In connection with these changes, Mr. Frederick Ahlholm, Vice President Finance, will be the Company's Principal Accounting Officer. Mr. Ahlholm joined Amarin in March 2010 and has approximately 20 years of financial and management experience at public and private companies. He began his professional career at Ernst & Young LLP and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Mr. Zakrzewski commented, "This is a very exciting time at Amarin as we move closer to pivotal results from our MARINE and ANCHOR Phase 3 clinical trials. Our R&D team has done an impressive job in advancing Amarin to this stage and their contributions will continue to be essential as we move forward. I look forward to leading Amarin beyond its current clinical trials, including increased focus on commercial opportunities for AMR101. The promotion of John to President reflects both his strong record of performance and his experience in managing later-stage companies like Amarin."
Mr. Thero commented, "I am honored to assume this broader role in working with the Amarin team to create value with Amarin's technology and resources. With potential best-in-class positioning for AMR101 and key clinical milestones approaching, this is an opportunity for increased visibility for Amarin and a time for continued execution. The Company has made tremendous progress over the past year in executing on its mission. Assuming favorable Phase 3 study results for AMR101, we plan to move aggressively forward to an NDA submission while seeking to exploit every opportunity to maximize the potential commercial value of this promising drug, including potentially through collaboration with one or more larger pharmaceutical companies."
AMR101 is ultra pure ethyl icosapentate (ethyl-EPA). Significant scientific and clinical evidence supports the efficacy of ethyl-EPA in reducing triglyceride levels. Near the start of 2010, Amarin initiated two Phase 3 clinical trials to investigate the efficacy of AMR101 in reducing elevated triglyceride levels in two distinct patient populations (the ANCHOR and MARINE trials). As separately reported, patient screening has been completed in both trials with top line results expected for the MARINE trial before the end of 2010 and for the ANCHOR trial in mid-2011.
Dublin, Ireland and Mystic, CT, USA, August 10, 2010 – Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today announced that its MARINE trial, a Phase 3 clinical trial of AMR101, has completed patient enrollment and randomization into the treatment phase of this trial. The Company indicated that top line results from this trial are expected early in 2011, towards the early part of the range of guidance provided previously.
The MARINE trial is a multi-center, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, 12-week pivotal study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 2 grams and 4 grams of AMR101 in patients with fasting triglyceride levels greater than or equal to 500 mg/dl. Patients in this trial are characterized as having very high triglyceride levels according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III treatment guidelines. The primary endpoint in the MARINE trial is the percentage change in triglyceride level from baseline after 12 weeks of treatment. Consistent with the protocol for this trial, the Company expects that the 229 patients randomized in this study will be sufficient to achieve statistical significance. The MARINE study is the largest controlled therapeutic trial ever conducted in this population.
As of the date of this release, over half of the 650 patients currently targeted for the ANCHOR trial, a separate on-going Phase 3 trial for AMR101, have been enrolled and randomized to dosing. Consistent with previous guidance, the Company anticipates completing patient enrolment and randomization for ANCHOR in 2011 and reporting top-line results from the ANCHOR trial in 2011. This trial is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 grams and 4 grams of AMR101 in patients with high triglyceride levels (between 200 mg/dl and 500 mg/dl) who are also on statin therapy for elevated LDL cholesterol levels. No prescription omega-3 based drug, such as AMR101, is currently approved in the U.S. for this indication.
Amarin Corporation plc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with expertise in lipid science focused the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The Company's lead product candidate is AMR101 (ethyl icosapentate), which is presently being investigated in two Phase 3 clinical trials, one for the treatment of patients with very high triglyceride levels and the other for the treatment of patients with high triglycerides with mixed dyslipidemia. Both of these Phase 3 trials are being conducted under Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreements with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Amarin also has next-generation lipid candidates under evaluation for preclinical development. For more information please visit www.amarincorp.com.


text:
Q: While loop repeat same output when it should be different I don't understand why the following code output the same random variables for simulated_returns_pr from the SECOND loop (same for the 2 charts from the function). Actually I removed some code but all following variable which should be different are also the same from the SECOND loop. I am missing something but do not understand. Any contribution would be appreciated.
My code:
logR= timeseries

i=1
while i < 5:
  simulated_returns_pr= np.random.normal(loc=mean(logR)*30, scale=stdev(logR)*np.sqrt(30.), size=30)

  seed = 2
  N = 30

  def Brownian(seed, N):
    np.random.seed(seed)
    dt = 1./N                                    # time step
    b = simulated_returns_pr*np.sqrt(dt)
    W = np.cumsum(b)                             # brownian path
    return W, b

  b = Brownian(seed, N)[1]
  W = Brownian(seed, N)[0]
  W = np.insert(W, 0, 0.)

  plt.rcParams['figure.figsize'] = (10,8)
  xb = np.linspace(1, len(b), len(b))
  plt.plot(xb, b)
  plt.title('Brownian Increments')
  plt.show()

  xw = np.linspace(1, len(W), len(W))
  plt.plot(xw, W)
  plt.title('Brownian Motion')
  plt.show()
  i += 1

Output simulated_returns_pr:
[ 0.012191    1.16322303 -0.23225735 -0.12357125  0.35687974  1.02187274
  0.25248517  0.74665974  0.54373161  0.43677913  0.69960184 -0.81226681
  0.50380517 -0.25108897  0.47459444  0.49541601  0.79958083 -0.20233765
  0.5142276  -0.31340253  0.46332258  0.48350956  0.06662023  0.53800548
 -0.01440759 -0.23280276 -0.07377719 -0.29948791  0.15798112  0.10707121]
[-0.10796927  0.07350919 -0.97356921  0.9275805  -0.80101665 -0.32191758
  0.35499571 -0.52506813 -0.43075947 -0.35577774  0.37944815  1.25577886
  0.12274682 -0.4609512   0.37320789 -0.19828379  0.09220437  0.69335439
 -0.27465829  0.10637854 -0.3402222   0.02308293  0.2309978  -0.3959363
 -0.06873477 -0.01706476 -0.21917336 -0.49603296 -0.61363441  0.02456247]
[-0.10796927  0.07350919 -0.97356921  0.9275805  -0.80101665 -0.32191758
  0.35499571 -0.52506813 -0.43075947 -0.35577774  0.37944815  1.25577886
  0.12274682 -0.4609512   0.37320789 -0.19828379  0.09220437  0.69335439
 -0.27465829  0.10637854 -0.3402222   0.02308293  0.2309978  -0.3959363
 -0.06873477 -0.01706476 -0.21917336 -0.49603296 -0.61363441  0.02456247]
[-0.10796927  0.07350919 -0.97356921  0.9275805  -0.80101665 -0.32191758
  0.35499571 -0.52506813 -0.43075947 -0.35577774  0.37944815  1.25577886
  0.12274682 -0.4609512   0.37320789 -0.19828379  0.09220437  0.69335439
 -0.27465829  0.10637854 -0.3402222   0.02308293  0.2309978  -0.3959363
 -0.06873477 -0.01706476 -0.21917336 -0.49603296 -0.61363441  0.02456247]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
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		<filter-name>springSecurityFilterChain</filter-name>
		<filter-class>org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy</filter-class>
	</filter>

	<filter-mapping>
		<filter-name>springSecurityFilterChain</filter-name>
		<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
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	<!-- for lazy initialization -->

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		<filter-name>openEntityManagerInViewFilter</filter-name>
		<filter-class>org.springframework.orm.jpa.support.OpenEntityManagerInViewFilter</filter-class>
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		<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
From shoelaces to angels: Pat Cleary's artistic vision
By Erin Miele | August 19, 2014 , 11:11pm
At an art studio in rural Pennsylvania, Patrick Cleary examines a handful of ordinary white shoelaces before he begins a new work. Will he arrange the laces in playful whirls and spirals for the start of a sunset, one of his favorite themes? Maybe he'll use them to create a variation on the American flag, another subject close to his heart and always undertaken in honor of his late brother Michael Cleary.
To replicate different textures on his paintings, Pat experiments with the laces, removing their plastic tips and fraying the threads to mimic grass, or an angel's wing or a sky full of fuzzy stars. One of his paintings features a cheery turquoise owl perched on a branch made from extra long laces, meant for a tall man's sneakers, painted to resemble tree bark.
In Balloon Theme, five perfect circles zoom across a background of periwinkle blue and tangerine orange waves. The effect is reminiscent of sand art, yet Patrick creates his one-of-a-kind work using just shoelaces, which he adheres to canvas board, paints, then finishes with a glaze.
Patrick, 36, who was born with Down Syndrome, is arguably the only artist in the world who uses shoelaces as his preferred medium. He regularly sells his paintings to enthusiastic collectors, and has participated in many exhibits since he began studying art at Verve Virtu studio in Dallas, PA, about six years ago. Pat's pictures have been juried into Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital's annual Art Ability Exhibit, the largest international exhibition in the world for artists with cognitive, physical, hearing, and visual disabilities. Another Cleary original, one of about 400 pieces chosen out of more than two thousand entries, will highlight this year's show, which opens November 2nd in Malvern, PA.
In a recent interview, Pat discussed the inspirations for his paintings and how he chanced on shoelaces as a way to express his artistic visions. As a child, he began collecting laces, so when a family friend closed her factory, she kindly provided him with a lifetime's supply. Encouraged by Gwen Harleman, artistic director of Verve Virtu, which is funded by the Deutsch Institute, Patrick began thinking about laces in a brand new way.
Gwen calls Patrick, who plays piano and guitar and is into photography, a Renaissance man. Other friends refer to the multi-talented young man as "The Mayor," because of his sociability and charm. Lately, Pat says, he has been "working his heart out," at his maintenance job at a local university as the school gears up for the opening of the fall semester.
Pat's first painting, God Bless the USA, was created in honor of his brother, 1st Lieutenant Michael J. Cleary, who died at 24 in Iraq, December 2005, just days before his scheduled homecoming. Mike and his fiancé had been planning their wedding, at which Patrick was to serve as best man.
Pat and Mike were the two youngest, the little boys in the Cleary household, with three older sisters. They spent summer afternoons swimming together at the local club and enjoying fishing trips. Pat likes to tell about the time his parents were out, and he accidentally banged his go-kart against a tree. Although he wasn't injured, he panicked about how to explain his unsupervised go-kart ride to his parents. His younger brother Mike stepped up, as he would so many times in his brief life, and claimed that he himself was the guilty one. "My brother's always been my angel," Pat says.
1st Lt. Cleary was the original inspiration behind the Run for the Fallen held in 2008, during which group of civilians ran 4,000 miles across America, each mile completed in memory of a service member killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The run led to the award-winning documentary To Them That's Gone, which chronicles this inspirational event.
The hundreds of tributes left by visitors at Mike's obituary site by friends, former teachers, and fellow soldiers serve as testament to the quality of his character, his courage, leadership, and selflessness. One soldier who had served alongside Lieutenant Cleary wrote simply, "I will teach my kids about men like you."
During the interview, Pat, who enjoys keeping in touch with friends via social media, shared a prayer he had posted that morning on his Facebook page. Dear God, he had written, I believe in heaven because I have sunsets and angels, and today. I love Jesus.
He began studying art soon after Michael's death, and the activity has helped him cope with his grief. "What I do here," he says, gesturing around the sunny studio crowded with exuberant, bountifully-colored art created by Verve Virtu students, "what is happening here—I just go with it. I follow."
At his table in the studio, Patrick's hand hovers over his supply of laces. What will he create—a blissful skyscape, an ocean sunrise, an angel? Like every artist, he wants to communicate a feeling, an idea, to the world in his images. Whether he decides to make undulating grass or ruler-straight red and white stripes topped by stars, it's certain that Patrick will transform the humble, useful shoelace into something more than itself.
So much of life is mystery—why are we here, what will happen after we die, have our lives really been divinely planned? Perhaps God, the master artist, likewise selects unpretentious, special souls like Patrick Cleary to break through what looks like limitations, and act as messengers of joy and praise.
Pat Cleary is one example of what persons born with Down Syndrome can accomplish, given love and encouragement. According to some studies, ninety percent of unborn babies diagnosed with the condition are aborted. In July, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed into law the "Down Syndrome Prenatal and Postnatal Education Act," known as "Chloe's Law." This legislation mandates that medical professionals provide up-to-date, evidence-based information about the condition as well as support service referrals to new and expectant parents.
Artwork by Patrick Cleary and other students can be seen at http://vervevertu.blogspot.com/
For more information about the 1st Lieutenant Michael J. Cleary Foundation, visit http://luzfdn.org/
Click on http://www.mainlinehealth.org/rehab/community/art-ability to learn more about the Bryn Mawr international Art Ability Exhibit.