New approaches for β-cyclodextrin-containing silicas synthesis were demonstrated. Materials with hexagonally ordered mesoporous structure were prepared by postsynthesis grafting and by co-condensation methods. β-Cyclodextrin activated by a N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole was employed for postsynthesis treatment of 3-aminopropyl-modified MCM-41 support as well as for sol-gel synthesis with β-cyclodextrin-containing organosilane and tetraethyl orthosilicate participation in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The successful incorporation of cyclic oligosaccharide moieties in silica surface layer was verified by means of FT-IR spectroscopy and chemical analysis. Obtained β-cyclodextrin-containing materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen. In spite of commensurable loading of β-cyclodextrin groups attained by both proposed approaches (up to 0.028 μmol · m–2), it was found that co-condensation procedure provides uniform distribution of β-cyclodextrin functionalities in silica framework, whereas postsynthesis grafting results in modification of external surface of silica surface. Adsorption of benzene from aqueous solutions onto the surface of β-cyclodextrin-containing materials prepared by co-condensation method was studied as the function of time and equilibrium concentration. Langmuir and Freundlich models were used to evaluate adsorption processes and parameters. Adsorption experiments showed that β-cyclodextrin-containing silicas could be promising for the trace amount removal of aromatics from water.
M41S are ordered mesoporous materials with well-defined uniform pores, high surface area and pore volume, which have attracted great interest since 1992. MCM-41, one of the most widely studied M41S materials, consists of an amorphous (alumina, metallo) silicate framework forming hexagonal pores with diameter more than 1.5 nm . The high potential applications of MCM-41 materials as adsorbents [2–4], catalysts [5–7], membranes [8, 9], and drug delivery systems [10–18] have been possible by means of their functionalization with organic compounds. Here, mesoporous silicas are the common basement for obtaining products with unique characteristics. The presence of highly reactive silanol groups in sufficiently large and tunable uniform pores opens up the possibility for introduction of various organic functional moieties, such as methyl and/or trimethylsil [11, 19], chloropropyl , aminoalkyl and triaminoalkyl [7, 9, 12, 21, 22], phenyl , mercaptoalkyl [24, 25], and sulfo [25, 26] groups into the surface layer of MCM-41. In general, silicas can be functionalized in two ways: postsynthesis modification or direct co-condensation . Among a large number of organic compounds for silica functionalization, cyclodextrin macromolecules are very promising because of their ability to form inclusion complexes with chemicals of suitable geometry and functionality .
Postsynthesis modification of silica surfaces was successfully realized by attachment of β-cyclodextrin or its derivatives to the silica support preliminary functionalized with N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl , carboxylated cuccinyl , 3-aminopropyl [31–35], 3-glycidoxypropyl [36, 37], hydrosilyl , ester , and 3-mercaptopropyl  groups, whereas the taken attempts to introduce β-cyclodextrin moieties into the silica framework by sol-gel methods involve the condensation of silica alkoxides with β-cyclodextrin  or β-cyclodextrin-containing silanes [42–44]. The predominant majority of these works relates to the synthesis of functionalized silica materials with disordered porous structure. However, usage of aggressive solvents and activating agents in multistep procedures of organic reactions at postsynthesis treatment as well as functional silanes and pore-expanding agents at sol-gel condensation process may affect the structure of final MCM-41-type materials substantially causing damage of their hexagonally ordered pore structure. At the same time, the chemical immobilization of β-cyclodextrin under mild conditions—through amide bond formation on macroporous silica—was carried out . The activation properties of N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole in the reaction with β-cyclodextrin for the following immobilization of oligosaccharide derivative onto aminopropyl silica surface was used.
The idea of the present research was to use the possibility of β-cyclodextrin activation under mild conditions for preparing functionalized MCM-41-type silica materials with hexagonally ordered mesoporous structure. Here, two principal methods were exploited for β-cyclodextrin-containing MCM-41 silicas producing: postsynthesis attachment to the support by covalent bond formation or sol-gel synthesis using β-cyclodextrin-containing silane. First, aminopropyl-containing mesoporous ordered functionalized organosilica was prepared by co-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, followed by postsynthesis grafting of β-cyclodextrin through the activating agent (N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole) usage. Another method of synthesis supposed the exploration of activated β-cyclodextrin for organosilane obtaining and its subsequent co-condensation with tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide to yield β-cyclodextrin-MCM-41 silica. Adsorption experiments were carried out to study the role of functionalization for effective uptake of benzene from water. It was expected that proposed synthetic approaches can be useful in preparing of MCM-41-type silica materials with high surface area, pore volume, and narrow pore size distribution as well as sufficient functional groups concentration.
β-cyclodextrin hydrate (β-CD) (99 %, Acros Organics), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) (≥99 %, Merck), (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) (≥99 %, Merck), N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) (≥98 %, Merck), and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMABr) (≥97 %, Merck) were used as purchased, and no further purification was performed. Aqueous ammonia (25 %), ethanol (96 %), and hydrochloric acid (37 %) were purchased from Reakhim and used without additional purification. Acetone (extra pure, Merck) and N,N′-dimethylformamide (DMF) (pure analytical, Reakhim) were dried for 48 h before utilization with activated molecular sieves (0.3 nm, Merck). Benzene (pure analytical, Reakhim) was used to prepare benzene solutions in water. Distilled water was used in all experiments.
Hexagonally ordered NH2-MCM-41 silica support was prepared by hydrothermal sol-gel synthesis in the presence of ionic surfactant compound, CTMABr, by the procedure described in . TEOS and APTES were used as silica sources. The final molar composition of the reaction mixture for NH2-MCM-41 silica preparing by template method was as follows: 0.09 TEOS:0.006 APTES:0.02 CTMABr:0.55 NH4OH:0.56 C2H5OH:14.4 H2O. Obtained amino-functionalized silica support was washed by water and dried at ambient temperature. Then, the template was removed by extraction in acid-ethanol solution. NH2-MCM-41 silica was dried in the air at 423 K for 4 h, cooled, and kept in a desiccator before use.
Surface grafting of β-CD onto NH2-MCM-41 silica was carried out under mild conditions. First, β-CD was activated with CDI to form amide bonds . To obtain activated oligosaccharide (I) (Scheme 1), a solution of CDI in dry DMF was added to a solution of anhydrous β-CD in dry DMF (molar ratio CDI:β-CD = 1:1) under continuous mixing. The activation reaction was carried out at 293 K for 2 h.
Then, reaction mixture with activated oligosaccharide (I) was slowly dropped into DMF suspension of NH2-MCM-41 silica with stirring. The grafting step lasted for 24 h at ambient temperature. Next, β-CD-grafted MCM-41 silica (CD-MCM-41ps) was filtered and washed sequentially with DMF, acetone, and distilled water. CD-MCM-41ps was dried in the air at 293 K.
The co-condensation method was also employed to incorporate β-CD in silica matrix. At the beginning, β-CD-containing organosilane (II) was prepared by modification of APTES with aforementioned activated oligosaccharide (I). Then, the obtained product was used for templated sol-gel synthesis of two types of CD-MCM-41sg silicas. One of them, CD-MCM-41-1sg, was prepared by co-condensation of TEOS and II in the presence of activation reaction by-products. Meanwhile, the second silica (CD-MCM-41-2sg) was synthesized by use of TEOS and purified β-CD-organosilane. Purification of β-CD-organosilane was realized in accordance with the following procedure. Dry acetone was added to the reaction mixture of β-CD-containing organosilane (II) to fall out substituted oligosaccharide [44, 46], and the resultant precipitate was collected by filtration. After drying under vacuum, the yellow solid product was obtained. Finally, purified β-CD-organosilane was dissolved in dry DMF and co-condensed with TEOS in the presence of CTMABr. Ionic template was previously dissolved in water with stirring at room temperature, and NH4OH was added to provide the alkaline medium of the reaction.
The reaction mixtures for both CD-MCM-41-1sg and CD-MCM-41-2sg silicas were agitated on magnetic stirrer for 2 h. In order to complete the condensation process, the hydrothermal treatment in autoclave at 373 K for 24 h was carried out. The final molar composition of the reaction mixture for CD-MCM-41sg silicas preparing was as follows: 0.05 TEOS:0.001 β-CD-organosilane:0.007 CTMABr:0.27 NH4OH:7.2 H2O. Both CD-MCM-41sg materials were washed by small quantities of water and dried at ambient temperature. Then, the template was removed by triple solvent extraction in HCl/C2H5OH solution at room temperature for 24 h. After extraction, silicas were washed with distilled water until the negative test for halogenide anions with AgNO3. Obtained materials were dried in the air at 293 K.
The ordered mesoporosity of the aminopropyl- and β-CD-containing silicas was confirmed by diffraction analysis at low angles (2θ = 1–10 grad) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Powder X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) were measured on a DRON-4-02 diffractometer using CuKα radiation (λ = 0.154178 nm) and a nickel filter.
TEM experiments were carried out on a JEM JEOL 1230 electron microscope operated at 100 kV. The samples (0.05 g) for TEM measurements were suspended in ethanol (4 ml) and processed with ultrasonic treatment for 3 min (ultrasound power 60 W). Obtained suspensions (50 μL) were supported onto formvar film on a Cu grid, followed by drying at ambient conditions.
The transmission spectra were registered on a Thermo Nicollet NEXUS Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometer in the range from 4000 to 400 cm–1 for solid pellets of MCM-41-type silicas.
Porosity measurements were obtained with a Kelvin-1042 Sorptometer using low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen. Prior to measurements, all samples were outgases at 413 K for 20 h.
Specific surface area of CD-MCM-41 silicas was determined using the BET method in the relative pressure range (P/P 0) up to 0.30. The pore size distributions were calculated by applying the non-localized density functional theory (NLDFT) (equilibrium model). The total pore volume (V total) was obtained from the amount of nitrogen adsorbed at P/P 0 = 0.99.
The amount of surface aminopropyl groups was calculated by the difference in pH values (ionometer I-160) of starting and equilibrium acid solutions with CD-MCM-41ps (or CD-MCM-41sg) silica batch after 24-h contact .
The content of β-CD groups chemically immobilized on the surface of CD-MCM-41 silicas was defined by acid hydrolysis of cyclodextrin up to glucose. The concentration of glucose after the reaction with potassium ferrocyanide was defined by spectrophotometry using Specord M-40 equipment (Germany, Carl Zeiss, Jena) at λ = 420 nm [45, 48].
where a is the adsorption, C 0 is the initial concentration of benzene, C f is the concentration of benzene in filtrate, V is the volume of the aqueous solution of benzene, and m is the mass of adsorbent.
where ΔС is the absolute error; А, В and ΔА, ΔВ are the coefficients obtained from the calibration curve (an intercept and the slope) and their absolute errors at confident level 0.95, correspondingly; and ΔD was accepted as 0.005 (device error). Values of benzene adsorption on the surface of silica adsorbents were calculated as described previously.
Ordered mesoporous silicas are commonly used for the production of functionalized materials, owing to their unique properties including a regular mesostructure along with high specific surface areas, thermal and mechanical stability, highly uniform pore distribution and tunable pore size, as well as high adsorption capacity. In this work, the syntheses of functional β-CD-containing MCM-41 silicas were attempted to combine the forenamed properties of ordered material and macromolecule peculiar to form inclusion complexes with a wide variety of organic/inorganic compounds. The new β-CD-containing MCM-41 silicas with hexagonally ordered porous structure were prepared using activation properties of CDI by two different methods: postsynthesis modification of functionalized MCM-41 and direct co-condensation of β-CD-containing organosilane and TEOS (Scheme 1). Grafting of organic macromolecule β-CD was carried out on the surface of preconstituted mesoporous MCM-41 silica with covalently bonded amino groups. Sol-gel hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of a structure directing agent was chosen for NH2-MCM-41 support obtaining for better control of the loading of amino moieties by desired TEOS/APTES ratio selection. The ordered porosity of NH2-MCM-41 support was confirmed by XRD and TEM analyses (Fig. 1). The XRD pattern of NH2-MCM-41 support after template extraction (Fig. 1a) exhibits an intense signal at 2θ = 2.2 grad. corresponding to (100) plane and two small signals between 3.5 and 5 grad. due to (110) and (200) planes which prove the presence of well-defined hexagonal structure of MCM-41 . Also, the array of tunable pores could be seen in NH2-MCM-41 silica microphotography (Fig. 1b). The quantity of the aminopropyl groups introduced into the silica surface equals 0.44 mmol · g−1.
Chemical bonding of β-CD with NH2-MCM-41 silica support was realized with coupling agent participation. Since hydroxyl groups of β-CD exhibit great reactivity, the formation of C(O)–N bonds under the influence of CDI activator occurred even at ambient temperature (Scheme 1). The presence of imidazole by-product in the reaction mixture during the grafting on silica support does not lead to drastical changes in pH, and NH2-MCM-41 silica structure did not alter. Imidazole was easily removed from the surface of CD-MCM-41ps silica by washing with organic solvents and distilled water.
Activated β-CD was also used for obtaining the proper organosilane for subsequent co-condensation with TEOS in attendance of CTMABr template. To confirm that by-products of β-CD activation reaction could not affect the structure of the final silica, two types of CD-MCM-41 silicas were prepared by sol-gel synthesis. The nature of surface layer and mesoporous structure of CD-MCM-41-1sg and CD-MCM-41-2sg silicas obtained from β-CD-alkoxide with by-products and purified one, correspondingly, were compared.
Characterization of CD-MCM-41ps, CD-MCM-41-1sg, and CD-MCM-41-2sg prepared by two methods was performed using XRD, TEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, chemical analysis, and low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen. Hexagonally ordered pore structure of obtained silicas was confirmed by XRD analysis. XRD patterns of synthesized CD-MCM-41 silicas are shown in Fig. 2. The presence of diffraction peaks at 2θ = 2.20, 2.15, and 2.15 grad. are attributed to the (100) reticular planes in CD-MCM-41ps, CD-MCM-41-1sg, and CD-MCM-41-2sg silicas, respectively. Moreover, distinct reflexes on the XRD patterns of CD-MCM-41sg between 3.5 and 5 grad. could be indexed to the (110) and (200) reticular planes of hexagonally packed pores and confirm the formation of two-dimensionally periodic hexagonal lattice, which is characteristic for MCM-41. The most intensive (100) reflex for CD-MCM-41ps is slightly shifted to high-angle region compared with CD-MCM-41sg materials, evidencing the reduction of interplanar distances d in silica framework. Structural parameters (interplanar distance d and unit cell parameter a) calculated from XRD analysis for all silicas are summarized in Table 1. Even if the diffraction peaks positions are similar in XRD patterns of CD-MCM-41ps and CD-MCM-41sg silicas, the difference in their intensity indicates a lower mesoporous structure ordering of CD-MCM-41ps. Thus, co-condensation method gives β-CD-functionalized MCM-41 with higher long-range order of the hexagonal pore arrays. Furthermore, the same values of d and a diffraction parameters for CD-MCM-41sg-1 and CD-MCM-41sg-2 silicas denote that the presence of by-products in β-CD-containing alkoxide mixture involved into the sol-gel synthesis has no noticeable effect on the formation of ordered hexagonal network of pores.
The XRD results were also verified by TEM analysis. The lower ordering degree was seen on the TEM images of CD-MCM-41ps silica in comparison with CD-MCM-41sg ones (Fig. 3a,b). As could be clearly seen from Fig. 3c,e, the unidimensional cylindrical pores of CD-MCM-41sg silicas are arranged in a honeycomb structure. On the TEM images taken perpendicular to the pore channels (Fig. 3d,f), the long-range array of tubular voids is observed. Synthesized hexagonally ordered β-CD-containing MCM-41 silicas possess sheet-like morphology.
Chemical immobilization of cyclic oligosaccharide groups on the surface of silica materials of MCM-41-type was proved by FT-IR spectroscopy. In the FT-IR spectra of CD-MCM-41ps and CD-MCM-41sg silicas (Fig. 4), the absorption bands at 2986, 2946 and 1471, 1450, 1413, 1391 cm–1 corresponding to the valence and deformation vibrations of the C–H bonds in the alkyl and glycosyl groups of grafted compounds are registered. Moreover, the characteristic absorption bands at 1535 and 1540 cm−1 belonging to the deformation vibrations of the N–H bond in the secondary amino groups of CD-MCM-41ps and CD-MCM-41sg silicas, respectively, are clearly shown. Obviously, their presence is caused by the chemical immobilization of β-CD-containing groups in the surface layer of silica support. Absorption bands attributed to the deformation vibrations of the N–H bond in the residual primary amino groups (1560–1640 cm−1) as well as the valence vibrations of the C=O bond in the amide linkage (nearly by 1700 cm−1)  of synthesized silicas are not registered because of their overlapping with strong signal attributed to the deformation vibration of the O–H bond in the adsorbed water molecules. The silanol groups disposed on the silica surface and remaining water molecules produce the broad stretching band around 3000–3600 cm–1, followed by bands at 1636 and 960 cm−1, attributed to the deformation vibrations of the O–H bonds.
The evidence of MCM-41 silicas functionalization by two proposed synthesis methods was also demonstrated due to chemical analysis of surface compounds. The estimated content of aminopropyl and β-cyclodextrin groups on the surface of synthesized materials is summarized in Table 1. It can be seen that only a small part of aminopropyl groups for CD-MCM-41ps has been reacted with activated β-CD. So many unreacted amino groups for CD-MCM-41ps may indicate that β-CD is mainly grafted at the entrance of the pores, preventing further penetration of oligosaccharide moieties to the inner pore surface with other anchoring sites . The appearance of aminopropyl groups in CD-MCM-41sg (Table 1) points to the partial hydrolysis of amide bonds under hydrothermal treatment of β-CD-containing silicas in the medium of ammonium. It is evident that postsynthesis grafting as well as sol-gel synthesis leads to bifunctional MCM-41 silica obtaining.
Low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen was used to investigate the pore structure of CD-MCM-41 silicas. The isotherms of nitrogen adsorption-desorption as well as the pore size distributions of synthesized silicas are shown in Fig. 5. As can be seen from the isotherm of CD-MCM-41ps silica, a gradual rise of nitrogen adsorption at low relative pressures (up to 0.4) with slight visible inflection step takes place. It is accounted for the sequential formation of adsorbate monolayers on the walls of mesoporous channels with different sizes. The pore size distribution plot calculated by the NLDFT model confirms the complex pore structure of grafted silica. For CD-MCM-41ps silica, the broad pore size distribution with two distinct (at 3.4 and 5.1 nm) peaks is observed suggesting the existence of two types of mesopores as well as textural porosity within the sheet-like particles (Fig. 5a). Nonetheless, CD-MCM-41ps has a high surface area (580 m2 · g−1) and pore volume (0.97 cm3 · g−1). Figure 5b, c displays isotherms of nitrogen adsorption-desorption and pore size distributions for CD-MCM-41-1sg and CD-MCM-41-2sg silicas. Nitrogen adsorption at low relative pressures P/P 0 < 0.3 for CD-MCM-41-1sg silicas is attributed to the monolayer adsorption, following multilayer adsorption on the walls of mesopores. The distinct step on the isotherm at P/P 0 ~ 0.35 indicates a uniformly porous surface. The pore size distribution plots clearly demonstrate that uniform pores are prevailing in CD-MCM-41sg materials causing the high peak centered at 3.9 nm. The appearance of larger pores (slight peak above 5 nm) can be explained by partial degradation of the walls between individual channels of pores in the process of postsynthesis treatment carried out at 373 K in the medium of ammonia. Also, the kind of isotherms of nitrogen adsorption-desorption for CD-MCM-41-1sg silica confirms that by-products of β-CD activation reaction do not affect the pore structure of the resulting silica. The values of BET specific surface area for CD-MCM-41sg silicas calculated from linear region of isotherms are more than 800 m2 · g−1. It is worth noting that β-CD-containing silicas with high surface areas, pore volume, and large-scale ordering was managed to get by sol-gel method without any pore-expanding agent. Finally, it could be concluded that grafted CD-MCM-41ps is generally less ordered than CD-MCM-41-1sg silica with the similar concentration of β-CD groups.
The existence of functional groups within the framework of MCM-41 materials causes the change in the surface chemistry and porosity of the solid, which in turn affects the sorption behavior of MCM-41-type silicas. Earlier , we used UV spectroscopy to prove that β-CD and benzene could form 1:1 "host–guest" inclusion complex in aqueous solution. It was shown that formation of "β-CD-benzene" complex is spontaneous and thermodynamically profitable exothermal process. Incorporation of cyclic oligosaccharide in solid supports like MCM-41 silicas makes possible an efficient removing of aromatic pollutants from aqueous solutions by means of supramolecular structure formation.
Here, adsorption behaviors of functionalized MCM-41 silicas were studied by benzene withdrawal from aqueous solutions. Table 2 shows the adsorption capacity of pristine MCM-41 and functionalized MCM-41 silicas. It was demonstrated that the uptake of benzene molecules is caused by non-specific binding interaction with silica matrix as well as selective binding sites within its structure. The adsorption of benzene on silicas based on interactions of the aromatic ring of π-electrons with the surface silanol groups is well known . Simultaneously, the increase in adsorption capacity of NH2-MCM-41 silica toward benzene molecules could be explained by hydrophobic interaction between aromatic molecules and carbon chains of aminopropyl fragments. It was found out that introduction of cyclodextrin moieties in silica structure leads to the increase of benzene adsorption (Fig. 6a). However, taking into account the difference in surface areas of silicas, it is difficult to elucidate the contribution of surface cyclic oligosaccharide groups to the uptake of aromatic compounds (Fig. 6b). Obviously, a large number of unreacted amino groups in CD-MCM-41ps prevent to evaluate the evidence that adsorption of benzene is driven by noncovalent interaction of guest molecules with attached to silica matrix oligosaccharide host. Therefore, adsorption kinetics and equilibrium adsorption isotherms were investigated for non-modified MCM-41, aminopropyl functionalized NH2-MCM-41, and two types of cyclodextrin-containing CD-MCM-41sg silicas.
Adsorption kinetic experiments were carried out to evaluate a period which should be sufficient to reach adsorption equilibrium. Figure 7 represents the kinetic curves for benzene uptake from aqueous solutions with MCM-41, NH2-MCM-41, CD-MCM-41-1sg and CD-MCM-41-2sg silicas. The adsorption of benzene on MCM-41 and NH2-MCM-41 silicas is characterized by rapid uptake of aromatic molecules within the first hour until it slows down and become constant at 5 h. For CD-MCM-41sg silicas, adsorptive uptake increases slowly and becomes constant in about 6 h.
The equilibrium relationships between MCM-41 adsorbents and benzene were described by sorption isotherms. The adsorption isotherms of benzene from aqueous solutions as quantity of benzene adsorbed per unit weight of silica or as quantity of benzene adsorbed per unit of adsorbent surface are given in Fig. 8a and in Fig. 8b, respectively. It can be seen that adsorption isotherms of MCM-41 and NH2-MCM-41 silicas have concave shape in the region of small equilibrium concentrations of benzene as a result of weak affinity of non-polar aromatic ring to polar silanol groups, but then followed a sharp increase of aromatic uptake. Obviously, it could be explained by the reorientation of benzene molecules owing to increase its concentration in solution, and the more benzene is already adsorbed, the easier it is for additional amounts to become fixed as a result of hydrophobic interaction .
where C eq is the equilibrium concentration of adsorptive in a solution (mg · L−1), a eq is the equilibrium adsorption (mg · g–1), K L is the Langmuir constant that characterizes the adsorption energy (L−1 · mg), a m is the adsorption capacity of monolayer (mg · g−1), K F is the Freundlich constant (L−1 · mg), and 1/n is the Freundlich constant characteristic of adsorption intensity. The calculated parameters from both models are summarized in Table 3. As expected, CD-MCM-41-1sg has the higher adsorption capacity toward benzene.
It was shown that typical adsorption capacities for activated carbon and silica adsorbent in liquid phase under different conditions are in the range of 12–230 mg · g−1 for benzene [53, 54]. Therefore, prepared cyclodextrin-containing MCM-41 silicas demonstrate adsorption level performance of known samples and could be very promising for the treatment of aqueous solutions with low benzene concentration.
In this research, we realized two principal methods of β-cyclodextrin-functionalized MCM-41-type silicas producing: postsynthesis attachment to the support by covalent bond formation or sol-gel synthesis using β-cyclodextrin-containing silane in the presence of ionic template. β-Cyclodextrin activated by N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole was employed for both synthetic approaches. Obtained functional materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, and chemical analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, and low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen. The results of this study indicate that co-condensation method leads to the formation of MCM-41 silicas with higher arrangement of mesoporous channels compared with one obtained by postsynthesis grafting. Moreover, it was proved that by-products of β-CD activation reaction could not affect the structure of the final silica. The proposed synthesis approaches may be applicable for obtaining of ordered β-cyclodextrin-containing functional materials with high affinity to chemicals of suitable geometry. Adsorption study of benzene uptake from aqueous solutions confirms the probability of β-cyclodextrin-functionalized MCM-41-type silica use in water treatment processes.
IT and NR conceived and designed this study and carried out the synthesis of materials. IT performed the characterization of materials, adsorption study, and drafted the manuscript. LB supervised the project, participated in the discussion of the results, and helped improve the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
IT is a junior researcher, NR is a PhD (Chemistry) and senior researcher, and LB is a DSc (Chemistry), professor, and Head of Department of Chemical Design of Silica's Surface in Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of NAS of Ukraine.


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Top 10 Films from the 80s
8. Back to the Future (1985)
This is the first in a trilogy of fantastic films. Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, is a student who finds himself transported back to 1955. He meets his parents at high school and accidentally becomes his mother's romantic interest. He must repair that damage by causing his parents to fall in love as they would've done.
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Top 10 Films of the 00s
Jim Morrison The Doors and Jim Morrison have created the kind of music that still attracts millions of fans around the world….

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Girls vs Gangsters
A wild batchelorette weekend in a foreign city spins hilariously out of control in this over-the-top sequel to the box office smash GIRLS. After a drinking contest with some questionable local spirits, three friends wake naked on a beach to discover two are handcuffed to a locked suitcase, one has a strange new tattoo, and none of them have any clue what happened the night before. When they soon find themselves pursued by local gangsters, their only shot at making it home – and to the altar – is to piece together the previous night's events while on the run.
Genre : Comedy, Drama
Actors : Elly Nguyen, Fiona Sit, Gus Liem, Ivy Yi-Han Chen, Janine Chun-Ning Chang, Mike Tyson, Nina Komolova, Shuilin Wang, Son Bao Tran, Tiantian Fan, Wen-Hsueh Lu
Director : Barbara Wong Chun-Chun
Country : China, Hong Kong
Keywords: Gui mi 2 Gui mi 2: Wu er bu zuo Gui mi II Gui mi II: Wu er bu zuo Girls vs Gangsters Gwai mat 2: Daan tiu Jyut Naam hak bong Gwai mat II: Daan tiu Jyut Naam hak bong Gwai mat Girls 2 Girls II
La corona partida
In a Spain consumed by ambition and power, the future of an empire depends of the mind state of a single woman.
The police force of a remote Midwestern town search for a killer Santa Claus who is picking off citizens on Christmas Eve.
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Lily is a winner, but when her boyfriend leaves her for a vapid beauty pageant queen, she gets the notion that winning the Miss India America title would bring him back. Since Lily is perfect in everything else she does, it should be a cinch…or so she thinks. The pageant world isn't just pretty smiles and high heels, and her main competition, Sonia, gives her a run for her money.
Possessing Piper Rose
A couple are desperate to adopt a child but, when their dream comes true, strange events begin to happen.
Genre: Comedy, Talk-Show
Rider Jack
Jack, who has all but failed at life, dreams of a fresh beginning abroad. Instead, he unexpectedly has to take care of his hated father Paul, who he has not seen since childhood. Paul suffers from Alzheimer's and wants to make peace with his son while he still can. But Jack has very different plans for Paul. Two worlds collide, and a journey to Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, turns into an odyssey back to a painfully suppressed past.
Desperate for companionship, the repressed Willard befriends a group of rats that inhabit his late father's deteriorating mansion. In these furry creatures, Willard finds temporary refuge from daily abuse at the hands of his bedridden mother and his father's old partner, Frank. Soon it becomes clear that the brood of rodents is ready and willing to exact a vicious, deadly revenge on anyone who dares to bully their sensitive new master.
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Le Dîner de Cons
For Pierre Brochant and his friends, Wednesday is "Idiots' Day". The idea is simple: each person has to bring along an idiot. The one who brings the most spectacular idiot wins the prize. Tonight, Brochant is ecstatic. He has found a gem. The ultimate idiot, "A world champion idiot!". What Brochant doesn't know is that Pignon is a real jinx, a past master in the art of bringing on catastrophes…
The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
A mysterious visitor spends the night at an apartment belonging to a young engaged couple and their friend. Over the course of the night and the following day he sleeps with all three roommates and then disappears, leading to conversations about God, life and filmmaking.
Sprung! The Magic Roundabout
A shaggy, candy-loving puppy named Dougal along with a group of friends embarks on a dangerous journey in an effort to imprison their oppressor — the evil ice sorcerer ZeeBad (Zebedee's evil twin). As the world is placed in mortal danger Zeebad who wants to turn the world to ice. Doogal and his friends must recover 3 diamonds that are needed to stop him.
A young man returns to his family farm, after a long stay in ex-gay conversion therapy, and is torn between the expectations of his emotionally distant father, and the memories of a past, loving relationship he has tried to bury.


NODVIX is a 24-hour P2P broadcasting platform designed to display interesting and relevant video content to its users. Nodvix ICO rating – not rated.
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We provide a decentralized blockchain-powered solution that profoundly changes the digital broadcasting world for content makers, advertisers, and viewers alike. The absence of KYC, governmental censorship and ease of entry for new content-makers creates a unique environment for real freedom of speech. Advertisers benefit from sponsoring content relevant to their business while paying a fraction of what the market demands due to traditional networks charging on average $394,000 per 30 seconds of media.
NODVIX ICO is an ecosystem for the distribution of media content between all its participants, based on Peer-to-Peer Internet Network (P2P) technology. Due to this, we are able to reduce the cost of scaling the platform and provide significant advantages over the traditional centralized broadcast resources and media hosting, as highlighted within this document.
NODVIX ICO is self-regulating, peer-to-peer, decentralized and anonymous media content platform with open source continuous online broadcasting, using its own crypto currency as payment for services. The concept of the project is to provide continuous broadcasting of a vast array of unique media content: from music to popular science shows, without censorship or bias, where everyone can become part of the broadcast. Media content is stored within the decentralized Torrent-Node network for a fixed period of time and sorted through pre-defined ratings.
Master-Nodes receive larger payment for storage and distribution of information. These Master-Nodes receive an 8% fee for their services, unlike the lesser earning capability (2%) of the unsupported nodes that do not use the NDVX token.
Spam prevention. Should the Torrent-Nodes deem a video either spam or unlawful, the nodes will mark the video as spam or illegal content. The video will then be blocked from the platform.


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sprite-logomark
Fourth international PATS competition kicks off at NCTC Kharian
By Faisal Saeed March 2, 2021
> Army
The 2021 competition of the Fourth International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) has started at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, near Kharian, in which eight domestic teams of the Pakistan Army are participating.
Along with Pakistan Army, teams from eight allied countries have also participated in this years' competition. As per the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), teams from Jordan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uzbekistan will take part as participants, whereas Morocco, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan will be participating as observers in the three day long competition.
The PATS 2021 competition is designed to test tactical skills of the teams in physical and professional domains, along with agility of the participating teams to generate responses in challenging real-time field scenarios.
In the three-day long event, the teams will be subjected to various cross-domain scenarios and encompass tasks, including "physical endurance, water obstacle crossing, close target reconnaissance and protective approach under chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environment", said ISPR.
Established in 2000, the Pabbi NCTC centre near Kharian is spread over 2,500 acres of land. Its latest upgradation of infrastructure was done five years later to accommodate the growing demand for training of foreign armies and domestic law enforcement agencies with the Pakistan Army.
The addition of new facilities to the training centre has turned it into the best counter-terrorism training facility amongst the contemporary armies.
In 2020, seven Pakistan Army teams, Pakistan Air Force and international teams and representatives from 16 countries had taken part in the third international PATS competition.
Topics: Culture, Pakistan, Army, Training, Competition
Defense Day: Nation pays befitting tribute to martyrs of the armed forces
This year's Defense and Martyrs' Day theme is "Our martyrs our pride, a salute to all the relatives belonging to ghazis and Shaheeds."
Pakistan conducts successful test flight of 'indigenously developed' Fatah-1
The extended range Fatah-1 rocket system is capable of delivering a conventional warhead.
Global Innovation Index: Pakistan jumps 8 spots in 2021 rankings
The rankings showed that compared to the country's GDP, Pakistan's innovation performance remained on par with its level of development.
Sept. 24, 2021, 12:05 p.m.
Pakistani village Rasool Pur has 100pc literacy rate, and no crime
All the women in the village are educated and Rasool Pur has not recorded a single crime in the past 100 years.
Sept. 10, 2021, 1:18 p.m.
Meet Karachi's 'Amma oil wali' who fixes motorcycles to earn an honest living
Sara Gill becomes the first-ever Transgender doctor in Pakistan
The 23-year old completed her MBBS from Karachi University.
Pakistan's import bill reaches $40.65 billion in the first 6 months of the current fiscal year
Last year Pakistan recorded $24.45 billion worth of imports for the same period.
44 international investment companies sign MoU with KP government, plans to bring $8 billion dollar worth of investment.
The MoU between the two was signed at the Dubai International Expo 2020.
First trailer of 'Moon Knight' released, Marvel dives into a dark & trippy world.
The much-awaited new Marvel series will star Oscar Isaac as the Moon Knight.
Jan. 18, 2022, 12:25 p.m.
Overseas investors can now get Pakistani citizenship
The government hopes to fetch huge amounts of investment under this scheme.
About Mashable Pakistan
Contribute / Write for Us
Mashable Pakistan is operated under license by UrduPoint Network


Ayahuasca is a sacred plant that is native to South America, it's been used for centuries, maybe even millennia by Shamans to heal people and traditionally protect them against black magic and evil spirits. Recently, the western world has taken a great interest in the use of Ayahuasca as a powerful medicine, it has been proven to help cure people with serious substance abuse problems such as heroin addictions as well as help combat depression. From the very first time I heard about the ancient medicine of Ayahuasca I knew that it was something that I would be partaking in. I felt immediately drawn to it.
2. To combat my addictive personality and need to escape.
3. To be able to have my beliefs confirmed.
4. To come face to face with and get over minor depression within my life.
5. To have a trippy psychedelic adventure.
So, it was just a matter of time before I had my retreat picked out and my flights booked! Being that Peru has a huge Ayahuasca culture I was able to do two things that my heart was longing for, as Peru had been one of my most desired travel destinations for a few years. Before I had booked anything my friend approached me and basically said that she was coming and also felt drawn to this experience, which was fine with me! Shortly after that another friend joined us, and then another. We were all headed for an amazing adventure. From what we saw of Lima, Cusco, Huaraz and Machu Pichu, Peru is a beautiful country with a lot to explore.
Now, let's move onto the Ayahuasca. If you are thinking of participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony or retreat there are a few things that I should tell you.
Drop ANY expectations about what the experience will be like based on what other people have told you based on their own experiences. Ayahuasca works entirely different with each person who takes it.
With all that being said, Ayahuasca is an amazing tool that can assist you with clearing your innermost demons, bringing clarity and joy to your everyday life, helping you to let go of any fear, showing you what unconditional love feels like, showing you your soul purpose and many other wonderful things. If you feel drawn to these things and are OK with what was mentioned above then Ayahuasca is certainly for you. Ayahuasca can be a great tool for anybody who finds it, or should I say those who accept it. Ayahuasca will find you or attract your attention if you are ready for it.
The retreat that my friends and I picked out was called Ayahuasca Satsangha (www.ayahuascasatsangha.org) at The Way Inn Lodge close to the city of Huaraz, Peru. This retreat has a donation based philosophy which I thought was absolutely wonderful and really shows where the intentions lie. Over the past few years the sacred plant Ayahuasca has actually blown up into somewhat of an industry for tourists travelling to Peru, not all of the retreats available have your best interest at heart. Please do your own research thoroughly before choosing any retreat. The Way Inn is nestled right near the Andean mountains in an absolutely stunning location with a glacier fed pond and a canal that runs around the whole place. The staff were very knowledgeable, friendly, caring, loving and extremely helpful. I am so grateful to have had this experience with such amazing people! I would certainly go back there again and recommend this place to anyone who is interested. There is also a really friendly adorable cat there named Chateau! I absolutely adored him. Here are some pictures taken from the retreat at The Way Inn.
If you would like to read about my personal experiences while on Ayahuasca you can read about it here (Days 1 and 2) and here (days 3,4 5), this is taken directly out of my personal journal!
Overall, I am very glad to have had the opportunity to take part in attending and Ayahuasca Retreat. It definitely provided assistance for me on my journey and it was a great learning process, I gained some powerful insights about myself. Ayahuasca is definitely something that I would recommend to anyone who is serious about taking some steps forward and making some changes within their lives.
What is the name of the Goddess of the Vine of the Soul?
I imagine that's something you'd have to learn from it yourself through it's Vine!


53 teams from Life in Space and 82 teams for Life on Earth have qualified for Phase 3 – Deploy and Phase 4 - Analyse of the European Astro Pi Challenge. The teams' experiments were selected based on their experiment quality, the code quality and the feasibility of the experiment idea. The selected programs have been tested on ground for 3 hours each, to ensure the experiment programs will run without errors on board.
The selected teams will receive their data after their program has been deployed on the International Space Station. They will then be tasked with writing a short report to be judged by the Astro Pi team. The 10 best reports will be selected and those teams will become the winners and be awarded a special prize!
In the video above, you will be able to watch David St-Jacques congratulating all of the participants on behalf of ESA and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The selected programs will run in the coming days on the ISS and will be overseen by CSA Astronaut David Saint-Jacques himself!
In September of last year, the European Space Agency and Raspberry Pi Foundation officially launched the European Astro Pi Challenge for 2018/2019. It offers students and young people the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space, by writing computer programs that run on Raspberry Pi computers on board the International Space Station. The Challenge consists of two missions, Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab.
In Mission Space Lab, our more advanced mission, teams of students and young people under 19 years of age submitted an idea for a scientific experiment to be run on the Astro Pi units. Teams were able to choose between two themes for their experiments: Life in space and Life on Earth. Teams that chose the 'Life on Earth' theme were tasked with using the Astro Pi computer Izzy, fitted with a near-infrared camera facing out of an ISS window, to study the Earth. For 'Life in space', teams used the Astro Pi computer Ed, which is equipped with a camera for light sensing, and they investigated life inside the Columbus module of the ISS.
During Phase 1, the Astro Pi team received a record-breaking 471 entries from 24 countries. 381 teams were selected to carry on to Phase Two and have the chance to write computer programs for the scientific experiments they want to send to the Astro Pi computers on board the International Space Station.
Astro Pi Ed running experiments on the ISS and displaying data.


News Sep 27, 2018 | Original Story by Jason M. Carlton for Intermountain Medical Center.
Outdoor air pollution is a major contributor to indoor air pollution – but high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters used in the home significantly reduce fine-particulate matter in the air compared with non-HEPA air filters, according to a new two-year study led by researchers at Intermountain Healthcare's Intermountain Medical Center.
"One of the reasons we wanted to research the effectiveness of HEPA air filters in the home is because people often ask what they can do to protect their lungs during poor air quality days," said Denitza Blagev, MD, pulmonary researcher at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City. "We found that running a stand-alone in-home HEPA filter and having the windows in the home closed can provide cleaner air inside the home, especially when outdoor air quality is so poor."
"Our next steps will be to look at whether the HEPA filter cleans the indoor air enough to help alleviate symptoms in patients with COPD or asthma during poor air quality days," said Dr. Blagev. "We often encourage our patients with respiratory illnesses to stay indoors on days when PM2.5 is high outdoors, but we hope to identify ways to help improve the indoor air quality and relieve symptoms in our patients, which will protect our lungs from dangerous air pollutants."
This article has been republished from materials provided by Intermountain Medical Center. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.


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Q: Enable auto-complete without needing a key press in Python/Jupyter notebooks? I need more efficient ways to type code. I'm physically disabled and can't use a physical keyboard. I'm writing this text with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, but that is pretty rubbish for writing code, so I have to resort to an on-screen keyboard.
I've learned about auto-completion in Jupyter by pressing TAB. Is there perhaps a way to enable it without a key? I would like as many auto-completion suggestions as possible.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Serge Sandberg est un exploitant de salles de cinéma, un producteur et un distributeur français né le  à Kaunas (Lituanie), à l'époque Kowno en Empire russe, et mort le  à Nice.

Biographie

Serge Sandberg naît en 1879 dans ce qui est alors l'Empire russe. Il suit les cours d'un précepteur qui lui inculque à la fois des éléments de la culture allemande et de la culture russe, mais aussi une curiosité pour la France et son Siècle des Lumières. À 21 ans, il se rend à Paris au moment de l'Exposition Universelle.

Après plusieurs mois, il commence à travailler pour Charles Pathé, qui l'envoie peu après à Moscou ouvrir une succursale de Pathé Frères. En quelques années, il voyage ainsi pour les mêmes raisons à Berlin, Vienne, Budapest et Bucarest.

En 1907, il revient en France et Pathé lui donne le monopole d'exploitation pour la région du Centre-Ouest de la France. Il sera alors l'un des premiers à y créer des salles de cinéma fixes. En 1910, il se lance dans la création de salles à Paris : le Tivoli-Cinéma, le Grand Cinéma Saint-Paul, l'Aubert-Palace, le Grand-Cinéma. Le , il est naturalisé français .

Pendant la guerre de 1914-18, il est affecté à la Section Cinématographique et Photographique de l'Armée. On lui confie la distribution des films de propagande sur tout l'ouest du territoire. Il devient producteur en 1915, pour les Films René Navarre, la société créée par le célèbre acteur de Fantômas qui vient d'être démobilisé.

En 1918, Serge Sandberg et Louis Aubert créent la Société Industrielle Cinématographique, concessionnaire de la marque Éclair, dans le but de refaire fonctionner les Studios d'Épinay, et de créer une entité comparable à ce qu'est en train de devenir UFA en Allemagne. S'ensuit un nombre important de productions de films, et la création à Nice des Studios de la Victorine avec Louis Nalpas

Serge Sandberg reprend également en 1918 la tradition des Concerts populaires de musique classique initiée par Jules Pasdeloup au début des années 1860 au Cirque d'Hiver. Il arrête de s'en occuper en 1921 et laisse aux musiciens la responsabilité de leur orchestre. Ceux-ci se constituent en association qui prend à cette occasion le nom de Concerts Pasdeloup.

C'est sous le nom de la Cinéas que Serge Sandberg produira bon nombre des films de Sacha Guitry.

Il fut marié à la journaliste Marie-Charlotte Sandberg-Charpentier

Filmographie sélective

source "Les indépendants du premier siècle"

Bibliographie

 Jean Demerliac, ... Et le cinéma ne voulut pas de Michel Verne, Bulletin de la Société Jules-Verne , ,

Notes et références

Liens externes

Producteur français de cinéma
Naissance en novembre 1879
Naissance à Kaunas
Décès en janvier 1981
Décès à Nice
Décès à 101 ans

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Four-fold jump in LPG consumption but industry faces challenges in Bangladesh
--January 20, 2020
Source: Recently Heard
A relatively new industry segment in Bangladesh, LPG is setting new frontiers of growth as the nation has stepped up its energy requirements – making the LPG demand grow exponentially. To encourage the use of LPG, government has favorable policies in place. Market insiders says, due to increased use in households, commercial entities and vehicles, the country has seen a four-fold jump over the past three years in LPG consumption. Though introduced by the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Company (BPC) back in 1978, LPG has only gained prominence after 2008. According to the annual report of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) of 2018-19, till last year, the number of LPG consumers was 38 lakh against 2.5 lakh in the year 2009. Owing to increased LPG consumption in Bangladesh, the number of such companies has increased rapidly. While the use of LPG is growing exponentially, the most recent emphasis has been to handle the flammable product safely. Amidst rising safety concerns, companies are bringing in innovative methods to enhance the safety levels of cylinders. For instance, Beximco Group, co-founded by Salman F Rahman has introduced the composite fiberglass cylinder which is a Type 2 or 3 cylinder, through its Beximco LPG unit – making the LPG cylinders more viable in the Bangladeshi market. The safety tenet also appeals to the rural diaspora, where people still rely on wood fuel.
Salman F Rahman also serves as the Private Industry and Investment advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – which might bring the household energy aspect more prominent in the plans of the government in the future. M Muntasir Alam, Chief Commercial Officer of Beximco LPG, informs, Steel cylinders are very hard and the gas pressure is always very high. Exposing them to extreme heat of the kitchen can lead to expansion of the gas inside the cylinders, making it highly flammable. Salman F Rahman, MP from Dhaka-1 Constituency, who has already been working towards the installation of renewable energy grid in the country recently cited "We are self-sufficient in food, developing our electricity sector and our population growth is also under control." Furthermore, awareness sessions hosted by Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources have been centered on enhancing the existing facilities in the country- accessing all the risk factors associated with it.


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about HBCUs
HBCU Facts
What is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)?
In Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress officially defined Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as accredited,
College Accreditation
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality.
Accreditation in the United States involves non-governmental entities as well as federal and state government agencies. (Source)
degree-granting institutions established before 1964, with the principal mission of educating Black Americans. (U.S. Department of Education)
Why were HBCUs created?
Prior to the creation of HBCUs, there was no structured higher education system for Black students. The education of Black Americans was prohibited
Anti-Literacy Laws
Between 1819 and 1834 many slave states passed anti-literacy laws that applied to enslaved people, freedmen, and in some cases all people of color. These largely came into force due to Southern Whites' fear of Blacks organizing and rebelling in the South.(Source)
in most Southern states and often discouraged
While teaching Blacks in the North was not illegal, many Northern states, counties, and cities barred Black students from public schools.
The few schools available to Black students were funded by Quakers and other philanthropists. (Source)
in Northern states.
The emergence of HBCUs in the mid-to-late 1800s provided Black Americans the most basic of human rights
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.
Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. (Source)
— access to a full education. For decades after the Civil War (1861-1865)
Civil War (1861-1865)
The Civil War in the United States began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between Northern and Southern states over slavery, states' rights and westward expansion. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused seven Southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined them.
The War Between the States, as the Civil War was also known, ended in Confederate surrender in 1865. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on American soil, with some 620,000 of 2.4 million soldiers killed, millions more injured and much of the South left in ruin. (Source)
and the creation of HBCUs, legal segregation still prevented Black Americans from attending college in the South, and quotas limited the number of Black students that could attend college in the North — making HBCUs the only education option for many Black Americans.
Why are HBCUs still relevant?
HBCUs offer Black youth and talent-seeking organizations a 180+ year track record of success. Additionally, much of America's culture and socioeconomic movements are driven by —and a product of — Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
HBCUs consistently outperform non-HBCUs in student experience, affordability, and after college preparedness for Black Americans. (Why Choose an HBCU, 2019)
More students experience upward (income) mobility at HBCUs than at predominately white institutions (PWIs) thus reducing some social inequities. (Nathenson, Samayoa, & Gasman, 2019)
HBCUs build and strengthen communities, states and the country. (UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, 2019)
HBCU Research Studies
HBCU research studies provide students (and their families), practitioners, and workforce leaders a trustworthy and up-to-date source for HBCU insight. The reports below — published by some of the most reputable research institutions in the country — dig into the influence and impact of the HBCU experience.
HBCUs Transforming Generations: Social Mobility Outcomes for HBCU Alumni
• by: Hammond, M., Owens, L., Gulko, B. (2021). UNCF
A Pledge of Allegiance to America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• by: Terrell L. Strayhorn, PhD (2021). Center for the Study of HBCUs at VUU
Encouraging Entrepreneurship at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• by: The Whether and Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (2020)
A Response to Racism: How HBCU Enrollment Grew in the Face of Hatred
• by: Williams, J.L. & Palmer, R.T. (2019). Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions
Moving Upward and Onward: Income Mobility at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• by: Nathenson, R.A., Samayoa, A.C., & Gasman, M. (2019). Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions
The UNCF Fact Sheet: An Annual Snapshot of Key Statistics
• by: UNCF (2020)
HBCUs Punching Above Their Weight: A State-Level Analysis of Historically Black College and University Enrollment Graduation
• by: Saunders, K.M. & Nagle, B.T. (2019). UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute
HBCU By Choice: Examining the College Choice of Black HBCU Undergraduates
• by: Williams, J.L. (2019). Center for Minority Serving Institutions at the Univ. of Pennsylvania
Selecting And Persisting at HBCUs: The Alumni Perspective
• by: Rahman, S.I. (2019). Center for Minority Serving Institutions at the Univ. of Pennsylvania
HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• by: Humphreys, J. (2017). UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute
Gallup-USA Funds Minority College Graduates Report
• Compares the college experience of Black HBCU grads and Black non-HBCU grads
• by: Gallup (2015)
*We strive for accuracy and fairness, so if you see something that doesn't look right, please let us know , thank you.
HBCU First's mission is to increase college and career success for Black youth.
View a 180+ year history of America's HBCUs.
HBCU History Timeline
As the nation's leading HBCU internship program, we leverage relationships with 70+ HBCUs to help Black youth navigate the college-to-career journey and bridge the gap between learning and doing.
Talent Consortium
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Oil Companies and Lobbyists Say They're Ready to Solve Climate Change. Check the Fine Print.
Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr; Edited: LW / TO
David Halperin,
Republic Report
Last week, former senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and John Breaux (D-LA) announced, with a big public relations blitz, a new campaign, Americans for Carbon Dividends, to address the threat of climate change. The effort is being heralded as a breakthrough by some because it is endorsed by big oil and gas companies Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Total, and it calls for a $40-a-ton carbon tax, incurred at the source of emissions, with revenues to be returned to citizens as dividends, perhaps $2000 a year for each American family of four.
A Lott-Breaux op-ed in the New York Times presents the deal as a compelling bipartisan solution and touts the support not only of oil companies but also the non-profit Nature Conservancy. The campaign website lists a bunch of newspaper and environmental group endorsements for the underlying $40 carbon tax concept, which was proposed last year under the banner of a group called the Climate Leadership Council, launched by Republican former secretaries of state James Baker and George Shultz and other conservatives, and now including oil companies and various establishment Democrats and Republicans.
The website of the new, affiliated Americans for Carbon Dividends shows its own campaign leadership roster that includes not only Republican Lott and Democrat Breaux, but also former George W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes and Mark McKinnon, plus Bill Clinton White House press secretary Joe Lockhart.
So it sounds like Democrats and Republicans alike, and even some environmental groups, are supportive, the oil companies are at last willing to pay for their dangerous carbon emissions, citizens will get a dividend, and everyone will be happy.
But when one examines the fine print of the deal — and the financial benefits flowing to some of the people touting it — the effort looks much less utopian.
Lott and Breaux vaguely mention in the op-ed that there are "various policy details that will need to be addressed," and assert that "this market-based solution would render carbon regulations unnecessary." What they don't tell you in the op-ed, but you can find on the campaign website, is that their plan is more concrete than that in terms of guaranteeing benefits to the fossil fuel industries.
"Much of the EPA's regulatory authority over carbon dioxide emissions would be phased out, including an outright repeal of the Clean Power Plan," according to the Lott-Breaux campaign site. That's a reference to the 2015 plan issued by the Obama administration to control greenhouse gas emissions, after Congress rejected climate change legislation in 2009. The Trump administration is trying to kill the plan, but they will need to win a court battle to do so.
Some critics are calling the new initiative an empty public relations gesture on the part of the fossil fuel companies, and just maybe it is: A carbon tax is unlikely to pass Congress in the present environment. Even if it did, energy companies would likely be able to pass the costs of a new carbon tax on to consumers, thus wiping out the gains of the promised dividend checks. But properly constructed, a carbon tax could perhaps achieve many of the aims of the Clean Power Plan.
However, there's another twist.
The Lott-Breaux website adds, as the penultimate sentence in their plan outline, something the Lott-Breaux Times op-ed conveniently omits: "Robust carbon taxes would also make possible an end to federal and state tort liability for emitters." (The Climate Leadership Council calls for the same outcome in one of its documents and a more vague prescription in another.) That gentle formulation seems to mean this: The plan proponents are insisting that a solution must bar everyone and anyone from suing fossil fuel companies for the harms done by global warming — past, present, and future.
You might be aware by now that some thirteen cities and counties in the states of California, Colorado, New York, and Washington have recently sued major fossil fuel companies over alleged harms from emissions — coastal erosion, floods, wildfires, drought, floods, and other effects of climate change.
These new lawsuits could pack a powerful punch. They allege that ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, and others knew for decades that fossil fuel-driven global warming and rising seas threatened human life, but continued to expand their production, while deceiving consumers about the risks. Asserting that this conduct violates various state tort rules — public nuisance, failure to warn, design defect, negligence, trespass, conspiracy — the suits demand that the companies, rather than taxpayers, cover the costs of the environmental harms.
Prior lawsuits using similar theories, brought a decade or more ago, were dismissed. But today there is much more evidence that global warming is real, accelerating, and caused by burning fossil fuels, and that oil companies knew such information, suppressed it, and sought to counter it. Also, lawyers for cities and counties believe that recent scientific advances will make it easier to prove that the specific defendants' activities harmed or threaten their client communities.
Which is why the big oil companies are scared. They face potentially billions in liability, plus the likelihood that protracted litigation will disclose new internal company records and highlight the extensive efforts made by Exxon and other companies over decades to conceal the dangers of fossil fueling burning, and to support fake-science climate denial organizations and politicians.
In addition to seeking to dismiss the cases and keep their company documents hidden, the oil companies have resorted to filing desperate countersuits claiming that the cities, as well as the Massachusetts and New York state attorneys generals, plus private lawyers, are engaged in conspiracies to violate their constitutional rights. These efforts are succeeding in delaying and wasting money, but they are unlikely to wipe out the threat the suits pose.
So the fossil fuel companies want badly to get rid of these cases. And now, they have joined hands with Lott and Breaux for a comprehensive climate change solution, one that would let them off the hook for enormous potential liability for past and ongoing harms. (The case law is not entirely settled as to whether a federal ban on liability would conclusively bar all such state tort law suits, given the constitutional due process rights of those injured, but for the fossil fuel industries, it's certainly worth a try.)
The effort includes some deceptions already. Linked to a page on the Lott-Breaux campaign site called "Who Supports" is a June 20 statement from the pro-environment Union of Concerned Scientists. But that UCS statement, while praising the concept of a carbon tax, expressly opposes key elements of the new Lott-Bureaux package: the trading away of government regulations and the rights of municipalities to obtain compensation for climate change harms. The statement concludes: "Taking away legal rights and rolling back public health safeguards are clearly not in the American public's interest."
In addition to overstating support for the plan and soft-pedaling the oil companies' demand for immunity from ongoing lawsuits, Lott, Breaux, and company aren't offering all the details of the financial incentives behind the new coalition.
Ted Halstead, CEO of the Climate Leadership Council, the partner group to the new Lott-Breaux effort, told the New York Times that his group, which includes as members Exxon, Shell, BP, Total, and other big companies inside and outside of the energy sector, did not accept corporate contributions.
But given the New York Times' enhanced policy of disclosure of conflicts of interest by op-ed writers, the two former senators were compelled to mention that Americans for Carbon Dividends "has hired" their law firm, DC lobbying powerhouse Squire Patton Boggs, "to help with the campaign," which they call "a multifaceted media and lobbying campaign to promote this winning solution." That means that, however sincerely Trent Lott and John Breaux believe in this cause, they are not acting merely as elder statesmen; they also are getting paid to advance it, just as they have been paid for years to lobby for oil companies, health care companies, for-profit colleges, Russian government-owned Gazprombank, tech companies, and other special interests. In the case of this new campaign, we don't know how much money they're getting, or where it's all coming from.
As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Americans for Carbon Dividends is not required to disclose its donors, but Axios reports that funders so far include nuclear-power giant Exelon ($1 million), First Solar, and the American Wind Energy Association. "Other corporate donors exist," writes Axios, "but are opting not to disclose…. No oil and gas companies are funding the effort yet, but they're likely to in the coming months, according to a source familiar with the effort."
Lott, one of the swampiest lobbyists in the DC swamp, knows well how to play this game. He is also a senior fellow and energy policy project co-chair at a DC think-tank called the Bipartisan Policy Center, which also has styled itself as presenting sensible non-partisan answers to difficult problems, but which has tilted its positions in favor of fossil fuel industries and has accepted funding from numerous companies in those industries.
Given the urgent need to fight climate change, and the Trump administration's outright hostility to addressing the problem, advocates for a carbon tax, including Republicans, deserve credit for seeking a bold solution. But tying the approach to an end to legitimate claims by cities and counties that they have been harmed by global warming, as Lott and Breaux seek, is asking way too much. As the debate goes forward, advocates for taxpayers, consumers, and the environment should guard against including in any deal a grant of immunity to the fossil fuel industries for decades of climate change deception.
This article originally appeared on Republic Report.
David Halperin
David Halperin engages in public advocacy and advises organizations on strategy, policy, politics, communications and legal matters. He is of counsel to Public.Resource.org. He was previously: founding director of Generation Progress and senior vice president at the Center for American Progress; senior policy advisor for Howard Dean's presidential campaign; founding executive director of the American Constitution Society; White House speechwriter and special assistant for national security affairs to President Clinton; cofounder of the internet company RealNetworks; and counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee. He graduated from Yale College and Yale Law School. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Nation, Politico, Foreign Policy and other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @DaHalperin.
Tick-Borne Illness Has Tripled, but the CDC Refuses to Blame Climate Change
Taking steps to slow the rate of climate change is important for global health.
s.e. smith,
Human Role in Climate Change Removed From Federal Science Report
Several scientists said the editing appears to violate a National Park Service policy.
Elizabeth Shogren,
The Center for Investigative Reporting
What We Found in Trump's Drained Swamp: Hundreds of Ex-Lobbyists and DC Insiders
For the first time, political appointee and federal financial disclosure information is publicly searchable.
Derek Kravitz,
Isaac Arnsdorf &
Al Shaw,


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Sports Picks > Free College Basketball Picks > Long Beach State Beach vs UCLA Bruins 11/30/2020 Picks Predictions Previews
UCLA Bruins VS Long Beach State Beach
PAC12
Spread: UCLA Bruins -20
Long Beach State Beach vs UCLA Bruins 11/30/2020 Picks Predictions Previews
The No. 22 UCLA Bruins will host the Long Beach State Beach at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California on Monday, November 30, 2020, at 9:30 P.M., ET.
Long Beach will make their season debut in this game. The squad finished in 8th place in the Big West Conference with a record of 6-10 and an overall record of 11-21. The squad lost to the Bruins in their debut game last year with a score of 69-65. The squad did not find much success as they had a series of losses throughout the season. The team lost their final game against the CSU Fullerton Titans with a score of 75-69.
Chance Hunter led the team in points by averaging 13.9 points per game for 444 in total while Joshua Morgan made 6.1 boards per game for 195 overall plus 80 blocks. Michael Carter lll averaged 2.6 assists per game for 82 in all with 33 steals. The team is 2-13 SU in their last 15 road games and 0-6 SU in their last 6 games against UCLA.
Long Beach State Beach vs UCLA Bruins Predictions 11/30/2020
The UCLA Bruins are on a 50% win record this season after getting a win in their 2nd game after facing the Pepperdine Waves. It was a gruelling game that reached overtime after both squads scored 70 on each other after 40 minutes. UCLA stepped up in overtime to score 37 more points while the Waves could only make 28, resulting in the Bruins' victory at 107-98. UCLA shot 43.9% from the floor on 36-82 attempts while their 3s were off at 29.4% success. The team only had a 67.6% free throw percentage on 25-37 shots drained. The team is 11th in the Pac-12 Conference with a record of 1-1.
All of UCLA's starters scored double-digits with 2 of them getting double-doubles. Chris Smith scored 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 16 points, 11 boards, and 5 dimes. Tyger Campbell and Jules Bernard combined for 43 points and 12 rebounds while Campbell made 7 assists. Cody Riley chipped in 13 points in their win. The team is 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games and 8-2 SU in their last 10 games.
Long Beach State Beach vs UCLA Bruins. The NCAAB pick is the UCLA Bruins. Long Beach still has most of their roster staying this year but they did not do much last season. UCLA won their last game but they didn't have the best accuracy in draining their shots. Long Beach is still rusty entering the season while UCLA were able to shake it off, and were resilient to win their matchup against Pepperdine in overtime. The Bruins will step over the beach predicted to a score of 81-60.
Location: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
Date: Monday, November 30, 2020
TV: PAC12
NCAAB Odds: UCLA Bruins -20
NCAAB Total: 142
Free College Basketball Pick: UCLA Bruins -20
By: Tonys Picks Staff | November 30, 2020


Hospitals in Cross Lake and in the Island Lakes area - why have they been so long delayed?
I have been quite concerned in the last year that the federal government has come forward with major funding for the Cross Lake Hospital, but the province has not so far really come to the table and this important project is currently stalled waiting for the participation of the province. The delay is unfortunate because the people of Cross Lake have been working on getting this hospital for at least two decades. I have been very puzzled as to why the province is being so slow to come to the table, so I asked the Minister of Health why he was delaying to long on this decision. I also asked about the planning for the Hospital in the Island Lakes area. My questions and the Minister's responses on Thursday June 21 are below.
Mr. Gerrard: One of the important issues in Manitoba has been the partnership between the First Nations people, Metis people, the provincial government, Inuit people and the federal government. And there has been some considerable discussion recently of the nature of that partnership in relationship to the building of the Cross Lake hospital.
And it's my understanding that there has been a long-standing agreement in which elements of care are shared between the provincial and federal governments and the First Nation and Metis and Inuit people. And so my question here, there–in the discussions which have been brought forward, the minister has appeared to be very resistant to partnering at the provincial level with the people of Cross Lake, Pimicikamak, and the federal government with regard to the Cross Lake hospital which, you know, as everybody knows has been planned and needed for quite some time.
So what is the minister's approach going to be going forward?
Mr. Goertzen: Well, I would not characterize it as resistance, because I don't think it's been that. I would say that the nature and the way that particular project was brought forward by the federal government wasn't helpful to the project itself.
And so, I mean this goes back almost a couple of years now, but I believe that our department was notified that there would be some kind of an announcement in Cross Lake in about–with about 24 hours notice. We weren't asked to participate in the announcement. We weren't advised what the announcement would be. We weren't told who would be at the announcement. But we were certainly welcome to come if we wanted to, which doesn't constitute much of an invitation in my definition of what an invitation is.
And then, following the announcement, I think at that time it was about $40 million that the federal government said that they'd be putting into a new hospital. And then there was a clarification that it wasn't really a hospital, it might have been more of a nursing station. And then there was a clarification that, yes, it might be more like a nursing station but we'd like to add services. And then the federal government said, well, we might look at something additional. And then they said, oh, by the way, you know, Province is in as a partner, to which we were somewhat surprised because officials in my department said that had not been the nature of the discussion.
We weren't involved in the announcement. We were happy to provide information, happy to do an analysis, happy to have that discussion. I'm still happy to have the discussion, but, you know, any previous agreement doesn't supersede the need to have a real partnership.
I mean, as much as I might like to, I can't go out tomorrow and say, yes, we're going to build a brand new hospital somewhere, and we're going to put in $20 million, and, by the way, we expect the federal government to show up and give 80. I'm sure the federal government would say, well, hang on now; that's not how we do partnerships. And that's essentially what happened in the instance of Cross Lake.
The federal government made an announcement unilaterally. There was, you know, there was questions about the characterization of the announcement. And then after they made the announcement they said, oh, yes, but we didn't actually provide enough money to do what, you know, we kind of said is going to happen, so, but don't worry, the Province will just provide the money, at a time when we're already cutting funding to the provinces in terms of what was expected under the CHT.
So, you know, quite apart from any historical announcements, that doesn't give one level of government the right to make a unilateral announcement and bind another part of government to fulfill a promise that a different part of government made. If the member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard) is suggesting that I'm going to be making a whole bunch of announcements after the blackout that I'll be hoping the federal government will pay for, but that just isn't how it works.
So we're more than happy to continue the discussion with Cross Lake. We've been at the table in terms of providing information and data, you know; we're hoping to continue those discussions. But in terms of how the federal government made this announcement, it wasn't made in a way that was helpful to the community of Cross Lake, in my estimation.
Mr. Gerrard: Yes, part of the reason for asking this is that my colleague, the MLA for Kewatinook, has been working with her communities in the Island Lake area, St. Theresa Point, Garden Hill, Wasagamack, in particular, but it could relate also to adjacent communities like Red Sucker Lake, perhaps even, you know, other communities. But the proposal which I understand has been under discussions for some decades is for a hospital in the Island Lake area. The nature of that hospital–my understanding–is yet to be developed.
And so, you know, the minister has said that, you know, he wants to be involved at the earliest possible stage, and can I pass on to my colleague, the MLA for Kewatinook, that his department would be ready at the earliest stage to at least begin the planning and discussion, knowing that such a venture may take a number of years before it would come to completion?
Mr. Goertzen: We're always open to having a dialogue with all Manitobans when it comes to what they feel are their health-care priorities. There's nothing wrong–in fact, it's only helpful at times to have 'dialong.' That doesn't presuppose the outcome of the dialogue, but I don't think there's anything wrong with having the dialogue.
Mr. Gerrard: I thank the member for his answer, and I will certainly pass that on to the MLA for Kewatinook, and I'm sure that she'd be ready to be passing that on and be talking to individuals in the Island Lake area, including the chiefs and councils and those involved in the health delivery in that area.


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Iranian Release Of Prisoners May Be Part Of Broader Deal To Lift Sanctions
By Michele Kelemen
Published January 16, 2016 at 12:00 PM EST
We begin this hour with breaking news. Iran has announced that it has freed several U.S. prisoners from Iranian jails. In exchange, the Iranians say the U.S. released some Iranians who'd been in jail here for sanctions violations. All of this occurs just as sanctions against Iran might be about to be released. NPR's diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen joins us in our studios. Michele, thanks very much for being with us.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Nice to be here.
SIMON: What do we know about the Americans who are being released?
KELEMEN: Well, they include Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, who's the longest held in this group. He was jailed in 2011 when he went to visit his grandmother in Iran. Christian pastor Saeed Abedini is also being released. His wife is calling this an answer to prayer. There's some confusion about the fate of another, Siamak Namazi, a businessman who was arrested after the nuclear deal was reached with Iran. His supporters say there are indications he was released, but we haven't had confirmation for Iranian media or the U.S. The U.S. says the other name - that Iran released is Nosratollah Khosravi. The U.S. for its part said it's offering clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom are dual U.S.-Iranian citizens, who are convicted or are pending trial in the United States.
SIMON: For sanctions violations.
KELEMEN: That's right.
SIMON: And of course the sanctions are about to be lifted. Is that behind the timing of this announcement?
KELEMEN: Well, you know, that is an important moment of this, why this is happening now. The IEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is expected to announce as early as today that Iran's met its obligations under the nuclear deal. And that would trigger a lot of sanctions relief. So this is obviously a moment of maximum leverage for the U.S. and others to get these people back.
SIMON: Now, the critics of the deal, and what has happened subsequently, who - and it must be said, there have been some prominent Democrats, the president's own party, as well as Republicans, who says that in this deal the United States is not only surrendering its leverage but giving billions of dollars to an Iranian government to make mischief with U.S. adversaries.
KELEMEN: Well, that has been the criticism that the Iranian hardliners, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, for instance, could be the big winners with all of this sanctions relief because they control big companies, big businesses. But I have to say I also talked to a European ambassador yesterday who has a much different perspective. That's Germany's ambassador Peter Wittig. And he tells me that trade can bond countries together and that economic benefits were really part of this deal.
PETER WITTIG: We believe that trade can help to reestablish closer ties to Iran and make Iran a more responsible stakeholder in the region and beyond.
KELEMEN: And, you know, also with the release of these prisoners it shows that the Iranian moderates do want to put a different face of Iran out to the world today. Peter Wittig was talking about how the Iranians really wanted this implementation day, as it's known, to get out from under these sanctions sooner rather than later because there are elections in Iran and this could benefit the moderates, those who negotiated this deal.
SIMON: I - quick question - from what you've learned, are U.S. companies poised to jump into the Iranian market one way or the other?
KELEMEN: There are going to be a lot of restrictions still on the - on U.S. businesses. There are some exceptions. The U.S. companies will be able to import carpets, caviar, pistachios from Iran. They'll be able to sell airline and airline parts, and U.S. - foreign-owned subsidiaries will be able to do business. But there's still going to be a lot of rules and they're going to have to go over all the Treasury Department guidance that we're expecting any time now.
SIMON: NPR's Michele Kelemen, thanks so much.
KELEMEN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
Michele Kelemen
Michele Kelemen has been with NPR for two decades, starting as NPR's Moscow bureau chief and now covering the State Department and Washington's diplomatic corps. Her reports can be heard on all NPR News programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
See stories by Michele Kelemen


Romaji: Tsuribaka Nisshi 15: Hama-chan ni asu wa nai?
Hama-chan's construction company once again faces the prospect of downsizing in the shrinking Japanese economy. Despite this, Hama-chan goes on vacation where he meets the firm's downsizing consultant, who has doubts about her career.


Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra Beach Owner Hillary Whitaker and Gallery Director Courtney Tinnesz Hill.
Artist Erin Gregory stands with her art at Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra Beach on Oct. 5 for the gallery's opening reception of its fall exhibition.
Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra Beach held an opening reception on Friday, Oct. 5 to kick off a fall exhibition featuring the work of painters Erin Gregory and Shawn Meharg.
As a gallery favorite, Gregory's focus emphasizes contrast and variety within the composition of each painting. She vividly captures the light and color of her subjects in florals, landscapes and figures. She paints in acrylic and oil with close-up and distant bold colors, and lively layers and washes. Throughout Gregory's career, she has had numerous one-woman shows and participates in many group exhibitions. Gregory has received numerous awards for her art and has been featured on many blogs and in a variety of magazines.
Meharg has been showing at Stellers Gallery since beginning his fine art career. As another gallery favorite, his work focuses on the making of art, which aids him in recalling forgotten moments of his past. The traces of time represented in the paintings are often occurrences or interactions with people or nature as formative snapshots in an elaborate sequence of events, leading to the present. Meharg worked as a theatrical scenic artist and designer throughout many branches of the entertainment industry and began his journey as an artist in 2001. His work shows a diversity of style and subject, all involving the reflection and absorption of light.
The week of the opening reception, Stellers also hosted a fundraiser in which artwork from both Gregory and Meharg was raffled off. Proceeds benefitted Art with a Heart in Healthcare, a nonprofit organization that provides personalized fine art experiences that enhance the healing process for patients and their families.
Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (904) 273-6065.


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Home / . Music / Music / MusicNews / News / News - The Psychedelic Furs
News - The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs have revealed the video, directed by award-winning artist, photographer and filmmaker Hans Neleman, for their new single, Wrong Train ...
Wrong Train is the latest song to be lifted from the album Made Of Rain, alongside Come All Ye Faithful, No-One, Don't Believe and You'll Be Mine.
Richard Butler said "Wrong Train continues the black and white textured, mysterious feel of the previous videos from Made Of Rain. It was a pleasure working along with Hans Neleman on this project. The creativity Hans, Peter Sebastian and their team brought shows in every frame. Much like in paintings, imagery in this video is altered to where it is seen in an entirely different way."
For the video, Neleman drew inspiration from Furs' frontman Richard Butler's paintings. "Wrong Train explores the theme of a disintegrating relationship and the idea was to deliver something rooted in a more abstract realm rather than illustrating the lyrics literally. I photographed and filmed Richard while painting his face as if he were delivering an art performance" Neleman says.
Restricted by Covid-19 limitations, the video was shot in Neleman's home-studio in Connecticut and at Michelson Studios in upstate New York. After the shoot, the photographic material was handed over and digitally manipulated by Peter Sebastian.
Made Of Rain was produced by Richard Fortus with The Psychedelic Furs, whilst mixing duties were handled by Tim Palmer (David Bowie, U2, Robert Plant). Made Of Rain is available on CD, Double Gatefold vinyl, digitally download and stream now.
In recent years, the band has toured, completing a tour of North America in 2019 and also played acclaimed shows at The Hollywood Bowl, All Points East, Hyde Park, Benicàssim and a celebrated run of UK shows including headlining the prestigious Meltdown at the Royal Festival Hall at Robert Smith of The Cure's request. Most recently, the band performed a sold-out tour of the UK and Europe which culminated in a triumphant show at the Roundhouse in London.
This year, The Psychedelic Furs play seven rescheduled UK shows during September and October as part of the European leg of the Made Of Rain Tour. Tickets for all UK shows are available now from: https://www.axs.com/uk/artists/104875/the-psychedelic-furs-tickets
The full dates are:
27th Bristol O2 Academy **
28th Nottingham Rock City **
29th Glasgow SWG3 **
1st Manchester Academy 2 **
2nd Liverpool Academy **
3rd London Royal Albert Hall *
5th Cambridge Junction **
* Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart
** Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls
The last few years have seen the band's legend growing, highlighted by the fact they have scored over 150 million streams of their songs worldwide. Their influence since arriving on the post-punk landscape four decades ago has reverberated and resonated with many bands that have followed. Additionally, artists from The Strokes to The Killers to REM to Foo Fighters to Bob Dylan has have sung their praises.
The Psychedelic Furs previously released seven critically acclaimed studio albums - The Psychedelic Furs (1980), Talk Talk Talk (1981), Forever Now (1982), Mirror Moves (1984), Midnight To Midnight (1987), Book Of Days (1989) and World Outside (1991). They released many classic singles throughout the '80's and into the 90's, including: "Sister Europe," "Love My Way," "The Ghost In You," "Pretty In Pink," "Heaven," "Heartbreak Beat," "All That Money Wants" and "Until She Comes."
In addition to lead singer Richard Butler, the six-piece line-up features co-founder Tim Butler (Richard's brother) on bass, Mars Williams on saxophone, Rich Good on guitar, Amanda Kramer on keyboards, and Paul Garisto on drums.
Image - Matthew Reeves, Big Hassle Media


There are no designated backcountry trails or campsites, and little of the park is open to overnight camping, but backcountry hiking is permitted. Ask park rangers to suggest routes. No fires are allowed, and hikers must carry their own water and practice low-impact hiking and camping techniques. Those planning to be out overnight need free backcountry permits, available at the visitor center.
Arches National Park and the surrounding public lands offer plenty for the do-it-yourselfer, and more than 60 local outfitters offer excursions of all kinds just outside the park. They range from rugged mountain-bike treks to relatively comfortable four-wheel-drive adventures. You can also rent a canoe or take a guided boat trip on the Colorado River, which follows the park's southeast boundary.
The chart below lists some of the major companies that can help you fully enjoy this beautiful country. They are all in Moab. Advance reservations are often required, and it's best to check with several outfitters before deciding which best fits your needs. When making reservations, be sure to ask about the company's cancellation policy, just in case.
Biking -- Bikes are prohibited on all trails and off-road in the backcountry. They are permitted on the scenic drive, although the 18-mile dead-end road is narrow and winding in spots, and can be crowded with motor vehicles during the summer.
Mountain bikers also have the option of tackling one of several four-wheel-drive roads. Cyclists can get information, as well as rent or repair bikes, at Poison Spider Bicycles, 497 N. Main St. (tel. 800/635-1792 or 435/259-7882; www.poisonspiderbicycles.com), which recommends shuttle services from Porcupine Shuttle (tel. 435/260-0896). Bike rentals and repairs, plus shuttle services, will be found at Chile Pepper Bike Shop, 702 S. Main St. (tel. 888/677-4688 or 435/259-4688; www.chilebikes.com). Bike rentals range from $40 to $65 per day, with discounts for multiday rentals. Bike shuttle services are also available from several of the companies, including Coyote Shuttle (tel. 435/260-2097; www.coyoteshuttle.com) and Roadrunner Shuttle (tel. 435/259-9402; www.roadrunnershuttle.com).
Several local companies also offer guided mountain-bike tours, with rates starting at about $85 for a half-day and about $110 for a full day. Multiday biking/camping trips are also available.
Boating, Canoeing & Rafting -- Although there are no bodies of water inside Arches National Park, the Colorado River follows the park's boundary along its southeast edge, and river-running is a wonderful change of pace from hiking over the park's dry, rocky terrain. You can travel down the river in a canoe, kayak, large or small rubber raft (with or without a motor), or speedy, solid jet boat.
Do-it-yourselfers can rent kayaks or canoes for $40 to $65 for a full day, or rafts starting at $70 for a full day. Half-day guided river trips start at about $45 per person; full-day trips are usually $55 to $75 per person. Multiday rafting expeditions, which include meals and camping equipment, start at about $300 per person for 2 days. Jet-boat trips, which cover a lot more river in a given amount of time, cost about $50 for 2 hours, and from $80 for a half-day trip. Children's rates are usually 10% to 20% lower. Some companies also offer sunset or dinner trips. See the chart.
Public boat-launching ramps are opposite Lion's Park, near the intersection of U.S. 191 and Utah 128; at Take-Out Beach, along Utah 128 about 10 miles east of its intersection with U.S. 191; and at Hittle Bottom, also along Utah 128, about 24 miles east of its intersection with U.S. 191. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (tel. 801/539-1311 [recording]; www.cbrfc.noaa.gov) provides information on river flows and reservoir conditions.
Four-Wheeling -- There aren't as many four-wheel-drive opportunities here as in nearby Canyonlands National Park, but there are a few, including the Salt Valley Road and the Willow Flats Road, both of which can be extremely slick after a rain and are open to four-wheel-drive vehicles and mountain bikes. Check at the visitor center for directions and current conditions.
Rock Climbing -- Technical climbing is permitted in some areas of the park, but only for experienced climbers. In addition, it is prohibited on many of the park's best-known arches, as well as Balanced Rock and a few other locations. Special permits are not required for day trips. Information is available from park rangers.
Several local companies offer instruction and guided climbs in surrounding areas, with rates for full-day climbs generally from $150 to $200 per adult with two people going. Contact Desert Highlights, 50 E. Center St. (P.O. Box 1342), Moab, UT 84532 (tel. 800/747-1342 or 435/259-4433; www.deserthighlights.com), Moab Desert Adventures, 415 N. Main St., Moab, UT 84532 (tel. 877/765-6622 or 435/260-2404; www.moabdesertadventures.com), or Moab Cliffs & Canyons, 253 N. Main St., Moab, UT 84532 (tel. 877/641-5271 or 435/259-3317; www.cliffsandcanyons.com). For climbing equipment, you'll find one of the best selections anywhere, at reasonable prices, at Gearheads, 471 S. Main St. (tel. 435/259-4327), which also offers free filtered water (bring your own jugs).