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CCCC's Phi Theta Kappa chapter achieves Five Star Level
Student officers and advisors of Central Carolina Community College's chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa ... (more)
06.13.2013 • Clubs • College & Community • College General • Students/Graduates
SANFORD - Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society has awarded Central Carolina Community College's Beta Sigma Phi Chapter the organization's Five Star Level recognition, its highest level of Star recognition, for the chapter's excellence in academics and service.
Phi Theta Kappa is the official honor society for two-year colleges and the largest honor society in American higher education. It has more than two million members and more than 1,250 chapters in the United States and internationally.
The college's Beta Sigma Phi Chapter is less than three years old, but has been very active since its inception. It achieved First Star Level recognition within four months of being chartered in November 2010. In 2011, it earned the One-Star chapter designation, Best New Chapter Award, and Advisor Horizon Awards for advisors Mike Neal and Mark Hall. Lead Humanities instructor Hall and Student Activities Director Neal have been the advisors for the chapter since its beginning.
In 2012, the chapter received the Four Star chapter designation, Distinguished Honors in Action Project: History and the Future, Honorable Mention Distinguished Honors in Action Project, Honorable Mention Distinguished College Project, Honorable Mention Most Improved Chapter, and Advisor Horizon Awards for Neal and Hall.
So far in 2013, it has received the Five Star chapter designation, Honors Case Study Challenge Award, Distinguished Officer Award for Vice President Seth Tom, and Advisor Horizon Award for Hall. Currently, the chapter has 225 members.
The Five Star recognition was presented at the March 22-24 Phi Theta Kappa Carolinas Regional Convention in Clemmons. The chapter was also recognized at the society's April 3-7 Annual Convention in San Jose, Calif.
"While the chapter development awards recognize our achievements and activities, what is more important is that, as a chapter, we have helped those in our communities," Hall said. "The projects that earned us this recognition, like other chapter activities, were conceived and directed by the student members of Phi Theta Kappa to serve our communities, and they signify the initiative that students take to help others."
The Five Star recognition is part of Phi Theta Kappa's Chapter Development Plan. It serves as a guide for chapters to enhance their strategies to recognize eligible students, provide significant personal and professional development opportunities for members, and become active on their campuses and in their communities. Chapters do not compete against one another for this recognition; it is based on chapter excellence and the sequential attainment of goals at the One Star, Two Star, Three Star, Four Star, and Five Star levels.
Requirements for the Five Star Level include fulfilling all the requirements for the lower levels; participating in organization conventions; all chapter officers registering with collegefish.org, an online four-year college and university transfer and scholarship application site; hosting events; providing community service; and submitting chapter projects to the PTK Hallmark Awards program.
CCCC's chapter completed requirements for the Five Star Level during 2012. To do so, the members participated in regional and chapter activities, such as co-hosting the PTK regional fall fellowship event with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, co-conducting a three-county food drive with other CCCC student organizations, and conducting other drives to help meet the needs of community organizations such as the Hillcrest Youth Shelter, Haven in Lee County, and food banks in Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties.
To qualify for membership in CCCC's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, students must have completed 12 semester hours of associate degree coursework with a grade point average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. The national organization requires only a 3.5 GPA to qualify for membership. Members of CCCC's Beta Sigma Phi Chapter must maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 and must adhere to the Student Code of Conduct.
CCCC had its own honor society, Alpha Theta Tau, from 1986 to the chartering of a Phi Theta Kappa chapter in 2010. President Bud Marchant brought the idea for establishing a chapter to the college's board of trustees for discussion and approval.
"I thought it was a good idea," said trustee R.V. Hight, who was chair of the board's Student and Academic Support Services Committee in 2010 when the idea of establishing a PTK chapter was discussed. "I am so proud we are doing this."
Marchant said Hight was instrumental in promoting the idea of moving from a stand-alone society to a chapter of the international honor society.
"R.V. had a great deal to do with the starting of the college's Beta Sigma Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa," he said. "It stands as one his major contributions to the quality of education the college offers and its national recognition as an institution of excellence. We are grateful for his leadership in this.
"We are extremely proud of what these students have achieved in the short time the chapter has been in existence," he added. "They are mature, highly motivated, goal-oriented, and serve their college and communities with distinction. I congratulate them and their advisors for this well-deserved recognition."
For more information about PTK's Beta Sigma Phi Chapter, visit www.cccc.edu and click on the A-Z index for Phi Theta Kappa, or contact Mark Hall, mhall@cccc.edu or 919-781-7422, or Mike Neal, mneal@cccc.edu or 919-718-7337.


Sir, you've got too much spare time!
Someone I follow on Twitter recommended the Morfo 3D face booth recently. So, I bought it and started experimenting. I soon found that you could take your own photo. Take an image of me, connect the iPad to my projector and get the app to say hello to classes by switching inputs without warning. Well, bemusement, amusement abounded and I have to admit that my face three feet high is a shock at any time.
Discussions about how it looked like me, how did you do it, how much is it can you get other effects, can you make it dance … This is what I like about using apps in the classroom they often generate new lines of questioning and sharing. You discover who has or whose parents have iPads and favoured apps.
Then the experimentation continued – an image of the Earth ( from Earthbuzz app) and then at rowing club on Friday a face imposed on the ergo meter fan – oh Sirrrrr! … Lol.
Monday 30 April sees our school Digital Leader recruiting start.
The first thought was how to reach all Key Stage 3 pupils who are eligible to apply in this first round of applications. Assemblies at the start of the day or through lessons. Looking at my own timetable I have access to many of the groups, so I arranged with the other members of the department team to speak to groups in classes.
Then, how to remind pupils throughout the three week application period. A keynote presentation converted to PDF is now installed as part of the rolling screen on the school's digital display screens.
A flyer was prepared in Pages and also converted to PDF. This reminds applicants of the e-mail address to send their Digital application to and aspects of the post.
So, bring on Monday – how many applicants will we get? What sort of applications will they make? How will we best showcase their work for others to appreciate? I like the way that this process continues to throw up new challenges.
Following my Twitter and Flipboard post about Wed. 11 April earthquake in SE Asia I then followed up with some research using a variety of apps that I have used in the classroom on my iPad.
Earthbuzz shows the number of aftershocks in the area and in that week dominated the distribution of quakes globally.
Quakes then showed on a more localised map the distribution and magnitude of events.
PDC World Disaster Alerts then gave additional information links and even provided tsunami impact mapping. I had not realised the depth of detail within this app previously and will be using it more extensively in future units on Tectonics at Key Stage 3 and 4 for Geography lessons.
Check out this website I found at flavors.me got the idea from DJD humanities.
Friday 20 April and the planning and networking starts to bear fruition. I gain approval to start a Digital Leaders programme at school. Links with other secondaries are starting to be made through Twitter and #DLChat on a Thursday evening from 9pm.
Thursday 19 April I attended a borough MLE networking event and found a lot of interest in the leader idea. I am now going to address local primary leaders in June. Teachmeet Kent on the 18 May will offer an opportunity to include DLs as part of the latest Mishmash presentation.
Steve Wheeler (@Timbuckteeth) of Plymouth University posted a piece about Connected a learners today on Twitter. Although I don't feel at the same level as academics, this connectivity and openness is one that I commented on anecdotally at Teachmeet Play (#TMPlay) in February 2012.
In my career as a teacher (24th year) I have seen collaboration outside school gates encouraged, discouraged, feted and dismissed as competition (perceived or otherwise) has proved an obstacle. Social media is my release – I can talk with educators and any other online sources at very little notice. I can share, discuss, trial ideas in a way that a single institution can never achieve. I belong to many networks that promote different aspects of my work.
For me at a personal level it is a release for enthusiasm that has been bound too long by red tape and I intend to network more through social media so that I am a more informed and up to date educator than any CPD course provider can hope to match individually.
So thank you god the article and linked tweet you've provoked my ideas and another strand to reinforce in my mishmash presentations at Teachmeets.
Wednesday 11 April travelling to see my parents. I was on return leg drive so had a look at twitter – an 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Banda Aceh (site of 2004 tsunami). My alert system as a geographer switched in and I spent the rest of the journey reading retweets and following new tweeters across SE Asia. The news came from several directions, points were duplicated and as I had done during the Japan March 2011 I retweeted, followed new sources and saw how the situation developed. Two days later I am still following up links from geological reports on what occurred and the good news that lives were not at risk this time as they were in 2004.
Flipboard is an accumulator / magazine format in which I can look back at my tweets in an easy to read way. MY next task to go back and follow the links to develop notes to use in my teaching about such events in the future. Thursday, in The Times, my daily paper – no mention of this frantic episode at all!
Draw something – currently a success as an app. Like pictionary or Taboo (apparently) – use drawing / visual learning skills to represent words. Tony Cassidy has developed a geographical set of cards for revision purposes. A good resource for starters / plenaries or just flash card revision style. This is where innovation and keeping up to date counts.
The power of following others is that you see different examples of using Twitter and blogging layout and tools. Today in a snowy holiday cottage my attention is drawn to London and the 2012 Google Teacher Academy. Simon is using his blog to keep a record and this year it will be interesting to track the experiences and thoughts of people I often engage in online discussion with.
So good luck #gtauk and here's watching what tools I could be trialling too.
Ok so I'm on holiday. When I was young that meant an instamatic camera, film cartridges and money for developing, oh and not taking pictures with the case flap or a finger in the way. Now I admit all my pics. are taken on a mobile phone, uploaded to sites and then available to admire instantly.
So too many images? Probably but the freedom to point and shoot without development costs or limits on the number of shots is so liberating. I remember the excitement of moving to 35mm film then the exasperation of film loading.
So how to share pictures- in two days I've uploaded pictures to share with friends on facebook and using Flickstackr I can upload and create sets in my Flickr account to.


The Vegetarian Experience: Blog Camp Manchester – An eye-opening experience!!!
Blog Camp Manchester – An eye-opening experience!!!
This week you may have noticed that my blog has had a bit of a redesign. This is mostly due to my visit to Blog Camp Manchester last week.
For those who don't know, Blog Camp is a free event for bloggers, set up by Sally Whittle who created the Tots100 website and the MAD awards, and sponsored by Talk Talk. Blog camp is a place to meet other bloggers, eat yummy food, engage in discussion and listen to brilliant guest speakers who can help you get the most out of your blog.
So last week, after getting up having had only 3 hours sleep (thanks smallest child), I boarded the train to Manchester and actually enjoyed two child-free hours put to good use drinking tea, eating a packet of crisps I didn't have to share and studying for my NCT course.
Upon reaching Manchester, I had over an hour to reach the venue. I envisaged a nice leisurely stroll, some breakfast and a chance to mingle. Instead, due to my putting the wrong address into google maps, I managed to end up in Oxford street rather than Oxford road and so a mad dash ensued! Thanks to a kindly bus driver, I made it to the venue just in time. I always find it quite intimidating walking into new situations, especially on my own, and so I was happy and massively relieved to be greeted with a sea of smiling faces upon entering. The lovely Lou who blogs at Lou, Gary, Ethan and Noah introduced herself and we began chatting so at least I felt like I knew someone to start off with.
Being an avid user of twitter, it was interesting to put twitter names and blogs to faces and meet people in the real world that I have communicated with online. Many of us spent much of the day tweeting our thoughts about blog camp on twitter using the hash tag so that people could follow along who didn't attend the event. I now have a burning desire to do this at any meeting I attend, as I really enjoyed the social interaction, although I think it may be frowned upon in some environments!
Then we had an interesting presentation from Talk Talk about their new HomeSafe programme which aims to keep the family safe on the internet. As a mother, internet safety is very relevant to me, even though my children are only young. Listening to some of the tales from other bloggers with teens about what their kids do online filled me with dread. Having a techie for a husband, I know that our kids will be closely monitored, but it was very interesting to hear about the technology that Talk Talk have developed, including blocking website at times of the day, providing parents with chat history and a history of the households activities on the internet – innovative stuff!
Right before lunch we had an interesting talk by Daffyd Prichard from Cite. He spoke about good website design and gave tips on improving the design of your blog, and gave constructive advice based on the blogs of some of those present. His talk really inspired me to get going and redesign the look of my blog.
Next was lunch! As many of us had early starts, we were all pleased to see the food enter the room. I was very impressed with the vegetarian selection on offer – looks like the Blog Camp organisers thought of everything!
For the afternoon session, Phil from Szomszor, Head of digital at Citigate Dewe Rogerson spoke about working effectively with PR's and brands and building relationships. I was especially interested in hearing what Phil had to say as blogging is new to me and despite working for a PR agency, I still have lots to learn about marketing my blog to PR's and Brands.
After Phil's talk there was a chance for questions and a round up of the day. All to soon it was time to leave with goody bags from Creative Tourist Thanks go to Sally, Tots 100 and Talk Talk for organising a fab day.
Do I want my blog to be a hobby or more?
After listening to northern bloggers about how many bloggingoop north.
I wish I had networked more as I have a tendency to stay silent and stare into my phone rather than putting myself out there. I will definitely be working on that for Cybermummy this weekend.
The Parent Blogging community are lovely, I received loads of great tips and recommendations at Blog Camp.
If you blog, I would definitely recommend Blog Camp. They are currently planning events in Birmingham, Bristol, London and Brighton. For more info about attending these fantastic free events, see this website.
Please do let me know your thoughts on my blog redesign, what you do/don't like about it, and what sort of things you would like to see featured on The Vegetarian Experience Blog.
It was a great event, wasn't it? Great to meet you.


Yemeni Children Die. The Media Doesn't Cry.
The Saudis dropped a 500-pound MK-82 bomb on a school bus, killing 54 Yemeni children and injuring dozens who were riding a school bus this past week. The murder of these innocent beings has justice-minded people demanding an end to the U.S.-funded Saudi war on this poor country. Yemen holds a strategic position at the junction of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
What is sad is this violation of U.S. and international laws has received so little media coverage. Over the past three years, the Saudi government has attacked civilians at weddings, funerals, schools and hospitals—and the U.S. media has barely spoken up. Why would it? As mouthpieces for the ruling class, it turns away from the injustice and distracts people with the fake news of Russiagate.
In the Mediterranean region, refugees were recently denied entry into Italy. The migrant situation has taken a turn, with neocolonial powers such as Spain, Britain, Italy and Portugal refusing to accept refugees. This further traumatizes the hundreds of thousands of poor people who have already tried to escape European neocolonialism on the African continent, scraping together enough money to find their way across the continent, making the dangerous journey through the Sahara Desert, then being stranded on a boat because it is not allowed to disembark at the shores of these criminal states that are responsible for the misery.
Africans leave because their home countries cooperate with the United States. In a piece about NATO being a protection racket, Ann Garrison writes, "Wikileaks provides a wealth of primary source material about Africa and every other corner of the world as seen through the eye of the empire and its vassals and opponents." Strangely enough, the so-called left in the United States has swung in favor of NATO, all because Trump has spoken out against NATO. But BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka says, "The responsibility of the left is to build on Trump's anti-NATO remarks—whatever his motivations—by offering a real critique of NATO." Read Ajamu's latest piece on warmongering by both Republicans and Democrats.
More strange things are coming out of Washington in its push to overthrow the Bolivarian state of Venezuela. Now the United States says Brazil—a country it has helped turn right-wing—should "lead the solution to Venezuela". If this sounds a little out there, consider the United States had announced years ago it intended to conduct "unconventional warfare" in its quest to disrupt people's movements in Latin America. BAP Coordinating Committee member Margaret Kimberley writes, "Anyone who claims to be anti-war must also oppose the ongoing horrors visited upon the Venezuelan people. They are suffering and dying because of decisions made by the bipartisan war party." Read more of her take on the U.S. war being waged on Venezuela.
Last week, we told you about how Alex Jones being shut down on internet platforms was actually the start of the latest censorship move aimed at the left. In case you didn't hear, both Venezuelanalysis.com and Telesur were recently censored by Facebook. Folks, the state may be coming for BAP soon. That's why we need all of the support we can get. We're organizing our first membership meeting for September 21-22 in Atlanta. Only you can help us raise $10,000 to beat back this empire.
This Saturday in Baltimore: Join BAP, member organizations Friends of the Congo and Pan African Community Action (PACA), and other prominent Black activists for a panel discussion about the militarization of Black communities and the impact of AFRICOM on Black folks. This event is happening in the same city where news just broke about a Black Baltimore police officer punching a man. Color doesn't matter because all police officers are tools of the repressive state.
Consider attending the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases' First Annual International Conference Against U.S./NATO Military Bases in November in Dublin, Ireland.
During this historic week, we remained in solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza, who so valiantly resisted Israel's U.S.-subsidized military might to re-claim their right of return to their homeland. Although they weren't able to pass through the fence and fend off Israeli snipers, their noble efforts to do so once again revealed the reality of the Israeli settler-colonial project.
The Black Alliance for Peace says the United States is just as complicit in the murders of more than 50 Palestinians during the 70th anniversary of the Nakba. "The systematic violence of ethnic cleansing, house demolitions, exile, assassinations, land thefts, bombings, and the denial of water and other vital services that provide basic dignity could not have occurred without ongoing support from the United States, as well as both major political parties in the United States, the corporate press and every major institution of U.S. society, including many churches." Read our complete statement.
We also say the United States has no one to blame but itself for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) refusing to now meet with the Republic of Korea (RoK). Why, you ask? Because the United States continues to arrogantly pursue its goal of conducting joint military exercises with the vassal state of RoK, right on its border with the DPRK. Imagine a so-called "war game" against you happening right outside your house. That's what is being done here. Read our complete statement on this matter.
This is your last chance to register for the National Assembly for Black Liberation, being held May 18-20 in Durham, North Carolina. A delegation of a dozen radical Black activists from BAP will attend. If successful, this historic gathering will unify and strengthen the Black left in the United States. BAP is introducing a resolution at the assembly to include anti-militarism and anti-imperialism as part of the reinvigorated effort's demands. We have already raised close to $1,000 toward partial support for our delegation. But we really need $3,000 to be able to provide partial support to these BAP members.
P.S. We're sending 12 radical Black activists to the National Assembly for Black Liberation. Help us re-build the Black anti-war movement in the tradition of Black internationalism by contributing today.
In pulling the United States out of the Iran deal, we can say the only ones happy are the neocons, liberal interventionists, Israel and Saudi Arabia. This is a clear move toward war. After President Donald Trump's irresponsible announcement, revealing the United States again cannot be trusted to keep its word, he took it further and threatened Iran not to build nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia renewed its threat that it would build a bomb if Iran did so. Meanwhile, Israel attacked Iranian positions in Syria as the world reeled from Trump's immature move.
At the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), we remain steadfast internationalists. We will continue to defend the right of oppressed peoples and states under attack by U.S. imperialism. It is not our place to get into the weeds and critique other states' business. It is for us to stand to dismantle the U.S. empire.
May Day just passed, and we will continue to stress workers of the world must include anti-militarism and anti-imperialism in their demands. It might sound cliché to say we are living in dangerous times. But with the Iran deal ripped up and Korean peace and re-unification in jeopardy as the U.S. empire insists on keeping its military bases on the peninsula, it is up to the workers to take down this oppressive global structure.
We also wanted to bring your attention to our friend, former CIA agent-turned-activist Ray McGovern, who was brutalized while being arrested for protesting at the U.S. Senate hearing of Gina Haspel. Haspel had authorized the black site in Thailand where CIA detainees from the around the world had been tortured. The United States being in such a weak geopolitical position has decided to let its civilized mask fall and is now unleashing every weapon against humanity.
BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka also spoke with progressive journalist Tim Black about the dangerous game the United States is playing around the world and how the struggles of the African diaspora around the world and on the continent are connected to the struggles of Blacks in the United States.
As you've seen in previous weekly updates, BAP is preparing to send a delegation of a dozen radical Black activists to Durham, North Carolina, to attend the National Assembly for Black Liberation, being held May 18-20. If successful, this historic gathering will unify and strengthen left Black forces in the United States. BAP is introducing a resolution at the assembly to include anti-militarism and anti-imperialism as part of the reinvigorated effort's demands. We must raise $3,000 to be able to provide partial support to these BAP members. Can we count on you to help re-build the Black anti-war movement?
Workers from around the world took to the streets on May 1—International Workers' Day, also known as May Day—to proclaim on their day they were not going to surrender to the logic of capitalist dehumanization and plunder that the ruling class imposes on the peoples of the world.
Read our May Day statement here.
Imperialist wars abroad are linked to capitalist-induced class repression on the stolen, occupied land called the United States. On May Day in 2008, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) proved labor strikes can stop these attacks on humanity.
The people of the U.S. colony of Puerto Rico have suffered since September due to a lack of electricity that is a direct consequence of colonial destruction and austerity measures. On May Day, they faced further violence at the hands of goons who work for the colonial overseer when Puerto Ricans rightfully expressed their indignation in the streets.
In France, the neoliberal policies of President Emmanuel Macron sparked massive demonstrations on May 1. Thousands of workers poured into the streets in opposition to his support for an even more militarized agenda than what his predecessors had proposed. This includes a plan to re-introduce a military draft.
Meanwhile, people in the Cuban socialist state 90 miles from the U.S. imperial core say they don't need to demand their rights as workers because they already have them in place.
Afro-Colombians fear for the lives of two leaders of the Black Communities Process, or PCN, the main organization defending the collective land rights of descendants of African slaves. Sara Quiñonez and her mother, Tulia Maris Valencia, were detained on false charges of collaborating with the ELN guerilla group—an allegation that could mark them for assassination. But the PCN is an organization that "promotes peace and peaceful struggle," said PCN organizer and BAP member Charo Mina-Rojas, who called on leftists everywhere to demand the two women's release during an interview with BAP member Glen Ford on Black Agenda Report Radio.
You can find information on how you can support these two freedom fighters here.
War, revolution and organizing the Black left is on the agenda for the National Assembly for Black Liberation. We encourage Black left forces to participate. Information on the conference can be found here.
The United States led forces including the United Kingdom and France to attack Syria in pre-dawn hours Saturday over what they say is a chemical-weapons attack.
This brought out activists and organizers of many stripes over the past weekend, including Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) members.
And we were clear: Not one drop of blood from the working class and poor in defense of the gangsterism of the capitalist ruling class.
Watch videos of their talks.
Check out photos from the day.
BAP had also released a statement last week before the attack took place.
State sanctioned violence in the colonized Black and Brown zones of non-being by the domestic military force referred to as "the police" and state violence in the form of interventions, proxy wars, sanctions, destabilization campaigns and support for anti-democratic brutal regimes in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Honduras, are two sides of the same white supremacist colonial/capitalist coin. The objective is the same—maintain the dominance of the oppressive Western imperial project against all challenges, both foreign and domestic.
Young people who formed a new group in Baltimore called Youth Against War and Fascism recently blocked the entrance of a CIA recruiting event at Johns Hopkins University. It's vitally important we keep the police, military and state agents out of our schools.
What's normally left out of the bio circulated about physicist Albert Einstein was that he was tracked by the FBI because of his political views. If you're in New York City, you can hear Ajamu speak about the foreword he wrote about McCarthyism—past and current—for author Fred Jerome's new book, "The Einstein File: The FBI's Secret War Against the World's Most Famous Scientist". Get details and RSVP for tonight's event.
BAP member organization Pan-African Community Action and other organizations will host a screening of the film, "Black Cop," and lead a discussion afterward. RSVP for this April 23 Washington, D.C. event.
Join us in taking a conscious step to unite the battlefronts of the Black working class into a national movement for Black liberation and radical transformation of the capitalist system—a system that oppresses and exploits multitudes throughout the world and threatens the sustainability of the Earth. Register for the National Assembly for Black Liberation, May 18-20 in Durham, North Carolina.
P.S. Only your support can help beat the U.S. war machine.
What power has given the U.S. gangster state the right to unilaterally attack any nation on this planet?
The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) answered that question in a statement we released Tuesday.
That some who call themselves radicals can remain silent about the consequences of a possible U.S. military intervention into Syria is a reflection of the bankruptcy of the imperial left that continues to collaborate with the Western and U.S. white supremacist, colonial/capitalist patriarchy.
The children of Yemen have been starving and the U.S.-supported apartheid state of Israel murdered two dozen Palestinians. Yet, we heard nothing in response from the ruling class and its collaborators in the corporate media.
We are now supposed to believe the racist Trump administration is so committed to Syrian Arab life that it feels morally compelled to intervene. Do you see the obscenity? Some Westerners apparently don't, hence the race to war.
We would laugh, but this is a matter of life and death. And we're on the side of justice. That's why we don't accept the imperialist nonsense coming out corporate-media outlets.
In fact, warmongering Democrats are on a quest to start World War III, using former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's book tour to rationalize "humanitarian intervention." Thankfully, a few anti-imperialists who organize in the center of the empire made sure she would not get to spread that propaganda in peace. Check out the five times Albright was disrupted during her New York City event on Tuesday. It warms our hearts that a few brave humans continue to speak out under the weight of imperial propaganda.
The sentiment seems to be spreading beyond political circles. More than 3,000 Google employees demanded the technology company cease its drone project for the Pentagon.
Although Spring Actions are occurring across the United States, BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka can only be in one place at one time. Catch him at the New York City demonstration, which will include a march to Trump Tower.
We say not one drop of working-class blood for the capitalist oligarchy!
Did you know physicist Albert Einstein was tracked by the FBI because of his political views? If you're in New York City, you can hear Ajamu speak about the foreward he wrote about McCarthyism—past and current—for the new book, "The Einstein File: The FBI's Secret War Against the World's Most Famous Scientist". Get details and RSVP for the April 19 event.
LeftRoots Cadres & Compas will report back on a recent delegation that went to Vietnam. Register for this April 19 event that takes place online.
Join us in taking a conscious step to unite the battlefronts of the Black working class into a national movement for Black liberation and radical transformation of the capitalist system—a system that oppresses and exploits multitudes throughout the world and threatens the sustainability of the Earth. Register today for the National Assembly for Black Liberation, May 18-20 in Durham, North Carolina.
P.S. The oppressors won't dismantle the U.S. war machine—that's our job.
April 4 marks 50 years since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated.
The Black Alliance for Peace also launched last year on the 50th anniversary of his 1967 Riverside Church speech. It was then that Dr. King announced his opposition to the Vietnam War, connecting it to the domestic war on Black and poor peoples.
Similarly, we at BAP say we are doing this work because we have no other choice as we see our kinfolk murdered domestically and in Africa, while other oppressed peoples bear unimaginable burdens.
In honor of Dr. King's call to defend oppressed peoples, we invite you to join us in demonstrating against war and against the empire April 14-15. Spring Actions will be held nationwide. If you are part of a group, we invite you to endorse and organize events. If you're in or near New York City, you'll see BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka speaking at that demonstration, which includes a march to Trump Tower.
"The Black liberation movement is still fragmented in various alignments whose programs and demands have much in common," according to the Labor Fightback Network Steering Committee. To build toward unity, the National Assembly for Black Liberation will be held May 18-20 at North Carolina Central University in Durham. There, participants will discuss the Draft Freedom Manifesto as a unity document, along with resolutions submitted by battlefront committees, so a program of action can be drafted. Register for the National Assembly for Black Liberation.
Ajamu will speak at the Black is Back Coalition Electoral School being held April 7-8, in St. Louis, Missouri. The theme is "Can Electoral Politics be a Path Towards Black Self-Determination?" Register today.
Consider signing on in your individual organizational capacities to a letter by Proceso de Comunidades Negras (a coalition of Black organizations in Colombia). The letter asks the Geneva-based NGO, UPR-INFO, to allow an Afro-Colombian representative to address a briefing to members of the United Nations Human Rights Council in advance of its UPR review of Colombia. Right now, UPR-INFO has slated someone who is not from the Afro-Colombian community to include talking points on Afro-Colombian issues in their speech.
As Black internationalists, we say Afro-Colombians must have the opportunity to speak for themselves about the lack of human rights in Colombia. To sign on, please send an email with your organization's complete name, city and country to advocacy@madre.org.


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Mechanics and Technology
EksoVest. Ford Factory Workers Get a Helping... Suit
in Mechanics, Technology, News
Uploaded on December 01, 2018
The EksoVest makes lifting things easier. It doesn't exactly turn you "bionic," despite its futuristic look. Instead, it shifts pressure from your arms to your legs, giving the wearer more power while lifting. And it's currently being used by four factory workers at Ford. We tested it out. SUBSCRIBE: https://goo.gl/kdDpXu FOLLOW QUARTZ: Facebook: https://goo.gl/DsmLvx Twitter: https://goo.gl/rY7pSX Check out the rest of our videos: https://goo.gl/A8gZvx Quartz is a digitally native news outlet dedicated to telling stories at the intersection of the important and the interesting. Visit us at https://qz.com/ to read more.... See full Video
5 Tips of Starting an Automotive Repair Shop
in Mechanics, Auto Parts
Want to start a repair shop? Moving from being a technician to a shop owner? What do you need to know before starting your own shop? Today Bogi from All Girls Garage joins me with 5 tips to starting your own automotive repair shop. This is something many of us technicians consider at some point in our career Bogi on Youtube ~ https://www.youtube.com/user/180Autom... Bogi on Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BogisGarage/ Bogi on Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/bogisgarage/ ~~~~ Support the Show ~~~~ Become A CrewMember ~ https://goo.gl/D7eROI Patreon ~ https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4243029 Shop Amazon ~ http://amzn.to/2fr7yfE Audio ONLY Podcasts ~ https://goo.gl/5XcZxB ~~~~ Recommended Tools ~~~~ Impact driver ~ http://amzn.to/2HsxS2H Small Impact driver ~ https://amzn.to/2DZdsMN Electric ratchet ~ http://amzn.to/2FydxMS Magnetic tray ~ http://amzn.to/2FEpQ6g Basic hand tools ~ http://amzn.to/2GnjF7K Box wrench set ~ http://amzn.to/2FzoJch ScrewDriver set ~ http://amzn.to/2FEjcgd Shop towels ~ http://amzn.to/2FC7UgM Torque Wrench ~ https://amzn.to/2I7ke5h Allen Sockets ~ https://amzn.to/2GlcnAz Torx Sockets ~ https://amzn.to/2pL0SfL ~~~~ Playlists ~~~~ Humble Mechanic Podcasts ~ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Project White Wookie ~ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Failed VW parts videos ~ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Tool and Product Reviews ~ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... How To videos ~ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... MK1 VR6 Swap Videos ~ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... ~~~~ Be sure to follow me at ~~~~ http://humblemechanic.com INSTAGRAM ~ http://instagram.com/humblemechanic/ FACEBOOK ~ https://www.facebook.com/HumbleMechanic TWITTER ~ https://twitter.com/HumbleMechanic GOOD STUFF ON AMAZON ~ http://amzn.to/2fr7yfE (affiliate)... See full Video
Santa Claus. Where are you?
in Technology, News
Santa Claus. Where are you? NORAD's tradition of tracking Santa began in 1955, using cutting edge technology to provide real time updates on Santa's yuletide journey! Visit www.noradsanta.org to learn more!... See full Video
Bugatti Veyron $21K Oil Change ?.. Ehhh, I'll do it Myself
in Auto Shows, Technology
Here is a quick video of myself @houstoncrosta and Jesse @tangsti doing an oil change on my own Bugatti Veyron. No, im not broke I just thought it was a fun project and Yes I have a 12mm thick clear protective film all over the car so here is our first time taking the Mansory Bugatti apart Hope you ENJOY! Check out www.royaltyexoticcars.com for the latest info on the most exciting rental company in America! Don't forget to stop by the @Royaltyexoticcars showroom in Las Vegas to see this awesome Bugatti in person! ... See full Video
1977 Ford F-150 is Ken Block's Hoonitruck
in Technology, Accessorize It
It has a V6 and will be in Gymkhana 10 Ken Block has just revealed his latest car in the video above, and it's actually a truck. It's a 1977 Ford F-150, and it's called the Hoonitruck. And actually, it's hardly even an F-150 anymore. For one thing, the F-150's body has been dropped to the ground and is fitted over a custom tube-frame chassis. Powering that chassis is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 related to the one in the Ford GT race cars, and the power goes through an all-wheel-drive system similar to that found in a rally car. The engine is a monster, with its two huge turbos sticking through the hood, and sending boost into a custom 3D-printed intake manifold. Total output is rated at 914 horsepower. There are a variety of visual enhancements to the truck, too. The exhaust shoots out the fenders. It has aggressive front and rear spoilers. And there are custom Fifteen52 20-inch wheels at each corner with actual beadlocks. The tires are a fat 315-mm wide. Ken Block talks a little about the truck after the beauty shots and headline features in the above video. He discusses his history with Ford vehicles, something he told us at last year's SEMA show. He also discusses how it took some acclimation to drive the truck, since it's much heavier and larger than any other vehicle he has used for Gymkhana videos. You'll be able to see Gymkhana 10 first on Amazon on December 7, part of the Gymkhana Files series launching on November 16. The video will then be released on YouTube on December 10.... See full Video
Porsche Taycan, fully electric, accelerates 0-90-0 mph on the USS Hornet
in Technology, Porsche, News
Porsche Taycan, fully electric, accelerates 0-90-0 mph on the USS Hornet. The soon to be released Taycan outdoes itself with a new first. Watch professional racer, Shea Holbrook, floor the Taycan from 0 to 90 mph and back to 0 in just 10.17 seconds, on none other than the USS Hornet aircraft carrier.... See full Video
Flying Car by Airbus and Italdesign [YOUCAR]
Airbus and Italdesign world-premiered Pop.Up, the first modular, fully electric, zero emission concept vehicle system designed to relieve traffic congestion in crowded megacities. Pop.Up envisages a modular system for multi-modal transportation that makes full use of both ground and airspace. The feasible concept is the result of Italdesign and Airbus' joint reflection on how to address the mobility challenges of megacities achievable for a majority, which has become one of the most pressing issues for commuters in megacities worldwide. With traffic congestion projected to hugely increase by 2030, the companies decided to combine their engineering expertise to tackle how to best achieve a sustainable, modular and multimodal urban mobility system - giving rise to the Pop.Up concept. If you love cars you should subscribe now to YouCar the world famous automotive channel: https://goo.gl/5i54Vg... See full Video
Atlanta Auto Show: Self driving cars, what does the present future hold?
Uploaded on March 20, 2018
Clark Howard checks out the latest when it comes to self-driving cars. ... See full Video

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


own) apps that have crashed and have left a window or screen behind.
ideally it should be handled by AmigaOS (sigh, maybe one day).
caused directly or indirectly from the use of this application.
I am grateful for the feedback.
This application is Freeware, do with it what you will.
doesn't get you what you set the window to in the first place.
Changed to read WA_InnerHeight and WA_InnerWidth instead.
Added position and size of window display as requested.


text:
Q: How to display the missing output message while execute sudo service/systemctl on Ubuntu 16.04 We already knew that from Ubuntu 15 and above are using systemd, however the famous and unbeatable SysV still supported.
But there is a small issue which annoying (me and whom may concern). I love the way SysV display output while I executed sudo service [name] restart|start|....
Is there any posiblities to bring it back? Like the old time we had with 14.04?
UPDATED
For example,
In 14.04, when I execute this command:
sudo service ssh restart

I will get an "output" message like this:
ssh stop/waiting
ssh start/running, process 83054

Regards.

A: What you can do is to write your own alias functions to do it. Simple alias woun't work because you need to get arguments from command line. That's why I wrote a functions with strange names, so they do not collapse with existing ones.
Here are mine ~/.aliases that are loaded in shell profile.
alias stop='__stp() { sudo systemctl stop "$1" && sudo systemctl status "$1" -n 2; }; __stp'
alias start='__str() { sudo systemctl start "$1" && sudo systemctl status "$1" -n 2; }; __str'
alias restart='__rst() { sudo systemctl restart "$1" && sudo systemctl status "$1" -n 2; }; __rst'
alias reload='__rld() { sudo systemctl reload "$1" && sudo systemctl status "$1" -n 2; }; __rld'
alias enable='__ebl() { sudo systemctl enable "$1" && sudo systemctl status "$1" -n 2; }; __ebl'
alias status='sudo systemctl status'

Then just run:
restart ssh

It outputs the next command systemctl status with additional argument -n 2 to show only last 2 lines from journal log file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
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Lou Martin
"...I was lucky, and I got to see the joy in my recovery...and the joy now that I am almost back to normal."
In the fall of 2012 Lou Martin began having trouble swallowing. At age 70, Lou ha retired from his full-time chemical engineering position, but still consults for numerous companies. After struggling with various instances of pain and discomfort while eating, Lou decided something had to be done. In June 2013, he visited his doctor and received a barium swallow test, confirming that he had stage 1 Adenocarcinoma that had also affected one of his lymph nodes, but involved no metastasis.
Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of esophageal cancer in the United States, and it affects primarily white men. Lou was shocked when he was diagnosed, describing the feeling as being sucker punched, but he soon came to the realization that he could live and wanted to fight the cancer with all his might.
Lou spent most of his life working in Pittsburgh, and had experiences with numerous physicians at Allegheny General Hospital. Lou and his doctor decided that the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute had the necessary specialized equipment, and had seen many more cases similar to Lou's. After doing some research, Lou also realized that there was a research arm allied with the AHN Cancer Institute.
Lou participated in a study that combined chemotherapy and radiation treatment, followed by surgery to remove the remaining cancer. The chemotherapy and radiation shrunk Lou's tumor by a factor of three along with killing the cancer that had infected one of his lymph nodes. Finally, Lana Y. Schumacher, MD, co-director of the Esophageal and Lung Institute at Allegheny Health Network, removed the remaining cancer. After surgery, Lou faced a particularly difficult recovery, spending 108 days in the hospital.
"I had an incredible team of support at AGH. I remember when I spoke to Dr. Schumacher for the first time; she asked me what I wanted out of this. I told her I wanted to live long enough to see my grandkids graduate from high school and she told she thought we could do that," Lou said.
"Lou had extraordinary strength throughout the entirety of his treatment. Cancer treatments in older adults can be grueling," Dr. Schumacher said. "At AHN we bring together a highly skilled multidisciplinary team to determine the best course of treatment of each individual patient no matter the age."
Lou speaks little of the effects cancer treatments had on him, but rather the effects they had on his family. "I watched them panic from time to time…but most of all I was lucky, and I got to see the joy in my recovery, the joy when I left the hospital, the joy when I could walk again, and the joy now that I am almost back to normal."
It has been over three years since Lou's fight with cancer really began. As his life continues to return to normal he is enjoying spending the winter in Florida as well as spending time with loved ones.


text:
Q: Multiple users accessing a linked table occasionally see a message "Cannot update. Database or object is read-only" We have a split MS Access database. When users log on, they are connected/linked to two separate Access database (one for the specific project they are working on and one for record locking (and other global settings)). The "locking" database is the one I need to find a solution for.
One of the tables "tblTS_RecordLocking", simply stores a list of user names and the recordID of the record they are editing. This never has more than 50 records - usually being closer to 5-10. But before a user can do anything on a record, it opens "tblTS_RecordLocking" to see if the record is in use (so it happens a lot):
Set recIOC = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("SELECT tblTSS_RecordLocking.* FROM tblTSS_RecordLocking WHERE (((tblTSS_RecordLocking.ProjectID_Lock)=1111) AND ((tblTSS_RecordLocking.RecordID_Lock)=123456));", , dbReadOnly)
If it's in use, the user simply gets a message and the form/record remains locked.  If not in use, it will close the recordset and re-open it so that the user name is updated with the Record ID:
Set recIOC = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("SELECT tblTSS_RecordLocking.* FROM tblTSS_RecordLocking WHERE (((tblTSS_RecordLocking.UserName_Lock)='John Smith'));")
If recIOC.EOF = True Then
    recIOC.AddNew
    recIOC.Fields![UserName_Lock] = "John Smith"
Else
    recIOC.Edit
End If

    recIOC.Fields![RecordID_Lock] = 123456
    recIOC.Fields![ProjectID_Lock] = 111

recIOC.Update
recIOC.Close: set recIOC=Nothing

As soon as this finishes, everything realting to the second database is closed down (and the .laccdb file disappears).
So here's the problem. On very rare occasions, a user can get a message:
3027 - Cannot update. Database or object is read-only.
On even rarer occasions, it can flag the db as corrrupt needing to be compressed and re-indexed.
I really want to know the most reliable way to do the check/update.  The process may run several hundred times in a day, and whilst I only see the issue once every few weeks, and for the most part handle it cleanly (on the front-end), I'm sure there is a better, more reliable way.

A: I agree with mamadsp that moving to SQL is the best option and am already in the process of doing this.  However, whilst I was not able to create a fix for this issue, I was able to find a work-around that has yet to fail.
Instead of having a single lock table in the global database.  I found that creating a lock table in the project database solved the problem.  The main benefit of this is that there are much fewer activities on the table. So, not perfect - but it is stable.


text:
Murata, M. et al.
SAP97 interacts with Kv1.5 in heterologous expression systems.
PDZ domain-containing proteins such as SAP97 and ZO-1 have been implicated in the targeting and clustering of ion channels. We have explored the interactions of these polypeptides with a cardiac voltage-gated potassium channel. Immunocytochemistry in cardiac myocytes revealed colocalization of SAP97 and Kv1.5, both at the intercalated disks and the lateral membranes. Transient transfection experiments in COS-7 cells revealed that SAP97 and Kv1.5 polypeptides formed perinuclear clustered complexes that could be coimmunoprecipitated. Mutation of the three COOH-terminal amino acid residues of Kv1.5 (T-D-L to A-A-A) abolished these interactions. Whereas in most COS-7 cells the SAP97-Kv1.5 complexes were retained in the ER, functional analyses in Xenopus oocytes showed that Kv1.5- encoded outward potassium currents were augmented by coexpression with SAP97. By contrast, cotransfected ZO-1 and Kv1.5 polypeptides in COS-7 cells could not be coprecipitated nor did the coinjection of ZO-1 augment the Kv1.5-encoded currents in oocytes. Collectively, our results suggest that SAP97 may play an important role in the modulation of Kv1.5 channel function in cardiac myocytes.[1]
SAP97 interacts with Kv1.5 in heterologous expression systems. Murata, M., Buckett, P.D., Zhou, J., Brunner, M., Folco, E., Koren, G. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. (2001) [Pubmed]


At Prabhat the library is not just a treasure house of books but it's a treasure island of knowledgeable books. The library has numerous carefully selected titles, reference material for teachers and students, periodicals and a variety of books of various publications for the student of all the grades. The students with the aid of the library card issued by the school and can issue the books and sail in the ocean of knowledge. The Librarian keeps a close eye on these treasure of books.
The library has numerous carefully selected titles, reference material for teachers and students, periodicals and a variety of books of various publications for the student of all the grades.
At Prabhat the library is not just a treasure house of books but it's a treasure island of knowledgeable books.


text:
Q: DIV to take the height of its parent I have following HTML which works fine. But I want the div to take the height of the tab and not having  to say its 200px. If I give 100% it does not work. Please ignore draggable as its 3rd party

      <draggable :list="myLoop" :options="dragOptions" :element="'tbody'" class="rows">

            {{ row.label }}

      </draggable>

CSS
.custom-scrollbar {
  position: relative;
  height: 200px;
  overflow: auto;
}

.table-wrapper-scroll-y {
  display: block;
}

A: If you give the parent (b-tab) flex then the child div will inherit the height (as long as there's no implicit height assigned to the div). You will need to set the div to have flex-grow and flex-shrink as 1 (or combine them into the single flex property - flex: 1 1).
I've added some coloured borders to the two elements for demonstrating purposes:

b-tab {
  border: 1px solid red;
  height: 200px;
  display: flex;
}

.custom-scrollbar {
  position: relative;
  overflow: auto;
  border: 1px solid blue;
  flex: 1 1;
}

.table-wrapper-scroll-y {
  display: block;
}

      <draggable :list="myLoop" :options="dragOptions" :element="'tbody'" class="rows">

            {{ row.label }}

      </draggable>

A: Maybe you need to add
*{//this effects every element
margin:0;
padding:0;
}

To your css most of the browsers add x margin and padding


Structure for missing block information with FLUTE receiver report.
Definition at line 90 of file flute.h.
Definition at line 91 of file flute.h.
Referenced by add_missing_block(), and free_receiver_report().
Definition at line 92 of file flute.h.
Definition at line 93 of file flute.h.


The Annual General Meeting of the London and South East Milling Society took place on a warm October evening in central London.
Dozens of representatives from mills across the UK attended the event which was held in the impressive headquarters of NABIM – the National Association of British and Irish Millers – in Arlington Street, Piccadilly.
The evening began with thanks for the all the activities which took place in 2018 including a visit by the group to company Bühler.
Mr Ferns added LSEMS was a sound financial state and the group was able to keep the subscriptions at £40.
"The accounts are safe and secure," he said.
The itinerary for the rest of 2018 and 2019 was outlined starting with the Christmas Fair at Arlington Street on December 11 and a theme of international fayre. On February 12 a celebration of Chinese New Year will be held at a restaurant to be arranged.
On March 12 there will be a talk by Sam Millar, Quality Director at Warburtons, which will also take place at 21 Arlington Street in London.
The Summer Technical Conference for LSEMS will take place on a date in June at a venue to be decided and then in September the group will go on a trip to Jaguar Landrover in Solihull, followed by a visit to the National Motor Museum. This also takes place on a date to be confirmed.
LSEMS then welcomed their new president: James Palmes who is managing director of Malcolm Ross & Sons, technical yarns specialists based in Stockport, Manchester.
Malcolm Ross supplies technical yarn to millers.
Outgoing President Nick Hinton wished his successor all the best and said he had left LSEMS in a healthier position than it was when he took over.
He added there was a genuine shortage of youngsters coming into milling.
The main speaker was the new president of NABIM – George Marriage who gave an impassioned speech about the state of milling in the UK.
He spoke about his plans to extend the communication arm of NABIM.
He praised the work of NABIM and said it was particularly important in preventing contamination of raw materials used in the flour milling process.
NABIM has advised the Food Standards Agency about the impact of mycotoxins, heavy metals and mineral oils on raw materials.
"The Food Standards Agency will listen to what we have to say," he said.
He also spoke about the important role NABIM plays in training and education saying it was a model other sectors could follow.
A distance learning course run by NABIM had been accessed by 40 per cent of the milling industry with 10 per cent of those going on to take advanced exams with NABIM.
He said NABIM had overseen a 25 per cent increase in productivity over the past 10 years.
"We are in an industry where people feel valued – this is a great association," he said.
Mr Marriage also spoke of the need for the milling industry to attract young people.
The floor was thrown open for questions from the audience and it began with one of the millers asking when gluten was going to be seen in a good light again.
After his speech he awarded the NABIM Gold Medal to Liz Fowles for her thesis on the identification of wheat.
It was only the second time the gold medal had been awarded in the past three years.
Liz, who works for Heygates in Northamptonshire said she had worked long and hard on her thesis.
"It is nice to have your hard work acknowledged," she said.
Tomorrow I will board a National Express cash and wend my way down to London for the annual general meeting of the London and South East Milling Society. I'm not sure what to expect but I do know this society is one of the most respected industry groups in milling. It has been going since 1947 and has remained a constant in a challenging and changing industry.
The variety and quality of the work of LSEMS means it attracts people from all sections of the milling world in a convivial and hopefully not too technical manner. In time I am sure I will pick up on the technical side of milling but for tomorrow I just hope to meet some of the people behind Britain's biggest and best flour mills. It will give me a chance to grill them about what challenges are facing the flour milling industry as we near 2019. As well as challenges I am hoping to hear about any innovations which may be coming up and generally to just make some contacts.
I will let you know how I got on in future blogs.
A university professor has been recognized for his work at the World Nutrition Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.
Professor Konrad Domig of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) was awarded the biennial B.R.A.I.N. award on the second day of the 2018 World Nutrition Forum.
"Dr Domig is a very positive, knowledgeable and supportive person. I appreciate the encouragement and guidance he provided during my PhD work that allowed me to learn and grow," said Nataliya Roth, Development Scientist at BIOMIN.
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr Domig for eight years. When I started my PhD at BOKU in 2011, Konrad accepted me into his lab and introduced me to microbial ecology," commented Mahdi Ghanbari, Scientist at BIOMIN.
"He has challenged me to ask scientifically-driven questions, draw connections between my research and the "bigger scientific picture", and explore new concepts and methodology, which is how I ended up becoming a computation biologist. His assistance, support, and advice have not only improved my research, but also made me a stronger, well-rounded scientist," Dr Ghanbari added.
BIOMIN says the 'mega trend' of sustainability is going to set the trajectory which will shape the future protein economy.
"Producing affordable food, generating employment, reducing the environmental footprint of farm animals, ensuring their health and welfare, along with the responsible use of antibiotics can all be seen as a move toward greater sustainability," said Jan Vanbrabant, CEO of ERBER Group and Managing Director of BIOMIN, shortly before the official opening ceremony of the 2018 World Nutrition Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.
Since its inception in 1983, BIOMIN has embraced natural ways to support animal nutrition using technologies that benefit animals, producers and the environment.
BIOMIN is a part of ERBER Group, which has committed to sustainability by setting a goal to be carbon neutral by 2023.
"Our goal has always been to support sustainable agriculture, now and in the future," said Mr Vanbrabant.
Achieving this vision has involved decades of investment into scientific research and development, conducted by an in-house team of over 100 scientists and researchers.
This has resulted in a full portfolio of innovative, proprietary solutions in the fields of enzymatic mycotoxin deactivation and farm animal gut performance that deliver return on investment for customers.
"Our main contribution to sustainability is the application of our solutions in livestock," said Mr Vanbrabant.
With a customer base situated in 120 countries, BIOMIN expects to grow its business and expand customer support as it deepens its contribution to sustainable livestock and aquaculture.
"Bringing scientific innovation to feed and livestock producers throughout the world follows our value proposition, the 3 S's, which stand for Science, Service and Speed," said Mr Vanbrabant.
The 8thWorld Nutrition Forum in Cape Town, South Africa provided the appropriate setting for BIOMIN to expound upon its business activities on the continent.
BIOMIN South Africa began operation in 2011, and has recently expanded its scope to support feed and animal producers throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
On October 2, 2018, BIOMIN hosted the kick-off meeting of MycoSafe-South, a research project to tackle mycotoxin-related food safety issues in sub-Saharan Africa.
"We have set high ambitions for ourselves—not just for sales but also for successful customer outcomes and stakeholder engagement," said Mr Van Rensburg.
"As a part of ERBER Group, we are in a position to bring a broader set of solutions to the feed and food sectors, such as premixes, mycotoxin detection and more," Mr Van Rensburg said.
First held in Salzburg in 2004, the World Nutrition Forum hosted by BIOMIN has become the leading opportunity for industry practitioners to share ideas and exchange knowledge.
The biennial summits are consistently well rated by attendees.
Hovis is to close a loss-making flour mill in Southampton with the loss of up to 70 jobs.
The warehouse and logistics operations in DHL Bawtry, DHL Southampton and DSV Belfast will also cease at the end of the year, the company said in a statement.
Nish Kankiwala, Chief Executive Officer of Hovis Ltd said: "The proposed Southampton Mill closure is part of the process to futureproof our core baking business in the competitive market.
The statement from Hovis said: "Following the creation of Hovis Ltd in 2014, the Board has focused on driving sustainable growth and profitability across the group by investing in our core bakery business and cementing our reputation and position as a leading UK manufacturer of bakery products.
"The Milling business has undertaken a detailed strategic review to identify the best way forward in an economically challenging environment within a highly competitive market.
"The review has identified that Southampton Mill is significantly loss-making and following the consideration of a number of options, including a review of the competitive marketplace and the current and anticipated costs of operating the site, we propose ceasing operations at the end of 2018 and closing the site.
"This would result in the loss of up to 70 jobs in Southampton Mill (including Central Laboratory) where the consultation process will now commence.
Nish Kankiwala, Chief Executive Officer Hovis Ltd said: "Hovis has succeeded in building a strong and successful business that reflects our heritage as a UK family favourite while also adapting to future opportunities.
"We have a clearly defined strategy to invest in and continue to grow our bakery business and to be a leading, quality manufacturer.
"The proposed Southampton Mill closure is part of the process to futureproof our core baking business in the competitive market.
"Whilst we never take decisions such as these lightly, we firmly believe this is the right decision for the business and ensures Hovis will continue to grow and prosper as a great UK brand and bakery manufacturer Ina very competitive market place.
The United States of America has reached a new agreement with Mexico and Canada.
A statement from U.S. Grains Council Chairman, Jim Stitzlein said he was now looking forward to approving the new agreement.
He said: "The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is very pleased to see the United States, Mexico and Canada have reached a new agreement.
"No trade agreement has had more impact on our sector than NAFTA which prompted explosive growth in our export sales to both countries as well as the development of a fully-integrated grains and livestock supply chain within North America.
"Over the past two decades, this agreement has proven beneficial for the producers, agricultural sectors and economies of all three countries.
For more information about the USGC visit: www.grains.org.
Leaders of the United States and Japan, one of the largest U.S. grain customers, announced Wednesday the two countries would pursue trade talks.
The announcement followed a meeting of U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in association with the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City.
"Positive movement with Japan related to trade and our countries' relationship as a whole is critical to the U.S. grains sector," said Tom Sleight, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) president and chief executive officer. "Japan is one of the largest and most loyal buyers of U.S. grains, and our relationships with our Japanese customers run deep.
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer indicated the Trump administration would notify the U.S. Congress of the talks,the first step toward eventual passage of a trade agreement under Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and a sign of the seriousness of the effort.
The talks are expected to come in two tranches, the first on goods and "other key areas including services, that can produce early achievements" and a second on other issues.
Japan was the second largest buyer of U.S. corn in the 2016/2017 marketing year, after Mexico, with sales of more than 12.7 million metric tons (501 million bushels). Based on data from September 2017 to July 2018, Japan will also be the second largest buyer of U.S. corn this year.
The country is also a strong purchaser of sorghum, barley and distiller's dried grains with solubes, and the Japanese government recently modified its national biofuels policy in a way that could open the door for sales of U.S. ethanol-based additives or ethanol for fuel use. The Council, which partners with local industries and governments to develop markets for grains products, has worked in Japan since 1961.
Additionally, Japan and the United States said this week they would work together with the European Union on issues of global importance, including at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The United States and the European Union have also been preparing for talks; Lighthizer met his counterparts in New York this week as well, following efforts started earlier in the year between Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Future discussions are planned throughout the fall, and Lighthizer has indicated USTR could also notify Congress of the U.S.-EU effort.
Millers are being asked to submit their products for the 123rdannual IAOM Conference and Expo in Denver.
Organisers of the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM) say they are looking for approximately six products that are either new and innovative or that have a new application.
Companies submitting their products must be exhibiting in the 2019 EXPO.
The IAOM Annual Conference & Expo is the premier educational event for grain milling and seed processing professionals.
Educational and technical programs presented at the conference assist millers in improving yields, productivity, customer satisfaction and safety.
The Expo takes place in Denver Colorado between April 15-19, 2019.
The deadline for Product Showcase submissions is December 7, 2018. Product Showcase presentations are ten minutes long and occur at the companies Expo Booth.
Global feeds additives producer Nutriad is targeting China with an updgrade of its production facilities and an investment in people and product development.
Nutriad, which is a leader in palatability, mycotoxin management and gut health solutions, was present at VIV China in Nanjing where it interacted with customers, distributors and key opinion leaders.
"We can see clear trends in China that are shaping the demand for feed additive solutions like the ones Nutriad provides," said Nutriad CEO Erik Visser.
"A reduction in the use of antibiotic growth promotors, driven by both consumers and government, will enhance the need for an alternative approach to gut health. Furthermore, the increasing pressure on farmer's profits will demand an increased production efficiency, which can partly be obtained by an improved diet composition.
"Finally, the trade tensions between China and the USA put pressure on soybean pricing and might drive the producer to finding alternative protein sources.
"Not only because of the size of the market, but also because of the challenges Chinese producers face, we are confident that we can accelerate our growth in China with the practical solutions we offer and the local technical support available through our direct interaction with customers as well as via our extensive distributor network," said Visser.
"The resistance of bacteria against antibiotics is a growing worldwide concern in the field of animal husbandry, and more importantly in human medicine," said Dr Mahdi Ghanbari, Scientist at BIOMIN Research Centre.
"Nutrition has a crucial function in animal performance as well as in the maintenance of optimal animal health and welfare status. Specialty feed ingredients used in feed and pet food are pivotal contributors to ensuring adequate nutrition and optimal animal welfare," said Joerg Seifert of FEFANA, the EU Association of Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures.
The effects of novel feed additives –such as growth promotion, nutrient quality preservation, mycotoxin mitigation and pathogen prevention contribute to a preventive approach that reduces the need for antimicrobials.
"A holistic, 360-degree approach to antibiotic reduction based on prevention involves looking at the entire set of factors that can contribute to animal health and performance, including management, nutrition, biosecurity, hygiene and health," said Nataliya Roth, Development Scientist at BIOMIN.
"Maintaining animals in optimal health contributes to the prevention of veterinary treatments and connected antibiotic use in livestock production," added Mr Seifert.
Next Generation Sequencing allows for the analysis of the genome as well as the transcriptome –the expression of all genes– at a given biological moment.
"Novel methods to study antibiotic resistance genes have been developed, enhanced by emerging Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies," said Dr Ghanbari.
"It is important to understand the cellular mode of action of AGPs in order to develop suitable alternatives and optimize animal nutrition," said Dr Bertrand Grenier, Scientist at BIOMIN Research Center.
"By using RNA sequencing, we have confirmed that beyond their antimicrobial effect, AGPs interact with the host tissue and modulate the anti-inflammatory response. A more sustainable method of growth promotion would, for example, modulate the same anti-inflammatory response without contributing to antibiotic resistance," added Dr Grenier.
Several categories of novel feed additives can play a role in an AGP-free or antibiotic-free feeding program.
"BIOMIN scientists and researchers have evaluated the effects of organic acids-based products, phytogenics and synbiotics on antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in recent years," explained Ms Roth.
"Several scientific trials provide the confirmation that replacing antibiotics by novel feed additives provide similar levels of performance while reducing the prevalence of antibiotic resistance," Ms Roth concluded.
These experts will delve into further detail on the application of –omics technologies and the understanding of antibiotic resistance at the Gut Performance Session of the 2018 World Nutrition Forum in Cape Town, South Africa from 3 to 5 October, 2018.