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Reforming Immigration Reform
By Yuval Levin
About Yuval Levin
Five ways to fix the Gang of Eight's legislation
In an op-ed in the May 3 Wall Street Journal, Senator Marco Rubio explained that the Gang of Eight immigration bill will be amended as it goes through the Senate in the coming weeks, and that (perhaps unlike some others in the gang) he welcomes this process. He wrote:
Since my colleagues and I introduced immigration legislation, intense public scrutiny has helped identify shortcomings and unintended consequences that need to be addressed. Many concerned citizens have gone a step further and offered specific ideas to improve it. This kind of constructive criticism is a positive force that should always be welcomed in the political process.
#ad#In this spirit of constructive criticism, below are some suggestions for the sorts of amendments that might make the bill more palatable to some of its critics, without at the same time making it thoroughly unpalatable to its champions.
It is worth noting that, compared with some other conservative critics (including some of NR's editors), my starting point on this subject is significantly friendlier to the sort of approach Rubio seems to have in mind. This is in part because I probably have a different view of the law-and-order element of the question of illegal immigrants (a view more like the one Peter Skerry outlines here), and in part because I am probably more concerned than they tend to be about the degree to which our economy is held back by a shortage of high-skill (and especially the highest of high-skill) workers — a serious problem with no real precedent in the postwar era for America; and I therefore have a greater sense of urgency about legal-immigration reform.
That is not to say, however, that this bill is how I would reform our immigration system. My ideal approach to reform, roughly outlined here last year, would look very different from the Gang of Eight bill and indeed would not be a single comprehensive bill at all. But I think there are ways to improve the Gang of Eight bill that would allow it to do more good than harm and be worthwhile.
I would propose five kinds of amendments:
1. Rebalance labor-based immigration. The worst aspect of the Gang of Eight bill is its approach to the lower-skill end of America's labor market; the best is its approach to the higher-skill end. The basic trouble is that the bill treats both segments the same way — as though there is a shortage of workers in both, and if only we addressed that shortage with immigrant workers, it would also help everyone involved and the country as a whole. This is true for high-skill workers, but it is decidedly untrue for low-skill workers.
The April unemployment report, for instance, showed that the unemployment rate among people with bachelor's degrees or higher was 3.6 percent. Among those with less than a high-school diploma, it was 11.4 percent.
The first number indicates something of a labor shortage while the second indicates that supply far outstrips demand. This disparity is nothing new, of course, though it has actually gotten much worse since the last round of the immigration wars, in 2007. Here is what the unemployment rate has looked like for people with bachelor's degrees or more (what high-skill immigrants tend to be) and for those with less than a high-school diploma (as low-skill immigrants tend to be) over the past ten years, using data for people 25 and older to be able to compare apples to apples:
For workers on the lower end of our skill and wage spectrum, these are extremely difficult times, both economically and culturally, and not just since the last recession. For decades now, they have been facing the brunt of both globalization and the collapse of the family and marriage culture, and in both cases there is just not all that much that public policy can do to help. But surely there are ways to avoid making things worse, and one of those would be avoiding the concerted importation of competitors for low-wage jobs and the artificial inflation of the size of the American population subject to these pressures.
#page#A huge amount of American social policy is directed to reducing the number of people in our country who have low levels of skills and education, and it would be bizarre to use our immigration policy to increase that number significantly. Between the temporary-worker program (parts of which are not so temporary — the new W visa is not only permanently renewable but would actually allow temporary workers to apply for green cards through the new merit-point system) and its increase in low-skill immigration, this bill envisions a very significant increase in that number. And that a meaningful portion of that comes through a guest-worker program is particularly problematic, as Ramesh Ponnuru ably argued last month.
#ad#It is important not to overstate the degree to which additional low-wage immigrants would harm low-wage Americans. The evidence suggests that the direct negative effect on wages is limited (and low-skill immigration offers a modest benefit to the larger economy, though nowhere near what high-skill immigration does), though the effect on employment seems to be somewhat larger. The enormous increase in low-skill immigration envisioned in this bill would make for rather different circumstances than those measured by the available research on this subject, however, and seems likely to place greater pressure on the wages of low-skill workers. And in any case, even limited economic harm to America's most vulnerable workers is unnecessary and unwise, and the artificial expansion of the low-skill and low-wage portion of our population, with its train of serious accompanying challenges, is all the more so. To what problem is such an increase in low-skill immigration a solution?
Amending the bill to significantly reduce the scale of low-skill immigration (by eliminating the guest-worker program and changing the merit-point system to place far greater value on education and skills) would be a major change, of course, but not one that undercuts the fundamental compromise of the bill, which is about a balance between border enforcement and legalization rather than high- and low-skill immigration.
Some business interests would be less happy with the bill as a result. Too bad. It is well past time for Republicans to focus more attention on the concerns and priorities of working-class families. In other policy areas, Senator Rubio has actually made this case himself, and he and others are working to translate that increased attention into policy proposals. They ought to do the same here.
2. Add actual triggers for legalization. The Gang of Eight bill establishes a process by which illegal immigrants can immediately apply for the newly created Resident Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status, and mere proof of their application enables them to work legally. Then, once the secretary of homeland security tells Congress that she has begun implementing strategies to build more fencing and otherwise protect the southern border, DHS can begin processing those applications. Then, ten years later, if the department can show that the border and fencing strategies are in effect, a new employer verification system is in place for all employers, and an entry and exit system is in effect at air and sea ports, DHS can begin to process immigrants' applications to move from RPI status to green cards.
The trouble with this approach is that the triggers are not really triggers; they don't initiate the key events in the legalization process. The privileges of the RPI status are not very different from those of permanent residence (especially because they include the ability to travel abroad), so illegal immigrants would immediately gain the right to work legally once the bill becomes law and then would gain more or less all the other privileges they care about once DHS merely informs Congress that it has begun to do something about the border. That's ridiculous.
#ad#Triggers, of course, are almost inevitably going to be somewhat ridiculous. There is no easy way around that, but it is possible to make them a little less ridiculous, especially by putting them earlier in the process and involving Congress more in the particulars of border enforcement — requiring the enactment of a separate border-enforcement law before any legalization can begin. Before illegal immigrants can even apply for RPI status, and therefore have their employment status effectively legalized at all, DHS should be required to submit a border control and fencing strategy to Congress, which would then have to approve the strategy by a vote of each house, or else instruct the department to submit a revised strategy for a vote.
The RPI application process should not begin until the border strategy has been enacted into law. The beginning is the key; everything else happens after amnesty. Then, in order to start processing those applications, the department would need to show that implementation of the approved plan is under way. And the second-order triggers — proof that the plan is in effect and that employer and visa-exit verification (which should happen at land crossings, not just the air and sea ports proposed) are operating — should come at the six-year mark when RPI status has to be renewed. No renewals could occur unless those markers were met.
This would hardly be a foolproof system. But it would be more likely to actually bring us closer to effective enforcement of our immigration laws, and would more properly prioritize the elements of this reform.
#page#3. Require civic education. Our approach to immigration must be grounded in an idea of citizenship — in the end, we are discussing how to elevate foreign newcomers to the exalted status of Americans and initiating them into our cultural and political traditions. The Gang of Eight bill does almost nothing to advance that cause, and most of what goes by the name of integration in the bill involves signing people up for the new RPI status, not teaching them anything about what it means to become an American. This is more like community organizing than civic education. Assimilation is no simple matter, of course, but there are some straightforward steps that might help.
#ad#The bill should be amended to require illegal immigrants applying for the new RPI status to pass the very simple English-language and civics exams that legal immigrants must pass to become citizens today. They might, for instance, be permitted to file their applications for RPI status (and receive a confirmation of that filing that would enable them to work legally while the application is considered), but then be required to pass these exams before their application could be approved — and therefore before they are allowed to travel abroad and receive the further benefits of RPI status. Many of these individuals have actually been here longer than people ordinarily applying for citizenship, and so should not have trouble reaching the minimal levels of competency involved in passing these tests. Before they can apply for a green card at the end of their ten years of RPI status, moreover, they should be required to complete an approved course in American history and civics (the design of which should take account of the important concerns raised recently by John Fonte and Althea Nagai).
These are hardly onerous requirements, and in fact they are largely symbolic in nature. But in a process of acculturation, symbols matter, and America should assert the importance of civic education and assimilation.
4. Verify sooner. The new employment-verification system established by the bill takes far too long to get into place. Employers with more than 5,000 employees have to use it for all new workers starting two years after DHS publishes regulations implementing the system, those with more than 500 workers have three years, and everyone else has four years. There is no serious reason for such a long delay. The system should begin after one year for all employers, and over the first year of operation, it should require verification of all existing employees as well as new hires.
5. Cut the pork. The Gang of Eight bill includes a variety of narrowly tailored and often state-specific giveaways and favors. On page 817, we find a special provision for "meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers." On page 767, we find a favor for ski instructors. On page 774 is a special protection for foreigners brought to America — mostly to Florida, one imagines — to perform maintenance on cruise ships. There are surely many more.
Obviously such special goodies have long been part of how Congress passes large and politically complicated pieces of legislation. But that's no excuse for doing it here. The bill should be systematically stripped of such overly specific provisions. And if we're stripping overly specific provisions, I can't say I'm a huge fan of defining the hourly wages of immigrant farm workers to the second decimal place, either (seriously, that nonsense starts on page 228 with $9.37 in 2014).
The point of these proposed categories of amendments is not to scuttle the bill but to save it. They are intended to make the bill more responsive to our economic realities, our civic obligations, and our commitment to the rule of law. They would retain the basic structure of the Gang of Eight's approach to immigration, but address some of its key weaknesses, some of which were surely intentional, others perhaps not. Many Democrats might dislike them, of course, but they would not find it easy to justify a vote against them, or against a final bill because of them.
The bill that would result from such changes would be far from perfect, but it would be worth passing — and I would wager it would stand a far better chance of reaching the president's desk.
— Yuval Levin is editor of National Affairs and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Yuval Levin is the director of social, cultural, and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute and the editor of National Affairs.


Stand by for a new RBackup v11.16.20!
We are looking forward to an April 3 release for our latest version of RBackup, v11.16.20. This release will represent a significant upgrade to many core components, increasing RBackup's speed and capacity, while making significant improvements to reliability.
RBS Server performance update – RBS Server can now handle peak load with almost no degradation in system performance or endpoint transfer rate.
Major updates have been made to the backup module to make it more reliable and fool proof than ever before. Major performance updates have been made to the endpoint SQL backend to handle large backup jobs more efficiently.
A new more advanced Purge/Sync module has been implemented to better handle extremely large backups, reducing the time required for most backup jobs time to half that used by previous versions.
A new Restore module is much faster and robust than ever before and can now effectively handle network time outs.
The Full Image Backup module is now twice as fast as before, and can back up and restore huge volumes.
There's much more to this release. We will notify you again on release date, and we will post a full change log with all the updates at that time.
The latest RBackup v11.16.20 to be released on April 3 2017 is being tested in-house by Mitch Romm (Dr. Backup). Mitch sent in this report, which shows significant improvements in the latest version.
We service about 2,500 endpoints. Each endpoint is bandwidth restricted to 2Mbps. About 15% of our base is now 11.16.x.
As shown on the weekly graph #2, traffic during weekdays is pretty much constant. On weekends, we typically run full image backup, so customer volume over the Internet is lower. Some of the bumps in the graph you see during business hours are us doing "bulk" baseline to disk uploads of customer data.
Of particular note is that the enhancements to the RBS server in recent releases has definitely smoothed out the traffic and made operations much smoother.
Prior to fixes to the file "append" code, our performance graphs tended to be much more jagged (like a heart "EKG") and service times much less predictable.
This type of network graph indicates real progress in your team's engineering efforts.
The ability to do automatic endpoint upgrades is one of RBackup's most helpful features. Here are three KB articles that explain how to take full advantage of this powerful feature.
Will the Portal's Endpoint Auto Upgrade feature upgrade my existing Endpoints?
Full Image Backups – If you aren't using them, start now!
One of the most important features of more recent RBackup releases is the ability to perform full image backups – not just of files, but of the entire drive image. Full Image Backups give you the ability to protect the entire hard drive – bootable operating system and all, in its current state, including all data on the drive.
RBackup's Full Image Backup function backs up to standard Hyper-V files that can be mounted within seconds by any Hypervisor. This allows you to spin up an entire server in a virtual environment in just minutes after the physical server crashes.
It's pretty much the ultimate in convenient, fast disaster recovery!
Mitch Romm at Dr. Backup has written tutorials that show exactly how to use Full Image Backup.


Cook ground sausage with sliced white onion in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure meat is crumbled and cooked through. Do not drain.
Stir in garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.
Add cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and stir for a few minutes until softened.
Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and top with green onions.
Check out this Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe featuring Chinese food inspired flavors, sliced veggies, and ground pork for a yummy and filling one pan meal.
All the flavors of a yummy egg roll in a one skillet dinner!
Note: I used my Spiralizer Vegetable Slicer to slice the cabbage, which made it easy. You could also shred using a cheese grater or knife to thinly chop if desired. To make this egg roll in a bowl recipe even faster, you could also substitute with prepackaged coleslaw mix.
We loved how this Egg Roll in a Bowl tasted and how easy it is to prepare as a one pan stir fry meal!
You can easily add and subtract ingredients to taste. Next time I may add an egg or two! Overall, this is a must try idea!
Lina, I just adore you! And all the hip to save "additions" for that matter. Just curious, do you have the nutrition information?
We just use a bag of coleslaw mix instead of all the veg. So easy and delicious!
Can you please post the nutrition information for this recipe? I need to know the carbs and serving size please.
Yummy- just put this on the dinner menu for next week!!
Mmmm, this is a good one! I've made this before and it totally takes care of my eggroll fix!
Carrots are not a bad carb. They provide fiber which actually helps slows down the absorption of the natural sugars that carrots have.
Carrots are a starchy carb. They're not low-carb and are not typically allowed on low carb or keto diets.
There is no such thing as a bad carb. Your body can't tell the difference between a chip or a stick of celery when it comes to absorbing the carb. Carbs are essential and very healthy. If you are gaining weight it's because you are in a surplus. Science.
If your going to use ground beef how would you season it?
Thanks for the recipe! Cant' wait to try it.
We made this 2 weeks ago!! We found the recipe on FB! It's so delicious!!
Can you use powdered ginger (ie. McCormick)? How much would you use?
Powdered ginger gives a different taste than fresh ginger root, I would not substitute one for the other. Buy a small piece of ginger root from the produce section. You peel the brown peel by scraping it with a spoon. There are lots of ways to store the unused ginger root. I find the easiest way is to simply freeze it with the peel on. When you need to use it, let it soften a little, then peel it and grate it. You can use the unused root to make ginger tea…it's very good for you. A few slices in a cup of boiling water, add lemon and or honey and let sit for 10 minutes.
If you avoid or can't have soy try coconut aminos as a soy sauce replacement! It also has way less sodium.
Thank you for the recipe idea!
Been making this for a few years, it's de-lish!
Great idea for when I start my whole30. Will substitute the soy sauce.
Thus sounds fabulous!! Thank you for sharing!
My family loves this. I sub coconut aminos for the soy and make a hot mustard to serve with it.
Totally making this! Looks amazing!
Another coconut aminos user here 👍🏼!!
Does the coconut aminos taste similar to soy sauce? I was wondering before i buy it.
Also referred to as crack slaw. As someone who has done keto over a year, this is a staple in my home. Love it!
I have done something similar with this on my own, leaving the meat out and adding broccoli slaw and peppers. You could also do a simple "unstuffed pepper" using the ingredients of a stuffed pepper to your preference and instead of stuffing the pepper, cut the pepper up and making a one pan meal, or do the same way with "unstuffed cabbage rolls". It saves a ton of work and time to make it and saved the heating of the oven for those of us who live in the south.
Does anyone know the carb and fiber counts?
Made this tonight. I substitute Veggie Crumbles in place of the meat. Used low sodium soy and added a little cayenne pepper and lime juice. Pretty good for a low carb option.
What is the nutritional info?
Substitute the cabbage for broccoli slaw. AMAZING!
Thank you so much for these recipes. The egg roll in a bowl is our new favorite. Amazing! We aren't necessarily Keto, just my husband does low carb since his blood work came back "pre-diabetic". He said NO THANKS to diabetes and reversed the numbers majorly and lost about 30 pounds just with a low-carb diet. I'll sneak in a carb here and there when I'm out but try to honor the diet at home. These recipes are very motivating. There's something for every food mood! Keep up the great work Lina!
I hope you're doing well . What brand of ground sausage do you use or recommend in this recipe? Thank you!!
I just tried adapting this for a slow cooker and it turned out really well. Thanks for the inspiration.
Sounds yummy! Several have asked for the nutrition breakdown. Do you have that available?
We are just a few months into low carb/keto and enjoying it so far. It was so great to find we could eat plenty of flavorful food without all the starch that used to weigh us down. Just discovered this recipe and had it for dinner tonight….soooooo good! Thought about just using canola oil instead of the sesame, but am so glad I didn't. The sesame oil really adds that distinctive egg roll flavor.
Would love to try it but no one seems to be answering the questions regarding the nutritional information. Strange since most of the other questions are being answered?
When I entered it into the keto app, it comes out to 298kcal, 22g fat, 12g carbs, 11g protein per serving. Depending on the brands/products you use…Without 🥕 carrots….It's 285kcals, 21g fat, 10g carbs, 11g protein per serving.
What kind of sausage do you use? Breakfast sausage? Italian?
I think on this day I used Italian but breakfast would work too!
Does anyone know the nutrition info on this meal?
Made this for dinner tonight with ground turkey. Was absolutely FANTASTIC! Thank you!
Oh I'm so glad! Thanks for coming back to share your success!


The reputation of diesels has taken a battering in recent times and you'd be forgiven for thinking that once trusty diesel has become something to avoid. However, after crunching the Real MPG numbers, we'd found lots of impressive models that still prove diesel is best for value.
Indeed, if you choose carefully, you can get a large and capable diesel that will exceed its claimed economy by as much as 20 per cent. What's not to like?
Can't we have the best diesels re mpg regardless of the claims of manufacturers.
Perhaps Landrover were more honest with the tests, so its ratio of real versus test is very good, but it certainly hasn't got the best mpg!
We all now know the claims of manufacturers in the official figures are pure fiction and some even more fiction than others, so it would be helpful if Honest John published its figures on genuinely the best cars in a convenient list so potential buyers would have a useful guide.
Hopefully in time the tests will change but a guide is needed now.
There is another issue.... many drivers rely on their trip computers to indicate their MPG. In all the Mercs I have had, these are set to show better results than are actually achieved if you use the only reliable measure - full-tank to full-tank. The variance is consistent - 5mpg. Comments from collwagues suggest this is similarly the experience with some other brands.
Interesting that virtually all the top 20 fuel economy cars are no longer in production.
I agree with earlier contributor that all mog data should include real mog. What Car now does this for all the cars it tests.
And as a contributor has noted full tank to tank is the best method in the absence to us of the type of equipment used by What Car and others.
I'm very surprised not to see the Honda Civic 2.2cdti on here. Good size family car, and I regularly get 55+ mpg out of mine, with the best ever of 73mpg on a trip to London and back!
I have a 2002 VW Polo 1.9 TDI PD Sport bought new and with 110,000 miles which regularly gives me 60+ mph (using full tank to full tank) cruising at 70 mph where legal but driven sensibly. I can only assume that it is the perfect power to weight ratio and the low pressure PD turbo that gives the high mpg.
My 2006 2.0 TDCi Focus with 145k on clock was the same. As long as I stuck to speed lmits I'd get 60MPG on way to work (almost all fast A road). My 2016 1.5 TDCi is struggling to match it.
It would appear to me that most people post their real world MPG when they take delivery of their new car, which is nonsense as it can take up to 10,000 miles or more to bed in a diesel engine. You always know when a diesel is right when it feels like someone has pulled the plug out.
I have driven Citroen diesels for as long as I can remember having just taken delivery of a new 1.6 120 bhp Grand Picasso auto. My first one struggled at around 45 to 48mpg when new but after 10k it returned between 55 to 65 mpg without any trouble.
True to form, the new one is exactly the same.
It'd be nice to have something like a thermometer with best at the top worst at the bottom for mpg. In some ways you wonder if it'd better to list it by engine type as skoda and volkswagen got multiple listing for the same engine.
On the side of the thermometer of if you hover the engine, which cars use that engine could be listed.
Just did 2,500 miles in 2004 Citroen 2.0 hdi C5 Exclusive.
Wirral to Costa Brava return via Folkestone, Rouen, Poitiers, Bordeaux, Roses, Albi, Argenton sur Creuse, Coquelles, Wirral.
Brim to brim fuel calculation which (surprisingly) accords with trip computer.
Driven gently 322 miles from Bordeaux to Roses, achieved 62.2mpg.
Car fully laden too.Suitcases, cabin bags, coolbox, tools, (no k****** sink).
Just approaching 78,000 miles and never missed a beat.
Has all the toys, including moving headlights, lane departure warning, telematics, sat nav ('orrible), video screen, telephone etc.


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New Champion has Uncertain Future
Posted by thesportsjunky on February 12, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A new era in women's fighting began as the UFC hosted their second fight in New York with women headlining the card all to determine a champion of a new division.
It was well reported that the UFC never wanted to have women fighting in the UFC until Ronda Rousey changed Dana White's mind.
The reasoning behind White's original claim was that there was simply not enough talent to make things interesting in the division.
Yes, there was Rousey who had the potential, a potential that she met, to be the biggest crossover star the UFC had ever seen.
Beyond Rousey though there wasn't a lot of other fighters that anyone knew despite the women's division in Strikeforce.
If women were allowed in the UFC would it just be a showcase of Rousey running through the same few fighters?
Eventually White realised the star power that Rousey had and he threw caution to the wind by creating the bantamweight division.
For the most part, it was Rousey running through everyone in women's fighting and despite the lack of challengers, Rousey made it interesting.
Then more fighters began to make their way to the UFC and women's fighting began to take on a new level.
Although Rousey was still a dominant champion more fighters brought the level of fighting up and the competition was suddenly there.
That sprung a new women's division in the strawweights who once again faced the issue of competition when the division was created.
How many fighters could they really get to compete at a level that the promotion has established?
It turned out they could get a lot as The Ultimate Fighter produced the first champion and since then it has been one of the more exciting divisions with Joana Jedrzejczyk making one of the top fighters on the roster.
The UFC is doing it again and this time there is still that lingering question of the amount of competition at a new women's weight class.
This time it might be slightly different though as the strawweights are a more common weight for women while the bantamweights are a bigger but still deep pool.
The new featherweight division will require women at 145 lbs, which is not a common weight class for most women fighters.
These fighters are almost like the heavyweights for men as they are the top weight class for women fighters.
There is no doubt that this division was originally conceived to bring Cris "Cyborg" Justino into the UFC on a permanent basis.
With her gone and possibly out for at least a year the new division is a bit of a mystery as to what will happen.
Will there be enough women able to fight at that higher weight class? Are they worthwhile for the UFC to sign and truly make a division?
Most of all is the competition going to be at the level that the UFC expects because if it isn't this could be a short-lived division.
Going forward past UFC 208 in Brooklyn the future of the division is going to be unknown but for one night there was one thing that was for sure.
That was that there would be a new champion in the UFC and one woman was going to walk away with a new belt to be the first women's featherweight division champion in UFC history.
With Cyborg out the UFC selected two of the best options to fight for the new title in Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie.
They came into the fight as two of the most decorated fighters in the UFC but largely due to their lives before MMA.
Holm was a world-class boxer and is still considered one of the greatest ever while de Randamie was a world champion Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer.
There is nobody with as many championships outside of MMA as these two women and so they were very appropriately tagged for the featherweight title.
With their stand-up background, it was likely that both were going to test their experience standing up.
From the start, it seemed like Holm was not at the same level when it came to the striking but that didn't stop her from adjusting.
After taking some big shots eventually Holm adjusted her game and looked to clinch while becoming less aggressive against the counter-striking of de Randamie.
For the last few rounds it seemed like Holm was taking control of the fight but when the judges put in their scorecards it was de Randamie who took the decision.
What makes the fight more interesting is the fact that de Randamie threw late shots twice in the fight hitting Holm after the bell in two rounds.
The first one was bad but many question why there wasn't a point taken away after the second time she did it in this fight.
If that point had been taken away this fight would have ended in a draw rather than a win by de Randamie making a massive difference in the result of the fight.
That will be debated for a while but the other debate will be about the next shot at this new belt.
Cyborg is the obvious choice but she is facing a 1-year USADA ban and might not be available for de Randamie when the champion is ready to fight again.
That leaves a potential rematch or some new faces in the UFC coming from Invicta or even some 135 lbs fighters making the jump.
There are options as the new division will need to be figured out this year as the champion awaits a challenger in the women's featherweight division.
Filed under MMA · Tagged with Germaine "The Iron Lady" de Randamie, Germaine de Randamie, Holly Holm, MMA, UFC, UFC 208, UFC 208 review, UFC women's featherweight championship, UFC Women's featherweight division., UFC women's featherweight title, women's featherweight division
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Place all ingredients in a large ceramic skillet. I used my Copper Chef square pan.
Stir and set over medium low heat covered.
Stir occasionally until the mixture is thickened and the macaroni is done to your liking.
This entire process can take between 25 and 35 minutes. You will want to stay close and monitor the mixture to be sure it is not burning or that the macaroni is not getting overcooked.


When searching for the best kind of material to use for your kitchen countertops, you may come across granite and quartz as some of the top choices. Another very popular choice among homeowners is marble. It looks very natural and is truly beautiful and classy. While marble kitchen countertops offer many benefits, there are several major drawbacks you should know about it too.
Truth be told, marble isn't the best choice for kitchen countertops. In fact, experts wouldn't recommend it because the cons appear to outweigh its cons. But if you're ready to make an extra effort in maintaining and cleaning up your kitchen tops, marble would certainly be worth it. It is simply beautiful. Any kitchen would look amazing with marble countertops in it.
If you're one who would rather have countertops that require little maintenance, then you may opt to just use marble for countertops in your office, living area, bathroom, fireplace, and more.
Fantastic Natural Looks: Without a doubt, there are few countertop surfaces that can match natural marble stone in looks. It will make any kitchen, bathroom or other areas in your home more elegant. It's a natural stone material that is available in a wide variety of color choices too. Marble slabs come in solid white, solid black, greys, greens, rose and combinations of these colors in white or black backgrounds. Marble also makes your countertop unique because no two pieces are ever exactly alike.
Natural Heat Resistance: Hot pots and pans don't stand a chance against marble. Even if you place hot items on top of marble countertops, it wouldn't stain at all. This is precisely the reason marble is a popular choice for home fireplaces.
There are plenty of homeowners who still choose to use marble countertops for their kitchen despite having a number of disadvantages. That's because this material is simply beautiful and every effort required to keep it looking perfect is worth it. But to help you make an informed decision, here are some drawbacks of using marble for your kitchen.
Naturally Porous: Your marble countertop may look like a very solid piece of rock but that's not true if you take a closer look. Marble is actually very porous in its natural state. That means spills can easily penetrate its surface and stain it if it's not kept properly sealed on a regular basis. Oils, wines, juices and other substances are nearly impossible to get out once they can get into pores and cracks of marble tops.
High Maintenance: We just mentioned that marble has to be resealed on a regular basis in order for it to retain its good looks. Ideally, sealing should be done at least once a year especially if you're using marble tops for your kitchen. That's a lot more effort than most people are willing to put in to keep their countertops looking good. In addition, these sealants would cost you a little bit especially if you have to buy it frequently.
Not Very Durable: One of the reasons many designers do not add marble countertops in kitchens is because they can be easily scratched. Marble even has a tendency to chip easily compared to other natural stone surfaces.
Marble isn't perfect. In fact, the list of disadvantages run longer than its advantages. However, its beauty can easily make those cons not matter at all. If you have time to maintain your marble countertops for your kitchen and you're willing to exert extra effort to it, then, by all means, you should choose this material.
When you choose to get marble kitchen countertops, it is necessary for you to work with an experienced and licensed marble contractor like Stone World. We will make sure you are properly informed on best practices to keep your marble tops looking beautiful for a long time. We use high-quality materials to ensure you'll be satisfied with your new countertops.
Stone World is available in Orlando, Sanford, Windermere, Ocoee, Lake Mary, Clermont, and nearby areas. Aside from marble kitchen countertops, we also install granite countertops, quartz countertops, do full bathroom and kitchen remodels, and many more. For a free estimate, you may call us at 407-341-4688.


Geneva, Switzerland – May 18, 2017 – MSC Cruises — the Swiss-based world's largest privately-owned cruise line and brand market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa — revealed the names and concepts for the two exclusive Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows that will be performed on board MSC Cruises' new next-generation flagship, MSC Meraviglia. The long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil will set new standards in live entertainment at sea. The world leader in artistic entertainment will create a total of eight original shows exclusively available on MSC Cruises' Meraviglia generation ships, coming into service between June 4, 2017 – with MSC Meraviglia – and Fall 2020.
"We are committed to creating unique opportunities that elevate the guest experience to new heights and, for this, we work with innovative, world-class leaders in their sector. It was thus only natural that, when it comes to entertainment, we would look to partner with Cirque du Soleil," said Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises.
"Today we are delighted to reveal the concepts and inspiration behind the Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows that will soon premiere on our new flagship MSC Meraviglia. By creating two different shows for each of the four Meraviglia and Meraviglia-plus generation ships, we will make available exclusively to our guests something new and exciting with each ship's launch. Moreover, these shows will be a true first at sea," added Onorato.
Cirque du Soleil set out to create two very different, contrasting shows, each with a different concept, ambiance, storyline, costumes and make-up. With two performances each night, six nights a week, guests will have the opportunity to see both distinct productions.
VIAGGIO, the first of two shows, is the story of a passionate and eccentric artist who hears the call of his Faceless Muse. Mysterious and seductive, she beckons him into the vivid world of his unbridled imagination to complete his masterpiece. With each stroke of his paintbrush, the painter reveals the details of his grandiose tableau. Electrifying colors fill the space with intriguing motifs and rich textures. Majestic acts transform the theater into a living canvas. Before our very eyes, a masterpiece comes to life.
With sound at its heart, SONOR, the second show, takes guests on an auditory adventure with dancers, acrobats and characters, all moving to the rhythm. Conjuring a world of unique sensations, astonishing sounds, bold music and immersive projections, SONOR culminates in a grand finale for the senses.
"We wanted to elevate the experience even further for our guests and for this we have worked hand in hand with the creative team from Cirque du Soleil to create the first Dinner & Show experience on our fleet," Onorato concluded.
The dinner experience will be a gastronomic delight, where every detail from the table settings, costumes, music and visual effects to the menus have been specially designed to complement each pre-show experience.
Starting one hour before the show begins, the dining experience will be a treat for the senses with surprise animation from performers, live music, stylish table settings topped with a table d'hôte three-course menu of eclectic dishes.
For the dining experience to complement SONOR, guests will be invited into a parallel world where culinary creations will not only trick the eye but the senses, while VIAGGIO will immerse guests in a universe of color, testing the imagination of guests from beginning to end.
Cirque du Soleil at Sea needs to be pre-booked by guests either before the cruise or once on board. The theater is limited to 413 seats, so guests should book early to secure a space and enjoy the experience.
MSC Meraviglia will become the first cruise ship ever to feature an entertainment lounge built specifically for Cirque du Soleil. Designed by MSC Cruises, in partnership with architect Marco De Jorio, the purpose-built Carousel Lounge was crafted to meet the specific needs of Cirque du Soleil while at sea.
Equipped with cutting-edge technology and special rigging, the Carousel Lounge will enable Cirque du Soleil performers to deliver sublime performances exclusively for MSC Cruises guests to enjoy. The lounge is an intimate space, hosting up to 413 guests for each performance — one of the smallest venues for Cirque du Soleil — providing for an up-close and special interaction between the guests and performers.
The name carousel was chosen to convey the combined spirit of MSC Cruises' unforgettable experiences and Cirque du Soleil's unique performances, evoking joyful and magical emotions. A carousel is associated with childhood memories of festive outdoor fairs. There is something inherently captivating about a carousel. Music, colors, lights, movement all combine in a unique, breath-taking experience.


The Trailer of Hameed Sheikh's Debut Hollywood Movie "The Man from Kathmandu" is Now Out!
Known for his roles in Khuda Kay Liye, 021 and Moor, Hameed Sheikh is now all set to mark his Hollywood debut with an action-drama flick "The Man from Kathmandu", which will make to cinemas soon.
Although we still have to wait for its release, the much-awaited trailer of "The Man from Kathmandu" is now out and Hameed Sheikh will play the role of a monk from Nepal in this upcoming movie with a seemingly intriguing storyline.
Watch the trailer of "The Man from Kathmandu" below!
Revolving around the life-changing quest of an American-Nepali boy, The Man from Kathmandu will take you on a journey all the way from Los Angeles to the peaks of Himalayas.
Hameed Sheikh, as Pundit Harshvardhan, will play an important role in the story and the veteran Bollywood actor, Gulshan Grover as Abu Mia Siddiqui, will be seen as his rival.
Jose Manuel as Faisal Mustafa, who is half Muslim-half Hindu, decides to leave LA and prepare to join ISIS, thinking that his father is in Syria. He holds grudges towards his maternal grandfather, who he thinks is responsible for the separation of his parents.
Take me back #themanfromkathmandu 🎬🎥📽 . . . . . . . #stunts #flips #acrobatics #movies #martialarts #actionfilms #film #kicks #puertorico #adventure #romance #drama #follow #followforfollow #likeforlike #share #comment #hongkong #asian #hongkongstyle #instagood #instalike #red #redepic #choreography #stuntaction.
Faisal's life changes as he faces deportation and travels to Kathmandu. There he finds his grandfather and childhood lover, Namrata played by a Nepali actress, Anna Sharma.
Faisal gets in trouble with Abu Mia, a local don and a wannabe politician. Pundit Harshvardhan is Abu's rival and decides to get him down with Faisal's help.
Directed by Pema Dhondup, the rest of the cast includes Hameed Sheikh, Gulshan Grover, Jose Manuel, Neer Shah, Karma, Shishir Bangdel and Anna Sharma.
The Man from Kathmandu is currently in its post-production phase and is expected to be released soon!
Stay tuned to Very Filmi for more news and updates!
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Project acronym 4D-PET
Project Innovative PET scanner for dynamic imaging
Researcher (PI) José María BENLLOCH BAVIERA
Host Institution (HI) AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DEINVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Summary The main objective of 4D-PET is to develop an innovative whole-body PET scanner based in a new detector concept that stores 3D position and time of every single gamma interaction with unprecedented resolution. The combination of scanner geometrical design and high timing resolution will enable developing a full sequence of all gamma-ray interactions inside the scanner, including Compton interactions, like in a 3D movie. 4D-PET fully exploits Time Of Flight (TOF) information to obtain a better image quality and to increase scanner sensitivity, through the inclusion in the image formation of all Compton events occurring inside the detector, which are always rejected in state-of-the-art PET scanners. The new PET design will radically improve state-of-the-art PET performance features, overcoming limitations of current PET technology and opening up new diagnostic venues and very valuable physiological information
The main objective of 4D-PET is to develop an innovative whole-body PET scanner based in a new detector concept that stores 3D position and time of every single gamma interaction with unprecedented resolution. The combination of scanner geometrical design and high timing resolution will enable developing a full sequence of all gamma-ray interactions inside the scanner, including Compton interactions, like in a 3D movie. 4D-PET fully exploits Time Of Flight (TOF) information to obtain a better image quality and to increase scanner sensitivity, through the inclusion in the image formation of all Compton events occurring inside the detector, which are always rejected in state-of-the-art PET scanners. The new PET design will radically improve state-of-the-art PET performance features, overcoming limitations of current PET technology and opening up new diagnostic venues and very valuable physiological information
Project acronym DYNURBAN
Project Urban dynamics: learning from integrated models and big data
Researcher (PI) Diego PUGA
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACION CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS MONETARIOS Y FINANCIEROS
Summary City growth is driven by a combination of systematic determinants and shocks. Random growth models predict realistic city size distributions but ignore, for instance, the strong empirical association between human capital and city growth. Models with systematic determinants predict degenerate size distributions. We will develop an integrated model that combines systematic and random determinants to explain the link between human capital, entrepreneurship and growth, while generating relevant city size distributions. We will calibrate the model to quantify the contribution of cities to aggregate growth. Urban growth also has a poorly understood spatial component. Combining gridded data of land use, population, businesses and roads for 3 decennial periods we will track the evolution of land use in the US with an unprecedented level of spatial detail. We will pay particular attention to the magnitude and causes of "slash-and-burn" development: instances when built-up land stops meeting needs in terms of use and intensity and, instead of being redeveloped, it is abandoned while previously open space is built up. Job-to-job flows across cities matter for efficiency and during the recent crisis they have plummeted. We will study them with individual social security data. Even if there have only been small changes in mismatch between unemployed workers and vacancies during the crisis, if workers shy away from moving to take a job in another city, misallocation can increase substantially. We will also study commuting flows for Spain and the UK based on anonymized cell phone location records. We will identify urban areas by iteratively aggregating municipalities if more than a given share of transit flows end in the rest of the urban area. We will also measure the extent to which people cross paths with others opening the possibility of personal interactions, and assess the extent to which this generates productivity-enhancing agglomeration economies.
City growth is driven by a combination of systematic determinants and shocks. Random growth models predict realistic city size distributions but ignore, for instance, the strong empirical association between human capital and city growth. Models with systematic determinants predict degenerate size distributions. We will develop an integrated model that combines systematic and random determinants to explain the link between human capital, entrepreneurship and growth, while generating relevant city size distributions. We will calibrate the model to quantify the contribution of cities to aggregate growth. Urban growth also has a poorly understood spatial component. Combining gridded data of land use, population, businesses and roads for 3 decennial periods we will track the evolution of land use in the US with an unprecedented level of spatial detail. We will pay particular attention to the magnitude and causes of "slash-and-burn" development: instances when built-up land stops meeting needs in terms of use and intensity and, instead of being redeveloped, it is abandoned while previously open space is built up. Job-to-job flows across cities matter for efficiency and during the recent crisis they have plummeted. We will study them with individual social security data. Even if there have only been small changes in mismatch between unemployed workers and vacancies during the crisis, if workers shy away from moving to take a job in another city, misallocation can increase substantially. We will also study commuting flows for Spain and the UK based on anonymized cell phone location records. We will identify urban areas by iteratively aggregating municipalities if more than a given share of transit flows end in the rest of the urban area. We will also measure the extent to which people cross paths with others opening the possibility of personal interactions, and assess the extent to which this generates productivity-enhancing agglomeration economies.
Project acronym FAT NKT
Project Targeting iNKT cell and adipocyte crosstalk for control of metabolism and body weight
Researcher (PI) Lydia Lynch
Summary Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. At least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese, the biggest burden being obesity-related diseases. It is now clear that inflammation is an underlying cause or contributor to many of these diseases, including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Recognition that the immune system can regulate metabolic pathways has prompted a new way of thinking about diabetes and weight management. Despite much recent progress, most immunometabolic pathways, and how to target them, are currently unknown. One such pathway is the cross-talk between invariant natural killer (iNKT) cells and neighboring adipocytes. iNKT cells are the innate lipid-sensing arm of the immune system. Since our discovery that mammalian adipose tissue is enriched for iNKT cells, we have identified a critical role for iNKT cells in regulating adipose inflammation and body weight. The goal of this project is to use a multi-disciplinary approach to identify key signals and molecules used by iNKT cells to induce metabolic control and weight loss in obesity. Using immunological assays and multi-photon intravital microscopy, cells and pathways that control the unique regulatory functions of adipose iNKT cells will be identified and characterised. Novel lipid antigens in adipose tissue will be identified using a biochemical approach, perhaps explaining iNKT cell conservation in adipose depots, and providing safe tools for iNKT cell manipulation in vivo. Finally, using proteomics and whole body metabolic analysis in vivo, novel 'weight-loss inducing' factors produced by adipose iNKT cells will be identified. This ambitious and high impact project has the potential to yield major insights into immunometabolic interactions at steady state and in obesity. The ability to activate or induce adipose iNKT cells holds remarkable potential as an entirely new therapeutic direction for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. At least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese, the biggest burden being obesity-related diseases. It is now clear that inflammation is an underlying cause or contributor to many of these diseases, including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Recognition that the immune system can regulate metabolic pathways has prompted a new way of thinking about diabetes and weight management. Despite much recent progress, most immunometabolic pathways, and how to target them, are currently unknown. One such pathway is the cross-talk between invariant natural killer (iNKT) cells and neighboring adipocytes. iNKT cells are the innate lipid-sensing arm of the immune system. Since our discovery that mammalian adipose tissue is enriched for iNKT cells, we have identified a critical role for iNKT cells in regulating adipose inflammation and body weight. The goal of this project is to use a multi-disciplinary approach to identify key signals and molecules used by iNKT cells to induce metabolic control and weight loss in obesity. Using immunological assays and multi-photon intravital microscopy, cells and pathways that control the unique regulatory functions of adipose iNKT cells will be identified and characterised. Novel lipid antigens in adipose tissue will be identified using a biochemical approach, perhaps explaining iNKT cell conservation in adipose depots, and providing safe tools for iNKT cell manipulation in vivo. Finally, using proteomics and whole body metabolic analysis in vivo, novel 'weight-loss inducing' factors produced by adipose iNKT cells will be identified. This ambitious and high impact project has the potential to yield major insights into immunometabolic interactions at steady state and in obesity. The ability to activate or induce adipose iNKT cells holds remarkable potential as an entirely new therapeutic direction for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Project acronym GEPPS
Project Globalization, Economic Policy and Political Structure
Researcher (PI) Jaume VENTURA FONTANET
Host Institution (HI) Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI)
Summary Globalization is expanding economic borders rapidly. Barriers to trade are now lower than ever and this has led to the creation of many truly global goods and asset markets. And yet globalization is changing political borders only slowly. The second wave of globalization that started after WWII found the world organized into a set of states or centralized jurisdictions that often go beyond cultural borders but that clearly fall short of economic borders. These centralized jurisdictions still hold most of the political and decision-making power. This growing mismatch between markets and states lowers the quality of economic policymaking. Since constituencies are located inside the state, governments tend to disregard effects of economic policies that are felt beyond the political border. The result is a worsening in policymaking that could seriously mitigate the gains from globalization and even turn them into losses. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of how this growing mismatch between economic and political borders affects economic policy and political structure. In particular, it focuses on the inefficiencies this mismatch creates and on how should we ("the citizens of the world") handle them. The project is organized around two themes. The first one is the handling of enforcement externalities. One of the key roles of governments is to enforce contracts. When these contracts involve domestic and foreign residents, governments have the temptation to enforce selectively so as to shift income to domestic residents at the expense of foreigners. The second theme is the evolution of political structure. The world is currently organized into state or centralized jurisdictions. This project studies the hypothesis that globalization leads to an alternative political structure based on a set of overlapping jurisdictions.
Globalization is expanding economic borders rapidly. Barriers to trade are now lower than ever and this has led to the creation of many truly global goods and asset markets. And yet globalization is changing political borders only slowly. The second wave of globalization that started after WWII found the world organized into a set of states or centralized jurisdictions that often go beyond cultural borders but that clearly fall short of economic borders. These centralized jurisdictions still hold most of the political and decision-making power. This growing mismatch between markets and states lowers the quality of economic policymaking. Since constituencies are located inside the state, governments tend to disregard effects of economic policies that are felt beyond the political border. The result is a worsening in policymaking that could seriously mitigate the gains from globalization and even turn them into losses. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of how this growing mismatch between economic and political borders affects economic policy and political structure. In particular, it focuses on the inefficiencies this mismatch creates and on how should we ("the citizens of the world") handle them. The project is organized around two themes. The first one is the handling of enforcement externalities. One of the key roles of governments is to enforce contracts. When these contracts involve domestic and foreign residents, governments have the temptation to enforce selectively so as to shift income to domestic residents at the expense of foreigners. The second theme is the evolution of political structure. The world is currently organized into state or centralized jurisdictions. This project studies the hypothesis that globalization leads to an alternative political structure based on a set of overlapping jurisdictions.
Project acronym IDRICA
Project Improving Drought Resistance in Crops and Arabidopsis
Researcher (PI) Ana Isabel Caño Delgado
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE DE RECERCA EN AGRIGENOMICA CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB
Summary Drought is the first cause of agricultural losses globally, and represents a major threat to food security. Currently, plant biotechnology stands as the most promising strategy to produce crops capable of producing high yields in fed rain conditions. From the study of whole-plants, the main underlying mechanism for responses to drought stress has been uncovered, and multiple drought resistance genes have been engineered into crops. So far, plants with enhanced drought resistance displayed reduced crop yield, which imposes the search of novel approaches to uncouple drought resistance from plant growth. Our laboratory has recently shown, for the first time, that the receptors of Brassinosteroid hormones use cell-specific pathways to allocate different developmental responses during root growth. In particular, we have found that cell-specific components of the stem cell niche have the ability to control cellular responses to stress to promote stem renewal to ensure root growth. Additionally, we have also found that BR mutants are resistant to drought, together opening an exceptional opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that confer drought resistance with cellular specificity in plants. In this project, we will use Brassinosteroid signaling in the Arabidopsis root to investigate the mechanism for drought stress resistance in plant and to design novel molecules able to confer resistance to the drought stress. Finally, we will translate our research results and tools into Sorghum bicolor (Sorghum), a crop cereal of paramount importance in fed rain regions of the planet. Our research will impact in science, providing new avenues for the study of hormone signaling in plants, and in society, by providing sustainable solutions for enhance crop production in limiting water environments.
Drought is the first cause of agricultural losses globally, and represents a major threat to food security. Currently, plant biotechnology stands as the most promising strategy to produce crops capable of producing high yields in fed rain conditions. From the study of whole-plants, the main underlying mechanism for responses to drought stress has been uncovered, and multiple drought resistance genes have been engineered into crops. So far, plants with enhanced drought resistance displayed reduced crop yield, which imposes the search of novel approaches to uncouple drought resistance from plant growth. Our laboratory has recently shown, for the first time, that the receptors of Brassinosteroid hormones use cell-specific pathways to allocate different developmental responses during root growth. In particular, we have found that cell-specific components of the stem cell niche have the ability to control cellular responses to stress to promote stem renewal to ensure root growth. Additionally, we have also found that BR mutants are resistant to drought, together opening an exceptional opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that confer drought resistance with cellular specificity in plants. In this project, we will use Brassinosteroid signaling in the Arabidopsis root to investigate the mechanism for drought stress resistance in plant and to design novel molecules able to confer resistance to the drought stress. Finally, we will translate our research results and tools into Sorghum bicolor (Sorghum), a crop cereal of paramount importance in fed rain regions of the planet. Our research will impact in science, providing new avenues for the study of hormone signaling in plants, and in society, by providing sustainable solutions for enhance crop production in limiting water environments.
Project acronym Market Design
Project Market Design: Theory and Applications in Development
Researcher (PI) William Martin Fuchs
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID
Summary There are two components to my research plan. First is the study of dynamic markets for real and financial assets in which traders might have asymmetric information. In particular I aim to understand how different characteristics of the market such as frequency of trade and transparency affect the efficiency with which these markets operate. This is a stepping stone to then be able to understand how these markets can be designed or regulated to improve their efficiency. Allowing for competition among market places can also indicate if the best way to intervene in these markets is by fostering competition or if direct government intervention is called for. Second, market imperfections are exacerbated in developing countries due to the poor rule of law and poor institutional framework. Thus, important welfare gains can potentially be achieved by mitigating these imperfections and fostering the development of markets. I plan to work on these issues by combining theoretical analysis with controlled randomized trials to validate the theoretical insights in the field. For example there are many durable goods such as solar lights that would greatly enhance the welfare of poor rural households. These markets have been very slow to develop due to the lack of credit of final consumers and uncertainty about product quality. By properly designing the self-enforcing agreements between the producers of these goods and the retailers we can ensure retailers get access to financing from the producers. In turn this would allow retailers to extend financing to final consumers. Work on the field will surely uncover other frictions which we can study theoretically how to overcome and again test in the field with further controlled randomized trials.
There are two components to my research plan. First is the study of dynamic markets for real and financial assets in which traders might have asymmetric information. In particular I aim to understand how different characteristics of the market such as frequency of trade and transparency affect the efficiency with which these markets operate. This is a stepping stone to then be able to understand how these markets can be designed or regulated to improve their efficiency. Allowing for competition among market places can also indicate if the best way to intervene in these markets is by fostering competition or if direct government intervention is called for. Second, market imperfections are exacerbated in developing countries due to the poor rule of law and poor institutional framework. Thus, important welfare gains can potentially be achieved by mitigating these imperfections and fostering the development of markets. I plan to work on these issues by combining theoretical analysis with controlled randomized trials to validate the theoretical insights in the field. For example there are many durable goods such as solar lights that would greatly enhance the welfare of poor rural households. These markets have been very slow to develop due to the lack of credit of final consumers and uncertainty about product quality. By properly designing the self-enforcing agreements between the producers of these goods and the retailers we can ensure retailers get access to financing from the producers. In turn this would allow retailers to extend financing to final consumers. Work on the field will surely uncover other frictions which we can study theoretically how to overcome and again test in the field with further controlled randomized trials.
Project acronym MYELOMANEXT
Project Integrated next-generation flow cytometry and sequencing to uncover the pathway of curability in multiple myeloma
Researcher (PI) Bruno David Lourenço Paiva
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD DE NAVARRA
Summary Multiple myeloma (MM) represents a unique model to investigate cancer stem cells (CSCs), circulating tumour cells (CTCs), and the mechanisms of malignant transformation and chemoresistance. Despite the substantial improvement in MM patients' outcome, the vast majority of patients eventually relapse and the disease remains largely incurable. For those patients failing to achieve deep remissions, biologically targeted research on the ultra-chemoresistant minimal residual disease (MRD) clone may allow us to understand the cellular mechanisms driving chemoresistance, and design novel therapeutic to overcome; importantly, such effort should be equally performed on two additional key players: CSCs and CTCs. On the opposite side, it is unquestionable that a selected group of patients does experience long-term survival irrespectively of the depth of response achieved, but we fail to understand the mechanisms driving sustained disease control. Is it because of persistent residual benign clones? Is it because of immune surveillance? Here, we will integrate next-generation flow cytometry and sequencing to define i) the signature of CTCs and ultra-chemoresistant MRD cells, ii) the hierarchical place of putative CSCs, iii) the genomic landscape of benign vs. malignant clones; and iv) the role of immune surveillance to achieve functional cures. Hence, we will characterize for the first-time-ever the highly-professional subclones responsible for malignant transformation, disease dissemination, and dramatic relapses after optimal response to therapy. Noteworthy, the innovative approach of this scientific proposal strongly relies on the use and expertise of highly-sensitive next-generation flow cytometry, coupled with optimized DNA- and RNA-sequencing for low-cell-numbers, and prospective patient samples longitudinally available within the scope of well-controlled clinical trials. Herein, we believe that all requirements are met to conduct this ground-breaking research program.
Multiple myeloma (MM) represents a unique model to investigate cancer stem cells (CSCs), circulating tumour cells (CTCs), and the mechanisms of malignant transformation and chemoresistance. Despite the substantial improvement in MM patients' outcome, the vast majority of patients eventually relapse and the disease remains largely incurable. For those patients failing to achieve deep remissions, biologically targeted research on the ultra-chemoresistant minimal residual disease (MRD) clone may allow us to understand the cellular mechanisms driving chemoresistance, and design novel therapeutic to overcome; importantly, such effort should be equally performed on two additional key players: CSCs and CTCs. On the opposite side, it is unquestionable that a selected group of patients does experience long-term survival irrespectively of the depth of response achieved, but we fail to understand the mechanisms driving sustained disease control. Is it because of persistent residual benign clones? Is it because of immune surveillance? Here, we will integrate next-generation flow cytometry and sequencing to define i) the signature of CTCs and ultra-chemoresistant MRD cells, ii) the hierarchical place of putative CSCs, iii) the genomic landscape of benign vs. malignant clones; and iv) the role of immune surveillance to achieve functional cures. Hence, we will characterize for the first-time-ever the highly-professional subclones responsible for malignant transformation, disease dissemination, and dramatic relapses after optimal response to therapy. Noteworthy, the innovative approach of this scientific proposal strongly relies on the use and expertise of highly-sensitive next-generation flow cytometry, coupled with optimized DNA- and RNA-sequencing for low-cell-numbers, and prospective patient samples longitudinally available within the scope of well-controlled clinical trials. Herein, we believe that all requirements are met to conduct this ground-breaking research program.
Project acronym PLEIO-RANK
Project Pleiotropic treatment of cancer: RANK inhibitors targeting cancer stem cells and immunity
Researcher (PI) Eva Gonzalez suarez
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACIO INSTITUT D'INVESTIGACIO BIOMEDICA DE BELLVITGE
Summary "Thousands of cancer patients worldwide are taking RANKL inhibitors for the management of bone metastasis, based on the key role of RANKL and its receptor, RANK, in osteoclasts. RANK signaling has multiple divergent effects in immunity and inflammation, both in the generation of active immune responses, as well as in the induction of tolerance. We showed that RANK overexpression induces stemness and interferes with differentiation in non transformed mammary epithelial cells and promotes mammary tumorigenesis, acting as a paracrine mediator of progesterone. However, the therapeutic potential of inhibiting RANK signaling once tumors develop and its effects on tumor immunity remain unexplored. Our proposal tackles novel concepts: Is RANK a better therapeutic target than RANKL? Does RANK induce ""stemness"" in other epithelia and solid tumors and how? Does RANK regulate the tumor-immune cell crosstalk? Would inhibition of RANK signaling in tumor and immune cells result in synergistic or opposing effects on tumor outcome? We hypotesize that RANK activation in solid tumors expands the cancer stem cells pool and induces an immnunosuppressive environment leading to tumor recurrence and metastasis. In PLEIO-RANK we aim to: 1. Define the contribution of RANK to the epithelial hierarchy in mammary, skin and colon, during homeostasis and tumorigenesis, undertaking lineage tracing approaches. 2. Dissect the impact of RANK loss in the epithelial or the immune compartment in tumor outcome, exploiting tissue inducible models, in breast cancer and solid tumors driven by chronic inflammation. 3. Validate the clinical implications of our findings using patient derived xenografts and human tumor samples. Based on the results of our proposal RANK inhibition could become a unique targeted therapy able to reduce metastasis and mortality in solid tumors for its pleiotropic antitumor effects in cancer stem cells, immune cells and their crosstalk. "
"Thousands of cancer patients worldwide are taking RANKL inhibitors for the management of bone metastasis, based on the key role of RANKL and its receptor, RANK, in osteoclasts. RANK signaling has multiple divergent effects in immunity and inflammation, both in the generation of active immune responses, as well as in the induction of tolerance. We showed that RANK overexpression induces stemness and interferes with differentiation in non transformed mammary epithelial cells and promotes mammary tumorigenesis, acting as a paracrine mediator of progesterone. However, the therapeutic potential of inhibiting RANK signaling once tumors develop and its effects on tumor immunity remain unexplored. Our proposal tackles novel concepts: Is RANK a better therapeutic target than RANKL? Does RANK induce ""stemness"" in other epithelia and solid tumors and how? Does RANK regulate the tumor-immune cell crosstalk? Would inhibition of RANK signaling in tumor and immune cells result in synergistic or opposing effects on tumor outcome? We hypotesize that RANK activation in solid tumors expands the cancer stem cells pool and induces an immnunosuppressive environment leading to tumor recurrence and metastasis. In PLEIO-RANK we aim to: 1. Define the contribution of RANK to the epithelial hierarchy in mammary, skin and colon, during homeostasis and tumorigenesis, undertaking lineage tracing approaches. 2. Dissect the impact of RANK loss in the epithelial or the immune compartment in tumor outcome, exploiting tissue inducible models, in breast cancer and solid tumors driven by chronic inflammation. 3. Validate the clinical implications of our findings using patient derived xenografts and human tumor samples. Based on the results of our proposal RANK inhibition could become a unique targeted therapy able to reduce metastasis and mortality in solid tumors for its pleiotropic antitumor effects in cancer stem cells, immune cells and their crosstalk. "
Project acronym PRIORS
Project Neural circuit dynamics underlying expectation and their impact on the variability of perceptual choices
Researcher (PI) Jaime de la Rocha Vazquez
Host Institution (HI) CONSORCI INSTITUT D'INVESTIGACIONS BIOMEDIQUES AUGUST PI I SUNYER
Summary Just as our experience has its origin in our perceptions, our perceptions are fundamentally shaped by our experience. How does the brain build expectations from experience and how do expectations impact perception? In a Bayesian framework, expectations determine the environment's prior probability, which combined with stimulus information, can yield optimal decisions. While the accumulation-to-bound model describes temporal integration of sensory inputs and their combination with the prior, we still lack electrophysiological evidence showing neural circuits that integrate previous events adaptively to generate advantageous expectations. I aim to understand (1) how circuits in the cerebral cortex integrate the recent history of stimuli and rewards to generate expectations, (2) how expectations are combined with sensory input across the processing hierarchy to bias decisions and (3) whether the dynamics of the expectation can dominate neuronal and choice variability. I will train rats in a new auditory discrimination task using predictable stimulus sequences that, once learned, are used to compute adaptive priors that improve discrimination. I will perform population recordings and optogenetic manipulations to identify the brain areas involved in the computation of priors in the task. To reveal the circuit mechanisms underlying the observed dynamics I will train a computational network model to classify fluctuating inputs and, by adapting its dynamics to the statistics of the stimulus sequence, accumulate evidence across trials to maximize performance. The model will generalize the accumulation-to-bound model by integrating information across various time scales and will partition choice variability into that caused by the dynamics of the prior or by fluctuations in the stimulus response. My proposal points at a paradigm shift from viewing neuronal variability as a corrupting source of noise to the result of our brain's inevitable tendency to predict the future.
Just as our experience has its origin in our perceptions, our perceptions are fundamentally shaped by our experience. How does the brain build expectations from experience and how do expectations impact perception? In a Bayesian framework, expectations determine the environment's prior probability, which combined with stimulus information, can yield optimal decisions. While the accumulation-to-bound model describes temporal integration of sensory inputs and their combination with the prior, we still lack electrophysiological evidence showing neural circuits that integrate previous events adaptively to generate advantageous expectations. I aim to understand (1) how circuits in the cerebral cortex integrate the recent history of stimuli and rewards to generate expectations, (2) how expectations are combined with sensory input across the processing hierarchy to bias decisions and (3) whether the dynamics of the expectation can dominate neuronal and choice variability. I will train rats in a new auditory discrimination task using predictable stimulus sequences that, once learned, are used to compute adaptive priors that improve discrimination. I will perform population recordings and optogenetic manipulations to identify the brain areas involved in the computation of priors in the task. To reveal the circuit mechanisms underlying the observed dynamics I will train a computational network model to classify fluctuating inputs and, by adapting its dynamics to the statistics of the stimulus sequence, accumulate evidence across trials to maximize performance. The model will generalize the accumulation-to-bound model by integrating information across various time scales and will partition choice variability into that caused by the dynamics of the prior or by fluctuations in the stimulus response. My proposal points at a paradigm shift from viewing neuronal variability as a corrupting source of noise to the result of our brain's inevitable tendency to predict the future.
Project acronym THERACAN
Project Novel therapeutic strategies to treat pancreatic and lung cancer
Researcher (PI) Mariano BARBACID MONTALBAN
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACION CENTRO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIONES ONCOLOGICAS CARLOS III
Summary This proposal is aimed at identifying and functionally validating targets with potential therapeutic value to devise novel strategies to treat two human cancers with unacceptable low survival rates and unmet medical needs: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and K-RAS mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Although these tumor types have distinct pathological and clinical manifestations, they are both driven by K-RAS mutations. Hence, we expect that the proposed studies will generate synergies to accelerate the outcome of the expected results. In the first part of the proposal, we will identify those genes activated in the cancer initiating cells responsible for the onset of pancreatic and lung tumors. We reasoned that genes implicated in the initial stages of tumor development will be maintained during tumor evolution and not be affected by the intra-tumoral heterogeneity generated during tumor progression. We also propose to identify and validate genes capable of reprogramming the desmoplasic stroma characteristic of pancreatic tumors to hamper its pro-tumoral effects. Likewise, we intend to define the molecular events that control senescence, a naturally occurring process that serves as a barrier to tumor development. In the second part of the project, we will interrogate the role of known targets with suspected therapeutic value in tumor progression using a new generation of GEM tumor models that allow the temporal separation of tumor development from target ablation or inactivation. These studies will make it possible to design combination therapies capable of effectively eradicate advanced tumors. The last section of this proposal focuses on the pharmacological validation of these combination therapies using best-in-class inhibitors in state-of-the-art preclinical trial platforms based on GEM and PDX tumor models. The results derived from these studies will guide the design of new clinical trials that should have a positive impact in the treatment of these deadly diseases.
This proposal is aimed at identifying and functionally validating targets with potential therapeutic value to devise novel strategies to treat two human cancers with unacceptable low survival rates and unmet medical needs: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and K-RAS mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Although these tumor types have distinct pathological and clinical manifestations, they are both driven by K-RAS mutations. Hence, we expect that the proposed studies will generate synergies to accelerate the outcome of the expected results. In the first part of the proposal, we will identify those genes activated in the cancer initiating cells responsible for the onset of pancreatic and lung tumors. We reasoned that genes implicated in the initial stages of tumor development will be maintained during tumor evolution and not be affected by the intra-tumoral heterogeneity generated during tumor progression. We also propose to identify and validate genes capable of reprogramming the desmoplasic stroma characteristic of pancreatic tumors to hamper its pro-tumoral effects. Likewise, we intend to define the molecular events that control senescence, a naturally occurring process that serves as a barrier to tumor development. In the second part of the project, we will interrogate the role of known targets with suspected therapeutic value in tumor progression using a new generation of GEM tumor models that allow the temporal separation of tumor development from target ablation or inactivation. These studies will make it possible to design combination therapies capable of effectively eradicate advanced tumors. The last section of this proposal focuses on the pharmacological validation of these combination therapies using best-in-class inhibitors in state-of-the-art preclinical trial platforms based on GEM and PDX tumor models. The results derived from these studies will guide the design of new clinical trials that should have a positive impact in the treatment of these deadly diseases.


If you call the professionals to clean your carpet, then you can be sure that they'll be doing a good job at it. This is because they follow a very meticulous process to cleaning carpets in order to produce the best possible results. The goal is to remove a good amount of dirt from the carpet without damaging it. So to get the best possible results, you have to clean your carpet regularly so only a management amount of dirt gets into it.
The first thing that the professionals check when they clean carpets is its present condition. They check the type and construction of the carpet and then they determine where the high traffic areas are. That's how they determine what the best way to clean it is.
The first thing that carpet cleaners do is vacuum your carpet. That way, they can remove as much dry dirt as they can before proceeding with other steps such as carpet shampooing. There's the right way of vacuuming floors and the professionals know about it. Observe how they vacuuming the carpet and what kind of vacuum cleaner the use. That's the big difference why DIY cleaning is not comparable to professional carpet cleaning.
Dirt suspension is the process of separating dirt that's adhered to the carpet fibers. These are the dirt that vacuuming alone can't remove. There are at least four ways to get the stubborn dirt suspended and the professionals know how to go about it. They can apply a chemical solution, heat, the agitation process. The right method will be dependent on how much dirt is in the carpet.
After one of the methods listed above is applied, dirt should have loosened from the carpet. At this point, it has to be removed. To that, the dirt may be absorbed through dry carpet cleaning; removed through wet vacuuming or carpet shampooing; extracted using hot water or steam cleaning; or submerged in water then rinsed.
Your carpet is already clean at this point but the professionals aren't done yet. They will groom the carpet so that it looks good and smells wonderful. The piles of the carpet will be scrubbed to minimize matting and crashing. Some solutions may also be added at this point to hasten drying time.
Drying is the final step to cleaning carpets and for many homeowners the least drying time is the most ideal. That way, they can use the room as soon as possible. Wet carpets are prone to staining which is why carpets have to be fully dry before they are used again.


Page was created using a mix of coordinating printed cardstock and printed papers, textured cardstock, "Touchdown" sticker, photo anchor, photo facts die cuts, alphabet stickers, mini round brad, and football photo sticker.
This scrapbook layout is handmade and photo-ready. Or frame this artwork for wall decor and/or a unique gift for athlete or coach!


A year long journey for Chris Harrigan yields a documentary that starts and ends at the Anarchapulco conference 2018/2019.
The most interesting part of this journey was years in the making, Cheran Mexico. Cheran is a city in Mexico with deep indigenous roots. Cheran was plagued with corruption and abuse at the hands of the cartel which was protected by local police and politicians. The towns women led an uprising that spawned their current decentralized form of government. The town elders acknowledge that this is a form of anarchism and even spoke at this years Anarchapulco about it.
Rodrigo Duarte who is from the region and acts as a translator for the Documentary also sits in to share a more indepth view of Cheran.
Chris and Rodrigo also share their thought on how crypto currency could also help Cheran further separate itself from the government of Mexico.