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August Digital Edition of American Cinematographer Ready for Subscribers
July 21, 2017 ASC Staff
The digital edition of the August issue of American Cinematographer is now available to subscribers, featuring an in-depth cover story on the productions of the World War II drama Dunkirk, photographed by Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC and directed by Christopher Nolan, continuing their working relationship established on the sci-fi adventure Interstellar.
Shot on 65mm film and finished photochemically, the new production offered a number of creative and technical challenges for the filmmakers, and this excerpt from the cover story on Dunkirk by AC contributor Michael Goldman illustrates one instance of this that took place:
During a meeting to strategize how best to shoot aerial dogfighting sequences for the World War II epic Dunkirk — an entirely large-format film production — director Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema quickly realized that solving one problem had created the potential for another.
For these sequences, which were crucial to Nolan's vision, the director was determined to use a 15-perf 65mm Imax MSM camera inside the tiny cockpit of a replica vintage Spitfire fighter plane as it engaged in actual aerial maneuvers. And thanks to a specialized periscope lensing system built by Panavision, the filmmakers solved the problem. However, it occurred to them that acquiring these "intimate angles," as van Hoytema calls them, foreshadowed a film-printing issue.
With the help of a custom-made snorkel lens, Hoyte van Hoytema lines up an Imax camera for a POV shot aboard a replica Spitfire.
The duo not only put their heads together — one of them literally stood on his in order to better conceptualize the problem. "[The periscope] gave us a flipped image because of the prism," van Hoytema explains. "With 65mm 5-perf, that would be a simple problem to overcome just by flipping the negative in the printer. But with Imax — which we were determined to use — where every frame is printed horizontally across the negative, it was not possible to flip the negative in the printer. Flipping the whole negative horizontally would effectively play the scene backwards, and flopping the negative vertically would turn the image upside down.
"I remember pondering how we could solve this problem optically," he continues, "without the interference of a [digital intermediate] or computers. Correcting the image digitally would fundamentally change things visually. Chris and I were trying to do as much as possible in camera for the simple reason that we wanted to avoid scanning and printing back to film, where there would be a huge loss of quality."
Van Hoytema reports that it required "Chris Nolan standing on his head in my office to come to a realization — what if we turned the camera upside down?"
Dunkirk, which opens with 125 large-format screens on July 21 in the U.S., will have the widest 70mm theatrical film-print release of any picture in 25 years.
An app has been created by Eastman Kodak to help audiences find venues exhibiting Dunkirk on film. (For IOS. For Android.)
Digital AC subscribers can log in now to get the complete production story on Dunkirk, as well as in-depth coverage on The Last Tycoon (DoP: Danny Moder), The Beguiled (DoP: Philippe Le Sourd, AFC) and A Ghost Story (DoP: Andrew Droz Palermo).
Subscribe to AC's digital edition here.
The Dunkirk production crew sets their next shot on the beach.
Tagged: Dunkirk, Hoyte van Hoytema, Christopher Nolan, The Last Tycoon, The Beguiled , A Ghost Story
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Celebrate ASC's 100th Anniversary with August Issue of AC
Slayin' in the Rain: John Wick Chapter 3 — Parabellum


On June 5, the planet Venus will appear to pass in front of the Sun as seen from the surface of the Earth. This phenomenon, called a transit of Venus, happens only a few times in 250 years. The next one will be in 2117 AD. Here's a guide to watching the once-in-a-lifetime event. But why does it matter?
Transits of Venus were scientific gold for early astronomers, who used them to derive an accurate measurement of the size of the solar system. By noting the time each planet took to go around the sun, and then crunching that data via methods developed by 17th century mathematician Johannes Kepler, these telescope-equipped boffins could determine each planet's relative distance from the sun, as measured in terms of astronomical units (the distance from the Earth to the Sun). Collecting such data during a transit was the reason Captain Cook was able to travel halfway around the world from London to Tahiti in 1769.
For 2012, a Dutch astronomer named Steven van Roode has created an smartphone app, VenusTransit, that lets users simultaneously observe the transit on different sides of the world. To use the app, you tap the screen the exact moment Venus completely enters the face of the Sun (Contact II, as it's called). The app notes the observer's precise location on Earth. Then, it collects the data necessary to make the most accurate ground-based measurement of the size of the solar system, while the transit is still happening!
But wait, don't we already know the distance to the sun? Yes. Equipment in space provides us with very accurate direct measurements of the size of the solar system. Van Roode's project is more a cool example of citizen science, of people coming together around the globe to collect scientific data.
Why doesn't a transit of Venus happen every year?
The Sun is in the middle of the solar system. Then comes Mercury, then Venus, then Earth, then the rest of the planets (which don't enter into this, so forget them. Forget Mercury, while you're at it.) Focus on the Sun, Venus, and the Earth. We're used to thinking of the solar system as a number line, with all the planets lined up from left to right along the X axis. But that's not the case.
Venus and the Earth go around the Sun at different speeds, in nearly circular orbits—a year on Venus is over before 2/3 of an Earth year is complete. This means that at any given moment, Venus could be behind the Sun, or to the side of the Sun, or on the same side of the Sun as seen from the Earth. The Sun, Venus and Earth only line up like a string of beads every 584 days or so.
So why doesn't a transit of Venus happen every 584 days?
Because the orbit of Venus is tilted about 3.25 degrees compared to the Earth's. This means that when the Sun, Venus, and Earth line up, Venus could be as much as 3.25 degrees above the Sun or 3.25 degrees below the Sun, or anywhere in between. Since the Sun is only about 1/2-degree wide in our sky, Venus could be in a region 15 solar diameters wide! It's not hard to see why only very rarely—like hundreds of years rarely—Venus would happen to pass directly in front of the sun, like it will a few hours from now.


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Full-time work eludes thousands in Massachusetts
Eli Sherman Wicked Local @Eli_Sherman
Mary Flaherty is having a tough time finding a full-time job.
The 60-year-old says she's applied for up to 100 jobs since September, but rarely gets a call back, which surprises her considering widespread public complaints from the business community about trouble finding workers amid a tight labor market.
"I'm happy everyone else is getting hired, but I'm not seeing anything come my way," Flaherty said.
In recent years, Flaherty, of North Reading, has worked part-time jobs to make ends meet. She's worked in real estate as a buyer's agent and more recently stuffed envelopes for some extra cash. But she'd prefer a full-time job to build some security before retiring.
"I could go back to stuffing envelopes if I'm desperate, but it seems like wasted talent to me," she said. "I could do so much more."
The story may sound like an anomaly in Massachusetts, where the March unemployment rate of 3 percent was well below the national level of 3.8 percent, and nearing its lowest point in nearly two decades.
But 113,800 people are counted as unemployed in the Bay State, and some people – including John Dorrer, a New England labor economist – say the number should be roughly double after accounting for people who have fallen out of the labor force altogether.
This group, Dorrer said, is too often overlooked, especially during good economic times.
"I call them the 'forgotten workforce,'" Dorrer said. "The people who are being left behind are the people who are increasingly alienated from the economy."
And while Massachusetts employment has returned to levels realized prior to the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent Great Recession, when unemployment spiked across the country, the number of people like Flaherty who are underemployed – meaning they work part time, but want full-time work – remains stubbornly high in the Bay State.
"This is the only measure that's still higher than it was before the recession," said Alan Clayton-Matthews, associate professor of economics at Northeastern University in Boston.
Clayton-Matthews, who tracks Massachusetts employment data released monthly, said there are likely a couple factors contributing to underemployment in Massachusetts, which currently exceeds 100,000 people compared to about 70,000 people in 2007.
The first, he explained, is related to an increase in "just-in-time" labor, a wonky term for a simple concept meaning that employers hire temporary workers when needed.
The staffing practice has become easier thanks to advancements in scheduling technology, which is good news for a company's bottom line because it can be more efficient, but less fortunate for employees in search of a consistent paycheck.
"Employers can call their employees just when they need them and that may have resulted in fewer jobs being full time than there were before," Clayton-Matthews said.
The second contributing factor is related to the so-called "gig economy," a system made popular by Uber, which hires independent contractors on a part-time basis instead of full-time employees. The part-time work is somewhat popular because it gives flexibility for employees to set their own hours, but doesn't usually come with benefits typical in a full-time job, such as health insurance and retirement benefits.
"People who are underemployed can't find full-time work and are driving part time," Clayton Matthews said.
Thomas Harrington, of Hingham, has worked his whole life in the restaurant industry, but hasn't found full-time work for years. So he's picked up odd jobs, including driving for Uber and delivering food.
Harrington, 64, says he averages about three interviews per week at various restaurants, but believes most employers take one look at him and see someone who's too old. Age discrimination is illegal under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, among other state laws. But both Flaherty and Harrington feel their age has worked against them in the hiring process.
"I've aged out of the system," said Harrington, who adopted a 14-year-old daughter when she was 2. "I can't afford not to work and I'm scared about what's going to happen."
A breakdown of underemployment by age was not immediately available, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average rate of unemployment for Massachusetts workers aged 65 years and older increased to 4.2 percent in 2018 compared to 2.6 percent in 2015. Unemployment among all other age groups fell during that same time period.
Harrington is concerned the trend could get worse as baby boomers continue to enter retirement age in droves. He says many of his peers don't have enough money set aside to retire, and the stipend from Social Security is insufficient to survive in Massachusetts where the cost of living is high relative to other parts of the country.
"We should be retiring, but many of us will have to work until we drop," Harrington said.
Dorrer says the best time to create policies to help the disenfranchised is during good economic times like the present. But it's also the most difficult time to build momentum because most people feel like things are going relatively well, he added.
"We get lulled into complacency," he said.
In 2017, Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, established a workforce-development program called Learn to Earn, which is designed to connect unemployed and underemployed people receiving public benefits to careers with stable incomes. The administration awarded five grants totaling $111,748 to organizations in Boston, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell and Worcester, and the state Legislature allocated an additional $1 million for the program in the current fiscal year.
But Dorrer says more could be done.
"This is really a time, given the cards that we're holding, to come forward with creative legislation to address some of these problems and get ahead of the curve," he said.
Harrington, who talked with Wicked Local minutes before entering a job interview in Boston, said not having a full-time job is scary because it makes him wonder how he will provide for his family. But it's also sad, he said, because he's not getting an opportunity to do something he's done his whole life.
"I've never been so depressed in my entire life, knowing I can do the job and I'm not being given the chance," he said.
Eli Sherman is an investigative and in-depth reporter at Wicked Local and GateHouse Media. Email him at esherman@wickedlocal.com, or follow him on Twitter @Eli_Sherman.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home → Healing Blog → The Importance of Personal Boundaries.
A Personal Boundary is a Decision that you make to allow certain experiences and to reject certain experiences. These decisions are based on your values of what you see as beneficial and detrimental to you.
Boundaries are good because they act as filters, that prevent us from having detrimental experiences and they help us to be more focused on having exactly what we want and having a higher quality of experience.
If you don't have any boundaries, then you will allow and accept every experience, which would include unnecessary detrimental experiences.
It is dangerous not to have any boundaries.
When you have good boundaries, they will guide you to take proactive actions to create physical pathways and processes that will filter out the wrong people and experiences and only allow the right people and experiences.
If you have too many negative experiences, or too many negative people in your life, then you probably don't have enough boundaries, or they are not strong enough, or you don't have any boundaries.
A Light Axis Healing Session can help you to create the right boundaries so that you will attract and have more of the right people and the right experiences in your life that will make you feel happier, and it will help you to have exactly what you want.
Tags: boundaries, detox, happy, Healing, healing sydney, intuitive, light axis healing, peace, pranic, Reiki, relaxation, spiritual healing, thankful, wellness.


Who Should Use A Demi-Permanent Hair Color?
A demi-permanent color is a 'Level 2' option that lasts much more than semi permanents without harming the strands, even if they are damaged. It lasts for up to 26 shampoos, has less quantity of peroxide to lift the cuticle only a bit, and has no ammonia. Such a color type is a deposit only color because it does alter the natural pigmentation but just adds color, shine, and volume. Thus, it is great for enhancing the prevalent hair color. It is preferable for covering the highlights, refreshing a bit faded look with shine, or changing to a darker shade.
Because the added color mixes with larger pigment molecules, it takes time for the color to fade or wash out. A demi-permanent color blends gray with a natural effect of highlighting and is ideal to cover 25% gray strands. Some of the top brands to consider for such colors are Paul Mitchell, Matrix, Wella Koleston, Schwarzkopf, and Clairol.
This entry was posted in Hair Color and tagged demi permanent color, Hair Color, Hair Coloring by Administrator. Bookmark the permalink.


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HDMI Explained
By Samantha Claire
HDMI has quickly become the de-facto connection standard for home theater. Its adoption by both manufacturers and consumers alike has been almost universal. HDMI is, however, an evolving interface that is changing rapidly. To that end, we feel that it is important to educate and inform you about the various differences between the versions and specifications of HDMI now on the market.
Chapter One: HDMI Cable History and Revisions
HDMI was first conceived in 2002 by Hitachi, Panasonic, RCA, Silicon Image, Sony, and Toshiba to replace the existing DVI specification. HDMI is fully backwards-compatible with DVI, via either an HDMI-DVI cable or an adapter. DVI is a video specification / connector only and thusly when you convert the signal no audio will be transmitted. Both DVI and HDMI employ the same encoding scheme to relay information.
A number of revisions to the HDMI specification have been proposed and adopted since its launch in early 2003. At the time of this writing, the current HDMI specification is HDMI v1.3a. These specifications apply primarily to the transmitters (the source) and the receivers (the target) devices. HDMI cables have their own specifications, as outlined in Chapter Three. The revision history is summarized below along with the technical definitions.
HDMI v1.1
Added support for DVD Audio.
Added support for One Bit Audio format (such as Super Audio CD DSD (Direct Stream Digital
Required to support low-voltage sources (such as PCI Express technology)
Added full support for PC video formats, and native PC HDMI support
HDMI v1.2a
Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) features, command sets, and CEC compliance tests fully specified.
Broader Color Space (x.v.Color support)
Deep Color support
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support
Higher Speed Single-Link Connectors
Mini Connector
Consumer Electronics Control is a channel within the HDMI connection dedicated to a set of advanced control functions. It is an option available at the manufacturers' discretion to allow devices that are connected to each other via HDMI to control each other in useful ways. Consumer Electronics Control has been branded differently by many manufacturers such as JVC (EZ-Sync), LG Electronics (Simplink), Onyko (RIHD), Panasonic (Viera Link), Samsung (Anynet), Sharp (Aquos Link), Sony (BRAVIA TheatreSync), and Toshiba (Regza Link).
HDMI 1.3 now adds support for x.v.Color. x.v.Color is the consumer name for the IEC color measurement system 61966-2-4. It is also known as xvYCC, and supersedes the previous specification 61966-2-1, which is the sRGB color space. x.v.Color supports 1.8 times as many colors as its predecessor, and allows the enabled device to display any color viewable by the human eye.
Deep Color is another feature new to HDMI 1.3. While previous versions of HDMI only supported 8-bit color, the addition of Deep Color support allows HDMI to support 10, 12, and 16-bit color depths. This increased bit depth will reduce posterization (or false contouring as it is known on fixed-pixel displays such as plasma and LCD display devices) on your display device.
The new HDMI 1.3 specification now offers support for two new uncompressed audio formats, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Digital Entertainments' DTS-HD Master Audio. In addition, it is fully backwards compatible with all previous compressed audio formats (such as Dolby Digital and DTS).
Lip Sync is a new feature introduced in the HDMI v1.3 specification. Auto lip synchronization is the technical term for matching lip movements with voice. This compensates for signal processing delays in the ever-increasing complex world of digital processing.
The new mini-HDMI connector, otherwise known as a Type-C connector, is designed for the new lines of portable recording devices (such as high definition camcorders and digital cameras) now hitting the market. An illustration of this connector is provided in Chapter Two. There are no performance differences between this connector and the original Type-A HDMI connector.
Chapter Two: HDMI Cables
There are many different brands of HDMI cable on the market, and the prices for these cables range from affordable to ridiculous. Cables are an important part of your home theater installation, and the rule of thumb has always been to never go for the dirt cheap cables.
HDMI, as mentioned, is a digital signal. It is therefore in the "on" position, representing one hundred percent quality, or in the "off" position, representing zero percent quality. There is no degradation of the signal or poor picture (or sound) quality derived from a cheap HDMI cable versus an expensive HDMI cable.
In analog form, picture degradation occurs when other radiated signals conflict with the information being sent through the cable. This leads to uniformity errors such as random lines in the picture, snow, and luminance problems. These problems do not arise within HDMI cables due to the fact that the information in a digital signal is encoded differently than it is in an analog signal.
How to Calculate Cable Bandwidth
In order to calculate the cable bandwidth (in MHz), the following formula is employed:
BW = [(DP x Vt)] /2 x 3
BW= Cable Bandwidth
DP = The total number of displayable pixels
Vt= The Refresh Rate, or Vertical Scanning Frequency
The total number of displayable pixels (DP) can be obtained by multiplying the native resolution of your display device. For example, if the native resolution is 1920 x 1080, the total number of displayable pixels is 2,073,600.
There are two types of HDMI cable on the market. Standard HDMI cable (otherwise known as "Category 1") has been tested to perform at speeds no less than 75 MHz. This is the equivalent of a 1080i signal. High Speed HDMI cable (otherwise known as "Category 2") has been tested to perform at speeds no less than 340 MHz. According to the HDMI Licensing Group, this is the highest bandwidth currently available over an HDMI cable. These cables are designed to handle resolutions up to 2560 x 1600. Naturally, High Speed HDMI cables will also handle 1080p signals, including those with increased color depths and increased refresh rates.
HDMI does not currently have a specification in place concerning the maximum length of an HDMI cable, be it Standard or High Speed. The group that oversees the specifications of HDMI (HDMI Licensing Group, LLC) only specifies the minimum performance standards of the cable, not the length. However, it should be noted that it is not just the cable that factors into carrying an HDMI signal, but also the technology within your television or video projector. The receiver chip within these devices that includes a feature known as Cable Equalization possess the ability to compensate for weaker signals, which would therefore extend the potential length of the cable.
There are HDMI cables on the market longer than ten meters. However, these cables will be flaky at best with high-bandwidth signals. If you are running a 720p or 1080i signal, they may work just fine. If you upgrade your signal to 1080p or increase the color depth, you will likely find that these cables will cease to function.
Should you have to cover a distance greater than ten meters, there are three of options available to you. You could use an active HDMI cable, which has electronics built into the cable to extend and boost the cable's signal. Alternatively, you could use a repeater, which decodes and then re-encodes the HDMI signal between your cables. This option could become quite expensive if you need more than one repeater, and in the event of a connection failure would be a nightmare to troubleshoot. The final and recommended option is to use a CAT5/6 twisted pair transmitter and receiver. This would give you an effective distance of approximately two hundred meters.
As mentioned in Chapter One, a new connector type is now available with HDMI v1.3. It is a smaller form factor designed for devices such as high-definition camcorders and still cameras. It is illustrated below.
Photo courtesy of http://www.endgadgethd.com
As we mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, there are many different brands of HDMI cable on the market. Some are affordable, others are not. At the time of this writing, all HDMI cables are manufactured or assembled in China. To the best of our knowledge, the three OEM companies that manufacture all of the HDMI cables on this planet are CoPartner Tech Corporation, Der An Electric Wire and Cable Company, and Sure-Fire Electrical Corporation. If you have an HDMI cable in your hand, it began its life at one of these three companies.
Chapter Three: HDMI vs. Component
A common misconception is that an HDMI video connection will provide a better signal than its predecessor, a component video connection. It is often assumed that "digital is better" but it is not as cut-and-dry as you may think.
The truth is that the quality of the signal depends more on your source than on the cable. Some sources look better with HDMI and some sources will look better with component. The best way to determine which cable is better is to plug the cables in and give them a try both ways.
In our experience, we have found that component video cable is more robust over long distances and tends to be more economically priced as well. HDMI cables work very well up to approximately ten meters. Beyond that distance, it may be necessary for you to purchase a repeater or look into a twisted-pair solution (such as the CAT5/6 transmitter and receiver) to ensure that there is no signal loss.
As a final note, there are no HDMI to Component video cables on the market. This is due to the fact that it is not possible to directly convert a digital signal down to an analog signal, because the two signals have no common method of communicating with each other. The only method available to switch these two signals is via an active converter, which are very expensive. Should you choose this route, however, the conversion may not work due to the fact that HDMI carries many sources that are HDCP copy-protected, and analog video connections have no method to decipher this encryption.
Chapter Four: What is HDCP?
HDCP is an acronym for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. Developed by Intel Corporation in partnership with Silicon Image in 2005, HDCP is a form of proprietary digital copy protection designed to protect both audio and video across various high-bandwidth interfaces.
HDCP, like HDMI, has also gone through a number of revisions since its launch in 2005. The current revision is version 1.3. Unlike HDMI however, there is no homework for the consumer to do. You will never need to know or care what version of HDCP is encrypting your digital signal.
With respect to HDCP, what you have to keep in mind is that all of your devices must be HDCP compliant. If they are not, then you will run into nothing but problems. For example, if you have a digital satellite receiver and you connect it via HDMI to your plasma monitor that does not support HDCP, then you will not receive a picture.
Older home theater devices, such as anything built prior to 2005, will not support HDCP. In this case, it may be wise to consider using component cable for any additions to your home theater setup, rather than re-purchasing equipment that is HDCP compliant. Alternatively, there are devices made that will circumvent the HDCP copy-protection; we recommend, however, that you check if these are legal in your country of residence prior to purchase.
All HDMI cables are HDCP compliant. No matter what brand of HDMI cable that you decide to purchase, it will be compliant with all versions of HDCP.
Chapter Five: What It All Means To You
HDMI is unique in the fact that it is ever-evolving. The specifications are constantly changing, which in turn creates all sorts of confusion for the consumer. Essentially, when purchasing consumer electronics products that possess an HDMI connection, ensure that the revision of HDMI is the most current, which at the time of this writing is version 1.3a.
As mentioned in Chapter One, many new features were added. HDMI v1.3 is the most significant upgrade to HDMI since its creation. It is important to ensure that any of your new purchases are compliant to the latest version of HDMI due to the fact that it is not possible to update your home theater devices from an older version of HDMI to the current version.
It is also important to note when shopping for HDMI-enabled devices to not only look at the version of HDMI, but to also check the features offered on the product. This is due to the fact that the HDMI specification does not mandate any of these new features; they are optional and at the discretion of the manufacturer of the product.
This article was written on February 21st, 2008
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With the presidential election on everyone's minds, it's easy to overlook the smaller elections that can often times be just as important. In 2017, the largest number of women will be serving in the US Senate than ever before. Although men still outnumber women in a four to one ratio, 21 women will lead the way to a more representative body of government in America. Some of these senators will be serving their first term starting in 2017, representing minorities and women, paving the way for future representatives in the United States Government.
Newly elected senator, Tammy Duckworth, is no stranger to politics. Serving as a representative to the US for the 8th congressional district since 2013 and previously an Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. Born in Bangkok, Thailand to a white US Marine veteran and a mother of Chinese descent, Duckworth soon traveled among many parts of Southeast Asia because of her father's occupation in the United Nations and other international organizations, becoming fluent in Thai and Indonesian, along with Chinese.
After attending high school and college in Hawaii and later George Washington University, Duckworth soon followed her father's footsteps and enrolled in the military. Deployed to Iraq in 2004, the soldier lost her right leg when the UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, making her the first female double amputee in the Iraq war. Her arm was near complete decimation as well losing her left leg below knee. Despite her new disability, she was promoted major and soon after, lieutenant colonel, after receiving an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
In 2016, Duckworth ran against incumbent, Republican Senator Mark Kirk. During a televised debate between the two in October, Kirk said, "I'd forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington." when Duckworth was talking about her strong ancestry of military servers tracing back to the Revolutionary way. This led to organizations like the Human RIghts Campaign to withdraw their support for Kirk, stating his comments were "deeply offensive and racist".
Despite a very tight race, Duckworth prevailed and became the second Asian-American and first disabled female veteran to serve in congress.
As the first African American, male or female, senate representative of California, Kamala Harris opens the door to opportunities for all minorities. Growing up in Oakland, California to an Indian-American breast cancer specialist and Jamaican professor of economics at Stanford University, Harris was always involved in political activism. Harris started her career as Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, California and later District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco after beating two-term incumbent, Terence Hallinan.
Harris has served as the 32nd Attorney General of California since January of 2011. Her background in law, stemming from her Juris Doctorate degree from Hastings College of Law at the University of California has brought her wild success, earning several leadership awards such as, Child Advocate of the Year Award (2004) from the San Francisco Child Abuse, Prevention Council Woman of Power Award (2004) from the National Urban League and the Thurgood Marshall Award (2005) from the National Black Prosecutors Association. When taking office in 2011, Harris became the state's first female, first black and first Asian American attorney general in US history.
After Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer announced her retirement after 24 years of serving as California's Junior Senator, Harris quickly saw an opportunity. Harris raised and spent 6 million dollars on the campaign, soon winning 78% of the California Democratic Party's votes and 48 of the 58 counties. In the California General election, she ran against democratic candidate Loretta Sanchez, winning the election by almost 3 million votes and a 25% margin. Her campaign focused on many humanitarian issues that plague the people of California such as, Civil rights, justice, the environment, and criminal justice reform. Because Harris's term as Attorney General of California doesn't expire until January of 2019, Harris will have to state her post before her new senator term begins.
As the first Latina senator in the history of the United States, Catherine Cortez Masto has fought to protect Nevada's seniors, children, and women. Serving first as the Attorney General of Nevada in 2007, Cortez Masto has broken the glass ceiling by gaining more votes than any other statewide opponent.
A native to Nevada, Cortez Masto began her law career at the Gonzaga University School of Law, earning her doctorate in 1990. Her career took off with notable cases such as a statewide restraining order against Uber, hosting a wildly successful fundraiser for her choice of democratic government, Robert Randazzo, as well as fighting against the statewide drug epidemic, battling against the use and distribution of methamphetamine.
In the past 2016 election, Cortez Masto ran against republican candidate Joe Heck, beating Heck by a 3% margin and 26,000 votes. In her victory speech, Cortez Masto noted her status of being the first Latina elected to the Senate, "It's not just about making history. Don't you think it is about time that we had diversity in the U.S. Senate? Don't you think it's about time that our government mirrors the people we serve every day?" As Catherine Cortez Masto begins the transition to the Capitol, her legacy of being the first Latina senator in the United States and brings inspiration as she represents the people of not only Nevada, but many Latinas across the country.
Tammy Duckworth, Kamala Harris and Catherine Cortez Masto are all part of a greater movement of welcoming women representatives in the US government. Together, these powerful women will steer our country in the right direction, bringing civil justice and equal rights to women and minorities alike.


If you've been in South Korea recently, you may have found yourself coughing and choking under the thin layer of dust sweeping the country. The fine dust, which most Americans commonly refer to as "Yellow Dust," originates in the deserts of Mongolia and China and is a major health hazard. Despite its name and visual similarity to city smog, it should not be taken lightly.
Every year, the dust sickens thousands. In extreme cases, it can be deadly. Those exceptionally vulnerable to the dust storm phenomenon include infants, pregnant women, and the elderly.
During times of high dust counts, local governments issue warnings which include directions limiting vehicles on the road, limiting outdoor activities, and suggesting facemask use. These warnings, unfortunately, are usually only issued in Korean. Not anymore! Monitor the air quality in your area (and in other parts of the world) in English with the AirVisual app. Not only will it help you plan out your day according to the dust index, but it will also send you notifications when your area is at critical levels.


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Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith denies report that he's a candidate for Milwaukee's top cop
Police Chief Andrew Smith rebutted a Milwaukee radio show report identifying him as a candidate to replace Milwaukee's police chief.
Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith denies report that he's a candidate for Milwaukee's top cop Police Chief Andrew Smith rebutted a Milwaukee radio show report identifying him as a candidate to replace Milwaukee's police chief. Check out this story on jsonline.com: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2019/09/23/green-bay-police-chief-andrew-smith-denies-reported-move-milwaukee/2418921001/
Haley BeMiller, Green Bay Press-Gazette Published 11:19 a.m. CT Sept. 23, 2019 | Updated 3:00 p.m. CT Sept. 23, 2019
Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith provides an update in April on Pyro, a police dog that had been stabbed during a disturbance. (Photo: Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)
GREEN BAY - Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith said he does not plan to leave the city, rebutting a Milwaukee radio show report that identified him as a likely candidate to replace Milwaukee's police chief.
Multiple unnamed sources were reported to have told The Dan O'Donnell Show that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett intends to replace Police Chief Alfonso Morales with Smith when Morales' contract expires in January. According to the report, Smith toured Milwaukee police facilities last week and met with personnel.
However, Smith adamantly denied the report Monday, telling the Green Bay Press-Gazette he didn't apply and that the job opening doesn't even exist. Indeed, the City of Milwaukee has not listed or advertised a posting for the chief position to replace Morales.
Smith also said he never met with Barrett or other Milwaukee officials and has not visited police headquarters in Milwaukee.
"I have no idea where a wild rumor like this would start," Smith said.
Barrett, too, shot down the assertion that he's looking for a new police chief.
"This is completely made up," the mayor said in a statement. "The rumors are not true. We have a police chief and most importantly crime is going down. That's what Milwaukeeans are looking for."
Born in Waukesha and raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Smith arrived in Green Bay in 2016 after 27 years with the Los Angeles Police Department.
As chief in Green Bay, Smith has grappled with staffing shortages, an investigation of harassment on the department's night-shift, and the fatal shooting of Green Bay resident Jonathon Tubby by a city police officer.
Meanwhile, reported crimes were down 14% in 2018, though the number of rapes reported were up 25%.
Smith said he and his family love Green Bay.
"I love being the chief here," he said. "Have no plans to leave."
Ashley Luthern and Mary Spicuzza of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
Contact Haley BeMiller at (920) 431-8212 or hbemiller@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @haleybemiller.
Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see the Green Bay Press Gazette's special offers at greenbaypressgazette.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play.
Read or Share this story: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2019/09/23/green-bay-police-chief-andrew-smith-denies-reported-move-milwaukee/2418921001/


Human parainfluenza virus type 1 (HPIV1) causes various acute respiratory infections (ARI). Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein of HPIV1 is a major antigen. However, the molecular epidemiology and genetic characteristics of such ARI are not exactly known. Recent studies suggested that a phylogenetic analysis tool, namely the maximum likelihood (ML) method, may be applied to estimate the evolutionary time scale of various viruses. Thus, we conducted detailed genetic analyses including homology analysis, phylogenetic analysis (using both the neighbor joining (NJ) and ML methods), and analysis of the pairwise distances of HN gene in HPIV1 isolated from patients with ARI in Yamagata prefecture, Japan.
A few substitutions of nucleotides in the second binding site of HN gene were observed among the present isolates. The strains were classified into two major clusters in the phylogenetic tree by the NJ method. Another phylogenetic tree constructed by the ML method showed that the strains diversified in the late 1980s. No positively selected sites were found in the present strains. Moreover, the pairwise distance among the present isolates was relatively short.
The evolution of HN gene in the present HPIV1 isolates was relatively slow. The ML method may be a useful phylogenetic method to estimate the evolutionary time scale of HPIV and other viruses.
Human parainfluenza virus type 1 (HPIV1) of the genus Respirovirus and family Paramyxoviridae causes various acute respiratory infections (ARI) including the common cold, croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia . Epidemiological data suggest that HPIV types 1-4 mainly infect younger children at least once, although reinfections may occur in adults [2, 3]. Indeed, serological surveys indicate that at least 75% of children have been infected with HPIV1 by 5 years of age [4, 5]. HPIV1 and 3 show high prevalence and are associated with up to 12% of acute lower respiratory tract infections in adults . Thus, HPIVs, including HPIV1, may be major agents of ARI throughout the world [7–9].
HPIV possess two major surface glycoproteins: hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein and fusion protein (F protein) . HN glycoprotein shows multiple biological functions that include hemagglutinin and enzymatic activities as neuraminidase [3, 10]. As a result, this molecule regulates viral adsorption and entry, and regulates the release of progeny virions from the infected cell surface . In addition, it is suggested that HN glycoprotein is a major antigen . The detailed molecular characteristics of HN glycoprotein have been confirmed in HPIV3, while those in HPIV1 remain unclear . In addition, the genetic characteristics of HPIV1 are poorly understood. Thus, it is important to analyze the HN coding region in HPIV1.
The neighbor joining (NJ) method is frequently used in phylogenetic analysis to examine the molecular epidemiology of various viral genomes [12, 13]. This method is based on a cluster classification algorithm, enabling the analysis of clusters and of the rate of viral evolution. Furthermore, the maximum likelihood (ML) method enables an estimation of the evolutionary time scale . Using these methods, we conducted a detailed genetic analysis of the HN coding region in HPIV1 isolates from patients with ARI in Yamagata prefecture, Japan.
A total of 182 throat and nasal swab specimens were collected from patients attending pediatric clinics in Yamagata prefecture from May 2002 to November 2009. Informed consent was obtained from the parents of all subjects for the donation of samples used in this study. All patients were aged from 0 to 43 years (4.1 ± 5.0 years; mean ± SD). Patients were mainly diagnosed with upper respiratory illness (URI) and wheezy bronchiolitis (Additional file 1: Table S1). URI is also known as the common cold and typically affects the upper airways, including the nose (sinusitis), throat (pharyngitis), and larynx (laryngitis) . Wheezy bronchiolitis was defined as the presence of wheezing alone or chest retractions in association with URI .
In this study, human embryonic lung fibroblast (HEF), human laryngeal carcinoma (HEp-2), African green monkey kidney (Vero E6), Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK), rhabdomyosarcoma (RD-18S), green monkey kidney (GMK), and human melanoma (HMV-II) cell lines were grown in Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium (Nissui No.3; Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) containing 5-10% fetal bovine serum or calf serum at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. Each cell line was prepared in 96-well tissue culture plates (Greiner Bio-One, GmbH, Frickenhausen, Germany). We inoculated the throat and nasal swabs from patients onto the plates and incubated them at 33°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. The cytopathic effects (CPEs) in the cells were observed 2-3 times per week. We harvested the culture supernatant when a suspected HPIV CPE was observed or a hemadsorption (HAD) test with 0.8% guinea pig erythrocytes was positive, and stored it at -80°C until analysis.
Viral RNA of HPIV1 isolates was extracted from 200 μL of the viral culture fluid by using ISOGEN (Nippon Gene, Tokyo, Japan) and was then transcribed into cDNA with M-MLV reverse transcriptase (Nippon Gene) and a random primer (Takara Bio Inc., Otsu, Japan). Reverse transcription was carried out at 30°C for 10 min, followed by incubation at 37°C for 45 min, and then incubation at 95°C for 5 min. To amplify the HN coding region in HPIV1 gene (nucleotide position 7245-8477, 1233 nt) by RT-PCR, we designed new primer sets using Primer Express (R) version 1.5 software (Applied Biosystems LLC, Foster City, CA) . Primer sequences were as follows: first primer pair, 5'- CAG AAT TAA TCA GAC AAG AAG TRA TAT CAA G -3' (primer HPIV-1USF, position 7165-7195), and 5'- TGA TAC GRA TTA AGA CAT TGA CAA CTT G -3' (primer HPIV-1USR, position 8034-8061); and second primer pair, 5'- CRA GTS RAG GWA TAG RAG AYT TAG TAT TTG -3'(primer HPIV-1DSF, position 7750-7779) and 5'- GGT TRA TTT CAA CAA TRT GGA AGC AGT A -3' (primer HPIV-1DSR, position 8529-8556). Nucleotide position was based on the sequence of HN glycoprotein genome in HPIV1 (Mil-48/91, GenBank accession no. U70936). Using cDNA solution, a DNA fragment of 1392 bp was amplified by PCR. Forty amplification cycles were performed at 94°C for 30 s, at 55°C for 30 s, at 72°C for 1 min, followed by a final extension at 72°C for 10 min. We analyzed the nucleotide sequences (1233b; located at 398-1633 within the HN gene) of the HN coding region. Briefly, the DNA fragment was purified with a QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA), submitted to a cycle sequence with a Big Dye Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems, Warrington, UK) using the two primer sets stated above, and purified with a spin column (AutoSeq G-50, Amersham Biosciences, Piscataway, NJ). The nucleotide sequence was determined with an automated DNA sequencer (ABI PRISM 3130 Genetic Analyzer, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA).
Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the HN coding region of HPIV1 was conducted with the CLUSTAL W program available from the DNA Data Bank of Japan http://www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp/index-j.html, and Tree Explorer version 2.12 .
Evolutionary distances were estimated according to Kimura's 2-parameter method, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed with the NJ method. The reliability of the tree was estimated with 1000 bootstrap replications. We used reference strains in this study to construct the phylogenetic tree. In addition, we calculated the pairwise distances for all strains, including the present isolates and reference strains to assess the frequency distribution among all HPIV1 strains and that of each intercluster of HPIV1, as previously described . The GenBank accession numbers of the nucleotide sequences obtained in the present study are AB641132 to AB641313.
To evaluate the action of selective pressure on the HN coding regions among all HPIV1 strains, we estimated the rates of synonymous (dS) and non-synonymous (dN) changes at amino acid sites by conservative single likelihood ancestor counting (SLAC) and the fixed effects likelihood (FEL) method using ML available on the Datamonkey webserver http://www.datamonkey.org/. The SLAC method is suitable for fast likelihood-based "counting methods" that employ either a single most likely ancestral reconstruction, weighted across all possible ancestral reconstructions, or sampling from ancestral reconstructions. The FEL method directly estimates dN and dS substitution rates at each site. These methods were performed to examine the dN and dS rates, incorporating the General Time Reversible (GTR) model of nucleotide substitution and the phylogenetic tree inferred using the NJ method. Positive (dN > dS) and negative (dN < dS) selections were predicted using these models. The p-value was used to classify a site as positively or negatively selected by these methods.
To construct the phylogenetic tree by the ML method, which is the best nucleotide substitution model, the GTR with gamma distributed rates across sites (GTR + Γ) [22, 23] was selected by the KAKUSAN4 program version 4.0. Supplementary materials related to this program can be found online at doi:10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03021.x. In this study, we used three phylogenetic models of sequence evolution. One is the different rate (DR) model , the most general, which assumes each branch of the unrooted phylogenetic tree has a different substitution rate . The DR model is used as suitable general model against which to test the assumption of constant rates of the fit of the single rate (SR) and the single rate dated tips (SRDT) models . Phylogenetic analysis of ML based on the DR model was constructed with RAxML BlackBox webserver http://phylobench.vital-it.ch/raxml-bb/index.php. All the present strains with more than 99.5% sequence similarity to any other strain were excluded from analysis. The reliability of the phylogenetic hypothesis was assessed using bootstrap analysis of 100 ML iterations. The SR model assumes the same rate of evolution in all branches (i.e., a molecular clock), and the SRDT model is an SR model that relaxes the assumption of contemporaneous sequences and uses the date of isolation of each sequence to estimate the substitution rate . To estimate the rate of molecular evolution (and hence a time scale) for a phylogeny consisting of date tips, phylogenetic analyses by ML based on the SR and SRDT models were performed using the TipDate webserver http://mobyle.pasteur.fr/cgi-bin/portal.py?#forms::tipdate. The likelihood of the SR and SRDT models (with likelihood L0) were compared to that of the DR model (with likelihood L1) in a likelihood ratio test (LRT)  of the fit of the model. The test statistic is the difference in the log likelihood (Δ) between the SR or SRDT model and the DR model. In the LRT statistic, twice the ratio of log likelihoods (L1/L0) (2Δ*) is expected to be χ2 distributed with degrees of freedom equal to their models. The DR model has 2n-3 free parameters, the SR model has n-1, and the SRDT model has n-2 (a tree of n tips). In the LRT of the fit of the SR and SRDT models compared with the DR, if the SR model is rejected in favor of the DR model but the SRDT model is not, the SRDT model can be accepted as no worse a description of the evolution date than the DR model. A P value of ≥0.05 was considered statistically significant for the phylogenetic models. The resulting phylogenetic trees were described using TreeExplorer version 2.12. The rates of nucleotide substitution, the date estimating the root of the tree and the corresponding upper and lower 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated under the SRDT model using the TipDate webserver.
The partial nucleotide sequences (1233 nt) of HN glycoprotein gene in a total of 182 isolates and 3 reference strains were analyzed. The phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide sequences by the NJ method is shown in Figure 1. The enlarged cluster shows the HPIV1 strains. The phylogenetic tree containing the isolated and reference strains was classified into two unique clusters with the exception of three Yamagata strains (HPIVi/Yamagata/2002/1433, HPIVi/Yamagata/2002/1565, and HPIVi/Yamagata/2003/1122), clusters 1 and 2, and these strains were classified into different clusters from the reference strains. The number of detected strains in each cluster on the phylogenetic tree was as follows: cluster 1, 84 strains including strains isolated during 2004-2009; and cluster 2, 95 strains from 2003 to 2005, and 2007 to 2009.
Phylogenetic tree of HN region by NJ method. Phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide sequence of the HN coding region (1233nt), including the present strains (182) and representative reference strains (3). HPIV3 was used as an outgroup. Distance was calculated according to Kimura's 2-parameter method, and the tree was plotted with the neighbor-joining method. Reference strains are shown in italic type. The larger tree was simply expanded for HPIV1 strains, to clarify the distance of each of the minor clusters in the trees. The tree was constructed by neighbor-joining analysis with labeling of the branches showing at least 70% bootstrap support. The representation of the strain was changed from Yamagata/20XX/ZZZZ to YXX/ZZZZ.
Based on the SRDT model [24, 26], we constructed another phylogenetic tree consisting of dated tips by using the nucleotide sequences of the HPIV1 HN coding region of 43 isolated strains from patients in Yamagata prefecture and 3 reference strains by using the ML method. As a result, the SR model was rejected as an adequate description of the evolution of the HPIV1 HN coding region (p < 0.05). Therefore, the SRDT model was not significantly worse than the DR model, indicating that this model adequately describes the substitution process (p = 0.06). Through these processes, we obtained a phylogenetic tree by the ML method. The year of the first major division in the present tree was estimated at 1950 (Figure 2; 95% CIs of 1935 to 1955). In addition, the ancestral strains of the present strains subdivided around 1987. Further division occurred around 1989, resulting in the formation of two major clusters (clusters 1 and 2). Furthermore, we estimated the rate of molecular evolution from the tree as 7.68 × 10-4 substitutions per site per year (95% CIs of 4.80 × 10-4 to 1.07 × 10-3).
Phylogenetic tree of HN region by ML method. Phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide sequence of the HN coding region (1233 nt), including the present strains (43) and representative reference strains (3), with branch lengths scaled under the SRDT model. Reference strains are shown in italic type.
The nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities among all 182 isolates were high at 92.6-100% and 96.0-100%, respectively. In addition, we calculated the intercluster distances of HPIV1 from the distribution of the pairwise distances. Based on the nucleotide sequences, the pairwise distance was 0.018 ± 0.013 [mean ± SD, Figure 3a] for the 182 present and 3 reference strains. The pairwise intercluster distances were as follows: cluster 1, 0.003 ± 0.002 (Figure 3b); and cluster 2, 0.008 ± 0.005 (Figure 3c). Cluster 2 showed a large pairwise intercluster distance, whereas that for cluster 1 was small. However, irregular peaks of pairwise distance are seen in Figure 3, and we were not able to genotyping the present strains based on the pairwise distance value. Next, amino acid substitutions in the analyzed HN coding region in the present strains were found at 31sites (detailed substitution data not shown). Among these was an essential substitution of the second binding site, N523S. This substitution (N523S) was seen in seven of the present strains (HPIVi/Yamagata/2007/1577, HPIVi/Yamagata/2007/1599, HPIVi/Yamagata/2007/2211, HPIVi/Yamagata/2007/2072, HPIVi/Yamagata/2007/2354, HPIVi/Yamagata/2007/2274, and HPIVi/Yamagata/2008/413). These strains belonged in cluster 2 (Figure 1).
Distributions of pairwise distances for HPIV1 of HN region. (a) Distribution of pairwise distances for the 182 present and 3 reference strains. (b) Distribution of pairwise intercluster distances for cluster 1. (c) Distribution of pairwise intercluster distances for cluster 2.
Selection pressure analysis was performed in the present strains, and the results showed a low mean dN/dS ratio (0.17) (95% likelihood profile-based CIs, CI = 0.13-0.23) by the SLAC method. Thus, the nucleotide substitutions predicted were largely synonymous. The dN/dS ratios of the individual sites in the HN coding region were calculated by the SLAC and FEL methods significant at the p < 0.1 level. However, neither method detected a positively selected site.
In this study, we performed a detailed genetic analysis of HN glycoprotein gene in HPIV1 isolates from patients with ARI during 2002-2009 in Yamagata prefecture, Japan. The phylogenetic tree constructed by the NJ method showed that the present HPIV1 isolates were divisible into two major genetic clusters (Figure 1). The other tree constructed by the ML method showed that the year of the first major division was estimated at 1950, and the ancestral strains further subdivided at around 1987, resulting in three clusters (one minor and two major, Figure 2). The strains belonging to the two major clusters subdivided into many clusters after 2000. The present HPIV1 isolates showed an overall high level of nucleotide sequence identity (92.6-100%) of the HN coding region. Pairwise distance values based on the nucleotide sequences among the present strains were relatively low (less than 0.06). In addition, there were no positively selected sites found. These results suggest that several lineages of highly conserved HN gene in HPIV1 were prevalent in Yamagata prefecture. The present strains could not be provisionally type assigned from the pairwise distance values. Thus, the accumulation of large amounts of data may be needed to genotype HPIV1 based on pairwise distance.
Homology and phylogenetic analysis by the NJ method is frequently used in molecular epidemiological studies of various viruses. Homology analysis based on nucleotide sequences mainly shows the similarities of the analyzed genes among the strains. Phylogenetic analysis by the NJ method can give an estimation of the viral evolution rate and cluster classification. Furthermore, the ML method can enable analysis of the time scale of the evolution of viral genes. In the present study, we were able to estimate the viral evolution rate of HPIV1, cluster classification, and the evolutionary time scale of the present isolates by applying the NJ and ML methods to the detailed phylogenetic analysis of the HN coding region in HPIV1. There is currently little information available regarding the molecular evolution of the HN coding region in HPIV (HPIV1 to 4). Furthermore, the rate of molecular evolution is very low (7.68 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year) in the present strains. Previous reports suggest that the rate of another gene of respiratory viruses belonging to Paramyxoviridae, such as respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, is higher (1.8 × 10-3 substitutions/site/year) than that of the present data . The reason for the difference is unknown at present. However, it is possible that genome properties other than size, such as polarity or structure, may be associated with substitutions of the viral genome . Further studies on the detailed mechanisms of viral genome substitution may be needed. Additional sequence data and further structural analysis are required to demonstrate the mechanisms of the molecular evolution of HPIV1.
HPIV is classified into four serotypes (HPIV1 to 4), all of which can cause various ARI in humans, such as URI, croup, bronchitis, and pneumonia . Previous reports suggest that HPIV1 and 3 are the dominant viruses in children with ARI . In addition, HPIV is a major causative agent of virus-induced asthma . Thus, HPIV1 is a major agent of ARI, along with other viruses, such as adenovirus, RS virus, human metapneumovirus, and rhinovirus . However, the molecular epidemiology of HPIVs is poorly understood, and only a few reports on the molecular epidemiology of HPIV1 are available. For example, Henrickson and Savatski analyzed the longitudinal evolution of the HN coding region in 13 strains of HPIV1 isolated in the United States . The results showed that the antigenic and genetic subgroups are very stable. Another report suggested that two distinct genotypes of HPIV were detected during the 1991 Milwaukee epidemic . In the present study, we used HPIV1 isolates from patients with ARI and studied the evolution of HN protein, based on phylogenetic analyses using both the ML and NJ methods and the rate of the substitutions of nucleotides. The results showed that HN protein is highly conserved. In addition, no positively selected sites were detected. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of these findings in HPIV1.
The distribution of amino acids affects the structure of the HN coding region in HPIV1, and previous reports show that substitutions of amino acids in HN glycoprotein reveal second receptor binding sites [33, 34]. For example, substitutions at Asn173 and Asn523 are critical for the formation of a second binding site. In particular, these substitutions affect, for example, the inhibitor in hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays and infection of culture cells. However, the second receptor binding site did not significantly affect the growth or fusion activity of HPIV1. Substitutions at N523S were found in seven of the present strains, but there were no substitutions at Asn173. Thus, we thought that N523S may not be significantly associated with infectivity or pathogenicity.
Furthermore, we then examined selective pressure by counting and the ML method. Analysis of selection pressure in the present strains showed that dS substitutions predominated over dN substitutions, and no positively selected sites (substitution) were found in HN protein in the present HPIV1 strains. The evolution of the present strains may be largely driven by purifying selection. Compared with HPIV3, little is known about the detailed biological properties of HN glycoprotein in HPIV1. As an essential molecule of these viruses, further analysis of the biological properties of HN glycoprotein in HPIV1 is required .
Although detailed data of the antigenic and catalytic sites of HN molecules in HPIV3 is relatively clear , such information regarding HPIV1 is not yet known. Moreover, the epidemiology and molecular epidemiology of HPIV is not exactly known. Thus, further and larger epidemiological/molecular epidemiological studies are required to give better understanding of the etiology of HPIVs, including HPIV1.
Our study suggested that several prevalent lineages of HN gene are highly conserved and evolution occurred from the late 1980s in HPIV1 in Yamagata prefecture. Viral evolution was estimated by detailed phylogenetic analyses using the NJ and ML methods. These methods offer a new understanding of the genetic evolution of HN gene.
This work was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and for Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.
KM and HK designed the research project; MS, MK, HT, YA, TI, CA, and NK performed the research; TI, MN, KK, and TA contributed the analytical tools; KM, MS, MK, and HK analyzed the data, and KM, MS, and HK wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


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In our latest mini-hangout episode we talk about mindset and your big WHY, which is critical to overcoming the apathy that most agents have coming into the holiday season. We also talk about how to keep yourself motivated to prospect and keep your pipeline full so that you hit the ground running after the New Year, and why you should immediately get a subscription to Audible (if you don't already have one). What do you find yourself struggling with during the holiday season? Comment on the Real Estate Uncensored Facebook page or DM us on Twitter @McDaniel Systems.


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Legal Issues for Military Families with Special Needs
Recorded Date: October 15, 2020
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Education Issues for Military EFMP Families
Education Legal Issues for Military Children with Special Needs
EFMP and Legal Assistance
Guardianship, Disability Benefits, Special Needs Trusts & ABLE Accounts
Runtime: 3 hours, 19 minutes
Recorded: October 15, 2020
This program focuses on legal issues for military families with special needs. You will learn about common educational and school related issues that military families with special needs face. You will also learn about special needs planning for military families, concentrating on special needs trusts, guardianship issues, and public benefits. This program is designed for military attorneys working in legal assistance, as well as civilian lawyers whose practices involve military-connected clients or issues.
This program was recorded on October 15th, 2020.
Grace E. Kim
The Law Office of Grace E. Kim, P.C.
Grace E. Kim is the principal attorney with The Law Office of Grace E. Kim, P.C. She focuses her practice on Special Education and Education Law, to include issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), restraint and seclusion, school discipline, and higher education issues.
Ms. Kim has been working on behalf of children with Special Needs since 2002 as a mother of a Special Needs child; a paralegal and law clerk who focused on Special Education, School Law and Juvenile Justice; and an attorney dedicating her practice to representing families of Special Needs children with legal and education-related issues.
Grace earned her B.A. degree from Nyack College, her M.A. degree from Alliance Theological Seminary, and her J.D. degree from the George Mason School of Law. Ms. Kim is a founding member of Partners in Promise, an advocacy group working on behalf of military special needs children, and lectures on Special Education and related topics for various organizations. Ms. Kim lives in Virginia with her husband, Joshua, her daughter, Karis (11) and her son, Josiah (17) who is on the Autism Spectrum with comorbid conditions and other neurological and physical disabilities.
Col. Elizabeth Schuchs-Gopaul (Retired)
Retired Judge
Colonel (Retired) Elizabeth Schuchs-Gopaul served in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps for over 22 years. While on active duty, she was a four-time installation General Counsel (Staff Judge Advocate), served as Chair of the Criminal Law Division at the Air Force Judge Advocate General's (Law) School and as the first-ever Special Counsel to The Air Force Judge Advocate General at the Pentagon.
Colonel Schuchs-Gopaul led the Air Force legal community's first foray into special education and special needs law in support of the Exceptional Family Member Program. Introduced by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, she conducted the Air Force's first legal training program on this subject reaching over 1000 legal professionals and personalist worldwide in a single webcast. Colonel Schuchs-Gopaul has published several articles on special needs legal issues for military families; which have been featured on Wrightlaw.com and cited in Congressional testimony and textbooks. For leading this effort, she was honored by the American Bar Association with the Keithe E. Nelson Distinguished Service Writing Award in 2012. Over the last ten years, she has lectured on Special Needs Legal Issues for military families at twice for American Bar Association and at six different Air Force legal conferences.
Colonel Schuchs-Gopaul was awarded the 2013 Judge Advocate Association Outstanding Career Armed Services Attorney Award. She was also honored as the Major Command Senior Attorney of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. Upon retirement, she took a break and focused volunteering and her challenging teenage children, Charlie and Evan. She is currently a Hiring Our Heroes Fellow at USAA in San Antonio, Texas.
Vickie M. O'Brien
Attorney, Exceptional Family Members
U.S. Marine Corps.
Vickie M. O'Brien has been the Attorney for Exceptional Family Members for Marine Corps Installations East since 2009. Her office is located at Camp Lejeune, NC. She is one of only two attorneys for the Marine Corps who provides consultation and representation to Exceptional Family Members for disability related legal issues. The majority of her practice involves assisting families with special education issues, but also focuses on accessibility for people with disabilities in public accommodations and housing. She also represents families seeking guardianship of their adult incapacitated or incompetent children/family members. Lastly, she provides consultation and advice on Medicaid and Social Security benefits. Vickie often provides legal trainings for EFMP staff and families and speaks during EFMP events.
Vickie earned her B.A. in History from Campbell University in 1999 and her J.D. from Regent University in 2002. She has been licensed to practice law in the State of North Carolina since 2002. She is the proud single parent of an artsy and witty daughter, Caroline (15), who has a specific learning disability. She is a voracious reader and collector of Stephen King novels whom she has been reading for over 30 years.
Alison M. Packard
Packard Law Firm
Alison Packard is an attorney at the Packard Law Firm in San Antonio, Texas. She focuses her practice on special needs planning, including trust and estate work, government benefits, guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, and probate work.
Before practicing law, Alison earned her B.S. in Psychology from Brigham Young University (summa cum laude), and then earned her J.D. from BYU Law School (cum laude), where she met fellow classmate, Dan Packard, on the first day of law school and then later married him. As Alison was preparing to take the bar exam, her life changed dramatically when she gave birth to a beautiful child with special needs. Alison postponed her legal career to devote all her efforts to caring for her daughter, Angela, and other three children. When she returned to the practice of law, she worked in the areas of mass torts and False Claims Act litigation. Alison moved from Boston to San Antonio in 2015 and naturally gravitated to an area of practice where she could help clients who care for family members with special needs. Alison understands and loves her clients. She knows what it is like to fight for and worry about a child with disabilities.
Alison currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Epilepsy Foundation of Central and South Texas and is involved with several other non-profit and service organizations.
Major Kay M. Perry
Chief of Civil Law Division, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate
Major Kay Perry is an Individual Mobilization Augmentee in the U.S. Air Force Reserve assigned to 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, Minot, North Dakota. The 5 BW/JA offices provides legal advice for the 5th Bomb Wing and the 91st Missile Wing and overall advises 37 commanders on base in support of 5,600 military personnel at the installation. Minot AFB is the nation's only installation comprised of two nuclear wings to accomplish worldwide missions of air power projection and strategic deterrence for two legs of the nuclear triad.
In her civilian capacity, Kay Perry is the Chief of the Civil Law Division, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 502d Installation Support Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX. She is responsible for providing legal advice to the 37th Training Wing, the 59th Medical Wing, the Special Warfare Training Wing, and partner commands.
Maj Perry began her career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, where she served from 1999 to 2005. After leaving active duty, she worked as a civilian attorney for the U.S. Army Medical Command. She then worked at the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio. Ms. Perry was in private practice for several years prior to her current position, and in her private practice she primarily focused on estate planning, family law, and health law. Maj Perry joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve in October 2016. Before and during law school, Maj Perry was an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1995-1999. Maj Perry is licensed in Texas and Missouri.
Dawn M. Du Verney
Director, Hearing Operations
Dawn Du Verney is Hearing Operations Director for the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Tupelo, Mississippi. Dawn professional background spans a diverse range of executive leadership and legal experience within corporate, academic, social service, faith-based, and government sectors. Prior to joining the Social Security Administration as an attorney in 2010, Dawn held titles, including gubernatorial-appointed Executive Director of the New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, EEO/Ethics Officer for the New Jersey Department of State, Special Counsel to the New Jersey Secretary of State, Associate General Counsel for Handex Environmental, President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Trenton (NJ), Assistant Deputy Public Defender for the State of New Jersey, and Adjunct Professor for Temple University School of Law and Peirce College in Philadelphia.
Dawn earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The American University, a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law, and a LL.M from Temple University Beasley School of Law. In addition, she has certifications and training in organizational development, executive leadership and management, including situational leadership, Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), group leadership intensive facilitation, the lawyer personality, systems thinking, and Japanese Learning Circles (quality).
Dawn's guiding principle is "To whom much is given, much is expected; and to the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48). She values her legal training and gives back to legal profession through active membership in the American Bar Association. Her work has afforded her leadership positions in the Litigation Section, including Division Director, Communications Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, Committee Chair, and Managing Director. She is committed to expanding pro bono representation to all underserved persons. In this regard, she has served as ABA Presidential Appointee to the Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) and the Standing Committee for Pro Bono and Public Service. For the latter, she chaired the Equal Justice Conference and the Pro Bono Publico Awards Committee and Awards Luncheon.
She is married to Steven Wilkins, who is the former Chief Learning Officer for the New Jersey Judiciary and an executive coach for private individuals and corporate clients. They have two adult sons, Ross Jordan and Drew Carrington.
CLE CREDITS
401k and Other Retirement Topics for Beginners and Non-ERISA Attorneys
Join us to learn the basics of defined contribution retirement plan issues under ERISA, including 401(k) plans.
A Lawyer's Guide to Filing Long-Term Disability Claims and Appeals
This webinar is for legal advisors of individuals who are filing disability claims or appeals with their disability insurer, the Social Security Administration, or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A Lawyer's Guide to Working with Special Needs Clients
The rules and policies of the many public assistance programs for your special-needs clients are daunting, and these clients often profess confusion and despair at their inability to successfully navigate these bureaucracies. The attorney who can bring accurate information and a knowledge of the available financial and health care resources, and how to obtain them, into the planning process will quickly be viewed as a trusted advisor for those persons with special needs and their families.
Refer: Legal Issues for Military Families with Special Needs
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text:
package fuzion24.device.vulnerability.test.adapter;

import android.content.Context;
import android.graphics.Color;
import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
import android.text.TextUtils;
import android.util.Log;
import android.util.Pair;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;

import com.nowsecure.android.vts.R;

import org.json.JSONArray;
import org.json.JSONObject;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Comparator;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.Map;

import fuzion24.device.vulnerability.test.VulnerabilityDescriptor;
import fuzion24.device.vulnerability.test.VulnerabilityTestResult;
import fuzion24.device.vulnerability.test.adapter.viewholder.RecyclerItemViewHolder;
import fuzion24.device.vulnerability.vulnerabilities.helper.BinaryAssets;

public class RecyclerAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<RecyclerView.ViewHolder> {

    private static final String TAG = "RecycleAdapter";
    private List<Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor>> mResults;
    private Context mContext;

    private static final SimpleDateFormat mSDF = new SimpleDateFormat("MM/dd/yyyy", Locale.US);

    public RecyclerAdapter(Context context, List<VulnerabilityTestResult> itemList) {
        this.mContext = context;
        this.mResults = buildResultDescriptionMap(context, itemList);
    }

    private static List<Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor>> buildResultDescriptionMap(Context context, List<VulnerabilityTestResult> itemList){
        List<Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor>> res = new ArrayList<>();

        try {
            Map<String, VulnerabilityDescriptor> vMap = VulnerabilityDescriptor.getParsedVulnMap(context);

            for (VulnerabilityTestResult vtr : itemList) {
                String cveOrId = vtr.getCVEorID();
                VulnerabilityDescriptor vd = vMap.get(cveOrId);
                if(vd == null){
                    Log.d(TAG, cveOrId + " has a null vulnerability descriptor");
                }
                res.add(Pair.create(vtr, vd));
            }

            Collections.sort(res, new Comparator<Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor>>() {
                private final static int leftFirst = -1;
                private final static int rightFirst = 1;
                private final static int areEqual = 0;

                @Override
                public int compare(Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor> lhs, Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor> rhs) {
                    VulnerabilityDescriptor lhDesc = lhs.second;
                    VulnerabilityDescriptor rhDesc = rhs.second;

                    boolean rIsNewer = lhDesc.getCVEDate().before(rhDesc.getCVEDate());
                    boolean sameDate = lhDesc.getCVEDate().equals(rhDesc.getCVEDate());
                    boolean lVuln  = lhs.first.getException() == null && lhs.first.isVulnerable();
                    boolean rVuln  = rhs.first.getException() == null && rhs.first.isVulnerable();

                     if(lVuln && !rVuln){
                        return leftFirst;
                     }else if(!lVuln && rVuln){
                        return rightFirst;
                     }else if(sameDate) {
                         return areEqual;
                     } else {
                        return rIsNewer ? rightFirst : leftFirst;
                     }
                }
            });

        }catch(Exception e){
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        return res;

    }

    public void updateResults(List<VulnerabilityTestResult> itemList){
        mResults = buildResultDescriptionMap(mContext, itemList);
        notifyDataSetChanged();
    }

    @Override
    public RecyclerView.ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
        Context context = parent.getContext();
        View view = LayoutInflater.from(context).inflate(R.layout.vulnerability_layout, parent, false);

        return RecyclerItemViewHolder.newInstance(view);
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(RecyclerView.ViewHolder viewHolder, int position) {
        RecyclerItemViewHolder holder = (RecyclerItemViewHolder) viewHolder;
        Pair<VulnerabilityTestResult, VulnerabilityDescriptor> item = mResults.get(position);

        VulnerabilityTestResult vulnRes = item.first;
        VulnerabilityDescriptor vulnDesc = item.second;

        holder.setItemTestName(vulnRes.getCVEorID());

        if (vulnRes.getException() != null) {
            holder.setItemTestResult(mContext.getString(R.string.error_test, vulnRes.getException().getMessage()));
            holder.setItemTestResultColor(mContext.getResources().getColor(R.color.orange));
        } else {
            if (vulnRes.getResult()) {
                holder.setItemTestResultColor(mContext.getResources().getColor(R.color.red));
                holder.setItemTestResult(mContext.getString(R.string.test_result_failure));
            } else {
                holder.setItemTestResultColor(mContext.getResources().getColor(R.color.green));
                holder.setItemTestResult(mContext.getString(R.string.test_result_success));
            }
        }

        holder.setItemTestResultDescription(vulnDesc.getDescription());
        holder.setButtonShowDetailsClickListner(mContext,
                vulnRes.getCVEorID(),
                vulnDesc.getAltNames(),
                vulnDesc.getDescription(),
                vulnDesc.getImpact(),
                vulnDesc.getExternalLinks(),
                vulnDesc.getPatches(),
                vulnDesc.getCVSSV2Score(),
                mSDF.format(vulnDesc.getCVEDate()));
    }

    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return mResults == null ? 0 : mResults.size();
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub