Copyright © 2013 Dianne M. Babbitt et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
African Americans have the highest prevalence of hypertension in the world which may emanate from their predisposition to heightened endothelial inflammation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-month aerobic exercise training (AEXT) intervention on the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and endothelial microparticle (EMP) CD62E+ and endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in African Americans. A secondary purpose was to evaluate whether changes in IL-10, IL-6, or CD62E+ EMPs predicted the change in FMD following the 6-month AEXT intervention. A pre-post design was employed with baseline evaluation including office blood pressure, FMD, fasting blood sampling, and graded exercise testing. Participants engaged in 6 months of AEXT. Following the AEXT intervention, all baseline tests were repeated. FMD significantly increased, CD62E+ EMPs and IL-6 significantly decreased, and IL-10 increased but not significantly following AEXT. Changes in inflammatory biomarkers did not significantly predict the change in FMD. The change in significantly predicted the change in IL-10. Based on these results, AEXT may be a viable, nonpharmacological method to improve inflammation status and endothelial function and thereby contribute to risk reduction for cardiovascular disease in African Americans.
The most recent report (May 2012) from the World Health Organization, as well as the preponderance of published articles on hypertension and race, supports the conclusion that African Americans have the highest prevalence of hypertension in the world. Research has demonstrated that African Americans have a greater prevalence of endothelial dysfunction when compared to their Caucasian counterparts, and researchers report that they suspect that this predisposes them to hypertension [1, 2]. Hypertension is a result of independent and interactive effects from multiple genetic and environmental factors. Inflammation of the endothelium, a pathological mechanism that can cause endothelial dysfunction and a precursor to hypertension, has been identified as one of these factors.
It is thought that the balance between pro- and anti-inflammation plays a crucial role as a determinant of endothelial homeostasis and health . Bautista reviewed multiple studies and reported a positive association between hypertension and some proinflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) . Experimental evidence has also established that several proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, contribute to endothelial dysfunction which may lead to increased peripheral vascular resistance and consequently hypertension . In contrast, interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a multifunctional cytokine that inhibits activation and the effector function of T cells, monocytes, and macrophages and ultimately terminates inflammatory responses . Elevated circulating levels of IL-10 are associated with improved endothelial function in individuals with ongoing systemic inflammation  and in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients .
Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is the conventional method used to assess endothelial function and health in humans because of its high feasibility as a noninvasive, ultrasound testing modality. Its evaluation is thought to be an important index in subjects at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that may contribute to understanding the extent of the inflammatory status of the endothelium . In recent years, evidence suggests that endothelial activation, characterized by increased inflammation, is an early event in endothelial dysfunction and may be identified with the endothelial microparticle (EMP) inducible marker CD62E+ which is sensitive to endothelial activation . Experimental evidence as reported in a review article by Boulanger et al. suggests that plasma levels of EMPs may be a specific marker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with CVD and may provide further information regarding the status of the endothelium beyond vasodilation . Therefore, the detection and quantification of EMPs may be a valuable tool to assess cardiovascular risk.
Increased blood flow shear stress during aerobic exercise has been associated with favorable endothelial adaptations . Additionally, chronic aerobic exercise has been demonstrated to improve the plasma inflammatory status, including IL-6 and IL-10, in certain populations. Aerobic exercise training (AEXT) may lead to the adaptive response of increasing plasma IL-10 concentrations and decreasing both plasma IL-6 concentrations and CD62E+ EMPs in African Americans, thereby improving endothelial function by reducing inflammation. However, despite the high prevalence of hypertension and CVD in African Americans, few studies have investigated the effects of AEXT on inflammation and endothelial health in an effort to develop preventive measures to reduce the CVD disease burden among this high-risk population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-month AEXT intervention on plasma levels of IL-10, IL-6, and CD62E+ EMPs and endothelial function assessed by FMD in a cohort of middle-to-older-aged African Americans. Furthermore, a secondary purpose was to evaluate whether changes in IL-10, IL-6, or CD62E+ EMPs predicted the change in FMD following the 6-month AEXT intervention.
This study employed a pre-post design following the completion of screening and dietary stabilization. Sedentary, putatively healthy, middle-to-older-aged (40–75 y/o) African American men and women were recruited and underwent a series of screening tests to ensure that they were free of disease and conditions that may confound interpretation of results. All qualified participants then completed a dietary stabilization period in order to control for the effects of interindividual variations in dietary intake. Finally, any participants using antihypertensive monotherapy were appropriately tapered from their medication, and suspension of medication was continued for the duration of the study. This was done to avoid an AEXT by medication interactive effect. Following dietary stabilization and a minimum of 2 weeks after medication tapering, baseline testing was conducted. This included office blood pressure measurements, FMD studies, fasting blood sampling, and graded exercise testing. FMD studies and fasting blood sampling were conducted on separate days but under the same conditions. Upon completion of baseline testing, participants engaged in a 6-month AEXT intervention under the direct supervision of laboratory personnel. At the conclusion of the 6-month intervention, participants repeated all baseline tests.
Participants were required to be between the ages of 40–75 years inclusively, sedentary (self-reported, regular aerobic exercisers ≤ 2 days per week), nondiabetic (fasting blood glucose ≤ 126 mg/dL), nonsmoking (≥2 years), have a clinic blood pressure <160/100 mmHg (i.e., not stage II hypertensive), and have no documented history of CVD, hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol > 240 mg/dL), renal disease, or pulmonary disease. Participants on lipid lowering medications, medications that affect cardiovascular or renal hemodynamics, or who were taking more than one antihypertensive medication were excluded from this study. Both premenopausal and postmenopausal (self-reported absence of menses) women were included in the study. All postmenopausal women were required to continue their hormone replacement therapy, either on or off, for the duration of the study. These inclusion criteria were used to create a more homogeneous group of middle-to-older-aged African Americans who were at low-to-moderate risk for CVD but who were otherwise putatively healthy. Each participant gave written informed consent following a complete explanation of the study during their first laboratory visit. The protocol was approved by the Temple University Institutional Review Board.
Eligibility of all qualified participants was ensured via completion of three screening visits prior to inclusion in the study. Screening visit one followed a 12-hour postabsorptive single blood sampling to assess blood chemistries and a urinalysis to assess renal function. Any individual with a total cholesterol >240 mg/dL or fasting blood glucose >126 mg/dL was excluded from the study. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the four-variable modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) study equation specific to African Americans. Any participant who exhibited evidence of renal disease (eGFR < 60 mL min−1 per 1.73 m2) was excluded from the study.
Screening visits two and three required all qualified participants to undergo a physician-administered physical examination and a cycle ergometer echocardiogram stress test to confirm that participants displayed no evidence of latent cardiovascular, pulmonary, or other chronic diseases.
Blood samples were collected in the morning following a 12-hour overnight fast. Blood was drawn into EDTA tubes, centrifuged at 2,000 g for 20 minutes at 4°C, and then the plasma was frozen at −80°C until the time of the assay. Concentrations of IL-10 and IL-6 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (R & D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Assays were conducted and analyzed according to manufacturer's protocol. Absorbance was recorded using a Spectra Max Microplate Reader (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). The plate was read at 490 nm with correction for optical imperfections at 650 nm for IL-10 and at 450 nm with correction for optical imperfections at 540 nm for IL-6. Intraassay and interassay CVs were 5.5% and 11.9%, respectively, for IL-10 and 7.4% and 4.5%, respectively, for IL-6.
Circulating EMPs were quantified using a venous blood sample obtained from the antecubital vein in the morning following a 12-hour overnight fast. Samples were collected into EDTA tubes using a 21-gauge needle and were centrifuged at 2,000 g for 20 minutes at 4°C immediately after collection to separate plasma from whole blood. Plasma samples were then stored at −80°C until measurement. On the day of analysis, two sequential centrifugation steps were used to reduce background signals contributed by plasma proteins and residual contaminating/unwanted cells and to concentrate microparticles in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio during flow cytometric analysis. First, plasma samples were thawed and centrifuged at 1,500 g for 20 minutes at room temperature to obtain platelet poor plasma (PPP). The top two-thirds volume of PPP were then transferred to a new tube and further centrifuged at 1,500 g for 20 minutes at room temperature to obtain cell-free plasma. The supernatant was used for microparticle analysis. A volume of 100 μL supernatant was incubated with fluorochrome-labeled antibodies for 20 minutes at room temperature in the dark and then was fixed by adding 93 μL of 10% formaldehyde. The mixture was protected from light and incubated while being gently mixed using a shaker for 20 minutes. The antibody CD62E-PE (15 μL per sample) was used to distinguish EMP subpopulations. All antibodies were obtained from BD Biosciences. After antibody incubation, samples were diluted with 500 mL of 0.22 μm double-filtered PBS before flow cytometric analysis. Two additional samples were also prepared to serve as negative controls and as a calibration. For the negative control tube, 733 μL of PBS was added to one tube. The calibrator sample was prepared using two drops of 0.9 μm standard precision NIST traceable polystyrene particle beads (Polysciences Inc, Warrington, PA, USA), and was added to PBS according to the manufacturer's instructions. All samples were immediately analyzed by flow cytometry.
Samples and controls were analyzed using a BDLSRII flow cytometer (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) and BD FACSDIVA software (v 1.2.6; BD Biosciences). Forward scatter scale, side scatter scale, and each fluorescent channel were set in logarithmic scale. Events included in the set gate (<1.0 μm) were identified in forward and side scatter intensity dot representation and plotted on 2-color fluorescence histograms. CD62E+ events <1.0 μm were defined as EMPs. Fluorescence minus one control and nonstained samples were used to discriminate true events from noise and to increase the sensitivity for microparticle detection for each sample. The flow rate was set on medium, and all samples were run for 180 seconds. Using beads, medium flow rate was calculated, and a mean sample volume of 101 μL per 180 seconds was processed. EMPs were expressed as events per μL plasma.
FMD was measured as a percent difference between the diameter of the brachial artery during basal conditions and the diameter of the artery following reactive hyperemia. Brachial artery diameter was measured in response to increased flow. All measurements were performed in the morning following a 12-hour overnight fast during which time participants refrained from food, drink (with the exception of water), caffeine, alcohol, antihistamines, and anti-inflammatory medications. A 7.5 MHz linear phased array ultrasound transducer attached to a Sonos 5500 ultrasound machine (Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, WA, USA) was used to image the brachial artery longitudinally. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was continuously monitored. All measurements of brachial artery diameter and blood velocity were measured by a trained cardiologist after the participant rested in a quiet and dim room at a controlled ambient temperature of 20–26°C for a minimum duration of 10 minutes. The participant's right arm was comfortably immobilized in the extended position to allow for ultrasound scanning of the brachial artery 5–10 cm above the antecubital fossa. Simultaneous doppler measurements for blood velocity and 2D ultrasound imaging for right brachial artery diameter were continuously recorded for 2 minutes at baseline. After recording of baseline images, reactive hyperemia was induced by distal occlusion of the vessel using a cuff inflated to a suprasystolic pressure (200 mmHg) for 5 minutes on the right forearm and distal to the antecubital fossa. Brachial artery diameter was then recorded at 1-minute postcuff release at a fixed distance from an anatomic marker at the end of diastole.
A submaximal graded exercise test was performed to determine participants' cardiovascular fitness and to develop individualized exercise prescriptions for the AEXT intervention. A modified Bruce protocol submaximal treadmill exercise test was performed with continuous measurement of breath-by-breath gas sampling oxygen consumption (VO2) using a calibrated metabolic cart (Vmax Encore, SensorMedics, Yorba Linda, CA, USA). ECG was continuously monitored, and the treadmill test was terminated when the participant reached 75–80% of their predicted heart rate reserve. A standard regression formula using data collected by indirect calorimetry (VO2 averaged over each 60-second period) and ECG (minute heart rates) was used to predict , a measure of cardiovascular fitness, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.
Participants engaged in a 24-week AEXT intervention under direct supervision of lab personnel 3x/week, beginning with 20 minutes of exercise/session at 50% of . Training duration was then increased by 5 minutes each week until 40 minutes of exercise at 50% of was reached. Training intensity was then increased by 5% each week until 65% of was achieved. At week 8, participants reached the desired exercise duration and intensity of 40 minutes at 65% of , which they maintained as their prescription for the remainder of the study. Exercise modes included treadmill walking/jogging, stair stepping, stationary cycling, rowing ergometry, arm ergometry, and elliptical cross-training. To monitor exercise intensity, participants were instructed on how to use heart rate monitors. Study personnel recorded participants' exercise mode, heart rate, and duration in printed logs to ensure adherence to the prescribed exercise training program. Heart rate was recorded every 10 minutes. At week 12, participants completed a second submaximal treadmill exercise test as a basis for adjustment of their exercise prescription to account for changes in cardiovascular fitness. The gradual progression of training duration and intensity was used in order to avoid excessive fatigue and musculoskeletal complaints, thereby maximizing adherence.
Among the 42 participants who completed the 6-month AEXT intervention, the data used in the statistical analysis for each primary outcome variable were FMD testing ( ), CD62E+ EMPs ( ), IL-6 ( ), and IL-10 ( ). The differences in each variable sample size are related to issues with participant scheduling, acquiring blood samples, or assay procedure.
Data are expressed as mean ± the standard error of the mean (SEM). The distribution of all variables was examined using the Shapiro-Wilk test of normality. Pre-AEXT and post-AEXT were compared using the paired samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Simple linear regression was used to calculate relationships between the variables. Statistical significance was set at a value of <0.05. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
The study group consisted of 42 African American men ( ; 14.3%) and women ( ; 85.7%). The mean age of the group was years. The laboratory values of the participants measured prior and subsequent to the AEXT intervention are presented in Table 1. The 6-month AEXT intervention significantly increased and significantly decreased BMI, plasma triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly changed following the AEXT intervention.
Table 1: Laboratory values of participants before and after AEXT.
Pre- and post-AEXT values of measures obtained from assessment of endothelial function by FMD testing are presented in Figure 1. There was a 2.9% increase in baseline brachial artery diameter (Figure 1(a)) following AEXT; however, this increase was not statistically significant. Brachial artery diameter 1-minute post-ischemia was significantly increased by 5.6% (Figure 1(a)) following AEXT. The relative increase in brachial artery diameter from baseline to post-ischemia (FMD%) was significantly increased by 60% (Figure 1(b)) following AEXT.
Figure 1: Measures of brachial artery diameter and endothelial function before and after AEXT. The upper panel (a) shows brachial artery diameter at baseline and at 1-minute post-ischemia pre- and post-AEXT. The lower panel (b) shows FMD% pre- and post-AEXT. Bars are expressed as mean ± SEM. **Denotes significant differences pre- versus post-AEXT; .
Pre- and post-AEXT values for the inflammatory biomarkers are presented in Figure 2. The 6-month AEXT intervention elicited statistically significant changes in CD62E+ EMPs and IL-6. There was a significant 47.3% decrease in CD62E+ EMPs (Figure 2(a)) and a significant 12% decrease in IL-6 (Figure 2(b)) following AEXT. IL-10 was increased by 4.9% (Figure 2(c)) following AEXT; however, it was not statistically significant.
Figure 2: Inflammatory biomarkers before and after AEXT. The upper panel (a) shows CD62E+ EMPs pre- and post-AEXT. The middle panel (b) shows IL-6 pre- and post-AEXT. The lower panel (c) shows IL-10 pre- and post-AEXT. Bars are expressed as mean ± SEM. *Denotes significant differences pre- versus post-AEXT; . **Denotes significant differences pre- versus post-AEXT; .
Simple linear regression using change values for each biomarker revealed that changes in CD62E+ EMPs, IL-10, or IL-6 did not significantly predict the change in FMD%. Based on the combined values, CD62E+ EMPs, IL-10, and IL-6 accounted for 10.3% of the change in FMD%. Simple linear regression demonstrated that the change in significantly predicted the change in IL-10 ( ; ).
The primary findings of the present study demonstrated that 6 months of AEXT elicited significant positive improvements in the inflammatory biomarkers IL-6 and CD62E+ EMPs, as well as the endothelial function marker FMD in a cohort of middle-to-older-aged African Americans. Other studies that measured inflammatory biomarkers and endothelial function prior to and subsequent to AEXT have demonstrated similar results, but to our knowledge this is the first study that measured all of these complementary biomarkers prior to and subsequent to AEXT in an African American population.
Improvements in FMD following AEXT have been well documented in previous research. Cornelissen et al. demonstrated a significant increase in FMD% following 12 weeks of aerobic exercise in stable CAD patients . Similarly, Luk et al. conducted research to determine the effect of 8 weeks of AEXT on FMD in patients with stable CAD and demonstrated significant improvements in FMD . Furthermore, Nualnim et al. reported that 12 weeks of regular swimming exercise in a group of putatively healthy adults with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension significantly improved FMD . However, none of these published studies included sufficient numbers of African Americans to draw any conclusions about the effect of AEXT on FMD in this population. The present study provides some evidence that AEXT may also be beneficial for improving FMD in African Americans.
The results of the present study demonstrated that the change in inflammatory biomarkers CD62E+ EMPs, IL-6, and IL-10 together accounts for 10.3% of the change in FMD% following AEXT. These findings suggest that the three inflammatory biomarkers measured may be contributory to the health of the endothelium; however, there are other factors that may also impact overall endothelial health. It is possible that other biomarkers that were not the focus of this study such as C-reactive protein, oxidized LDL, vascular adhesion molecule, or von Willebrand factor may be better predictors of the change in FMD% with AEXT in this population.
To our knowledge, the effect of AEXT on CD62E+ EMPs has not been previously investigated in any population. CD62E+ EMPs have been identified as markers of inflammatory endothelial cell activation [9, 10, 15, 16]. Therefore, the detection and quantification of EMPs may be a valuable marker in the early detection of cardiovascular risk. Lee et al. demonstrated that a high level of CD62E+ EMPs is associated with cardiovascular events in patients with a history of stroke, suggesting that systemic endothelial activation is associated with the risk for cardiovascular morbidities . The present study provides some of the first evidence that AEXT may attenuate endothelial activation in African Americans which may have clinical importance given the recent findings from Lee et al.
IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine whose primary biological functions include mediation of proinflammatory responses and cytoprotection . It is released by endothelial cells in response to inflammatory stress and is essential in the pathogenesis of vascular inflammatory diseases [19, 20]. A review of multiple studies by Boos and Lip concluded that IL-6 contributes to endothelial dysfunction which may lead to increased peripheral vascular resistance and consequently hypertension . The effect of AEXT on circulating levels of IL-6 following AEXT has been previously investigated. Beckie et al. demonstrated that there were significant reductions in IL-6 concentrations in women with CAD following a cardiac rehabilitation exercise program . Additionally, a meta-analysis by Swardfager evaluated changes in inflammatory biomarkers subsequent to exercise interventions in patients with CAD and demonstrated significant decreases in plasma IL-6 concentration . The present study provides further evidence that AEXT may attenuate plasma IL-6 concentrations, and to our knowledge, demonstrating such for the first time in an African American population.
IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine produced by immune and nonimmune cells . Its primary biological function is to attenuate inflammatory responses, and it has an anti-inflammatory effect on monocyte/endothelium interactions [6, 24]. IL-10 has been demonstrated to participate in preserving endothelial function during acute inflammation . Although a clear mechanism has not yet been elucidated, emerging evidence suggests that IL-10 has a role in vascular protection . Most studies that have measured serum or plasma IL-10 concentrations have found detectable levels of IL-10 in a diseased population versus healthy subjects. Blay et al. measured IL-10 in 153 subjects with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and compared them to a control group of 60 healthy subjects. The researchers found that IL-10 was not detectable in any of the healthy subjects, but it was detectable in about half of the diseased subjects . In the present study, the fact that we were able to detect IL-10 even at relatively low levels in our putatively healthy African American population may be interpreted as a result of the increased predisposition in this population to chronic low-grade inflammation.
Several studies have previously examined the effect of AEXT on circulating levels of IL-10. Ribeiro et al. examined the effect of AEXT on the plasma inflammatory status of post-myocardial infarction patients and concluded that AEXT increased IL-10, suggesting enhancement of anti-inflammation . Furthermore, Goldhammer et al. demonstrated that AEXT in CAD patients was effective in increasing IL-10, leading to improvements in coronary risk status . In a review article by Batista et al. on multiple studies of exercise and IL-10, the authors concluded that the anti-inflammatory effect induced by AEXT seems primarily to be mediated by IL-10 . In the present study, the effect of AEXT on circulating levels of IL-10 was investigated, to our knowledge, for the first time in an African American population, and the results demonstrated that there was a trend for increased IL-10 subsequent to AEXT, although statistical significance was not achieved. More notably, the results of the present study indicated that in our African American population sample, the significant improvement in cardiovascular fitness, as measured by , was related to the improvement in plasma levels of IL-10. Future research is warranted in order to assess whether further increases in , subsequent to AEXT, elicit a significant improvement in IL-10.
We previously reported that African American endothelial cells had significantly greater levels of IL-6 protein expression and produced greater amounts of IL-6 in response to TNF-α, an inflammatory cytokine . Oxidative stress and inflammation often occur simultaneously . Kalinowski demonstrated that African Americans have increased levels of oxidative stress resulting in endothelial dysfunction when compared to Caucasians , and we also previously demonstrated that compared to Caucasian endothelial cells, African American endothelial cells had significantly greater protein expression levels of NADPH oxidase, the principal source of reactive oxygen species in endothelial cells . Together, the work of others and our group suggests a heightened inflammatory and oxidative stress status in African American endothelial cells. Therefore, an intervention that can dampen this condition before endothelial dysfunction develops to the point where it is manifested clinically may be very important. The results from our present study extend upon our previous work that AEXT may be a nonpharmacological treatment modality which may improve endothelial health in middle-to-older-aged African American adults free of overt CVD.
The positive changes in endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers after AEXT demonstrated in this study may indicate considerable improvement in CVD risk for the African American population. A substantial portion of the CVD risk reduction associated with exercise training cannot be entirely explained by changes in conventional CVD risk factors . It has been suggested that direct effects of exercise on the vessel wall may account for some of the remaining risk factor reduction gap .
The participants in the present study had no significant changes in mean blood pressure following AEXT. These findings are in agreement with most studies that measured blood pressure subsequent to AEXT in individuals with relatively normal resting blood pressure levels. In studies on normotensive and/or prehypertensive populations, blood pressure did not significantly change following AEXT in most cases [36, 37]. Conversely, a review by Hagberg et al. reported that blood pressure significantly decreased in 75% of the hypertensive subjects following AEXT . Despite the fact that mean blood pressure did not change in the present study, the endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers measured in this study related to endothelial health and CVD improved considerably. Therefore, the pronounced benefits on CVD risk reduction resulting from AEXT may go beyond simple blood pressure reduction in an African American population as elucidated by the results of the present study.
Several limitations must be noted when interpreting our study findings. First, our sample size is small, but this was due to the exclusion of diabetics, smokers, participants with CVD, or other chronic diseases and those on medications that affect cardiovascular or renal hemodynamics, on lipid lowering medications, or on more than one antihypertensive medication. This was done to create a more homogenous group and to ensure lack of confounding variables that may influence endothelial or inflammatory marker levels. It should be noted that even with a relatively small sample size, we observed significant changes in three of the four primary outcome measures subsequent to AEXT. Second, because of the observational nature of the study design, we cannot infer mechanisms underlying exercise training induced changes in inflammatory status or endothelial function. Third, there are presently no standardized methods for the measurement of microparticles. Processing and analyzing techniques differ from investigator to investigator, and thus comparisons across studies for EMPs should be done cautiously. Fourth, no control group was included in the study design, and thus it is difficult to ascertain whether the observed changes were exclusively due to AEXT and not to the result of an unidentified confounding factor. Finally, the sample population was predominately female, and thus our findings may have limited generalizability to African American males.
In conclusion, the results of the present study are novel because to our knowledge, for the first time, FMD%, CD62E+ EMPs, IL-6, and IL-10 have been measured together prior to and subsequent to AEXT in a population of African Americans. The primary findings of the study revealed favorable alterations in the endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers measured subsequent to AEXT. Therefore, aerobic exercise training may be a viable, nonpharmacological method to improve inflammation status and endothelial function and thereby contribute to risk reduction for CVD in African Americans.
This research was supported by NIH/NHLBI Grant RO1 [HL085497] to M. D. Brown.


I made deep fried ravioli for my Deep Fried Food Party and for my latest clothing exchange party. This has been sitting in my "to try" pile for years now, so I was very happy to finally make it. I compared a milk wash to an egg wash and I compared a bread crumb coating to a corn meal coating. I didn't notice a significant difference between the milk and egg washes. For the coating, I preferred the bread crumbs, because it gave the ravioli a nice brown colour. Also, bread crumbs coat the ravioli more lightly than cornmeal, so the ravioli maintain their slightly chewy texture.
Note: A 700 g package will serve 10 to 15 people; you could easily halve this recipe.
Pour the milk into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and dried parsley if using. Working with one piece at a time, coat the ravioli completely with a thin layer of milk. Allow the excess to drip off. Then coat the ravioli in the bread crumb mixture. Let the ravioli rest on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or a silpat mat. Repeat until you have coated the rest of the ravioli. Allowing the ravioli to sit for a few minutes while you heat the oil helps the coating stick to the ravioli. Preheat the oven to 200 F. Using a deep fryer or a wok or large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 325 degrees F. When the oil is ready, fry the ravioli in small batches, turning once, until they are golden brown and crunchy, about 3 minutes in total. Using a slotted spoon (I use a Chinese wire strainer), transfer the fried ravioli to a paper bag lined baking sheet or large plate. Note: I use brown paper bags because I find that paper towel can make deep fried foods soggy. Keep the ravioli warm in the oven until you have finished frying all of them. Serve hot with a bowl of heated pasta sauce for dipping.
Thanks so much for your comment! I hope you like it as much as we did!


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https://www.storycon.org/articles/Writing-Stories-to-Change-by-Rob-Kall-Activism_Change_Story_Story-Mythology-Archetypes-150124-432.html
Writing Stories to Change the World
By Rob Kall
We need stories to change the world. There is truth. There is vision. There are values-- They all come out of stories. Stories come first. This article includes excerpts from an interview with one of today's leading experts on making stories more powerful.
We need stories to change the world. There is truth. There is vision. There are values-- They all come out of stories. Stories come first. You don't just come up with a value. It is rooted in stories and or myth, or not to quibble, the key writings of major religions. Those writings are built with stories.
I interviewed Donald Maass-- author of a number of highly acclaimed books for writers-- The Breakout Novelist, The Breakout Novel, The Workbook for the Breakout Novel. These books and the workshops he offers, plus him being head of The Maass Literary Agency at maassagency.com have made him a rock star among budding and aspiring writers. I read one of his books, attended one of his workshops and decided an interview with him could help activists and people seeking to make change happen. So I did an interview with him. Here's an excerpt.
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I've seen that your ideas for writing novels could absolutely apply to writing about change and even in writing in terms of coming up with the words for the campaigns and what have you. Have you ever done anything with any of those areas?
Donald: Well no, political writing, speech writing and what not is not my specialty but you mentioned activism, Rob and people may think of fiction novels as entertainment and sometimes that's their primary intent, but I believe that fiction has a broader impact than that. Sales may be relatively small relative to video games, let's say, or the number people who might see a television show on a given night; sell quite a few--many fewer copies of a novel than that. But its influence is disproportionately large, it ripples out through our culture--fiction does, in ways that are maybe hard to quantify, but I think are very real. It's one of the most powerful forms of storytelling because it takes is us so deeply inside fictional characters experiences. Now one of the things I believe, in which you heard me talk about, is that novelists then have a responsibility to do something with their fiction, to say something; to have an impact on people and indeed if you look at successful fiction even entertainment, even commercial fiction, thrillers and women's fiction and things like that, they are the most successful when the author has a point to make, when there's something that the author wants the reader to see or experience or understand. I've talked to a lot of novelists over the years and the most successful ones with any book they've got, they've really got something driving them to tell that particular story; a point, call it a message if you want, but it's something that the author feels is important to say and that's one of the things that I think storytellers need to do and I think that's one of the things that makes novels powerful.
Rob: Can you give some examples?
Donald: Yeah, gosh, you got a couple days? There are many, many, many examples like that. Let's take some examples of more entertaining kinds of stories. Gosh, I'm looking across my office at stacks and stacks of books here. Near the top is, Like Water for Elephants, a very popular novel from a couple years ago. Very entertaining book too, very funny at times and yet that book took us deep, deep, deep inside the world of circuses and traveling circuses that's almost forgotten now and told us a wonderful romantic story in the midst of all that. But it's really a story about human struggle, about identity, it's about animals. It has an awful lot of relevance that may not be sitting right there on the surface of the prose but I think it's there underneath and I think it has to be there otherwise contemporary readers wouldn't respond to it. They wouldn't feel what the character's feel. They wouldn't come away with a strong impression of the story. It has to be relevant. It has to speak to our times. It has to say something that we all feel or even better, something that we feel and knew; a respect for elephants. It sounds like a small thing but in that story it's very powerful and gets us to look at the animals in our world in a different way.
Rob: Okay. Pause"
Donald: Your silence may suggest that you think I'm off my rocker here.
Rob: No, what's interesting is we just had some coverage of protesters protesting at the local entertainment center about the Barnum and Bailey Circus (actually, it was Ringling brothers)because of their treatment of elephants. So let's say that a writer was to apply your approaches to the issue of the treatment of elephants in today's circuses.
Donald: Um-hum.
Rob: See I'm scheming. How can I get you talk to about writing about activism, writing about protests? How would that apply? Could it apply?
Donald: Well, you know Rob, I think when you're putting together a novel, you can really start from any place, any impulse, any idea, any topic, any character, any period of history. You can start anywhere as long as there is conflict built into, inherent conflict and you can grow a story from there. Now it starts with really creating characters, characters who are conflicted, characters who have things to do, a journey to go and building their story from there. So, is it possible to write a protest as such? Yes, of course, it is. I mean I can't think of a novel. There have been some wonderful novels about the 60s, but I can't think of one built around activism and street protests as such. I can think of a lot of plays that have been built around that, particularly in British theater history, but its perfectly possible to do that. However, in constructing a novel, what you would do is not write about protesting, you would write about a protester; a character. That's the starting point, that's the basis for any piece of novel-length fiction: a character undergoing a journey, a character who is conflicted, a character whose journey is not easy but involves a lot of complications and difficulties and change. I would really love to see the great novel about, let's say, the Kent State killings back in 1970, I think it was. I haven't seen that novel yet but hopefully some novelist is going to take us back there at that time to tell the story.
Rob: Now you have on your website a list of the kinds of novels you'd like to see. Every couple of months, it looks like, you put it up there.
Donald: Yeah, we try to brainstorm ideas just to throw out, not throw out story ideas for people to execute, although they do do that sometimes, but to get people thinking about the very premise, the very starting point for their stories and mostly what we're looking for are stories that start from something that's intriguing, unexpected or that has inherent conflict in it. As I mentioned before, those are really powerful story generators. So, when we suggest story ideas, it's not to say, "Hey, this is the story that people should write," but to get people thinking, really about how they can take their ideas and dig into them to find the conflict, to find what is unusual and to magnify it and blow it up into a better story.
Rob: If you had to tell, in an elevator, what makes novels successful. What would you say?
Donald: All novels? All fiction? I think it involves a couple of things. First of all, compelling conflicted characters and constant tension that keeps us reading every next thing on the page because the reader's in a constant state of mild apprehension about what's going to happen. You can build a quiet literary novel out of very little or you can build a big save-the-world-mile-a-minute thriller. It doesn't matter if it's going to be successful; those two things are always there, character's that we care about and care about immediately. The thing that makes a book a page turner, it's the same in literary fiction and commercial fiction, it's an element I call micro tension and it's the moment by moment, line by line tension that keeps us wondering constantly what's going to happen next even if it's in a small momentary way.
Rob: Now you have a phrase that you describe: Attention Deficit Disorder.
Donald: Yeah, have you ever read, Rob a novel where you could skim paragraphs or even whole pages, maybe a bunch of pages in a row, you just sort of flip through the book to get to the next--
Rob: Yes.
Donald: --Exciting and interesting part? Everybody's had that experience. I have that experience a lot reading manuscripts, pre-published work by authors and what's missing in those manuscripts and what's missing in those published novels when you're skimming is that line by line tension that I just mentioned, that micro tension and when it's missing, I gave it a label: Attention Deficit Disorder. It needs more micro tension to keep me reading every world on the page.
Rob: I'm going to keep doing this. I'm going to bounce back to non-fiction. When it comes to non-fiction, do you think the same ideas can apply there? They don't have to, but can they, for better writing?
Donald: Oh yeah, definitely. That's particularly true in what we call narrative nonfiction, history, memoir and things like that, but even in prescriptive nonfiction. That would be self-help and medical books. Things like that, even cookbooks. To create a little question for the reader, a little apprehension, what does this mean or what's going to happen next or what do I do about that? To create that tension is to create a narrative. It's to create an apprehension that causes us to go forward and find out something new or find out what to do or find out how things are going to come out. New stories work in the same way. In news it's just flat. You know this, it's just because it's factual, but when it creates anxiety or apprehension on the part of listener, the viewer, then you lean forward toward the screen or toward the radio speaker or your computer speakers and you are keen to hear what's going to happen. That's because you are uneasy inside; an apprehension has been raised inside you. So, good newscasting leads off with a problem or an intrigue or a question or something that makes you want to know more. I think so anyway.
Rob: And then what does it do?
Donald: Well, then it answers the question and then creates a new anxiety. So, let's say, "President Obama announced blah blah blah." What does this mean? Well it might mean this, but what if it means that? You can always create new apprehension on the part of a listener to keep them listening.
Rob: Now this is key to your approach to writing good fiction or maybe even just good writing is to keep the tension going, to double the problems and make the protagonist have more issues. Let's talk a little bit about that. You don't let go, you're always, it's like the word of Job in the Bible. Job was constantly of afflicted. You would make Job's life seem easy, the way you guide your novelists to torture their protagonists.
Donald: In workshops, one of which you attended, I do push authors to take whatever problems the protagonist is facing in a novel and make those problems worse. The reason for that Rob is that many manuscripts by pre-published authors don't really have enough happening in the middle of the story. They need more events, they need more things happening and one way to do that is to make whatever problem is at hand worse, more complicated in some way. Now you mentioned Job, it would be a little hard to make Job's life harder. Poor guy had a pretty rough time, but remember that not all problems are big, not all problems are earth shaking. Some problems are personal, some problems are small, some problems are interior; those too can have profound impact on the page in a novel.
It's not about tormenting a character physically or sending them on the run or something like that. That works in commercial fiction-- that's fine-- but for other kinds of fiction, the tension can come from other kinds of problems. If it's an interior problem, a journey of self-discovery or healing or even growing up--what we call a coming of age story, you can raise the stakes. You can make the problem worse, but it entails making the problem matter more to that character. Raising the personal stakes means whatever the character has to do or discover or learn becomes more critical to that person. So it's not about blowing up the world or sun nova necessarily. It's about making a nova inside a character. So, there are many, many different ways to create tension. Not everybody needs to be Job in order for a story to be really compelling reading.
Rob Kall has spent his adult life as an awakener and empowerer-- first in the field of biofeedback, inventing products, developing software and a music recording label, MuPsych, within the company he founded in 1978-- Futurehealth, and founding, organizing and running 3 conferences: Winter Brain, on Neurofeedback and consciousness, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology (a pioneer in the field of Positive Psychology, first presenting workshops on it in 1985) and Storycon Summit Meeting on the Art Science and Application of Story-- each the first of their kind. Then, when he found the process of raising people's consciousness and empowering them to take more control of their lives one person at a time was too slow, he founded Opednews.com-- which has been the top search result on Google for the terms liberal news and progressive opinion for several years. Rob began his Bottom-up Radio show, broadcast on WNJC 1360 AM to Metro Philly, also available on iTunes, covering the transition of our culture, business and world from predominantly Top-down (hierarchical, centralized, authoritarian, patriarchal, big) to bottom-up (egalitarian, local, interdependent, grassroots, archetypal feminine and small.) Recent long-term projects include a book, Bottom-up-- The Connection Revolution, debillionairizing the planet and the Psychopathy Defense and Optimization Project.
Rob Kall Wikipedia Page
Over 200 podcasts are archived for downloading here, or can be accessed from iTunes. Rob is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com
Rob is, with Opednews.com the first media winner of the Pillar Award for supporting Whistleblowers and the first amendment.
To learn more about Rob and OpEdNews.com, check out A Voice For Truth - ROB KALL | OM Times Magazine and this article. For Rob's work in non-political realms mostly before 2000, see his C.V.. and here's an article on the Storycon Summit Meeting he founded and organized for eight years. Press coverage in the Wall Street Journal: Party's Left Pushes for a Seat at the Table
Here is a one hour radio interview where Rob was a guest- on Envision This, and here is the transcript. .
To watch Rob having a lively conversation with John Conyers, then Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here. Watch Rob speaking on Bottom up economics at the Occupy G8 Economic Summit, here.
Follow Rob on Twitter & Facebook. His quotes are here
Rob's articles express his personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You know that online gambling history is a flourishing one. With this, there is no doubt that the number of online casino keeps on growing. While it is good being able to choose from thousands of online casinos, you must remember that not all casinos are created equal. The sooner you realise this, the sooner you can set to find established and trustworthy casino reviews.
As a player, if you are not careful where you make an account, you can expose vital personal information to swindlers and hackers. If you are just starting, it may be challenging to choose a safe place for wagering. To help you choose, you should read casino reviews. Casino reviews are critical as they provide an insight into what the casino has to offer.
It is a common practice for most to sign-up at the first casino that appears on the search engine without learning the legality of that operator. Experienced online gamblers recommend that you take some time reading reviews. Although casino reviews are boring to read, it will provide vital information regarding the licensing of a given casino.
This is the reason why you need to read it. When you read casino reviews, you will see the date on which the site was launched including the type of license it holds. If you are in the UK, you must have a license issued by the UK Gambling Commission.
The payout percentage is a crucial element that should be taken into consideration. Ideally, players should look for a casino with high RTP (Return to Player). RTP describes the percentage of all wagered money a game will pay back to players over time.
The casino should inform the players of the winning chances and it is mostly shown in casino review sites. Aside from the RTP, you should also look for payout rates in their reviews. As with the RNG (Random Number Generators) systems, it is tested on regular basis and the results are featured in casino reviews.
You need to choose a casino that has responsive software. In fact, most casinos boast of a flexible software allowing gaming on all types of devices. However, there are some casinos that do not offer flexible software. If you read reviews, you will know if the mobile version is not as good as tablet or PC version.
Aside from software, reading casino reviews will also inform players about the security of casino. This will include the kinds of data protection systems the site utilises. More importantly, through the reviews, you can learn customer support contacts. Of course, it is also important to know the currencies that are accepted to ensure that you have a seamless gaming experience.
Reviews will reveal the banking system and accepted currencies of the casino. This is an important aspect of money gambling. The review often reveals comprehensive information regarding the deposit and withdrawal methods. You can consider this detailed web page as a start.
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My vocation story begins in God's country—beautiful Ohio—-where I was born and raised. I was born into a 100% Polish family, the oldest of 3 girls. Ours was not a family without problems, but, despite our problems, there was always a lot of love. My grandparents were very influential in my faith life, especially my mom's dad. My parents constantly stressed that we were here on earth to become good persons and help others, but my Dziadzia (grandpa) taught us to pray and always talked to us about God and about the possibility of religious life.
When I was in the 3rd grade, I made my First Communion. I remember feeling so close to God! I also remember being fascinated with the Sisters who taught me in school and by the kind of life they led. They seemed especially connected to God and very happy. When I was ready to start the 4th grade, we moved to another part of the city and I went to a different school where I had a very similar experience with the Sisters who were my teachers. They often suggested to me that when I got older I should think about becoming a Sister. I had no idea if that was something I wanted to consider as an adult, but I liked them, and so I listened.
When I graduated from grade school, I went to an all girl's Catholic high school. I played basketball in high school, sang in the school choir, worked on the paper and the yearbook and was President of the Christian Service Club. Becoming a Sister was the farthest thing from my mind! Being a Sister was not popular at the time and I was having way too much fun to even consider such a possibility. I do believe, though, that throughout my life God had been calling me to consider religious life through the people and events I had experienced, but at this point in my life, I just wasn't listening.
After graduating from high school, I enrolled at the University of Toledo. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and really didn't like the big school atmosphere at UT, where I was just a number. I dropped out of college after a year and went to work full time. I was making good money and was able to travel, buy a new Camaro and a motorcycle and go out on the weekends with my friends. Sounds great, but I wasn't happy and I didn't feel fulfilled. A friend of mine who realized that I was searching for something, asked me to help him with the youth group at an inner city parish where he volunteered. I agreed and that's where I first met the Joliet Franciscan Sisters who staffed the parish school.
I found myself once more being fascinated by the life these Sisters led and I was impressed by their dedication and service to the people in the parish. I remember a time the Sisters spent all night searching the drug infested, high crime neighborhood for an 8th grader who had run away from home, a time when they took in a family of 5 that had been evicted from their apartment, and numerous times when they took food and clothing to people in need. It was as if a light had been turned on in a dark room for me! I realized that I was attracted to this kind of life of service and dedication to others and I wanted to live and share my life with people who wanted to do the same thing. And so, at the age of 24, I left my hometown and my family and friends and moved to Joliet to enter the Sisters of St. Francis.
I have had an interesting, challenging and full life as a Joliet Franciscan Sister. Most of my life as a Sister has been spent in secondary education where I have ministered as a teacher, dean of students, assistant principal and campus minister. In addition, I spent time as a missionary in Brazil at our mission there and as vocation director for our Congregation. I do believe that my life as a Sister was in God's plan for me and that I am very blessed. St. Francis, as he lay dying, told his brothers, "I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours." Herein lies my hope and challenge for any young person reading this—I am convinced that Christ will put people and experiences in your life to guide you in what is yours to do in life. It is up to you to live a reflective life with a listening ear and a heart open to doing whatever Christ calls you to do. Blessings on your journey!


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Hamzat Lawal
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Hamzat Lawal (Hamzy!) is an activist who has successfully led grassroots campaigns in over 40 African countries with over nine years experience in the non-profit sector and specializes in practical issues associated with Climate Change, Open Data, advocacy campaigns and development policies as it affects rural and deprived grassroots communities.
Hamzy! is also the Founder of Follow The Money, a Pan-African grassroots data-driven movement and leads a team of technology & innovation driven campaigners to amplify voices of marginalized communities in promoting accountability as it affects utilization of public funds focusing on specific communities across Africa.
He is currently the Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), under his leadership CODE won the ONE Africa 2016 Award which recognizes, rewards, and advances the exceptional work of Africa based organizations; dedicated to helping the continent achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Hamzy! seats on the Executive Board of the largest Youth Movement in Africa: African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC), advising on communications strategies and campaigns using technology tools in shaping and actualizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has joined his voice on different platforms and policy influencing coalitions across Africa such as the Not Too Young To Run movement which drives youth political inclusion.
Before his role at CODE, he was an Executive with the International Centre For Energy, Environment & Development (ICEED) working on high level advocacy for Nigeria's energy needs and climate actions.
Hamzat was honored and recognized on the 2018 list of the world's 100 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical, a global network for government, helping public servants find the ideas, people and partners they need to solve the hardest challenges facing our societies. It's the first of its kind to show the international spread of the field, and includes individuals from every continent.
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General Southwest specializes in insurance for bars and taverns in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. Whether you run a neighborhood watering hole or a high-end wine bar and restaurant, your business is a big investment. It's important to protect yourself, your employees and your patrons. Property damage, employee injuries, and third-party lawsuits are just a few things that present a financial risk to your establishment. It's important to have the right types of insurance and adequate amounts of coverage.
A grease fire breaks out in your kitchen, and you have to close several weeks for repairs?
A patron who was served several drinks at your establishment has a car crash on the way home, seriously injuring the driver of another car?
Your Point-of-Sale system gets hacked, compromising customer names and payment information?
The advisors at General Southwest understand that these scenarios, and countess others, have the power to cripple or destroy your business. We provide a full menu of insurance products, specially tailored to the needs of bars and taverns.
Employee protections: May include unemployment insurance, disability insurance, medical insurance, and workers compensation.
General liability insurance: Covers property damage and bodily injury. Separate riders are needed if you offer hazardous entertainment features.
Liquor liability: Specific coverage for property damage or injuries that result from patrons who became intoxicated at your bar.
Assault and battery liability insurance: Fights are generally excluded by general and liquor liability policies.
Product liability: Provides coverage if a customer is sickened by your food or beverages.
Garage-keepers liability: Necessary if you provide valet parking.
Property coverages: May include protection for your property and its contents; equipment breakdown; food spoilage coverage; and lost income protection that covers required expenses and employee salaries.
Cyber insurance: Most general liability policies specifically exclude cyber attacks and the associated costs.
Flood insurance: In most cases, damage from flooding is not covered by property insurance.
Your General Southwest advisor will work with you to understand the unique risks your establishment faces, so you can stay focused on your day-to-day operations.


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Sky still growing, with HD leading the charge
By Patrick Goss 2009-07-30T08:26:00.21Z Internet
Annual profits up for BSkyB
Sky: Impressive results
Sky has revealed that it has added a further 124,000 subscribers in the last quarter – beating its target and helping the company to a four per cent rise in annual operating profits.
Sky's focus on gaining more customers for its high definition services appears to have paid off, with the company moving past 1.3 million HD subscribers, with a price drop for the set top box bringing a further 534,000 HD customers.
The price drop cost Sky in the region of £130 million, but boosted revenue by 100 million, with the long term benefits clear.
10 million customers
"We offer customers outstanding value through a combination of high quality products and great value and expect continued growth towards our target of 10 million customers by December 2010," BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch told The Guardian.
Sky's pre-tax profits were £456 million up £60 million year on year, although figures include a £191 million writedown in the 17.9 per cent stake in ITV, whose share value has plummeted.
Operating profits were £780m, up four per cent on last year's £752m, and the company's Sky Broadband losses are beginning to fall.


Goodnight Tea - For a good night's sleep – The Goodnight Co.
Click here to be notified by email when Goodnight Tea becomes available.
For the perfect night-time brew, you can't go past our Goodnight Tea. This delicious tea includes chamomile to encourage a calm restful sleep, fennel to melt away the stress, liquorice to restore energy and settle the nerves, and ginger for an overall warming effect for the mind and body. Incorporating herbal tea into your bedtime ritual can really soothe the mind and calm the body and prepare you for a restful sleep.


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Home Music News Dead Weather Release Teaser For New Single
Dead Weather Release Teaser For New Single
Nova News Team
Supergroup The Dead Weather have released a video teaser for their latest single ' I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)'. The track is off their upcoming new album Dodge & Burn which comes out later this year.
The band, which consists of The Kills' Alison Mosshart, Jack White, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence, released their second album Sea Of Cowards in 2010, which followed on from their 2009 debut Horehound.
Dead Weather have recently announced that their new album Dodge & Burn will be out this year and it will be released on September 25th. It is to be released on Jack White's own record label Third Man Records.
The full video for their new single 'I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)' is exclusively available for Tidal users. The song is also available to download for those who pre-order the new album.
The band previously released a number of one off tracks in the past few years, each of which will appear on the new album. These songs are 'Buzzkill(er)', 'It's Just Too Bad', 'Open Up (That's Enough)' and 'Rough Detective', all of which have been remastered for the new release.
You can check out the teaser trailer for The Dead Weather's new track 'I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)' down below.
Photo Credit: Rob Harris
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Oasis and The Stone Roses rare demo tapes to be auctioned


Dynatect can provide guidance on various mounting options prior to placing order. Contact Dynatect if you need any assistance installing your clutch. In the articles below, you will find some installation guidelines and some slip clutch mounting examples.
Shaft-through versions: Insert input shaft into cartridge and tighten set screws. Insert housing around input shaft, with torque pins engaging holes in outer plates. Input shaft will keep the cartridge and housing aligned.
Shaft to Shaft versions: Insert input shaft into cartridge and tighten set screws. Insert output shaft into housing and tighten set screws. Input and output shafts must be properly journaled with centerlines within +/- .010 T.I.R.
Do not lubricate the clutch. Friction materials are designed to run without additional lubrication. Lubrication will cause a change in torque and erratic behavior. The inherent axial loaded design will keep dirt and dust out of the friction surfaces.
All Polyclutch® slip clutches perform the basic function of controlling the torque between two elements. They can be supplied as a shaft-to-shaft coupling or a shaft to pulley, gear, or sprocket model. Polyclutch custom slip clutches can be provided with nonstandard bore sizes, keyways, low backlash or higher torque, minus housings and with pulley, gear or sprocket. Imagination and ingenuity have developed and created additional variations not shown here.


After the first "Global Cultural Industry Development Report" released by the Asia-Pacific CEO Association in February 2012, the organizing committee of the summit would like now to release the 2nd report as the research result of the 1st summit.
The 2nd "Global Cultural Industry Development Report mainly includes 3 parts. The first part is the development of the cultural industries in the world's major economies, which analyzes the developing process and characteristics of world culture industry, and the development situation of cultural industry in major developed countries. The second part is about the historic significance and profound connotation of cultural industry development. The third part is the highlights of the report; it makes a comprehensive analysis of the industry development of the regions in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />China, and the current development status of China's cultural sub-industry; it also predicts that China's cultural industry will face new opportunities of development.
We hope that the 2nd report will strengthen people's understanding of the latest tendency and features of the global cultural industry, provide more strategic thinking on its development and further promoteg the development of cultural industry.


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" ... The windows usually are provided with characteristic straight line patterns absolutely in the flat and usually severe. The nature of the glass is taken into account in these designs as is also the metal bar used in their construction, and most of them are treated as metal 'grilles' with glass inserted forming a simple rythmic arrangement of straight lines and squares made as cunning as possible so long as the result is quiet..."
Frank Lloyd Wright, Architectural Record, March 1908
Finding lustred glass today is not a major challenge. Chicago Art Glass makes a line of Prairie-style lustred glass which may not be in stock but can be ordered through your local stained glass dealer. We also sell Glass when available. Please mail us for ordering information.
The width and shadows of the came is an integral part of the windows designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Fortunately, a recent resurgence in the popularity of Frank Lloyd Wright's works has made came similar to the came he used available again. The came used in Frank Lloyd Wright's windows was usually zinc with copper or brass plating.
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God is active in the world. We seek to develop our connectedness to other denominations and faith groups in order to cooperate in mission, learn from one another, and deepen our understandings of the variety and diversity of God's imagination and creativity. St. Thomas is an active partner in several local ecumenical and interfaith ministries – these are listed in the column to the right.
We're blessed in our neighbor congregations, Congregation Beth Shalom and University Baptist Church, and we appreciate the ways this neighborliness continues to grow into authentic trust. We've engaged in study and service projects with both these congregations and, when Beth Shalom's building was damaged by a fire, we were happy to offer them our sanctuary as a place to worship.
ELCA is actively working on developing interfaith partnerships. Find out more about this denominational initiative here.


On what I otherwise recall as a beautiful sunny day in Montana, I came to learn that my boyfriend of three years had cheated on me. In slow motion he laid out the betrayal, which amplified from a kiss, to an "it only happened once," to the eventual truth: he had been sleeping with a close friend of mine for a year. To her credit, she was much more candid as she recounted the details of their relationship. Listening to her in her living room, I sat on my hands to avoid the physical rage I felt very much on the brink of. To her discredit, she lacked anything that I would identify as remorse or guilt, and flippantly commented that "it didn't mean anything." It meant something to me. It meant everything to me. In the hours that followed, it was revealed that every one of my friends knew, but had opted not to tell me. Some found my obliviousness funny, and some felt it simply wasn't their place to tell. Whatever the reason, not one of them felt I was worth the truth.
My heart was incredibly broken. A broken that feels so heavy it can't be contained to the body, and so it begins to creep into the space around you like a dense fog. My world, which admittedly had not been perfect, had ceased to exist entirely in one awful moment. I had lost someone I loved and thought of as a best friend. I had lost the home that we shared. I had lost anyone close to turn to and consequently, I believe I lost my mind for a while. I broke the railings on the porch we used to drink our coffee on, and the plates we used to eat from. I ripped the pictures of our memories, and sent emails that fluctuated between anger and desperation. I ate girl scout cookies by the box full, and started sleeping with the lights on. I moved away to Glacier, and then Yosemite, to DC and then to Illinois. Both searching for something solid and resisting anything that resembled commitment. It's a weird thing, that having someone betray your trust doesn't automatically translate to not loving that person anymore. I both hated and wanted him. Felt hurt by him, but wanted to lean on him for comfort also.
On a rainy night in Glacier, I sat by a payphone crying after another long and drawn out argument. We hadn't cut and run like we should have, so months after the initial breakup we were still painfully dragging it on. Oscillating between wonderful weekends together and crashing dramatically into repeated realizations that things were over. From the darkness a security guard appeared, stopping short as he squinted at me through the rain. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded, but gave a face that said the opposite. He was silent for a moment before offering "Whatever it is, you're obviously worth more. Don't allow yourself to get used to something that isn't good enough." And then he walked off, back into the darkness.
It's strange the moments that stick and take on meaning in our lives. From that evening forward, I began a mantra in the back of my head. I am worth more. I am worth more. I am worth more. I didn't believe it, but somebody did and that was enough. Eventually, years later, that lie became a truth for me. I had told myself that I deserved better in a thousand different ways, and at last I genuinely felt it. But it wasn't simply that I deserved better from others, it meant that I deserved to be better also. To be kinder, and more open, more loving and more honest. It meant that I was worth being loved openly and truthfully, but also that I was worth giving love and trust to someone else.
Reflectively, that time in my life still strikes a tone of sadness in me. I lost a lot in that moment: whatever remained of childhood innocence, and the naivety that people I value will always feel the same about me. But I am, for the most part, incredibly grateful for the way things played out. Not for the cheating itself, or the friends who were not friends at all, but for the jolt that redirected me toward greater self-love, compassion, and an understanding of what I could offer to and ask from the world. A jolt that told me I could do more, I could be more, and I could demand more. So that by the time I met my husband I could say confidently "Here I am. This is what I have to offer, and this is what I need from love." To my great happiness, he accepted those terms.


My hair fall , fissure in ano and fibroadenoma improved significantly, thanks to Dr. Shah.
25 years old Ms. K. R. S. (Patient Identification Number - 21825) resided in Australia for further studies. Her father was taking treatment for gout(joint pains) for himself. He had good improvement so he wanted to start homeopathic treatment for his daughter. She was absent but her father gave her case details.Dr. Shah suggested her to send few photographs for better evaluation so that appropriate medication can be prescribed.Her case was started on 23rd May 2013. She was suffering from Hair fall since past 6-7 months. There were thinning of hair on forehead and right side of scalp. She had no dandruff or itching on her scalp.
She was also suffering from fissure in ano since past 6 months. On consulting the doctors in Australia she was suggested to under surgical procedure. She experienced tremendous pain and bleeding. She complained of constipation occasionally.
She also reported that she was recently diagnosed of fibro adenoma (Benign tumor in her breast) in breast. She was apprehensive about this as her mother had expired due to breast cancer.
She had good appetite. She liked eating chicken and meat. She had no specific dislikes. Her thirst, urine, perspiration were normal. Her sleep was sound.
She was studying PhD in Biotechnology in Australia. Her father resided in Abu Dhabi. Her brother had business of manufacturing chemicals for battery.
She was a confident and intelligent young woman. She was friendly by nature. She was decisive and headstrong.
Her father was suffering from joint pains due to elevated uric acid (Gout).
Dr. Shah prescribed research based medicines after studying her case in detail.
She reported back on 14th January 2014 with more than 40% improvement in her hair fall. She reported after 9 months. Hair fall had reduced and new hair had started growing on the affected area of her scalp. There was around 75% improvement in her complaint of fissure in ano. There was no pain or bleeding while passing motions. She was glad to report that there was no palpable lump in her breast. There was around 75% improvement in her complaint of fibro adenoma.
She is still continuing medication with Life Force for complete recovery.


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Regional carriers deal with pilot shortage
Charlotte is American Airlines' largest regional hub with hundreds of flights each day to small, regional airports. But all of those flight options could be in jeopardy if the regional carriers can't find more pilots.
Author: Mark Boyle
Published: 5:18 PM EDT April 30, 2018
Updated: 7:54 PM EDT April 30, 2018
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte is American Airlines' largest regional hub with hundreds of flights each day to small, regional airports. But all of those flight options could be in jeopardy if the regional carriers can't find more pilots.
"The pipeline for pilots started to dry up after 9/11," Piedmont Airlines President Lyle Hogg explained.
Hogg told NBC Charlotte the regional pilot shortage is more of an issue than some may think.
"If things don't change, what could happen down the road?" asked reporter Mark Boyle.
"Those carriers that are really tight on pilots would not be able to serve some of the smaller communities," replied Hogg.
That's another big issue. Hogg explains regional carriers like Piedmont may reduce frequency to smaller cities, which would create fewer flying options for you.
Here's the issue: Learning to be a pilot can cost well over $100,000. After airlines went out of business years ago, and furloughs were being offered, combine that with all of the mergersm and the pipeline of trained pilots dried up.
"This is a phenomenon that's happening across the nation. Even the military is short pilots," Hogg said.
Carriers like Piedmont are trying to intice young pilots with large bonuses to help pay of debt, but it's still a slow process. It's unclear how a possible pilot shortage will impact summer travel.


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Toyota Gazoo Racing says the installation of new track curbing at Silverstone Circuit indirectly led to the disqualification of both cars from Sunday's FIA World Endurance Championship round.
The race-winning No. 8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid of Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, as well as the sister, second-placed No. 7 entry were excluded from the results after failing post-race skid deflection tests.
In a statement released late Sunday, the Japanese manufacturer said the design and construction of the skid block had not changed on the car since the beginning of the 2017 season, and passed similar tests, most recently at Spa earlier this year.
Of note, both Toyotas had bodywork changes during the race, with the No. 8 car having a nose change in the fifth hour and the rear deck swapped out on the No. 7 car late in the running.
"Both cars suffered damage to their respective front floor areas during the race due to impacts against the new curbs at Silverstone," the statement read.
Toyota is now "evaluating" its next course of action, hinting that it could appeal the ruling.
The exclusions have handed the overall victory to the No. 3 Rebellion R13 Gibson of Gustavo Menezes, Mathias Beche and Thomas Laurent.
It is the first outright win in WEC competition for a privateer entrant and first for a non-hybrid since Spa 2012.


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Tag: San Francisco Bay
Sausalito Yacht Club's Midwinters, February 5th Race.
The weather looked a little more favorable for this race compared to the first one. Wind out of the Southwest at 10-15 knots, with a strong ebb at the start. In preparing to singlehand I went out the week before the race and pre-marked the Choker line and Topping Lift to make it a little easier for me once the race was under way. Of course these were approximate trim markings and still had to be fined tuned out on the course.
With our 174 PHRF rating and the NorCal YRA rule that Nonsuch's and Wylie Cats have to race in Spinnaker Classes, we were set to start in the Spinnaker Class C. The other C class boats rated from 120 to 145!
Running the Line.
I had my tablet mounted by the wheel with a good Countdown Timer app set up. I ran the line a couple of times to get my timing down and did a pretty good job of hitting the line when our class flag went up.
The only problem was that I was at the pin end and the current was taking me away from the first mark.
Pin end start.
And as you can see, I'm not pointing nearly as well as the International One Design, one of the boats I'm racing against. Thanks to these very helpful pictures taken by a great photographer on the RC boat, Roxanne Fairbairn, I see that the sail could be sheeted in a little more, maybe drop the Wishbone a touch, and pull the Choker tighter to get the top batten pointing back more instead of out.
SYC Course 11
The Race Committee sent us out on Course 11–one beat across the bay from Angel Island to Crissy Field then a run back to the finish. The story of the race was losing a lot of ground to the other class boats on the beat due to poorly using the ebb and not pointing well. But we did make up time on the run back to the finish!
Crossing the Finish Line
A total of five classes were racing, three Spinnaker and two Non-Spinnaker. 25 boats in all were out there, four in our Spinnaker class. We came in 4th. However, all the classes raced the same course, so based on corrected time we would have come in 2nd in the appropriate Non-Spinnaker class!
Heading home.
I'm still learning a lot about the boat and racing singlehanded was an additional learning experience. Every race gets me a little sharper on sail trim and tactics, and racing alone is a total immersion experience–complete concentration every second.
My Nonsuch 30U again proved herself to be everything I hoped for and I will definitely race singlehanded again!
Nonsuch 30 U
singlehanded sailing
Sausalito Yacht Club's Chili Midwinters
With a PHRF 0f 174 on San Francisco Bay, the Nonsuch is definitely not a racing boat. But that doesn't mean it can't be raced. And I'm not talking about as a One Design–that's a whole other kettle of fish. How would it do in a Handicap race?
Makani is fitted out for cruising. The biggest drawback to racing is that she has a 35# anchor on her bow and 300′ of chain in the chain locker. A lot of weight. If this were a traditional design it would be easier enough to open the chain locker and pull out the chain before a race. Can't do that on a Nonsuch. I could use the windlass and run out the chain on the dock and put it in the dock box, and I may do that in the future, but I didn't do that for now.
The other drawback is that the YRA here stipulates that Nonsuches and Wylie Cats must race in the Spinnaker class. Boats in that class are usually more fitted out for racing that cruising.
With all that being taken into consideration, after serving on the Sausalito Yacht Club Race Committee for over ten races, I felt it was time to sail Makani in one of the club's races. They have a Spring Series and Summer Series on Tuesday nights and a Midwinter Series on Sundays. The Spring and Summer are in typical blustery San Francisco Bay conditions. The Midwinters are in typical Winter SF Bay conditions–unpredictable, usually light, and stronger than usual tides and currents.
I chose to enter the second Midwinter which was on Sunday, December 4. We were in the Spinnaker Class for boats with a PHRF rating over 100. My son Jason agreed to race with me. As promised in the Midwinter's, at Noon, the time of the first gun, there was no wind.
Jason at Makani's helm relaxing before the warning signal. Golden Gate Bridge and Marin headlands in background.
After one hour and 20 minutes the Postpone signal went down and the first class to race got its warning. We are the third class to go off (SYC uses rolling starts). Unfortunately for us, there was also a strong flood that pushed us too far away from the line. Even with the engine on we couldn't get close enough to the line before our warning and turning off the engine. We started six minutes late in light air.
VERY SLOW tack to finally cross the Start Line
Big lesson from the first upwind leg: in light air don't try to point too high. It seems to be much better to foot off a little for better speed even though you may add distance. It was very disheartening to see a sloop rigged 30 footer with a similar rating blow past us upwind. But then came the good news: we were great downwind. We sailed a rhumb line course from the windward mark to the jibe mark at a decent speed. No jibing necessary and sailed the shortest possible course.
Makani in the fleet.
As we made the turn to head back up wind we got a call that my granddaughter, Jason's daughter, was running a high fever and had to be taken to the doctor. Called the RC, told them we were withdrawing, motored back to the dock, met the baby at the doctors and everything turn out fine.
It also turned out that most of the boats that stayed in the race didn't finish — the wind died again.
Take aways:
I don't think the our Nonsuch, outfitted as it is, will ever sail to its PHRF numbers in a traditional Windward/Leeward race. HOWEVER, the SYC has a number of untraditional races, e.g., the Twin Island Race Series, which goes from a starting line, to a mark, then your choice for which direction to take around Angel Island and Alcatraz, back to the mark then a finish at the club. A race like that will have longer offwind and reaching legs. Perfect for the Nonsuch 30U Makani!
I took Makani our for a sail yesterday with one other crew on board, Al (who has an Islander 30 two slips down). We left the dock at noon with a bright, blue sky, 60 degree temperature and the wind out of the West at 15 knots. It was slack low tide, with a flood for the rest of the afternoon. The wind was predicted to build to 18 knots. This being April the westerly was not a result of East Bay thermals but part of a front in the Pacific moving in.
After motoring out of Richardson Bay, I set a single reef in the sail and headed out into the "slot." The wind immediately built to 20 knots, but Makani handled it beautifuly with about 10 degrees of heel and tracking straight on a beam reach. We continued across the bay to the Bay Bridge with the wind and chop building. The wind was now a steady 25 with gusts up to 30 knots, but to my extreme pleasure, Makani took them well with her mast bending with each gust to dump off the wind. We never had a rail in the water or experienced extreme heeling. And I never had to let out the main.
The Coast Guard broadcast a Small Craft Warning (not unusual for SF in the summer, but this is still Spring) so we tacked around (piece of cake) and headed back to Sausalito. Now we were taking the chop on the forward quarter of the boat and even with a dodger up plenty of spray was coming into the cockpit.
All Al had to say was that he was glad we were on the Nonsuch instead of his Islander 30–a very nice boat but much "wetter."
When we returned to Sausalito Channel in Richardson Bay we headed into the wind, let the halyard fly and watched the main fall into the cradle. This was the strongest wind I've had Makani out in and was delighted with all aspects of her sailing. Another big confirmation that getting a Nonsuch 30U was the perfect decision for SF Bay.


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Alphabetical List • Articles of Confederation • Astronauts • Businessmen • Entertainers • Explorers and Frontiersmen • Governors • Military Leaders
Samuel Houston
Military Leaders
Birthday: March 2, 1793 Birthday - Samuel Houston 17930302000000 Deceased: July 26, 1863 Deceased - Samuel Houston 18630726000000
American politician and soldier, best known for his role in bringing Texas into the United States as a constituent state. His victory at the Battle of San Jacinto secured the independence of Texas from Mexico. The only American to be elected governor of two different States (as opposed to territories or indirect appointments), he was also the only Southern governor to oppose secession (which led to the outbreak of the American Civil War) and to refuse an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, a decision that led to his removal from office by the Texas secession convention


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ELBOW To Headline Kendal Calling 2015
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Jonathan Payne on a fantastic opening concert at one of the city's finest venues
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Music review: The Specials, Liverpool Olympia
Angie Sammons gets swept away by the rude boy revival. <b>Pictures:</b> Mark McNulty
Written by Angie Sammons. Published on October 31st 2009.
I COULD run away with The Specials. I wanted to in 1979, when Gangsters first came screaming across the school disco floor, and this week I considered it again.
Gangsters was two and a half minutes of deep joy that came earlyish on in the 2-Tone stars' career, their styling, their music and their distinctive chequered record label pinning itself, in an instant, on to the lapels of Thatcher's children.
The song was a hard act to follow. No one could possibly know if they would ever top it. But hindsight is a wonderful thing and on Thursday when Coventry's finest export launched into it again, minutes into a searing set of ska, it was in the safe knowledge that, this time, the best was to come – again and again.
You might have been forgiven for thinking Jose Mourinho was about to come on. "Special...special...." wailed the voice of a soundalike Church St Echo seller as searchlights forlornly panned around Frank Matcham's glorious and underused Olympia on West Derby Road.
Then, just after nine o'clock, a chant of Enjoy Yourself went up. A white stage curtain dropped and six of the original magnificent seven burst into life, back from the dead and kicking the excited, rafter-packed house, into a rude boy frenzy with Do The Dog.
Reviving an old music act from golden slumber, and taking it on the road, is the only way to travel in this day and age. And a good back catalogue provides a comfortable little earner to dip into. Here, with tickets at £33 a pop, a friend remarked that it was bit like
watching Terry Hall and co drawing on their pension.
Yet this incredibly polished, tight opener to Liverpool Music Week displayed all the youthful exuberance you could ask for. There's no hint of keys being changed to accommodate, how shall we say, more mature vocal chords, they still move well and they've kept their cool. Well more than Spandau Ballet (on up the road the same night), anyway.
The hits were delivered at machine gun speed. Rat Race, Too Much Too Young, A Message To You Rudy, Enjoy Yourself, Guns of Navarone and then the masterpiece, Jerry Dammers' Ghost Town, a number one which inadvertently became the theme tune of the 1981 Toxteth riots, and which cheered up the bleak midsummer of the Charles and Di wedding no end.
The Specials have tried reunions before, but this 30th anniversary line up, left incomplete only by the absence of the band's founder, Dammers, has gone down a storm with sell-out gigs all over the UK.
Do we miss Dammers? Yes and no. He wanted The Specials reunion to be more than a "nostalgic knees up", was always up for experimenting and moving the band on, musically. He feels his group, which he planned from a young boy, has been taken away. They say the door is open, but with the odd sarcastic quip from Hall at his expense on stage (too much, too long winded to go into here), I wouldn't hold my breath.
Maybe it's just his sense of humour. After all, the Man United-loving frontman did get an easy laugh out of dedicating Do Nothing to Michael Owen. Yet, amid the banter, one wonders how many other cities have wags in the crowd who would call out for Night Boat to Cairo in between every other song – not a mistake, but a wind-up evoking those old, zoot-suit rivals, Madness.
Bands won't play no more? The audience, mixed age, were clearly ecstatic that this one would - and for a solid two hours that wasn't enough.
All, of course, proving that The Specials have still got it – as demonstrated in glorious black and white.
5 comments so far, continue the conversation, write a comment.
AnonymousOctober 31st 2009.
If this theatre were in London it would be a treasure. It's perfect for this sort of gig. Just sort out the bar!
Reply To This...
manchester girlOctober 31st 2009.
Saw them at Glasto and they were amazing. What a treat for Liverpool. I wish I'd known
Mod swingOctober 31st 2009.
Agree with this review. Brilliant night that seems to have been overlooked elsewhere. Was very Special!
queeny eyeOctober 31st 2009.
Special brewOctober 31st 2009.
Excellent review.
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