Is Grand Theft Auto 5 too short?
Grand Theft Auto V was one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. With hundreds of gamers throughout the country queuing for their copy at midnight on Monday 17 September, the proceeding days were almost undoubtedly dominated by GTA V action.
Rockstar absolutely nailed it. While the previous GTA titles had solid campaigns, GTA V's was by far the best yet. The action was intense. The chemistry between the characters was outstanding. The plot was solid. The game greatly surpassed my expectations in all these areas. Sure, I knew it was going to be extremely entertaining, but I hadn't counted on being taken in so thoroughly by the story at certain points.
The combination of the three characters worked much better than I had anticipated. Numerous later missions utilised each of the playable protagonists in different ways, including three prong attacks, sniper and cover moments and splinter stories.
The system meant that not only were missions kept fresh and repetition less obvious, it also allowed for a more in-depth narrative to play out. In fact, this was the most interesting chemistry I'd ever seen built between characters of a video game title.
The game ultimately ended on a high and sets Rockstar up perfectly for any DLC they choose to release.
I too found myself finishing the game around this point, and, like finishing a good TV series, it did leave me longing for more.
Should it have been longer though? I think I might be slightly controversial here by saying that the game was the right length. While more side missions that were engaging but didn't affect the main plot would have been greatly appreciated, the main story was told successfully in the allotted time, with more missions running the risk of dragging it out.
We can compare this to a number of popular television series that either do or don't continue beyond their best before date. Popular writer and comedian, Ricky Gervais, is well known to limit his shows to only two seasons, claiming that a third season is simply too difficult to meet the high fan expectation.
In contrast, you frequently get shows, like Heroes, that go beyond their original planned finish until being forced to end due to a loss of ratings.
While this is TV, the same applies to GTA V and, for my money at least, a great decision was made to end the story while it was still hot rather than growing stale towards the end.


Laws criminalizing bomb threats and threats of other destructive devices and toxic materials have been on the books for years, but since 9/11 these offenses have been taken much more seriously. The bomb threat law appears in the same section of the Maryland code that governs false statements to police officers, but there are major differences in the maximum penalties for these two offenses. Lying to cop or making a false police report is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 6 months in jail. On the other hand, making a false threat or report about a bomb is a felony with a 10-year maximum prison sentence. This harsh maximum jail term is only part of the sentence for this crime, as the judge can also impose large restitution penalties. The amount of restitution is typically the money that the act cost public and private entities that were forced to deal with threat, which can end up costing tens of thousands of dollars. The government can demand money spent by responding to the threat and searching for the destructive device, and private property owners can make a claim for money lost due to the evacuation of their property. Keep in mind that if the defendant is a minor and has been found delinquent of making a bomb threat in juvenile court, the parents could be on the hook for the restitution payments.
The bottom line is that what can start out as a joke or a prank can turn into an extremely serious situation that can affect a person who is charged for life. If you or a loved on is facing a criminal charge for making a false threat contact the criminal defense lawyers at The Herbst Firm immediately for a free consultation. Benjamin Herbst has personally handled these types of cases, and understands what it takes to defend against the accusations. The false bomb threat laws are designed to punish anyone, but more often than not the defendants in these cases are juveniles and young adults. We have seen juveniles and high school age students accused of this offense that have never been in any kind of legal trouble before in their lives, including A and B students. Peer pressure can lead a juvenile or young adult to engage in this type of behavior when they would have never in a million years done so on their own volition. Many younger people simply do not understand the consequences of a simple prank, but they are real, and if not handled properly can affect the defendant for the rest of his or her life. Charges for this offense can be brought in multiple jurisdictions. For example if the threat was conducted by phone the state can bring charges in either the place where the call was made or in the place where the call was received. In certain circumstances the defendant may even face prosecution in two jurisdictions at the same time. There are many ways to defend against a false threat charge, and we would be happy to discuss the specific facts and circumstances regarding your case or your child's case. To reach us anytime either fill out a contact form on the website or call 410-207-2598.


Ison Van Winkle, Mari Brossfield, Jacob Gutierrez, Ross Murakami. We were all born in the US.
Ison: I come from parents both engrained in the finance and business worlds for the majority of their lives. With that background, they've taught both my sister and I the sometimes cold-hearted truth of the world and were simultaneously models that you can always make the most out of your life, no matter where you start out.
Ison: Our career in music is still very much in it's infancy, even with our certain level of success. And no matter how much our success grows into the future, we will always be in a state of exploration and growth. That never ends.
The band name simply came out of saying that was used instead of cussing. So instead of saying "Oh, you fuckers!" we would say, "Oh, you YIP YOPS!". And after using it for a few shows, it just stuck.
Overall, the band members' musical backgrounds start the same as most. We listened to bands that our parents would play in the car or as background music, varying from bands such as Pink Floyd to Prince to Metallica. Today, our musical tastes are so in line with each other, but at the same time, so diverse. Personally, as an artist and music enthusiast, I find it extremely important to listen to as much music as possible, no matter the genre or style. Because not only will you hear things that you could never imagine yourself enjoying, it also gives you insight to other people worlds, cultures and background, which is one of the best parts about music in the first place.
Not exactly sure what you mean by "experience and skills", but if you mean just overall as people, I can tell you of my (Ison's) personal experience. I was the kid in school that would bring my guitar and practice during my lunch breaks in the music room. I remember getting teased and questioned by my peers, but I never really saw it as something to be ashamed of. It was just something that I would've rather spend my time doing than anything else. As I got into high school, I began to notice myself drifting further and further away from everyone around me. Thinking about music, and everything I wanted to do with it, took up the majority of my thoughts. I remember even writing songs during class, turning the teachers voice into muffled mush. It got to the point where, the next year, I enrolled into online school, where I would graduate a year early to focus all my time into music. It also gave me a unique opportunity to let myself grow without the distracting influence of the people around me, and especially looking back on those years, I really appreciate that.
Ison: It is never an artists job to label themselves. Artists and performers are just supposed to create and reflect. It feels like a waste of time trying to figure out the "perfect genre" that we think we fit in, because in reality, people will label you however they see you. It's inevitable. On the other hand, when we feel we "need" to put a genre to what we do, we sometimes use "retro wave", mainly because we think it sounds cool.
As a band, we are extremely fascinated by the notion of taking a simple idea, and stretching, squeezing, bending and pulling out any creative juices we can from it. Like in the movies that take place primarily, if not, totally in one location (i.e. Reservoir Dogs or Panic Room). For example, in the music video for "Head Home", it's a single frame throughout the entire video, but there's enough going within that frame to keep it interesting. There's dynamics throughout. It will go from chaos, with flashing ever-changing colors and background, with rotating heads and dancing bodies. And then it will transform into a still, static background, with a still body in the center simply singing the words.
Ison: I think it's fair to say that the music industry is one of the most interesting businesses on the planet. It's insane to think that someone could have more raw talent than anybody else and never be able to reach his/her potential of success. Yet, someone who has no talent can be one of the biggest performers in the world. And obviously the internet amplifies that potential problem to a deafening volume these days, but in reality, that has always been an unfortunate truth of the industry. Although I do believe that the internet can also help shine a spotlight on some truly talented artist that may not have it otherwise. On the "business" side to the "music business", I believe it's pretty known that a lot of people are just looking for the quickest way to make money and really could't care less for creativity or artistry. We've been in situations where people we were working with wanted to change us entirely: change our name, our music, our direction, what we believe in, everything. And it just got the point where we had to say no and remove ourselves. We believe in what we're doing and have a clear direction of where we want to be, and we don't want to have to rely on anyone to get there. I mean, this is a "music business", and it's important to understand both sides. But I've also noticed that the business doesn't change the kids, it's kids that change the business.
Ison: It's funny to look back at the formation of the band and think about how it all came together. With all of us being in the same general area, around the same time, it's very interesting.
With this release, we've done everything ourselves. We haven't worked with any producers, directors, engineers, etc. It was important to us that we did everything we could ourselves in the first real launch of the band. In the future, we may work with some outside people that we feel could take it to a level we couldn't necessarily do ourselves, and are already in talks with producers and directors for potential future projects.
Ison: With this being our first single off of our first release, I think it's fair to say that we're in the early ages of our career. However, we've been around the industry for some time now. We've seen the manipulation and greed, as well as the support and motivation. As a spectator, I find it very interesting how uninteresting a lot of the bands are today. I just recently heard statistics that now show "Hip Hop" as the most popular genre of music, overtaking "Rock", and I can't say I'm surprised. Especially in comparison to the bands of today, artists and performers in Hip Hop are so much more exciting, in my opinion. And I think what's pushed the genre over the edge is artists figuring out a way to attract traditional Hip Hop listeners that, in my opinion, are flipping the industry on its head. And unfortunately, it's hard for me to pick out artists in other genres who are doing that to same the degree.
As for our goals, we want to bring that energy, that has been lost for so long, back to bands. We want to be able to connect with the listeners as much as, or more than, anyone else does. We want to inspire the same feeling that we have when we heard our favorites bands for the first time.
Ison: I try to be aware of everything around me. I think it's easy for people, when they get bored these days, to restore their eyes to a screen. Now I also believe that the internet can also be very insightful and a great release for people. However, if we would spend just half of the time we look at our phones and try to absorb the world around us, I think people would start to understand what they're missing out on.
I also find that I inspire myself to write and perform because I don't want anyone to tell me that I can't. Anyone says that someone "can't" do something, can't do it themselves.
Ison: Anyone who tells you there is a secret to writing a "hit song" is a liar. Just write what you would want to hear and maybe others will like it too.
Ison: Think for yourself. The world is drowning in pressure to be/act a certain way. For example, you shouldn't feel like you "have to" go to college. You should only go to college if your line of work requires it. And if you don't know what you want to do, use the time to figure it out. Don't drown yourself in student loans just to waste the years away. Be proactive, take control of your own life. Meet people that are like-minded to you, but build yourself to where you don't have to rely on anyone to accomplish what you want.
Ison: Never say anything is "good enough", because nothing ever is. No matter how popular or obscure, the greatest artists are always pushing themselves to write better songs, have better live performances, etc. And with that, learn to "learn". Pay attention to feedback that you get, positive or negative and use it to your advantage. But don't let it push you in a direction you don't want to go. Understand who you are and where you want to be.
But even before any of that, understand that the music is NOT the decider of who makes it in this business and who doesn't. Especially in the age of social media, giving people something to relate to and connect with is as, if not, more important because believe it or not, the FANS are the most integral piece of your success. Without fans, nobody cares how good your music is. But if you have good, quality music with tens of thousands of followers to back it up, nobody can deny that.
Ison: I don't have just one process to how I write songs. Sometimes a lyric will inspire the music, and vice versa. But I find it important to capture any and all ideas I have throughout the day. Whether it's just a phrase, title, melody, bass line, etc. And once there is an idea that calls me to go further, I'll start to develop it. I will typically take it to my computer and use my DAW to layer any element that I hear. I find this is easier for me in most cases instead of writing the whole song on one instrument because it lets me absorb everything at once. From then on, I'll continue to squeeze out any ideas that could make the song better. It's important for me not to overthink it but allow it to develop to it's potential.
Ison: I believe 5 is a relatively limiting amount, but some artists that I have been listening to recently are: Pink Floyd, Tyler, the Creator, David Fincher (director), The Doors, and I've really been admiring what BROCKHAMPTON have been doing.
Jacob: The Beatles, Arcade Fire, Pink Floyd, Metallica and Kendrick Lamar.
Ross: Prince, Nine Inch Nails, INXS, Depeche Mode and The B-52's.
Mari: Bjork, The Beatles, The Doors, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd.
Ison: We've haven't collaborated with anyone as of this point. However, personally, I would love to do some production with some hip hop artists I admire. Maybe, Earl Sweatshirt, or doing some work with Daveed Diggs of Clipping.
Ison: I think it would be extremely tedious to share, and is, frankly, too personal. But I've noticed the similarities in the bad days that I've had. I've found those days mostly are met with a discomfort with myself. Whether it was because of what someone said, or they way someone made me feel, whether intentional or not. On the contrary, the best days are usually met with discovery. With either myself, or something new that I've learned, or an interaction I've had with someone I admire. All in all, in my 18 years of life, it's been important for people to have a healthy dose of good and bad days and realize them for what they are, especially your bad days. I never want to have a binge of good days without any bad, because if everything's good, then what really is?
Ison: I would probably figure out how to go to space.
Jacob: I would buy a bar and name it "Puzzles".
Ross: I'd get a Tesla and a well-done tattoo. Maybe some nice steaks and some good seats at Dodger Stadium.
Mari: I'd buy a small piece of land off of Iceland and build a small house on it.


text:
Zaginiony sportowiec (ang. The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter) – opowiadanie Arthura Conana Doyle'a o przygodach Sherlocka Holmesa opublikowane w czasopismach The Strand Magazine (sierpień 1904, ilustracje Sidney Paget) i  Collier's Weekly (listopad 1904, ilustracje Frederic Dorr Steele), później w zbiorze Powrót Sherlocka Holmesa (marzec 1905).

Inne tytuły polskich przekładów to: Zaginiony footbolista i Zaginiony skrzydłowy.

Fabuła
W przeddzień meczu piłkarskiego zaginął prawy skrzydłowy Godfrey Staunton. Kapitan drużyny posądza drużynę przeciwnika o porwanie w celu wpłynięcia na wynik rozgrywek.

Wuj sportowca lord Mount-James jest bogaty, lecz bardzo skąpy, zatem porwanie dla okupu można wykluczyć.

Holmes i doktor Watson wyruszają do hotelu, w którym ostatni raz widziano Stauntona. Według portiera piłkarz opuścił hotel w pośpiechu, po otrzymaniu listu, przed wyjściem wysłał do kogoś inny list. Na poczcie Holmes zdobywa wiadomość, że list skierowany był do sławnego lekarza, dr. Armstronga. Jest to dziwne, gdyż Staunton znany był zawsze z dobrego zdrowia. Armstrong zapytany o przyczyny zasłania się tajemnicą zawodową.

Detektyw wpada na pomysł spryskania kół powozu Armstronga wyciągiem z anyżu. Przyjaciele śledzą powóz prowadzeni przez psa imieniem Pompejusz. W końcu odnajdują Stauntona, poznają przyczynę jego zniknięcia, którą musiał zachować w tajemnicy, z obawy przed wujem, a przy tym pozbawioną cech kryminalnych.

Linki zewnętrzne
 Tekst oryginalny z ilustracjami

 Przekład polski

Utwory o Sherlocku Holmesie
Opowiadania Arthura Conana Doyle'a
Utwory literackie z 1904

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Schwarzer, R. (1994). Optimism, vulnerability, and self-beliefs as health-related cognitions: A systematic overview. Psychology & Health, 9, 161-180.
Zhang, J. X., & Schwarzer, R. (1995). Measuring optimistic self-beliefs: A Chinese adaptation of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Psychologia: An International Journal of Psychology in the Orient, 38 (3), 174-181.
Bäßler, J., & Schwarzer, R. (1996). Evaluación de la autoeficacia: Adaptación española de la escala de autoeficacia general [Measuring generalized self-beliefs: A Spanish adaptation of the General Self-Efficacy scale]. Ansiedad y Estrés, 2 (1), 1-8.
Schwarzer, R., & Fuchs, R. (1996). Self-efficacy and health behaviors. In M. Conner & P. Norman (Eds.), Predicting health behavior: Research and practice with social cognition models. (pp. 163-196) Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
Schwarzer, R., Jerusalem, M., & Romek, V. (1996). Russian version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Foreign Psychology (Moskow), 7, 71-77 [in Russian].
Schwarzer, R., & Born, A. (1997). Optimistic self-beliefs: Assessment of general perceived self-efficacy in thirteen cultures. World Psychology, 3(1-2), 177-190.
Schwarzer, R., Born, A., Iwawaki, S., Lee, Y.-M., Saito, E., & Yue, X. (1997). The assessment of optimistic self-beliefs: Comparison of the Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean versions of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Psychologia: An International Journal of Psychology in the Orient, 40 (1), 1-13.
Schwarzer, R., Mueller, J., & Greenglass, E. (1999). Assessment of perceived general self-efficacy on the Internet: Data collection in cyberspace. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 12, 145-161.
Rimm, H., & Jerusalem, M. (1999). Adaptation and validation of an Estonian version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES). Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 12, 329-345.
Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (Eds.). (1999). Skalen zur Erfassung von Lehrer- und Schülermerkmalen: Dokumentation der psychometrischen Verfahren im Rahmen der Wissenschaftlichen Begleitung des Modellversuchs Selbstwirksame Schulen. Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin.
Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (2004). General self-efficacy scale. In S. Salek (Ed.), Compendium of quality of life instruments (Vol. 6, Section 2A:1) [CD-ROM]. Cardiff, Wales: Centre for Socioeconomic Research, Cardiff University. Haslemere, England: Euromed Communications [CD-ROM publication, without page numbers].
Schwarzer, R., & Luszczynska, A. (2005). Self-efficacy, adolescents' risk-taking behaviors, and health. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents. Adolescence and education (Vol. V; pp. 139-159). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Schwarzer, R., & Luszczynska, A. (2007). Self-efficacy. In M. Gerrard & K. D. McCaul (Eds.), Health behavior constructs: Theory, measurement, and research. National Cancer Institute Website.
Luszczynska, A., Cao, D. S., Mallach, N., Pietron, K., Mazurkiewicz, M., & Schwarzer, R. (2010). Intentions, planning, and self-efficacy predict physical activity in Chinese and Polish adolescents: Two moderated mediation analyses. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 10(2), 265-278.
Schwarzer, R., Richert, J., Kreausukon, P., Remme, L., Wiedemann, A. U., & Reuter, T. (2010). Translating intentions into nutrition behaviors via planning requires self-efficacy: Evidence from Thailand and Germany. International Journal of Psychology, 54, 260-268.
Richert, J., Reuter, T., Wiedemann, A. U., Lippke, S., Ziegelmann, J., & Schwarzer, R. (2010). Differential effects of planning and self-efficacy on fruit and vegetable consumption. Appetite, 54, 611–614.
Schwarzer, R., & Warner, L. M. (2010). Forschung zur Selbstwirksamkeit bei Lehrerinnen und Lehrern [Research on teacher self-efficacy]. In E. Terhart, H. Bennewitz, & M. Rothland (Eds.), Handbuch der Forschung zum Lehrerberuf (pp. 452-466). Münster, Germany: Waxmann-Verlag.
Parschau, L., Fleig, L., Koring, M., Lange, D., Knoll, N., Schwarzer, R., & Lippke, S. (2013). Positive experience, self-efficacy, and action control predict physical activity changes: A moderated mediation analysis. British Journal of Health Psychology, 18(2), 395-406.
Reyes Fernández, B., Montenegro, E., Knoll, N. & Schwarzer, R. (in press). Self-efficacy, Action Control, and Social Support Explain Physical Activity Changes among Costa Rican Older Adults. Journal of Physical Activity & Health.


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Norway: Government Now Votes To Ban Fur Farming.
Posted on January 15, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Norway set to ban fur farming
It's fantastic news.
In what is another blow for the morally bankrupt fur industry, we can confirm that fur farming is expected to be banned by the new government in Norway. The new three party coalition government has agreed to ban fur farming by 2025.
The three parties had been locked in negotiations since January 2nd and are now able to form a government. "Regjeringsplattformen" is an agreement on governing principles between the three parties and a fur farming ban is officially a part of the agreement.
There are 201 fur farms in Norway. In 2017 there were 773,000 mink killed on Norwegian fur farms, as well as 140,000 foxes.
The inherent cruelty of the fur industry has been a major issue in Norway in recent years. In late 2016, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) announced that their inspectors had been shocked by high level of violations and injuries on Norwegian fur farms during recent inspections. On one farm, caged mink were found with such large open sores that they had to be put to death at the scene. Other chronic animal suffering recorded included one mink who had crawled into a plastic pipe and all but skinned itself alive in its efforts to free itself.
Norway can now set an example to the other Scandinavian governments in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Denmark kills at least 17 million mink every year on factory farms, only surpassed by China. Finland is one of the world's largest producers of fox fur and Finnish fur farmers have been globally shamed followed the recent exposure of obesity in factory farmed foxes. This is done to generate a larger pelt and to boost profits for the fur trade.
Following a campaign by Respect for Animals, fur farming was banned in the UK in 2000 on the grounds of public morality. Fur factory farming has recently been banned in Holland, Germany, Croatia and Czech Republic.
The fur industry is spending huge amounts of money on self-promotion in a desperate bid to salvage its terrible reputation, but momentum is truly with the anti-fur movement as more and more countries ban fur farming and more and more retailers go officially fur free.
We need to press home our advantage and make the most of our momentum. Please help us if you can.
You can sign our letter to Finland's Ambassador, calling for an end to fur farming
Sign the petition against Canada Goose fur trims in the UK .
Order a campaign pack to help kick fur off the streets. Just send an email to info@respectforanimals.org and we'll get a campaign pack to you.
DONATE and help us make fur history- once and for all.
http://www.respectforanimals.org/category/news/
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE, VIDEOS |
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text:
2018 Great Colleges to Work For
The French Phoenix — an LCU Professor Perspective
April 19, 2019 Written by Keith Owen & Bobby Hooten
In response the Monday's tragic fire, which engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral, a world-famous landmark in Paris, France, Dr. Keith Owen shared an excerpt about the history—and resiliency—of what he has called, "The French Phoenix."
"On the evening of April 15, 2019, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris (Notre Dame) caught fire. The spire and the lead-lined oak roof of the cathedral collapsed. France and the world wept.
"Construction began on the cathedral in A.D. 1160. For a hundred years, architects, artists, artisans, and peasants labored on the edifice, pouring their sweat, their skill, and their devotion into the creation of one of the world's finest examples of Gothic architecture. The towers, the flying buttresses, and the spire all reached into the heavens like the hand of man searching for God. For eight and a half centuries, the cathedral endured wars, revolutions, triumphs, disasters, and the effects of time to become the embodiment of France, a symbol of enduring beauty and grace overcoming all, man and nature alike.
"Notre Dame survived the savage wars of the Middle Ages. In the sixteenth century, Huguenots, French Protestants, destroyed some of the statues of Notre Dame. The cathedral endured the transformation of the French Revolution when it became the Temple of Reason with the Virgin Mary replaced by the Goddess of Liberty on some of the alters. Unfortunately, the Napoleonic Wars and the Bourbon Restoration left the cathedral in disrepair. In 1844, King Louis Philippe commissioned repairs to the cathedral. The reconstruction lasted for twenty-five years and included making the spire taller and restoring the rose windows.
"The cathedral survived World War I and World War II intact. However, during the liberation of Paris in World War II, some damage occurred and some medieval glass shattered. These events did not stop the celebration of a special mass on August 26, 1944, in gratitude of the delivery of the city from German occupation. The Parisians rejoiced and thanked God in Notre Dame.
"Since the mid-twentieth century, Notre Dame underwent renovation and restoration—first in 1963, as well as 1991, when a renovation began that lasted for ten years. Renovation also took place in 2013, and another renovation ordered on the spire in 2018 led to the removal of many statues and art works before the fire broke out in 2019, saving them from destruction. Time after time, Notre Dame was reborn.
"French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Notre Dame must rise to its former glory. French donors pledged millions of Euros. Many joined the French in their determination to save Notre Dame. Citizens of all nations, sharing the loss of a world treasure, opened their hearts and contributed to rebuild Notre Dame. As contributions continue to flow into France, a new Notre Dame promises to rise from the ashes of the old."
As Christians around the world draws near to Christ on Easter Weekend, gathering to worship a risen savior across the globe, the thoughts and prayers of the LCU community are with those who had planned to worship this weekend in the Notre Dame Cathedral. But in the end, the flames and destruction, much like Christ's death, are not final—instead, they serve to reminds us of what truly matters.


A dual effect liniment with cooling and warming effect that promotes recovery from exercise.
A dual effect liniment with MSM. Cooling in general reduces swelling. Then the warming phase improves recovery after exercise. Useful for the general healing of sore joints, tendons and ligiments.
Ingredients: Aqua, Isopropyl alcohol, Hydroxyethyl acrylate. MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane), Eucalyptum, Menthol.
WARNING: Do not use on open sores or irritated skin. Avoid contact with eyes. Not for consumption. Recommend use of protective gloves when applying. Store in cool dry place, out of direct sunlight. Protect product from freezing. Contains NO artifical coloring. Requires 96 hr quarantine time in horse sport as determined by STC.
Apply directly to the skin of the legs and body.


Prepared by: Jeffrey A. Rabin, Esq.
Des Plaines, IL 60016Social Security Disability benefits are often the ultimate safety net for persons suffering from medical impairments that make it impossible for them to work. For most people, however, struggling through the Social Security Administration's bureaucracy is frustrating, confusing and slow. For people suffering with Lupus, the requirements of the Act can appear overwhelming. This article briefly explains the essence of the Social Security Disability program and how it applies in claims related to Lupus.
The Social Security Disability program is designed to pay monthly benefits to people suffering from medical problems causing symptoms so severe that it becomes impossible to function at any type of work. Issues of employability, insurability and location or desirability of alternative work will not be considered, although age and education are often important factors. This is a medical program that focuses upon medically proven symptoms and their impact on the ability to perform work activities.
Therefore, the focus in on function, not on diagnosis; SSA often admits that claimants have medical problems and are "impaired," however, it denies that they are "totally disabled." The debate is over what the claimant can "do" despite the medical problems.
The determination of disability focuses on "proof" of both the medical problem and the severity of the symptoms. The difficulty in claims based upon Lupus is in proving the severity of the symptoms — particularly the fatigue that is often the most disabling feature.
The act and regulations require an analysis of medical records such as doctors' office notes, physician reports and medical test results. The written statements of the Claimant, and the testimony of the Claimant at a hearing, are generally given little weight if not supported by the medical evidence. It is important that a Claimant seeking this assistance actively treats with appropriate medical specialists and involves those doctors in the application process.
It is difficult to have a claim approved if the treating doctors report that the Claimant retains the ability to work.
Essentially there are two ways to prove disability in Social Security claims. The first requires medical proof that meets certain medical standards contained in Social Security's Regulations. If the medical proof meets or equals the appropriate standard the Claimant may be presumed disabled and benefits awarded, as long as the non-disability requirements of the law are also met.
The second is used in claims where the medical standards are not met, but the proof establishes that there are not a significant number of jobs the Claimant can perform considering the remaining functional abilities, age, education and work experience.
The medical standards are known as the "Listings of Impairments." The standards in the Listings cover many different body systems and illnesses, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus hereinafter "SLE").
The Listing for SLE is found at Section 14.02 of the Listings of Impairments. First the Listing discusses proof of the existence of the disease. Second, the Listing contains two different mechanisms for proving the impact of the disease and its symptoms on function.
To establish the diagnosis the Listing notes that the medical evidence will generally show that the patients fulfill the 1982 Revised Criteria for the Classification of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus of the American College of Rheumatology. SSA will review the clinical notes, test results and other medical evidence for proof of the diagnosis of SLE. The Listing acknowledges the various "constitutional symptoms and signs" such as fever, fatigability, malaise and weight loss." It notes that there is often involvement of several body systems and frequently findings of anemia, leukopenia or thrombocytopenia.
Once the diagnosis is satisfied, the Listing then turns to the impact the disease has on function. There are two ways to meet this issue in the Listing. The first is to demonstrate significant involvement of a major body system. The Listing, unfortunately, is unclear as to the degree of limitation in the secondary system. The second means of proving functional impairment is in subsection (B) which requires lesser involvement of two body systems, along with evidence of significant constitutional symptoms such as severe fatigue, fever, malaise and weight loss.
10. Mental involvement, as described under the criteria in 12.00ff.
The Listings are intended to be a difficult standard that will not be met by many claims. However, if a Claimant can meet these requirements, benefits will be awarded as long as the other requirements of the program are met. A Claimant with SLE should provide a copy of this Listing to the treating physician to obtain a medical opinion as to whether this standard has been satisfied.
The alternative means of proving a claim for Social Security Disability benefits is to provide medical proof of symptoms from the impairment that are so severe that the person could not function at any type of work. The focus is upon the medical proof as it relates to the ability to perform work activities. The difficulty, however, is in proving the both the symptoms and their severity.
For SLE it is fatigue that most often persuades Social Security Administrative Law Judges to award this assistance. It is critical that patients fully describe this problem, if it exists, every time they visit the doctor's office. Social Security will obtain and review all of the medical records and search for consistent complaints of severe fatigue. One of the most common problems is the failure of the patient to fully discuss symptoms with the physician creating a lack of evidence relating to severe fatigue in the doctors' notes.
This article has not attempted to review the application process or any of the applicable Rulings and related case law. Nor is this article intended to provide specific legal advice or to create an attorney-client relationship. Hopefully, however, this brief analysis will provide some insight into the disability system and assist Claimants in obtaining this assistance.
Persons requiring more information may contact Jeffrey A. Rabin an attorney in the Chicago, Illinois, region whose law practice focuses exclusively on this area of the law. He represents people nationally and is a member of the executive committee of the ATLA Social Security Disability Committee. He is also active in a variety of local and national advocacy and law-related organizations working on behalf of disabled individuals. Mr. Rabin graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1980. Mr. Rabin may be contacted by email, or by telephone at 888-529-0600, or 847-299-0008.


text:
Raleigh Personal Injury Attorneys
Vaccine Injury
3M Earplug Lawsuit
Attorney Kimberly Wilson White Appointed to 3M Combat Earplug MDL Leadership Team
By Wilson Law, P.A.
Multi-district litigation (MDL) cases are exceptionally complex, and require the skilled guidance of a qualified leadership team in order to proceed. That's why we're happy to announce that our managing shareholder, Attorney Kimberly Wilson White, was just appointed to the MDL leadership team for defective 3M Combat Earplugs.
Chosen by federal court Judge M. Casey Rodgers, Ms. White was selected out of nearly 200 qualified attorney applicants. As a well-respected Raleigh personal injury lawyer, Ms. White was the only North Carolina lawyer appointed to a leadership position; and, one of approximately 50 lawyers appointed leadership in this high-stakes litigation.
Because Fort Bragg is the largest active military base in the world – and North Carolina has one of the largest military footprints in the country – it was important for the Court to appoint a lawyer from North Carolina to assist with leading this crucial litigation against 3M. Given Ms. White's experience with other high-profile product liability cases; and, her educational background in law and public health, she is well situated on the Science & Expert Committee.
Serving Veterans and Active Military Members in North Carolina
Because the 3M Company failed to inform the U.S. military about defects in their Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs, many veterans who served between 2003 and 2015 have suffered permanent tinnitus and hearing loss. As a result, thousands of military members across the country have now filed lawsuits against the 3M Company, to hold them accountable for their conduct.
At Wilson Law, P.A., we support our troops, and value the extraordinary sacrifices that these men and women make every single day. On a personal level, Ms. White believes that representing service members in this crucial litigation is the highest honor in her nearly 25-year legal career. As she takes her place on the leadership team, Ms. White will remain committed to helping her clients, and all other affected victims, recover the compensation they deserve.
If you're suffered injuries from 3M Combat Earplugs as an active-duty military member, contact Wilson Law, P.A. today at (919) 800-0919 for a free consultation.
Contact Us Today and Put an Experienced Team On Your Side
Location 434 Fayetteville St., Suite 2060
*Disclaimer: Experience includes Kimberly Wilson White, Attorney, and Kimberly W. Pearce, NCCP.
**Disclaimer: Each case is unique and must be evaluated on individual merits. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This figure was last updated on January 3, 2020.
***Disclaimer: The logos shown above should not create an expectation that million dollar or multi-million dollar results are achieved in every case for every client. Each case is different and must be evaluated separately. Membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.


The awesome Jussi Makinen shows of some stunning 3D games for the N900. At the moment we've only got Bounce Evolution.
3D rollercoaster game [accelerometer based game]. Epic.
Other apps coming to the Ovi Store include FireFox and the IM account addons for the conversations app. These are already available outside of Ovi Store but soon they'll have official Ovi Store support.
« Video: Qt Quick – slick cross platform user interface, from Nokia's N900 to HTC's HD2 and even ASUS EeeTop on XP!


text:
Construction begins on Maine home for family of slain sheriff's deputy
"We can't right a wrong, but hopefully we can make it not so hard," he said.
Published: 8:12 PM EDT August 16, 2018
Updated: 8:12 PM EDT August 16, 2018
NORRIDGEWOCK (NECN)-- Construction is underway on a home in Norridgewock, Maine, but the contractors won't be paid a dime. They are donating their services to a family who has already paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It will be a house for the family of Cpl. Eugene Cole, the Somerset County Sheriff's Deputy shot and killed in the line of duty on April 25. When he died, his wife Sheryl Cole thought their plans to build a new home were gone too.
But then she had a meeting with Joel Violette, President of Fairfield Drafting and Construction.
"After I first met her, I decided we were going to do everything we could to help," he said.
Violette's team started drawing up blueprints for a home even bigger and better than Sheryl proposed. He wanted to make sure the home was built well, required little maintenance, and had room for Sheryl's seven grandchildren to visit. While it would have been way over budget, Violette told her not to worry. He'd do it for free.
"She was a little overwhelmed and had to sit in my office for a while because she didn't think she'd be able to drive home," Violette said.
Soon, other contractors started lining up to pitch in – offering to do their work for free, too. From the roof to the foundation, businesses from around central Maine are helping the Cole family rebuild.
"It's a fresh start," said Shawn Dixon, owner of Dixon Construction. "Not so many memories wrapped up in the old home. They can hold on to the good memories, and create new ones."
Dixon's team laid the foundation on the home Thursday. He said he had to rearrange his schedule to work on the Cole home, but it was well worth the effort.
"I just think she deserves it," he said.
Sheryl Cole is able to keep an eye on the work from the comfort of her current home. The new house is being built in their backyard.
On Aug. 14, the posted a picture to her Facebook page with a message to her late husband: "Happy Anniversary, hon. It's a bit ironic.... we laid our foundation 42 years ago today. Now, a whole new one is being done for us. I pray you have a great day, and I pray my tears won't last too long. I love you, and I just miss you so much."
Violette said with most other projects, his crew and foreman would be out in the field. But this project means so much to him, he plans to oversee construction daily. He hopes it shows Cole's grandchildren how many good people in the community care about them.
"We can't right a wrong, but hopefully we can make it not so hard," he said.
Work is expected to be completed in 8 weeks. To help with the cost of materials, donations are being accepted through a fund at the Kennebec Savings Bank in Waterville.


text:
Ядерные рецепторы — это класс внутриклеточных белков, которые отвечают за восприятие стероидных и тиреоидных гормонов, а также некоторых других молекул. Уникальным свойством ядерных рецепторов, которое отличает их от других классов рецепторов, является их способность напрямую взаимодействовать с геномной ДНК и регулировать экспрессию соседних генов, тем самым контролируя развитие, гомеостаз и метаболизм организма. Следовательно, эти рецепторы классифицируются как факторы транскрипции. Регуляция экспрессии генов ядерными рецепторами обычно происходит только тогда, когда присутствует лиганд-молекула, которая влияет на поведение рецептора. Связывание лиганда с ядерным рецептором приводит к конформационному изменению рецептора, которое, в свою очередь, активирует рецептор, что приводит к усилению или понижению регуляции экспрессии гена.

Вследствие способности напрямую взаимодействовать с геномной ДНК и контролировать ее экспрессию, ядерные рецепторы играют ключевую роль как в эмбриональном развитии, так и в гомеостазе взрослых.

Ядерные рецепторы можно классифицировать по механизму или гомологии

Распространение
Ядерные рецепторы специфичны для многоклеточных животных  и не обнаруживаются у простейших, водорослей, грибов или растений.   У людей, мышей и крыс соответственно по 48, 49 и 47 ядерных рецепторов.

Лиганды

Лиганды, которые связываются с ядерными рецепторами и активируют их, включают липофильные вещества, такие как эндогенные гормоны, витамины A и D, а также ксенобиотические эндокринные разрушители. Поскольку экспрессия большого количества генов регулируется ядерными рецепторами, лиганды, активирующие эти рецепторы, могут оказывать сильное воздействие на организм. Многие из этих регулируемых генов связаны с различными заболеваниями, что объясняет, почему молекулярные мишени примерно 13% лекарств, одобренных Управлением по контролю за продуктами и лекарствами США, нацелены на ядерные рецепторы.

Ряд ядерных рецепторов, называемых орфанными рецепторами, не имеют известных (или, по крайней мере, общепризнанных) эндогенных лигандов. Некоторые из этих рецепторов, такие как FXR, LXR и PPAR, связывают ряд промежуточных продуктов метаболизма, таких как жирные кислоты, желчные кислоты и / или стерины, с относительно низким сродством. Следовательно, эти рецепторы могут функционировать как метаболические сенсоры. Другие ядерные рецепторы, такие как CAR и PXR, по-видимому, действуют как сенсоры ксенобиотиков, регулируя экспрессию ферментов цитохрома P450, которые метаболизируют эти ксенобиотики.

Структура
Большинство ядерных рецепторов имеют молекулярные массы от 50 000 до 100 000 дальтон. Ядерные рецепторы имеют модульную структуру и содержат следующие домены:

 (A-B) N-концевой регуляторный домен: содержит функцию активации 1 (AF-1), действие которой не зависит от присутствия лиганда. Активация транскрипции AF-1 обычно очень слабая, но она действительно действует синергетически с AF-2 в E-домене, обеспечивая более устойчивую повышающую регуляцию экспрессии гена. Последовательность домена A-B сильно варьируется между различными ядерными рецепторами.

 (C) ДНК-связывающий домен (DBD): высококонсервативный домен, содержащий два цинковых пальца, которые связываются со специфическими последовательностями ДНК, называемыми элементами гормонального ответа ().

 (D) Шарнирная область: Предполагается, что это гибкий домен, который соединяет DBD с LBD. Влияет на внутриклеточный транспорт и субклеточное распределение с целевой пептидной последовательностью.

 (E) Лиганд-связывающий домен (LBD): умеренно консервативный по последовательности и высококонсервативный по структуре между различными ядерными рецепторами. Структура LBD упоминается как альфа-спиральная сэндвич-складка, в которой три антипараллельных альфа-спирали («сэндвич-начинка») фланкируются двумя альфа-спиралями с одной стороны и тремя с другой («хлеб»). Полость для связывания лиганда находится внутри LBD и чуть ниже трех антипараллельных альфа-спиральных сэндвич-«наполнителей». Наряду с DBD, LBD вносит вклад в интерфейс димеризации рецептора и, кроме того, связывает белки коактиватора и корепрессора. LBD также содержит функцию активации 2 (AF-2), действие которой зависит от присутствия связанного лиганда, контролируемого конформацией спирали 12 (H12).

 (F) С-концевой домен: последовательность различных ядерных рецепторов сильно варьируется.

N-терминал (A / B), ДНК-связывающий (C) и лиганд-связывающий (E) домены являются независимо хорошо сложенными и структурно стабильными, в то время как шарнирная область (D) и необязательные C-концевые (F) домены могут быть конформационными — гибкие и беспорядочные. Относительные ориентации доменов сильно различаются при сравнении трёх известных многодоменных кристаллических структур, две из которых связываются с DR1, одна связывается с DR4.

Механизм работы
Ядерные рецепторы — многофункциональные белки, которые передают сигналы своих родственных лигандов. Ядерные рецепторы (ЯР) можно разделить на два широких класса в соответствии с их механизмом действия и субклеточным распределением в отсутствие лиганда. Небольшие липофильные вещества, такие как природные гормоны, диффундируют через клеточную мембрану и связываются с ядерными рецепторами, расположенными в цитозоле (ЯР типа I) или ядре (ЯР типа II) клетки. Связывание вызывает конформационное изменение рецептора, которое, в зависимости от класса рецептора, запускает каскад последующих событий, направляющих ЯР к сайтам регуляции транскрипции ДНК, что приводит к усилению или понижению регуляции экспрессии генов. Обычно они действуют как гомо / гетеродимеры. Кроме того, были идентифицированы два дополнительных класса: тип III, который является вариантом типа I, и тип IV, которые связывают ДНК в виде мономеров.

По механизму работы ядерные рецепторы делятся на четыре класса:

Тип I
Связывание лиганда с ядерными рецепторами I типа в цитозоле приводит к диссоциации белков теплового шока, гомодимеризации, транслокации (т.е. активному переносу) из цитоплазмы в ядро клетки и связыванию со специфическими последовательностями ДНК, известными как элементы гормонального ответа. (HRE). Ядерные рецепторы типа I связываются с HRE, состоящими из двух полусайтов, разделенных ДНК переменной длины, и второй полусайт имеет последовательность, инвертированную по сравнению с первым (инвертированный повтор). Ядерные рецепторы типа I включают членов подсемейства 3, таких как андрогеновые рецепторы, эстрогеновые рецепторы, глюкокортикоидные рецепторы, рецепторы прогестерона.

Было отмечено, что некоторые из ядерных рецепторов подсемейства 2  могут связываться с прямым повтором вместо HRE с инвертированным повтором. Кроме того, некоторые ядерные рецепторы связываются либо как мономеры, либо как димеры, при этом только один ДНК-связывающий домен рецептора присоединяется к одному полусайту HRE. Эти ядерные рецепторы считаются орфанными рецепторами, поскольку их эндогенные лиганды до сих пор неизвестны.

Комплекс ядерный рецептор / ДНК затем привлекает другие белки, которые транскрибируют ДНК ниже HRE в информационную РНК и, в конечном итоге, в белок, что вызывает изменение функции клетки.

Тип II
Рецепторы типа II, в отличие от типа I, сохраняются в ядре независимо от статуса связывания лиганда и, кроме того, связываются с ДНК в виде гетеродимеров (обычно с RXR) . В отсутствие лиганда ядерные рецепторы типа II часто образуют комплексы с корепрессорными белками. Связывание лиганда с ядерным рецептором вызывает диссоциацию корепрессора и рекрутирование белков-коактиваторов. Дополнительные белки, включая РНК-полимеразу, затем привлекаются к комплексу ЯР / ДНК, который транскрибирует ДНК в информационную РНК.

Ядерные рецепторы типа II включают в основном подсемейство 1, например рецептор ретиноевой кислоты, ретиноидный X-рецептор и рецептор тиреоидных гормонов.

Тип III
Ядерные рецепторы типа III (в основном ЯР подсемейства 2) подобны рецепторам типа I в том, что оба класса связываются с ДНК как гомодимеры. Однако ядерные рецепторы типа III, в отличие от типа I, связываются с прямым повтором вместо HRE с инвертированным повтором.

Тип IV
Ядерные рецепторы типа IV связываются как мономеры или димеры, но только один ДНК-связывающий домен рецептора связывается с одним полусайтом HRE. Примеры рецепторов типа IV встречаются в большинстве подсемейств NR.

Альтернативные механизмы

Трансрепрессия

Наиболее распространенный механизм действия ядерного рецептора включает прямое его связывание я с элементом гормонального ответа ДНК. Этот механизм называется трансактивацией. Однако некоторые ядерные рецепторы обладают способностью напрямую связываться не только с ДНК, но и с другими факторами транскрипции. Это связывание часто приводит к дезактивации второго фактора транскрипции в процессе, известном как трансрепрессия. Одним из примеров ядерного рецептора, который способен трансрепрессировать, является глюкокортикоидный рецептор (GR). Кроме того, некоторые лиганды GR, известные как селективные агонисты глюкокортикостероидных рецепторов (), способны активировать глюкокортикоиды таким образом, что GR сильнее трансрепрессирует, чем трансактивирует. Эта селективность увеличивает разделение между желаемыми противовоспалительными эффектами и нежелательными метаболическими побочными эффектами этих селективных глюкокортикоидов.

Негеномный механизм

Классическое прямое влияние ядерных рецепторов на регуляцию генов обычно занимает несколько часов, прежде чем функциональный эффект проявляется в клетках - из-за большого количества промежуточных этапов между активацией ядерных рецепторов и изменениями уровней экспрессии белка. Однако было замечено, что многие эффекты применения ядерных гормонов, такие как изменения активности ионных каналов, происходят в течение нескольких минут, что несовместимо с классическим механизмом действия ядерных рецепторов. Хотя молекулярная мишень для этих негеномных эффектов ядерных рецепторов не была окончательно продемонстрирована, была выдвинута гипотеза, что существуют варианты ядерных рецепторов, которые связаны с мембраной, а не локализованы в цитозоле или ядре. Кроме того, эти ассоциированные с мембраной рецепторы функционируют посредством альтернативных механизмов передачи сигнала, не связанных с регуляцией генов.

Хотя было высказано предположение, что существует несколько мембранно-ассоциированных рецепторов ядерных гормонов, было показано, что для многих быстрых эффектов требуются канонические ядерные рецепторы. Однако исследованиям геномных и негеномных механизмов in vivo препятствует отсутствие специфических молекулярных механизмов негеномных эффектов, которые могут быть заблокированы мутацией рецептора без нарушения его прямого воздействия на экспрессию генов.

Молекулярный механизм негеномной передачи сигналов через ядерный рецептор тиреоидных гормонов TRβ включает фосфатидилинозитол-3-киназу (PI3K). Эта передача сигналов может быть заблокирована одной заменой тирозина на фенилаланин в TRβ без нарушения прямой регуляции гена. Этот механизм, по-видимому, сохраняется у всех млекопитающих, но не в TRα или каких-либо других ядерных рецепторах. Таким образом, фосфотирозин-зависимая ассоциация TRβ с PI3K обеспечивает потенциальный механизм интеграции регуляции развития и метаболизма тиреоидным гормоном и рецепторными тирозинкиназами. Кроме того, передача сигналов гормона щитовидной железы через PI3K может изменять экспрессию генов.

Димеризация
Как было показано в крупномасштабных экспериментах с двугибридным анализом, ядерные рецепторы человека способны димеризоваться со многими другими ядерными рецепторами (гомотипическая димеризация). Тем не менее, существует специфичность: члены одного и того же подсемейства имеют очень схожие партнеры по димеризации ЯР, а лежащая в основе сеть димеризации имеет определенные топологические особенности, такие как наличие высокосвязных концентраторов (RXR и SHP).

Корегуляторные белки
Ядерные рецепторы, связанные с элементами гормонального ответа, привлекают значительное количество других белков (называемых корегуляторами транскрипции), которые облегчают или ингибируют транскрипцию связанного гена-мишени в мРНК. Функции этих корегуляторов разнообразны и включают ремоделирование хроматина (делая целевой ген более или менее доступным для транскрипции) или мостиковую функцию для стабилизации связывания других корегуляторных белков. Ядерные рецепторы могут специфически связываться с рядом белков-корегуляторов и, таким образом, влиять на клеточные механизмы передачи сигнала как прямо, так и косвенно.

Коактиваторы
Связывание лигандов-агонистов (см. раздел ниже) с ядерными рецепторами индуцирует конформацию рецептора, который предпочтительно связывает белки-коактиваторы. Эти белки часто обладают внутренней активностью гистонацетилтрансферазы (HAT), которая ослабляет ассоциацию гистонов с ДНК и, следовательно, способствует транскрипции генов.

Корепрессоры
Связывание лигандов-антагонистов с ядерными рецепторами, напротив, индуцирует конформацию рецептора, которая предпочтительно связывает корепрессорные белки. Эти белки, в свою очередь, привлекают гистоновые деацетилазы (HDAC), что усиливает ассоциацию гистонов с ДНК и, следовательно, подавляет транскрипцию генов.

Агонизм и антагонизм
В зависимости от задействованного рецептора, химической структуры лиганда и ткани, которая подвергается воздействию, лиганды ядерного рецептора могут проявлять резко разнообразные эффекты в диапазоне от агонизма до антагонизма и до обратного агонизма.

Агонисты
Активность эндогенных лигандов (таких как гормоны эстрадиол и тестостерон), когда они связаны с родственными им ядерными рецепторами, обычно приводит к усилению экспрессии генов. Эта стимуляция экспрессии гена лигандом называется ответом агониста. Агонистические эффекты эндогенных гормонов также могут имитироваться некоторыми синтетическими лигандами, например, противовоспалительным лекарственным средством дексаметазон. Лиганды-агонисты работают, индуцируя конформацию рецептора, которая способствует связыванию коактиватора (см. Верхнюю половину рисунка справа).

Антагонисты
Другие синтетические лиганды ядерных рецепторов не оказывают заметного влияния на транскрипцию генов в отсутствие эндогенного лиганда. Однако они блокируют действие агониста за счет конкурентного связывания с одним и тем же сайтом связывания в ядерном рецепторе. Эти лиганды называют антагонистами. Примером лекарственного средства антагонистического ядерного рецептора является мифепристон, который связывается с рецепторами глюкокортикоидов и прогестерона и, следовательно, блокирует активность эндогенных гормонов кортизола и прогестерона соответственно. Лиганды-антагонисты работают, индуцируя конформацию рецептора, которая предотвращает коактивацию и способствует связыванию корепрессора (см. Нижнюю половину рисунка справа)

Обратные агонисты
Наконец, некоторые ядерные рецепторы способствуют низкому уровню транскрипции генов в отсутствие агонистов (также называемой базовой или конститутивной активностью). Синтетические лиганды, которые снижают этот базальный уровень активности ядерных рецепторов, известны как обратные агонисты.

Селективные модуляторы рецепторов
Ряд препаратов, которые действуют через ядерные рецепторы, проявляют агонистический ответ в одних тканях и антагонистический ответ в других тканях. Такое поведение может иметь существенные преимущества, поскольку оно позволяет сохранить желаемые полезные терапевтические эффекты лекарственного средства при минимизации нежелательных побочных эффектов. Лекарства с таким смешанным профилем действия агонистов / антагонистов называются селективными модуляторами рецепторов (SRM). Примеры включают селективные модуляторы андрогенных рецепторов (SARM), селективные модуляторы эстрогенных рецепторов (SERM) и селективные модуляторы рецепторов прогестерона (SPRM). Механизм действия SRM может варьироваться в зависимости от химической структуры лиганда и задействованного рецептора, однако считается, что многие SRM работают, способствуя конформации рецептора, которая тесно сбалансирована между агонизмом и антагонизмом. В тканях, где концентрация белков-коактиваторов выше, чем корепрессоров, равновесие смещено в сторону агонистов. И наоборот, в тканях, где преобладают корепрессоры, лиганд ведет себя как антагонист.

Члены семейства

Примечания

Белки


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Listen To Karen O's New Track 'Anti-Lullaby' From New Amazon Series 'Hanna'
'Hanna' is Amazon Prime's small-screen adaptation of the 2011 film of the same name.
Tim Peacock
Karen O has shared a tender new song titled 'Anti-Lullaby,' which doubles as the theme for the new Amazon series Hanna. You can hear it below.
In spite of its title, 'Anti-Lullaby' actually is a lullaby of a kind, with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer cooing gently alongside a sparsely plucked acoustic guitar.
"Do not sleep, my starling / Sleep, my doe / She is wrapped in curtains laid in snow / She will bury you inside her fur," Karen O sings on the 80-second track. "Do not sleep / She waits for you to sleep / My breath you breathe / It will carry you."
'Anti-Lullaby' is the latest non-Yeah Yeah Yeahs song from Karen O, who teamed with Danger Mouse in November for the nine-minute 'Lux Prima.' In January 2018, Karen O shared 'Yo! My Saint' featuring Michael Kiwanuka.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman is also preparing to release a full album with Danger Mouse. The project's release date has not been announced, but it will be Karen O's first LP since her 2014 debut solo album Crush Songs. She also features on Parquet Courts and Daniele Luppi's song 'Talisa,' from their 2017 collaborative album MILANO, which received a new video last week.
Hanna is Amazon Prime's small-screen adaptation of the 2011 film of the same name. The series revolves around "the journey of an extraordinary young girl, Hanna, as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is." Hanna premieres in March on the streaming service and stars Saoirse Ronan and Cate Blanchett.
In October 2017, Yeah Yeah Yeahs released a deluxe edition of their widely-acclaimed 2003 debut Fever To Tell through Interscope/UMe. The new edition featured previously unreleased demos, B-sides, and other rarities from the era. In May 2018, the band performed at the high-profile All Points East Festival in London's Victoria Park.
Explore Our Yeah Yeah Yeahs Artist Page.
Related Topics:AlternativeAmazonHannaInterscopeKaren OUMeYeah Yeah Yeahs
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Beck To Perform At Sean Penn's Haiti Benefit In Los Angeles


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Home >> Luxury Train Tours >> Palace on Wheels Luxury Train Tours
Destinations: North India
Palace on Wheels Luxury Train Tours
Launched on 26th January, 1982 for the promotion of the Rajasthan tourism, this train is the oldest name in the luxury train category of Indian railways. The inspiration of the design of the train comes from the former princely states of Rajputs, namely Jaipur, Bikaner, Alwar, Bundi, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Kota, Sirohi, Dholpur, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Kishangarh and Dungargarh. The interiors of all the fourteen coaches are designed as per the royal liking of yesteryears of these above mentioned states. The restaurants, also known as Maharaja and Maharani, serve excellent Indian as well as continental food.
The single package of this Indian luxury train covers Agra, Ranakpur, Jaipur, Mandhawa, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Agra in duration of 14 days.
Due to its popularity in the segment of luxury travel, the train has been awarded PATA Gold Award in the time of 5 years, and after its re-launch in its newest avatar, the train became the 4th most luxurious train of the world.
Day 1 Wednesday - New Delhi
Day 2 Thursday - Jaipur
Day 3 Friday - Sawai Madhopur
Day 4 Saturday - Udaipur
Day 5 Sunday - Jaisalmer
Day 6 Monday - Jodhpur
Day 7 Tuesday - Bharatpur/Agra
Day 8 Wednesday - Delhi


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USS Onondaga — три кораблі ВМС США.

 USS Onondaga (1863) — двобаштовий монітор. Брав участь у Громадянській війні в США, пізніше проданий французькому флоту.
 USRC Onondaga (1898) — кутер, збудований у 1898 році. На службі у складі ВМС США протягом 1917-1918 років.
 USCGC Onondaga (WPG-79) — кутер, збудований у 1934 році. На службі у складі ВМС США протягом 1941-1945 років.


text:
Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology
Brandt P. Groh
Division of Rheumatology
Purpose of review: The discipline of pediatric rheumatology has derived significant benefit from recent advances in diagnosis and therapy. As the molecular understanding of inflammatory joint disease has increased, more specifically targeted biologic therapies for arthritis have come available. Children with advanced joint disease on biologic therapies may be referred to orthopedists for consideration of surgical procedures. Orthopedists should be familiar with both newer diagnostic methods and treatments for childhood arthritis. Recent findings: Improved ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging now afford better sensitivity in the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis in both peripheral and axial joints. Laboratory assessment of pediatric patients with suspected joint disease remains supportive with clinical exam findings being far more reliable indicators of disease. Juvenile rheumatoid (idiopathic) arthritis is the focus of this review. Other etiologies for inflammatory joint findings, such as rheumatic fever, periodic fever, and drug-induced disease, are also briefly considered. Therapies with biologic agents, anti-tumor necrosis factor constructs in particular, have significantly changed the care and early outcomes of patients with juvenile arthropathies. Reports of more aggressive use of previously available agents, such as methotrexate and injected corticosteroids, are also encouraging. Summary: Orthopedists are a critical link in the recognition of inflammatory joint diseases in children. A better understanding of the appropriate laboratory work-up, the most sensitive imaging, and the most effective available therapies will go far toward improving the quality of care and long-term outcomes for these children.
Current Opinion in Orthopaedics
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Rheumatology Medicine & Life Sciences
Orthopedic Surgeons Medicine & Life Sciences
Arthritis Medicine & Life Sciences
Juvenile Arthritis Medicine & Life Sciences
Biological Therapy Medicine & Life Sciences
Groh, B. P. (2003). Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology. Current Opinion in Orthopaedics, 14(6), 385-391. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001433-200312000-00005
Groh, Brandt P. / Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology. In: Current Opinion in Orthopaedics. 2003 ; Vol. 14, No. 6. pp. 385-391.
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title = "Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology",
abstract = "Purpose of review: The discipline of pediatric rheumatology has derived significant benefit from recent advances in diagnosis and therapy. As the molecular understanding of inflammatory joint disease has increased, more specifically targeted biologic therapies for arthritis have come available. Children with advanced joint disease on biologic therapies may be referred to orthopedists for consideration of surgical procedures. Orthopedists should be familiar with both newer diagnostic methods and treatments for childhood arthritis. Recent findings: Improved ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging now afford better sensitivity in the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis in both peripheral and axial joints. Laboratory assessment of pediatric patients with suspected joint disease remains supportive with clinical exam findings being far more reliable indicators of disease. Juvenile rheumatoid (idiopathic) arthritis is the focus of this review. Other etiologies for inflammatory joint findings, such as rheumatic fever, periodic fever, and drug-induced disease, are also briefly considered. Therapies with biologic agents, anti-tumor necrosis factor constructs in particular, have significantly changed the care and early outcomes of patients with juvenile arthropathies. Reports of more aggressive use of previously available agents, such as methotrexate and injected corticosteroids, are also encouraging. Summary: Orthopedists are a critical link in the recognition of inflammatory joint diseases in children. A better understanding of the appropriate laboratory work-up, the most sensitive imaging, and the most effective available therapies will go far toward improving the quality of care and long-term outcomes for these children.",
author = "Groh, {Brandt P.}",
journal = "Current Orthopaedic Practice",
Groh, BP 2003, 'Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology', Current Opinion in Orthopaedics, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 385-391. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001433-200312000-00005
Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology. / Groh, Brandt P.
In: Current Opinion in Orthopaedics, Vol. 14, No. 6, 01.12.2003, p. 385-391.
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N2 - Purpose of review: The discipline of pediatric rheumatology has derived significant benefit from recent advances in diagnosis and therapy. As the molecular understanding of inflammatory joint disease has increased, more specifically targeted biologic therapies for arthritis have come available. Children with advanced joint disease on biologic therapies may be referred to orthopedists for consideration of surgical procedures. Orthopedists should be familiar with both newer diagnostic methods and treatments for childhood arthritis. Recent findings: Improved ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging now afford better sensitivity in the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis in both peripheral and axial joints. Laboratory assessment of pediatric patients with suspected joint disease remains supportive with clinical exam findings being far more reliable indicators of disease. Juvenile rheumatoid (idiopathic) arthritis is the focus of this review. Other etiologies for inflammatory joint findings, such as rheumatic fever, periodic fever, and drug-induced disease, are also briefly considered. Therapies with biologic agents, anti-tumor necrosis factor constructs in particular, have significantly changed the care and early outcomes of patients with juvenile arthropathies. Reports of more aggressive use of previously available agents, such as methotrexate and injected corticosteroids, are also encouraging. Summary: Orthopedists are a critical link in the recognition of inflammatory joint diseases in children. A better understanding of the appropriate laboratory work-up, the most sensitive imaging, and the most effective available therapies will go far toward improving the quality of care and long-term outcomes for these children.
AB - Purpose of review: The discipline of pediatric rheumatology has derived significant benefit from recent advances in diagnosis and therapy. As the molecular understanding of inflammatory joint disease has increased, more specifically targeted biologic therapies for arthritis have come available. Children with advanced joint disease on biologic therapies may be referred to orthopedists for consideration of surgical procedures. Orthopedists should be familiar with both newer diagnostic methods and treatments for childhood arthritis. Recent findings: Improved ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging now afford better sensitivity in the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis in both peripheral and axial joints. Laboratory assessment of pediatric patients with suspected joint disease remains supportive with clinical exam findings being far more reliable indicators of disease. Juvenile rheumatoid (idiopathic) arthritis is the focus of this review. Other etiologies for inflammatory joint findings, such as rheumatic fever, periodic fever, and drug-induced disease, are also briefly considered. Therapies with biologic agents, anti-tumor necrosis factor constructs in particular, have significantly changed the care and early outcomes of patients with juvenile arthropathies. Reports of more aggressive use of previously available agents, such as methotrexate and injected corticosteroids, are also encouraging. Summary: Orthopedists are a critical link in the recognition of inflammatory joint diseases in children. A better understanding of the appropriate laboratory work-up, the most sensitive imaging, and the most effective available therapies will go far toward improving the quality of care and long-term outcomes for these children.
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Groh BP. Current concepts in pediatric rheumatology. Current Opinion in Orthopaedics. 2003 Dec 1;14(6):385-391. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001433-200312000-00005


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Q: Merging csv files that their name starts with the same string using R I have a number of csv files in the working directory. Some of these files share a string (ex. ny, nj, etc.) at the beginning of their name. Below is a screenshot:

What I  want to do is to import and merge the csv files that share a string. I have searched and seen people suggesting regex, however I am not sure if that is best way to go. I appreciate any help with this.
Best,
Kaveh

A: Here's a function that may be more efficient than for loops, though there may be more elegant solutions.
Since I dont know what your excel files contain, I created several dummy files with a few columns ("A", "B", and "C"). I dont know what you would merge by; in this example I merged by column "A".
Given the ambiguity in the files, I have edited this to include both merge and bind approaches, depending on what is needed.
To test these functions, create a few CSV files in a folder (I created NJ_1.csv, NJ_2.csv, NJ_3.csv, NY_1.csv, NY_2.csv, each with columns A, B, and C.)
For all options, this code needs to be run.
setwd("insert path where folder with csv files is located")
library(dplyr)

OPTION 1:
If you want to merge files containing different data with a unique identifier.
Example: one file contains temperature and one file contains precipitation for a given geographic location
importMerge <- function(x, mergeby){
  temp <- list.files(pattern = paste0("*",x))
  files <- lapply(temp, read.csv)
  merge <- files %>% Reduce(function(dtf1, dtf2) left_join(dtf1, dtf2, by = mergeby), .)
  return(merge)
}

NJmerge <- importMerge("NJ", "A")
NYmerge <- importMerge("NY", "A")

OPTION 2:
If you want to bind files containing the same columns.
Example: Files contain both temperature and precipitation, and each file is a given geographic location. Note: All columns need to be the same name in each file
importBind <- function(x){
  temp <- list.files(pattern = paste0("*",x))
  files <- lapply(temp, read.csv)
  bind <- do.call("rbind", files)
  return(bind)
}

NJbind <- importBind("NJ")
NYbind <- importBind("NY")

OPTION 3
If you want to bind only certain columns from files containing the same column names
Example: Files contain temperature and precipitation, along with other columns that aren't needed, and each file is a given geographic location. Note: All columns need to be the same name in each file. Since default is NULL, leaving keeps out will default to option 2 above.
importBindKeep <- function(x, keeps = NULL){ # default is to keep all columns
  temp <- list.files(pattern = paste0("*",x))
  files <- lapply(temp, read.csv)
  # if you wanted to only keep a few columns, use the following.
  if(!is.null(keeps)) files <- lapply(files, "[", , keeps)
  bind <- do.call("rbind", files)
  return(bind)
}

NJbind.keeps <- importBindKeep("NJ", keeps = c("A","B")) # keep only columns A and B
NYbind.keeps <- importBindKeep("NY", keeps = c("A","B"))

See How to import multiple .csv files at once? and Simultaneously merge multiple data.frames in a list, for more information.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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F4P commended in national campaign
Posted on December 12, 2018 by Kerry Burnett
Football 4 Peace International features in the 'UK's Best Breakthroughs' list, part of the new 'MadeAtUni' campaign that celebrates the impact universities have on the wider community.
The list of 100 highlights ground-breaking projects and research which have transformed lives. Universities UK is the representative organisation for all UK universities.
Gary Stidder, co-founder of the initiative with Professor John Sugden, said: "I have been really proud to have been associated with Football 4 Peace International for nearly 20 years. As an educationalist I believe that the multi-dimensional research, education and social engagement platform that utilises physical education and sport has had a major impact in areas suffering from high levels of cross-community conflict and various forms of political disorder and social disintegration.
"It is great to see F4P International featured alongside other cutting-edge research and projects across the UK in such a prestigious campaign."
"Through our curriculum and methodology I believe we have created, strengthened and assisted community networks and partnerships by providing opportunities for social contact across community boundaries which has ultimately promoted mutual understanding and engendered in participants a desire for and commitment to peaceful coexistence."
'MadeAtUni' was set up following independent research undertaken by Britain Thinks, which found that the public has limited understanding of the benefits provided by universities beyond undergraduate teaching.
Professor Dame Janet Beer, President of Universities UK, said: "Universities really do transform lives. The technology we use every day, the medicines that save lives, the teachers who inspire – all come from UK universities and the important work being done by academics.
"The UK's Best Breakthroughs list is a testament to the difference that universities make to people's lives and we want everyone to join us in celebrating the work they do."
Other examples of work carried out at the University of Brighton that has impacted wider society includes:
The Brighton Waste House, Europe's first permanent public building made almost entirely from discarded or disused materials drawn from households and construction sites: https://bit.ly/2DzU6T
Dr Mel Flint's research into the effects of stress on cancer progression and the mechanisms of how stress hormones act on the cells in the body: https://bit.ly/2RE5EaE
Dr James Ebdon's work on water sanitation across the world, part of a bid to support disease prevention in developing countries including helping to combat Typhoid in India, Ebola in West Africa and Cholera in Haiti: https://bit.ly/2REcXz6
The state-of-the-art Advanced Engineering Building, opened in April 2018 and located on the University's Moulsecoomb campus. It hosts the Advanced Engineering Centre, which has an international reputation for innovative research into complex engine combustion processes, laser-based measurement techniques and computational simulation: https://bit.ly/2J9cAbk
For more information about the 'UK's Best Breakthroughs' and the 'MadeAtUni' campaign visit: madeatuni.org.uk
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Discussed With Opposition Leaders Before Deciding on Kovind for President: Naidu
'Give Me Names': Upset With Ministers Skipping Parliament Duty, PM Modi Sets Evening Deadline
The ruling party sprung a surprise on Monday by putting forth Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind's name as the next President of India, getting everyone in the country, including the opposition off guard.
Marya Shakil | CNN-News18 maryashakil
Updated:June 24, 2017, 5:18 PM IST
File image of Venkaiah Naidu. (Image: PTI)
The ruling party sprung a surprise on Monday by putting forth Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind's name as the next President of India, getting everyone in the country, including the opposition off guard. Kovind's name has resulted in various reactions, including dissent from certain opposition parties. Union minister Venkaiah Naidu speaks exclusively to CNN-News18's Marya Shakil on why it boiled down to Kovind, and how the ruling party plans to take on the opposition in the upcoming Presidential polls.
Q. You're a member of the BJP Parliamentary board and also part of the panel constituted by Amit Shah for the Presidential polls. Could you tell us what all names were there in the list of probable names for President?
A. The party president has explained to everyone how the process took place. The Prime Minister also made it clear that he did not want it anyone kept out of the decision making. All stakeholders have been consulted and whatever has been suggested by the Parliamentary Board has also been taken into consideration. Choosing Kovind was a unanimous decision.
Q. The initial reactions from various parties, including your ally Shiv Sena, have not been very positive. Sanjay Raut has gone on record saying that the BJP should have shared the name with Uddhav Thackeray when Shah met him on Sunday. Why did you not disclose the name? Do you think it will be possible to build a consensus?
A. I don't want to discuss anything or argue over the matter with any of our allies. They have been consulted, and Amit Shah has personally met the Shiv Sena chief. I would just like to say that the Shiv Sena supremo was spoken to on Sunday and even on Monday. I don't want to debate or argue with them. They are our allies and we would never try to spoil things with them or jeopardise our alliance.
Q. Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that it's a one-sided decision.
A. They have got every right in the democracy. We discussed with Congress and other parties about possible names, and have kept their inputs in mind while deciding on our candidate. We discussed the possibilities with the SP, BSP, NCP and other parties too. We received inputs from them, asking them what sort of a candidate they expected. We didn't give them a name, and neither did they. So, finally the parliamentary board met on Monday. Amit Shah had consulted all our allies and also the panel that he had constituted for the Presidential elections, which included Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and I. Amit Shah had spoken to Shiv Sena and I have, myself, spoken to communist leaders.
It was only after careful and intricate discussion with all stakeholders involved, including the opposition that we have come to a conclusion. The Prime Minister spoke to the Congress president and other party leaders before deciding on a final name. Ram Nath Kovind's background and work for the under privileged makes him the best possible candidate. He is not controversial at all. His humble, social background only makes him more committed to issues of the lesser privileged.
I am confident that the opposition will support us. They have every right to sit amongst us during such times of important decision making. And we have made it a point to include each one of them.
Q. You've previously said that the President of the country will solely be that, and not be the President of any party. Then why is there a focus on consensus building when you have the numbers in the Electoral College?
A. It's not a question of numbers alone. Consensus has always been there. Right from 1977 when Sanjay Naidu was the President to times when APJ Abdul Kalam was in the position, there has always been a broad consensus. In spite of having the numbers, we reached out to other opposition parties before taking a final call. The manner in which we're getting this done has been appreciated by one and all.
Q. The criticism, however, is that when you did meet the opposition, you didn't have a name. Do you think it would have been better had you gone to them with a name?
A. Let's say we had gone with a name. Then they would say that we've already decided on a name. So, it's only better that we consulted them and then took all their inputs into consideration to arrive at a decision.
Q. If the opposition decides to field a candidate, what will be the government's next move?
A. I am hopeful that the opposition will realise the mood of the nation and extend their support to Kovind.
If they do field a candidate, I am hopeful that they will put forward the name of a capable candidate.
Q. Kovind will not be the first Dalit President (KR Narayanan was the first ever from the community). What is the message that the BJP is looking to send?
A. We are not appealing to the people to support him because of his background. Look at his work. He has made tremendous contribution to the political sphere and was president of the SC/ST Morcha. He is a son of the farmer and comes from the lowest strata of the society. He was a 2-time Rajya Sabha MP, and has made tremendous contribution to the debates in the House. He has been president of the SC/ST Morcha three times, and was part of the government council during 1971. He was an advocate in the Supreme Court. With his legal background and rich political experience, he is a good choice.
Q. Very little is known about Kovind. What is your personal take on the NDA Presidential candidate?
A. Personally too, I can vouch for the fact that he is an extremely soft-spoken man and humble. I was party president when he was made the president of the SC/ST Morcha, and from my interactions with him, I can tell you that he has been steady in his work for upliftment of those who are lesser privileged.
Ram Nath Kovind for President
| Edited by: Mirza Arif Beg


1. Annual Appeal - Thank you to Ken and Matt for gathering together the letter and to Terry for arranging it into web pages. On December 1st a short email and a link to three other pages went out to our email list of 650 people. The three other pages regard an overview of the appeal for teacher support, an update on Sangha activities this year, and information on donating. A donor came forward to kick off the drive with a donation of $700. Paper copies of the pages will be in the lobby.
2. Communications Document - Light positive feedback has been received. No particularly deep feedback at this point. Talus is proofing the document and has some suggested changes. The process for inviting stewards was discussed. It can be publicized on the website. Thought was to discuss nominations by the annual meeting, but the job role is not entirely scoped out yet.
3. Bookkeeper Candidates - One has been interviewed, one is being interviewed simultaneous to this meeting, two more interviews are forthcoming. The finance committee had been hoping to contract with someone as an independent business, but since the position is posted as an internship, Marti is researching the paperwork required to have them on our payroll. We will pay them extra to produce a document from their training of how to perform all the tasks required of the position. We are hoping for a 1 year commitment.
4. Clerk Position - Several candidates were discussed. A good portion of the job is computer data entry. Talus will approach potential volunteers.
1. Backyard Rental - The 2 bedroom house behind Red Cedar who we share a lot with is now for rent. $900 per month. The house is vintage and rustic. This could be good for a group of zen renters not materially oriented wanting to live intimately with the zendo, or expanded space for interviews in retreat. The space would be great for our sangha, but we cannot at this time justify the space for what it gets.
2. Rohatsu - The retreat is approaching. The board decides to pay for co-teacher Jeff Kelly's hotel expenses. Talus will coordinate with the retreat manager to make that happen. Another year we could make Rohatsu into a public event in this season of holidays to showcase Buddhism.
3. Annual Meeting - A financial report will be presented by Talus who will have handouts. The Communication document will be presented by Jeff. Our Zen year in review will be presented by Tim. Perhaps John will take notes if he is available.
4. Holidays - There will be no practice on Christmas, Wednesday December 25th but we will make a big push for participation in the New Years ceremony Tuesday December 31st. There will be Wednesday practice on January 1st.
5. Next Board Meeting - The Board will not meet in January, but will meet on February 5 during Practice Period.


There are plenty of reasons for financial advisers to be leery of alternative investments, but most of them are related to a lack of understanding and comparisons to the wrong kinds of benchmarks.
In the wake of an unprecedented bull market for stocks, it is easy to just focus on the relative underperformance and higher fees of alternative-strategy mutual funds.
The average liquid alternative mutual fund, as tracked by Morningstar, has an expense ratio of 1.823%, which compares to 1.179% for the average large-cap growth fund.
And if you start drawing comparisons between liquid alt funds and some of the exchange-traded funds that offer broad stock market exposure for less than a dozen basis points, the case for alternative investments gets even weaker.
The liquid alternatives space doesn't do itself any favors by responding to gripes about fees by pointing out that hedge funds and other private investment strategies typically charge 2% management fees and take 20% from the gains.
Keep in mind that the liquid alts space is still relatively new to investors. Ten years ago there were 132 liquid alt funds managing $32.6 billion, and today there are 484 funds managing $171.6 billion.
That growth rate occurred during a stretch when most investors would have been fine just sitting in a long-only portfolio of stocks and bonds. But looking back is not how most financial advisers allocate client assets, which helps explain the robust growth of alternatives.
Of course, there are sufficient naysayers who are still stacking the performance of alternatives against inappropriate benchmarks like hedge funds and stocks. Viewed from that angle, liquid alts will rarely impress.
For the three-month period through September, the Hedge Fund Research HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index gained 2.96%, while the S&P 500 Index gained 3.85, and the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Index of liquid alt funds gained 1.29%.
Over the first nine months of the year, the HFRI hedge fund benchmark gained 4.19%, the S&P rose 7.82%, and the Wilshire liquid alts index increased 2.16%.
The hedge fund industry, which is already seeing a threat from the lower-cost liquid alts, is expected to outperform the mutual fund counterparts.
That's part of the so-called illiquidity premium, according to Jason Schwarz, president of Wilshire Funds Management. "If hedge funds can't outperform liquid alts, there's no reason to give up the liquidity and pay the higher fees," he said.
Mr. Schwarz will be discussing these topics in much more detail next month in Miami at the InvestmentNews Alternative Investments conference.
Comparing liquid alt fund performance to the stock market makes as much sense as comparing the stock market to the bond market.
The fact that the Barclays Capital Government/Credit Bond Index gained just 42 basis points in the third quarter hasn't sparked a mass exodus from bonds because bonds are part of a diversified asset allocation strategy.
Clearly, much of the growth of alternative strategies since the 2008 financial crisis, when most asset classes collapsed in sync, has been driven by a renewed focus on diversification, along with fears of bubbles for both stocks and bonds.
Some financial advisers saw the payoff of the diversification into alternatives in the wake of the late-June Brexit vote.
Between June 24 and June 27, when a traditional portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds fell by 2.7%, the Goldman Sachs Liquid Alternative Investments Multistrategy peer group fell by just 80 basis points.
"The liquid alts space hasn't done a good job of setting expectations or managing expectations," said Mr. Schwarz, who says most liquid alt strategies are still measuring their performance against either hedge funds, stocks, or cash. "It's almost as if benchmarking has been put off as a day-two or day-three plan."
It's now at least day four, and the liquid alts space seems to be growing in spite of its myriad flaws.
Financial advisers are expected to dig deep in their evaluations of any investment. But when it comes to liquid alts, a lot of advisers might not be digging deep enough if they're being side tracked by faulty comparisons.


Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! You must be so excited that your magical vacation is almost here?
The My Disney Experience app will help you plan and share the magic with your friends. Everyone will need to have registered for their own My Disney Experience account. You will need to invite them to join your "Family and Friends list." Once they have accepted your invitation, you can share what you are planning. When you make your FastPass+ selections, you can select experiences for everyone at the same time. Remember, in order to make FastPass+ reservations everyone must already have an admission ticket linked to their account.
When it comes to making your advanced dining reservations, you have two options for dining together. You can be the lead person and make the reservation in your name for everyone who will be dining together. Or you can each make your own reservation by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463. You will need to let the Cast Member know that you are all dining together so your confirmation numbers will be linked together.


SANFORD, Fla. – An attorney convicted of leading a $300 million gambling ring that used a veterans charity as a front has been sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Jacksonville attorney Kelly Mathis was sentenced Wednesday after a Florida judge listened to character witnesses describe the lawyer as a man of integrity who loved his family.
Mathis' attorneys argued that he should be spared prison given he only provided legal advice to Allied Veterans of America.
But Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox says Mathis deserved prison for engaging in deception. Cox says Mathis was responsible for marrying the gambling operation with the veterans charity.


Charismatics have claimed personal words from God for years. That figures, since the bulk of charismatic theology (despite their insistence to the contrary) depends on exalting experience over Scripture. In light of that fact, I can almost expect them to believe that God speaks apart from the written Word of God.
A Facebook conversation with someone from the Charismatic church I belonged to in California reminded me recently that a primary argument for God speaking personally pits the living Holy Spirit against the "dead letter" of the Bible. It's not a denial of Scripture's authority. In this person's mind, it's not even a denial of Scripture's sufficiency (though that's pretty much exactly what he's doing). Rather, it apparently adds a personal relationship with the Spirit that Scripture somehow can't provide.
Of course, my friend hastens to add, the Spirit never contradicts Scripture. Which raises the question: Why would He then need to speak apart from Scripture in the first place? Why not trust Him to speak through the Bible He inspired?
The mere suggestion that God's Word is a "dead letter" needing augmentation with personal experiences absolutely chills me. That very idea completely ignores what the Bible says about itself.
As we read God's Word, the Holy Spirit uses it to convict us of sin, instruct us in righteousness and reveal Who the Triune God is. Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us what to look for in a spouse, how to conduct ourselves in business, how to order our families and what His Church should do. Above all that, He shows us His nature and His priorities. He lets us know what angers Him, what pleases Him and what honors Him.
Certainly, during the course of a day, the Holy Spirit will bring Scriptures and/or Scriptural principles to our minds that we can apply. Even then, please notice, He's speaking Scripture. He doesn't, as some claim, direct us to brush a stranger's hair or purchase an extra bottle of milk. Rather, He commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others as much as we love ourselves.
Until we obey everything He tells us in His Word, what would be the point of Him speaking personally to us?


1. Has anyone swapped an arctic cat 340 fan engine (see pics) into this style golf cart? I couldn't seem to find anyone online that has. If you have could you post pics of your fab work for engine mounts and such or maybe a forum that is out there for this style engine swap?
2. I have read a ton of things on clutching and blah blah. I'm not trying to get the max speed. Just something with a little more power than the stock one cylinder.... Can I just run the primary clutch that is on snowmobile engine and leave the secondary that's already on the golf cart?
3. I've seen people tearing apart the rear axle, is this necessary? Is there a special gear or something in there that has to be removed for speed or torque or whatever?
Any other tips would be great. I will keep the post updated with pics. I just started yesterday. Pulled the engine from sled and golf cart last night. Now I need to figure out engine mounts before i go any further. Thanks in advance.
Got her done. Don't mind the hack job my buddy did with the sawzall. Haha other than that she goes good. I made the rear differential posi as well.
Haha have fun with it.
I know theres posts out there about it. But anyone know what i should do for clutching. I have only taken it on a few test runs and seems to go pretty good. But for primary I have the clutch that came on the snowmobile engine and secondary is stock from the g1.... any ideas? leave it or something I should look into for upgrading it?
I have a yammi 340 in my g1 on she has done 56 on the GPS. I made a jackshaft rack kinda thing on mine.It might be hard to see but If you search the site I put up some detailed pics in this section a couple years ago.
I swapped a 340 Yamaha into my G2. no issue's with the rear end. I used a heavy duty secondary. check out my build if you like.


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Eastern spadefoot or Eastern spadefoot toad may refer to:

Scaphiopus holbrookii or eastern spadefoot, a toad found in North America
Pelobates syriacus or eastern spadefoot, a toad found in Eastern Europe and the Middle East
Eastern spadefoot toads (Leptobrachium'''), a genus of Southeast Asian toads, from family Megophryidae'', unrelated to the above species

Animal common name disambiguation pages