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Home/Non-profit galleries/'Our destiny is linked to the million species threatened with extinction today' | India News
'Our destiny is linked to the million species threatened with extinction today' | India News
Margaret L. Portillo November 26, 2021 Non-profit galleries Comments Off on 'Our destiny is linked to the million species threatened with extinction today' | India News 7 Views
South Florida Accountant for an International Company That Operated Sexual "Child Modeling" Websites Pleads Guilty | USAO-MDFL
Friend Vitale is an award winning photographer. Talk to Srijana Mitra Das To The times evoke, she talks about Vital Impacts, her collective of photographers who showcase the biodiversity of our planet and empower those who strive to protect it:
How did Vital Impacts start?
The genesis of Vital Impacts came from a desire to use photography and powerful narrative imagery to support organizations working to protect threatened habitats and amplify these critical stories. Photography has the unique ability to transcend languages and help us understand our connection to all life. It is the ultimate tool for creating empathy, awareness and understanding. About a hundred of the best photographers in the world have come together to save the environment. Using their art, they raise funds to support local conservation organizations.
For 25 years, I have been reporting stories about the impacts of humanity on the planet. Human activity has placed a million plant and animal species in immediate danger of extinction, causing what scientists have identified as the sixth major extinction event on this planet. Not only is this extinction caused by humans, it is happening at an incredibly fast and accelerated rate. The elimination of these key species concerns us all. These giants are part of a complex world, created over millions of years – their survival is closely tied to our survival.
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What happens next is in our hands. Nature is resilient if we give it a chance. But first we have to fall in love with the world around us – only love gives us the courage to make a difference. We must do all we can for the creatures that inhabit the Earth. They are our traveling companions in this universe. Our future happiness depends on it.
TOGETHER, WE ARE WHOLE: Ami Vitale documents nature and humanity. See Vital Impacts, his photo collective organized to support nature, on: www.vitalimpacts.org. Photo courtesy: Fabrice Herpain, via A Vitale
Who is involved in this project?
We are honored to have Dr Jane Goodall DBE, the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, who contributed to the prints available for the first time since her work in Gombe National Park. Our other contributors are drawn from the covers of National Geographic and the world's most prestigious art galleries. Some of the outstanding photographers featured are Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier, Nick Brandt, Beverly Joubert, Joel Sartore and Stephen Wilkes. They are part of the hundred or so participating photographers. They have captured so many parts of our beautiful and interconnected world.
In our inaugural sale, we are using funds raised to support Life Foundation, the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots and Shoots program, Great Plains Conservation's Project Ranger and SeaLegacy. This is just the start – we are planning many more sales to benefit organizations whose work has life-changing impacts. We also work exclusively with nonprofit partners who empower local communities who are the best stewards of their lands and understand how important nature conservation is. Vital Impacts will also help help Indigenous communities document the nature around them, so they can control the narrative and inspire the world to see the value of what they see.
I am grateful to all those I have witnessed who have a deep concern for the creatures with which they coexist. This care stems from the understanding of the entire web of life. Their commitment motivates me to protect this beautiful living planet. Vital Impacts was founded with this at the heart of its mission.
One of your most iconic photos is of the death of Sudan, the world's last male northern white rhino. What did you experience while you were telling this?
I met Sudan in 2009 after hearing about a plan to airlift four of the world's last remaining northern white rhinos from a zoo in the Czech Republic to Kenya. It was a desperate effort to save a species, in the hope that it would reproduce. There were only eight left, all in zoos. Sudan, this gentle and towering creature in the Czech snow, was part of a species that had lived on this planet for millions of years, but could not outlive mankind.
I remember when Sudan first set foot on African soil. The sky darkens. Torrential rains came – Sudan put her head up to smell the rain and rolled on the ground. It was his first mud bath since he left at the age of two. His move may have saved his life – poaching is the reason there were only eight white rhinos left. The animals did not breed and in 2018 I had to say goodbye to Sudan, which was surrounded by those who loved it. Even today, poaching is not slowing down. If the killing continues, rhinos, elephants and many plains animals could functionally disappear in our lifetime. The history of Sudan has helped me understand how we are not separated from nature. Our destiny is linked to that of animals. To save them is to save ourselves. Without them, we lose healthy ecosystems and a wonderful world.
Share your thoughts on: [email protected]
Read Times Evoke online at: www.timesofi ndia.indiatimes.com/india/times-evoke
Artistic Tours of Highway 62 Return to High Desert to Mark 20th Anniversary
Google Arts & Culture now offers a virtual tour of the Great Wall of China
LARC receives grant from Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation for art workshops
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Galiena \g(a)-lie-na\ as a girl's name is of Old German origin, and the meaning of Galiena is "high one; the land of Gaul".
Galiena has 4 variant forms: Galiana, Galianna, Galliena and Galyena.
Baby names that sound like Galiena are Galina and Galena.


Twin Oaks Ranch is located in San Marcos California, in the upper Twin Oaks Valley. The Nursery at Twin Oaks Ranch is the reliable source for quality Palms, Cycads, Bamboo and Tropical plants. We specialize in drought tolerant plant material and have a wide variety, ranging from succulents to trees. Our customers include homeowners, landscape architects, developers, real estate professionals and retail nurseries. Private collectors have found Twin Oaks Ranch to be a great source for rare and exotic specimens. A family owned and operated business, we will give you the individual attention you are seeking. We are happy to share our plant and design knowledge to help you realize your landscape vision!
You'll discover rare and unusual plants at Twin Oaks Ranch that are not typically found in large retail nursery chains. We offer retail quality at WHOLESALE PRICING!
Call for an appointment to tour our nursery.


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Can't We All Just Get Along?
August 16, 2015 pammaclean Civil, US Court of Appeals Leave a comment
A sheriff's deputy, sent to fetch a public defender who was tardy for a court hearing, is immune from liability after he arrested the lawyer, placed her in handcuffs and took her to court.
"No one in this case has covered himself with glory," said Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday.
Kozinski had no kind words for the "lackadaisical" response by attorney Florentina Demuth, who egged on the deputy, Wai Chui Li, by saying "if you want me to come now you have to arrest me." Nor did Kozinski sympathize with the deputy who "took the bait and abused his power" nor the judges of Los Padrinos Juvenile Court, who failed to mediate this minor dispute among court officers "and allowed it to metastasize into a federal case."
'What seems to be at stake here is little more than wounded pride, as any damages suffered by the plaintiff seem hardly more than nominal," Kozinski said.
This could have been resolved by an admission that the deputy violated Demuth's constitutional rights, "followed by mutual apologies and a handshake, saving the taxpayers of Los Angeles county the considerable costs of litigating this tiff," he said.
This began when Demuth arrived for a hearing in juvenile court at 8:30 a.m. but learned her hearing was later in the day, with no specific time. She told opposing counsel she would go back to her office in the same building and return at 1:30pm.
The juvenile court referee got to her case early and had Demuth paged. But Demuth did not respond to several pages, which is apparently not unusual in the building, the court said.
A deputy then called Demuth, who didn't answer and finally the deputy was sent to bring Demuth to court.
When they deputy located Demuth she was talking to a supervisor and after a few exchanges the deputy demanded Demuth return to court. Demuth finally said, "if you want me to come right now, you'll have to arrest me."
The deputy did just that She was handcuffed and escorted to court. The arrest lasted 11 minutes.
The appeals court upheld a finding that the deputy was immune from liability.
Case: Demuth v. County of Los Angeles, No. 12-57197
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The complexity and costs associated with offering employee ownership in return for the forfeiture of employment rights is likely to deter employers from recruiting on this basis, the Law Society has warned.
The proposed new 'employee owner' status creates complex issues for employers and employees both at the outset of the employment relationship and on termination, with potential for satellite litigation.
While employer owner status removes unfair dismissal rights as well as certain rights to request flexible working and training, and statutory redundancy pay, employers will still be liable for other claims, including discrimination and whistleblowing.
Responding today to a consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Law Society said small businesses will be unlikely to take up a proposal which brings with it more, rather than less, red tape.
Businesses will need access to professional advice and support because operating these new kinds of contracts will be beyond the expertise of most firms.
The proposed scheme is unlikely to be attractive to employees who will be asked to surrender the certainty of established rights in return for uncertain capital gains tax benefits in the future, especially given that individuals are already entitled to an annual capital gains tax exemption of £10,000.
'Employees can already be given shares in a company as a reward or incentive without needing to give up their statutory rights', says Angharad Harris, 'and in reality this is not creating a new 'employee status' at all'.
This entry was posted in Law Society - National and tagged Employment, Law Society - National. Bookmark the permalink.


Our American Network - Hurricane Harvey: What the "Media Spinners" GOT WRONG!
Hurricane Harvey: What the "Media Spinners" GOT WRONG!
Leo Linbeck: A Houstonian, 6th-generation Texan, business leader, and father of 5 (including 3 adopted children) shares with us the truth about his hometown.


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Integrated Assessment of the Climate Change Impacts on the Gulf Coast Region
Zhu H. Ning, R. Eugene Turner, THomas Doyle, and Kamran Abdollahi
Created: 6/23/2016 - Updated: 1/17/2019
The Gulf Coast region includes five Gulf Coast states. The specific territories covered in the assessment are the Gulf Coastal Plains and coastal waters of southern Texas, southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and western Florida (Fig. 1). The Gulf itself has a surface area of 1.63 million square kilometers (630,000 square miles) and a watershed area of 4.69 million square kilometers (1.81 million square miles) in the United States. This region is one of the nation's largest ecological systems and is closely linked to a significant portion of the nation's economy. Energy, fisheries, agriculture, forests, and tourism rank among the most significant sectors of the Gulf Coast region's economy. The Gulf has five of the nation's top ten fishing ports. Gulf ports handle one half of the nation's import-export tonnage and the Gulf produces 72% of the nation's offshore petroleum production. The Gulf Coast region relies on many natural resources to fuel many important sectors of its economy.
gulfcoast-complete.pdf


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Collaboration
Petr V. Prikhodchenko
Tatyana A. Tripol'skaya
Elena A. Mel'nik
Alexander G. Medvedev
Alexey A. Mikhaylov
Irina V. Shabalova
Mikhail V. Vener
Dmitri A. Grishanov
Mikhail Yu. Sharipov
Olga V. Vasilkova
Ivan D. Karpov
E-mail: mike_sharipov@mail.ru
Mendeleev's University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow
Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technologies and Biomedical Substances; speciality – Engineer-chemist (specialist).
Thesis: "The Synthesis of O-substituted derivatives of N-hydroxyphthalimide by oxidative coupling using cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate". Supervisors of studies: Doctor of Chemical Science, Prof. RAS, Corresponding Member of RAS Alexander O. Terent'ev Alexander O. Terent'ev, Ph.D. Igor B. Krylov.
Ph.D., Mendeleev's University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow;
Thesis: "The synthesis and fungicidal activity of [1,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy)ethyl]benzenes and α-thiocyanates of β-dicarbonyl compounds". Supervisors of studies: Doctor of Chemical Science, Prof. RAS, Corresponding Member of RAS Alexander O. Terent'ev..
Research fellow at the Laboratory for Studies of Homolytic Reactions, N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, RAS, Moscow, Russia.
Engineer at All-russian research institute of phytopathology.
2015-present time
Assistant at Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow.
Research fellow at Laboratory of peroxide compounds and related materials, Kurnakov Institute Of General And Inorganic Chemistry, RAS, Moscow, Russia.
Colloidal chemistry, advanced materials, nanomaterials, sol-gel chemistry, thin films, coatings, inorganic chemistry, hydrogen peroxide, peroxocompounds, nanocrystals, p-block elements, oxides, applied chemistry, graphene oxide
TEACHING AND MENTORING
1. Executing lectures and seminars for bachelors in the course "Pharmaceutical analysis and drug quality control system". (Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow)
2. Guiding laboratory practice for bachelors in the course "Chemistry and technology of biologically active substances." (Dmitry Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow)
3. Guiding students' diploma:
Jan V. Savitsky (Engineer-chemist (specialist), 2018);
Ivan D. Karpov (B.Sc., with Distinction, 2017);
Olga V. Vasilkova (B.Sc., with Distinction, 2017);
Alena N. Kulakova (Engineer-chemist (specialist), 2015);
Natalya S. Shumakova (Engineer-chemist (specialist), 2015);
Daria V. Gaidarenko (Engineer-chemist (specialist), with Distinction, 2014).
Ph.D. thesis: "The synthesis and fungicidal activity of [1,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy)ethyl]benzenes and α-thiocyanates of β-dicarbonyl compounds"
© 2018 PeroxoLab.com


This gem can be used to drive a 3270 terminal emulator in a ruby environment (jruby and non-jruby). The code has been tested on jruby 1.7.10 and mruby 2.0.x You have to have a supported emulator installed on the machines on which you use the gem. Currently the only supported emulators are EXTRA! X-treme by Attachmate and Quick3270 by DN-Computing. These are commercial products and you will need to purchase one of them in order to use this gem. We do plan to support other emulators as time permits.
Generated on Tue Apr 9 01:08:14 2019 by yard 0.9.19 (ruby-2.5.1).


7th Pay Commission benefits may be granted to Central Government Employees and Pensioners in the month of July 2016 after Govt issues notification to this effect as reported by Financial Express. The e-version of this financial daily quoting its sources close to 7th CPC implementation process reports that employees and pensioners will get their July Pay / Pension in August which are revised to 7th Pay Commission recommendations.
Financial Express also reports that there are also indications for payment of arrears in the same month. However it is clear whether arrears of pay payable with effect from 1st January 2016 will be paid as installments or at one go.
After 7th CPC Empowered Committee meeting which is fixed on 11th June 2016, things may get clear up. It may be recalled that Govt has formed a Committee of Secretaries headed by Mr.P.K.Sinha, Cabinet Secretary as Chairman, to process 7th Pay Commission Recommendations submitted to Govt.
As many as 4.7 Million Central Government employees and 5.3 Million Pensioners will be benefited by this Pay revision Process.
However, Union and Association leaders have already raised their objections for implementation of 7CPC report without properly negotiating with Staff Side representatives. In this connection Strike Notice has been issued by Confederation, Major Railway Unions and also Defence Workers Federations for proceeding with indefinite strike from 11th July 2016.
7th Pay Comission has recommended 14.22% increase in the Basic Pay of Central Government Employees. Though increase in allowances reported to be increased to the extent of 63%, taking in to account the inflation which is not neutralized as far as many of the allowances are concerned such as HRA etc., quantum of increase in allowances will be around 28% only in real terms.
As far as Central Services Pension is concerned, increase in pension at lower level has been proposed to an extent of 24%. However, in the middle level and higher level increase in pension is less than 24%.
The unconfirmed news which is already on air is that Empowered Committee of Secretaries have proposed for minimum Basic Pay of Rs. 21,000 as against the pay of Rs. 18,0000 recommended by 7th Pay Commission at this level. As far as pay at higher level is concerened, Committee Secretaries have mooted out for revision of 7th Pay Commission recommeended Pay from Rs. 2,50,000 to Rs. 2,70,000.


Payment method of international trade is the settlement method of debt and debt with loan as the main content due to the exchange of commodities between countries.Different payment methods include different payment time, place and method.International trade payment is the product of highly developed commodity production and circulation. With the enhancement and expansion of international Commodity Exchange, the payment and receipt of loans have gradually changed from spot transaction to various payment methods featuring settlement between buyers and sellers through Banks or other intermediaries.
As a principle, the buyer is liable for payment only if the seller delivers the goods at the designated place.In such cases, seller's delivery and buyer's payment are mutually conditional.This principle applies to all types of sales and purchase contracts that are characterized by physical delivery.For example, exw contract, exw contract, etc.As a form of payment, the common term "cash on delivery" is cash on delivery.If there is no other stipulation in the contract, the cash on delivery is generally the buyer to remit the payment to the seller through the bank after accepting the goods.
Sunnytex,we are a OEM manufacturer,we can do as you wish,Our main producst are workwear,pants,vest,coverall,jacket and so on.


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Luis Teodoro leads 2019 Titus Brandsma Awards winners
October 8, 2019 /in News /by Kodao Productions
Veteran journalist and activist Luis V. Teodoro leads this year's recipients of the prestigious Titus Brandsma Awards, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) announced.
The former two-time University of the Philippines College of Communication dean and People's Alternative Media Network (Altermidya) founding chairperson is named the Freedom of the Press awardee by the the Titus Brandsma Media Center, media ministry of the Carmelite Order in the Philippines.
Teodoro is a CMFR trustee and currently writes a column for BusinessWorld.
"Teodoro is recognized for being 'a journalist, editor, and journalism educator whose incisive critiques of Philippine media have inspired generations of media practitioners and scholars,'" the CMFR announcement said.
"Many of the latter are now established journalists, editors and media scholars who, in turn, imparted to their audience and students, the ethical principles and the professionalism of the craft of journalism that they have learned from Luis. His sharp analyses in his columns often step on the interests of the powerful and the mighty, and necessarily so as the overall thrust of his media advocacy is a democratized access to information for a learned society," it added.
Six other journalists are also recipients of the 2019 Titus Brandsma Awards:
Ed Lingao, TV5, for Leadership in Journalism;
Christian Esguerra, ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), for Emergent Leadership in Journalism;
Belina San Buenaventura-Capul, Philippine Information Agency (PIA), for Leadership in Communication and Culture & Arts;
Gina Lopez (posthumous), ABS-CBN Foundation, for Leadership in Environmental Communication & Advocacy; and
Fr. James Reuter, SJ (posthumous), for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Esguerra told Kodao he is deeply honored by the recognition.
"I am deeply honored and at the same time humbled by the recognition. But more importantly, may the memory of Titus Brandsma inspire all of us to stay true to journalism's calling, at a time when press freedom — and truth — are under heavy attack," Esguerra said.
The Titus Brandsma Awards are given to individuals and groups especially to journalists in print and broadcast media who shares the virtues of Blessed Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite priest, journalist and educator who was martyred in 1942 in Nazi Germany's Dachau Concentration Camp for writing and defending the truth.
Brandsma was beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 3, 1985 and was declared a "Martyr of Press Freedom."
The award is the Philippine version of the international Titus Brandsma Award given by the Union Catholique Internationale dela' Presse, the world forum of professionals in secular and religious media.
Former winners of the local Titus Brandsma Awards include Philippine Daily Inquirer's Conrado de Quiros, Rappler's Patricia Evangelista, Vera Files' Yvonne Chua, GMA's Kara David and Howie Severino, MindaNews' Carolyn Arguillas and others.
The awardees will formally receive their awards in a ceremonial dinner on October 28, at the SM Skydome, North EDSA in Quezon City.
The award comes with a National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva-designed trophy. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
[The reporter is the 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Emergent Leadership in Journalism recipient.]
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/LVT-Titus-Brandsma-1.png 427 640 Kodao Productions https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.png Kodao Productions2019-10-08 18:42:462019-10-08 20:17:34Luis Teodoro leads 2019 Titus Brandsma Awards winners


01.09.2016 22:45:30 The formal research paper or honors If you.
02.09.2016 11:45:33 This classic essay that says that poetry participate in a The Village Extended School.
02.09.2016 21:55:47 There be a national legalization of marijuana as a prescription and clinical drug for.
03.09.2016 22:42:47 Have own pilospy of education.you nourish my idea,what are Most sources recommend.


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Posts Tagged 'Michael J. Sullivan'
Cover Preview UK: 2013 July to December
Spring is almost here but we're already looking forward to summer and autumn 2013! That's because we've got some amazing books coming up for the rest of this year with freshly designed covers to share with you. This isn't our whole list of published titles for the year – just the covers we think you might not have seen before.
Click on the individual cover images below to see the larger version and let us know your favourites!
Goodreads Choice Awards: Semifinal Round!
The second round of voting for the Goodreads Choice Awards is now live! Check it out and vote for your favorites. Below are the Orbit books we're thrilled to see still on the list. (more…)
Orbit @ New York Comic Con
Ellen Wright
Orbit is going to New York Comic Con! We'll be in the Hachette booth, #1027, with giveaways, raffles, and several author events, so be sure to stop by if you're in town. Here's the schedule of events:
1 PM: Kate Locke signing GOD SAVE THE QUEEN @ booth 1027
4 PM: Nicole Peeler signing TEMPEST'S FURY and TEMPEST RISING @ booth 1027
4 PM: Senior editor Devi Pillai will be on the panel "Publisher's Paradise: Adult Publisher Spotlight" in Rm. 1A06
12:15 PM: Nicole Peeler will be on the panel "Myth Mixology: How Urban Fantasists Create the Perfect Cocktail" in Rm. 1A08
1:30 PM: Creative director Lauren Panepinto will be on the panel "Ladies Who Steam: The Publishing Industry on Women in Steampunk" in Rm. 1A01
11 AM: Michael J. Sullivan will be signing THEFT OF SWORDS @ booth 1027
4 PM: Michael J. Sullivan will be on the panel "The Brave New World of E-Book Publishing" in Rm. 1A07
We'll also be running raffles every day of the convention, with prizes including books by Gail Carriger, Joe Abercrombie, Iain M. Banks, and Rachel Aaron. See you there!
THE CROWN TOWER by Michael J. Sullivan
We are excited to announce the next book by Michael Sullivan, THE CROWN TOWER! Orbit will be publishing worldwide in August 2013! It is the first book in the Riyria Chronicles and it will be a two book series, with the second novel, THE ROSE AND THORN, following soon after.
Two men who hate each other. One impossible mission. A legend in the making.
Hadrian, a warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin, Royce, with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm's most prized possessions. But it isn't gold or jewels that the old wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, they just might do it.
For more information, please see Michael Sullivan's website here.
Cover art by Larry Rostant, visit his website to see his full portfolio.
T.C. McCarthy and Michael J. Sullivan at Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC, 2 PM
Nicole Peeler, Kristen Painter, Jaye Wells, and Amanda Carlson at Authors After Dark, New Orleans, LA
The Orbit team will be attending Blackwells' High Fantasy Night, and, because he's in London on a rare visit from Australia, Ian Irvine will be signing books at the event!
August 24 – 27
Simon Morden at the Greenbelt Festival, Gloucestershire, UK
August 31 – September 2
A number of Orbit authors will be attending either Chicon and DragonCon over Labor Day weekend!
Heir of Novron: Out Now!
Jenni Hill
A double execution. A forced wedding. Two thieves have other plans.
The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, their Empress will be married against her will and two alleged traitors to the realm will be publicly executed. And if the Empress she then suffer a fatal accident, the New Empire would be happy indeed . . .
There's just one problem – master thieves Royce and Hadrian have finally found the Heir of Novron. But they need to keep him alive long enough to claim his throne.
The publication of HEIR OF NOVRON means that you can now buy all six books of Michael J. Sullivan's acclaimed Riyria Revelations in these beautiful omnibus editions from Orbit! Available to read as paperbacks or ebooks, these three volumes collect the entire series:-
THEFT OF SWORDS (UK | US | ANZ) collects books one and two of the Riyria Revelations The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. Hired merely to steal a crown, thieves Royce and Hadrian become unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king himself.
RISE OF EMPIRE (UK | US | ANZ) collects books three and four, Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm. An imposter is on the throne, and the adventures of Royce and Hadrian continue when they're hired to perform a dangerous mission behind enemy lines . . .
HEIR OF NOVRON (UK | US | ANZ) – the thrilling conclusion! Collects books five and six, Wintertide and Percepliquis.
Wallpapers for THEFT OF SWORDS by Michael J. Sullivan
Lauren Panepinto
Wallpaper time again, guys and gals, and more epic fantasy for all your fancy devices. This fine art is for THEFT OF SWORDS by Michael J. Sullivan, which is the first book in the Riyria Revelations. The art is by Larry Rostant, and depicts the duo at the heart of the books. I don't want to give too much away, but these books were so good, we just had to give them the special Orbit 3-in-3-months treatment so you could get the whole epic in your hands right away.
There's a bit of a difference in the US/UK versions of the cover – we like to do that sometimes just to keep you all on your toes – but the illustration is the same, so both sides of the pond can enjoy. Check out both covers and read an excerpt here.
Here's all the wallpaper download links…if anyone needs a specific dimension made, let us know!
1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 |1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad
Cover Launch: THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS by Michael J. Sullivan
Bam! Can you say "EPIC", people? The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan are coming this November, December, and January, with more adventure and world-building than you epic fantasy fans will be able to handle. We wanted to give this series a cover style that spoke to fans of empire-building and political intrigue and armies clashing, but I really wanted to highlight the central axis of the books — the team of Royce and Hadrian, a thief and mercenary who get pulled into the plots and machinations of the empire despite their best (or worst) intentions. I think the marriage of the type and icons with the great illustrations by Larry Rostant give you the feel that it's these two friends back to back against the world, and that is the engine that takes you through these books and across the world of Riyria.
After the jump, a small teaser from Book One: Theft of Swords to get you all excited…..
Orbit at BEA 2011
At Book Expo America this week in New York? If so, be sure to brave your way through the Javits Center to see Orbit at booth #3633. On Wednesday from 4-5 you can meet Mira Grant and get a signed copy of Deadline. Then Thursday morning, from 10-11, meet Kristen Painter, who will be signing advance copies of Blood Rights (Oct, 2011). And also on Thursday at 12 noon to 1, Michael J. Sullivan will be on hand signing advance copies of Theft of Swords (Nov, 2011). If you can't make the signings, just come by and say hello — we've got some great books we'd like to tell you about. Hope to see you there!
Orbit acquires self-published ebook bestseller
Orbit is pleased to announce that it has acquired rights to publish the Riyria Revelations series by self-published author Michael J. Sullivan. Orbit will be publishing the complete series in three volumes in consecutive months in Fall/Winter 2011-2012. The first volume, Theft of Swords, will be published in November 2011; the second volume, Rise of Empire, in December 2011, and the final volume, Heir of Novron, in January 2012.
Michael J. Sullivan has already self-published the series in ebook and print-on-demand editions, and each volume has been prominent on the ebook fantasy bestseller charts. (more…)


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European markets close lower as investors digest virus and earnings news
by SmartTipsConsultants | Oct 28, 2020 | Economic News
New record rises in daily Covid-19 cases have been seen in the U.S., Russia and France in recent days, while the U.K. is set to extend its highest category alert to more cities.
The U.K. has warned that time is running out as the European Union's top negotiator Michel Barnier travels to London to continue Brexit talks.
LONDON — European stocks closed lower Tuesday as investors continued to monitor the rapid spread of the coronavirus across the continent and digested a fresh round of major corporate earnings.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.8% provisionally, with oil and gas stocks shedding more than 2% to lead losses. Tech shares struggled to come back from their 7.4% plunge on Monday, down around 0.2% by Tuesday's close.
It came as soaring global coronavirus cases, including in major European countries, and further delays to a potential U.S. stimulus bill hammered sentiment.
Stateside, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated hopes that a deal with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on a new coronavirus relief bill is still possible before next Tuesday's presidential election, but key differences remain and slow progress has put markets on edge.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell for a second day as the coronavirus continues to batter the U.S. ahead of the upcoming vote.
New record rises in daily Covid-19 cases have been seen in the U.S., Russia and France in recent days, while the U.K. is set to extend its highest category alert to more cities and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned colleagues that Germany is on the verge of losing control of the virus, according to The Guardian.
Earning in Focus
Santander on Tuesday projected an improvement of core profits for 2020 and reported a trebling of statutory net profit in the third quarter compared to a year ago. The Spanish lender's shares initially climbed before later shedding 1%, while HSBC's London-listed shares added more than 3% following its convincing third-quarter profit beat.
German chemicals company Brenntag added nearly 6% after announcing job cuts, while at the top of the Stoxx 600, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum jumped almost 8%.Another top performer was France's Ubisoft, which rose over 4% after announcing a rebrand of its game subscription service and integrations with Google and Amazon's respective cloud gaming platforms.
Toward the bottom of the pan-European index, Rheinmetall dropped more than 6% after Janus Henderson placed 1.2 million shares, according to Reuters. Austrian retail bank Bawag also fell around 6% after a downbeat earnings report.
Oil major BP reported a third-quarter underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $100 million, compared with a loss of $6.7 billion in the second quarter and $2.3 billion profit for the third quarter of 2019. BP stock reversed course to trade 2% lower by the close.


The following tutorial is going to show you how to add a new content page to your PrestaShop 1.6.x store. PrestaShop 1.6.x. How to add a new custom page. NOTE: PrestaShop enables you to create content pages as easily as you would create product pages using its CMS tool. The pages will appear to customers in the �Information� block on your homepage and in the site menu. You can add CMS... How do I add Background Music such as Youtube video to Music. I don't want to add my songs from the harddrive, just online song to background. This way If people come to my website there is som... I don't want to add my songs from the harddrive, just online song to background.
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Int. J. Morphol. vol.38 no.1 Temuco feb. 2020
Salivary Biomarkers in Alzheimer´s Disease
Biomarcadores Salivales en la Enfermedad de Alzheimer
Gustavo A. A Santos1 2
Enrique Olave3
Paulo C Pardi4
1 Centro Universitario Senac, São Paulo, Brazil.
2 Universidade de São Paulo, Riberão Preto, Brazil.
3 Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
4 Faculdade Anhanguera de Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil.
The hypotheses currently considered the most likely causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are amyloid beta peptide deposition in the cerebral cortex and hyperphosphorylation of the Tau protein, with the consequent formation of neurofibrillary tangles. In clinical practice, although not accurate, AD diagnosis is based on the exclusion of other diseases, behavioural assessments and complementary examinations, such as imaging and blood tests. Advances in the field of biotechnology have created exciting prospects for the early detection of AD via biomarker assessment, which is considered a safer and more efficient procedure. Molecules recognised as biomarkers can be expressed in some body fluids, including cerebrospinal fluid, saliva and blood. The presence of amyloid beta peptide and Tau can be confirmed in saliva, which is also an easily and non-invasively collectable material with an accessible cost. The objective was evaluate the concentrations of the t-Tau protein and Ab42 peptide in the saliva of elderly individuals with and without dementia of the AD type Method: The objective of this case-control study, involving a total of 120 individuals, was to analyse whether a correlation exists between variations in the concentrations of the t-Tau and Ab42 biomarkers in the saliva of patients with confirmed AD and individuals in the inclusion group but without AD . We found that t-Tau expression in AD patients is significantly lower than that in individuals without AD, whereas the salivary concentration of Ab42 is higher in patients with AD but not significantly different from that of the group without AD. Conclusion: Thus, we demonstrate the feasibility of using salivary biomarkers as predictive markers for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
KEY WORDS: Alzheimer's disease; Biomarkers; Amyloid beta-peptide; Saliva; Tau protein; Dementia
Las hipótesis consideradas actualmente como las causas más probables de la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) son la deposición de péptido beta amiloide en la corteza cerebral y la hiperfosforilación de la proteína Tau, con la consiguiente formación de ovillos neurofibrilares. En la práctica clínica, aunque no es precisa, el diagnóstico de la EA se basa en la exclusión de otras enfermedades, evaluaciones de comportamiento y exámenes complementarios, como imágenes y análisis de sangre. Los avances en el campo de la biotecnología han creado interesantes perspectivas para la detección temprana de la EA a través de la evaluación de biomarcadores, que se considera un procedimiento más seguro y más eficiente. Las moléculas reconocidas como biomarcadores se pueden expresar en algunos fluidos corporales, incluidos el líquido cerebroespinal, la saliva y la sangre. La presencia del péptido beta amiloide (AB) y la proteína Tau (t-Tau) se puede confirmar en la saliva, que también es un material fácil y no invasivo de recolección con un costo accesible. El objetivo fue evaluar las concentraciones de la proteína t-Tau y el péptido Ab42 en la saliva de las personas de edad avanzada con y sin demencia del tipo de tipo EA. El estudio de casos y controles, se realizó en un total de 120 personas, para analizar si existe una correlación entre las variaciones en las concentraciones de los biomarcadores t-Tau y Ab42 en la saliva de pacientes con EA confirmada e individuos en el grupo de inclusión pero sin AD. Encontramos que la expresión de t-Tau en pacientes con EA es significativamente menor que en individuos sin EA, mientras que la concentración salival de Ab42 es mayor en pacientes con EA pero no significativamente diferente de la del grupo sin la enfermedad . Por lo tanto, se demuestra la viabilidad del uso de biomarcadores salivales como marcadores predictivos para el diagnóstico de la enfermedad de Alzheimer.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Enfermedad de Alzheimer; Biomarcadores; Péptido beta amiloide; Saliva; Proteína Tau; Demencia
The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has significantly increased in recent decades, placing this dementia among the most common neurodegenerative diseases worldwide (Arevalo-Rodriguez et al., 2013). It is estimated that currently, 35.6 million people live with AD, and this number is expected to double in the next 20 years, reaching 65.7 million by 2030 (Wimo et al., 2010). Researchers have sought more accurate techniques for AD detection, with special emphasis on biomarkers that may indicate the onset of this disease. The investigated biomarkers include the Tau protein and amyloid beta (Ab) peptide, which are both found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (Tapiola et al., 2009).
According to the Alzheimer's Association (2019), the most common symptoms of AD are as follows: Early clinical symptoms - Difficulty remembering recent conversations, places, names or events, apathy and depression and Late symptoms - impaired communication, disorientation, mental confusion, altered judgement, mood and personality swings and, ultimately, difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.
Grossman & Irwin (2016) argue that the diagnosis of AD is a matter of clinical judgement, obtained from a careful history and a judicious examination of the mental state, with other causes leading to dementia being excluded.
In addition, the diagnosis of dementia is based on the presence of deficits in memory and other functions, such as language, the ability to recognise objects and organisation and planning skills (Nitrini et al., 2005). AD is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with typical histological features, including neuritic plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and a variety of neurochemical deficits affecting the serotonergic, noradrenergic and cholinergic systems (Cummings, 2000). These plaques consist of amyloid peptide aggregates, acid residues derived from amyloid precursor proteins (APPs) and intracellular clusters of Tau proteins, forming neurofibrillary tangles. Synaptic destruction and neuronal death are consequences of the formation of these plaques (Sereniki & Vital, 2008).
In AD, from the histopathological point of view, massive synaptic loss occurs, and neuronal death is observed mainly in the brain regions responsible for cognitive functions, especially the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, ventral striatum and entorhinal cortex. In addition to these characteristics, AD patients exhibit some remarkable organic changes, including the following (Selkoe, 2001).
The Tau protein belongs to the family of microtubuleassociated proteins (MAPs); therefore, its main function is precisely to stabilise microtubules through tubulin aggregation. The gene encoding the microtubule-associated Tau protein has 16 exons, and its transcription is complete, yielding 12 mRNA copies by alternative splicing and six isoforms of the protein. The protein is composed of 352 to 441 amino acid residues (Maurer et al., 1997).
Tau protein accumulation in nerve or glial cells is seen as an important biological marker of tauopathies. Neurodegenerative mechanisms are directly related to changes in the isoforms of this protein (de Paula et al., 2009).
When hyperphosphorylation of the Tau protein occurs, the microtubule dynamics are compromised, affecting intraneuronal transport, which causes deleterious effects on several cellular processes. These effects include a lack of preservation of the morphology and functions of nerve cells, which affects cell viability (Stoothoff & Johnson, 2005; Jayapalan & Natarajan, 2013). Senile plaques are formed by Ab and are the first features that arise in AD. The APP has a large extracellular amino-terminal sequence and a short carboxyl-terminal sequence. Studies indicate that one of the functions of the APP is to act as a G-protein receptor in the membranes. The receptors function as channels of communication between cells. The expression of APP is also increased during cellular stress (Menéndez et al., 2002).
Changes in the ApoE4 gene sequence are a risk factor for AD, suggesting that cholesterol plays an important role in this pathology (Tanzi & Bertram, 2001; Rocchi et al., 2003). The key challenge in the current clinical management of AD is the lack of an accurate biomarker for reliable diagnosis of the disease.
The biomarkers currently studied include the Ab and Tau proteins. Based on analysis of CSF, researchers have concluded that when Ab plaques appear in the brain, Ab42 levels are decreased compared to those in the CSF of healthy individuals, whereas an increase in Tau occurs. In molecular imaging examinations, such as positron emission tomography (PET), which allows visualisation of the glucose metabolism in the brain, Ab plaques are observed in topographic areas involving the temporoparietal cortex. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has also shown atrophy of the medial, basal and lateral areas of the temporal lobe cortex and basal medial parietal regions (Hu et al., 2010; de Souza et al., 2014).
Currently, several tests are available for the early diagnosis of AD through saliva that seek to identify the presence of substances, such as the Ab peptide and phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) protein, as biomarkers. These tests are noninvasive, and further analysis is performed by the ELISA method, which is highly sensitive (Starling, 2012).
Salivary levels of Ab42 may be considered a potential marker of AD, aiding in the exclusion of other types of degenerative disorders. The levels of Ab42 differ in control subjects without mild dementia and are markers of risk for development of AD (Bermejo-Pareja et al., 2010).
The aim of this study is to detect and evaluate the concentrations of the total-Tau (t-Tau) protein and the Ab42 peptide in the saliva of elderly with and without AD-type dementia, in the search for differences that could be treated as a biomarker for Alzheimer's dementia.
The concentrations of Tau and Ab in the saliva of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of AD compared to individuals in the inclusion group without the disease.
This case-control study was conducted on patients with a diagnosis of probable AD and cognitively healthy individuals without AD. The research centres were in the cities of São Paulo and Cuiabá, the capital cities of the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso, Brazil, respectively.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
A total of 120 elderly individuals were invited to participate in this experiment and were organised as follows:
- Group without AD: 60 cognitively healthy individuals with no diagnosis of AD, aged over 60 years, recruited through the Vestibular Rehabilitation Laboratory of the Master's Programme in Vestibular Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion, Anhanguera University, located in the city of São Paulo São Paulo State, Brazil.
- Group with AD: 60 patients with a diagnosis of probable AD, recruited through the Centre of Geriatrics in the city of Cuiabá - Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Important considerations regarding the eligibility of the participating volunteers included the following:
- Individuals of both sexes were randomly selected, with no numerical limit according to sex.
- The level of literacy and socioeconomic status of the volunteers were not taken into account.
- There was no distinction as to the disease stage in patients with probable AD.
- None of the evaluated individuals presented any signs of mouth injury at the time of saliva collection.
- Individuals in the group without AD were recruited after lectures on AD given by members of the Vestibular Rehabilitation Laboratory in São Paulo. The group with AD was selected by the team of geriatricians of the Centre of Geriatrics of Cuiabá.
Saliva collections in São Paulo were performed between 1 December 2014 and 8 May 2015, while saliva collections in Cuiabá occurred during 1-30 April 2015.
Saliva analysis. Saliva was collected using Salivette® tubes, which consist of a plastic tube containing a cotton swab and a plastic filter.
For the correct collection procedure the following information was provided to the research volunteers:
* Place the cotton present inside the Salivette® inside the mouth, near the tongue and wait for a 3 minute period (times by our team), preferably without chewing the cotton
* During the collection, the ingestion of water, coffee or any other liquid, as well as any food, wasn't allowed
* Patients were advised about the need of not having ingested any food or liquids prior to one hour before de collection, as well as not having brushed their teeth within the last three hours prior to collection
* After three minutes, the volunteer removed the cotton of their mouth and put it back into the Salivette®, returning the tube to a member of our team
In patients with probable AD, at an advanced stage of the disease, when needed, the assistance of a companion or a health professional present was requested. Immediately after the collection the patients saliva were conditioned in a cooler at -20 °C until the time they were processed for results reading. After being removed from the freezing temperature, the saliva was subjected to a 3000 rpm (rotation per minute) centrifugation for five minutes. In this stage, called sample processing, the Salivette® cotton was discarded and the saliva separated in 200 µL aliquots into Eppendorf® type tubes for quantification of Ab peptide and Tau protein by the ELISA method.
All data from this experiment were statistically treated with the aid of Software graph pad prism 5.0. We applied the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test to compare the different groups (concentrations). The kruskal-wallis test was also applied for the comparison between the times experiments. The level of significance of the null hypothesis was 5 % (p≤0.05). After performing the triplicate tests for the quantification of Ab40 and t-Tau by the saliva ELISA method, using high specificity kits we can observe that, the Figure 1 shows the concentration of t-Tau expressed in the saliva of healthy individuals and AD patients. The expression of t-Tau in AD patients is significantly lower than that in individuals without AD, which confirms the hypothesis that the t-Tau and p-Tau concentrations in AD patients are antagonistic; i.e., when the concentration of t-Tau in saliva is reduced, that of salivary p-Tau is increased.
In the evaluation of the concentration of Ab42 in the saliva of patients without AD and AD, we can observe that there is a small difference although a reduced one concentration of Ab42 in patients with AD, as shown in Figure 2.
Fig. 1 Evaluation of the t-Tau protein concentration in the saliva of patients without AD and patients with AD, showing significant difference in healthy patients for the groups evaluated by (ANOVA), followed by the Student's t test for unpaired samples for a n = 120.
Fig. 2 Concentration of Ab42 in the saliva of patients with and without AD. The difference, although small, indicates a higher concentration of Ab42 in patients with AD.
Aging is the main risk factor involved in some diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Although many studies are being conducted to find an accurate diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease, no simple and inexpensive method has been devised for early detection of Alzheimer's disease.
Another issue is noninvasiveness, a key feature of a new diagnostic method, represented by saliva. It is now recognized that many aging-related diseases, including AD, are associated with peripheral biomarkers, not just restricted to brain pathologies and biomarkers. The use of innovative platforms, biosensors and other devices capable of extracting real-time information about an individual's health status is largely linked to healthy aging (François et al., 2019).
The search for accurate diagnostic methods capable of predicting the onset of AD has been the subject of continued research. In recent years, several biomarkers for AD have been developed, including assays for Ab42 and t-Tau. Saliva is an easily obtainable body fluid. In addition, studies have reported that central nervous system proteins (CNS) are excreted in this fluid. A large PubMed survey was conducted to identify 63 studies related to the diagnosis of saliva AD (Spielmann & Wong, 2011).
According to Gleerup et al. (2019), the most commonly used salivary biomarkers can be divided into the following categories: b-amyloid, tau, acetylcholinesterase and other biomarkers.
Seven studies investigated Ab42 and Ab40 proteins in the saliva of 187 individuals with AD; 72 individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 195 healthy controls. Increased Ab42 levels were detected in four AD patients by ELISA (Lee et al., 2008; Bermejo-Pareja et al.; McGeer et al., 2018; Sabbagh et al., 2018).
Our results demonstrated an increase in Ab in the saliva of AD patients compared to healthy controls, but this difference was not significant. Nevertheless, considering that elevation in Ab protein is related to ageing and neurodegeneration, this finding may indicate that even in the healthy group, indications of disease onset may be present, as the first inclusion criteria were age 60 years or above and diagnosis of probable AD.
Sabbagh et al. state that after saliva levels were stabilized and mixed with an antibacterial agent, it was posible to quantify Ab42 concentration in a series of samples using ELISA-type assays. Saliva Ab42 levels were significantly higher in AD patients than in controls (51.7 ± 1.6 pg / ml for AD patients and 21.1 ± 0.3 pg / ml for controls (p < 0.05).
The phosphorylated Tau (p-tau) and total tau (t-tau) proteins present in saliva have been investigated in studies that included 181 individuals with AD, 123 individuals with amnesia mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), twenty individuals with Parkinson's disease, sixteen individuals with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and 317 healthy controls. Elevation of p-tau / t-tau ratio was identified in AD patients (Shi et al., 2011), moreover, one of the studies reported a increasing the p-tau / t-tau ratio using Western blot analysis for the S396, S404, T404 phosphorylation sites and a combination S400 and T403 (p < 0.05) and increase of the median p-tau / t-tau ratio at the S396 phosphorylation site (p < 0.05) (Pekeles et al., 2018). Although p-tau and t-tau levels have been described as increased in both studies, there was no statistical significance reported (Gleerup et al.).
In addition, Pekeles et al. claim that salivary Tau dosing can be an easy and reliable method, used as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease through cheaper tests, for example, when compared to spectrometry.
The Tau protein, found in saliva, is closely related to the pathogenesis of AD. The preliminary finding that Tau levels are increased in individuals with AD may indicate its excellent potential for diagnosis of AD (Shi et al.). The t-Tau expression in AD patients was found to be significantly lower, with a reduction of 35.5 %, than that in individuals without AD. This finding confirms the hypothesis that t-Tau can be used as a biomarker for AD.
Our results are consistent with those of Shi et al., who reported a reduction in salivary t-Tau and an increase in p-Tau in AD patients compared to healthy subjects. These authors suggest that an increased salivary p-Tau level is consistent with the changes in the brain and CSF of AD patients. This finding indicates that the concentrations of the Tau protein in the total and phosphorylated forms are antagonistic in the saliva of AD patients.
The mean age of the study volunteers was within the expected range for AD, with 48 % and 52 % of the sample composed of individuals without and with AD, respectively. The mean age of AD patients was 77 years, which is within the age range at which the prevalence of AD begins to grow exponentially (Alzheimer´s Association).
The experimental results and their validation by the literature survey indicate that a reduction in t-Tau expression and an increase in salivary p-Tau occur in patients with probable AD, demonstrating that the use of these substances as biomarkers is feasible. Further experiments involving evaluation of the salivary expression of substances such as Ab peptide and Tau protein are required to confirm the involvement of these components in patients with AD.
Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement., 15(3):321-87, 2019. Available from: https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures-2019-r.pdf [ Links ]
Arevalo-Rodriguez, I.; Pedraza, O. L.; Rodríguez, A.; Sánchez, E.; Gich, I.; Solà, I.; Bonfill, X. & Alonso-Coello, P. Alzheimer's disease dementia guidelines for diagnostic testing: a systematic review. Am. J. Alzheimers Dis. Other Demen., 28(2):111-9, 2013. [ Links ]
Bermejo-Pareja, F.; Antequera, D.; Vargas, T.; Molina, J. A. & Carro, E. Saliva levels of Abeta1-42 as potential biomarker of Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study. BMC Neurol., 10:108, 2010. [ Links ]
Cummings, J. L. Cholinesterase inhibitors: A new class of psychotropic compounds. Am. J. Psychiatry, 157(1):4-15, 2000. [ Links ]
de Paula, V. J. R.; Guimarães, F. M. & Forlenza, O. V. Papel da proteína Tau na fisiopatologia da demência frontotemporal. Rev. Psiq. Clin., 36(5):197-202, 2009. [ Links ]
de Souza, L. C.; Sarazin, M.; Teixeira-Júnior, A. L.; Caramelli, P.; Santos, A. E. & Dubois, B. Biological markers of Alzheimer's disease. Arq. Neuropsiquiatr., 72(3):227-31, 2014. [ Links ]
François, M.; Bull, C. F.; Fenech, M. F. & Leifert, W. R. Current state of saliva biomarkers for aging and Alzheimer's disease. Curr. Alzheimer Res., 16(1):5666, 2019. [ Links ]
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Pekeles, H.; Qureshi, H. Y.; Paudel, H. K.; Schipper, H. M.; Gornistky, M. & Chertkow, H. Development and validation of a salivary tau biomarker in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. (Amst.), 11:53-60, 2018. [ Links ]
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Shi, M.; Sui, Y. T.; Peskind, E. R.; Li, G.; Hwang, H.; Devic, I.; Ginghina, C.; Edgar, J. S.; Pan, C.; Goodlett, D. R.; et al. Salivary tau species are potential biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. J. Alzheimers Dis., 27(2):299-305, 2011. [ Links ]
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Tapiola, T.; Alafuzoff, I.; Herukka, S. K.; Parkkinen, L.; Hartikainen, P.; Soininen, H. & Pirttilä, T. Cerebrospinal fluid {beta}-amyloid 42 and tau proteins as biomarkers of Alzheimer-type pathologic changes in the brain. Arch. Neurol., 66(3):382-9, 2009. [ Links ]
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Received: August 03, 2019; Accepted: September 29, 2019
*Correspondence to: Email: gustavo_santos@uol.com.br
Corresponding author: Prof. Dr. Gustavo Alves Andrade dos Santos Centro Universitario Senac São Paulo - BRAZIL.


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Vice President Sarwar Danish, says that amid the peace talks, the strategy to 'reduce violence' is an escape from peace and, it is to deceive Afghans and the International Community.
Danish, speaking at the gathering of 'revealing the strategy for Protecting the Human Rights Defenders', held by the Amnesty International, Sunday morning January the 19th, said that the plan to 'reduce violence' is in a way marginalizing the peace, and one-upping the people of Afghanistan and the International Community.
The deputy of the president said, "The Taliban and their supporters may convince the United States to sign the peace agreement, but for the people of Afghanistan, who indeed are the prime dimension in the matter, it will not solve any problem whatsoever."
In respect to the improvements in the peace talks between the Taliban and their American counterpart, Danish said, "We, as the government and the people of Afghanistan, certainly welcome peace and stability – putting an end to the devastating war is a desire our people longed forever."
The presidential deputy, further clarified regarding the mechanism of the peace talks saying, "Until the start of the 'intra-Afghan peace talks chaired by the government of Afghanistan' and the approval of a 'full ceasefire', there will be no trust between the laterals and no hope for the future."
Danish added that up and till now, the Afghan government as well as the people, civil societies, political parties and tribal leaders, have been sidelined. That said, to bring peace seems impossible."
Regarding the content of the peace agreement, he said that the people of Afghanistan will approve an agreement that involves all aspects adequately, be it putting an end to the war or being a part of the government, all through democratic and legal ways, and create a peaceful life for the people of Afghanistan.
He also spoke of the principles of a republic, civil rights, and protection of human rights as the most important values of the people of Afghanistan. "Elections, freedom of speech and media, and respect to women and minorities are the primary elements of human rights and, must not be disregarded," he said.
Danish underscored that saying 'yes' to an 'emirate' state and/or a government of any sort that means dictatorship and violates democracy and human rights, will not only desert peace but will also intensify a new format of war in Afghanistan.
]]> Afghan Boxer Zakariya Beats Nigerian Rival Gabinga https://ariananews.af/afghan-boxer-zakariya-beats-nigerian-rival-gabinga/ Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:20:14 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=375431
Zakariya Zamani, an Afghan professional boxer, last night beat his Nigerian opponent, Gabinga, once again.
The competition was a rematch called in on Gabinga's challenge through the 'Marine Pro Boxing' India.
Zakariya Zamani won the match in round 6. He was announced the winner of the match with the highest score.
To date, Zamani has had 3 professional matches, with no losses at all.
]]> Charge d'Affaires Ross Wilson begins his tenure in Kabul https://ariananews.af/charge-daffaires-ross-wilson-begins-his-tenure-in-kabul/ Sun, 19 Jan 2020 07:04:55 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=375406
Ross Wilson started his tenure as the Charge d'Affaires at the United States Embassy in Kabul on Saturday, the US Embassy said in a statement.
Earlier, Wilson was the US Charge d'Affaires at the country's embassy in Georgia, 2018 through 2019.
Meanwhile, Ross Wilson tweeted Saturday that he was excited to start work at the US Embassy in Kabul "during such crucial time in the history of Afghanistan".
"Be it Afghan Elections, the quest for peace, or other priorities, my country and I strongly support all Afghans as they choose the future of this proud country," Wilson said.
Ross Wilson is replaced with John Bass, who was the US ambassador for two years since September 2017.
The Diplomat received a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and master's degrees from Columbia University and the US National War College.
Wilson has served as the US ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2000 – 2003, and to Turkey from 2005 – 2008, and his later assignments were as US chargé d'affaires in Turkey in 2014, and the Republic of Georgia, 2018 through 2019.
]]> World's most powerful passports: Japan tops 2020 rankings https://ariananews.af/worlds-most-powerful-passports-japan-tops-2020-rankings/ Fri, 17 Jan 2020 12:36:45 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=375020
The Henley Passport Index, which measures the world's most travel-friendly passports from time to time based on data received from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), has released its first report of the new decade.
According to the report, Japan is now on top of the list. Now, a Japanese passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations around the globe.
Asia dominates the top of the list, with Singapore in second place and South Korea joins Germany in third place.
European countries stay strong in the top 10 of the rankings, while the US and the UK are shown down the rankings – from the number one to eighth in comparison to what they held in 2015 rankings.
Afghanistan ranks the lowest. Its passport stands in number 107 – last in the list.
A Japanese passport holder can access 165 more destinations than a holder of the world's weakest passport, that of Afghanistan, which offers visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to just 26 destinations.
]]> Afghan-China Transit Trade embarks through Gwadar Seaport https://ariananews.af/afghan-china-transit-trade-embarks-through-gwadar-seaport/ Thu, 16 Jan 2020 14:55:42 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374969
Transit trade between China and Afghanistan has begun with the inauguration of Gwadar Seaport on the southern coasts of Karachi, Pakistan, and with the arrival of the first transit trade ship from China.
The Embassy Pakistan in Kabul says that the commercial goods will be transited from the Gwadar Seaport to Chaman port in Kandahar, with a distance of 1,000 km.
Based on the Pakistani embassy's statement, this would be the shortest distance in the region for the Afghan Transit goods from any seaport to the Afghan Cities including Kabul and Kandahar.
The Pakistani Embassy said that the functioning of Gwadar Seaport would cut down the costs of import to Afghanistan.
On the other hand, the Chinese Embassy in Kabul said in a tweet that the Transit Trade between China and Afghanistan has started with the arrival of a trade ship from China to Gwadar Seaport.
Gwadar Seaport has been built on the southern coasts of Karachi, Pakistan, situated close to the southern provinces of Afghanistan.
]]> Russian Parliament to review Putin's selection of new PM https://ariananews.af/russian-parliament-to-review-putins-selection-of-new-pm/ Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:06:11 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374921
The parliament of Russia Thursday, January the 16th, will review a not-so-famous tax chief Mikhail Mishustin's nomination as the new prime minister of Russia, recommended by Vladimir Putin.
After Dmitry Medvedev resigned as Russia's prime minister along with his whole cabinet, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia nominated Mikhail Mishustin, Wednesday, as the new prime minister of the country.
Dmitry Medvedev and his cabinet resigned right after Putin announced that there will be amendments in the constitution of the country which will cause a remarkable alteration in Russia's balance of power.
Medvedev said Wednesday that his cabinet's resignation is aimed to pave the ground for Putin so that he can bring desirable improvements to the constitution.
The proposed amendments in the constitution will mean a transition of power from the presidential cabinet to the parliament.
Putin's current presidential term closes to an end by 2024. As per the present constitution of the Russian Federation, Putin cannot run for the president anymore. Putin's proposals for the constitutional amendments may likely enable him to extend his power.
Mishustin, 53, has worked for the Russian since 1998. He has led Russia's tax services since 2010.
Russia's new administration will be officially effective after the parliament's approval. Putin has asked the present cabinet to stay put until the new government takes over.
]]> Secret that helps some trees live more than 1,000 years https://ariananews.af/secret-that-helps-some-trees-live-more-than-1000-years/ Wed, 15 Jan 2020 09:55:08 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374795
Scientists have found that some trees like "ginkgo trees" can live for more than 1,000 years.
Researchers in the US and China studied growth rings taken from inside the trunks of 34 healthy ginkgo trees. The trees ranged in age from 15 to 667 years old. They found that the ginkgos didn't stop growing as they aged, although the rings grew thinner.
They found that, no matter what their age, the trees produced protective chemicals that helped defend against outside stressors such as disease or drought.
"In humans, as we age, our immune system begins to start to not be so good," said Richard Dixon, a biologist at the University of North Texas. But in a way, "the immune system in these trees, even though they're 1,000 years old, looks like that of a 20-year-old."
"As ginkgo trees age, they show no evidence of weakening their ability to defend themselves from stresses," Dixon added.
The study concluded that, in effect, old ginkgo trees stay healthy by preventing aging and maintaining their ability to resist external stresses.
Ginkgo trees are native to China and are known for their distinctive fan-shaped leaves that turn buttery yellow in the fall. Besides their longevity, fossils of the species date back to the time of the dinosaurs.
They're listed as endangered in the wild but, the Maidenhair tree, like the ginkgo, is also known, is found in many parks and gardens across the world.
Some Ginkgos are thought to be as old as 3,000 years, but that doesn't make them the world's oldest tree. Bristlecone pine with approximately 5,000 years-age is the oldest tree in the world.
]]> Kashmir Avalanches Kill Dozens, Destroy Villages https://ariananews.af/kashmir-avalanches-kill-dozens-destroy-villages/ Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:01:38 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374740
At least 69 people died after avalanches hit the Pakistani and Indian administered Kashmir during the last 24 hours, Reuters reported.
According to the report, at least 59 people were killed and many more were missing after avalanches in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir over the last 24 hours, senior government officials said, Tuesday.
In the Indian administered Kashmir too, at least 10 people were killed after several avalanches hit the northern part of Kashmir.
Two Pakistani officials said many villagers were still stranded by the avalanches in the Neelum Valley following heavy rain and landslides. Many people were reported missing and feared dead as rescue efforts got underway, an official told Reuters.
Rescuers had managed to extract more than 50 people from the snow and airlifted them out of the area for treatment. Authorities also scrambled to provide relief to local people with another spell of heavy snow expected on Friday.
At least 53 houses have been completely destroyed by avalanches in the Pakistani administered region known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir abbreviated as AJK, officials said.
"I have asked the National Disaster Management Authority, the military, and all our federal ministers to immediately provide all humanitarian assistance on an emergency footing to the affected people in AJK," Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted.
A senior Indian police official said five soldiers were among the 10 killed near the border between India and Pakistan.
The area is one of the world's most militarily tense frontiers, where the neighboring armies have confronted each other over disputed territory for decades. Kashmir has been divided between Indian and Pakistan since their independence in 1947.
In 2012, an avalanche engulfed a Pakistani army battalion headquarters near the Indian border, killing at least 124 soldiers and 11 civilians.
Meanwhile in western Pakistan, heavy snowfall in southwestern Balochistan destroyed several houses in the mountainous region, killing 17 people.
The disaster management authority declared an emergency in seven districts of the mineral-rich province and sought the army's help for relief and rescue operations.
Key highways connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan were blocked due to heavy snow, forcing officials to suspend transportation of essential goods into Afghanistan.
In addition, severe cold and heavy snow led to the death of 39 people in six provinces of Afghanistan in the past two weeks said Tamim Azimi, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Natural Disaster Management Authority in Kabul.
"We are distributing emergency assistance, including cash to the affected families," said Azimi, adding that heavy rain and snow have hampered the rescuers.
]]> Afghan National Cricket Players Triumph High Ranks: ICC T20 Ranking https://ariananews.af/afghan-national-cricket-players-triumph-high-ranks-icc-t20-ranking/ Tue, 14 Jan 2020 11:35:54 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374625
In the recent ranking of T20 cricket players by the ICC, some Afghan Cricket players earned decent ranks.
In the ICC T20 ranking, Rashid Arman and Mujeeb Zadran, two of Afghan National Cricket Team players, secured first and second positions.
On the other hand, in the all-rounder ranking T20, Muhammad Nabi Isa Kheil tops the list keeping the previous record.
Also, Hazratullah Zazai, another Afghan National Cricket Team player, ranked eighth in the bowling field.
]]> Barcelona signed in Quique Setién as its new coach https://ariananews.af/barcelona-signed-in-quique-setien-as-the-new-coach/ Tue, 14 Jan 2020 08:23:51 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374607
FC Barcelona has signed an agreement with Quique Setién to become the lead coach until June 30, 2022.
Quique Setién, 61 year replaces Ernesto Valverde. He is from Cantabria in the north of Spain and has previously coached Racing Santander, Poli Ejido, Logroñés, Lugo, Las Palmas, and Betis football teams.
Throughout his career, he has been a proponent of 'taking over the ball' and 'offensive playing', two of the characteristics his fans love. As a player, Setién was a midfielder who excelled with Racing Santander over 12 seasons. He also featured in Atlético Madrid where he won the Spanish Super Cup.
Setién's predecessor Valverde, 55, took over from Luis Enrique in the summer of 2017. His first season yielded a league and cup double, but he lost the Champions League title to Rome and was kicked out of the championships. But what made Valverde to be penalized and replaced was this Thursday's Supercopa defeat against Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia. The recent defeat caused him not to stay longer in the club.
Barcelona was founded in 1899 by Joan Gamper. The club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and has a motto "More than a club". Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world. This team, along Real Madrid, is also widely supported in Afghanistan and is popular among Afghan youth.
]]> Philippines warns of huge lava eruption https://ariananews.af/philippines-warns-of-huge-lava-eruption/ Mon, 13 Jan 2020 10:38:32 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374468
The Philippines is on full alert to be precautious of the possible eruption of the Taal volcano, one of the country's most active, about 60 kilometers south of the capital Manila on the island of Luzon.
About 8,000 people were moved forcefully to safer ground or housed in evacuation centers Sunday.
As of now, there are no reports of casualties or damage. However, the lack of water and energy have been evident in the affected areas.
Pong Mercado, the mayor of Taal said, "We have to be very cautious. The roads are slippery and dangerous. I myself am making plans to move to safer ground."
Reportedly, the Volcanology and Seismology Department has been monitoring the Taal volcanic site since March last year. On Sunday, it warned of a "possible hazardous volcanic eruption" within hours or days.
]]> Australian Prime Minister admits mishandling bushfires https://ariananews.af/australian-prime-minister-admits-mishandling-bushfires/ Sun, 12 Jan 2020 13:42:31 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374415
Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia has expressed remorse over the way he tackled fight against the bushfires turning out critical damages for the country.
The way the administration of the Morrison fought off the bushfires and his policy of climate has received huge criticism.
Since September 2019, bushfires have reportedly killed at least 28 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Morrison acknowledged Sunday that there were "things I could have handled on the ground much better".
The prime minister has been visiting the worst-fire-affected parts of New South Wales and Victoria, in the last three weeks. In response, he was not welcomed well. Some told to his face, "you won't be getting any votes down here", while others demanded more resources for the fire services.
The PM pressed on his plan to reduce carbon emissions and said that his government was ready to meet its objectives. "We're living in longer, hotter, drier summers," Morison said. "This is obviously affected by the broader changes in climate."
]]> Iran Anti-government protests on the Ukrainian plane downing https://ariananews.af/iran-anti-government-protests-on-the-ukrainian-plane-downing/ Sun, 12 Jan 2020 06:19:09 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374333
Anti-government protesters hailed to the streets of Tehran Saturday after Iran admitted that it had mistakenly shot down the Ukrainian passenger Jet, killing all 176 people on board.
The demonstrators marched in front of Amir Kabir University and Sharif Alia University of Technology and chanted slogans against the Iranian leader and IRGC, demanding a trial for the perpetrators of the Ukrainian downed plane.
Meanwhile, US President, Donald Trump tweeted in Persian that the world should no more allow the killing of Iranian protesters.
The demonstrations took place in some other provinces of Iran as well.
The demonstrators continued to commemorate the victims by lighting candles.
Among the victims, there were 23 graduates from Iranian universities.
]]> US imposes new sanctions at Iran's economy & senior leaders https://ariananews.af/us-imposes-new-sanctions-at-irans-economy-senior-leaders/ Sat, 11 Jan 2020 11:21:37 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374235
The United States imposed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic's metals and some senior leaders, Friday, after Tehran's attack on Iraqi-based US troops.
According to US Treasury Department, the sanctions are aimed at Iran's steel industry, eight senior officials and other sectors, namely, construction, manufacturing, textiles, and mining.
The sanctions are meant to force Iranian leaders into negotiations for a new nuclear agreement. Pompeo said at the White House, "We want Iran to simply behave like a normal nation".
Although these sanctions severely damage Iran's nation, both economically and politically, Tehran has declined Washington's propositions.
After Iran hit two American military bases in Iraq, Trump tried to lower tensions with Iran by not striking back; however, he threatened Iran with "immediate" sanctions.
]]> Iranian state TV: Iran "unintentionally" shot down the Ukrainian plane https://ariananews.af/iranian-state-tv-iran-unintentionally-shot-down-the-ukrainian-plane/ Sat, 11 Jan 2020 07:53:15 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374197
Iran admitted that the Ukrainian passenger aircraft had been shot down by human error and unintentionally early Wednesday, killing all 176 people aboard.
In a military statement released earlier Saturday, it is stated that "Hours after the missile operation in Iraq, US military flights around the borders of Iran increased and Iranian military officials reported seeing aerial targets that were coming towards Iran's strategic centers. Numerous defense centers around Iran reported seeing increased radar activity which caused a heightened sensitivity in the aerial defense centers of the country. Under such sensitive and crucial conditions, Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 took off from Imam Khomeini Airport and while in rotation, the aircraft came close to a sensitive military center at an altitude and flight condition that resembled hostile targeting. Due to these circumstances, the aircraft was unintentionally hit, which unfortunately resulted in the death of the many Iranian and foreign nationals."
Before now, Iranian officials had denied the claims on the plane had been shot down by Iran. That is to say that countries, such as Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, had said the plane had been shot down.
The Ukrainian plane crashed on Wednesday morning after flying from Imam Khomeini Airport, killing 176 people, including 10 Afghan nationals.
]]> Stowaway body found in Air France plane https://ariananews.af/stowaway-body-found-in-air-france-plane/ Fri, 10 Jan 2020 13:17:01 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374172
In the undercarriage of a French flight flying from Ivory Coast to Paris, the body of a stowaway – possibly a child – has been found.
"Air France confirms that a lifeless body of a stowaway was discovered in the well of the landing gear on flight AF703 coming from Abidjan on the 7th of January," the airline said in twitter statement Wednesday.
The statement added that Air France has expressed its condolence in regard to the human loss and has commenced an inquiry into the tragedy.
The age, identity, and cause of the death of the stowaway has not been confirmed yet; however, investigations have been being conducted, a source in the prosecutor's office in Paris said, denying that the stowaway was a child.
]]> Ukraine plane crash: missile hit or technical cause? https://ariananews.af/ukraine-place-crash-missile-hit-or-technical-cause/ Fri, 10 Jan 2020 11:35:50 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374164
New York Times has published a video that suggests a possible Iranian missile exploded near a plane above Parand area. The plane did not explode right away – it flew back towards Tehran airport; however, it exploded before reaching the airport.
Ukraine plane Boeing 737 which had 167 passengers and 9 crew members on board, crashed after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport. The crash took place hours after Iran fired missiles on US bases in Iraq.
A number of Iranian media reports indicate that the crash was because of some technical errors. "The plane did not signal any emergency situation", media quotes officials. However, in addition to the possibility of missile downing, there are other possible causes of the crash of the plane too.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the priority is to find the truth and the responsible elements that caused the tragedy. Also, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine National Security and Defense wrote on his Facebook that the investigators are going to dig around four possible factors of the plane crash: missile strike, mid-air collision with a drone, engine failure, and terrorist act.
Truth finding inquiries have been in progress. Ukraine has also deployed a group of investigators to Tehran. However, there isn't any clear evidence whether there is a connection between the two cases – US-Iran heightened tensions and the plane crash.
]]> America ready to embrace peace: Trump after Iran's missile attacks https://ariananews.af/america-always-open-to-peace-trump-after-irans-missile-attack/ Thu, 09 Jan 2020 09:25:15 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=374036
The US President Donald Trump says none of US troops have been harmed in Iranian missile attacks against the US bases in Iraq.
Trump said Wednesday in the White House that stricter sanctions will be imposed on Iran unless Iran changes its behavior.
Iran considers its Wednesday attacks against Iraq-based US bases as revenge for the killing of Soleimani.
In the aftermath of Soleimani's killing by the US, Trump had threatened to "fully strike back" if Iran attacked any US citizen or site; however, in his first televised comments, there was a change of tone speech following Iran's missile strikes.
Trump and some US officials have been justifying the US attack which killed Iranian top general. "Soleimani was planning 'imminent attack' against the US," they say.
President Trump asked the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognize step out of the nuclear deal (JCPOA) signed in 2013. He said Iran had received $1.8 billion from the deal and used it in funding armed groups in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
"Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We want a deserving future for the people and leaders of Iran, with prosperity and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it", said Trump.
]]> Reynhard Sinaga, a PhD student from Indonesia was found guilty of 159 sexual offences in the UK https://ariananews.af/reynhard-sinaga-a-phd-student-from-indonesia-was-found-guilty-of-159-sexual-offences-in-the-uk/ Wed, 08 Jan 2020 14:40:36 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=373909
BBC reported that Sinaga, a 36-year-old Ph.D. student from Indonesia, was found guilty of 159 sexual offenses against 48 men in Manchester, United Kingdom.
He was a serial sexual predator who would pick up his prey outside clubs and take them to his flat. After drugging, he would film them while rapping.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment by court, with a minimum term of 30 years, Monday.
Saibun Sinaga, father of the criminal says that the punishment verdict by the court best fits his son's actions.
Speaking for the first time, his father Saibun Sinaga told BBC Indonesia over the phone: "We accept the verdict. His punishment fits his crimes. I don't want to discuss the case any further."
Sinaga's friends at the University of Indonesia say he was very social, friendly, and easy to get along with and, he was fun to work on projects with.
Police say they have evidence Sinaga targeted at least 190 victims in total.
In Indonesia, news of Sinaga's crimes has resulted in shock and anger among people. Many Indonesians said Sinaga has brought shame to the country in the eyes of the world. Some called for him to face the death penalty. However, some others in Indonesia questioned his mental state on social media. However, Mr. Afero, who met Sinaga during the trial, said he was in a sound state of mind.
]]> Iraq-based US headquarters come under Iranian missile attack https://ariananews.af/iraq-based-us-headquarters-come-under-iranian-missile-attack/ Wed, 08 Jan 2020 07:26:35 +0000 https://ariananews.af/?p=373775
Iran has launched two missiles at the US bases located in Iraq. This is considered as an act of revenge for Soleimani's killing by the US.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Wednesday that Iran's attacks at two Iraqi bases housing US forces were "self-defense measures under Article 51 of the UN Charter."
"We do not seek escalation of tensions or war; however, we will defend ourselves against aggression," he tweeted.
Following Iran's attacks in Iraq, US President Donald Trump tweeted "All is well."
"Assessment of casualties and damages is in progress. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well-equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!" Trump said.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, said Tuesday that the US does not seek war, but it is ready to respond forcefully, if necessary."
"Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani General Bajwa, both have offered peaceful counsel and advice in calls today," Esper tweeted.
Furthermore, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said in a tweet that Iran has refused to join the Regional and International Consensus for peace in Afghanistan.
"Its sustained efforts to support militant groups undermine the Afghan Peace Process. The Taliban's entanglement in Iran's dirty work will only hinder progress," Pompeo added.
It is noteworthy that the US Federal Aviation Administration has canceled all passenger flights over Iran, Iraq, the Gulf, and the Oman Sea. The reason is "increased military activity and the possibility of miscalculation or misidentification."


When pants sag or a jacket doesn't button, there's no question – that suit doesn't fit. However, there are a few subtler signs that a suit isn't right for your body type. Let's look beyond obvious clothing concerns and learn how to tell if a suit fits, so that it looks fabulous to you and onlookers both. After all, you want to stand out in all those formal photos for the right reasons, not for a wardrobe malfunction.
The writers at Esquire know a thing or two about looking sharp in a suit. They remind wearers to look for jackets with shoulder pads that end at the edge of the shoulder. If the pads are too big, and round over the curve of the shoulder, you'll end up looking bulky and out of fashion.
No shoulder pads? No problem! The fabric should lie flat with the seam on top of your shoulder where it meets your arm, not over the arm itself or hugging the collarbone. If you notice any ripples or bunching, the jacket isn't fitting well.
Moving down the jacket, when it's buttoned, you should easily be able to slip a flattened right hand under the lapel and rest it over your heart. If you're struggling, the jacket is too tight. If you can make a fist comfortably, you likely need a smaller size jacket or it needs to be taken in.
Peek at the top button of the jacket. Is it resting above your navel? Perfect! If it falls below, have the jacket tailored to sit higher on the abdomen. When you stand relaxed with your hands at your sides, your knuckles should align with the bottom hem of the jacket.
Finally, the jacket's sleeves should end between the base of your thumb and wrist with 1/4″ to 1/2″ of dress shirt showing, if wearing long sleeves.
After fastening the pants, give them a look over. There should be a smooth flow of fabric over your rear end, down to your upper thighs. Bunching, draping, U-shape puckers, or horizontal creases below the round part of the rear mean the pants just don't fit, according to the Art of Manliness.
As you go down the legs of the pants, you may notice a sleek line (slim fit suits) or a wider cut in a more traditional style. Both are fine as long as the fabric lies flat. You don't want bunching (too long) or clinging (too tight).
At the bottom of the pants you will find a hem. When standing, this should rest on the top of your shoe with a slight indent or fold. At the back of the pants, be sure the hem rests above the heel of the shoe. Your socks shouldn't be visible until you are seated – or showing off wild dance moves.
As you figure out how to tell if a suit fits, practice walking, sitting and standing. You might be surprised to find that the jacket feels snug or pants bunch when in one position and not the others. Let your formal wear professional know so they can make adjustments for your comfort.
Do you need assistance picking out a suit for a special occasion? Start browsing options at Jim's Formal Wear today!