Back when I was at University, I spent a year living in Exeter, England. I know I went to lectures and wrote papers and did the typical student stuff you have to do while taking classes, but the things that stand out to me are the experiences I had outside of University.
I think the one that stands out the most happened on a trip to visit a flatmate and her family over Christmas break. Caroline (another flatmate) and I were coming back to England after a lovely visit, and were both exhausted. We were in a private compartment on the train (I felt very Alfred Hitchcock/40's movie) settling in for a long ride back. Then, suddenly, the door opens and a slightly breathless man steps inside. His dark hair was ruffled like he's just been running, and his gaunt face shiny with sweat. He wasn't much older than we were, but his eyes were deep and brown, and full of sadness.
As he talked, I discovered that he was a refugee from Bosnia and had left his family in the war-ravaged country to escape being pulled into the war several years before. He was very talkative (I don't think he let me say more than three or four words) and the conversation was a bit awkward, since you never know how much to believe from a stranger on a train. But when he told me of his sister, who'd been raped and beaten by a soldier. And of his mother, who'd been devastated by the attack, I could hear the truth in his voice.
And then one of the conductors came into our compartment to check tickets. Big surprise, our visitor was a stowaway, and they hauled him out of the train and threw him off at the next stop. I never saw the man again, never even knew his name. But his words have stayed with me for 12 years.
When I'm published, I will write his sister's story.
Wow! That's pretty bizarre/tragic/deep. Poor guy.
Amazing story. Can't wait till your published so we can READ his story.
Thanks guys – it was one of those experiences that just sticks with you. And kind of shapes your life a little bit. Now I just need to get working on that story – it's not exactly the type of thing I normally write!
You need to use his story somehow too – this worthy of more than a blog post. Not to diminish your post in anyway, it's just that this is so startling, unusual, dramatic – it needs a larger story!


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The Dalton Family have opened up about what they're completely closed about on Gogglebox.
Matt and Kate Dalton revealed to New Idea that, despite the show bringing them together as a family, one thing seems to be off-limits to their daughters, Millie, 20, and Holly, 18.
"Boyfriends are top secret stuff. They don't share boy stuff with us," Kate said.
This is the Dalton Family's ninth season as professional TV-watchers, but it wasn't always smooth sailing.
"It wasn't always easy earlier on," Kate previously said.
Like the time when it came out that Holly snuck out one night only to turn up with the police.
"It came up as a discussion when we saw someone get taken away in the back of a police van on the show," Matt told Who Magazine.
However, nowadays they admit that if it wasn't for Gogglebox, they wouldn't see each other as much.
"Gogglebox brings us together," Kate said.


It's happening soon! Maybe within the next week or 2. I will personally be jumping into this. I'll be juggling a bunch of other games but this'll be my MMO of interest at the time being! I'll most likely make the PrinnySquad Guild if it didn't get deleted or taken. I encourage others to try the game. Everyone is free to!
You can find out more and keep updated with them on their facebook page.
Depending on how much of us play I want to host a PvP Tournament for the forum and there will be prizes! Only if people play though.
I'll probably try this out too... I think I remember playing this once for an event where they were giving out NX or something and a few friends and I dled this game and did it... or something. I forget.
Best class to PVP with are the ones with a bunch of summons!
Mm, I probably will poke this, I had fun with it the couple years ago or something when it was out somewhere else.
Also not sure if sig thing is too large still or not, can fix if need be.
I'll think about joining. I'm really bad at most games, though... so I hope I don't annoy people if I play with everyone.
@Fermion wrote: I'll think about joining. I'm really bad at most games, though... so I hope I don't annoy people if I play with everyone.
@Fermion YOU'RE FINE FERMION. GOSH. Why do you think I always invite you to games!? Because I think you're cool.
@RobSnowlock @VerdantMushroom Yeah we are able to play our alpha characters but I'm willing to make a Rogue or Male Fighter to party up with new people!
He really isn't that bad.


text:
Allmax TribX90 (90 Caps) | Tribulus T...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
2010s: The music that made us
KATE MESSAM|December 16, 2019
BY KATE MESSAM
They are more than just songs
The death of Trayvon Martin in 2013 inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. Consequently, the movement spurred "black protest music" into a realm of normalcy in the music industry.
During the end of his term, President Obama supported the movement. Obama faced backlash, though, as the phrase 'Black Lives Matter' bothered many throughout the country because of the association that this lessened the importance of other races' lives. The former president clarified his stance in 2016 during an interview with ABC anchor David Muir that, "it's to suggest that other folks aren't experiencing this particular vulnerability."
Childish Gambino's "This Is America" music video shocked viewers with its graphic, eye-opening depictions of violence against African Americans.
"A big misconception about the Black Lives Matter movement is that it is a hate group against law enforcement and the white community," said Aniya Harris, 12. "The movement is precisely what it says: our lives matter too."
Other than Obama, musicians began writing songs about the violence that they have encountered and the inequality their race faces as a whole.
"This Is America" by Childish Gambino takes the audience on a visual journey to show them that, in the eyes of Gambino, their entertainment is more important than protecting the lives of black America. Amongst all of the chaos and death in the music video, Gambino keeps the focus on his singing and his dancing with young black students.
Harris addresses the problem of entertainment over what the audience needs to take out of the music.
Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar performing at the BET Awards in 2015 with their song "Freedom," a song that celebrates black women. Lamar's rap focuses on racism that continues to rage on within the country.
"The society we live in today only responds to what we want to see and what we want to hear," said Harris.
However, artists are not stopping their activism because of others missing the meaning of their songs.
Performing "Freedom" with Kendrick Lamar at the Black Entertainment Television Awards in 2016, Beyonce embraced her position as a political artist. Starting the show with a voiceover of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the performance flowed into an incredible show of talent and activism. The duo sang their powerful lyrics celebrating colored women and touched on slavery and the Black Lives Matter movement.
As rap has become the dominate form of pop music, these issues of politics, wrongful violence, and social justice have come with it to the forefront.
Boy bands will never die
Jonas Brothers: The reunion we all needed
The Jonas Brothers were a staple in Gen Z's childhoods. With their roles in the Camp Rock franchise, the creation of their show Jonas and a multitude of albums and tours, the Jonas Brothers were everywhere.
Their rock and pop-punk music amassed millions of fans across the world, but they broke hearts in 2013 after they split over "creative differences." Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas started their own successful solo artist careers, while brother Kevin Jonas focused on his family.
After years apart, the Jonas Brothers thrilled fans with their shock reunion in 2019 by releasing their first single together in six years, "Sucker". The song spent 38 weeks on the Billboard charts. The brothers new album focuses on their families and the new bond that they created over the recent years.
One Direction: Nobody can drag them down
Since forming in 2010 on the X Factor, One Direction has become one of the biggest groups in music history. Their first album, Up All Night, inspired a faithful following of young, pop-loving tweens. Their music, however, was not considered serious in the eyes of others.
As their style quickly outgrew the stereotypical boy band with choreographed stage directions to artists who write their own songs and play instruments on stage, the U.K. based group boosted into an entire new level of fame.
One Direction released one last album, Made in the A.M., in 2015 before calling it quits and starting their own solo careers.
Through their career, the boys were able to grow from a sole pop act into one that was heavily inspired by rock artists like Bruce Springsteen and The Who
BTS: The K-pop group that dominated America
"Gangnam Style" by PSY elevated the relatively unknown genre of Korean pop music into American culture, but once the song became overplayed, K-pop did not stay relevant in the U.S. charts. Not until 2017 did K-pop make a comeback with the help of BTS.
The South Korean group elevated into fame in the U.S. with their hit song "DNA". That year, they won a Billboard Music Award and were in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 charts. Later, they made their debut on U.S. television by performing at the American Music Awards.
The seven members create songs that are almost entirely in Korean, with the exception of a few other languages they sing, but their fan base reaches all corners of the world. Their enormous success in such a wide variety of countries, including America, breaks the mold of award winning artists singing in English.
As of right now, BTS is considered as the world's biggest boy band, so it is no wonder why their lyrics, concepts, dancing, and shining personalities have earned the adoration of fans across the globe.
Read more about the 2010s:
2010s: The tech that made us
2010s: The movies that made us
2010s: The events that made us


The 1914 Rural Tax Payers of Brown Township, Linn County, IA lists Susan G. Shirk.
See general notes on her daughter, Sarah Louisa Shirk, for 1920 census facts.
The 1925 Iowa state census records several of Susan's children listing her surname as Bare, Bear, or some variation of Barr, a common surname in Lancaster Co., PA.
The 1850 Federal Census for Warwick, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania records Susana Barr (18 - PA) living with her parents John (55 - PA) and Barbara (48 - PA) Barr and siblings Benjamin (20), Jacob (10), Miriam (14), and Edward (6). This could be the future bride of Elias Shirk.


RICHARD MARKS London Metropolitan University Seven Town Houses in Antwerp Tutors: Rik Nys and Robin Monotti A battered yet sturdy landscape of industrial decline, Antwerp's 18th-century docklands are currently being revitalised by an influx of young artists and designers. Townhouses make up the majority of Antwerp's residential stock; solid, spacious shells adapted to endless situations.
This proposal reinterprets the historic townhouse and fills a void at the end of an otherwise welldefined urban block. Exploration through model-making resulted in the adaptation of each of seven houses on the site to its immediate context, shaping coherent and pleasing interior spaces.
Although this is an academic exercise, Marks' intention was been to work with as great a sense of realism as possible.
COMMENDATION - SILVER MEDAL GUY DERWENT AND EMILY DAY University of Bath Reading Room Tutors: Professor Adam Caruso and Professor Peter St John Typological studies of four academic libraries led to a fascination with the Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve by Henri Labrouste, in Paris.
Derwent and Day, in their design for new reading rooms attached to the British Library in St Pancras, refer to the Bibliotheque Ste.
Genevieve with the axial double-vaulted ceiling whilst further deconstructing the vaulting system by hanging the ceiling and intersecting two domes asymmetrically at either end of the vaults. Clerestory lighting is diffused by hanging the vaults within the perimeter of the room below window level, causing light to refract into the space below, between the delicate hung form and the steel frame armature of the building. The pure floating form of the ceiling creates an atmospheric space and establishes a delicate language of architecture that can be appropriated to the varying requirements of the reading rooms.


text:
Chicago Bears should sit Mitchell Trubisky, start Chase Daniel against the Detroit Lions
Published on November 21, 2018 in Chicago Bears by Matt Gentile
Much to everyone's surprise, Chicago Bears' quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was listed on Monday night's injury report with a sore right shoulder. Trubisky didn't practice Tuesday, and head coach Matt Nagy said his quarterback is day to day.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 25-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings when Trubisky slid on a five-yard run and took a hit from safety Harrison Smith, drawing a personal foul penalty.
ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday morning that the Bears were optimistic about Trubisky starting Thursday. However, after not meeting the media or practicing later in the day, local reporters indicated that backup Chase Daniel is likely in line to start Thanksgiving morning.
And that would be the right move.
There is no doubt that divisional matchups are crucial. After Thursday's game, the Bears will have played three games against NFC North opponents over an 11-day span. Winning three straight division games would be a fantastic accomplishment, allowing a growing ball club to extend their winning streak to five and bolster their chances to win the division title.
However, the long-term outlook is much more important. In order to win the division or, at the very least, lock up a wildcard spot, the team needs a healthy Trubisky down the stretch.
Taking two out of these three NFC North games was an absolute must. The signature win Sunday against the Vikings ensured they would at least come out of this tough stretch with a winning record.
Fortunately, it also ensured them a little wiggle room. Thursday's rematch against the Lions is no longer a "must win" scenario. Given the unprecedented turnaround of playing on Sunday night to playing on Thursday morning, the proposition of trotting even a slightly injured Trubisky seems risky.
While the Lions have some playmakers on offense and defense, they're a wildly inconsistent team from week to week. Even with their second-year quarterback possibly on the shelf, this Bears team would still have a decent chance to win with Daniel behind center.
Yes, his in-game experience is limited. Despite a nine-year career, Daniel has only started two games and thrown 78 passes. In fact, he's thrown just three since 2015 in mop-up duty.
Luckily, his familiarity with the offense combined with the Bears' stout defense still should give them a shot in Detroit. Not to mention, Nagy has shown his expertise in scheming receivers open, which should only help Daniel.
Nagy indicated that Trubisky's injury isn't severe and won't require surgery. However, it still would be wise not to play with fire. Just ask Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts how playing through shoulder soreness can spiral into an ongoing issue that requires multiple surgeries and missed time.
The injuries in October to Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson taught us that the Bears are cautious. Both players suffered nagging injuries that limited what they could do on the field. After sitting two weeks against inferior opponents, they've come back healthy and made an immediate impact.
If Trubisky is feeling any pain that would hamper his ability to make key throws downfield or use his feet, then the Bears should exercise the same caution they did with Mack and Robinson. With the game scheduled on a Thursday, he'd have 10 days to rest before their next game against the New York Giants on Dec. 2.
There are plenty of vital games down the stretch against the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers and Vikings. For the Bears to get where they want to go, Trubisky must be a key contributor.
And risking his long-term health Thursday could halt a promising 2018 season before December even starts.
Matt Gentile
Matt graduated with a Bachelor's degree of journalism from DePaul University in 2011 and currently works in the digital marketing world as a content manager. He's been a Chicago sports fan and almanac since childhood, and he has explainable superstitions leading up to Bears games. Aside from sports, Matt also shares a deep love for family, friends, faith, theater and creative writing.
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Bears' division-clinching win against Packers vindicates journey back to postseason
The Chicago Bears will go as far as Mitchell Trubisky takes them
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text:
DTA considering international 'brokerage' of digital identities
Reaching a point where Australia can 'broker' the agreed digital identity of a citizen with another country is in the sights of the Digital Transformation Agency.
Written by Asha Barbaschow, Journalist
Asha Barbaschow Journalist
With a degree in Communications, and a background in technical writing, Asha has left the engineering world and joined the ZDNet team in Sydney as a journalist.
on February 8, 2018 | Topic: Innovation
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) last year unveiled its plan to provide everyone in Australia with a digital identity known as Govpass.
Govpass is expected to make the process of proving who an individual is to government "simple, safe, and secure" online, with former Assistant Minister for Digital Transformation Angus Taylor previously touting the platform as a faster, simpler way to move between online services provided by the Australian government.
Security and Privacy: New Challenges
As big data, the IoT, and social media spread their wings, they bring new challenges to information security and user privacy.
However, facing a House of Representatives Joint Standing Committee on Friday, DTA chief digital officer Peter Alexander discussed reaching a point with digital identification that will allow the exchange of agreed citizen identities with not only government agencies at all levels, but also other countries.
"We're working with international governments who are all doing similar things ... to say how would we harmonise something like that, and how could you have some brokerage between them," Alexander told the committee.
"How could you have confidence that at an easy level, somewhere like New Zealand, we can trust their digital identities; and at a more complex level, other countries that we don't have a strong relationship with, how can we trust their digital identities -- how can we broker international engagement of individuals and businesses and government?"
Alexander told the committee inquiring into the trade system and the digital economy that such an agreement could also facilitate the sharing of data digitally, be that big datasets or just a particular transaction that bounces off an individual's digital identification.
Detailing what its digital identification solution will look like in October, an explanatory video published by the DTA walked through the application process, which requires an individual to hand over personal details, such as both a primary and secondary email address, phone number, Medicare card, and a driver's licence or birth certificate.
Alexander told the government committee on Friday that Australians are getting more comfortable in sharing data with the government.
He said historically, citizens have been eager to share their data or browsing information with the likes of Facebook, but if the government was to start serving up suggestions based on their government browsing history, it was seen as "a little bit creepy".
"People shied away from that, but our user research ... shows they are now expecting that from us," he explained.
Facing the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue in November, Alexander revealed that there are three providers that will be charged with the responsibility of Govpass in the first instance: The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Department of Human Services (DHS), and Australia Post.
"They hold a lot of identity data already," Alexander said. "It could easily be extended to jurisdictional providers and commercial providers, who are talking to banks, the Australian payment network, and others who can provide identity."
His remarks followed the Reserve Bank of Australia, which argued to the committee that Australia's banks are better positioned to be involved with building out Govpass, as online banking is considered a better digital experience than the government's contentious myGov portal.
PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE
Government reveals draft digital identity framework
A series of documents outlining the security and usability standards by which Australians' digital identity information is to be collected, stored, and used has been released by the government.
Vault Systems to host Australia's digital identity solution
The company has been selected by the Digital Transformation Agency as the platform for Govpass.
ATO to work government's identity play into tax time requirements
Govpass is already being toyed with by the ATO for tax file number applications, but the agency has said that once it reaches a certain level of "sexy", it has the potential to extend into other transactions.
Service NSW wants to share technology for cross-border service delivery
Service NSW's acting CEO told ZDNet that the organisation should be opening its technology to the rest of the country to assist in citizen service delivery.
DTA takes on responsibility for government data-driven platforms
Responsibility for the government's data.gov.au and NationalMap platforms has been moved to the Digital Transformation Agency.
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Today we are going to talk about the new handset that HTC presented this year at Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona that was quoted. We're talking about the HTC Desire C, a smartphone with small dimensions that could be located within the low range. A very handy phone for its size and intended for an audience that is not very experienced. Below is the review of HTC Desire C which will answer your all questions regarding this phone.
The new low-end smartphone HTC Desire C which draws attention of people to itself. This smartphone is small, compact and which may be carried to any site. Furthermore, the smartphone weighs only 100 grams, a weight that will make this an extremely lightweight device. This phone is equipped with a screen of a total size of 3.5 inches showing a poor but sufficient resolution of HVGA total of 320 x 480 pixels. Mention that despite being a not very large screen but it still possess a wide viewing angle, and colour contrast is more than acceptable.
Note that this new device will run under version 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system from Google. Something that will give you a point higher compared to other terminals located within this same low range. In the depths of its core, the HTC Desire C has a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 MSM7227A single core to reach a total clock speed of 600Mhz enough for people to whom it is addressed and that this terminal will run basic applications with total fluency. It also has a total of 512MB of RAM. On the subject of the battery, the new HTC Desire C will be powered by a battery with a total of 1230 milliamps, a battery that will meet more than enough, since it allow total autonomy of almost two days under normal operation. In addition to its fast charge, the HTC Desire C will be charges in just over an hour.
Turning now to the them multimedia, HTC Desire C will be a highlight at the reproduction of audio and video as it will incorporate with the powerful serial beats audio, also accompanied by a headset. It also has a rear camera which reaches maximum resolution of 5 megapixels. On the subject of connections, HTC Desire C comes with basic connections, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and microUSB connection to the outside of this.
To conclude, discuss what has been said above. HTC Desire C is a smartphone for low-end, low price and somewhat tight specifications. A terminal oriented mainly to the public who wish to enter the world of smart phones but without being a very high amount of money on it. So, HTC Desire C could be a good decision for you.


text:
Synbiotic therapy decreases microbial translocation and inflammation and improves immunological status in HIV-infected patients: a double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial
Luz A González-Hernández1,
Luis F Jave-Suarez3,
Mary Fafutis-Morris2,
Karina E Montes-Salcedo1,
Luis G Valle-Gutierrez1,
Ariel E Campos-Loza1,
Luis Fermin Enciso-Gómez1 &
Jaime F Andrade-Villanueva1
Nutrition Journal volume 11, Article number: 90 (2012) Cite this article
HIV-infection results in damage and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal system. HIV enteropathy includes pronounced CD4+ T-cell loss, increased intestinal permeability, and microbial translocation that promotes systemic immune activation, which is implicated in disease progression. A synbiotic is the combination of probiotics and prebiotics that could improve gut barrier function. Our study goal was to determine whether the use of a synbiotic, probiotics or a prebiotic can recover immunological parameters in HIV-infected subjects through of a reduction of microbial translocation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production.
A randomized, double-blind controlled study was performed; twenty Antiretroviral treatment-naïve HIV-infected subjects were subgrouped and assigned to receive a synbiotic, probiotics, a prebiotic, or a placebo throughout 16 weeks.
We had no reports of serious adverse-events. From baseline to week 16, the synbiotic group showed a reduction in bacterial DNA concentrations in plasma (p = 0.048). Moreover, the probiotic and synbiotic groups demonstrated a decrease in total bacterial load in feces (p = 0.05). The probiotic group exhibited a significant increment of beneficial bacteria load (such as Bifidobacterium; p = 0.05) and a decrease in harmful bacteria load (such as Clostridium; p = 0.063). In the synbiotic group, the CD4+ T-cells count increased (median: +102 cells/μL; p = 0.05) and the level of Interleukin 6 cytokine decreased significantly (p = 0.016).
Our study showed a significant increase in CD4+ T lymphocyte levels in the synbiotic group, which could delay the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and decrease costs in countries with limited resources.
A huge Gastrointestinal (GI) pathology is observed in patients infected with HIV even during primary infection. Approximately 60% of total CD4+ T cells, reside in Gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), and of all tissues, the latter is one of the most strongly affected during HIV infection [1]. In 1984, Kotler and collaborators described HIV enteropathy; subsequently, several studies have demonstrated HIV-associated damage to the GI tract [2–4].
Gastrointestinal damage in HIV infection and microbial translocation
Once HIV enters the mucosa of the gut, it finds a large pool of resting Ki67-CD4+ T cells; up to 60% of these cells are infected and are capable of produce the virus, constituting a dense network of cells in the intestinal mucosa, which is capable of spreading the infection to uninfected cells through cell-to-cell contact. This spread allows the maintenance of a continuous chain of viral transmission and forms part of a large reservoir that is currently impossible to eradicate. On the other hand, activated CD4+ T cells (effector) produce high viral-load levels, generating high viral gradient in the mucous membrane tissues, resulting in infection amplification and spread over long distances [5].
HIV exerts a direct effect on enterocytes. The viral tat protein inhibits glucose uptake by the enterocytes, altering their function; the gp120 protein increases enterocyte intracellular calcium and causes tubulin depolymerization, in turn causing cytoskeleton dysfunction, with destabilization of intercellular junctions and further increased intestinal permeability. There is a simultaneous occurrence of a decrease in the expression of genes involved in epithelial mucosal repair (such as trefoils) and increased immune activation genes, leading to high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines as Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interferon (INF)-γ, and Interleukin (IL)-6, -8, and −12 [2, 6].
The enteropathy associated with HIV-infection is characterized by villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, vitamin B12 and bile acid malabsorption, epithelial cell damage, with enterocyte apoptosis and disruption of tight and adherent junctions with an increase in intestinal permeability; moreover, depletion of Peyer' s patches as well as of CD4+ T cells in lamina propria combined with a reduced ability to produce secretory IgA and defensins comprise conditions that favor persistent microbial overgrowth in the intestinal lumen, microbial translocation with increased plasma levels of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and 16S rRNA, which can provoke the development of chronic local and systemic immune stimulation that may lead to disease progression [2, 7–11].
Effect of microbiota on the immune system
Microbiota of intestinal tract constitute a complex ecosystem of microorganisms; there are from 10–100 trillion microorganisms that populate the adult intestine and these provide some benefits to the host [12]. HIV infection alters gut microbial ecology [13]. Several probiotic organisms and prebiotic agents have shown to enhance intestinal epithelial barrier functions, reduce inflammation, and support effective Th-1 responses [14].
Synbiotics are the combination of probiotics plus prebiotics. The definition of probiotics is live microbial feed supplements that confer health benefits when administered in adequate amounts (107-1011 colony forming units (cfu)) and are classified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as "live biotherapeutics" when utilized in humans [15, 16]. Probiotics exert an effect on the immunological response; they mainly stimulates polymeric IgA secretion, avoid bacterial overgrowth and their translocation, and produce a self-limited inflammatory response through development of regulatory T (Treg) cells by anti-inflammatory cytokine production [12, 15, 17–19].
Prebiotics are non-digestible oligosaccharides that selectively stimulate the growth of some bacteria, altering the composition and metabolic activity of gut microbiota [20]. A study in mice demonstrated that administration of prebiotics such as FructoOligoSaccharides (FOS) exerts an immunostimulating effect on inductive sites such as Peyer's patches [21]. Inulin-type fructans are non-digestible oligosaccharides with prebiotic properties and can be obtained from agave plants [22, 23].
The diversity of GI microbiota is directly related with the number of nutrients [24] and lower beneficial bacteria counts in feces have been reported in HIV-infected subjects compared with healthy controls [13].
Patients with HIV suffer immunological and structural defects in GI tract; thus, new interventions in HIV-positive patients are necessary to restore the integrity of the epithelial and immune system of GALT and block the ways through which microbial products cause chronic immune activation. Therefore, we evaluated the use of a synbiotic, probiotics and a prebiotic to expand beneficial microbiota that aid in decreasing bacterial translocation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, thereby improving immune functions in HIV-infected subjects.
Study design and participants
A randomized, prospective, double-blind controlled pilot study was conducted in HIV-infected adult patients who were divided into four groups to receive the following: group I: probiotics; group II: the synbiotic; group III: the prebiotic, and group IV: the placebo. The patients were recruited from August 2008 through June 2009 at the HIV Unit Department of Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Fray Antonio Alcalde.
Patients were randomly assigned to receive probiotics, a synbiotic, a prebiotic, or placebo during 16 weeks; all products (gel formulation) were made by biotechnology company called Biotek in Guadalajara city, they required refrigeration and were taken once daily. We used 10 g of agavins from Agave tequilana Weber var. azul as the prebiotic; these types of fructans comprise a complex mixture of FOS containing mainly β(2–1) linkages, and some β(2–6) linkages, with branches and a glucose moiety [23]. As probiotics, we employed Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 plus Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 at 109 cfu/mL, and the synbiotic was the combination of probiotics plus prebiotic, the placebo was a product of Biogel without the two types of probiotics and without the prebiotic, but with the same flavor and characteristics. The Institutional Review Board at the study site approved the study, and all patients were enrolled immediately after providing written informed consent.
Inclusion criteria included the following: documented HIV infection; age between 18 and 65 years; negative for Hepatitis B and C viruses; Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment-naïve, in stage A or B according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classification system, with a CD4+ count of >350 cells/mm3. Patients were not included in the study if they were pregnant, had hepatic or renal insufficiency, cancer, immunotherapy, use of antibacterial therapy (for >15 days), had knowledge of an allergy to bovine milk proteins or if the dose compliance with the gel formulation was <95%.
Safety parameters and assessment of quality of life (QoL) assessment
Participating patients were requested to check their body temperature, to report immediately to the researcher for possible symptoms of infections, and were examined by means of laboratory and physical testing at least once monthly.
The Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Quality of life (IBS-QoL) questionnaire in a local language was utilized to evaluate the impact of gastrointestinal symptoms or treatment complications at baseline and at 16-week visits. The IBS-QoL is a self-administered instrument employed to derive an overall score with a 34-item, condition-specific questionnaire that has been approved for identifying GI-related QoL measures in HIV-infected patients [25, 26], in whom highest scores signify poorest IBS-related QoL in our study.
Immunological variables determined at baseline and at week-16 visits
Absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte count
Absolute CD4+ T-cell counts were quantified as absolute concentration (cells per cubic mm) by means of flow cytometry at a state-certified laboratory.
Cytokines levels
We measured IL-10 concentrations in plasma as anti-inflammatory cytokine, and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α by ELISA using commercially available kits (R&D systems). Results were expressed in units of pg/mL.
Viremia quantification
HIV-1 RNA was measured in plasma at baseline and at week 16, with the AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR ultrasensitive assay (Roche Diagnostics, version 1.0) with a lower detection limit of 50 copies/mL at a state-certified laboratory.
Purification of bacterial DNA in plasma and stool
From 200 μL of plasma and from 200 g of frozen stool samples, bacterial DNA was extracted employing the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit and QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen), respectively, both according to the manufacturer's instructions. DNA concentrations were determined with a DU 640 spectrophotometer.
Quantitative (q) PCR for bacterial 16S rRNA in plasma and feces
Bacterial translocation was measured by means of 16S rRNA levels in plasma, and 16S rRNA levels in feces were utilized to determinate total bacterial load in stool. We used a final volume of 10-μL amplification reaction consisting of 2 μL of 1X PCR buffer (Light Cycler Fast Start DNA Master Plus Reaction Mix SYBRGreen I, Roche), 5 pmol forward and 5 pmol reverse primers and 2 ng of template plasma DNA or template feces DNA (for total bacterial load in feces). We employed the following primer pairs: forward (8 F: 5′-AGT TTG ATC CTG GCT CAG-3) and reverse (515R: 5′-GWA TTA CCG CGG CKG CTG-3′) primers to amplify bacterial DNA templates encoding 16S rRNA [10, 27]. We amplified the DNA in triplicate and calculated mean values. The count was absolute using a standard curve with the four dilutions of concentrations known of a standard plasmid DNA. Conditions for the DNA amplification reaction comprised 95°C for 10 min, followed by 40 cycles at 95°C for 10 s, 60°C for 10 s, and 72°C for 22 s. Thereafter a melting temperature analysis was performed as follows: at 95°C for 10 s; at 60°C for 1 min, and by slowly heating the sample to 95°C at a temperature rate of 0.1°C/s.
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for Bifidobacterium and Clostridium spp. in feces
To detect changes in stool bacterial composition at baseline and at week 16, we measured the bacterial loads, dividing as beneficial bacteria the Bifidobacterium spp. Load, and as harmful bacteria, the Clostridium spp. load. The primer pairs used to detect Bifidobacterium spp. were the following: forward 5′-CGC GTC YGG TGT GAA AG-3′and reverse 5′-CCC CAC ATC CAG CAT CCA-3′ [27, 28]. The primer pairs to quantify Clostridium spp. were forward 5′-AAA TGA CGG TAC CTG ACT AA-3′ and reverse 5′-CTT TGA GTT TCA TTC TTG CGA A-3′ [27, 29]. All qPCR reactions were performed in a final volume of 10 μL consisting of 2 μL of 1X PCR buffer (Light Cycler Fast Start DNA Master Plus Reaction Mix SYBRGreen I, Roche), 5 pmol of forward and 5 pmol of reverse primers, and 2 ng of template feces DNA. The following amplification conditions were employed: 95°C for 10 min; followed by 40 cycles at 95°C for 15 s, at 65°C or 60°C (for Clostridium or Bifidobacterium, respectively) for 30 s, and at 72°C for 10 s. Additionally, melting temperature analysis was performed as follows: at 95°C for 10 s; at 60°C for 1 min, and by slowly heating the sample to 95°C at a temperature rate of 0.1°C/s.
Comparisons among all groups were carried out by performing the Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U tests. Correlations were analyzed utilizing Spearman rank-correlation for nonparametric data. Other statistical tests employed are indicated in the text. All statistical analysis was undertaken using SPSS version 14 software.
Subject characteristics
The study included 20 patients, with five participants for each of four groups. Characteristics of the patients in the four groups were similar and are depicted in Table 1. They did not show malnutrition or wasting syndrome, and metabolic variables fell within normal ranges at all times. IBS-QoL scores were similar and did not worsen during the study in either treatment arm (baseline data are shown in Table 1). Study enrollment is shown in Figure 1, during the study, some patients showed an increment of flatulence, diarrhea and meteorism, without statistical significance.
Table 1 Demographic and clinical baseline characteristics of as-treated patients
Study enrollment. Twenty-two patients were screening, two of them were excluded before the randomized visit, and the remainder completed the 16 weeks of treatment.
Treatment compliance
In all groups, we observed an adherence upper than 98%, with good tolerance and we did not identify serious side effects that forced us to suspend the regimen.
Bacterial translocation and bacterial stool composition
A reduction in bacterial DNA concentrations in plasma was observed in the probiotics, synbiotic, and prebiotic groups, but statistical significance was reached only in the synbiotic group (p = 0.048) (Figure 2). Additionally, the probiotic and synbiotic groups demonstrated a decrease in total bacterial load in feces (p = 0.045 and 0.048, respectively). The prebiotic group showed a tendency toward higher bacterial load in feces (data non shown). On the other hand, some differences in bacterial stool composition were found between groups; the probiotic group exhibited a significant increase of microbial load of Bifidobacterium spp. (p = 0.049) and a decrease in Clostridium spp. (p = 0.063), while the synbiotic group demonstrated a reduction non-significant in beneficial and harmful bacterial loads (p = 0.091 and p = 0.082, respectively) (Figure 3). The prebiotic and placebo groups had similar behaviour with an increased level of Bifidobacterium and Clostridium load (not statistically significant) (data not shown).
Microbial translocation. Quantification of bacterial 16 s rDNA extracted from plasma in the different groups. The graph shows the differences found in the four study groups at enrollment and the end of the study, in which the only group to reach statistical significance was the synbiotic group. Data shown in mean ± Standard error of the mean (SEM).
Bacterial composition in feces. Quantification of bacterial composition in feces in probiotic and synbiotic groups. The graph shows the differences from baseline to week 16. The probiotic group demonstrated an increase in beneficial bacterial DNA levels achieving statistical significance (*p = 0.049) and a tendency of decrease in harmful bacterial DNA levels (**p = 0.063). The synbiotic group had a tendency of decrease both type of bacterias ***p = 0.082, ****p = 0.091. Data shown in mean.
Immunological parameters
Lymphocyte CD4+ T-cell count
At the end of the study, all patients under treatment showed an increase of CD4+ T lymphocytes; however, the synbiotic group had greater increases in CD4+ T-cell count (mean, +102 cells; p = 0.05) (Figure 4). No patient merited exclusion due to a low level CD4+ T-cell count and to the need to initiate ARV therapy; no patient had a diagnosis of opportunistic infections.
Quantification of CD4+ T cells. Quantification of CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood in all groups, before and after treatment. The graph shows that the synbiotic group had a statistically significant elevation in CD4+ T cell levels (median: +102 cells/μL).
Measurement of cytokines
Similar levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10 cytokines were found in all groups during enrollment and at the end of the study (data not shown). The IL-6 cytokine level decreased significantly in the synbiotic group (p = 0.016) (Figure 5) and a negative correlation between IL-6 levels and CD4+ T-cells was revealed in the placebo group (r = −0.99; p = 0.008) (Figure 6).
Levels of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) in all groups. Concentration of IL-6 in plasma at baseline and at week 16. The decrease of IL-6 in synbiotic group was statistically significant (p = 0.016), changes in the other groups were not significant. Data shown in mean ± Standard error of the mean (SEM).
Correlation between Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in plasma and CD4+ T-cell count in peripheral blood. Using the Spearman test, a negative correlation between IL-6 concentration in plasma and absolute CD4+ T-cell number in peripheral blood was demonstrated in the placebo group, with statistical significance (r = −0.99; p = 0.008).
Within the immunopathogenesis of HIV infection, there is a state of constant systemic immune activation that is attributed in part to the enteropathy caused by HIV itself and to the translocation of microbes and/or microbial products from the intestinal lumen into the circulation [8, 30].
We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 plus Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 at 109 cfu/mL as probiotics, 10 g of agave inulin as prebiotic, and the combination of both as synbiotic in antiretroviral-naïve, HIV-infected subjects.
There have been some studies in patients with HIV infection, using different probiotics in which mixed results have been obtained; this is perhaps secondary to the use of different concentrations and probiotic strains, which do not trigger the same immunostimulatory effect [15, 31, 32].
Certain serious adverse effects have been reported with the use of probiotics, particularly endocarditis, liver abscess, bacteremia, and septicemia or septic shock, especially in immunocompromised patients, or in patients with chronic disease, or in those with ventilatory support or with central venous catheters [33–35]. During the study, we received no report of serious adverse events, no clinically significant changes were noted in any safety parameter measured, and no patient developed sepsis, bacteremia, or acute inflammatory response. In addition, total bacterial load in feces decreased in probiotics and synbiotic groups and, the probiotics group showed an increase in the concentration of beneficial bacteria, as Bifidobacterium species, which have less potential for adhesion and translocation [12]. Further, we found that the synbiotic group had a tendency of reduction in beneficial and harmful bacterial loads and had a significant reduction in the concentration of bacterial translocation.
ARV treatment has increased survival in patients with HIV infection; however, survival is at least 10 years less than in general population. In addition, cardiovascular risk is twice as high in HIV-positive subjects [36]. In our study, the use of the synbiotic demonstrated a significant decrease in the concentration of cytokine IL-6, which has been utilized as a marker of cardiovascular risk, accelerated atherosclerosis, and mortality in HIV-infected patients [37]. However, it would therefore be important to assess, in our study, other cardiovascular risk-related parameters, such as d-dimer and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [38].
ARV drugs can cause several adverse effects including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, lactic acidosis, lipodystrophy, and diarrhea, among others [39, 40]. Our study demonstrated a significant increase in CD4+ T lymphocyte levels in the synbiotic group, which could delay time of initiation of ARV treatment and decrease costs in countries with limited resources. Moreover, in our region, the agave pines of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul are widely employed to produce the national drink, tequila, and could also be a potential source of prebiotics and part of synbiotic with accessible prices.
On the other hand, we found no decrease in HIV-1 plasma viral load; therefore, the use of a synbiotic could not provide the benefit of maintaining an undetectable viral load as part of the primary prevention of HIV transmission.
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HIV Unit Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Fray Antonio Alcalde", University of Guadalajara, Calle Hospital 278, Colonia Alcalde Barranquitas, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 44280, Mexico
Luz A González-Hernández, Karina E Montes-Salcedo, Luis G Valle-Gutierrez, Ariel E Campos-Loza, Luis Fermin Enciso-Gómez & Jaime F Andrade-Villanueva
Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), UdeG, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Mary Fafutis-Morris
Centro de Investigación Biomédicas de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Luis F Jave-Suarez
Luz A González-Hernández
Karina E Montes-Salcedo
Luis G Valle-Gutierrez
Ariel E Campos-Loza
Luis Fermin Enciso-Gómez
Jaime F Andrade-Villanueva
Correspondence to Jaime F Andrade-Villanueva.
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Conceived and designed the experiments: LAG, MFM, JFAV; Performed the experiments: LAG, LFJS; Analyzed the data: LAG, JFAV, LFJS; Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MFM, AECL, LGVG, KEMS, LFEG; Wrote the paper: LAG, JFAV. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
González-Hernández, L.A., Jave-Suarez, L.F., Fafutis-Morris, M. et al. Synbiotic therapy decreases microbial translocation and inflammation and improves immunological status in HIV-infected patients: a double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial. Nutr J 11, 90 (2012). https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/1475-2891-11-90
Accepted: 25 October 2012
DOI: https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/1475-2891-11-90
Fructan
Microbial Translocation
Total Bacterial Load
Synbiotic Group


text:
LogMeIn retires cloud storage service Cubby
Updated • May 22, 2018
LogMeIn announced today that it will retire the cloud storage service Cubby starting November 16, 2016 for free users of the service.
Cubby was introduced to the cloud storage scene back in 2012 introducing then unique features such as direct syncing of data between devices bypassing the cloud.
The second feature that set Cubby apart from most solutions was that it allowed users to select folders from any location on the system for synchronization.
The service introduced new interesting features later that year. This included options to turn off cloud sharing to use Cubby only for local data sharing. Another new feature was Cubby Locks. It enabled you to encrypt files using the account password.
LogMeIn introduced Cubby Pro accounts back at the end of the year 2012 which made features such as DirectSync or Cubby Locks Pro exclusive.
Cubby retirement
Emails sent out to Cubby customers inform them that Cubby is being shut down.
Today, LogMeIn is announcing plans to retire Cubby from its current line of products. We understand this may present challenges for you, but you don't have to go just yet – your Cubby account will remain active until November 16, 2016, but after this date your account will expire.
The expiration date depends on the account type. Free accounts expire on November 16, 2016 for instance, while Pro and Enterprise accounts will remain active for the length of the subscription period plus 30 days.
LogMeIn created a video that demonstrates how to move files from Cubby to Dropbox.
The company operates LogMeIn Pro which offers 1 TB of cloud storage and more, and recommends it as an alternative especially to Cubby Pro and Enterprise customers.
LogMeIn Pro has a plan for individuals, but it comes at a price of €149 per year which is quite expensive if file storage is all that is required. It does add remote access functionality and a LastPass Premium license to it on top of that.
The company has created a FAQ for Pro and Enterprise customers that answers several pressing questions including how to migrate files to third-party services or LogMeIn Pro, or how LogMeIn Pro differs from Cubby in functionality.
LogMeIn Pro includes 1TB of file storage for all users, regardless of which Pro subscription package you choose. With Pro, you can also share files and folders with an unlimited number of users.
LogMeIn Pro includes user level access controls to share files and folders only with specific users, however Pro does not include offline syncing.
Cubby Enterprise customers will lose certain functionality with Pro, including the admin activity log, policy management, MSI deployment, domain-based administration, and ADFS integration, but they will have unlimited users, which was an additional cost with Cubby.
DirectSync and Cubby Locks functionality is not supported as well. LogMeIn stated already that it won't bring back DirectSync functionality, but that it may add a security feature to protect files from being accessed by anyone but the file owner.
Cubby supported several interesting features, DirectSync especially, but it never managed to gain much traction in the cloud storage niche.
Free users should not have any issues migrating away from Cubby, considering that most storage providers offer 5 Gigabyte or more of online storage as well.
Those who used Cubby for direct syncing capabilities may want to check out BitTorrent Sync Resilio Sync which offers that functionality.
Now You: are you affected by Cubby's retirement? Did you use the service in the past?
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RossN said on October 18, 2016 at 11:13 am
Cubby was the most user-friendly cloud backup that I've used.
It did versioning of files.
It was easy to add any folders to, and changed the folder icon to indicate it had been added.
I know there were other features, but I didn't get around to using them.
I also use hubiC, which might do all I want. It's hard to keep track of what features various services have.
Martin Brinkmann said on October 18, 2016 at 12:54 pm
For those who don't know Hubic, here is my review of the service: https://www.ghacks.net/2014/02/08/hubic-review-france-based-file-storage-solution-competitive-pricing/
P Jones said on November 3, 2016 at 4:11 pm
I figured this was forthcoming after major hosted email services added cubby.com links to their spam/phish filter. LogMeIn didn't do enough to prevent Cubby from being used by lowlifes who put spyware and viruses on Cubby for distribution. Legitimate Cubby users suddenly couldn't send emails with Cubby links, and were forced to find alternative means for sending links. For me, I took the tedious step of converting Cubby links via Google URL shortener, then pasting the Google URLs into emails to send to clients.
Shuffle said on October 18, 2016 at 11:52 am
pCloud is an excellent alternative. the basic free account start at 10GB. it is possible to sync and backup any folder on the computer. free users get 30 days of file versioning. very easy to share/invite to folders and so on…
https://www.pcloud.com/features/file-management.html
Fran D. said on October 18, 2016 at 5:02 pm
To be sincere, I have been paying Cubby Pro exclusively because of DirectSync feature. Now that they will stop the service I'll not upgrade to LogmeIn Pro because they don't include DirectSync.
I am not interested in cloud storage but on sync'ing my computers without intermediate storage servers. It is a pity they don't offer DirectSync as paid service, I will be more than willing to pay for it.
Any other alternative besides Resilio Sync?
J Kern said on October 19, 2016 at 9:56 pm
It's worth trying out Tresorit. I like it thus far! There's a 14-day free trial and it seems to be similar to Cubby, and more secure: https://tresorit.com/business/cubby-alternative
Alex said on October 20, 2016 at 8:36 pm
Sad, Cubby was really nice app.
Joe ACE said on October 23, 2016 at 5:24 pm
Yes the Cubby Directsync is excellent transfering on the bits that change in the document rather than the whole document. I would also pay just to have the directsync service. The other great feature is that the cubby folders can be individually assigned to any folder on a computer and totally dfferent folders on another computer.
MJ said on October 25, 2016 at 7:50 am
I am very disappointed that Cubby is closing down. The UI is clean and intuitive; every folder can become a clearly-marked cubby folder while staying where it is; DirectSync is great; it also has unlimited file versioning.
Tresorit looks similar but its 100 Euro/year plan for 100GB only allows 5 devices, 10 file versions, and a maximum file size of 5GB. The next tier is 240 Euro/year. It is very expensive.
giantslor said on November 3, 2016 at 5:47 pm
A good alternative might be IDrive. I used this service years ago but then moved to SugarSync and now Cubby. Now I might go back to IDrive — I see they've increased their free tier to 5GB. When I used it, it was a very nice, fast service that did pretty much everything Cubby does, including syncing any folder, versioning and all the rest. I see that it also syncs between devices, though I'm guessing it uses the cloud as an intermediary. I don't see IDrive mentioned a lot online, but they've been doing their thing for 20+ years now, so it's a very mature, reputable company and product.
Alternatively, I might switch to Microsoft's OneDrive if it has all the necessary features.
Tony said on November 14, 2016 at 3:34 pm
Thanks for your recommendation of Resilio. We are a very small business and Directsync is what we use as a server to work from our houses. Cubby retiring was potentially very bad for our business. I hate that this is happening. We really depended on Cubby.
incom2 said on November 20, 2016 at 10:58 pm
Cubby was REALLY easy to use. Right click on a folder, make it a Cubby, done.
And DirectSync, while free, was also amazing: simply turn off the cloud option, and voilà ; no size limits, no cloud usage, all files up-to-date instantly if connected to the internet.
Now there are a lot of candidates trying to do what once was Cubby, but no one is even close to get the same "easyness" of Cubby. Again, a very good idea shut up by his owner and lost forever cause no one is allowed to use it in the same way for copyrighted-reasons. :(
Ben said on December 1, 2016 at 3:44 pm
Why would they kill such a great app?! Best sync software I've ever used.
Very disappointed.
Fung said on December 7, 2016 at 6:48 am
I am willing to pay for the reliable DirectSync feature. There is a market!
FormerLMIuser said on January 11, 2017 at 6:54 pm
I am done with LogMeIn and any of their products. Since they bought Lastpass, I know I must find an alternative before they scratch it or charge $150/year. I've used LMI products since 2006/7. A product I used to pay around $50/year may now cost nearly $1000
Beth Beattie said on January 24, 2018 at 1:01 am
I loved Cubby for the direct sync, no cloud option, so easy, please bring it back LogMein, I would gladly pay a fee for its use.
Brave acquires Tailcat search engine; will offer search results without profiling users
Brave reveals why it is disabling Google's FLoC in the browser
DuckDuckGo Extension blocks Google FLoC in latest update
Brave Search Beta is now available publicly
Published in: January 19, 2022 2:51 pm | Updated in: January 19, 2022 2:51 pm


LPU Afreen Group made everyone glued to their TV sets as they left every Indian spell-bound with the magic of their singing performance on Colors Rising Star Reality Show. Starting with their unbeatable performance at first elimination round to third round of 'Duets' singing, LPU students proved to be the national champions step-by-step by qualifying each round of the show by gaining near 90% live votes. Celebrity experts & guests at the show from Bollywood, including Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Richa Sharma, Monali Thakur, Diljit Dosanjh, accorded standing ovation to their all performances, hitherto. After a neck-to-neck competition between singers from all over India, Afreen Group secured their position in top 7.
Afreen Group consists of eleven LPU students – Ashish, Deepak, Vipan, Amrit Sahil, Sumit Bhalla, Sadak Kumar, Amit, Suresh, Rajesh, Sachin Paul and only one girl Sanjana Bhola each of them belonging to different programmes at LPU. Afreen Group was first recognized when they became national champions at national Qawwali Competition -"Afreen (Bazm-E-Qawwali)" of Association of Indian universities. This is from where the group acquired the name of "Afreen".
The only female constituent of the group, Sanjana Bhola, who presents herself as the renowned qawwalis of the olden days, holds: "Our University keeps on providing us dignified platforms to express our inner-self in the best possible way. After winning AIU's qawwali competition, our mentors at LPU directed us to apply for auditions and from there after winning other rounds we reached Mumbai at the show. We are continuously getting much love and blessings from our admirers and we hope never to disappoint. We will continue to perform our best for this very special 'Qawwali Genre'.
Reality Show 'Rising Star' is an interactive show full of fun and entertainment. The show gives a chance to the talented singers from across India to showcase their talent and win accolades.
Previous articleWhich is Better – M.Tech or MBA?


text:
CCICADA PEOPLE AND PARTNERS
CCICADA Director Fred Roberts
Human Trafficking Prevention
Information Sharing Environments
Nuclear Detection
Social Media & Situational Awareness
Stadium and Large-Venue Security
Arctic Strategy
Fisheries Enforcement
Workshop on Vaccine Efficacy & Safety
Posted on December 21, 2020 by WebMaster in Breaking News, COVID-19 Supply Chain Initiative, Events, News Center, Research, Upcoming & Recent Events
January 7, 2021 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm EST
Organizing Committee:
Juergen Richt, CEEZAD Center, Kansas State University (Chair)
Fred Roberts, CCICADA Center, Rutgers University (co-Chair)
PROGRAM (*All times are in EST*)
1:30 PM-1:35 PM: Welcome and Opening Remarks:
Dana Saft, DHS Office of University Programs
Juergen Richt, CEEZAD, Kansas State University
Fred Roberts, CCICADA, Rutgers University
1:35 PM-1:55 PM: Keynote
Dr. Florian Krammer, Professor of Vaccinology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Slides
1:55 PM-2:30 PM: Panel: Vaccine Efficacy and Safety
Moderator: Juergen Richt, CEEZAD, Kansas State University
Dr. Philip Dormitzer, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Viral Vaccines, Pfizer Slides
Dr. Hana Golding, Chief of the Laboratory of Retrovirus at the Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), FDA Slides
Dr. Randy Hyer, SVP, Global Medical Affairs, Moderna
Dr. Fred Cassels, Global Head, Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases, PATH Slides
Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Professor, Departments of Microbiology and Medicine and in the Tisch Cancer Center at Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai Slides
Dr. Karen Makar, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Slides
Dr. Stanley Perlman, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Slides
2:30 PM-3:30 PM: Open discussion with Panelists
Program and Bios:
Introductory Remarks: Dana Saft, DHS Office of University Programs
Bio: Ms. Dana Saft is an experienced program manager with over a decade of combined experience in both the private and public sector managing research and development efforts. Currently she serves as a Program Manager at the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, Office of University Programs. In this role, Ms. Saft manages the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute a Center of Excellence led by the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE), a Center of Excellence led by the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Within the Office of University Programs, she also advises leadership on strategic and multi-year planning, conducts analysis on current research and development portfolios to determine potential commercialization pathways, and identifies projects ripe for advanced development and joint collaboration between the Centers of Excellence.
Prior to supporting DHS, Ms. Saft was an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton where she served as Post-Merger Integration Project Manager for corporate, led and contributed to business development efforts resulting in over $50 million, provided project management support for four University-led Center of Excellences responsible for conducting next generation research in the areas of Food Security, Agriculture Defense, Biodefense, and Critical Infrastructure Resiliency worth a total of $140 million, and managed over 125 technological cost reduction initiatives worth an estimated savings of $1.6 billion as a Design for Affordability Analyst supporting the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
Ms. Saft is currently obtaining her Master in Business Administration at George Washington University. She is a graduate of George Mason University with a Master of Science in Biodefense and from Radford University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Pre-Health.
Introductory Remarks: Fred Roberts, Director, COE COVID-19 Supply Chain Initiative, Director of CCICADA COE
Bio: Fred Roberts
FRED S. ROBERTS is a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University and Director of the Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis (CCICADA), founded as a University Center of Excellence of DHS. He is Emeritus Director of DIMACS, one of the original National Science Foundation science and technology centers, with 14 academic and industrial partners and some 350 affiliated scientists. Among his current research interests are resilience of supply chains, challenges of disasters and pandemics, stadium and large venue security, resource allocation, maritime cyber security, and the homeland security aspects of global environmental change. Roberts has authored four books, edited 24 additional books, and authored 200 scientific articles, some translated into Russian and Chinese, included the first book on maritime cyber security. Among his awards are the Commemorative Medal of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists, the Distinguished Service Award of the Association of Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory, Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Centers Pioneer Award, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Paris-Dauphine.
Introductory Remarks: Juergen Richt, Director, Director of CEEZAD COE
Bio: Juergen A. Richt, DVM, PhD
Dr. Richt came to Kansas State University in 2008 as The Regents Distinguished Professor and Kansas Bioscience Eminent Scholar. In 2010, he became Director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) and in 2020 Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CEZID). He received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Munich and a PhD in Virology and Immunology from the University of Giessen, both in Germany. After coming to the United States in 1989, he completed three years of postdoctoral/residency studies at The Johns Hopkins University and later served for eight years as a Veterinary Medical Officer at the National Animal Disease Center (USDA-ARS) in Ames, Iowa. He has edited several books, published more than 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts and raised more than $50 million in grants for veterinary research.
Dr. Richt is a pioneer in veterinary science, most notably in the "One Health" field. His work on high consequence pathogens with zoonotic and transboundary potential led to strategies to identify, control and/or eradicate such agents. His basic and applied research includes studies on animal influenza viruses, animal prion diseases including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV), African Swine fever virus (ASFV) and Borna Disease virus (BDV). Dr. Richt established the first reverse genetics system for swine influenza virus (SIV), and made seminal contributions to the development of a modified live SIV vaccine now sold in the U.S. as "Ingelvac Provenza™" and to understanding the virulence of the reconstructed 1918 "Spanish Flu" virus in livestock. He identified an atypical BSE case with a causative mutation ("genetic BSE"), used gene-editing approaches to develop the first prion protein knock-out cattle which are resistant to prion infection, and provided valuable information on host range of animal prions essential for risk analysis. Dr. Richt's RVFV work led to the development of novel domestic and wild ruminant models for RVF and a safe, efficacious, and DIVA compatible subunit vaccine which is presently undergoing USDA licensure. For ASFV, he is developing subunit and modified live virus vaccine candidates as well as Point-of- Need diagnostics (PenCheckTM) to protect swine from this devastating disease. His recent work focused on the establishment of preclinical animal models for COVID-19 in cats, hamsters and ferrets. As founding Director of the DHS CEEZAD and the NIH CEZID Centers, he is supporting NIH, DHS and USDA in protecting public health and U.S. agricultural systems from devastating animal and zoonotic diseases.
Confirmed Speakers:
Keynote: Florian Krammer, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
Slides Bio: Florian Krammer, PhD, graduated from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria) in 2010. He received his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Palese at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York working on hemagglutinin stalk-based immunity and universal influenza virus vaccines. In 2014 he became an independent principal investigator and is currently Mount Sinai Professor of Vaccinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Krammer's work focuses on understanding the mechanisms of interactions between antibodies and viral surface glycoproteins and on translating this work into novel, broadly protective vaccines and therapeutics. The main target is influenza virus but he is also working on coronaviruses, flaviviruses, hantaviruses, filoviruses and arenaviruses.
Fred Cassels, PATH
Slides Bio: Fred Cassels, leads the Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases (EDD) division (since 2016), which focuses on rotavirus, polio, Shigella, and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) vaccines, while also heading up the COVID-19 Initiative Team, all within the Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access (CVIA) at PATH. EDD/CVIA projects range from vaccine discovery, generation of in vitro and in vivo proof of concept, cGMP manufacture, phase 1-4 clinical trials, licensure in country and through the WHO, and includes country introduction of vaccines, for the benefit of low and middle income countries. Fred previously served in the role of Chief of the Enteric and Hepatic Diseases Branch (2011-2016), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. The work there encompassed the management of grants, preclinical product development and vaccine manufacturing contracts, as well as domestic and international clinical trials. Also while at DMID, Fred served as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Influenza Vaccines Program Officer (2004-2011). Prior to DMID, he worked in the Department of Enteric Infections, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (1988-2004), developing ETEC vaccine candidates and delivery technologies, and testing them preclinically and in phase 1 human trials.
Philip Dormitzer, M.D, Ph.D. Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Viral Vaccines, Pfizer
Slides Bio: Dr. Dormitzer leads Pfizer viral vaccines research and development programs. These programs include the Pfizer-BioNTech RNA-based COVID-19 pandemic vaccine and influenza vaccine collaborations. The COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for emergency use, and mass vaccination campaigns have begun. A prefusion F-based RSV vaccine to protect infants through maternal immunization has been advanced from discovery to a global phase 3 clinical trial in pregnant women. A cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate is preclinical. Before joining Pfizer, Dr. Dormitzer held positions at Novartis Vaccines that included Head of US Research. He was the founding member of the Novartis Viral Vaccine Research Center in Cambridge, MA. In 2009, his research team supported the development and licensure of three H1N1v influenza pandemic vaccines in the most rapid vaccine response in history, prior to the current COVID-19 pandemic. In 2013, his team responded to the H7N9 influenza outbreak by supplying the US pre-pandemic stockpile with a vaccine generated from a synthesized virus. Before joining industry, Dr. Dormitzer was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and led a structural virology laboratory, which, with collaborators, determined the structures of the rotavirus neutralization antigens. He graduated summa cum laude in Anthropology from Harvard College; conducted paleontological research in Pakistan and studied the Efe Pygmies in Zaire; obtained a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology and an MD at Stanford University; completed Internal Medicine training at Massachusetts General Hospital; and completed the Harvard Infectious Diseases Program clinical fellowship.
Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Mt Sinai School of Medicine
Slides Bio: Adolfo Garcia-Sastre is Professor in the Departments of Microbiology and Medicine and in the Tisch Cancer Center at Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai (ISMMS) in New York. He is also Director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at ISMMS, and Principal Investigator for the Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP), one of five NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS). For the past 30 years, his research interest has been focused on the molecular biology, virus-host interactions, innate immunity and pathogenesis of influenza viruses and several other RNA viruses, as well as on the development of new vaccines and antivirals. He has more than 500 peer-reviewed publications in these areas of research. He has been President of the International Society for Vaccines in 2014-2015. He is Editor for the scientific journals PLoS Pathogens, Journal of Virology and Virus Research. In 2017, he has been elected a fellow of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy in Spain. In 2019, he was recognized with a Honorary Doctor Degree from the University of Burgos, Spain. Also in 2019, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences and of the National Academy of Inventors.
Hana Golding, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA
Slides Bio: Hana Golding is the Chief of the Laboratory of Retrovirus at the Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), FDA. Dr. Golding received her Ph.D. degree from Oregon Health Sciences University, Oregon, and her postdoctoral training at the Experimental Immunology Branch, NCI, NIH. Dr. Golding Joined the Division of Viral Products, CBER in 1987 and was assigned as the Chief of the Laboratory of Retrovirus Research in 1993. Dr. Golding has authored more than 200 research papers and book chapters on immunology, virology, and infectious diseases topics.
The main areas of research projects in the Golding lab:
– Vaccines against viral pathogens including pandemic Influenza, RSV, Ebola, Zika, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2:
– Evaluation of vaccine safety (in vivo/in vitro) and immune responses, including new methods for antibody avidity and epitope diversity.
– Vaccine Adjuvants: their mode of action, impact on immune responses, and new biomarkers predictive of their safety and efficacy in humans.
Randall N. Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH, Senior Vice President, Global Medical Affairs, Moderna
Bio: Dr. Hyer has over three decades of experience in medicine and public health in both the public and private sectors. After graduating with distinction from the US Naval Academy, he studied at Duke Medical School and then earned the PhD in molecular biology from Oxford University. He then spent 13 months on the "ice" in Antarctica as the Station Physician for the winter. Dr. Hyer then shifted to public health and vaccines, serving four years at the World Health Organization as a medical officer responding to outbreaks and emergencies including anthrax, Ebola, SARS, avian influenza, as well as tsunamis and earthquakes. In response to the need for effective communication, Randy co-authored a popular WHO handbook on risk and crisis communication during public health emergencies. In industry, Randy's experience covers vaccines, biologics, biosimilars, and small molecule development. He was pivotal to the 2017 approval of a two-dose adult hepatitis B vaccine (HEPLISAV-B), the first FDA approved vaccine with a truly novel adjuvant. Beyond development, his responsibilities have included directing vaccine and pharmaceutical safety programs, overseeing vaccine clinical operations and biometrics functions, engaging medical scientists and policy-makers, and managing crises. Randy's perspectives and contributions span his residing in eight and traveling to 100 plus countries in diverse roles across the public and private sectors.
Karen Makar, Gates Foundation
Slides Bio: Dr. Karen Makar is a PhD immunologist with expertise in molecular epidemiology, clinical immune monitoring and biomarker discovery. As a Senior Program Officer on the Vaccine Discovery & Human Immunobiology team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she leads an immune correlates initiative which identifies and prioritizes immune correlates activities for the foundation's invested vaccines to accelerate the discovery, development, and licensure of effective vaccines for BMGF target populations in low and middle income countries. In 2014, she launched the Global Health – Vaccine Accelerator Platforms (GH-VAP) program to connect foundation grantees with high quality, cutting edge research platforms. GH-VAP has grown to over 200 projects across 14 platforms serving more than a dozen different disease areas. Previously, she served as Director of the Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and worked in industry as a Vaccine Development Scientist evaluating therapeutic cancer vaccines.
Stanley Perlman, The University of Iowa, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and of Pediatrics
Slides Bio: Dr. Stanley Perlman received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from M.I.T., Cambridge, Massachusetts and his M.D. from the University of Miami, Miami, Florida. He was trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. His current research efforts are focused on coronavirus pathogenesis, including virus-induced demyelination and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and COVID-19.
His laboratory has developed several novel animal models useful for studying pathogenesis and evaluating vaccines and anti-viral therapies. His studies are directed at understanding why aged patients and mice developed more severe disease than younger individuals after infection with SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 and also on why there is a male predominance in patients with more severe disease after infection with SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. He and his colleagues demonstrated that transduction of mice with an adenovirus expressing the human receptor for MERS-CoV, DPP4, rendered them sensitive to infection, providing the first rodent model useful for studying MERS. Similar approaches have been used to develop a mouse model for COVID-19. He has also developed models for the loss of sense of smell (anosmia) observed in patients with COVID-19.
Back to: COVID-19 Vaccine Workshops
Back to: COE COVID-19 Supply Chain Initiative Calendar of Events
Workshop on Vaccine Distribution & Prioritization
CCICADA Organizes a Workshop on Medicines, Vaccines, and PPEs During COVID-19
CBTS, CAOE, and CCICADA Organize a Workshop on the Food Supply During COVID-19
CINA, ADAC, and CCICADA Organize a Workshop on Enhanced Crime During COVID-19
CCICADA Organizes COE COVID-19 Supply Chain Meeting
COVID-19 VACCINE WORKSHOPS-DHS UNIVERSITY CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
CREATE, CAOE, and CCICADA Organize a Workshop on Labor Supply During COVID-19
The DHS Centers of Excellence COVID-19 Supply Chain Initiative
DHS University Centers of Excellence COVID-19 Supply Chain Initiative Announces Virtual Workshops
CCICADA Addresses the Growing Threat of Maritime Cyber-Attacks
CCICADA
Rutgers, the State University of NJ
4th Floor, CoRE Building
96 Frelinghuysen Road
Email: info@ccicada.org
Key CCICADA Staff
Map, directions and accommodations
CCICADA at Rutgers University together with VACCINE at Purdue University form the Center for Visual and Data Analytics (CVADA).
Learn more About CCICADA
CCICADA Newsletter
Read the CCICADA Homeland Security Newsletter.
Operating Status: CCICADA is open and operating remotely in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We will not be holding in-person events until it is safe to do so. For more specific information, please check the webpage of the event or program of interest or send us email.
Workshop on Vaccine Efficacy & Safety December 21, 2020
Workshop on Vaccine Distribution & Prioritization December 21, 2020
COVID-19 VACCINE WORKSHOPS-DHS UNIVERSITY CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS December 8, 2020
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Learn about signalling and time keeping, life in the Royal Navy and smuggling from the four floors of exhibits housed in this iconic Grade II listed tower.
Until 1927, the timeball on the tower was linked to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich by electric telegraph wires. At 1pm a signal was sent to all timeball towers to synchronise the drop of the ball. Ships anchored off Deal could then synchronise their chronometers, essential for navigation.
Today, the Timeball Is programmed to drop every day at 1pm. Additionally, during the summer season the ball drops hourly from 9am to 5pm. The Timeball also drops at midnight on New Years' Eve.
Previously the tower had been used to send information to other stations along the Kent and Sussex coast by semaphore signal as part of the coastal smuggling blockade, before which a shutter telegraph station stood on the site.