text:
Waist circumference and cardiovascular risk factors in prepubertal children
C Maffeis, A Pietrobelli, A Grezzani, S Provera, L Tatò
Obesity Research 2001, 9 (3): 179-87
OBJECTIVE: Intra-abdominal fat has been identified as being the most clinically relevant type of fat in humans. Therefore, an assessment of body-fat distribution could possibly identify subjects with the highest risk of adverse lipid profile and hypertension. Few data on the relationship between body-fat distribution and cardiovascular risk factors are available in children, especially before puberty.
RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This cross-sectional study was undertaken to explore the relationship between anthropometric variables, lipid concentrations, and blood pressure (BP) in a sample of 818 prepubertal children (ages 3 to 11 years) and to assess the clinical relevance of waist circumference in identifying prepubertal children with higher cardiovascular risk. Height, weight, triceps and subscapular skinfolds, waist circumference, and BP were measured. Plasma levels for triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) were determined.
RESULTS: Females were fatter than males (5.8 [3.5] vs. 4.8 [3.3] kg of fat mass; p < 0.01). Males had higher HDL cholesterol and ApoA1/ApoB plasma concentrations than females (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Waist circumference had a higher correlation with systolic and diastolic BP (r = 0.40 and 0.29, respectively; p < 0.001) than triceps (r = 0.35 and 0.21, respectively; p < 0.001) and subscapular (r = 0.28 and 0.16, respectively; p < 0.001) skinfolds and relative body weight (0.33 and 0.23, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariate linear model analysis showed that ApoA1/ApoB, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol, and systolic as well as diastolic BP were significantly associated with waist circumference and triceps and subscapular skinfolds, independently of age, gender, and body mass index.
DISCUSSION: Waist circumference as well as subscapular and triceps skinfolds may be helpful parameters in identifying prepubertal children with an adverse blood-lipids profile and hypertension. However, waist circumference, which is easy to measure and more easily reproducible than skinfolds, may be considered in clinical practice. Children with a waist circumference greater than the 90th percentile are more likely to have multiple risk factors than children with a waist circumference that is less than or equal to the 90th percentile.
Trending Papers
Intensive blood pressure lowering: a practical review. Miguel Camafort, Josep Redón, Wook Bum Pyun, Antonio Coca Clinical Hypertension 2020 November 1, 26 (1): 21
Pharmacological Treatment of Epilepsy in Elderly Patients. Jong Geun Seo, Yong Won Cho, Keun Tae Kim, Dong Wook Kim, Kwang Ik Yang, Soon Tae Lee, Jung Ick Byun, Young Joo No, Kyung Wook Kang, Daeyoung Kim Journal of Clinical Neurology 2020, 16 (4): 556-561
Prone Positioning in Moderate to Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Due to COVID-19: A Cohort Study and Analysis of Physiology. Mehdi C Shelhamer, Paul D Wesson, Ian L Solari, Deanna L Jensen, William Alex Steele, Vihren G Dimitrov, John Daniel Kelly, Shazia Aziz, Victor Perez Gutierrez, Eric Vittinghoff, Kevin K Chung, Vidya P Menon, Herman A Ambris, Sanjiv M Baxi Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 2021, 36 (2): 241-252
Intracranial Hemorrhage After Reperfusion Therapies in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients. Benjamin Maïer, Jean Philippe Desilles, Mikael Mazighi Frontiers in Neurology 2020, 11: 599908
Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia - Revised Edition 2021. Gregory Dobson, Lorraine Chow, Lucie Filteau, Heather Hurdle, Ian McIntyre, Andrew Milne, Robert Milkovich, Michel-Antoine Perrault, Kathryn Sparrow, Petrus A Swart, Yongjun Wang Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia 2021 January 4
New Insights in Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: From Pathogenesis to Therapy Stage 1. Wilma Barcellini, Anna Zaninoni, Juri Alessandro Giannotta, Bruno Fattizzo Journal of Clinical Medicine 2020 November 27, 9 (12)
Nosocomial infections associated to COVID-19 in the intensive care unit: clinical characteristics and outcome. Tommaso Bardi, Vicente Pintado, Maria Gomez-Rojo, Rosa Escudero-Sanchez, Amal Azzam Lopez, Yolanda Diez-Remesal, Nilda Martinez Castro, Patricia Ruiz-Garbajosa, David Pestaña European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 2021 January 3


text:
#pragma once
#include <aws/greengrass/Greengrass_EXPORTS.h>
#include <aws/core/utils/memory/stl/AWSString.h>
#include <aws/core/utils/memory/stl/AWSVector.h>
#include <aws/greengrass/model/VersionInformation.h>
#include <utility>

namespace Aws
{
template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
class AmazonWebServiceResult;

namespace Utils
{
namespace Json
{
  class JsonValue;
} // namespace Json
} // namespace Utils
namespace Greengrass
{
namespace Model
{
  class AWS_GREENGRASS_API ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult
  {
  public:
    ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult();
    ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult(const Aws::AmazonWebServiceResult<Aws::Utils::Json::JsonValue>& result);
    ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& operator=(const Aws::AmazonWebServiceResult<Aws::Utils::Json::JsonValue>& result);

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline const Aws::String& GetNextToken() const{ return m_nextToken; }

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline void SetNextToken(const Aws::String& value) { m_nextToken = value; }

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline void SetNextToken(Aws::String&& value) { m_nextToken = std::move(value); }

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline void SetNextToken(const char* value) { m_nextToken.assign(value); }

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& WithNextToken(const Aws::String& value) { SetNextToken(value); return *this;}

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& WithNextToken(Aws::String&& value) { SetNextToken(std::move(value)); return *this;}

    /**
     * The token for the next set of results, or ''null'' if there are no additional
     * results.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& WithNextToken(const char* value) { SetNextToken(value); return *this;}

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline const Aws::Vector<VersionInformation>& GetVersions() const{ return m_versions; }

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline void SetVersions(const Aws::Vector<VersionInformation>& value) { m_versions = value; }

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline void SetVersions(Aws::Vector<VersionInformation>&& value) { m_versions = std::move(value); }

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& WithVersions(const Aws::Vector<VersionInformation>& value) { SetVersions(value); return *this;}

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& WithVersions(Aws::Vector<VersionInformation>&& value) { SetVersions(std::move(value)); return *this;}

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& AddVersions(const VersionInformation& value) { m_versions.push_back(value); return *this; }

    /**
     * Information about a version.
     */
    inline ListLoggerDefinitionVersionsResult& AddVersions(VersionInformation&& value) { m_versions.push_back(std::move(value)); return *this; }

  private:

    Aws::String m_nextToken;

    Aws::Vector<VersionInformation> m_versions;
  };

} // namespace Model
} // namespace Greengrass
} // namespace Aws

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Hey guys. We have a lot of new members here and that's a great thing! However a lot of really old topics have been resurrected of late, sometimes with posts that add nothing to the conversation.
1) Your post adds something new to the thread that hasn't been previously discussed. Ex: Don't revive an old topic just to say you agree with everything being said.
2) Your post should allow members to continue posting. A revived dead topic should be one that makes members want to continue talking about the topic at hand.
3) Reviving dead posts to increase your post count will not be tolerated. If this is the case, we'll just reset your post count to zero as many times as necessary for everyone to get the picture.
It's better to make new topics then to revive a bunch of old ones in most cases. Please try to start new topics before digging through and reviving an old one.


Fresh spinach, matcha green tea, pineapple, mango, banana, spirulina, flax seeds and apple juice.
Fresh lime, peach, mango, cranberries, turmeric, agave, fresh carrot juice and apple juice.
Strawberries, blueberries, pineapple sherbert, non-fat frozen yogurt, acai juice, energy, multi-vitamin and whey protein.
Strawberries, banana, non-frozen yogurt and apple juice.
Pineapple, strawberries, pineapple sherbert and papaya juice.
Fresh apple, fresh mint, fresh lime, pineapple, banana, pineapple sherbert, low calorie active water and fat burner.
Fresh spinach, blueberries, strawberries, banana, cranberries, cinnamon, raw honey, vanilla almond milk, low calorie active water, fat burner and whey protein.


text:
Q: Number of maximum consecutive heads Consider an iid. sequence of $p=1/2$ Bernoulli distributed random variables $(X_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$. We let $X=1$ be called 'heads' and $X=0$ be called 'tails'. Furthermore, for $X_n=1$ let $l_n=\max\{m\ge 0\colon X_i=1, n-(m-1)\le i \le n\}$ be the maximum number of consecutive heads at time $n$. For $X_n=-1$ set $l_n=0$.
Now I want to prove that $P(l_n\ge k)=2^{-k}$ and also want to determine for $L_n:=\max_{1\le m\le n}l_m$ the probability $P(L_n\ge j)$.
The first one should not be too hard, but I have problems obtaining the right result.

A: For $k>n$ the first probability is obviously $0$ and for $k\le n$,
$$
\mathsf{P}(l_n\ge k)=\mathsf{P}(X_n=1,X_{n-1}=1,\ldots, X_{n-k+1}=1)=2^{-k}
$$
by independence. As for the second probability, $L_n$ is the length of the longest run of heads in $n$ trials. Its distribution can be calculated recursively, that is
$$
\mathsf{P}(L_n\ge k)=1-2^{-n}S_n(k-1),
$$
where $S_n(j)$ is the number of sequences of length $n$ in which the longest run of heads does not exceed $j$ and is given by
$$
S_n(k)=\cases{\sum_{i=0}^k S_{n-i-1}(k), & $k<n$, \\ 2^n, & $k\ge n$.}
$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Briefly: After Wednesday's devastating news of the passing of James Gandolfini, fans flocked to Holsten's Ice Cream Shop in Bloomfield, NJ to pay tribute to the late actor. Holsten's was the location of the iconic final scene of Gandolfini's show, The Sopranos. To honor the actor, the shop's owner did something incredibly classy. Thanks to reporter @JKlekamp for the tweet, via Boing Boing.
See an updated image below the jump.
Thanks to /Film reader @MatteoWilliams for this updated photo.


Do you have a question regarding my coaching programs? Would you like to chat about having me speak at your event or workplace?
Email hello@consciousworldwellness.com or submit your message below.
I'll endeavour to respond within 48 hours.
Your weekly dose of good.


text:
Giga-Scale Cryogenic Battery Reaches $140/MWh Levelized Cost of Storage
Highview Power reported that it developed a modular cryogenic energy storage system, the CRYOBattery™, that is scalable up to multiple gigawatts of energy storage. According to the company, the technology, which can be placed almost anywhere, reaches a new benchmark for a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of $140/MWh for a 10-hour, 200MW/2GWh system.
Highview Power contends that its cryogenic energy storage system has performance that equivalent to and could potentially replace a fossil fuel power station. The company's systems can also enable renewable energy baseload power at large scale while supporting electricity and distribution systems and providing energy security.
In addition, Highview Power announced that it won the 2019 Ashden Award for Energy Innovation with its proprietary CRYOBattery technology.
The company says its proprietary cryogenic energy storage technology, which utilizes liquid air as the storage medium, can provide all the services required for a robust grid including time shifting, reserves, synchronous voltage support, frequency regulation, synchronous inertia, and black start capabilities.
Unlike competing long-duration technologies, such as compressed air or pumped hydro-power, Highview Power says it CRYOBattery can be placed almost anywhere.
Comparison of Highview CRYO to other power sources (Click on chart to enlarge)
Even at multiple gigawatts, CRYOBattery has a small footprint and does not use hazardous materials.
"Long-duration technologies such as cryogenic energy storage will become increasingly necessary for an electricity system to transition from a primary reliance on conventional fossil fuel generation to a grid dominated by variable renewable generation from solar and wind," Alex Eller, senior research analyst with Navigant Research, said.
Diagram of how cryogenic energy storage works (Click on image to enlarge)
"This is a pivotal moment for the renewable energy industry and for anyone who wants to deploy large amounts of renewables," said Javier Cavada, president and CEO of Highview Power. "As more and more renewables are added to the grid, long-duration, giga-scale energy storage is the necessary foundation to make these intermittent sources of power reliable enough to become baseload. Not only does our CRYOBattery deliver this reliability and allow scalability—it is proven, cost-effective, and available today."
Cavada indicated that Highview Power's CRYOBattery can enable grid operators to maximize renewable penetration without having to use fossil fuel generation to make up for intermittency. "This makes replacing gas peaker power plants with a combination of solar, wind, and energy storage a viable reality and truly sets the stage for a future where 100% of the world's electricity comes from clean energy sources," he said.
Other locatable, long-duration energy storage technologies such as Lithium-ion typically offer from 4hrs to 8hrs of storage.
However, CRYOBattery offers multiple gigawatt hours of storage, representing weeks' of storage, not just hours or days.
Over the last 15 years, Highview Power, through the design, construction, and operation of its CRYOBattery technology, has developed and optimized its own proprietary BLU™ core controller system. The system brings together Highview Power's knowledge and expertise in a complete facility management system. The company says that the BLU controller seamlessly integrates the control of all CRYOBattery components to deliver optimal facility performance, thereby managing the balance between flexibility, efficiency, and response.
With the selection of individual operational modes, the BLU controller allows a system to be configured to a particular application. It also gives operation and performance monitoring feedback, ensuring a facility's optimal efficiency. The system's embedded flexibility further assures that the controller has the built-in capacity to adapt to variations in a facility's demand due to market development.
"After looking at a number of storage technologies, we came to the conclusion that Highview Power's CRYOBattery is the ideal solution to deliver long-duration, large-scale storage services to our customers. The technology is not only cost-effective—it is scalable, clean, has a long lifespan, and can be deployed now," said Joaquín García Rico, CEO of TSK, a leading global engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company. Highview Power recently announced a joint venture with TSK to co-develop CRYOBattery projects in Spain, the Middle East, and South Africa.
Highview Power worked with Finland-based Citec to modularize its gigawatt-scale cryogenic energy storage system. With a simplified design and streamlined engineering from Citec, Highview Power says that a standard CRYOBattery configuration of 50MW/500MWh can be easily, and economically, scaled up to multiple gigawatt hours.
On The Web: Highview Power Storage
Related Items: Industrial Power, Renewable Energy, Smart Grid Power
Asymmetrical Nanotubes Found to be Photovoltaic with no P-N Junction
'Self-Healing' Polymer Brings Perovskite Solar Tech Closer to Market
Creating Multi-Junction Solar Cells from Off-the-Shelf Components
Thermoelectric Material Power Factor Improved >100% by Varying Pressure
Most Read Smart Grid Power
Fraunhofer Opens Center for Power Electronics and Sustainable Grids
On July 4, 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg...
Ascatron Obtains €3.5 Million Funding for SiC Product Development
Ascatron reported that it has obtained €3.5 million funding for SiC product development. The...
Bi-Directional DC-DC Optimizer Reduces Cost of DC-Coupled Solar + Storage
Alencon Systems LLC introduced the Bi-Directional Optimizer for Storage Systems called the BOSS. The...
48V Lithium-Ion Battery for Hybrid Power Solutions of Telecoms & Off-Grid Sites
Controllis has launched an innovative 48V 105Ah lithium-ion battery solution, IonLiFe®. The company specifically...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Depletion of immune elements before adoptive cell transfer (ACT) can dramatically improve the antitumor efficacy of transferred CD8+ T cells, but the specific mechanisms that contribute to this enhanced immunity remain poorly defined. Elimination of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (T reg) cells has been proposed as a key mechanism by which lymphodepletion augments ACT-based immunotherapy. We found that even in the genetic absence of T reg cells, a nonmyeloablative regimen substantially augmented CD8+ T cell reactivity to self-tissue and tumor. Surprisingly, enhanced antitumor efficacy and autoimmunity was caused by increased function rather than increased numbers of tumor-reactive T cells, as would be expected by homeostatic mechanisms. The γC cytokines IL-7 and IL-15 were required for augmenting T cell functionality and antitumor activity. Removal of γC cytokine–responsive endogenous cells using antibody or genetic means resulted in the enhanced antitumor responses similar to those seen after nonmyeloablative conditioning. These data indicate that lymphodepletion removes endogenous cellular elements that act as sinks for cytokines that are capable of augmenting the activity of self/tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells. Thus, the restricted availability of homeostatic cytokines can be a contributing factor to peripheral tolerance, as well as a limiting resource for the effectiveness of tumor-specific T cells.
The immune system precisely controls the levels and the activation state of each cellular compartment through homeostatic regulation, a process triggered during development and after the induction of a lymphopenic state (1–7). It has been long observed in mice that depletion of immune cells before adoptive cell transfer (ACT) can considerably enhance the antitumor efficacy of transferred CD8+ T cells (8–10). Recently, lymphodepletion followed by ACT has emerged as a promising treatment for patients with metastatic solid cancer (11, 12), but the molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to this antitumor effect have not been completely elucidated. Homeostatic expansion and T cell activation have been proposed to explain the enhanced antitumor responses seen after ACT into lymphodepleted hosts (13, 14). In addition, experiments indicate that lymphodepletion may enhance the antitumor efficacy of transferred CD8+ T cells by removal of competition at the surfaces of APCs (7, 15). T reg cells are critically involved in maintaining immunological tolerance to self/tumor antigens (16–20), and their removal is also considered a key mechanism underlying the effectiveness of lymphodepletion (21).
We describe the surprising finding that the augmentation of the antitumor efficacy of an ACT regimen after lymphodepletion is not a result of increased numbers of tumor-reactive T cells. Rather, lymphodepletion acts by enhancing the effector functions of transferred T cells. We demonstrate that the mere removal of T reg cell immune suppression is not the only mechanism accountable for the enhanced antitumor immunity observed after lymphodepletion: eradication of cellular sinks and the resultant increase in the availability of cytokines is also a central mechanism in activating self/tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells.
We have recently reported that an ACT regimen that combines the transfer of TCR transgenic (Tg) CD8+ T cells (pmel-1) reactive against the self/tumor antigen gp100, altered ligand vaccination, and the administration of exogenous IL-2 can cause substantial tumor regression of large, established s.c. B16 melanoma (22). To determine whether lymphodepletion could enhance antitumor immunity of transferred CD8+ T cells, we evaluated this ACT regimen (22) in tumor-bearing C57BL/6 WT hosts and hosts rendered lymphopenic by nonmyeloablative sublethal 5-Gy total body irradiation (TBI). In mice, TBI induced a severe lymphopenia similar to that induced by a nonmyeloablative chemotherapy regimen of 250 mg/kg Cytoxan + 50 mg/kg fludarabine (a combination currently used in the clinic; Fig. 1 a) (11). Transfer of 107 pmel-1 cells in combination with vaccination and IL-2 can eradicate established B16 tumors (22). We thus gave a log fewer (106 cells in all experiments) to generate a treatment window. Tumor treatment was significantly improved in TBI compared with nonirradiated hosts (P = 0.0014) when this tripartite regimen was used (Fig. 1 b).
Lymphodepletion enhances antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells. (a) 5 Gy TBI induces severe lymphopenia. Mice were treated with 5 Gy TBI or a nonmyeloablative chemotherapy regimen with 250 mg/kg Cytoxan + 50 mg/kg fludarabine. Absolute lymphocyte count was determined at the indicated time points. (b) Lymphodepletion augments antitumor responses. TBI or nonirradiated WT mice bearing 12-d-old established s.c. B16 tumors were left untreated or received adoptive transfer of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2. Data shown are representative of multiple independent experiments. Values represent the mean ± SEM. (c–e) Lymphodepletion does not result in increased numbers of adoptively transferred T cells. Absolute numbers of adoptively transferred pmel-1 cells (CD8+Thy1.1+) in the spleens (c) and in the blood (d) of tumor-bearing, TBI, and nonirradiated mice. Percentages of adoptively transferred pmel-1 cells (CD8+Thy1.1+) in the tumor (e) under conditions specified. (f–i). Lymphodepletion enhances effector functions of adoptively transferred T cells. 6 d after adoptive transfer, pmel-1 thy1.1+ cells were isolated from the spleens of irradiated and nonirradiated mice and co-cultured with irradiated splenocytes pulsed with the indicated doses of hgp10025–33. Unpulsed splenocytes were used as controls. Data shown are representative of two independent experiments.
No significant differences (P > 0.05) in tumor growth were observed in untreated WT or TBI mice (Fig. 1 b), indicating that irradiation did not act by directly killing the tumor but rather acted as a result of its impact on host cells. Indeed, up to 20 Gy could be delivered directly to the tumor while shielding the host with little effect (Fig. S1 a, available at http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/full/jem.20050732/DC1). Conversely, shielding the tumor with irradiation delivered solely to the host resulted in profound antitumor effects (Fig. S1 b). Because chemotherapy had some direct antitumor effect (unpublished data), we chose to use TBI as a lymphodepleting regimen in the following experiments.
Transfer of T cells into lymphopenic recipients results in their proliferation and differentiation (3, 6, 7), but it was not known whether homeostatic proliferation was the mechanism responsible for the increased antitumor activity of pmel-1 cells after TBI. Surprisingly, when the tripartite regimen was given to tumor-bearing WT mice with TBI, we did not find an increased number of pmel-1 cells. Similar numbers or percentages of pmel-1 cells were found in the spleen (Fig. 1 c), blood (Fig. 1 d), tumor (Fig. 1 e), and tumor-draining lymph nodes (not depicted) of lymphodepleted and lymphoreplete animals. In addition, kinetic analyses using bromodeoxyuridine labeling indicated that there were no important differences in cell proliferation in nondepleted and lymphodepleted settings (unpublished data). Thus, the absolute number of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells alone did not explain the enhanced antitumor responses into lymphodepleted recipients.
However, when pmel-1 CD8+ T cells were isolated from the same animals and tested for antigen-specific function, considerable differences were observed in lymphodepleted versus lymphoreplete recipients (Fig. 1, f–i). pmel-1 cells from lymphodepleted animals produced greater amounts of IFN-γ, IL-2, granulocyte-macrophage CSF, and TNF-α, as well as macrophage inflammatory protein–1α and regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (not depicted) 6 d after transfer. Thus, the lymphopenic environment induces qualitative rather than quantitative improvements of adoptively transferred T cells.
We sought to more completely understand the mechanism of increased CD8+ T cell function after transfer into an ablated recipient. T reg cells are involved in maintaining immunological tolerance to self/tumor antigens (16–20). Experiments using genetic knockouts of T reg cells as well as the add-back of these cells has incontrovertibly indicated their critical regulatory role in the antitumor activities of pmel-1 cells (21). We have extended these findings by exploring the role of TBI in mice devoid of T reg cells. The tripartite regimen was administered to irradiated or nonirradiated tumor-bearing Rag-1−/− mice and MHC class II−/− mice. We found that irradiation significantly augmented the antitumor efficacy of our treatment even in mice lacking endogenous T reg cells (P < 0.05; Fig. 2 , a and b). Similar results were observed in other knockout mice devoid of T reg cells, such as CD4−/− (unpublished data). Enhanced autoimmune vitiligo was observed in irradiated versus nonirradiated mice genetically devoid of T reg cells (Rag-1−/−, MHC class II−/−, and CD4−/−; P < 0.0001) 1 mo after therapy (Fig. 2 c). These data suggested that the mere removal of T reg cell immune suppression is not the only mechanism accountable for the enhanced immune responses observed after irradiation.
Even in the absence of T reg cells, ablation enhances antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred T cells. (a) Ablation augments tumor responses in Rag1−/− mice. TBI or nonirradiated Rag1−/− mice bearing 14-d-old established s.c. B16 tumors were left untreated or received adoptive transfer of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2. Values represent the mean ± SEM. (b) Ablation augments tumor responses in MHC class II−/− mice. TBI or nonirradiated MHC class II−/− mice bearing 14-d-old established s.c. B16 tumors were left untreated or received adoptive transfer of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2. Values represent the mean ± SEM. (c) Ablation of mice genetically devoid of T reg cells augments autoimmunity. 30 d after treatment, mice were evaluated in a blinded fashion for the development of vitiligo. The percentages of mice with vitiligo are shown.
IL-7 and IL-15 have supportive roles in the survival and proliferation of adoptively transferred T cells (1, 2, 4, 23, 24). Other immune cells may serve as sinks for these cytokines. Because we found that radiation improved treatment in experiments using Rag1−/− mice, which lack both T cells and B cells but have NK cells, we hypothesized that NK cells may serve as sinks for cytokines. It is known that IL-15 is required for the survival of NK cells (25, 26). To determine whether NK cells were sinks in Rag-1−/− mice, we tested NK cell depletion using anti-NK1.1 antibody in mice that received our tripartite regimen with or without TBI. 3 d after ACT, high absolute numbers of NK cells were found in the blood of nonirradiated mice. Fewer NK cells were detected in either irradiated or NK-depleted Rag1−/− mice (isotype-treated vs. irradiated Rag-1−/− mice, P = 0.0013; isotype-treated vs. NK-depleted Rag-1−/− mice, P = 0.002; Fig. 3 a). No significant differences (P > 0.05) in NK cell numbers were found between irradiated and NK-depleted Rag-1−/− mice. As shown in Fig. 2 a, we again observed increased responses in irradiated compared with nonirradiated Rag-1−/− mice (P = 0.0172; Fig. 3 b). Astonishingly, merely removing NK cells with an mAb significantly improved ACT (isotype-treated vs. NK-depleted Rag-1−/− mice, P = 0.0264) and was as effective as irradiation (Fig. 3 b). These data indicated that in the absence of endogenous T reg cells, the removal of NK cells results in the enhancement antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells.
Removal of NK cells enhances antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred T cells. (a) Irradiation or administration of NK1.1 antibody efficiently depletes NK cells. Absolute numbers of NK1.1+ cells in the blood of tumor-bearing TBI Rag-1−/− mice and nonirradiated Rag-1−/− mice treated with NK1.1 antibody or Ig2aK antibody. Results are shown 3 d after the administration of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2. Values represent the mean ± SEM. (b) Removal of NK cells by antibody or by irradiation enhances antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred T cells. Rag-1−/− mice bearing 9-d-old established s.c. B16 tumors received TBI or antibodies (anti-NK1.1 or Ig2aK antibody). Mice then received adoptive transfer of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2 or were left untreated. Values represent the mean ± SEM. (c) The genetic depletion of T cells, B cells, and NK cells recapitulates the effect of TBI. Rag-2−/−/γC−/− mice bearing 8-d-old established s.c. B16 tumors were either left untreated or received TBI. Where designated, mice received adoptive transfer of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2. Irradiation improved antitumor responses in control WT mice (not depicted). Values represent the mean ± SEM.
To more definitively assess the role of cellular sinks in our model, we administered pmel-1 cells in conjunction with vaccine and IL-2 into TBI or nonirradiated Rag-2−/−/γC−/− mice. The mice lack T cells, B cells, and, most importantly, NK cells. We did not observe an improved treatment outcome after irradiation in Rag-2−/−/γC−/− mice, which lack all cellular immune components dependent on γC cytokines. Collectively, these finding suggest that endogenous cellular components, including NK cells, act as cellular sinks for cytokines capable of activating antitumor responses.
To more precisely determine the role of γC cytokines, we evaluated our regimen in WT, IL-15−/−, IL-7−/−, and IL-7−/−IL-15−/− tumor-bearing mice with or without TBI. The enhancement of the treatment derived from TBI was partially abrogated on ACT into IL-15−/− (P = 0.0009; Fig. 4 b). A slight impairment, not reaching statistical significance (P > 0.05), was seen in mice deficient of IL-7 (not depicted). Most importantly, treatment was dramatically impaired into mice deficient of both IL-7 and IL-15 (WT vs. IL-7−/−IL-15−/−, P < 0.0001; IL-15−/− vs. IL-7−/−IL-15−/−, P = 0.0003; Fig. 4 b). The lack of both these cytokines completely abrogated the benefit of the ablation; there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in tumor treatment in nonirradiated WT mice versus irradiated IL-7−/−IL-15−/− mice. In contrast, the absence of IL-7 and IL-15 did not influence the treatment in mice that did not receive TBI. These homeostatic cytokines may not be limiting in the nonirradiated setting (Fig. 4 a). Thus, endogenous leukocytes appear to compete with the transferred T cells for supportive cytokines in nonirradiated hosts.
Increased access to supportive endogenous cytokines into irradiated hosts enhances antitumor efficacy of transferred T cells. (a and b) Treatment is impaired in irradiated mice genetically deficient in IL-15 or IL-7 and IL-15 versus WT mice. WT, IL-15−/−, or IL-7−/−IL-15−/− mice bearing 9-d-old established s.c. B16 tumors were left untreated or received adoptive transfer of 106 cultured pmel-1 T cells in conjunction with rFPhgp100 vaccination and rhIL-2 with or without TBI. Values represent the mean ± SEM. (c and d) Absence of both IL-7 and IL-15 impaired proliferative responses of adoptively transferred T cells. Absolute numbers of adoptively transferred pmel-1 cells (CD8+Thy1.1+) in the spleens of tumor-bearing, nonirradiated WT, IL-15−/−, or IL-7−/−IL-15−/− mice (c). Absolute numbers of adoptively transferred pmel-1 cells (CD8+Thy1.1+) in the spleens of tumor-bearing, irradiated WT, IL-15−/−, or IL-7−/−IL-15−/− mice (d). (e–h) Increased access to IL-7 and IL-15 enhances effector functions of adoptively transferred T cells. 6 d after adoptive transfer pmel-1 thy1.1+ cells were isolated from the spleens of TBI WT, IL-15−/−, or IL-7−/−IL-15−/− mice and co-cultured with irradiated splenocytes pulsed with the indicated doses of hgp10025–33. Unpulsed splenocytes were used as controls. Because of the limited numbers of cells isolated from IL-7−/−IL-15−/− mice, pmel-1 cells were tested only against 1 μg/ml of peptide and unpulsed control.
To determine whether adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells underwent quantitative or qualitative changes in the presence of IL-7 and IL-15, pmel-1 thy.1.1 T cells were administered in conjunction with vaccine and IL-2 into IL-15−/− and IL-7−/−IL-15−/− with or without TBI. Again, we did not observe higher numbers of pmel-1 cells in irradiated mice compared with nonirradiated controls (Fig. 4, c and d). IL-15 was required to maintain the complete functionality of CD8+ T cells but not the numbers of pmel-1 T cells (Fig. 4, c–h). These findings are consistent with the concept that IL-7 can maintain the proliferation and survival, but not the function, of adoptively transferred cells in IL-15−/− mice. Most importantly, pmel-1 cells were profoundly impaired in both quantity and quality when IL-7 and IL-15 were absent (Fig. 4, c–h). Conversely, the addition of exogenous IL-7 and IL-15 alone or in combination with our tripartite regimen increased antitumor responses (Fig. S2, a–d, available at http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/full/jem.20050732/DC1). These data demonstrate that IL-15 and IL-7 are critical for sustaining the proliferation and function of transferred T cells.
Collectively, these findings demonstrate that a key mechanism underlying the enhanced function of ACT therapies after lymphodepletion is the transient eradication of cellular sinks and the resultant increase in the availability of homeostatic cytokines, which in turn results in the augmentation in the function of adoptively transferred T cells. The ability of T cells to receive these signals maybe critically dependent on their state of differentiation; less-differentiated cells express higher levels of receptors for key homeostatic cytokines (27). These findings may furthermore indicate that limiting access to activating cytokines may be a mechanism whereby otherwise self-reactive T cells are maintained in a quiescent state (22). A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the enhanced effectiveness of immunotherapy after lymphodepletion may allow us to more precisely achieve enhanced immunity without the use of nonspecific modalities such as chemotherapy or TBI, with all their life-threatening side effects.
All mice used in these experiments were bred and housed at NIH facilities. Female pmel-1 TCR Tg mice (22) were crossed with C57BL/6-Thy1.1 Tg mice (The Jackson Laboratory) to derive pmel-Thy1.1 double Tg mice (C57BL/6-pmel-1-Thy1.1 mice; The Jackson Laboratory). Female C57BL/6, Rag-1−/−, MHC class II−/− (The Jackson Laboratory), IL-15−/−, Rag-2−/−/γC−/− (Taconic), IL-7−/−, and IL-7−/−IL-15−/−mice were used as recipients in ACT experiments. Experiments were conducted with the approval of the NCI Animal Use and Care Committee. B16-F10 (H-2b), a spontaneous, transplantable gp100+ murine melanoma, was maintained in culture media as previously described (22).
In vitro activation of pmel-1 T cells.
pmel-1 splenocytes were isolated as described previously (22) and cultured in the presence of 1 μM hgp10025–33 and culture media containing 30 IU/ml of recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2; Chiron Corp.). Cells were used for ACT 6–7 d after the start of the culture.
ACT, vaccination, and cytokine administration.
6–12-wk-old mice (n = 5 for all groups) were injected s.c. with 2–5 × 105 B16-F10 melanoma cells and treated 10–14 d later with i.v. adoptive transfer of pmel-1 CD8+ T cell in vitro activated–splenocytes. Lymphopenia was induced by sublethal TBI (5 Gy) of tumor-bearing mice on the day of treatment. NK cells were depleted by i.p. administration of 100 μg/mouse of NA/LE anti-NK1.1 antibody (BD Biosciences) every 3 d for a total of five doses. 100 μg/mouse of NA/LE anti-Ig2aK was used as a control antibody (BD Biosciences). Mice were vaccinated with 2 × 107 PFU of a previously described (22) recombinant fowlpox virus expressing human gp100 (rFPhgp100; Therion Biologics). 0–108 μg/dose of rhIL-2 (Chiron Corp.), rhIL-7, or rhIL-15 (PeproTech) were administered by i.p. injection twice daily for a total of six doses. Tumors were measured using calipers, and the products of the perpendicular diameters were recorded. All experiments were performed in a blind, randomized fashion (the measuring investigator had no knowledge of the experimental group) and performed independently at least twice with similar results.
Enumeration of adoptively transferred cells, NK cells, and ex vivo cytokine release assay.
At the time points indicated in the figures, adoptively transferred pmel-1 thy1.1 cells were enumerated as previously described (28). 3 d after treatment, the NIH clinical laboratory determined the white blood cell count on blood samples. Samples were analyzed by flow cytometry for Nk1.1 expression by cells. NK cell number was calculated by multiplying the white blood cell count by the percentage of NK1.1-positive cells. 6 d after adoptive transfer, pmel-1 thy1.1 cells were also used for cytokine release assay. pmel-1 thy1.1 cells were isolated from splenocytes as previously described (21) and were co-cultured at a 1:2 ratio with 105 irradiated splenocytes pulsed with titrated doses of hgp10025–33 peptide. Unpulsed splenocytes were used as negative controls. Supernatants were collected after 18 h and assayed by murine Lincoplex cytokine assay (Linco Research) or mouse IFN-γ (Endogen) ELISA kits.
Tumor graphs were examined using the analysis of variance between groups test.
Fig. S1 shows how lymphodepletion enhances the antitumor activity of adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells by an indirect mechanism rather than directly killing the tumor. Fig. S2 shows the enhancement of ACT immunotherapy by the exogenous administration of combinations of IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15. Online supplemental material is available at http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/full/jem.20050732/DC1.
This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH.
L. Gattinoni, S.E. Finkelstein, and C.A. Klebanoff contributed equally to this work.
Judge, A.D., X. Zhang, H. Fujii, C.D. Surh, and J. Sprent. 2002. Interleukin-15 controls both proliferation and survival of a subset of memory-phenotype CD8+ T cells. J. Exp. Med. 196:935–946.
Rosen, S.D. 2004. Ligands for L-selectin: homing, inflammation, and beyond. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 22:129–156.
Berenson, J.R., A.B. Einstein Jr., and A. Fefer. 1975. Syngeneic adoptive immunotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy of a Friend leukemia: requirement for T cells. J. Immunol. 115:234–238.
Childs, R.W., and J. Barrett. 2004. Nonmyeloablative allogeneic immunotherapy for solid tumors. Annu. Rev. Med. 55:459–475.
Dummer, W., A.G. Niethammer, R. Baccala, B.R. Lawson, N. Wagner, R.A. Reisfeld, and A.N. Theofilopoulos. 2002. T cell homeostatic proliferation elicits effective antitumor autoimmunity. J. Clin. Invest. 110:185–192.
Kedl, R.M., W.A. Rees, D.A. Hildeman, B. Schaefer, T. Mitchell, J. Kappler, and P. Marrack. 2000. T cells compete for access to antigen-bearing antigen-presenting cells. J. Exp. Med. 192:1105–1113.
Becker, T.C., E.J. Wherry, D. Boone, K. Murali-Krishna, R. Antia, A. Ma, and R. Ahmed. 2002. Interleukin-15 is required for proliferative renewal of virus-specific memory CD8 T cells. J. Exp. Med. 195:1541–1548.
Prlic, M., B.R. Blazar, M.A. Farrar, and S.C. Jameson. 2003. In vivo survival and homeostatic proliferation of natural killer cells. J. Exp. Med. 197:967–976.
Koka, R., P.R. Burkett, M. Chien, S. Chai, F. Chan, J.P. Lodolce, D.L. Boone, and A. Ma. 2003. Interleukin (IL)-15Rα–deficient natural killer cells survive in normal but not IL-15Rα–deficient mice. J. Exp. Med. 197:977–984.
Gattinoni, L., C.A. Klebanoff, D.C. Palmer, C. Wrzesinski, K. Kerstann, Z. Yu, S.E. Finkelstein, M.R. Theoret, S.A. Rosenberg, and N.P. Restifo. 2005. Acquisition of full effector function in vitro paradoxically impairs the in vivo antitumor efficacy of adoptively transferred CD8(+) T cells. J. Clin. Invest. 115:1616–1626.
Palmer, D.C., S. Balasubramaniam, K. Hanada, C. Wrzesinski, Z. Yu, S. Farid, M.R. Theoret, L.N. Hwang, C.A. Klebanoff, L. Gattinoni, et al. 2004. Vaccine-stimulated, adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells traffic indiscriminately and ubiquitously while mediating specific tumor destruction. J. Immunol. 173:7209–7216.


text:
Will The PM Give Her MPs A Free Vote?
Stephen Kinnock: The Prime Minister has made it clear that she does not intend to put a commitment to a second referendum on the face of the Bill on Second Reading. In the spirit of compromise, therefore, will she commit to giving her MPs a free vote in Committee when we debate and vote on that measure?
The Prime Minister: As I have said, what we intend to put in the Bill is the commitment to have a vote on whether to have a second referendum and that the Bill cannot be completed and the treaty ratified until that vote has taken place. I hope that that gives confirmation to Members of the House who are in favour of a second referendum that that issue will be addressed properly within the passage of the Bill. As I said, whipping decisions will be taken closer to the time. I note the keenness of some Opposition Members to determine what the whipping arrangements for those on the Government Benches should be, but with no reference to their own whipping arrangements.


Modern kitchen countertop granite countertops decor 2018 with outstanding images options for waraby inspirations of furniture including stunning materials overhang are best with modern kitchen countertop inspirations also enchanting granite images design countertops. These are some arguments and can nonetheless be an incredible alternative.
6 listing of modern kitchen countertop granite in this article to advice your comprehensive the task in no time.


The Tarot card for today is the Eight of Swords (Restriction). Like yesterday, this could be a day where your mind could play tricks on you. In your calm moments, tell yourself to not let fear hold you back. Although the road ahead may seem difficult, once you take your first steps, you will see that the road is clear.
The Tarot card of the day is the Eight of Wands. There is a lot of energy flying around today. You may be quite busy tying up loose ends. You may finally decide to do the things that you have been procrastinating about. On the other hand, this could be a day when energy happens to you — meaning that things you have been waiting for suddenly happen. Try not to push too hard with all of this forward motion: You won't have to. The momentum is already there.
The Tarot card for today, Saturday, and Sunday is the Eight of Swords. As with all the cards drawn this week, the theme seems to be to not let fear stop you from doing what you need to do. There are challenges all around us in life, and sometimes it feels as if we can't get past them. So while fear is necessary to keep us safe, let it be a guide to show us the way forward instead of a being a total roadblock.
If you would like a personal email reading, take a look at the options available at my Etsy shop.
The Tarot card of the day is the Eight of Swords. Don't let fear hold you back. Fear is the subconscious mind trying to protect us from what we think is harmful. As a result, fear can become our comfort zone. The Eight of Swords shows that you can untie your hands, take off the blindfold, and step forward without getting cut by the tools of fear.
If you follow astrology, you probably know that there currently are some challenging planetary aspects, including the Mercury retrograde (communication problems), the Aries sun square Saturn in Capricorn (anger issues), and the upcoming Libra full moon (a turning point for relationships). These events effect us as individuals but they also effect everyone collectively. It helps to be consciously aware of these aspects so that you will understand possible reasons for why you feel as you do and why things in your life are happening the way there are. Awareness also helps you figure out ways to get through these periods with a minimum of difficulty.
The key is this: You don't have to be perfect. If you lash out at someone in anger or if you fail to communicate properly, that's life. It happens. Simply understand the motivation for the fear and channel the response in a way that benefits the greatest good for all.
Comments are welcome! Have a great day.
Hi, everybody. The Tarot card for today, Saturday, and Sunday is the Eight of Swords. When we have a lot going on in our lives, sometimes we let anxiety take over our thoughts. The Eight of Swords warns us against becoming a prisoner of our thoughts.
Solutions to the challenges in your life are probably much easier than you allow yourself to believe. Part of the answer is to trust your instincts more — the part of you that does not necessarily rely on logic. Then, follow that path away from limitation and into a new sense of freedom.
Comments are welcome. Have a wonderful weekend!
The card for today, Saturday, and Sunday is the Eight of Swords. Your thoughts are telling you that you are trapped in a situation. You think you cannot take any action about it or else you will get hurt. But if you take off the blindfolds and open your eyes, you will see that you can easily handle things without getting hurt.
Look at the situation objectively. Push past the fear. Take the first steps toward what you are afraid to do. With each step you take, you will gain the confidence to go all the way.


text:
AL to take part in rehabilitation works for Fani victims
Published: May 04, 2019 18:47:29 | Updated: May 05, 2019 19:23:58
Awami League acting general secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif has said AL will take part in the rehabilitation works for the cyclone storm Fani victims side by side with the government efforts.
"We are gathering information about the affected people from across the country . . . along with the government efforts, AL will work to rehabilitate the cyclone victims," he told a press conference at AL President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi political office on Saturday, reports BSS.
The AL leader said their party teams will visit different disaster-affected areas after the cyclone Fani and they will help the government to rehabilitate the affected families.
Referring to the successful launching of Bangabandhu Satellite in the space, Hanif said the government got necessary information about Fani and took preparation resulting less causality in the cyclone storm.
"Besides, all the government institutions worked in a coordinated way to tackle the losses due to the cyclone," he added.
The AL spokesman said Prime Minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina is keeping close eyes round-the-clock on the latest situation of the cyclone Fani.
Replying to a query, Hanif said in real sense BNP is detached from the politics and their leaders are involved in intra-party feud. That's why they are spreading falsehood against the government over the disaster's preparedness, he added.
AL joint general secretary and education minister Dr Dipu Moni, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, party organising secretary and Jatiya Sangsad's whip Abu Sayeed Al-Mahmud Swapon, organising secretary and deputy water resources minister AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, relief and social welfare secretary Sujit Ray Nandi, information and research secretary Advocate Afzal Hossain, health affairs secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana, forest and environment secretary Delwar Hossain and deputy office secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, among others, were present there.


Y'all. We LOVE our laser facials. As in, we literally count the days down after a Carbon Laser Peel until we are able to get another. (7 days, if you were curious) Especially with the typically unpredictable midwest weather right now (Uh, hello? Is it spring or winter or what?), our skin is more confused than our temperature gauges! That's why we are continuing our Buy One Get One Half Off all Laser Facial Services. Although we can't control the weather, at least we CAN continue to offer our Skin Resurfacing and Rejuvenation packages at affordable prices so your skin doesn't have to suffer this season.
Blacklist Babes aren't gender specific, and neither are your Laser Hair Treatment needs. We think people are the most beautiful when they get to look exactly how they want to look, and we are HERE. FOR. IT. If you feel like your best self is one with less body hair, we want to make it happen for you, affordably. So, for April we are MAJORLY discounting our largest area removal packages.
Additionally, if you purchase a package of 6 Brazilian or Bikini Laser Hair Removal treatments, we want to gift you a package of 6 Underarm Hair Removal Treatments for free! Oh, and have we mentioned that you can order your packages over the phone if you're too busy to make it in! We want you to get these specials!!
Tattoo Removal Packages of 3 or More are 30% off for April!
Tattoo Removal can be frustrating for a lot of reasons, but your wallet doesn't have to be one of them.
Laser Tattoo Removal Before A Cover Up Tattoo: Is It Worth It?


Though teeth are surprisingly strong, damage can still easily happen in the form of cracks, breaks, and chips. These can occur due to a sports injury, biting on particularly hard items, and weak teeth.
So what do you do when you have a chipped tooth? First, reach out to us at Southeast Dental – either make an appointment or, in an emergency, get in touch with our Markham clinic right away. We'll help you decide which of the options below are the best for you.
Often used to create perfect, movie star smiles, these are a good option for chipped or broken teeth – especially since they can be shaped, sized, and coloured however needed. Porcelain veneers are made of multiple thin layers of ceramic that are bonded directly onto the teeth.
Like porcelain veneers, cosmetic bonding allows for shaping and polishing so the fixed tooth can blend in with the rest of your teeth. It utilizes a composite resin, and can replace the entire tooth or only the parts of the tooth that have been broken or chipped.
Inlays can be made out of different materials including gold, porcelain and composite resin. They are made from a mould of the tooth and then cemented in place. Onlays are similar to inlays, except they are placed on top so they can cover the areas of a tooth cusp that has been broken or damaged. A crown can be placed over an onlay to restore the tooth to its original appearance.
If you have any questions about these or other options for your chipped tooth, give Southeast Dental a call at 905-471-2002.


Now or Never - Time To ACT!
We may be just over two weeks away from approval being given for the huge waste incinerator in the Gloucestershire countryside for 25 years.
We are calling on everyone to now take part in some essential actions that could have a real impact on the outcome.
You have two opportunities to make a real difference by showing the level of opposition to the Planning Committee councillors. These councillors come from all over Gloucestershire and will not necessarily all be aware of the strength of feeling against the proposals. It's vital that they understand this whilst they deliberate and make their decision.
1 ) The Javelin Park DEMO, 14 Mar, 11am - this is timed for when the councillors will be visiting the Javelin Park site. We need a huge display of opposition at the DEMO. A poor turn out by us will give the impression of there being little opposition.
ACTION: Please come to the demo. It should only last about an hour: an hour on one day to help make a difference for 25 years. If unable to get the day off work, take an early lunch and give your support.
2) Planning Committee Meeting, 21 Mar - this starts at 10 am. Again, it is vital to fill the room because empty seats could show lack of opposition to the incinerator.
ACTION: Please come to the planning meeting for as much or little time as you can spare.
Please read on below for further important details about the DEMO and the Planning Meeting.
What to Do: Go with the crowds chants and songs, have fun. Please be orderly and polite.
Get 5-10 friends/neighbours to come also.
Be creative, make a banner. If you're stuck for ideas, here are a few slogans.
Seating: There are 200 seats in the meeting room for members of the public. There will be an overflow room with video but no audio!


This one will make you warm and fuzzy all over.
While three-year-old Gracie Lynn Wilson was eating breakfast with her family at a Bob Evans restaurant in Evansville, Ind., she noticed someone she recognized sitting by themselves in a booth.
So, like any other three-year-old, she got up, walked over and sat down with him for a meal, WFIE-TV 14 News reported.
According to Gracie Lynn's mother, the two talked like they had known each other for years.
Not wanting to miss an opportunity to let the bearded man himself know what she wanted for Christmas, Gracie Lynn said all she wanted was for her baby brother James to be born. He's due in three weeks.
Well, isn't that just the cutest.


Greetings all! I'm not sure if this is in the right forum, please move if not!
So here's the deal: Back in 2006 I took a crash course and got my independent all lines insurance adjuster's license with the Texas Dept. of Insurance. I subsequently let my license lapse due to a family situation that kept me from pursuing a job in the industry and have since become a network installation tech, along with selling the same services in addition to installing them.
Needless to say I'm burned out and ready to get back into insurance.
Is there a link on the forums that best suits this question?
At this point I'm preferably looking to get into adjusting, but am curious what the opinions are in regards to income potential with sales as well as time vs. income ratios.
Good that you have an open mind. However you need to know that you may find it difficult to break into a field claims adjusting position, particularly if you are thinking of working for a carrier. Most carriers start their trainees with desk jobs which will provide you with plenty of opportunity to learn the claims business and learn the basics. My Son started this way and within a couple of years is in a team leader supervision position with a strong National carrier, getting good salary progressions a nice benefits package.
As for an insurance sales career suggestion, with your stated background, you might be best served to work in an agency, to learn the business.
There are a lot of other factors that should influence your decision.
Give me a call if you want some other advice. My phone number is on my website.


text:
Town of St. Leo opposes increased density near its border
The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of changes that would allow increased development on the edge of the Town of St. Leo, despite objections from Town leadership.
Planning commissioners unanimously recommended that a change to the county's comprehensive land use plan be approved, as well as a change to zoning on 175 acres at the southwest corner of State Road 52 and Prospect Road.
Richard Christmas, mayor of St. Leo, urged planning commissioners to reject the proposed changes — which had received a recommendation of approval from the county's staff.
Christmas said the increased density is not compatible with St. Leo's rural character. He also cited concerns about disrupting the view shed the town now enjoys.
Planners and representatives for the applicant, however, said the proposed use of the land would be an appropriate transition between the Villages of Pasadena Hills and the Town of St. Leo.
The proposed land use change would allow a maximum of 900 dwellings, 340,000 square feet of commercial and 60,000 square feet of office.
The proposed master unit planned development zoning, which is being requested on the same acreage, would allow 600 dwellings, 340,000 square feet of commercial and 60,000 square feet of office.
The applicant requested 600 dwellings for both the land use and zoning changes, but the county's staff recommended 900 dwellings for the land use change, to allow consideration of additional residential development if there's a demand for it in the future, Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant, said at the May 9 public hearing.
The land is currently undeveloped, with the exception of a barn.
County planners said the development provides a transition between the Villages of Pasadena Hills and would step down in intensity, as it gets closer to the town. They also said the plan would provide bicycle/pedestrian connectivity to existing trails and would seek to prevent visual intrusion.
Christmas told the planning commission that the town has been concerned about the proposed density of the plan ever since initial discussions with the applicant in December 2018.
"The Town is OK with the current zoning. The current zoning is compatible with the zoning that's across the street, State Road 52, which is Lake Jovita, one dwelling unit per gross acre. That's what the zoning is right now. We're perfectly fine with that.
"What is being proposed is going beyond what their current rights are to something way more dense," he said.
In addition to the 900 units contemplated in the land plan change, there would be "the equivalent of 3 ½ Home Depots and 60,000 square feet of office space," Christmas said.
"The Town (of St. Leo) requests denial of the proposed comprehensive plan change," the mayor said.
David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, asked Christmas if the Town of St. Leo had objected when the Villages of Pasadena Hills was created.
Christmas said there would have objections to density like this on the town border.
But, Goldstein pressed him: "Did you show up at any county public hearing?"
Goldstein continued: "It's just interesting to me that nobody from the Town was there when we were approving the Villages of Pasadena Hills, including when we were trying to decide whether to include this piece of property. The Town wasn't there at all."
This property initially was going to be included in the Villages of Pasadena, and was only dropped at the last minute, Goldstein said.
"The question for you is, if this was so egregious for this to happen, where was the Town the day whether we were deciding to keep it in Pasadena Hills or not? Where were you?" Goldstein said.
But, Christmas told Goldstein that was not the issue before the Planning Commission.
Matt Armstrong, representing the applicant, told planning commissioners: "Density in the right place and in the right way can be a good thing because it does conserve the land, instead of just spreading it (development) out all over the place, without any kind of respect for what's there."
The new State Road 52 alignment goes through the property, and there will be an increased demand for development in the area, Armstrong said.
The master plan for the zoning also call for decreasing the density, as it approaches the edge of the Town of St. Leo, Armstrong added.
"We're residential to residential. That's compatible.
"When you are up against the Town, it's only single-family. You can't have apartments there, you can't have multifamily there. There can't be townhouses there," Armstrong said.
The pedestrian and bicycle connections will make it possible for people to get to where they need to go without having a car, he said.
Attorney Wilhite reminded planning commissioners: "The comp (comprehensive) plan frowns on a Res-1 density because that is the definition of sprawl. It's inefficient land use pattern.
"Density is not your enemy," she added. It allows for master drainage plans, streetlights, parks and sidewalks.
"We're proud of this project. We think it would be a very good project and a good fit," she said, asking the Planning Commission for its approval.
But, Christmas repeated his concerns.
"To be clear, the Town's not saying no to development, just that the development next to the Town needs to be compatible with the Town, sensitive to the topography and is not an eyesore," Christmas said.
Planning commissioners unanimously recommended approval of both the land use and rezoning for the property. The Pasco County Commission will have the final say on the requests.
Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: Barbara Wilhite, David Goldstein, Home Depot, Lake Jovita, Pasco County Planning Commission, Prospect Road, Richard Christmas, State Road 52, Town of St. Leo, Villages of Pasadena Hills
Alan Becker says
Bravo St. Leo. Pasco County seems determined to pave over every square inch of its land. Pasco's back roads are mostly beautiful, its main roads are choked with chain food restaurants, Publix markets, apartments, and cruddy housing. Wake up people of Pasco you will wake up one day and realize that this is no longer a desirable place in which to live.


For more testimonials from our clients, please don't hesitate to ask.
"The kind of service we need and like..."
If we need Philips service we know that when we call, he'll be there just as quick as he can.
That's the kind of service we need and like.
I have been a customer of Philips Smith since moving to Rotorua in 1987.
Reliable and efficient work, friendliness and a genuine concern for my best interest has been a feature of the service that I have always received.
Whenever I phone for help with any electrical problem, repairs to appliances, wiring, lighting smoke alarms etc.
He has always responded promptly, very often on the same day. He is my electrician.
"Preferred service providers since 2011...."
Philip Smith Electrical & Refrigeration has been our preferred service providers since 2011.
Our company relies on service providers who are efficient and reliable but most of all prompt.
Philip Smith Electrical & Refrigeration has those attributes and a broad knowledge base that we can rely on.
We look forward to a continuing relationship with the company.
"Top of our suppliers list..."
Superb Service, you are at the top of our suppliers list.
We are really happy with the job done. Everyone was polite and we had lots of laughs.
You are a great team, and we would be more than happy to have you back to do more jobs around the house.
We are very happy with the service that we received from your company.
As a non-profit organization, Philip and his team are very approachable and supported us in making the right decisions to suit our needs.
Want to leave us feedback or a testimonial? Please email us and we'd be happy to add you to our testimonials page.


text:
@protocol DockFactioned <NSObject>
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString* faction;
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString* additionalFaction;
@end


text:
Kinases, adaptor proteins, and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements in EMT and cancer
Leszek Kotula, SUNY Upstate Medical University, USA
Patrycja Dubielecka-Szczerba, Brown University, USA
Cell Communications and Signaling invites you to submit to our new thematic series: Kinases, adaptor proteins, and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements in EMT and cancer.
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a complex molecular and cellular process defined by genetic and phenotypic changes in epithelial cells during embryonic development, tissue repair and cancer. EMT is characterized by changes in gene expression and epigenetic programs that profoundly change cellular phenotype and ultimately promote loss of cell-cell adhesion and gain in cell migratory activity. EMT appears to be a strong requisite not only for cancer development but also for metastatic dispersion of primary tumor cells. Comprehensive insight in EMT regulation will not only expand our understanding of tumor development and metastatic processes but it may also inform optimized diagnostics and therapeutic strategies.
Historically, the literature reviewed the role of transcriptional and epigenetic factors that regulate EMT. Here, in this special issue Cell Communication and Signaling, we focus on the molecular and mechanistic links between kinases, adaptor proteins, and actin cytoskeleton as critical components and executors of the EMT regulatory machinery. The EMT transcriptional and epigenetic programs ultimately govern phenotypic changes through actin cytoskeleton rearrangements orchestrated by activation of specific kinases such as SRC or ABL family kinases, or Focal Adhesion Kinase. These signals are then relayed to actin cytoskeleton by adaptor proteins such as ABI1, CRK, EPS8, and other important modulators of cell migration.
Through this review series we hope to shed some more light on mechanistic links between genetic, epigenetic, enzymatic, spatial-signalling regulatory adaptor proteins and actin exoskeleton and their role in execution of phenotypic changes leading to EMT and cancer development and metastasis. We welcome the submission of additional manuscripts to this series.
Submission deadline: December 31, 2021 (new)
Submit your manuscript here.
Microtubule associated protein 4 phosphorylation-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of podocyte leads to proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) involves various structural and functional changes because of chronic glycemic assault and kidney failure. Proteinuria is an early clinical manifestation of DN, but the associated pat...
Authors: Lingfei Li, Yanhai Feng, Junhui Zhang, Qiong Zhang, Jun Ren, Cheng Sun, Shujing Li, Xia Lei, Gaoxing Luo, Jiongyu Hu and Yuesheng Huang
Citation: Cell Communication and Signaling 2022 20:115
Content type: Research Published on: 28 July 2022
Platelets involved tumor cell EMT during circulation: communications and interventions
Distant spreading of metastatic tumor cells is still the leading cause of tumor death. Metastatic spreading is a complex process, in which epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the primary and key event t...
Authors: Xiaoying Wang, Songyan Zhao, Zhaoxia Wang and Tao Gao
Citation: Cell Communication and Signaling 2022 20:82
Content type: Review Published on: 3 June 2022
Melanoma cells with diverse invasive potential differentially induce the activation of normal human fibroblasts
The tumor microenvironment consists of stromal cells, extracellular matrix, and physicochemical properties (e.g., oxygenation, acidification). An important element of the tumor niche are cancer-associated fibr...
Authors: Justyna Mazurkiewicz, Aleksandra Simiczyjew, Ewelina Dratkiewicz, Katarzyna Pietraszek-Gremplewicz, Michał Majkowski, Magdalena Kot, Marcin Ziętek, Rafał Matkowski and Dorota Nowak
Small extracellular vesicles: from mediating cancer cell metastasis to therapeutic value in pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant tumor and, is extremely difficult to diagnose and treat. Metastasis is one of the critical steps in the development of cancer and uses cell to cell communication to medi...
Authors: Wenjie Zhang, Juan Xing, Tian Liu, Jie Zhang, Zhujiang Dai, Huan Zhang, Daorong Wang and Dong Tang
Citation: Cell Communication and Signaling 2022 20:1
Cellular dynamics of EMT: lessons from live in vivo imaging of embryonic development
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to a process in which epithelial cells lose apical-basal polarity and loosen cell–cell junctions to take on mesenchymal cell morphologies and invasive properties ...
Authors: Jeffrey D. Amack
Content type: Review Published on: 22 July 2021
Role of α- and β-adrenergic signaling in phenotypic targeting: significance in benign and malignant urologic disease
The urinary tract is highly innervated by autonomic nerves which are essential in urinary tract development, the production of growth factors, and the control of homeostasis. These neural signals may become dy...
Authors: M. Archer, N. Dogra, Z. Dovey, T. Ganta, H.-S. Jang, J. A. Khusid, A. Lantz, M. Mihalopoulos, J. A. Stockert, A. Zahalka, L. Björnebo, S. Gaglani, M. R. Noh, S. A. Kaplan, R. Mehrazin, K. K. Badani…
Src family kinases, adaptor proteins and the actin cytoskeleton in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
Over a century of scientific inquiry since the discovery of v-SRC but still no final judgement on SRC function. However, a significant body of work has defined Src family kinases as key players in tumor progre...
Authors: Maria A. Ortiz, Tatiana Mikhailova, Xiang Li, Baylee A. Porter, Alaji Bah and Leszek Kotula
Role of the ABL tyrosine kinases in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and the metastatic cascade
The ABL kinases, ABL1 and ABL2, promote tumor progression and metastasis in various solid tumors. Recent reports have shown that ABL kinases have increased expression and/or activity in solid tumors and that A...
Authors: Jillian Hattaway Luttman, Ashley Colemon, Benjamin Mayro and Ann Marie Pendergast
Content type: Review Published on: 22 May 2021
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the cytoskeleton in bioengineered systems
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is intrinsically linked to alterations of the intracellular cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. After EMT, cells acquire an elongated morphology with front/ba...
Authors: Susan E. Leggett, Alex M. Hruska, Ming Guo and Ian Y. Wong
Phosphoinositides signaling modulates microglial actin remodeling and phagocytosis in Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is one of the neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits, which disrupts signal transduction in neurons and other glia cells. The pathologica...
Authors: Smita Eknath Desale and Subashchandrabose Chinnathambi


text:
Food Policy Snapshots
Hunger and Food Insecurity
NYC Food by the Numbers
Urban Food Policy & Practice Journal
Food Policy Briefs
COVID-19 Neighborhood Food Guides
Food Policy Snapshot / General / November 21, 2017
California Targets Childhood Obesity with New Advertisement Regulations
Part of the Food Policy Snapshot Series
Policy Name: AB 841 – Ban on advertising unhealthy foods in California schools
Population: 39,250,017 (US Census, 2016)
AB 841, a new bill passed in the California legislature, prohibits schools in California from advertising unhealthy foods or beverages on campus during school hours. This includes corporate incentive programs that involve foods and beverages that do not meet
Progress to date: N/A
Program/Policy Initiated:
The bill was passed on October 15, 2017 and will go into effect on January 1, 2018.
Food policy category:
Program goals:
The bill seeks to reduce students' exposure to advertising for unhealthy foods and beverages in schools. This is part of a larger campaign in the state of California to improve nutrition in schools and reduce obesity among children.
California has long been a leader in improving food quality standards in schools. Over a decade ago, they banned soft drinks from being sold at schools and limited the availability of foods high in added fat and sugar. Additionally, schools are prohibited from serving foods that contain added trans fats in order to be eligible receive reimbursement from the state to cover free and reduced price lunches. While the sale of unhealthy foods in California schools is already restricted, the new bill bans them from being advertised as well.
In addition to a ban on conventional advertising, the bill includes restrictions on corporate incentive programs such as the Box Tops for Education program, which rewards schools for collecting box tops clipped from specially marked products. The products, however, tend to be processed foods like cereals, snack bars, cookies, frozen pizzas, and other foods full of added sugar, salt, and fat. For each box top that a student submits, his or her school receives ten cents. Often, students or classes compete to turn in the most box tops. As this type of program constitutes a type of in-school advertising, it has been banned as part of the new bill.
The ban does not extend to personal belongings of the students such as clothing, outside media, and products purchased outside of school. Furthermore, items like sports uniforms and scoreboards that contain images or logos that may be considered advertising do not require removal. However, no new advertisements may be added to such objects starting January 1, 2018.
Why it is important:
Childhood obesity is a serious problem in America. In 1970, only around 5% of American children were considered obese. Today, according to the CDC, that number has more than tripled to 17%. The reasons behind this spike in obesity are myriad, but the prevalence of processed foods that are high in fat and sugar has played a major role. In a paper published by the American Heart Association, 91% of American children have diets classified as "poor" and only 0.5% have diets considered "ideal."
Obesity raises a child's risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, joint pain, fatty liver disease, and social and psychological problems associated with low self-esteem. Moreover, poor eating habits ingrained in childhood are difficult to overcome later in life. Obese children are much more likely to become obese adults than their peers.
California has already had some success in restricting the availability of unhealthy foods in schools. Initiatives like Smart Snacks in School and the University of California's Good Food for Local Schools have limited children's access to foods high in sugar, fat, or calories in school while improving nutrition education. Still, childhood obesity remains a problem. Trust for America's Health's annual State of Obesity report shows that the combined overweight and obesity rate among children aged 10-17 in California has plateaued at around 30% since 2004.
Evaluation:
The governing board or body of each school district is responsible for reviewing compliance annually.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB841
Point of Contact:
California State Assembly member and lead author of the bill
Shirley Weber
https://twitter.com/asmshirleyweber
Similar practices:
In 2007, Maine passed a similar bill that prohibited advertising of brand-specific foods that do not meet nutritional standards.
The New Hampshire Senate has also passed a bill that aims to restrict the advertising of junk food in schools, but the bill cannot become law until it is passed by the House.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/CA
https://www.boxtops4education.com
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/134/12/e236.long
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/mbsnp212016.asp
http://goodfood.ucla.edu
https://stateofobesity.org/states/ca
http://www.maine.gov/doe/nutrition/laws/index.html
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billText.aspx?sy=2017&id=924&txtFormat=html
Tags: AB 841 Box Tops for Education California CDC Good Food for Local Schools Smart Snacks in School State of Obesity
Interview with Wen-Jay Ying, Founder and Program Director, Local Roots NYC
Queens County Farm Museum Educates on More Than the Past
Cameron St. Germain
NYC Food Policy Food Flash November 2020 November 23, 2020
NYC Food Policy Center May Food Flash May 26, 2020
Food Trucks Provide Warm Meals for Truck Drivers at California Rest Stops May 1, 2020
California Food Workers Receive Supplemental Protections April 20, 2020
Contra Costa County Moves to Ban Styrofoam Food and Beverage Containers October 22, 2019
California to Only Sell Cage-Free Eggs by 2022 November 27, 2018
Private Profits vs. Public Health: A Spotlight on Soda Taxes in Two States November 9, 2018
Soda No Longer Default Beverage on Children's Menus in Baltimore October 9, 2018
California's Smarter Lunchrooms Movement Nudges Students Toward Healthy Choices February 27, 2018
Wen-Jay Ying, Founder and Program Director, Local Roots NYC Wen-Jay Ying is the founder and director of Local Roots NYC which...
Copyright © 2019-20 Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center. All Rights Reserved.
Subscribe To Weekly NYC Food Policy Watch Newsletter
Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter today to receive updates on the latest news, reports and event information


The preliminary round matches for the Men's EHF EURO 2018 in Croatia were determined last Friday, and the run for tickets to next year's top-class handball event has started.
The Men's EHF EURO 2018 takes place in the Croatian cities of Split, Porec, Zagreb and Varazdin from 12 to 28 January 2018.
Tickets are currently available for all stages of the tournament including the semi-finals on 26 January and the final on 28 January.
The official ticket shop can be accessed via the event website, www.ehf-euro.com.
Prices start at HRK 150 (approximately €20 ) for preliminary round matches, HRK 450 (approximately €60) for the semi-finals and at HRK 800 (approximately €105).
More sectors in all arenas will become available over the coming weeks and months.
Tickets are daily and are valid for both matches of the day.
Tickets to be picked up in person are taken over at the place of the event two days before the event by presenting a confirmation of purchase.
Ticket delivery starts four weeks prior to the event.
The teams from Groups A and B will play the main round in Zagreb. The teams from Groups C and D will play the main round in Varazdin.


text:
For over 20 years, image maker Nick Leary has journeyed the world over in search of truth, beauty and magic. His inspired quest has shaped him into an internationally acclaimed artist producing stunning visuals in fine art, photography & film. Celebrated across the globe, his artistry continues to leave an imprint on the soul of all those who encounter it.
© Copyright Nick Leary 2022
Site by SK Studio


Rolled Canvas: Canvas is not stretched over any wood bars and is shipped rolled in a tube.
Standard Wrap: The canvas is stretched over 3/4" thick wooden stretcher bars. The artwork is ready to be placed in a traditional open frame.
Second of my beautiful kitchen wall art. The two compliment each other. Michael paints everything so realistically that I can't believe it's not real, but a painting. My mouth waters for that wine every time I enter the kitchen and gaze at my two works of art by a fabulous artist.


text:
© The Dubs. All rights reserved.
FinancialMarketer
The Dubs - Small Agency of the Year - Creativepool People's Choice
BetaShares talks ETFS, automation and content marketing
A strategy that works
Observing the meteoric rise of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in the US, a group of local visionaries set up BetaShares knowing it was only a matter of time before Australia followed suit. Now they have 44 funds and 5.5bn under management – and a strong commitment to content marketing.
Co-founder and head of strategy and marketing, Ilan Israelstam takes us through BetaShares' content story so far.
Who was the champion of content marketing and marketing automation at BetaShares?
It probably would have been me. One thing that is maybe a little bit unusual in our business is that one of the founders [Ilan] also takes care of marketing – that gives it a very significant place in our business. My colleague Alex [Vynokur] who runs the business is exactly the same, he's very focused on marketing.
Can you explain your strategy around content?
We put out a lot of content, two to three posts a week. That content is educational in nature in the main.
One of the key people who writes for us was a decade-long writer for the Australian Financial Review. Another very important thing: we made it a mandatory requirement for the vast majority of our entire team to write at least three blog posts a year. That's a way to get a whole lot of different voices into the business which is really effective.
We do tailor it depending on the audience – we've got stuff that's quite professional in nature, quite sophisticated and we've got things that were written for the absolute newbies.
Content marketing gives that credibility – we are very careful not to make every piece of content a spruik, but we do connect particular products to the content we put out. We find that if we don't give people an implementation opportunity to do something we're suggesting, they get upset because they don't know what to do with the information.
Can you explain a bit more about your content automation?
We've run a marketing automation platform in the business for two and a half years or so. We've got a series of automated bots and reports that track the performance of everything we do, whether content marketing or anything else. We're quite data intensive.
Automation allows us to have a lot more information about how our customers interact with us, it allows us to understand how effective our various pieces of content are relative to each other and it allows us to score the quality of that content. It also allows us to tailor a lot of our content to the particular personalisation requirements of that client.
Automation allows us to have a lot more information about how our customers interact with us, it allows us to understand how effective our various pieces of content are relative to each other and it allows us to score the quality of that content.
What is the personality/tone of voice you're establishing with your content?
We're continually battling with this concept of being on the one hand, very institutionalised and professional, and on the other hand, very approachable, because you're trying to demystify a lot of these concepts. It's not easy, and I don't think we get it right all the time.
A lot of our competitors err too much on the side of that institutional component and that's understandable given where they've come from. We're dealing with individual investors and we want to make sure that they can understand what we're writing.
Has your content strategy achieved what you set out to achieve?
In terms of measuring ROI, we've got our own metrics that indicate to us that content marketing is amongst the best marketing we do. We do a weekly newsletter that's bespoke every single week, we're not republishing content, we're writing it from scratch, we're not using any third parties to write… so it's a fairly hefty piece of work, but it's definitely working.
We continually get positive feedback from industry and from the end investors which is the most important thing.
Are there competitive businesses out there using content like you are?
A lot of it comes down to the culture and the size of these firms. To get content out at the speed, regularity, and number that we do, you need to be quite flat in your structure. We've got the two largest fund managers in the world that compete with us; for them to do this kind of activity, it's hard from a legal, regulatory and compliance perspective. We take our legal and regulatory responsibilities seriously but we're just a lot more nimble due to the way the business is set up.
I would say fairly confidently that in exchange traded funds, we'd have by far the most-developed content marketing strategy out there.
We read that you've taken Facebook out of your ethical EFT – does that tie into your brand personality and voice at all?
We have two responsible investment products, one is a global fund we have called ETHI – and that had Facebook in it. There is a responsible investment committee which looks at what's in the fund and checks it against a whole set of rules. We're constantly monitoring the current holdings in that fund against the rules – and it became increasingly obvious to us that Facebook was starting to be a problem. The decision was made by that committee to remove Facebook from that particular fund.
It ties into what we do, by giving people what they expect. If people are buying into a true-to-label ethical fund, and Facebook's really not being that ethical, it's incumbent on us to remove it, if it fits the rules. The way it all comes together – brand personality and voice is about integrity, and our ability to act swiftly along a defined robust framework.
content-marketing-strategy
Susan Burchill
When Susan was a youngster she didn't know what she wanted to be, but somehow she fell into advertising; then digital was invented so she worked on websites for a while. From there it was a small leap over to TV producing, scriptwriting, promo writing, and some copywriting.... Then when content marketing became a 'thing', she somehow fell into that. It's worked out ok so far - luckily she's always landed on soft things.
Finance content marketing resolutions for 2021
5 years of the Financial Marketer
The Financial Marketer's guide to building trust
Subscribe to receive the latest content marketing news and insights straight to your inbox.
Every step of the SEO process tackled
From strategy through to content production, distribution and measurement, we can help.
Fill in the form. It's easy.
Why ABM is a perfect match for B2B lead generation
Tried and tested, The Dubs media Director, Andrew Frith tells why ABM is his proven pick for B2B lead generation and how it works.
You may struggle to commit to personal new year's resolutions but they're a valuable way for finance brands to set themselves up for finance content marketing success in 2021.
The burning questions for financial marketers in 2020
Top 5 topics
We look back at the most popular articles of 2020 and the burning questions on the minds of financial marketers this year.
5 years, 500 articles, 55,000 finance marketers
5 years on the Financial Marketer has helped more than 55,000 finance marketers navigate the changing landscape of modern finance marketing.
Battle of the BNPL brands
Study their tactics
We look to the battlefields of competing BNPL brands to study the tactics winning them millions of millennial customers.
Finance brands killing it on YouTube
Join the line up
With countless finance brands yet to subscribe to the reach YouTube offers, take inspiration from finance brands already killing it on the channel.
The Financial Marketer's guide to effective email marketing
Don't get lost in the inbox
We address the key elements of effective email marketing so your finance brand's content doesn't get lost in the inbox abyss.
The benchmark is set
The only metric that truly matters, finance brands need to focus on earning customer trust above anything else.
How to pick the best video platform for your finance brand
Spoilt for choice
While the value of video content is undisputed at this point, choosing the right video platform for your finance brand is far less clear cut.
Financial Marketer's guide to reaching high net worths
Sophisticated strategy
Reaching high net worths requires a sophisticated strategy. Our latest Financial marketer's guide details how it can be done.
9 different ways finance brands can use Instagram
We draw up a shopping list of Instagram products that finance brands can pick and mix from when building a campaign.
Financial industry contributor
Should finance brands talk politics?
Off the back of one of the most controversial elections in global history, our US-based industry contributor weighs up the stakes for finance brands wanting to talk politics.
How a finance content hub can help you own the conversation
Give your voice a home
With the right strategic approach, a finance content hub can help your brand own the conversation and give your voice a home.
How to write a successful finance content marketing strategy
While every finance content marketing strategy differs depending on business objectives and audience needs, the key ingredients are universal.
How to get thought leadership right
Challenge the usual
Almost every finance brand wants to be seen as an industry leader but far from everyone gets thought leadership right. Here's what it takes.
Financial marketer's guide to insurance marketing
The ultimate marketing mix
From the ultimate insurance marketing case study to the intricacies of the ideal insurance marketing mix right – it's all in our financial marketer's guide.
Financial Marketer podcast
Serve not sell: the new role of finance brands
Benedict Kingsmill, senior client partner, financial services vertical, LinkedIn
Financial Marketer podcast · Serve Not Sell: The New Role of Finance Brands
23 MINUTE LISTEN
Crisis communications in financial services: who got it right?
The right way to react
It's difficult to liken the crisis communications of COVID-19 to anything we've seen previously. Financial services took a direct hit and as a result, crisis communications took on a whole new and meaning.
// Subscribe to receive the latest content marketing news and insights straight to your inbox
Get your free copy of The Financial Marketer's Guide to Content Marketing
// Navigate the complex landscape of financial content marketing


Many people dream of quitting their day jobs and starting their own business. In my personal story, the first little seed of desire to work from home was planted by my grandfather when I was 9 years old. At that time he got an opportunity to live abroad and work from home. We were invited for a family visit, and I lived with my grandparents for a while. I could see that despite of staying at home most of the day, my grandpa took his job very seriously. He would have breakfast in the kitchen, then put on his suit and tie and go to the office in the next room. He would close the door and work. I could hear him talking on the phone. My grandma would type letters for him, on that black heavy metal typewriter, and would bring him coffee. In the evening all the family would go to the dining room to have supper together. This way of life, free from stress and hustle, seemed to me totally amazing, and I got inspired by the idea of working from home. I just thought that I would never wear suit and tie. I disliked all kinds of formal outfits, which was just one more good reason to work from home.
I truly appreciate the fact that nowadays, thanks to modern technology and Internet, I can work from anywhere in the world, and most of my work can be done at home.
Some friends told me they would never be able to work from home because they find it too hard to stay organized and motivated. True, it is difficult. That's why it is really important to make your work as pleasant as it can be. The Home Photography Business section of this site provides some tips which will help you stay inspired and enjoy working on your own.
Social security is another reason why many of my friends choose a 9 to 5 job despite the fact that they would love to work from home. Being self-employed takes courage, confidence, and an ability to manage your budget well. Make savings, spend wisely, plan ahead. Invest in good equipment. And make happiness a priority.
The reward is freedom. Freedom to wake up late if you like to, freedom to drink wine or listen to your favorite music while you work, freedom to skip a day or two if you suddenly decide to visit your best friend in another city. Freedom to work on weekends and go to Ikea on Monday morning (to avoid line-ups! :).
Well, the ultimate dream is to be able to stop working and just have money! Selling images online is a step in this direction, as it provides you with multiple sources of passive income. You can upload your photos to 10-12 different stock photo agencies, and the photos will work for you for as long as these agencies exist.
Some other ideas of passive income include selling prints at sites like MobilePrints.com and Pixels.com, or publishing a photo book.
How to take "authentic" photos for microstock sites?


Art and Theo met in French class and seem to be very happy together. But while Theo sorts through his relationship with a persistent coworker, and his best friend Chloe tries to reconcile her on- and offline reputations, Art finds himself unexpectedly drawn to a woman, Samantha. Alliances shift, friendships crumble, and mistakes are made in this black comedy set in a world of grays.


Open-space industrial lofts have always been popular amongst trendy young professionals, artists, entertainers and others with a penchant for contemporary urban living. City-planners, land developers and architects capitalize on this trend by turning old industrial sectors into residential districts to accommodate the tastes of these buyers, converting old warehouses and shop floors into living spaces. The psychological freedom that comes with an expansive floor plan without partitions is the allure for you, the homeowner.
However, with all of that empty space comes a challenge. How are you to enhance and make sense of your living environment without interior walls to break the floor plan down into functional spaces? Thankfully, interior design theory can turn your industrial loft into a highly functioning, comforting, and visually dazzling home.
Natural light can be your best friend when it comes to managing the feel of your loft. Managing it throughout the day allows you to alter the mood of your environment. In one instance it can turn your loft into a home office or working studio (art/dance, etc.) and in another it can transform it into a cool and comforting place to entertain guests. If drapes are your preference, then layering with sheers and black-out drapery will allow you to manage the level of light that enters the loft. However, if you are looking to truly control natural light, motorized shutters or blinds are the key.
Artificial light will also be essential to managing the psychological feel of a living space. It will help you highlight certain areas while drawing attention away from others. Artificial light can welcome guests to "visit" one part of the loft by focusing in on your entertainment/leisure zones which detracting from personal spaces such as your bedroom. Smart artificial lighting can be added with well-placed floor lamps, hanging lights, or through the installation of systems such as recessed lighting.
Creating functional spaces is the biggest challenge when it comes to industrial loft living. Without partition walls how is one to dictate where one "room" begins and another ends? This is where furniture comes into play. When placed in a well thought out manner furniture can separate the floor plan by living room, office/studio, bedroom, and dining area. Sectional or large sofas will be instrumental in this task, as will long ottomans and tables.
When the casual eye assesses the floor plan of any space it tends to look to the floor to help it determine the sectional layout of a room. That's why rugs are so important to your loft's interior design. Large area rugs, bookended by furniture, will clearly establish the existence of a "room" within your space. In addition, runner rugs will help guide the eye from the point of entry into your home, dictating the intended path for visiting guests.
Very large decorative items such as vases and statuesque art pieces will help fill empty spaces and further dictate the existence of a functional area in your warehouse-styled loft. Stand these statement pieces next to the pillars so that the items are not left to standalone, creating a potential hazard that foot traffic may bump into.
There is a lot of wall space in industrial lofts, which can make your home feel a little vacant and unwelcoming. Because there are little to no room divides there is a lesser opportunity to decorate to fill the void. Consider installing a large shelving unit, wide and tall enough to encompass the intended side of the loft. The top levels can display decorative pieces while the reachable levels can host your library and other items that you may wish to rotate or show off to guests with a hands-on touch.
The bounty of wall space in a warehouse-styled loft allows you the opportunity to have fun with wall hangers. When it comes to paintings and other canvas/framed artwork and the like think big and let your creative personality shine through. If you have a penchant for world travel then hang a massive world map mural. If you like nautical decor hunt down a large antique ship-wheel and proudly display it on your walls. If fashion is your forte then go big (really big) on a hanging wall mirror. The possibilities are endless when you have the wall space to match your effervescent personality.
Be it psychological or a fact of structural design, large industrial loft spaces can feel cold. While you may enjoy the aesthetics and freedom of the wide open space you don't want to feel as if you need to carry around a blanket to feel cozy in your home. By installing a functioning fireplace to match the look of your industrial loft (hanging ceiling fireplaces are perfectly suited to the style) you not only add a useful alternative to heating utilities, you create the perception of warmth in an otherwise cool space.
Even with all of these tips for you to draw upon, managing the interior design of your industrial loft can be a challenge. If you reside in the Greater Vancouver area let us help you. Contact us here or call (604) 986-2080 anytime.