And a victory it is, well done!
Master piece, but the opponents are fantistic too, difficult to vote in the semis.
My congratulations for a worthy winner. I liked the bright and deep colors of your entry as well as the dynamic pose.
Congratulations- a worthy winner with those clear painting style and awesome details!
Congratulations! Great piece of art!
Thank you all very much! I was gone for the weekend and back to see I win! This is also one of my best birthday gift this year!
This is my first competition and I am thrilled!
Compliment to your excellent work, has been an honor to compete with you.
franznap wrote: Compliment to your excellent work, has been an honor to compete with you.
I like your Painting Style a lot!!!!!!!!!!!
A clear winner from the start in my eyes well done.
Very good entry and a very hard competition again.


When attention focuses on the question of sports and traumatic brain injuries we usually think of football, hockey or boxing. A new study from Boston University, however, highlights the potential TBI dangers of a sport we do not often think of as violent: soccer.
As outlined by the New York Times earlier this week, the study focuses on "encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head" which, it reports, "has been found posthumously in a 29-year-old former soccer player, the strongest indication yet that the condition is not limited to athletes who played sports known for violent collisions." Equally intriguingly, the newspaper notes that the soccer player died of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and offers evidence that the repeated head trauma involved in soccer may have played a role in his development of the disease at the relatively young age of 27.
The man mentioned in the article was a top-level college and semi-pro soccer player. The Times quotes his parents remembering his love of the game, and the pride he took at being good at heading the ball. It quotes a doctor who performed a brain examination after the player's death saying that he had "extensive frontal lobe damage" of a type more commonly associated with football than soccer. The article cautions that there is no way to establish an irrefutable link between the game and these brain injuries, but the BU study concludes that this, and other data, are cause for both concern and for further study.
When the news broke right before New Year's that Michael Schumacher, arguably the world's most famous race car driver, had been seriously injured in a skiing accident it immediately focused public attention on safety and winter sports.
That same CNN article (see link below) contains an especially important point regarding the accident. According to CNN "a French prosecutor investigating the ski accident… said that speed was not an important factor." CNN reports French officials telling the media that Schumacher was traveling at "the speed of a very good skier on a slope which was not very steep" and also ruled out a fault with the race car driver's skis. It has been widely reported that Schumacher was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
A story published last week in the Los Angeles Times spotlights both the help technology can offer in the fight against traumatic brain injuries, and the surprising resistance that such technology can, and does, encounter.
The paper reported on a "wireless alert system" that can be placed in football helmets. Sensors placed inside the helmet trigger an alert on a smartphone or a similar device carried by a coach or trainer on the sidelines if the wearer suffers a potentially concussion-inducing blow to the head. The system, according to the paper, "gains data from five sensors placed on a plastic-like, paper-thin lining placed on top of helmet padding. The sensors measure linear and rotational acceleration as well as the duration and location of a hit. A computer chip in the helmet transfers data to a hand-held alert monitor – typically carried by a trainer – via a low power signal similar to Bluetooth." The system can be adjusted according to the level of play (middle school v high school v college).
On Tuesday the Oregon Senate passed by a wide margin a bill that would allow children of any age to ride motorcycles, dirt bikes and other off-road ATVs. Let me be frank, it is hard to see how any responsible parent would allow a child that young to ride a motorized vehicle, but we all know that some will. Though presented during debate as a matter of personal freedom, this is truly a case in which society's interest in protecting children has to be balanced against a conception of 'freedom' so individualistic that it comes to pose a threat to everyone else.
As reported in The Oregonian, Senate Bill 238 passed the Oregon Senate 22-7 with support from 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats. All but one of the seven 'no' votes came from Democrats. Supporters tout the measure "as a way to improve safety for young and off-road riders because it requires anyone under 16 to meet minimum size requirements, known as a "rider fit" test" before they can be certified to operate ATVs and other off-road vehicles. The paper notes, however, that another provision of the bill repeals the existing prohibition on children under age seven riding such vehicles. In other words, SB 238 would allow children at the ages of six, five or even four – children who might not yet have the balance to ride a bicycle – to sit atop a powerful quad-ATV and ride not only on their family's property but also on public lands throughout the state.
It seems contradictory to toughen basic safety requirements for children in general while removing a common sense ban designed to protect small children – children whose cognitive ability, motor skills and general perception of danger are not sufficiently developed to operate a motor vehicle, even under parental supervision. Ironically, this bill passed the senate even as Oregon and the rest of the country are marking national brain injury awareness month, a time designed to focus attention on the dangers traumatic brain injuries pose to kids here and elsewhere.
In a recent article in the New York Times Dr. Robert C. Cantu, a professor of neurosurgery at Boston University, issued a thoughtful, yet passionate, call for parents and school officials to rethink the way we approach youth sports here in the United States.
He begins the piece by focusing on football, where he believes tackling should be eliminated for children under 14, but emphasizes that head trauma, concussions and brain injuries are all more common in other sports than is popularly believed. His piece goes on to propose rule changes in soccer, ice hockey, baseball, softball, field hockey and girls' lacrosse – many of which are not activities most of us think of as contact sports.


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T23 Wifi Duo [ Good] the good thing about T23 Wifi Duo is that though it is not soft touch, it is very easy to access. it has good internal memory, and the wifi ( because some android wifi does not work on certain connection).
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text:
package edu.ptu.androidtest._10_ooad.communicate;

import android.os.Looper;
import android.util.Log;

import org.junit.Test;
import org.reactivestreams.Subscriber;
import org.reactivestreams.Subscription;

import io.reactivex.rxjava3.android.schedulers.AndroidSchedulers;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.annotations.NonNull;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.BackpressureStrategy;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Flowable;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.FlowableSubscriber;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Observable;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Observer;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Scheduler;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.functions.Action;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.functions.Consumer;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.functions.Function;
import io.reactivex.rxjava3.schedulers.Schedulers;

public class RxJavaTest {
    private static final String TAG = "RxJavaTest";

    @Test
    public void testTestMain() {
        Flowable.just("").map((Function<String, Object>) s -> {
            System.out.println("onSubscribe" + (Looper.myLooper() == Looper.getMainLooper()));
            return "null";
        }).subscribeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread()).observeOn(Schedulers.io())
                .subscribe(new FlowableSubscriber<Object>() {
                    @Override
                    public void onSubscribe(@NonNull Subscription s) {
                        System.out.println("onSubscribe" + (Looper.myLooper() == Looper.getMainLooper()));
                    }

                    @Override
                    public void onNext(Object o) {
                        System.out.println("onSubscribe" + (Looper.myLooper() == Looper.getMainLooper()));
                    }

                    @Override
                    public void onError(Throwable t) {
                        System.out.println("onSubscribe" + (Looper.myLooper() == Looper.getMainLooper()));
                    }

                    @Override
                    public void onComplete() {
                        System.out.println("onSubscribe" + (Looper.myLooper() == Looper.getMainLooper()));
                    }
                });
        try {
            Thread.sleep(15000000);
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    @Test
    public void testSubscribeOn() {
        Observable.just(1)
                .map(integer -> {
                    Log.i(TAG, "map-1:" + Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    return integer;
                })
                .subscribeOn(Schedulers.newThread())
                .map(integer -> {
                    Log.i(TAG, "map-2:" + Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    return integer;
                })
                .subscribeOn(Schedulers.io())
                .map(integer -> {
                    Log.i(TAG, "map-3:" + Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    return integer;
                })
                .subscribeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
                .subscribe(integer -> Log.i(TAG, "subscribe:" + Thread.currentThread().getName()));
        try {
            Thread.sleep(15000000);
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    @Test
    public void onObserverOn(){
        Observable.just(1)
                .map(integer -> {
                    Log.i(TAG, "map-1:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    return integer;
                })
                .observeOn(Schedulers.newThread())
                .map(integer -> {
                    Log.i(TAG, "map-2:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    return integer;
                })
                .observeOn(Schedulers.io())
                .map(integer -> {
                    Log.i(TAG, "map-3:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    return integer;
                })
//                .observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
                .subscribe(integer -> Log.i(TAG, "subscribe:"+Thread.currentThread().getName()));

        try {
            Thread.sleep(3000);
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    @Test
    public void testCreate() {
        Observable.just(1)
                .map(new Function<Integer, Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public Integer apply(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("map-1:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                        return integer;
                    }
                })
                .subscribeOn(Schedulers.newThread())
                .map(new Function<Integer, Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public Integer apply(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("map-2:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                        return integer;
                    }
                })
                .subscribeOn(Schedulers.io())
                .map(new Function<Integer, Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public Integer apply(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("map-3:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                        return integer;
                    }
                })
                .subscribeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
                .subscribe(new Consumer<Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public void accept(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("subscribe:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    }
                });
    }
    @Test
    public void testObservableOn() {
        Observable.just(1)
                .map(new Function<Integer, Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public Integer apply(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("map-1:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                        return integer;
                    }
                })
                .observeOn(Schedulers.newThread())
                .map(new Function<Integer, Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public Integer apply(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("map-2:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                        return integer;
                    }
                })
                .observeOn(Schedulers.io())
                .map(new Function<Integer, Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public Integer apply(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("map-3:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                        return integer;
                    }
                })
                .observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
                .subscribe(new Consumer<Integer>() {
                    @Override
                    public void accept(@NonNull Integer integer) throws Exception {
                        System.out.println("subscribe:"+Thread.currentThread().getName());
                    }
                });
    }
    @Test
    public void testSub() {

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


These gorgeous antique postcards came from my personal collection. You will receive 6 jpg postcards to print and use in your creations! The postcards have been scanned at 600dpi, so can be easily resized for your needs.


text:
Robinson, PA
OPEN! The Healing Research Center Robinson
The Healing Center continues their growth in the Pittsburgh area with the grand opening of The Healing Research Center at 6300 Robinson Centre Drive in the Mall at Robinson. This state of the art, medical marijuana dispensary features 4 drive through bays and will be open to Pennsylvania medical marijuana patients on July 30th. You'll get all the great service…
New Medical Cannabis Research Center at Drexel Supports Groundbreaking Research Partnership
After receiving approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to conduct research on medical cannabis grown by a clinical registrant, and then signing an eight-year, $15.5 million contract with the clinical registrant, the Chester-based Agronomed Biologics LLC, Drexel University has now opened a new Medical Cannabis Research Center (MCRC) to begin conducting evidenced based-research on effects medical cannabis has on…
Agronomed Biologics, a permitted Clinical Registrant under Pennsylvania's Chapter 20 Research Program, opens first dispensary at 122 Norris Street in Chester, PA
Agronomed Biologics is opening their first dispensary, The Healing Research Center, at 122 Norris Street in Chester, PA, on Friday, May 14th. Agronomed Biologics is permitted to open a medical marijuana growing and processing facility as well as six dispensaries in Pennsylvania to conduct research on medical cannabis with Drexel University's Medical Cannabis Research Center (Through Pennsylvania's Chapter 20 Clinical…
Cannabis Use Lower Among CBD Users, New Study Reports
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a promising therapeutic agent that provide relief for a variety of medical conditions with mild or no psychoactive effects. This study, conducted by researchers at Drexel University's Medical Cannabis Research Center and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, surveyed young adults who currently used cannabis in Los Angeles in 2019-20, and compared CBD-dominant and THC-dominant product users.
The Healing Research Center launches medical marijuana dispensary in Chester
The Healing Center announced that it has purchased a 50% equity interest in Agronomed Biologics, which will give it the ability to expand further in Pennsylvania. Agronomed Biologics has permission to open a medical marijuana growing and processing facility and six dispensaries in the state as part of research efforts with Drexel University College of Medicine, according to a news…
The Healing Center has purchased a 50% equity interest in Agronomed Biologics
Healing Hearts Podcast goes in-depth on Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program
All seven first-season episodes of the Healing Hearts Podcast, created to provide education, innovation and information about Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program, are now available on Apple Podcasts and other platforms. The podcast is a product of The Healing Center, Western Pennsylvania's premier medical cannabis dispensary group, and was produced in partnership with the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park…
After investment, Healing Center to open six new medical marijuana dispensaries in Pennsylvania
The Healing Center announced Wednesday that it has purchased a 50% equity interest in Agronomed Biologics, which will give it the ability to expand further in Pennsylvania. Agronomed Biologics has permission to open a medical marijuana growing and processing facility and six dispensaries in the state as part of research efforts with Drexel University College of Medicine, according to a…
Menu – Chester
Menu – Robinson
6300 Robinson Centre Dr
122 Norris Street
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DREXEL UNIVERSITY'S MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH CENTER,
A CERTIFIED MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACADEMIC CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER
© THE HEALING RESEARCH CENTER of PA - 2022 - All Rights Reserved / Privacy Policy
YOU MUST BE OVER THE AGE OF 21 TO ENTER THIS SITE

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This might be the most underrated car on sale today.
While the likes of Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson sell more than 2000 per month the Peugeot 3008 is finding just over 200 buyers.
What the French brand may lack the heritage and reputation of its Japanese and South Korean rivals, it makes up for when you spend anytime in the new 3008 as you'll be pleasantly surprised. The new 3008 is not only a good Peugeot, it's as good as any mid-size SUV on sale today.
This is a new generation product, based on a bespoke PSA (Peugeot-Citroen-DS parent company) underpinnings, rather than borrowing a Mitsubishi platform as the 3007 and 4008 did.
The French company's most recent models that share the underpinnings, the Peugeot 308 and Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, have impressed us at Drive.
So what makes the new 3008 so underrated? Read on.
Peugeot has opted not to try and compete directly with its Asian rivals and doesn't offer a 3008 in the sub-$30,000 price range. Instead the range begins at $36,990 for the Active model, which puts it on par with the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Comfortline (from $36,990) and Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport (from $37,390).
For that money you get a good list of standard equipment, from 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, a digital instrument cluster, 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, digital radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and a wireless smartphone charging pad.
Standard safety features include full airbag protection, forward collision warning and lane departure warning. However, autonomous emergency braking isn't available on the Active and is an optional extra on the Allure, adding $1500 to the price because it is packaged with adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, auto high beam and driver attention assist.
We're testing that mid-spec Allure variant, which is priced from $39,490 and gains 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and ignition, semi-autonomous parking, a felt dash trim and a 360-degree parking.
There's also the $43,490 GT-Line, which gets an interior fragrance package, extended ambient interior lighting, LED headlights and a sports bumper and grille. The range is topped by the GT, which gets a unique turbo diesel engine as well as 19-inch alloys, Alcantara seat and dash trim and powered driver's seat adjustment for its $49,490 asking price.
Servicing is covered by Peugeot's capped price servicing program, which only covers the first five years of ownership. The visits can be expensive too, so over the first three years/60,000km you'll be paying $1587 to keep your 3008 maintained.
The 3008's cabin is one of the nicest of any mid-size SUV, with a stylish but practical layout that in Allure specification borders on premium car finish.
The seats are comfortable and supportive up front and there's good room in the back seats, with adequate knee room for adults and just enough headroom for anyone under 180cm.
There's also plenty of small item space, including the wireless charging pad, deep door pockets and a very deep lidded storage box between the front seats.
The infotainment system is intuitive to use, with a good combination of touchscreen functionality as well as physical buttons that help you quickly navigate through the various functions - stereo, air-conditioning, navigation, etc. The switchgear looks great too, with a soft chrome finish to most of the important buttons, further adding to the premium feel.
But the 3008 does have its polarising elements, most notably what Peugeot calls the 'i-Cockpit' which, in simple terms, is a combination of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster set high on the dashboard and a small, squared off steering wheel. The idea is the wheel sits underneath the dashboard, rather than have you look through the rim to read the important information.
In theory it's a nice solution, as the digital dashboard is well presented with easy-to-read, but still stylish, graphics. However, getting the wheel in the driver's prefered position, while still seeing the dashboard can be a challenge for some particularly tall or short drivers may struggle to find an ideal driving position. Personally this road tester had to set the compact rim slightly lower than ideal but it quickly became comfortable.
The Active, Allure and GT-Line are all powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. It produces 121kW of power and 240Nm of torque and gets paired to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends drive to the front wheels.
While those may seem like modest outputs, the 3008 tips the scales at a relatively light 1371kg, which means it feels sprightly on the road. There's some tardiness off the line as the turbo spins up but once the engine is in its sweet spot it pulls strongly through the mid-range.
The six-speed automatic transmission is well matched to the engine, offering smooth shifts and finding the best ratio for the occasion. The fiddly gear selector won't be to everyone's tastes but that's a minor criticism.
The decision to opt for front-wheel drive for the majority of the range underlines the 3008's target audience, city dwellers who want a stylish, high-riding SUV, rather than anyone looking to take it into slippery conditions.
The handling of the Peugeot is excellent, with nicely tuned steering and a responsive chassis making it feel agile and engaging to drive.
But it's the ride that impresses even more. Unlike so many European cars that are tuned too firm for Australia's patchwork roads the 3008 offers good compliance over bumps so it feels comfortable across a variety of conditions.
Peugeot has produced a polished, stylish and practical mid-size SUV that is as good as anything else on the market.
It's not perfect, of course, with expensive ownership costs and the uncertainty over its resale, given the standing of French brands in Australia. Plus the lack of AEB as standard is disappointing at this price point.
However, those are not deal breaking problems, so anyone in the market for a mid-size SUV should take the time to consider the 3008.


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Save time and create higher quality output by restructuring your current company process. For an efficient and accurate process, trust an outside partner for objective and skillful insight into your company's process history. Brass Axe Capital will take the time to fully understand the needs of your business and the reasoning behind the current process being followed. Uncover unnecessary tasks, conflicting steps in the current process, opportunities for automation, and what roles and functions need updating.


All pools should have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and regular drills should be conducted during the regular season. Below is Murraywood's EAP, and copies are available in the Concessions Stand.
Over the summer, we will be conducting EAP drills on Wednesday evenings. The membership will be notified that a drill will be taking place so that no undue panic will result. During the drills, the pool will be cleared for approximately 20 minutes. It is important for the membership to know how to respond in an emergency situation – the pool must be cleared immediately so that all guards can come to the assistance of the swimmer in distress.
We hope these drills make everyone feel safer!


STEPHENVILLE – After a record-setting season that has Tarleton vying for the NCAA Division II National Championship, the TexAnns had two players named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America teams Tuesday morning.
Hannah McManus, a senior middle from Caldwell, Texas, capped off her senior season by being named to the All-America Third Team while Adriana Darthuy, a junior outside hitter from Marseille, France, earned honorable mention honors.
McManus, who leads the nation in total blocks (179), earns her first All-America honor with the best season of her four-year career. McManus enters the national championship tournament with 416 total blocks in her career, which ranks her No. 3 all-time at Tarleton. She has 237 kills and a .316 hit percentage this season.
Already Tarleton's all-time leader in assisted blocks, McManus is also on pace to become the fourth TexAnn in school to finish with a career hit percentage over .300 with at least two years of Tarleton experience.
McManus was the LSC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-LSC First Team selection, in addition to the D2CCA All-Region Second Team and AVCA All-Region First Team.
Darthuy earns her first All-American honor after leading Tarleton in kills this season with 364. She leads the team with 10 double-doubles and had 19 matches with double-digit kills, including a season-high 17 on three different occasions. In addition to her offensive game, Darthuy is second on the team with 42 service aces, has 63 blocks, and 355 digs. She also leads the team with 439.5 points.
She earned All-Region recognition from the AVCA and D2 Conference Commissioner's Association this season and was an All-Tournament selection at the regional championships. She is also an All-LSC First Team selection this year.
Darthuy and McManus are the third and fourth players in program history to be named AVCA All-Americans, joining Hailey Roberts and Jordyn Keamo. Roberts was a three-time award winner while Keamo earned the honor twice. This is the fourth consecutive year Tarleton has been represented on the All-American team.
Tarleton (32-4) is headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship on Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at the A.J. Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University. The teams were reseeded for the tournament and the TexAnns received the No. 6 seed and will take on No. 3 Western Washington on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 1:30 p.m. CST.


text:
The Great Green Wall is an African-led initiative aimed at rehabilitating 100 hectares (over 385,000 square miles) of degraded land across the Sahel region by 2030, generating millions of jobs, and capturing 250 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The launch of the Israeli program was hosted by the Senegal pavilion at the UN COP27 climate conference in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh before a packed audience from Africa that included environment ministers from Mali and Mauritania and a member of parliament from Chad.
Sinai Gohar Barak, DeserTech's ecosystem development manager, said the project has two aims — developing and implementing technologies that address global challenges, and turning the Negev into a global hub for desert technologies.
Hot and dry, the Sahel — which runs between the Sahara Desert to the north and Savannah to the south — is not only one of the poorest regions on earth, but also one of the most exposed to the devastating effects of climate change. These effects include drought, food shortages, conflicts over natural resources and mass migration.
The land has lost its fertility because of overfarming, overgrazing and overpopulation, combined with natural soil erosion. But since the Great Green Wall project started more than a decade ago, almost 18 million hectares (70,000 square miles) of degraded lands have been restored and 350,000 jobs created.
DeserTech, based in the Negev city of Beersheba, is a joint initiative of the Merage Foundation Israel, Israel Innovation Institute, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
It brings together policymakers, entrepreneurs, tech companies, businesses, investors, academics and NGOs to develop, commercialize and promote desert technologies in the fields of extreme climate, water, land degradation, and life in remote places.
The organization recently mapped over 300 Israeli startups and companies developing technologies either specifically geared to, or potentially adaptable for, desert environments.
Nicole Hod Stroh, executive director of the Merage Foundation told the audience, "It's getting hotter and the land is getting more degraded. We share the same problems and we need to learn from each other about the challenges and solutions."
DeserTech has been working with the United Nations and is inviting innovators from the Great Green Wall countries to apply for a program during which they will jointly identify the most pressing desert-related needs, learn about appropriate technologies, and collaborate on designing concrete tech-related proposals to present to potential funders.
Participants will take part in seven weekly online meetings, share their challenges with the many tech companies connected to DeserTech, and gather in person for a seminar in the Negev. In April 2023, they will take part in a one-day project design workshop online.
I joined The Times of Israel after many years covering US and Israeli politics for Israeli news outlets.
I believe responsible coverage of Israeli politicians means presenting a 360 degree view of their words and deeds – not only conveying what occurs, but also what that means in the broader context of Israeli society and the region.
That's hard to do because you can rarely take politicians at face value – you must go the extra mile to present full context and try to overcome your own biases.
I'm proud of our work that tells the story of Israeli politics straight and comprehensively. I believe Israel is stronger and more democratic when professional journalists do that tough job well.
Your support for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community helps ensure we can continue to do so.
Tal Schneider, Political Correspondent
QOSHE - Israel's DeserTech partners with UN to help African nations build 'Great Green Wall' - Sue Surkes
Toi Staff Emanuel Fabian Jacob Magid Luke Tress Lazar Berman Ash Obel Carrie Keller-Lynn Jeremy Sharon Gideon Levy Zvi Bar&x27El Sharon Wrobel Nathan Jeffay Judah Ari Gross Michael Bachner Noa Landau Michael Horovitz Ron Kampeas David Horovitz Belen Fernandez Center For Peace Communications Bradley Blankenship Danielle Nagler Agencies Grant Arthur Gochin David I. Klein Andrew Mitrovica Matt Lebovic Rachel Marsden Zarrar Khuhro Tobias Siegal Haviv Rettig Gur David Grossman January 18 Hadar Susskind Nathaniel Berman Hossein Amir-Abdollahian Michael Sfard Mateja Kožuh Novak Hedi Viterbo The Asahi Shimbun January 26 Yossi Klein Jessica Steinberg Amy Spiro Andrew Lapin Asaf Elia-Shalev Tal Schneider Tafi Mhaka Ahmed Twaij
Israel's DeserTech partners with UN to help African nations build 'Great Green Wall'
Sue Surkes
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — DeserTech, an Israeli platform for climate technologies geared to dry and desert climates, launched a program on Thursday to partner with the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the 11 African countries leading the "Great Green Wall" movement.
Hot and dry, the Sahel — which runs between the Sahara Desert to the north and Savannah to the south — is not only one of the poorest regions on earth, but........
© The Times of Israel


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Enjoy our Sunday series, Conversation Piece, a NUVO–curated digest of things on the Internet we think you'll want to talk about.
Is there food on Mars? As NASA's Mars mission approaches, food scientists must prepare astronauts with supplies designed to stay nutritious throughout an unprecedented five-year shelf life. But not only must space food be healthy and long-lasting—on a journey in which astronauts will be isolated, confined, and subjected to crushing monotony, food must offer psychological relief by being delicious and diverse, too. Learn more about the challenges of designing the modern space explorer's diet, here.
Good-looking chicks. Usually, when we think of a chicken, we think of an unextraordinary, white-feathered bird. But the fowl in fact come in a kaleidoscopic array of colours, features of all textures (including extremely fluffy) and with all manner of vivid crests. They can be unbelievably beautiful. Take a look through this photo essay, and you will never think of chickens the same way again. See more, here.
In blog we trust. Demographics among successful beauty and style bloggers skew young, female, pretty, white, and, perhaps surprisingly, Mormon. Why is it that Mormon women have taken so naturally to blogging? It may have to do with the Latter-Day Saints' scripture as much as social conventions among members of the Church, which emphasize physical appearance, grooming, and wholesomeness. Learn more, here.
Beirut's elite. The Lebanese capital Beirut was, in its heyday, the "Paris of the Middle East," an intellectual, cultural, and political hub of the Arab world. Like those of any international capital, its most prominent families enjoy lavish lifestyles far removed from those of the average denizen—but unlike their high society peers in other cities, Beirut's society members pop champagne in the face of immense civil unrest. In this photo essay, Anna Bosch chronicles the live of the elite in a city constantly on the brink of war, conflict, and even collapse. See more, here.
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Radical Muslin Brothers Taking Cairo
We're watching history repeating itself.
We watched as Jimmy Carter verbally and politically escorted Ayatollah Khomeini and his Revolutionary Guards into Tehran and now we're watching Obama verbally and politically escorting Mohamed ElBaradei (the UN nuclear loser) and his Radical Muslim Brotherhood into Cairo.
As the Radical Muslims take over Lebanon, North Africa, Palestine, Pakistan and continue to wage major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama chooses to ignore the world disorder in his State of The Union Speech last week and he continues to avoid acknowledging that Radical Islam is waging World War against us.
Apparently calling this world war that has been launched against us a "War on Terrorism" might make our enemies upset. We never had that issue before with any previous President of the US! We could sure use a man like Theodore Roosevelt again!
Obama's "reaching out" and KowTowBowing to our enemies has emboldened them and they have consolidated their efforts to attack us and our friends with an increasingly violent and ever widening front. Something about Chamberlain and Hitler!
And to reflect that we had to listen to Obama and Hillary denigrating Condoleezza Rice and her conduct of foreign affairs. What a pathetic memory!
What a sad sight watching Americans scrambling to escape from a country that has been a friend and ally for many years. Wonder what the Israeli's are thinking today?
So you keepers of the Democrat and Left-wing view: Are we and the world safer now than we were two years ago?
So much for Obama and his' Hope and Change!
And N0 Mr. Democrat Congressman Moran from Northern Va, it's not his skin that's a problem, it's his thoughts, views, policy, decisions and choices that make him unsuited to be President of the US!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/chancellor-merkel-stands-tall-while.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/08/roanoke-times-embraces-islam.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/08/obamas-mosque-at-ground-zero.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/08/islam-new-us-government-religion.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/07/obama-nasa-islam.html
Obama: I Have Just Begun To Spend Your Money That We Don't Have
Obama's State of The Union ignored his two years of multinational foreign failures and the domestic decline and stagnation and the impacts of $14 TRILLION of debt we can't pay back.
Apparently not important in the State of The Union is the $14 Trillion debt, the $1.4 Trillion deficit, the one-half million new weekly jobless claims or the 1 million home foreclosures in 2010 that are projected to be repeated in 2011.
Instead of addressing these dramatic failures, he surged ahead with pompous vigorous proposals to spend yet more trillions of dollars of debt money we can't pay back.
The old Civil War Song says it best:
Neck deep in the big muddy and the big fool says push-on.
Apparently he believe what he said back in Oct 2010: "Americans are so "scared" they're not thinking straight!"
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/obama-americans-cant-think-straight.html
And based on that premise, there's no limit to what he believes he can sell to the American people.
Now he's repackaged and is selling his "shovel ready jobs" as "investments". He still doesn't understand that businesses generate most of the American jobs. He still doesn't understand that we are spending over $12,000 per student per year and that our educational problems are not because we're not spending enough! And he still doesn't understand that our federal and state governments are dedicated to ensure that businesses can't be formed or grow due to overwhelming bureaucratic regulations. He still doesn't understand that abundant cheap energy is key to our competing with foreign cheap labor and their minimal restrictions.
How could he know - he nor his associates have ever started or run a real business.
Going forward we have to have hope in four things:
1. The American people have had it with the jive and now see the reality of Obama's change.
2. The 60 new Congresspersons will hold the line on spending and Federal expansionism.
3. Bluedog Senators will join Republicans in stopping the Obama-Reid agenda.
4. The 2012 elections will get America back on the track to success.
Some prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2011/01/obama-spearheads-americas-decline.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2011/01/112th-congress-to-slash-spending.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/ahmadinejad-imanutjob-and-obama-agree.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/obamas-economic-mission-accomplished.html
Obama Energy & Climate Czar Out
No more strip mining for coal (the #1 US energy source)
No more drilling for oil off-shore or in Alaska
(we can buy all the oil we need from my Muslim friends)
I'm ensuring that the US is going out of business and
we don't need any additional domestic cheap energy
Now, get out of here quick before my State of The Union speech
and before my Republican-enemies can question you about
what you've been doing for me for the last two years.
The Obama Browner Team
Reducing the US to a second rate country as fast as possible
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/obama-calls-republicans-enemies.html
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/obama-insulting-our-intelligence-again.html
Yet More Roanoke Times Global Warming Tripe
Roanoke Times, 1-16-11, Pg 3: As global warming trends continue, experts say, more extreme weather could become the norm. Global land and ocean surface temperatures rising 1.12 degrees F above normal.
Without presenting any data, the authors (and their unknown experts) state that global climate will create more extreme weather than "normal" (whatever that is) and that things will get really bad because we've had a 1.1 degree F increase above normal temperature (whatever that is).
Why are the Editors of the Roanoke Times cutting down perfectly good trees to print this tripe?
By totally natural variations, since 950, the earth has gone through the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age without benefit of man-kind activity. It's interesting that the darling of the Climate Alarmists, UVa Prof Mann, ignores these major climate periods and does not include them in his totally discredited "hockey stick" prediction of global apocalypse (the highlight of the Gore Inconvenient Truth diatribe).
The following Jan 12, 2011 NASA graphic indicates that the earth has warmed 0.85 deg C (1.5 deg F) over the past 130 years. During the period 1880 to 1940 the warming was about 0.4 deg C. Then there was a significant cooling of about minus 0.2 deg C from 1940 through 1975 (this in spite of major increases in CO2 due to WW2 and increased post-war industrialization). The subsequent warming of about 0.6 deg C leveled off in 1998 and there as been no significant warming in the past 10 years although there have been some hot days and some cold days.
So why does the liberal major media and their friends at the Roanoke Times continue to publish mis&disinformation? What are their agenda and objectives? Perhaps they just love Al Gore and his obscene accumulation of wealth based on generating mass fear and anxiety. Or perhaps they have major holdings in alternative energy stocks that aren't doing very well. Or perhaps they just blindly follow their mentors at the Washington Post without question or analysis or alternative sources of valid data. Whatever it is, it's quite sad. One should really concentrate on spreading heifer-dust on fields and not on people.
Click on Graphic to Enlarge
Yes Virginia (UVa) You Do Have To Share the Mann Data
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2011/01/yes-virginia-uva-you-do-have-to-share.html
The Blizzards of 2010 – Yet More Global Warming
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/blizzards-of-2010-yet-more-global.html
Armstrong & Reynolds: The Democrat Energy Bait & Switch
Roanoke Times,1-21-11, Pg 9: Ward Armstrong and Roscoe Reynolds sought to give regulators more discretion over setting utility power rates.
What a study in demagogy! Obama and his fellow traveling Democrats have instituted a national program of choking off the supply of additional sources of energy including coal mining and oil exploration, and have added massive expensive mandates upon current generating facilities all with the objective of making all current forms of energy in the US more expensive and increasing our dependence on foreign supply.
Their misguided "the end justifies the means" energy policies are intended to make other marginal and intermittent sources of energy more attractive while blaming the energy industry and utilities for the shortages and escalating costs.
Armstrong and Reynolds are insulting the intelligence of their constituents by pretending that the power utility companies are the bad guys when they know full well that it's their own party leaders that are purposely causing the energy shortages and increases in cost.
AEP Rates: The Reality of Democrat Energy Policy
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/aep-rates-reality-of-democrat-energy.html
The Obama competitive energy response to China and our competitors is:
Stop strip mining coal and stop drilling for oil in the US!
The United States is now a second-class country that's going out of business and we don't need additional energy sources!
Selected Prior Items:
STOP BURNING FOOD!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/11/stop-burning-food.html
Rejecting and Stalling APC's Renewable Wind Energy
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/06/rejecting-and-stalling-apcs-renewable.html
Obama's Nuclear Power Fiasco
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/02/obamas-nuclear-power-fiasco.html
Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Obama – Green Energy & Jobs NOT
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/01/tim-kaine-mark-warner-obama-green.html
A VT Energy Assessment Challenge
Obama Spearheads Americas Decline
Not found in the Roanoke Times: Don't want to harry the multitudes.
The January 16, 2011 declaration by Chinese President Hu Jintao is that the world-wide competition for economic and national leadership is over and the Chinese have won!
The Chinese declaration of world supremacy:
The new world-wide currency base: The dollar is out and the Yuan is in!
You are $14 TRILLION in debt, much of which we hold!
We own you; we can buy and sell you any time we want!
If we slow down our purchase of your debt – the US economy will collapse.
We are now the world's manufacturing and production leader.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/17/chinas-president-calls-based-currency-product-past/
We are a military power and our new Stealth Fighters will more than match yours.
New China Stealth Fighter-bomber
Obama's answer to China's declaration of unilateral victory:
Yet another KowTowBow:
Obama's domestic answer: More Socialism and Personal Dependence and Destructive-Regulation and $1 TRILLION deficit again this year!
Roanoke Times, 1-16-2011, Pg 9: Congress grapples with $14 Trillion-plus debt; A fight is ahead on Capitol Hill, inflamed by the passions of tea party activists and deficit hawks.
Why is there a fight? Does not Obama, the Democrats and their supporters understand the depth and width and magnitude of our financial problem? And why is the media presenting this issue as only a tea party issue when it should be everyone's issue?
China's consumption of coal has gone exponential.
(click to enlarge graphic)
The Obama competitive energy response:
Stop strip mining coal and stop drilling for oil!
The United States is now a second-class country that's going out of business and we don't need new energy sources!
Obama's direction to the country to address this National crisis:
Talk nice, don't raise your voice, don't resist, be compliant:
just follow the old gross locker room saying:
"Rape is inevitable, so relax and enjoy it!"
Roanoke Times Editors Isolated From News
Roanoke Times, 1-9-11, Pg Horiz 3: A guide to our daily editorial pages.
The news people, on the first floor, at the Roanoke Times, are independent and isolated from the editors on the second floor who are totally surprised each morning when they read the news section of the paper.
What a hoot! Are these folks insulting their reader's intelligence on purpose, or is it just turning out that way?
Like the news people are so incredibly dense that they don't know what the chief's desires and requirements and biases are? Like there aren't management meetings each day to select the paper's contents and detailed layout?
This blog has over 1300 items written over 5 years most of which highlight the bias and slant of the Roanoke Times not just in it's editorials and commentaries but in its selection of and presentation of "the news".
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2011/01/roanokeslant-new-years-reflections.html
This article causes one to reflect on the classic management-employee outhouse! It's good to be the Queens on the second floor!
Click on Graphic to Enlarge:
Only Conservatives Use Dangerous Discourse
Roanoke Times Subject Continuation, 1-11-11, Pg 15: Political "Cartoon" (adjacent to editorial about the Tucson massacre) showing three men firing pistols at a shooting gallery labeled "the school of American political discourse".
Interesting that the major liberal media didn't have any negative news, editorial, opinion or cartoons when the following occurred:
"NY Dem. Sen. Schumer is the man who would put a bullet between the president's eyes if he could get away with it."
The nasty, vicious, vile Democrat who said this is not a half-drunk, low-life talking through his beer at a local gin-mill.
No, this is NY State Comptroller Democrat Alan Hevesi, long term prior professor of government and politics at Queens College, who made this statement while participating in the commencement address at Queens College!
Don't these Democrats and their media friends and sponsors ever look in the mirror?
Roanoke Times, 1-10-11, Pg 1&14: Ref. The Tucson Massacre "some people point to increasingly heated rhetoric" as the cause of the shootings.
Once again the liberal press launches a preemptive attack on their "political enemies"!
Let's not wait for the facts on the psychopath who committed this atrocity, let's paint the Conservatives as bad guys again and then call it a day!
The following is just a sample of some recent left-wing and liberal rhetoric that The Editors of The Roanoke Times have not found objectionable enough to comment on:
Google: bush Nazi comparison -- And view the hundreds of gross and obscene left-wing incidents of just this one example of Dangerous Discourse.
Obama Calls Republicans "Enemies"
Obama & Biden: Desperately Searching For An Enemy of The People
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/obama-biden-desperately-searching-for.html
The Danger of Arrogant Disregard For The American People
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/03/danger-of-arrogant-disregard-for.html
Obama Hawking Class and Race Warfare
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/09/obama-hawking-class-and-race-warfare.html
Obama: Conservatives clinging to their guns and Bibles.
Hyping Domestic Political Violence
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/04/hyping-domestic-political-violence.html
It's worthy of note that all those who "incited violence" against George Bush and his administration for eight years were not labeled by the liberal media as potential domestic terrorists but wonderful patriots; including those who produced and distributed a movie about the assassination of President Bush while he was still in office.
Another prime example of the media hypocrisy is the gleeful and jovial manner they treated the attack upon Ann Colter while she was giving a speech at a University. The liberal clowns on late nite TV found the attack lots of fun. Clearly not the media reaction if a left-wing liberal (like one of the girls of the Roanoke Times Editorial staff) suffered a similar attack.
SNL – Sept 2008: Todd Palin may be the incestuous father of his daughter's baby.
Howard Dean and his Sept 97 full page NY Times article: "General Betray Us"
Roanoke Times, 6/17/05, Pg A 7: Number 2 Democrat US Senator Durbin equating our facility at Guantanamo to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Cambodian butcher Pol Pot
Jan 2010: MSNBC's Olbermann:
"In Scott Brown we have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, teabagging supporter of violence against woman and against politicians with whom he disagrees,"
6/2/06: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,197935,00.html
Oct 26 2010 12:07 PM ET
'The View': Joy Behar tells Sharron Angle to 'go to hell, bitch'
Google the following left-wing personalities and view what Vile and Nasty Discourse really is:
Al "Twana" Sharpton,
Jesse "Castrate Obama" Jackson
Maxine "Potty Mouth" Waters.
Rob "MoveOn" Reiner
The Rev "Wrong" Wright
All this is not to say that there are not Conservatives that use inappropriate and inflammatory rhetoric.
It is to say the liberal media and The Editors of The Roanoke Times find it convenient to not address left-wing transgressions and highlight them as inappropriate and in some cases dangerous.
Just more slant and bias we can depend on!
GOP Moves on ObamaCare Repeal
Roanoke Times, 1-8-11, Pg 3: The House (with the 60 newly elected members) voted 236-181 to move forward on ObamaCare Repeal.
"Would add $230 Billion to the federal deficit over 10 years."
The Editors of the Roanoke Times simply cannot help themselves from propagating lies and distortions about ObamaCare. Not one word in this article that the 230 number is not only in dispute but has been totally debunked by not only Republican Congressional Budget experts but also in very vivid detail by the Wall Street Journal:
"The accounting gimmicks are legion, but we'll pick out a few: It uses 10 years of taxes to fund six years of subsidies. Social Security and Medicare revenues are double-counted to the tune of $398 billion. A new program funding long-term care frontloads taxes but backloads spending, gradually going broke by design. The law pretends that Congress will spend less on Medicare than it really will, in particular through an automatic 25% cut to physician payments that Democrats have already voted not to allow for this year."
In addition to these numbers at the Federal level there are Billions of dollars of massive impacts to the Medicaid costs of the states and the taxes and fees and premiums on each American.
The Repeal Vote is very important because it will clearly identify to the American Voters who they need to focus on replacing in the 2012 elections.
112th Congress to Slash Spending
Tax Misrepresentations Become Outright Lies
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/tax-misrepresentations-become-outright.html
ObamaCare: Hire 16,500 IRS Agents, Reward Lawyers, Dis The Doctors
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/obamacare-hire-16500-irs-agents-reward.html
Yes Virginia (UVa)You Do Have To Share the Mann Global Warming Grant Data that you have been hiding from the public!
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2011/01/yes-virginia-you-do-have-produce-those-global-warming-documents
The Global Warming Alarmists and the Goreites (supported by The Roanoke Times) have participated in a major cover-up of the data used by Prof Mann at UVa to obtain tax money grants for his projects that are now in question.
The UVa Administration have resisted efforts to provide the requested data to organizations using the (FOIA) the freedom of information act and requests by the Attorney General of Virginia.
The UVa Administrators have claimed the data is gone! How convenient!
Much like the 18&1/2 minute gap in the Nixon tapes!
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/05/hypocrisy-of-uva-faculty.html
New News! The data is not gone; it resides on the backup servers!
It's now time for the UVa Administrators to make all the data available as requested in the FOIA's and by the Va AG so that the people who paid for these grants can read them and determine the facts for themselves.
Why would this be a problem for UVa or for The Editors of the Roanoke Times?
Do both these organizations not cherish and promote openness and transparency?
Click to view the Daily Show's View of Prof. Mann's contributions to science:
http://www.roanokeslant.org/ClimateGate/ClimateGate.swf
Hal Lewis: My Resignation From The American Physical Society
Friday, 08 October 2010 17:19 Hal Lewis .From: Hal Lewis, University of California, Santa Barbara
http://www.thegwpf.org/ipcc-news/1670-hal-lewis-my-resignation-from-the-american-physical-society.html
Robert Hurt 5th Congressional District of Virginia
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE:
Roanoke Times, 1-2-11, Pg 6: Money matters to set tone for 112th Congress. Obama makes it clear that Republicans share responsibility for finding a long-term solution to keep the government running and raise the debt ceiling.
It will be difficult for Republicans to participate in government processes when they've been told by Obama that they're "Enemies" and must sit in the back of the bus!
"We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back."
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/10/roanoke-times-editors-emerge-from-their.html
Apparently Obama and friends have not yet comprehended that the 60 new Congressmen who will be sworn in on the 5th were not sent there by "The People" to support continuation of the Democrat spending and debt-death-spiral and massive expansion and reach of the federal government.
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/constitution-we-people.html
Massive spending cuts should start immediately with the priority on the huge bureaucracies that overlap and duplicate, at great taxpayer expense, the States responsibilities, including:
• Dept of Education
• Dept of Transportation
• Dept of Energy
• Dept of Environment
• Dept of Health & Human Services
• Dept of Housing
• Executive Departments including the over two dozen Obama-Czars
Of particular focus must be:
1. Freeze all funding for: ObamaCare
2. Freeze EPA funding for carbon restrictions
3. Establish a no-increase in spending budget
(Obama and the Democrats don't even have a budget!)
4. Rollback the spending and don't increase taxes on anyone
We don't have a taxing problem, we have a spending problem
5. Stop subsidizing the burning of our food (ethanol)
6. Crank-up domestic energy production including nuclear power plant construction.
7. Reduce the endangered species list to a maximum of 100 entities that are truly important and in our national interest. Call it the Charles Darwin act of science instead of politics and misdirected emotion.
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2010/12/boomers-assets-are-low-hanging-fruit.html
RoanokeSlant New Years Reflections & Resolutions
The motivation to start writing the RoanokeSlant Blog (http://www.roanokeslant.org/) five years and 1300 items ago remains valid today:
"After reading the Roanoke Times newspaper for 15 years it is
clear to me that their "slant" on the information they publish is not even
close to neutral or balanced on many economic, social and political issues.
The Roanoke Slant "blog" is intended to be a very brief "diary" of some
examples of their slant by contrasting it with an opposing view.
Some of the Papers slant methods include:
* Not covering a story
* Blatant in-your-face bias
* Size and content of headlines
* Subtle bait and switch
* Area and location of coverage
Upon review of these items, over a period of time, one might conclude that there is an undeniable pattern of behavior.
This may be helpful in the future by enabling objective vs. subjective discussions."
This blog's feedback comments, active links to this site, volume of views and the numerous LTE's in the paper all indicate that the author is in good company and that responsible and appropriate critique is well warranted.
The issues many people have with the Roanoke Times Editors are not the editorial content; their major issue is with the slant and bias of news selection and reporting and presentation. It's not clear why it's so hard for them to present the "who, how, what, when, where and why" of the news in a reasonably fair and balanced manner.
Many people want the Roanoke Times to succeed and provide a very important service to the businesses and residents of the area. They are hoping for a Christmas miracle:
"May the blessings of the season descend upon the RT Editor's and enlighten them and moderate their afflictions."
May our New Year be a transition to a better future than the past and may America truly become that "Bright Shining City on the Hill".
Our Senior Citizens New Year's Toast:
God made life a game of chance
Let us celebrate,
That we are still in the game
God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E&feature=related


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NewsTelevisionCelebrityAnas Rashid welcomes baby boy Khabib Anas Rashid, shares first pics
Anas Rashid welcomes baby boy Khabib Anas Rashid, shares first pics
The lead actor of TV soap Diya Aur Baati Hum, Anas Rashid recently announced on social media that he has been blessed with a baby boy. He has named him Khabib Anas Rashid.
Grace Cyril
Mumbai,UPDATED: Dec 18, 2020 12:03 IST
Anas Rashid welcomed his baby boy today.
By Grace Cyril: The lead actor of Diya Aur Baati Hum, Anas Rashid recently took to Instagram to announce that he has been blessed with a baby boy. Anas shared pictures of the little one on social media with a sweet note.
WHAT DID ANAS RASHID POST?
Anas posted the pictures of his newborn baby in the arms of his grandparents on Instagram. The actor revealed that he has named his baby boy Khabib Anas Rashid.
He captioned the picture, "My father welcomes home his grandson -'Khabib Anas Rashid' Thanks for all your priceless love and wishes on this awaited occasion (sic)."
A post shared by Anas Rashid (@anasrashidactor)
On his Instagram stories, Anas posted a picture of himself carrying his baby.
WHEN ANAS RASHID WELCOMED HIS BABY GIRL
Anas Rashid, who is married for three years now, also has a 1-year-old baby girl named Aayat with wife Heena Iqbal. He keeps sharing pictures with both wife and daughter on social media. Aayat was born on February 12, 2019. Anas had announced on his Instagram handle about the arrival of his little baby girl.
He captioned his post, "Hi dear ones, We are blessed with a baby girl yesterday. Both mother and baby are in good health. Thank you all for your blessings and wishes. Anas Rashid (sic)."
ON THE WORK FRONT
Anas Rashid was last seen in Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji. He became a household name with his performance in the TV soap Diya Aur Baati Hum, which he did alongside actress Deepika Singh. He has also been part of TV shows like Kahin To Hoga and Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa.
ALSO READ I Neha Kakkar is pregnant, flaunts baby bump in new pic with Rohanpreet Singh
ALSO READ I Remember Diya Aur Baati Hum's Anas Rashid? You will be surprised to know what he's doing now


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Home > Muslim News > N. America > H&M Hijabi Model Makes Headlines
H&M Hijabi Model Makes Headlines
WASHINGTON – A new advert for the world's second largest retailer has created lots of debates, after featuring the first Hijabi Muslim model in modest attire. "It was just a one-off, I didn't plan on it getting this big," Mariah Idrissi, 23, told CNN. "I was surprised, they actually really knew exactly how I should be dressed. They understood it had to be very loose fitting, not figure hugging, not anything revealing. They gave a range of different outfits. I kind of hinted what I liked and all of them were respectable," she said. The young Muslim woman was recalling…
Sun 03 January 2016 - 13:40
Muslim News, N. America
About Islam Team
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WASHINGTON – A new advert for the world's second largest retailer has created lots of debates, after featuring the first Hijabi Muslim model in modest attire.
"It was just a one-off, I didn't plan on it getting this big," Mariah Idrissi, 23, told CNN.
"I was surprised, they actually really knew exactly how I should be dressed. They understood it had to be very loose fitting, not figure hugging, not anything revealing. They gave a range of different outfits. I kind of hinted what I liked and all of them were respectable," she said.
The young Muslim woman was recalling how she was first introduced to modeling job in H&M.
It all started when her casting director friend submitted her photo to the giant retailer.
Idrissi appeared in a video entitled "Close the Loop", which is a slick production by the Swedish brand. Urban scenes, stylish attire and models of various nationalities, genders and sizes.
For the young Muslim, modeling career does not contradict with traditional Islamic beliefs.
"I've seen a few comments where (people are) against it, but there's nothing that says there is anything against it. In our religion, anything that's not stated as forbidden is permissible," she said.
"As long as I'm dressed correctly, according to Islam, then there's no problem," she added.
"It's just promoting the hijab, in a way. If anything, it's good."
Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one's affiliations.
United States is the home to from 7-8 million Muslims.
Targeting Muslims
Praising the move by H&M, Mariam Veiszadeh, a female Muslim lawyer, writer and advocate for Muslims based in Australia, said more work needs to be done. "Muslim women still continue to face additional barriers in many industries. Women may face a glass ceiling when it comes to the workforce but women of colour have to contend with a concrete ceiling," she told the CNN.
"I look forward to the day when a hijab-clad model no longer makes headlines."
The advert is expected to bring new customers to the giant retailer, with regard to the fact that Muslims spent $266 billion on clothing and footwear in 2013, according to Thomson Reuters.
"I think it's a fantastic development in H&M's brand positioning," says Shelina Janmohamed, vice president of Ogilvy Noor, a specialist consultancy for building brands with Muslim consumers.
"We know that in many countries where they (H&M) have a presence and as a global brand the young, female Muslim consumer is a growing demographic and when we've spoken to young Muslim women they feel that they are not represented in today's global fashion identity."
The advert should be followed by similar moves from other major retailers, Janmohamed said.
"They don't need something that says, 'Muslim woman: this is for you.' What they want to see is that they're treated as any other consumer," she said.
"There is so much in the news and political discussions about Muslims that brands understandably feel a bit nervous about reaching out to Muslim audiences."
"I would encourage them to be brave and be bold and they'll see that Muslim audiences are extremely responsive and very loyal."
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Macromolecular visualization as well as automated structural and functional annotation tools play an increasingly important role in the post-genomic era, contributing significantly towards the understanding of molecular systems and processes. For example, three dimensional (3D) models help in exploring protein active sites and functional hot spots that can be targeted in drug design. Automated annotation and visualization pipelines can also reveal other functionally important attributes of macromolecules. These goals are dependent on the availability of advanced tools that integrate better the existing databases, annotation servers and other resources with state-of-the-art rendering programs.
We present a new tool for protein structure analysis, with the focus on annotation and visualization of protein complexes, which is an extension of our previously developed POLYVIEW web server. By integrating the web technology with state-of-the-art software for macromolecular visualization, such as the PyMol program, POLYVIEW-3D enables combining versatile structural and functional annotations with a simple web-based interface for creating publication quality structure rendering, as well as animated images for Powerpoint™, web sites and other electronic resources. The service is platform independent and no plug-ins are required. Several examples of how POLYVIEW-3D can be used for structural and functional analysis in the context of protein-protein interactions are presented to illustrate the available annotation options.
POLYVIEW-3D server features the PyMol image rendering that provides detailed and high quality presentation of macromolecular structures, with an easy to use web-based interface. POLYVIEW-3D also provides a wide array of options for automated structural and functional analysis of proteins and their complexes. Thus, the POLYVIEW-3D server may become an important resource for researches and educators in the fields of protein science and structural bioinformatics. The new server is available at http://polyview.cchmc.org/polyview3d.html.
Computational tools for protein structure visualization, analysis and functional annotation are being constantly developed and improved in order to enable better integration with quickly evolving proteomic databases and other on-line resources, to facilitate and automate annotation tasks of ever increasing complexity, and to address the growing demand for high quality structure rendering. In regard to the latter, emerging new technologies gave rise to a number of advanced, stand-alone tools for macromolecular graphics, including the PyMol program  that combines the beauty of modern graphics libraries with the power of the Python programming language for complex rendering commands. At the same time, web-based protein structure visualization and annotation resources have been gaining in popularity, partly due to the availability of public domain Web browser plug-ins, such as Jmol  or Chime . A wide collection of links to both public domain tools and commercial software for macromolecular structure analysis and visualization can be found at World Index of Molecular Visualization Resources .
While stand-alone packages, such as MolScript , RasMol , YASARA , VMD , Swiss-PDBViewer , or PyMol , provide a wide range of functions for structure analysis and visualization, their use may be somewhat tedious, especially for non-experienced users. In particular, they often require some scripting and programming skills to optimize their use and generate high quality pictures with complex rendering. On the other hand, web-based interactive tools for the analysis of macromolecular structures are easier to use and less platform dependent. Many such tools, including PDBsum , PDB2MGif , Molray , AISMIG , or PPG , have been developed in the last several years, greatly facilitating and simplifying visualization and analysis of macromolecular structures. However, the capabilities of current on-line visualization resources and available annotation options require constant improvements. One trend is to enable generation of not only static pictures, but also animated movies, e.g., for analysis of macromolecular motion.
In this regard, the PDB2MGif server  should be noted as an early attempt in creating animated images for electronic resources in a fully automated way. However, PDB2MGif relies on the RasMol program  to generate the 3D rendering, with rather limited resolution and quality. Another example is the MovieMaker , which can be used for visualization and analysis of protein dynamics, utilizing MolScript and several other structure analysis tools. More recently, another tool for the generation of animated movies with improved resolution, multiple rendering options, and storyboarding capabilities, called PMG, has been developed . In order to further address limitations of the current on-line tools in terms of the versatility, resolution and quality of images they can generate, and to specifically improve and streamline analysis of protein complexes and protein interaction interfaces, we have developed a new tool, called POLYVIEW-3D.
This new server represents a significant extension of our previous efforts to provide the proteomics community with a flexible web-based platform for protein structural and functional annotations . In particular, POLYVIEW-3D integrates the ease of use of web-based tools with high quality models and structure rendering generated using the PyMol program . In addition, POLYVIEW-3D couples publication quality visualization with advanced structure and function analysis, including mapping functional hotspots, such as known and predicted interaction interfaces, analysis of putative binding pockets (including those within protein interaction interfaces), comparison and scoring of protein docking models. These tasks are achieved by both specifically designed tools and using several state-of-the-art annotation and prediction servers that are coupled with POLYVIEW-3D, as outlined in the Implementation Section.
The primary input data format for the server is the standard Protein Data Bank (PDB ) format for macromolecular structures, with some extensions discussed below. For structures deposited in PDB, one may use their four letter codes to retrieve them automatically. In order to generate three-dimensional macromolecular models, POLYVIEW-3D utilizes primarily the PyMol program , which provides high quality rendering of 3D structure. These graphical representations, which would otherwise require complex rendering commands, can be generated easily by using specifically developed and tailored to common annotation tasks web interface.
For example, rendering using cartoon, wireframe, CPK, solid and transparent surface models, as well as their combinations for different molecules (e.g., protein vs. ligand) or their fragments (e.g., subsets of residues) are available through expandable, context dependent menu boxes. Several highlighting and coloring styles are also provided through such context dependent menus, complemented by the possibility of specifying multiple styles (e.g., colored according conservation and shown with or without surface rendering) for each residue by using a user defined highlighting list, with a convenient style converter and list manipulation tool. In order to further simplify the use of the server, the initial orientation, centering, and zooming of the molecule can be pre-specified or set interactively by using the Jmol program embedded into the POLYVIEW-3D web-interface.
In addition to static images, high resolution animated images can be generated as well, for inclusion in digital presentations and other electronic documents. In particular, such animations can be copied directly into a Powerpoint™ slide. For that purpose, standard and custom made PDB files with multiple models, such as NMR-derived structures, protein docking models in CAPRI  format, or molecular trajectories with snapshots of the system represented by subsequent models, can be used. Together with animated GIF files, all individual snapshots may be retrieved as well, with all the rendering, coloring and highlighting schemes being directly transferable between static images and animation movies. The resulting static images are available in PNG and TIFF formats, with a user defined resolution (both in terms of size and DPI), which enables generating publication-quality images of different sizes.
Since in some cases PyMol may require a substantial CPU time to generate complex 3D representations (e.g., when many animation frames are to be generated in high resolution for large macromolecules), a faster alternative that utilizes the RasMol program  is also provided. In addition, a quick preview function is provided for some types of queries. POLYVIEW-3D also integrates three-dimensional structure rendering with enhanced, high resolution 1D structure models that were previously available in low resolution versions through the original POLYVIEW server. Using these simple, yet versatile, structure representations that were developed using graphical functions available in an open-source graphics library libgd , often proves to be very useful in the analysis, guiding the generation of more complex 3D images.
We would like to point out that POLYVIEW-3D represents a major update of the original POLYVIEW server. While POLYVIEW is cross-linked and somewhat complementary with POLYVIEW-3D, and some of the simpler functions of the latter were recently integrated into POLYVIEW as well, these two tools are different in at least two fundamental aspects. First of all, POLYVIEW does not allow one to generate high quality rendering of 3D macromolecular structure, including animation movies. Secondly, POLYVIEW does not offer advanced annotation and analysis options that deal with topographical and other 3D aspects of macromolecules. On the other hand, POLYVIEW-3D is specifically designed to provide these capabilities, e.g., in the context of analysis of 3D characteristics of interaction interfaces, as described in the next section.
There are several different types of annotation options for structural and functional analysis that are available in POLYVIEW-3D. Some basic options that were mentioned before include: highlighting various amino acid properties and their distributions within protein structure; displaying crystallographic temperature factors (if available) to identify flexible regions; generating animated movies to visualize conformational ensembles that are represented by multiple models in structures solved using NMR, or to visualize molecular motion as represented by Molecular Dynamics trajectories, distortions along Normal Modes (e.g., calculated using the Elastic Network Model approximation, as implemented in some on-line servers, such as AD-ENM ), or other macromolecular conformational changes (e.g., those available from the Database of Macromolecular Movements ).
Some more complex tasks, geared up primarily towards the interrogation of protein complexes and interaction interfaces, are achieved by combining several tailored tools, stand-alone software packages and web servers. These tasks include identifying and mapping known interactions found in protein complexes deposited in PDB, the assessment and mapping of evolutionary conservation onto the protein structure model, mapping and analysis of pockets in the structure as putative targets for ligand docking, and analysis and ranking of protein docking models. In particular, the DSSP program  is used for the identification of secondary structure elements, solvent accessibilities and residues at protein-protein interaction interfaces within protein complexes. The latter is specified in terms of changes in the exposed surface area of a residue upon complex formation, with default parameters defined and evaluated in . Structures deposited in PDB can be processed on the fly in order to generate putative biological units from asymmetric units, using the PQS server . In addition, PFAM domains may be automatically mapped into the query structure as well, by using sequence-based search implemented in the PFAM server , and subsequently visualized using a custom coloring scheme.
Furthermore, by using the SPPIDER server , which is coupled with POLYVIEW-3D, one can identify all PDB complexes (including biological units) that contain close sequence homologs of the protein of interest. Interaction sites from these alternative complexes can be then mapped to the query protein sequence (and thus structure) by using sequence alignment, as described in detail in . Moreover, by combining evolutionary and structural (derived from an unbound protein structure) information, SPPIDER provides rigorously evaluated and extensively tested (including on a set of CAPRI targets) predictions of putative interaction sites, that were shown to achieve accuracies competitive with state-of-the-art methods . These predictions are used here for the assessment of protein docking models, e.g., generated in the context of CAPRI evaluation. While other prediction servers (e.g. ConSurf ) can be used as well, at present POLYVIEW-3D fully automates this process only in the case of SPPIDER.
Specifically, a custom PDB file with multiple models of a protein complex in the CAPRI format (e.g., generated by the ClusPro server ) may be submitted to POLYVIEW-3D, triggering SPPIDER predictions in the background for both chains that are docked. Unbound structures of these chains are used to predict putative interaction interfaces, which are then compared with interfaces observed in each model (see Section Results and Discussion). The fraction of residues within the interface in a given model that overlaps with SPPIDER predictions (averaged over both chains) provides a simple score to (re-) rank the models. In addition, the surface area, average hydrophobicity, and evolutionary conservation for each interface within these models are computed to provide a basis for further analysis and visualization.
The evolutionary conservation may be assessed using the output from the ConSurf server , which yields well established relative (i.e., normalized within the query sequence) conservation scores. POLYVIEW-3D provides an option to upload ConSurf custom PDB files, with modified B-factor columns to represent these scores in terms of ConSurf coloring scheme. In addition, and in the context of known and mapped interaction interfaces, ConSurf provides the possibility to identify novel functional hot spots in terms of evolutionary conserved and surface exposed amino acid residues (see Figure 1C). As a simple alternative, POLYVIEW-3D also allows one to assess the evolutionary conservation in terms of entropy, which is derived from amino acid frequencies observed at a given position in a multiple sequence alignment (MSA). The latter is computed as a background process, using three iterations of the Psi-Blast program , with default options and the nr protein database . Such generated estimates of variability (see the on-line documentation for details), and the underlying MSAs, contribute to the prediction of putative interaction interfaces used here for the analysis of protein docking models. While very useful in the analysis of MSA-based predictions, this approach, however, has not been fully tested as a model of divergence within protein families.
An example of POLYVIEW-3D visualization of an inactive form of the regulatory domain of LicT antiterminator (see text for details). The overall structure of the regulatory dimer is shown, with one chain shown using the surface, and the other chain using the cartoon rendering, respectively. The residues found to be within interaction interface are shown in magenta and yellow.
Another type of analysis, which is of interest in the context of drug design, is the identification of structural pockets and cavities in proteins, including those within interaction interfaces, as potential targets for docking studies. For that purpose, POLYVIEW-3D is coupled with the CASTp server , which is a well established on-line tool for the recognition of potential binding and active sites in terms of surface topography. Specifically, POLYVIEW-3D can be used to automatically retrieve and display CASTp results, using again a variety of styles (see Figures 1B and 1D). We would like to comment that to the best of our knowledge, at least two of the complex annotation features discussed above, namely the mapping of interaction interfaces from homologs, and automated analysis and re-ranking of protein docking models, seem to be unique in the context of on-line visualization servers with advanced rendering capabilities.
POLYVIEW-3D does not require any plug-ins and is expected to be fully functional under any platform and with any recent Web browser. Moreover, an intuitive graphical interface alleviates the need to learn an often complex syntax of commands and options available in programs utilized by the server to generate images and annotations. At the same time, the web interface offers a number of options to customize the output and tailor the analysis of the system at hand. In addition, a script is provided for advanced users for download in order to improve the image by using locally installed rendering software. The POLYVIEW server also provides extensive cross-linking with other public annotation resources, such as the PDB  and NCBI portals , the UniProt annotation database , and various protein structure analysis and visualization tools. Detailed description of rendering options and different types of functional annotations that are available in POLYVIEW-3D, as well as examples of static and animated images, are included in the on-line tutorial at .
In this section, we illustrate how POLYVIEW-3D server can be used for protein structure analysis in the context of protein-protein interactions. In particular, we show several specific examples of structure rendering and annotation for a homodimeric complex of regulatory units of the transcriptional antiterminator protein LicT, which regulates the expression of Bacillus subtilis operons involved in beta-glucoside metabolism . All options discussed here can be specified using the POLYVIEW web-interface. We would also like to point out that animated versions of the images shown here can be easily generated using the server.
The regulatory units of LicT consist of two five helical bundle domains called PRD1 and PRD2, which adopt dramatically different relative orientations in inactive and active forms of the protein (PDB: 1TLV, 1H99, respectively). In the activated state, each PRD forms a dimeric unit with its counterpart in the other chain, burying, at the dimer interface, phosphorylation sites that are critical for regulation (conserved histidine residues). In the inactive state, a wide swing movement of PRD2 results in partial opening of the dimer, making the phosphorylation sites accessible on the protein surface . This inactive form of the dimer, with essentially only PRD1 and PRD1' domains involved in the formation of the interaction interface , was used in the CAPRI assessment as Target09 , and is shown here in Figure 1.
As can be further seen from Figures 2, 3 and 4, protein chains can be rendered using different models, including available surface representations with different coloring schemes. In particular, we illustrate various structural annotations that can be automatically generated and displayed, including the identification of interacting residues within the complex (Figures 1 and 2), visualization of (two) large pockets partially overlapping with the observed interface (shown in blue and cyan in Figure 2) that were identified using CASTp, coupled with the analysis of evolutionary conservation and putative functional hotspots carried out using ConSurf (Figure 3), as well as estimated flexibility due to thermal motions, as encoded by temperature factors (Figure 4).
Chain A of the regulatory domain of LicT protein shown alone, with two largest pockets on the surface that partially overlap with the interaction interface (shown in magenta), as identified using CASTp, highlighted in blue and cyan (the latter for residues within the pockets that are also involved in the formation of the interaction interface).
Chain A of the regulatory domain LicT protein shown alone, with surface exposed residues colored according to their evolutionary conservation, as assessed by the ConSurf server (residues that are highly conserved are shown in deep purple, whereas highly variable positions are shown in cyan).
Same as Figures 2 and 3, with colors representing B-factors this time (red corresponding to highly flexible, and white to relatively rigid parts of the structure, respectively), and with the semitransparent rendering of the surface (residues forming pockets shown in Figure 2 are highlighted using stick models for their side chains).
We would like to comment that a relatively large, rather hydrophobic with some hydrophilic hot spots (data not shown) and relatively rigid (in this bound structure) pocket that involves some conserved residues, is identified in the central groove of the structure, essentially in between two distinct patches forming the interface. Given the importance of the dimerization state and interface formation for the function of the protein, this pocket may represent a valuable target for ligand design. We would also like to point out that POLYVIEW-3D can be used for additional analysis of conformational changes between inactive and active forms by generating animated movies and individual snapshots of putative trajectories representing transition between the two structures, as generated, e.g., by the AD-ENM server , or obtained from the Database of Macromolecular Movements .
In Figures 5 and 6, we further illustrate the analysis and scoring of protein docking models, using an approach that was described in the previous section. Putative dimer models were generated for this system by the ClusPro server, and were submitted to POLYVIEW-3D. Two different models (ranked by ClusPro as number one and nine, respectively) are shown for comparison. The first model (Figure 5) is qualitatively consistent with the inactive form of LicT regulatory module, with PRD1 domains forming most of the interface, and PRD2 domains in an open orientation (although somewhat different than observed experimentally – see Figure 1). The other model chosen here for illustration purposes, and shown in Figure 6, is characterized by a very different (and incorrect) orientation of the monomers, and the resulting interaction interface.
Application of POLYVIEW-3D to the analysis and further assessment (in terms of the overlap between predicted and observed interaction interfaces) of protein docking models, generated for LicT using the ClusPro server (see text for details). An overall view of the top scoring model is shown, with PRD1 domains forming a qualitatively correct dimer interface. The residues found to be within the interaction interface in this model, which are also predicted by SPPIDER as interaction sites, are highlighted in red, residues observed in the model within interacting sites and not predicted as such are shown in blue, and residues predicted to be interacting sites but not involved in interactions in the model of the complex are shown in yellow, respectively.
Visualization of an alternative (and qualitatively incorrect) ClusPro model for the LicT regulatory domain complex, using the same color scheme as in Figure 5. Note the lack of overlap with SPPIDER predictions in this case.
The correct ranking of these two models by ClusPro is certainly very encouraging. However, in general, multiple and often vastly different models from protein docking simulations are difficult to assess. Therefore, contrasting the results of protein docking approaches with predicted functional hot spots and interaction interfaces, provides a complementary approach to further improve model ranking and confidence in the models selected as top candidates. Using POLYVIEW-3D greatly facilitates such comparative analysis. In this particular case, as can be seen from the figures, only the first model shows significant overlap with predicted (from unbound structures) interaction sites, which are highlighted in red (for residues observed within the interface in a given model, and predicted as interaction sites) and yellow (for the remaining predicted interaction sites).
We would like to comment that SPPIDER predicts in this case two distinct interaction interfaces in the N- and C-terminal regions of the regulatory domain, coinciding with PRD1 and PRD2 subdomains. While only one of these interfaces is present in the inactive form analyzed here in detail, due to the rearrangement of the structure in terms of the relative orientation of PRDs, the other predicted patch overlaps, in fact, with the alternative interface observed in the active form of LicT. The latter can readily be verified using POLYVIEW-3D and the mapping of interaction sites from multiple complexes involving close homologs of the chain of interest, as described in the previous section.
While this is just an example of an application of POLYVIEW-3D to simplify the analysis and visualization of protein docking models, and caution should be exerted to avoid over-interpretation of such results in any particular case, on average, similar level of accuracy was observed for other CAPRI targets . In the future, we are planning to expand this option to include other types of potentially useful scoring functions, including user provided contact potentials and other measures for model assessment (see, e.g., ).
We present a new Web-based server, called POLYVIEW-3D, for versatile structure annotation and high quality visualization (including static views and animations) of macromolecules, with the focus on the analysis of protein complexes and protein interaction interfaces. POLYVIEW-3D integrates and greatly simplifies the use of programs that are employed for structure analysis and image rendering. In particular, the new server features the PyMol rendering program, which is coupled with several rigorously validated annotation and prediction servers, such as ConSurf, CASTp, ClusPro, and SPPIDER, providing an easy to use platform for gaining insights into protein structure and function, and facilitating common analysis and annotation tasks. The new server offers a number of advanced rendering options for preparation of figures and electronic materials, complementing stand alone and existing web-based tools in that regard.
We would like to thank the authors of PyMol and other programs that are utilized by the server for making them available to the community and graciously agreeing to incorporate them into a public domain server. This work has been partially supported by NIH grants 5RO1GM067823, 5RO1AI055649 and R24 DK 064403. We also gratefully acknowledge the support from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. We would also like to thank Prakash Velayutham for his help in overcoming numerous technical issues during the implementation of the project, and Dr. Miroslaw Kordos for his assistance in protein interface mapping and analysis. Finally, we would like to thank all the users, who suffered from using early prototypes of POLYVIEW-3D, for their feedback and extremely helpful suggestions.
JM and AP conceived of the study and designed the server functionality. AP implemented the server and JM performed structure analysis for use as an example in the paper. Both authors drafted the manuscript, read and approved the final version.