Artykuł zawiera opis dwóch przypadków chorych z rozpoznaniem bardzo rzadko występujących nowotworów z blastycznych plazmacytoidalnych komórek dendrytycznych (blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms – BPDCN). BPDCN charakteryzują się koekspresją antygenów CD4 i CD56 przy braku ekspresji innych mieloidalnych lub limfoidalnych markerów liniowych, pierwotnym zajęciem skóry i wtórnym szpiku kostnego oraz agresywnym przebiegiem klinicznym. Rokowanie jest złe, szczególnie w przypadku leczenia konwencjonalną chemioterapią. Zgodnie z opublikowanymi danymi jedyną opcją terapeutyczną, która wydaje się poprawiać rokowanie w BPDCN jest intensywna chemioterapia skojarzona z allogenicznym przeszczepieniem macierzystych komórek hematopoetycznych.
In this paper we report two cases of very rare blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms (BPDCN). BPDCN are characterized by co-expression of CD4 and CD56 antigens in the absence of any specific myeloid or lymphoid lineage or markers, primary skin infiltrations followed by bone marrow involvement, and aggressive clinical course. The prognosis is poor, especially when treatment is based on conventional chemotherapy. According to published evidence the only treatment with some potential to improve BPDCN outcome is intensive chemotherapy consolidated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Słowa kluczowe: nowotwór z blastycznych plazmacytoidalnych komórek dendrytycznych, zaburzenia cytogenetyczne, chemioterapia.
Key words: blasticplasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, cytogenetic aberrations, chemotherapy.
A category of rare and aggressive haematologic tumors co-expressing CD4 and CD56 antigens in the absence of any specific myeloid, B-, T-lymphoid or natural killer (NK) lineage markers is classified as blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms (BPDCN) according to the most recent 2008 WHO classification of tumours of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (1). This is in line with the recent knowledge that BPDCN are derived from the precursors of plasmacytoid dentritic cells (2-4). However, in the past a number of different terms were used for BPDCN due to their uncommon immunophenotypic, histopathological and clinical features, including blastic NK leukemia/lymphoma, histiocytic lymphoma or histiocytic associated hematologic malignancy, cutaneous a granular CD4+ CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm and NK-cell lymphoma or myelo-monocytic precursor – related lymphoma (5-12).
BPDCN are diagnosed about three times more often among men than women, mainly in the elderly (median age at diagnosis at 7th decade of live) (5, 10). Till present the etiology of BPDCN has not been elucidated. Epstein Barr virus and HIV had been previously supposed to play a role in BPDCN pathogenesis, but later reports did not confirm their correlation to the disease development (5-12). Clinically, the typical initial presentation of BPDCN is presence of asymptomatic cutaneous lesions that are subsequently followed by bone marrow involvement and leukemic dissemination (5, 10). The disease is characterized by highly aggressive clinical course. Although BPDCN respond to different types of chemotherapy, the responses are usually of short duration, and disease is most often fatal within a few years from diagnosis (5, 10).
Despite rare incidence of BPDCN, numerous variations from typical clinicopathological picture of BPDCN have been reported, such as different extracutaneous manifestation, lack of skin involvement, immunophenotypic variants or other, making a diagnosis even more complicated (13-17). In this paper we report two cases of BPDCN diagnosed in our center with objective to increase clinical awareness for these rare and aggressive malignancies that seem to be underdiagnosed in Poland.
63-year old man was referred to the Department of Chemotherapy of Medical University of Łódź in April 2008 for evaluation of potentially malignant skin lesions. The history of B symptoms was negative. On examination, the skin lesions were found to be predominantly purpuric nodules, in association with bruise-like areas, and were distributed over the left forearm. The majority of the nodules ranged from 1 to 2 cm in diameter. The nodules were not painful on palpation and the temperature of the adjacent skin was normal. On the physical examination lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly or splenomagaly were excluded. The computed tomography scan of the chest and abdomen revealed no enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinum or retroperitoneum. The complete blood count (CBC) was normal.
On the basis of histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of the full-layer skin biopsy the diagnosis of BPDCN was established (fig. 1A-D). The skin was shown to be involved by dense, diffuse infiltration of blastic cells with irregular nuclei and one to a few nucleoli (fig. 1D).
Fig. 1. The histopathological features of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm infiltrating the skin in the case 1 (A, C) and case 2 (B, D). The infiltrates are dense and diffuse, save the epidermis (A) but deeply invade the adipose tissue (B and C). The blastic cells are medium-sized with variable shape of nuclei and various number of nucleoli; the mitotic figures are seen (D).
The epidermis was intact, while the infiltration was extended to subcutaneous fat (fig. 1 A, B, C). The variable number of mitoses was seen (fig. 1D). Immunohistochemical profile was determined as positive for LCA, CD4, CD43 and CD56, and negative for such lineage markers as CD3, CD8, CD20, CD30, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT) andgranzyme B. For differential diagnosis with other small blue round cell tumors staining with other markers were also performed, namely CD99 (-), CKMNF (-), CK20 (-), HMB45 (-), NSE-, TTF1 (-), CKAE1/AE3 (-), Melan A (-), Vimentin (+), and synaptophysin (-). Proliferative index of Ki -67 (MIB-1) reached 80%. Additionally, bone marrow aspiration was performed to exclude bone marrow involvement by BPDCN and shown normal marrow cytology. The treatment was based on standard chemotherapy protocol CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine and prednisone) protocol. The patient received seven CHOP cycles at 4-week intervals and achieved complete resolution of skin infiltrations.
In September 2008 the patient was referred to our center (Department of Hematology of Medical University of Łódź) due to suspicion of tumor relapse. Clinical examination disclosed reappearance of bluish-red nodular changes (diameter of 1 cm) on the left forearm and painful bulky lymph nodes in the right inguinal region (maximal dimensions of 10 and 6 cm). The history of B symptoms was negative. The liver and spleen were not palpable. CBC revealed mild anemia with hemoglobin concentration of 11 g/dl and normal white blood cells (WBC 4.11 x 10^3/ul) and platelets counts (PLT 234 x 10^3/ul). Skin lesion biopsy was performed and the histological and immunohistochemical examinations confirmed relapse of BPDCN. Immunophenotypig of tumor cells sampled through inguinal lymph node biopsy showed positive CD4, CD56, CD123 and BDCA-2 antigens with negative CD34 antigen and myeloid or lymphoid lineage specific antigens reflecting infiltration by BPDCN. Moreover, cells taken through inguinal lymph node biopsy were analyzed for cytogenetic abnormalities using 24-hours unstimulated culture and G-banding technique and karyotype was described according to the International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (18). This analysis revealed multiple cytogenetic aberrations with karyotype description as follows: 48-50, XY, +der(8)t(1;8)(q21;p11), del(10)(q2?2),+1~3mar[cp10]/46,XY. The aspirated bone marrow sample was normocellular with 33% erythroid precursors, 53% leucocytic precursors, 9.5% lymphocytes, 1.5% plasmocytes, 0.5% megakaryocytes and 1.5% monocytes. No atypical cells were found in the bone marrow during cytological inspection. The examination of cerebrospinal fluid did not reveal any abnormalities.
Since rapid disease recurrence was seen despite previously administered lymphoma-type chemotherapy, the treatment strategy was changed to intensive chemotherapy used in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). An induction regimen DAC-7 (daunorubicin, cytarabine, and cladribine) was administered without post-chemotherapy complications (19). Additionally, methotrexate, cytarabineand dexamethasone were delivered intrathecally as prophylaxis of central nervous system (CNS) involvement. However, only temporary partial response was achieved with partial resolution of skin infiltrations and reduction of the size of the inguinal lymph nodes to 3 cm.
In October 2008 the patient was admitted to the Department of Hematology with the symptoms of disease progression including appearance of new skin infiltrations on the scalp (diameter of 1,5-2 cm) and the enlargement of the right inguinal lymph nodes (maximal dimension 8 cm). The cerebrospinal fluid was normal with no atypical cells detected. Another line of chemotherapy based on CMC (cladribine, mitoxantrone and cyclophosphamide combination) regimen and intrathecal methotrexate, cytarabine and dexamethasone prophylaxis of CNS leukemic involvement was started (20).
Three weeks later, in November 2008, the patient was readmitted to our center because of BPDCN progression with worsening of general condition. Physical examination revealed numerous skin nodules on the scalp and limbs as well as further enlargement of the inguinal lymph nodes (diameter of 10 cm). CBC revealed pancytopenia (WBC 2.44 x 10^3/ul, Hgb 8.1 g/dl, PLT 12 x 10^3/ul) suggesting bone marrow involvement. However, the aspirated bone marrow was hypoplastic and trephine biopsy was not performed due to poor performance status of the patient. The initially administered treatment included combination of intravenous high-dose dexamethasone with low-dose methotrexate administered orally, and subsequently the patient was qualified to local palliative radiotherapy. However, the patient did not respond to the treatment and died in December 2008 due to disease progression.
A 82 year-old man was referred to our center in December 2011 because of abnormalities in the peripheral blood counts (leucopenia and anemia) and skin lesions. The asymptomatic skin infiltrations were first observed by the patients three weeks earlier. The patient complained of general weakness and dyspnea on physical exertion, but did not present any other specific symptoms. Additionally, he gave a history of chronic cardiac insufficiency, hypertension and stable coronary disease.
Physical examination on admission revealed multiple skin infiltrations located mainly in the abdomen area, shoulders and the upper and lower extremities. Skin lesions measured from one to three cm in diameter, were red color plaques and were not painful on palpation. Liver, spleen and lymph nodes were not enlarged on physical examination. An ultrasound of abdomen was normal. CBC revealed leucopenia with severe neutropenia (WBC of 1.55 G/L with 23% of neutrophils), significant anemia (RBC 2.88 x 103 G/L, Hb 8.2 g/dl) and normal platelets (PLT 147 G/L). There were no atypical cells identified on the blood film. Liver enzyme tests were normal. To explain the cause of cytopenias bone marrow aspiration was performed. Examination of aspirate showed normal cellularity with increased amount of collagen and reticulin fibers, however, no atypical cells were seen.
Histopathohological and immunohistochemical examination of the material from skin biopsy revealed features typical for diagnosis of BPDCN. There was infiltration of dermis with immature blasts with irregular nuclei and one to a few nucleoli showing positive staining with LCA, CD4 and CD56. The neoplastic cells were negative for CD3, CD8, CD20 and CD30 and TdT. In this case we also observed some subset of MPO positive cells (fig. 2B). Ki67 (MIB-1) was positive in 50-60% cells. The variable number of mitoses was seen (fig. 2A, B), and there was a high number of apoptotic bodies.
Fig. 2. Immunohistochemical features of blasticplasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. The tumor cells are strongly positive for CD56 antigen (Dako Denmark) (x 100) (A). In case 2 MPO (Dako Denmark) is also positive in part of cells (x 100) (B).
During first weeks of observation before treatment was introduced, the patient required several red blood cells transfusions, however, a spontaneous normalization of peripheral blood counts was subsequently observed. Due to advanced age and high risk of complications the patient was excluded from chemotherapy. The treatment was based on palliative long-term corticosteroid therapy with oral prednisone (20 mg daily). At the time of this report preparation (third month of therapy) the patient has remained stable with good general condition and normal peripheral blood counts, but no improvement of skin infiltrations has been observed.
Based on published case series and individual case reports BPDCN annual incidence is estimated at about 0.7% of all skin primary malignant lymphomas (1, 5, 10). In our large academic center only three patients were diagnosed with BPDCN during last decade including two rather typical cases described here and one very unusual leukemic variant without skin involvement that will be reported elsewhere (manuscript in preparation). It is therefore likely that some cases of BPDCN remain undiagnosed. This may be due to the fact that proper diagnosis of BPDCN requires complex and extensive immunohistochemical or/and genetic investigations in order to exclude other tumors, especially those that may express CD56 with or without concomitant CD4 expression, such as AML, extranodal T/NK lymphomas, nasal type, and mature T-cell lymphomas (1). The diagnosis is further complicated by the fact that numerous variations from the typical clinicopathological picture of BPDCN have been described (13-17). Furthermore, BPDCN often initially present as asymptomatic cutaneous nodules in very elderly patients that may delay referral to specialized hematology centers.
Both reported in this paper cases were elderly males that corresponds to the most commonly affected by BPDCN subset of population. However, BPDCN may occur at any age including children (5, 10). The initial clinical presentation of disease was typical with infiltration of the skin and subsequent involvement of the hematopoietic system, including bone marrow and lymph nodes. In our cases the diagnosis was established based on histopathological and immunophenotyping of tumour cells samples through full-layer skin biopsy. Generally, typical for BPDCN immunohistochemistry results were seen including positive CD4,CD56 antigens and negative lineage markers, but in one of patients MPO was positive in a proportion of cells. Such co-expression of myeloid markers was reported by others (13). Interestingly, one of our patients had complex karyotype aberrations. Also other authors reported complex chromosomal abnormalities in BPDCN, but no characteristic anomaly was identified (5-10).
Regarding treatment strategy, currently there is no standard therapy recommended for this rare group of neoplasms. One of our patients, who had not had significant contraindications to chemotherapy received four different lines of lymphoma-type and AML-type chemotherapy, but achieved responses were of very short duration and did not stop disease progression. The second patient was treated on palliative basis with corticosteroids. Poor efficacy of conventional chemotherapy observed in our patient is in line with published evidence showing that it may give temporary resolution of symptoms, but is not curative. Based on reported data, it seems that only early intensive chemotherapy, aggressive prevention of CNS infiltration, and prompt allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation may improve prognosis of patients with BPDCN (5, 10). It must be, however, underlined that such approach is rarely feasible in the context of typically advanced age of patients with this diagnosis. Nevertheless, the chance of post-transplantation relapse is much higher than with other malignant lymphomas, and more effective therapeutic strategies are needed.
In conclusion, we report two cases of very rare BPDCN that are very aggressive hematologic tumors characterized by co-expression of CD4 and CD56 antigens with absence of lineage markers and skin and bone marrow involvement. The prognosis on conventional chemotherapy is very poor, and the only treatment with potential to improve BPDCN outcome is intensive chemotherapy consolidated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
1. Swerdlow SH, Campo E, Harris NL et al.: WHO classification of tumours of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, Fourth Edition. 2008.
2. Petrella T, Comeau MR, Maynadié M et al.: 'Agranular CD4+ CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm' (blastic NK-cell lymphoma) originates from a population of CD56+ precursor cells related to plasmacytoid monocytes. Am J Surg Pathol 2002; 26: 852-862.
3. Jaye DL, Geigerman CM, Herling M et al.: Jones D. Expression of the plasmacytoid dendritic cell marker BDCA-2 supports a spectrum of maturation among CD4+ CD56+ hematodermic neoplasms. Mod Pathol 2006; 19: 1555-1562.
4. Urosevic M, Conrad C, Kamarashev J et al.: CD4+CD56+ hematodermic neoplasms bear a plasmacytoid dendritic cell phenotype. Hum Pathol 2005; 36: 1020-1024.
5. Jacob MC, Chaperot L, Mossuz P et al.: CD4+ CD56+ lineage negative malignancies: a new entity developed from malignant early plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Haematologica 2003; 88 (8): 941-955.
6. Herling M, Jones D: CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic tumor: the features of an evolving entity and its relationship to dendritic cells. Am J Clin Pathol 2007; 127: 687-700.
7. Kameoka J, Ichinohasama R, Tanaka M et al.: A cutaneous agranular CD2- CD4+ CD56+ "lymphoma": report of two cases and review of the literature. Am J Clin Pathol 1998; 110: 478-488.
8. Ascani S, Massone C, Ferrara G et al.: CD4-negative variant of CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm: description of three cases. J Cutan Pathol 2008; 35: 911-915.
9. Weaver J, Hsi ED: CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm (blastic NK-cell lymphoma). J Cutan Pathol 2008; 35: 975-977.
10. Cota C, Vale E, Viana I et al.: Cutaneous manifestations of blasticplasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm-morphologic and phenotypic variability in a series of 33 patients. Am J Surg Pathol 2010; 34: 75-87.
11. Pilichowska ME, Fleming MD, Pinkus JL, Pinkus GS: CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm ("blastic natural killer cell lymphoma"): neoplastic cells express the immature dendritic cell marker BDCA-2 and produce interferon. Am J Clin Pathol 2007; 128: 445-453.
12. Piña-Oviedo S, Herrera-Medina H, Coronado H et al.: CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm: presentation of 2 cases and review of the concept of an uncommon tumor originated in plasmacytoid dendritic cells expressing CD123 (IL-3 receptor alpha). Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2007; 15: 481-486.
13. Shiman M, Marchione R, Ricotti C et al.: CD4+/CD56+ Hematodermic neoplasm (plasmacytoid dendritic cell tumor). Dermatol Online J 2008; 15: 5.
14. Giagounidis AA, Heinsch M, Haase S, Aul C: Early plasmacytoid dendritic cell leukemia/lymphoma coexpressing myeloid antigenes. Ann Hematol 2004; 83: 716-721.
15. Li Y, Li Z, Lin HL et al.: Primary cutaneous blasticplasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm without extracutaneous manifestation: case report and review of the literature. Pathol Res Pract 2011; 207: 55-59.
16. Rauh MJ, Rahman F, Good D et al.: Blasticplasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm with leukemic presentation, lacking cutaneous involvement: Case series and literature review. Leuk Res 2012; 36: 81-86.
17. Stetsenko GY, McFarlane R, Kalus A et al.: CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm: report of a rare variant with a T-cell receptor gene rearrangement. J Cutan Pathol 2008; 35: 579-584.
18. Patel JL, Shetty S, Salama ME: An unusual case of cutaneous blasticplasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm with concomitant B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Am J Dermatopathol 2011; 33: 31-36.
19. Shaffer LG, Slovak ML, Campbell LJ: ISCN 2009: An International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (2009). Basel: S. Karger; 2009.
20. Holowiecki J, Grosicki S, Robak T et al.: Polish Adult Leukemia Group (PALG). Addition of cladribine to daunorubicin and cytarabine increases complete remission rate after a single course of induction treatment in acute myeloid leukemia. Multicenter, phase III study. Leukemia 2004; 18: 989-997.
21. Robak T, Blonski JZ, Gora-Tybor J et al.: Polish Leukemia Group (PALG CLL2). Cladribine alone and in combination with cyclophosphamide or cyclophosphamide plus mitoxantrone in the treatment of progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia: report of a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial of the Polish Adult Leukemia Group (PALG CLL2). Blood 2006; 108: 473-479.


VPN services on the Control Center are organized in VPN groups. Create VPN tunnels via drag and drop between two VPN services. To configure an IPv6 VPN tunnel, both VPN services must support IPv6.
To use the GTI Editor on the range or cluster level, enable Own VPN GTI Editor in the range or cluster Property Settings.
Configure the GTI Settings for the VPN services on the managed CloudGen Firewalls. For more information, see How to Configure VPN GTI Settings for a VPN Service.
To use Dyn Mesh go to the VPN Settings and verify that Disable Dyn Mesh is set to no for each VPN service.
VPN Groups contain the default setting for all VPN tunnels in the group and the list of VPN services used to create the tunnels.
Edit the default TINA settings.
Dynamic Mesh – Set to yes to use allow the VPN services to create on-demand IPv4 VPN tunnels. For more information, see How to Configure a Dynamic Mesh VPN with the GTI Editor.
Dynamic Mesh Timeout – Enter the number of seconds before a dynamic tunnel is shut down.
TI Bandwidth Protection – Set to use advanced Traffic Intelligence features such as Performance Based Transport Selection, or Adaptive Bandwidth Protection, For more information, see Traffic Intelligence.
WANOpt Policy – If you want to use WAN Optimization, select one of the policies from the drop-down list.
Default IP Version – Select the default IP version used when creating the VPN tunnels or adding transports. To use IPv6, both VPN services must support IPv6 VPN.
Hide in Barracuda Earth – Set to yes to not display these tunnels in Barracuda Earth. This also disables the tunnel icon on the Control Center status page.
Meshed – Set to yes to automatically create a static fully meshed VPN network.
Hub for this Group – If you already added VPN services to the Group, select the VPN hub.
(optional) Click Edit IPSec and edit the default IPsec settings.
The VPN group is now listed in the Groups tab.
Add the VPN services to the VPN group. If you are using the GTI editor on the range or cluster level, only add VPN services from the range or cluster you are in to the VPN group.
In the Group tab click on the VPN group. The VPN group name is displayed in the top status bar of the GTI map.
To display the available VPN services click Other on the top right.
Click Add to current Group. The VPN service is added to the map area below.
Create VPN tunnels by drag and dropping connections from one VPN service to the other. Per default the VPN service you start with is the active unit, the destination the passive unit. This can be changed in the tunnel configuration settings.
Click on the Server tab. In the GTI map area the VPN services icons in the VPN are displayed.
Create a VPN tunnel by drag and drop from the active VPN service to the passive VPN service. A line is displayed between the VPN services.
Click on the connection between the two VPN services and click on the transport you want to edit. Per default TINA VPN tunnels are created with one transport.
IP Version – Select IPv4 or IPv6. To use IPv6, both VPN services must support it.
Direction – You can create VPN tunnels using the following modes: active-active, active-passive, on-demand.
Transport Source IP/Interface – If needed you can modify the transport source IP.
Transport Listening IP/Interface – If needed you can modify the transport listening IP.
Local Network – If needed modify the networks that are available through this VPN tunnel.
You can view the collective state of all GTI VPN tunnels on the Status page of the Control Center.
You must create access rules on both firewalls involved in the VPN tunnel to allow traffic in and out of the VPN tunnel.
Bi-Directional – Select the check box.
Source – Select the network object for the BO1 LAN.
Destination – Select the network object for the HQ LAN.
You can use the GTI editor to configure a Dynamic Mesh. For more information, see How to Configure a Dynamic Mesh VPN with the GTI Editor.
You can use the GTI editor to configure additional transports using Traffic Intelligence. For more information, see How to Configure Traffic Intelligence Using the VPN GTI Editor.
You can use the GTI editor to configure Traffic Shaping for the VPN tunnels. For more information, see Traffic Shaping.


text:
New Web Tool Calculates Costs Of School Computer Networks
By Andrew Trotter — June 04, 2003 4 min read
Projecting the full cost of a large-scale computer network can be the makings of a school budget officer's splitting headache. But a new Web-based estimating tool could be a potential pain-reliever—and a money-saver.
The tool is a "total cost of ownership" calculator for school computer networks developed by Gartner Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based technology- research firm, which was paid to develop the tool under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
"'Total cost of ownership' seems pretty dry and mundane on the surface, but it is one of the most fundamental tools and metrics to help manage the budget with regard to technology," John P. Bailey, the Education Department's director of educational technology, said during a Web-cast and telephone conference with the news media held last month to introduce the calculator. "It gives you a 360-degree view of a technology system."
In a method similar to those businesses use to project the cost of their technologies, the Web-based tool offers questionnaires that define key educational technology expenses, along with four detailed case studies that districts can use to relate their size, type, and technology strategies to the likely costs.
The main cost areas are network hardware and software; technology support, namely the salaries and expenses of the people who keep the technology running; and indirect support costs, which are mostly incurred by teachers or other users who troubleshoot computer problems or maintain parts of the system even though it's not in their job descriptions.
School districts' reliance on those mostly hidden, informal experts is one of several problems not usually found in businesses, said Sara Fitzgerald, the project director for the Washington-based Consortium for School Networking, known as COSN. Ms. Fitzgerald, who is also the vice president of Funds for Learning Inc., an educational technology consulting firm, has organized meetings to raise awareness among educators about the concept of total cost of ownership.
As it is, she said, many districts suffer from a lack of standardization of equipment, a deficiency that multiplies and complicates problems for managing networks. And, Ms. Fitzgerald said during the teleconference, many districts don't provide adequate training for users and have haphazard inventories of their network equipment.
Improvements in all those areas could save districts money and give them better data about the costs of their networks, officials said.
"School districts know that when you buy a school bus, you also have to budget for gasoline, maintenance and repairs, a driver—or it just sits there and doesn't get used," said Keith R. Krueger, COSN's executive director, in the teleconference. "It's the same with technology," he said, noting that networks require spending on software applications, utilities, user support, staff development, and replacement and upgrades of components.
Seeking Data Clarity
The calculator project has 17 corporate sponsors, which will pay for dissemination of the new tool, but Mr. Krueger underscored in an interview that the tool is "vendor neutral."
School officials can use the "total cost of ownership" calculator on the Web at www.classroomtco.org, where they can save and update their data.
But the exercise is not something they can breeze through in an afternoon. Completing the questionnaire will require some combing of district records and probably new inventories and surveys of users. The tool is free, but users must enter their district's identification number from the National Center for Education Statistics.
The case studies offered for comparison are of four school districts that were partners in the project: the 49,000-student suburban Alpine district, near Salt Lake City; the 2,436- student Northern Lebanon, Pa., district; the 140,000-student San Diego, Calif., schools; and the rural 4,000-student Alexandria, Minn., school system. More districts will be added in future years.
Sally Bair, Northern Lebanon's technology facilitator, said the tool has already "paid a dividend" to the district.
"It was helpful to us for securing additional support staff," she said. "We saw a glaring weakness [in the number of support staff], and the board decided to fund it."
Organizers said the calculator would become more refined, accurate, and useful as districts complete several rounds of surveys, leading to a better collection of data.
"In general, you'll see more clarity of the data ... as you continue to collect it on an ongoing basis," said Bill Corrington, a vice president of Gartner.
Technology officials were wary of one possible use of the tool: to justify budget cuts.
Mr. Bailey of the Education Department emphasized that "it's not a cost-cutting tool but a cost management tool."
The tool could have other uses, too, he said, such as studying a district's "return on investment" in technology or validating new uses of technology.
"It's going to be important not only from the management side, but from the research and development side as well," Mr. Bailey predicted.
Andrew Trotter
was an assistant editor for Education Week.
Education Funding 6 Lawsuits That Could Shake Up How States Pay for Schools
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David Sciarra, stepping down as head of the Education Law Center, says states have been let off the hook in the push for education equity.
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text:
Have Sanctions Against Russia Failed?
By Polina Popova
Any sanctions that target the world's 8th largest economy will complicate the global economic landscape as a whole.
"A new Cold War" is upon us, beckoned former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev earlier in November as he was standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate during a symposium that was meant to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. Echoing this harsh statement, Russian artillery and tanks rolled again in lockstep into eastern Ukraine, putting to rest the long-touted ceasefire. Eight months after the first round of sanctions were imposed against Russian actors, and with no end in sight for solving the Ukraine situation, it's time to take a critical look at what their effects have been so far.
Historically, it has been proven that sanctions are a multipurpose tool that oftentimes yields unpredictable results. George Friedman, chairman of the think tank Stratfor, underlined that the purpose of sanctions "is to induce behavioral changes in a target state by causing economic pain [but in order] to work, sanctions must cause pain." In Russia's case, the behavioral change was outlined by the EU in a directive that sanctions are intended to penalize Moscow for its "illegal annexation of Crimea and deliberate destabilization of Ukraine."
But have the sanctions inflicted enough pain on Russia's economy to ensure that behavioral change? So far, the evidence is mixed.
No Dramatic Impact
As the ruble took a plummet last week amid the Russian Central Bank's announcement that it would no longer be spending its reserve dollars to prop up the currency, it appears that Putin has begun to embark on internal policy adjustments. Rather than abruptly spending the country's foreign currency reserves, the "Kremlin has decided to hold its fire" as it seeks to save its reserves for the long run. This change goes to show that Vladimir Putin is preparing for a drawn out battle as he refuses to let go of Ukraine and aims to keep the country's reserves for the storm looming over the horizon.
Sanctions aren't enough to sway the intentions of KGB-trained Putin, begging the question of the impact their continued use will have for European economies.
Russia's economy does indeed appear to be heading down a grim path, with analysis showing that falling oil prices, high inflation, capital flight and lack of funding from Western markets are bound to be a recipe for disaster. Inflation has already reached 8%, while prices on certain staples have risen as much as 30%. This inflation is a worrying factor for many Russians, who had lived through the hyperinflation that prevailed after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Regardless, the view of the sanctions amongst the Russian public clearly differs from that of the West. Ordinary Russians increasingly feel that the West has embarked on a mission to undermine Russia as a nation on the international arena. Rather than venting anger over Putin's foreign policy and its repercussions on the economy, the president's approval ratings remain high at 79%, up from their all time low of 53% prior to the annexation of Crimea, according to the Levada Center. A representative of the polling center has underlined that newfound trust in the president and the "organs of power" has come about largely due to Moscow's "management" of the crisis in Ukraine. In fact, a large part of the population supports the idea that Western sanctions will encourage economic growth and development at home while strengthening Russia's economic position in the long run. Evgeni Yacin, of the National Research University and Higher School of Economics, goes even further to contend that the only goal of the sanctions – to portray Russia as an evil force – has already been achieved and the policy of the Russian Federation should now be to search for internal drivers of growth.
Moreover, the hopes that Putin's food embargo on European imports will cause internal dissatisfaction have failed to materialize. Much of these Western products are rather expensive in relation to the average Russian's salary. A "middle class" Russian single child household with two working parents has an income of anywhere between $12,000 and $30,000 a year. While $30,000 can certainly be a considerable sum outside of Russia's main cities considering lower living expenses, $12,000 a year is certainly not enough for the average family to indulge in imported Western delicacies that cost significantly more than Russian products and are not widely available outside major urban centers.
And if sanctions were intended to punish those wealthy Russians that live off Western goods, recent reports provide ways to bypass the embargo. For example, companies can register in Belarus and import Western goods into Russia through the Customs Union. Meanwhile, Russia is building its trade relations with Latin America, Turkey and Asia, which have slowly gained a foothold on the Russian market, raising the prospect that Europe could be permanently displaced from Russian shelves in the future.
Attacks on Putin's inner circle have also failed to materialize into any real policy change. Arkady Rotenberg, a businessman hit by the sanctions regime in March, as well as state oil giant Rosneft and Sberbank, have all taken their complaints to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) seeking to overturn sanctions. Rotenberg, whose assets in Italy have been seized, has stated that while sanctions have failed to have any "dramatic impact" on his life, he feels unjustly targeted. Given the lack of sufficient evidence provided by the EU when imposing sanctions, it is hardly clear how it plans to link Russian companies and individuals to Moscow's actions in Ukraine, leaving it powerless to defend its decision against those who have increasingly begun to claim that EU sanctions "may begin to lose their punch."
Despite dark forecasts of Russia's economic future, Putin would rather look for opportunities to minimize the impact of the sanctions on the country by looking to other markets. The Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's recent visit to Moscow indicates that such a strategy has already begun to take shape, as Russia turns to China for funds and investment. On October 13, a variety of issues were agreed upon including a deal to swap $25 billion in Chinese yuan for Russian rubles over the next three years, and to encourage trade by a newly provided credit line to Russia's development bank, Vnesheconombank, by China's Export-Import Bank. Further deals on weapons are to be reached in the near future, indicating that with Western doors closed off, Russia is looking to China for the long haul.
Sanctions aren't enough to sway the intentions of KGB-trained Putin, begging the question of the impact their continued use will have for European economies. While the US is hardly phased by sanctions, given its much smaller trade with the Russian state, Europe's already rattled economies are far more intertwined as the eurozone did 12 times more trade with Russia than the US in 2013.
So far, Russia's response to the sanctions has been defiant. Speaking prior to the G20 summit in Australia, Putin continued to call them illegal as they violate international law.
The Kremlin's retaliatory measures have particularly taken a toll on Europe's farmers, driving down prices and creating a surplus of European fruit and vegetables. A third of EU's agricultural products were sold to Russia last year, causing uproar amongst farmers who are increasingly frustrated by having to pay the price for Europe's policies. As French farmers flung manure at government buildings, Italian farmers, who sold €72 million worth of fruits and vegetables to Russia, are also angry over their loss of investment in the country and the lack of space for its goods on the European market. While the situation is less than ideal for Russia, Europe is hardly experiencing prosperous times.
Despite Russia's creeping recession and the EU's poor growth, Ukraine is by far the greatest loser in this battle between east and west. While sanctions were intended to punish Russia's actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, today it is Ukraine that is edging towards economic collapse with its GDP predicted to shrink 9% this year. While keen to inflict pain on Russia, the US and EU have failed to provide the necessary backing to ensure the survival for Ukraine and has offered it "a façade of support with little substance behind it," according to George Soros.
In order to alleviate the economic pain the country will face, the West needs to provide Ukraine with a minimum cash injection of $20 billion to save the country from collapse. However, in the US, but particularly in the EU, there is hardly enough money or political will to come up with the funds to prop Ukraine. As France's ambassador to the US, Gérard Araud, stated, "Putin has won because we were not ready to die for Ukraine." Any meaningful rescue package would have to involve Russia and China, an agreement that seems unlikely to happen in the near future.
So far, Russia's response to the sanctions has been defiant. Speaking prior to the G20 summit in Australia, Putin continued to call them illegal as they violate international law. While the situation for the Russian economy is certainly far from perfect, the country has thus far managed to avoid a recession. A falling ruble has helped domestic manufacturers and will boost (dollar dominated) oil revenues. The country has enough reserves to sustain the damage from sanctions in the short term, as oil exports still provide a steady stream of revenue. Nevertheless, in the medium term Russia will suffer structural economic problems, as the sanctions regime will undermine its technological modernization and will seriously slash its future growth prospects.
The deal with China will provide much needed short-term funding for the Russian state, but as gas remains the main topic of conversation, the country's overreliance on natural resources could bring about a serious case of the Dutch disease. Moscow's strategy so far has been to find Band-Aid solutions to its most immediate economic problems, pivoting to Asia and bolstering internal production.
But with Europe's economy in the doldrums and Ukraine on the brink of financial recession, Russia is not the only one to bear the brunt of Western sanctions. Russia today remains the 8th largest economy in the world and any sanctions that target its wealth will complicate the global economic landscape as a whole.
Moreover, sanctions on Russia have created a serious rift among Western analysts: John Mearsheimer, a respected academic, has expressed his disagreement with sanctioning Russia, claiming that "the United States and its European allies share most of the responsibility for the crisis." As both blocs continue down their preset path, aloof one from the other, maybe Gorbachev was right: A new Cold War seems to be upon us indeed.
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CategoriesAsia Pacific, Europe, Opinion, Politics TagsChina, EU, Russia, Sanctions, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin
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Syncretism in Religion is a selection of essays for students and scholars on the many phenomena that come under the heading of 'syncretism'. It is a volume committed to solving the problems of syncretism instead of abolishing the category, which has for so long been controversial in scholarship. The selection is mainly theoretically oriented in order to get behind the many problems in the debate. Introductions to the sections of the volume separate the different issues of syncretism, as presented in the essays, into different levels of analysis. This gives the reader a clear view of the complex history and the problems of the subject, as well as a key by which to examine the subject. The volume concludes with an analytical model that advances a new theory of syncretism. The general introduction and the conclusion form 'a book in the book' which will increase its utility in classroom use. The selection represents the classical contributions and issues as well as some less well known. Some important contributions appear for the first time in English and some are of the essay are new and have been commissioned for this book. Included is a list of references for further reading in addition to the references that accompany each essay. Anyone with an interest in religious and cultural history, contact and change will benefit greatly from reading the important essays in Syncretism in Religion.


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What Is Native Advertising & Does It Actually Work?
It's no secret, newspapers are struggling as their audiences transition from print to digital content consumption. Black humour in the newsroom refers to the obituary columns as the "subscriber countdown." With print revenue on a steady decline, and digital display revenue struggling to fill the void, new solutions are required.
Enter native ads
The concept of native advertising has been around for a long time. In the publishing industry it took the form of advertorials or sponsored content. Recently, online native ads have moved far beyond the advertorial, blurring the lines between content and advertising. Investment in the format is soaring: Business Insider predicts that spending on native ads will reach $7.9 billion this year and grow to $21 billion in 2018. On the mobile front, Facebook is gaining significant market share with its native ad strategy; it is predicted to claim 21.7% of the $31.45 billion dollar mobile ad market in 2014. Digital publishers who rely primarily on display advertising revenue may be leaving money on the table by not exploring this revenue stream.
Unlike traditional ads, native ads are displayed in the context of the user's experience. These ads match the look and feel of surrounding content, making them less intrusive and increasing the likelihood that readers will click through.
"Heatmaps from eyetracking studies: The areas where users looked the most are colored red; the yellow areas indicate fewer views, followed by the least-viewed blue areas. Gray areas didn't attract any fixations. Green boxes were drawn on top of the images after the study to highlight the advertisements." — Image and caption from Nielsen Norman Group
This type of advertising is gaining popularity because traditional display ads don't drive enough engagement. Users have developed "banner blindness," ignoring anything on the page that looks like an ad. Those ads displayed in the content area fare slightly better — the reader has to at least scroll past them — but anything anchored in the header or sidebar is often ignored. Native advertising goes a step further to combat banner blindness by making ads feel more like content.
Top three formats for native advertising
In-Feed Units – Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo
These units appear within a list of content and are generally the same size or larger than an actual block of content. In-Feed native ads are especially effective on mobile where the user is scanning a single column of content.
Recommendation Widgets – Outbrain, Taboola, Disqus
A list of recommended stories usually placed in the footer of an article, often linking to external websites.
Paid Search Units – Google, Bing, Yahoo
Presented in the same form as organic search results at the top of the list.
Creating native ads
As shown in the examples above, native advertising can take many forms. Traditional native ads, like sponsored content and advertorials, can often be created in-house or by partnering with the advertising customer. But there are also platforms which specifically focus on native advertising.
Sharethrough is a good example. It connects publications with those promoting their content, and streamlines the process of embedding native ads into a digital property. The platform touts its focus on quality content and the ease of matching a site or app's visual design.
As lucrative as native advertising can be, there are dangers to avoid when implementing them. The main criticism is that the very nature of native advertising erodes the principals of independent journalism. HBO's John Oliver slams the ad format, likening the separation of news and advertising to the separation of guacamole and Twizzlers, "Separately they're good, but if you mix them together, somehow you make both of them really gross."
Traditionally, large publishers have a dedicated commercial editorial team that only writes sponsored content. This has helped to ensure separation between the editorial and advertising departments. But advertising departments have always pushed to enlist the storytelling skills of the newsroom to benefit their customers. To some extent, native advertising is what happens when those in the advertising department get their way.
Journalistic integrity is important, but news organizations are businesses. Bryan Goldberg of PandoDaily puts this in perspective well in his article "The separation of 'church and state' in publishing". His argument is simple: journalists can't stand on integrity and expect everyone else to magically solve all monetization issues. Times change, and publishers need everyone on the team working together toward success. For a publication to continue producing high-quality journalism, it has to be able to pay its staff. In an age where it's becoming more difficult to convince readers to pay for news, native advertising is a reasonable way forward.
Reader benefits
Native ads aren't good news for advertisers alone. By definition, native ads are less intrusive than many other forms of advertising; specifically, pop-overs or banners which constantly overlay content. If organizations can find ways to replace these more annoying ad types with native advertising, they can increase user engagement. A more engaged user will read greater amounts of content, which increases the number of ads impressions.
More than that, native advertising collaborations can lead to interesting and well received content which readers are more likely to share. For example, The Onion partnered with H&R Block to create this humorous piece poking fun at tax form procrastinators. More famously, The New York Times partnered with Netflix to create an extremely well researched and heavily shared article about women inmates. Ads like these are significantly more valuable to readers, not to mention that they are timeless.
Native advertising checklist
Here are some key points to keep in mind when implementing a native ad campaign:
Clear disclosure
It's extremely important that the reader understand when a piece of content is sponsored. A fine line exists between ads that fit in well with content and ads that are disguised as content. Ads that look like content are more noticeable than display units, but are better accepted by users if they're clearly flagged as advertising. If ads are disguised too well they will quickly incite rage and discredit your product. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) recommends that "Regardless of context, a reasonable consumer should be able to distinguish between what is paid advertising vs. what is publisher editorial content."
For native ads to pay off, the content must also be relevant to the reader. Google doesn't just throw random ads in your search results. The ads are based on your search terms and are flagged clearly with an "Ad" label. Unrelated or low quality native ads displayed beside high quality content will only lower the reader's opinion of that content creator's brand. If native ads are to fit in better with your content, they should be treated with a similar level of editorial stringency. It's essential to maintain ad relevance and quality so readers aren't left with a bad experience.
Measure and adjust
When adding native ads to your publication, you need to strike the right balance between advertising and reader concerns. The only way to do this is to vigilantly measure your audience's attitude. If possible, split test a segment of your audience. This allows you to measure how native ads affect engagement metrics like time-on-site. If a partner is providing low quality ads, or the ads aren't relevant, you need to know as soon as possible to avoid losing readers.
Native advertising works, and those taking advantage of it are seeing the rewards. That said, you need to balance journalistic integrity with the increased revenue these ads can provide. The key is to put the reader first, and carefully measure sentiment. Cluttering your property with low quality or poorly targeted ads might force your readers elsewhere, losing you money in the long term. But this format can make a huge difference for organisations who can find the right partners, or who develop ads in-house. There's never been a better time to go native.
Are you a publisher looking to enhance your digital strategy? Last year, MindSea partnered with The Chronicle Herald to redesign and redevelop their iOS app. The app went on to be recognized by Apple in their Best of 2013 category, and was awarded second place in the International News Media Association Awards. We also developed the Android and iOS apps for the Postmedia Network. If we've piqued your interest, you can get started now with our App Design Guide or get full details on our approach and pricing with a quick email to hello@mindsea.com.
Learn how to effectively monetize your digital content with these breakthrough strategies!
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Where Urban Meets Farm: Cooking Up Community
Community kitchens nourish body, mind and spirit.
by Jodi HelmerJanuary 18, 2016
Photo courtesy of Fresh Choice Kitchens
Community kitchens can work in small spaces by using some creative solutions. Here, a table near the kitchen is being used to prepare apple crisps.
When Daniela Geleva arrives in the industrial kitchen on the campus of Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Wash., the stainless steel countertops are piled high with boxes of apples and bunches of rhubarb. Within hours, a small group wearing green aprons and wielding kitchen knives has chopped the fruit and greens and mixed a topping of brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. The aroma of fresh rhubarb-apple cobbler fills the air.
With dessert in the oven, the group begins noshing on salad and made-from-scratch asparagus-leek-and-potato soup. "To see the transformation from raw produce to a fulfilling meal is very empowering," Geleva says.
Though it looks like a home-economics classroom, the cooks in this kitchen are not students earning credit for their efforts. Instead, this group of Seattle residents has come together as members of a community kitchen to cook, share a meal and connect over their commitment to fresh, local foods.
Breaking Bread, Building Relationships
Get Cookin' Yourself
If you are interested in starting a community kitchen in your neighborhood, Diane Collis, program manager of Fresh Choice Kitchens, a Canadian nonprofit organization providing resources and support to community kitchens throughout North America, offers these suggestions:
SPREAD THE WORD: Hang posters in cafés, recreation centers, food co-ops and other neighborhood gathering spots describing community kitchens and encouraging residents to participate. Facebook and Twitter also offer opportunities to spread the word without spending big bucks.
CALL A FIRST MEETING: Explain the purpose of a community kitchen, and solicit feedback from prospective members about their interests. Will it be a vegetarian kitchen? A kitchen focused on raw foods? The first meeting is also the time to brainstorm where to hold your community kitchen (community centers, churches and high-school home-economics classrooms are good choices) and decide the best dates and times for meetings.
DECIDE ON RECIPES AND GROCERIES: Scheduling a second meeting to prep for the first community kitchen will give the group time to choose recipes, prepare grocery lists and plan shopping trips. Be sure to choose recipes that meet the needs of the entire group and are simple enough to prepare without expensive ingredients or special kitchen equipment. When choosing recipes, keep cooking times in mind, and remember not to overbook the stovetop or oven!
CREATE A FINANCIAL PLAN: The group needs to decide how to handle community-kitchen finances. Some groups will agree to bring a set amount of grocery money each time they plan recipes and grocery lists (keeping in mind the budgets of their members). The designated grocery shopper(s) collects the money in good faith to purchase supplies. If money is leftover, it can be put into a kitty to offset the cost of more expensive recipes or used to purchase supplies, such as knives and cutting boards.
START COOKING: After you've secured a space, decided on recipes and completed the shopping, it's time to come together to prepare a meal. Divvy up the tasks (it's a good idea to assign a small group to each recipe), review the recipes and dive in!
EVALUATE: After a few cooking sessions, ask participants for feedback about the process and tweak as necessary.
Community kitchens unite foodies who want to cook, share meals and support local farmers with their neighbors. Members often meet at local farmers markets or food co-ops to shop for fresh produce before heading to kitchens in schools, church basements and community centers to prepare and share meals.
"A community kitchen is a place for people to get together to share skills and cook from scratch," explains Diane Collis, program manager for Fresh Choice Kitchens, a nonprofit organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that provides resources and support to community kitchens throughout Canada and the United States.
Fresh Choice Kitchens, arguably the largest community-kitchen resource in North America, is aware of 335 community kitchens operating in British Columbia alone; Collis estimates that the actual number of kitchens in the province easily triples that.
"The political food agenda and desire to 'go green' are pushing the community-kitchen movement forward," she says.
The modern community kitchen got its start in Lima, Peru, in the late 1970s, after drastic cuts to public food subsidies, according to a United Nations Research Institute for Social Development paper, Gender and Urban Social Movements (Lind and Farmelo, 1996).
Currently, the movement has spread to Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Elsewhere in the United States, the term often refers to soup kitchens or other community food programs that serve the poor. Overcoming the perception that community kitchens offer handouts to those in need has been a struggle, according to Collis.
"It's not a program for the poor; community kitchens are for anyone interested in food, sustainability and good health," she says. "Even though the focus is on cooking, community kitchens are about building community."
Engaging with the community was one of the reasons Geleva started participating in community kitchens in 2010. "I love to cook, but it's a lot more enjoyable to cook in community," she says.
Many hands make a main course of tofu meatballs — a quick and easy recipe that is suitable and adaptable for gluten-free diets.
Stocking the refrigerator with healthy dishes that she cooked in the community kitchen was an added benefit for Geleva. "You can go and cook for a few hours and have food for an entire week," she says, noting that most groups prepare enough food to allow members to take leftovers home. "That was appealing to me."
In fact, the entire community-kitchen model appealed to Geleva. After participating in several community kitchens, she decided to start one at SPU, where she is an associate professor of food and nutrition.
Like most community kitchens, the SPU kitchen, which launched in April 2011, focuses its monthly sessions on preparing dishes made from seasonal, locally sourced produce; ingredients are chosen with cost in mind — there is no truffle oil or foie gras on the menu — and the dishes can be easily recreated at home with basic kitchen equipment. While the group, which ranges from four to 22 participants, slices, dices, stirs and simmers, relationships form across stovetops.
"The food is a big draw, but people come back to community kitchens for the relationships," says Rachel Duboff, who began participating at Wallingford Community Kitchen in Seattle in 2009. "While soup is simmering, people are getting to know one another. Community kitchens are social events."
As one of the larger community kitchens in Seattle, the Wallingford Community Kitchen, which is held at the Wallingford Community Senior Center at the Good Shepherd Center, draws an average of 20 participants to its monthly sessions — though Duboff has seen upward of 45 people.
While the focus is on cooking with seasonal produce and sharing a communal meal, the kitchen often hosts special events or plans themed menus, such as Dumplings from Around the World and a "canning kitchen," which focused on food preservation. Duboff believes that adding an educational component to some of the kitchens helps keep participants engaged.
"Everyone has a different reason for being there," she explains. "Some people want to escape the isolation of eating alone; others want to learn new recipes and skills. Some members have a lot of experience in the kitchen, and others are new to cooking."
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Jodi Helmer is a North Carolina-based writer covering food and farming topics. Her work has appeared in Hobby Farms, Modern Farmer, E: The Environmental Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Hemispheres and Entrepreneur among others. When she's not writing, she tosses balls for her rescue dogs, Molly, Milo, Roxie, Noelle, and Sampson; grows vegetables; and raises bees (and tries to keep her dogs from stealing strawberries and honey).
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A Sydney man accused of burning his wife to death would taunt her because she couldn't have a baby, her sister has told his murder trial. Gurvinder Kaur said when her sister visited the family in India she had a bruise on her thigh and her stomach and revealed that her husband had kicked her in the belly. Kulwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering his wife Parwinder Kaur, 32, in December 2013. She sustained burns to 90 per cent of her body in the petrol-fuelled blaze at their Rouse Hill home. The Crown alleges Singh was responsible for her death, but he told police "she did it to herself" while he was upstairs. Under cross-examination on Thursday, Ms Kaur denied making up her evidence that she had seen bruises on her sister, that they were caused by her husband and that he also swore at her. "I suggest she never told you she was taunted by this man's family or Kulwinder Singh about not having a baby," his barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, said. "My sister was always taunted in that house, in both houses," Ms Kaur replied, speaking through a Punjabi interpreter. The sisters' father, Jagat Singh, told the jury he and his wife visited their daughter Parwinder and her husband in Sydney in October 2013. On their departure date, he saw Singh "holding her arm and pulling it and swearing". She did not go to the airport to see them off. "She wanted to come but wasn't let by Kulwinder," he said, speaking through a Punjabi interpreter. Ms Cunneen showed Mr Singh a 2013 photo which she said showed the "pleasantness" between him and his son-in-law, but Mr Singh denied that the photo depicted his son-in-law. She also presented a document which she said showed Singh had sent money to his father-in-law in India. "I don't need money. I have enough money," he replied. The trail is continuing. Australian Associated Press
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/63b02fe6-8701-48a1-baa7-7dd04783e8b0.jpg/r0_74_800_526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Man 'taunted wife about not having baby'
Margaret Scheikowski
Jagat Singh's daughter Parwinder Kaur died after sustaining burns to 90 per cent of her body.
A Sydney man accused of burning his wife to death would taunt her because she couldn't have a baby, her sister has told his murder trial.
Gurvinder Kaur said when her sister visited the family in India she had a bruise on her thigh and her stomach and revealed that her husband had kicked her in the belly.
Kulwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering his wife Parwinder Kaur, 32, in December 2013.
She sustained burns to 90 per cent of her body in the petrol-fuelled blaze at their Rouse Hill home.
The Crown alleges Singh was responsible for her death, but he told police "she did it to herself" while he was upstairs.
Under cross-examination on Thursday, Ms Kaur denied making up her evidence that she had seen bruises on her sister, that they were caused by her husband and that he also swore at her.
"I suggest she never told you she was taunted by this man's family or Kulwinder Singh about not having a baby," his barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, said.
"My sister was always taunted in that house, in both houses," Ms Kaur replied, speaking through a Punjabi interpreter.
The sisters' father, Jagat Singh, told the jury he and his wife visited their daughter Parwinder and her husband in Sydney in October 2013.
On their departure date, he saw Singh "holding her arm and pulling it and swearing".
She did not go to the airport to see them off.
"She wanted to come but wasn't let by Kulwinder," he said, speaking through a Punjabi interpreter.
Ms Cunneen showed Mr Singh a 2013 photo which she said showed the "pleasantness" between him and his son-in-law, but Mr Singh denied that the photo depicted his son-in-law.
She also presented a document which she said showed Singh had sent money to his father-in-law in India.
"I don't need money. I have enough money," he replied.
The trail is continuing.


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text:
Pensioner died following fall at home, Pembrokeshire coroner hears
Letterston pensioner died following fall, inquest hears
By Court reporter
Mrs Phillips died at Withybush Hospital folllowing a fall at home, the inquest heard
A Letterston pensioner died following a fall at home, an inquest heard on Wednesday, January 12.
Margaret Anne Phillips was born in Letterston. She worked as a telephonist and then at the Unigate cheese factory in Haverfordwest until she retired 30 years ago.
She married in 1962 and lived with her husband in Letterston.
Coroner's officer, Lisa Jenkins told the hearing that 82-year-old Mrs Phillips suffered from deteriorating eyesight. She had undergone a cataract operation but there had been no improvement.
As she got older, she became unsteady on her feet and had a walking frame but didn't like to use it.
Why do newspapers cover inquests and how do they work?
The inquest heard that, on June 23 last year, she fell in the bathroom and was taken to Withybush Hospital.
She had several falls following this where she was admitted to hospital, and on release had nurses calling to the home.
On August 4 last year she had a fall in the living room of her home and was admitted to hospital with a haematoma and having suffered a seizure.
A neurosurgeon from Cardiff was contacted by the hospital, but the decision was made to refer Mrs Phillips to the palliative care team.
She died at Withybush Hospital the following day, the inquest heard.
A report from the resident practitioner at the hospital gave the primary causes of death as a subdual haematoma and a fall.
Pembrokeshire coroner, Paul Bennett, concluded that Mrs Phillips died from the effects of a subdural haematoma, sustained during a fall at her home. He expressed his condolences to Mrs Phillips' family at their loss.


What groups do you belong to? Professional, community, school, etc??
Why do you belong to them? How long have you belonged to them?
What do they do for you? Do you participate or merely show up from time to time?
Obviously, you have thousands of organizations out there today that you can belong to. How do you choose?
I generally choose because of the leadership, the mission, the members that are involved. Ten years ago I joined an organization called eWomenNetwork because of it's two founders, Sandra and Kym Yancey, who were just beginning this new organization that was only going to be on the web – I loved them as the leadership, believed in their mission to connect women all over the world by having a website where they could find one another sorted by their areas of interest or geography and I knew the membership would be great because it would be other terrific women.
After 10 years not only have I met an unbelievable group of women but the organization changed after a couple of years of being on the web when they continued to have women ask them if they could get together in person.
We love a down economy; everything is on sale!!
When you think no one cares about you – skip a payment.
Universe never shows up early or late….it is always right on time.
Believe what you see; see what you believe.
Don't need to adopt others way but adapt in a way that honors yourself.
Your fortune is in the future because of follow-up.
Just a quick note to let you know your article "How To Create A Win-Win-Win Sales Strategy" was nominated as a top ten sales article this week on Top 10 Sales Articles website.
Imagine that! I submit articles to Salesopedia.com and then Salesopedia nominates me for a "Top 10″ article and then we both get recognized over on another site! That's network marketing on the web.
Want to take a peek? Go there now!
Got a great sales story? Email me!


text:
1/1200 USS Arizona Detail Set (NO BLAST BAGS)
Harristotle's Miniatures
Choose a Material Smooth Fine Detail Plastic - $32.00 Smoothest Fine Detail Plastic - $50.00
This is the detail set to build a 1/1200 USS Arizona, as she would have appeared in 1941. PLEASE NOTE This set has main guns without blast bags. Please check my store if you desire the set WITH blast bags
"USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship built for and by the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th state's recent admission into the union, the ship was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of "super-dreadnought" battleships. Although commissioned in 1916, the ship remained stateside during World War I. Shortly after the end of the war, Arizona was one of a number of American ships that briefly escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. The ship was sent to Turkey in 1919 at the beginning of the Greco-Turkish War to represent American interests for several months. Several years later, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and remained there for the rest of her career.
Aside from a comprehensive modernization in 1929–1931, Arizona was regularly used for training exercises between the wars, including the annual Fleet Problems (training exercises). When an earthquake struck Long Beach, California, on 10 March 1933, the Arizona's crew provided aid to the survivors. In July 1934, the ship was featured in a James Cagney film, Here Comes the Navy, about the romantic troubles of a sailor. In April 1940, she and the rest of the Pacific Fleet were transferred from California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japanese imperialism.
Arizona was bombed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. After a bomb detonated in a powder magazine, the battleship exploded violently and sank, with the loss of 1,177 officers and crewmen. Unlike many of the other ships sunk or damaged that day, Arizona was irreparably damaged by the force of the magazine explosion, though the Navy removed parts of the ship for reuse. The wreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. Dedicated on 30 May 1962 to all those who died during the attack, the memorial straddles but does not touch the ship's hull."
Main Superstructure (1 piece)
Aft Mast/Superstructure (1 piece)
Cranes (2 pieces)
Aft gun tubs (2 pieces)
5" 51 Secondary Gun (8 pieces)
Main Guns without blast bags (4 pieces)
Fire Control Directors (2 pieces)
Range Finder (1 piece)
Searchlights (8 pieces)
Funnel Assembly (1 piece)
26' Motor Boat (2 pieces)
30' Sail Boat (2 pieces)
40' Motor Launch (4 pieces)
Cutting template for 5" 51 brass barrels (Part of Sprue)
Fine Detail Plastic is delicate and brittle, please handle with care, and always use a sharp exacto knife when trimming parts from the sprue.
This set is intended to be used in concert with my detail set as well as after market photo etch detail sets and brass wire.
1:1200 Military WWII USA Arizona Battleship Navy Pearl Harbor WWII
Arizona Detail Set
6.8 x 4.98 x 2.45 cm
By harristotle
Graf Spee Light Details
1/1200 German Type VII U Boat
1/1200 PBY Catalina
Grumman Avenger


A celebration of Andy Warhol's prolific career is currently on exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In a glorious three floor retrospective, the artist is investigated again—in all his inspired, mercurial, visionary, and complicated self.
In an age before "disruptor" even existed as a contemporary term, Andy Warhol was just that—a singular voice that completely changed the American landscape of "FINE ART" and upended a field which is still influenced by him 32 years after his death. In cheeky revelations, he explored and exploited the true American consciousness and told us who we are and who we'd like to be.
Through humble beginnings as an illustrator for fashion advertising, he saw how assembly line production, merchandising, media, consumerism and desire all formed the country's psyche and how easily "fine art" could be produced and sold through the same lens.
Showing early promise–a small sign of what was to come!
Capitalizing on this understanding, he spent the rest of his career finely dissecting and refining his work to communicate these concepts.
The retrospective is highly curated and provides a comprehensive view with a laser focus. One of the best rooms is on the first floor, showcasing the portraits. Everyone from his mother to Gianni Versace are on display, affirming a breadth of work that is mostly unparalleled by any other artist.
Other highlights include the infamous Brillo boxes, a series of Interview magazine covers, personal papers and effects, extensive film and television clips and numerous other pieces which were new to me.
A lively crowd made the experience all the more exciting and simply proves the lasting allure this particular artist has as well as the cache of the Whitney's new location below the Highline in the Meatpacking district.
His work will continue to live on, not only for its brilliance in defining a period in American life and culture but for the larger statement he made about the human experience, a statement we still identify with today.
Andy Warhol—From A to B and Back Again runs through March 31.


text:
/* app css stylesheet */
.inline-form{
    display: inline-block;
}

.title {
    color: black !important;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Brenau's Esther Anyanwu drives the ball past Auburn Montgomery's Maria Ros Arngrimsdottir during the Golden Tigers' 1-0 victory on Oct. 5.
Golden Tigers Soccer Advances to No. 13 on Player-of-the-Week Offense and Defense
Brenau Staff
In a rare occurrence, two Brenau University soccer players earned Southern States Athletic Conference player-of-the-week honors simultaneously for their work on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field, helping the Golden Tigers advance four spots to No.13 in this week's national rankings.
The SSAC top conference honored senior forward Esther Anyanwu and junior forward Elizabeth Campbell for their stellar performances in two Golden Tigers road victories last week.
Esther Anyanwu, left, and Elizabeth Campbell, right, are this week's SSAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.
SSAC Offensive Player of the Week Anyanwu, who is from Lagos, Nigeria, scored three goals — a hat trick — in a 5-2 win over Bethel University on Oct. 25 to break Brenau's all-time scoring record.
She then helped the Tigers, at the time ranked No. 17 in the nation, shut out No. 12 Martin Methodist College 4-0, scoring two goals and recording two assists in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women's Soccer Match of the Week.
Anyanwu holds the career scoring record at Georgia Perimeter College, where she was a junior college All-American. She followed suit at Brenau. She now has 51 goals for Brenau. In just two years with the Golden Tigers, Anyanwu has eclipsed Brenau standout Lily Futrell's mark of 46 goals set from 2005-09.
"She's the real deal," said Brenau coach Mike Lochstampfor. "Esther is very technically gifted. She's very comfortable with the ball at her feet and has unbelievable skill. She's very fast and has a keen awareness and knowledge of the game that many players don't have."
Campbell, who is from Richmond Hill, Ga., netted her first goal of the season from 30 yards out to open the scoring against Bethel. Typically a defender, Campbell made many runs forward to "get the gates open for us," Lochstampfor said, which "relieved a lot of pressure for us offensively."
Brenau's Elizabeth Campbell fights for possession against Belhaven's Jordan Organ during Thursday's match.
A day later, Campbell was a crucial part of Brenau's stifling defense as the Golden Tigers became only the third team to shut out the Redhawks this season.
"She was able to disrupt the offense quite regularly which helped us establish our offense," Lochstampfor said. "With her pace and aggressive style of defending, she did a lot of work for us winning balls in the air and on the ground."
Brenau (12-3-1, 8-1 SSAC) is riding a five-match winning streak going into its final regular-season home match against Emmanuel College on Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Golden Tigers, who hold sole possession of second place in the conference behind No. 10 William Carey, conclude their regular season Saturday at Southern Wesleyan University.
The Brenau team on Sept. 28 lost a heartbreaker to William Carey 2-1 in the second overtime.
With the road wins the Golden Tigers moved up four places in the national rankings to No. 13 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll.


text:
import math,string,itertools,fractions,heapq,collections,re,array,bisect,random

class SumOfPower:
    def findSum(self, array):
        totalSum = 0
        lenght = len(array)
        for i in range(lenght):
            for x in range(i, lenght + 1):
                temp = array[i:x]
                totalSum += sum(temp)
        return totalSum


There are multiple benefits of solar panels simply due to the fact that they make clean energy from the natural elements on our planet. The fact that they are a renewable energy source, meaning that it isn't a resource that will run out, is an added bonus. You may have been wondering whether or not you should get solar panels installed, in which case I recommend you continue to read to learn more about this wonderful energy source.
If you're using solar panels for your power you won't need to rely on the public electric grid, which is probably the biggest benefit of using a solar panel system. You will at the very least be able to save on your electricity bills, and you may even be able to drastically reduce them. Additionally, the government may buy any surplus electricity you produce which means that you can get paid for it. Installing a solar panel system will enable you to make big savings, regardless of whether this scheme operates in your area or not.
In addition to you being able to save money you will also be helping the environment. Most of the processes that occur when producing electricity have quite a large negative impact on the environment due to waste and pollution. On the other hand, producing energy with a solar power system doesn't harm the environment at all and there are no by-products either. Some fuels, like oil, will eventually run out, however because solar power uses sunlight to create electricity it will never run out. The positive effects on the environment might not be visible right away but the more people use clean energy sources, the better the environment will fair. In the long-term the effects will certainly be awesome, and they will be seen by your children and grandchildren. But at the rate of destruction we're currently going at, our children and grandchildren wouldn't be able to experience the environment like how we do today.
The cost of installing a solar panel system plays on many people's minds, which is why they've not taken action yet. Their main worry is that the expenses will be very high when compared with the saving they'll make on their electricity bill. But the good news is you can cut the costs by simply making your own solar panels. You can actually cut your costs down by 50%, and in addition to this you'll be able to find nearly everything you require on the web, for example solar cells can be found on eBay. There may also be significant rebates and tax incentives if you install a solar panel system, which is worth doing some research on. The reason for this is the government wants people to use clean energy sources, so they are willing to give builders tax breaks if they create energy efficient homes with solar panels.
Cash & Check Our Cedar Rapids Our Solar Installation Experts accept all forms of cash and check payments.
Iowa's top solar contractor provides solar energy solutions for home owners in Cedar Rapids. Call Now For A Free No-Obligation Quote!


text:
Alcaraz: "Rafael Nadal is my idol"
Rafael Nadal was arguably the most successful player in tennis history. The Spanish champion won his first match at ATP level at the age of 16 and three years later was already the Roland Garros champion. Comparisons with other young talents have been inevitable in recent years.
For some time now, Carlos Alcaraz has been highly talked about, the great promise of Iberian tennis and nicknamed 'Baby Nadal' by many. It will not be easy for Spain to manage the legacy of the 19-time Grand Slam champion, who this year could equal Roger Federer's all-time record if they triumph at Roland Garros.
The former world number 1 has in fact decided not to fly to New York for the US Open, a choice that was in the air since the resumption of training. "I haven't talked much to Rafa, but he's my idol because of his behivior, attitude and passion for tennis" - said Alcaraz, who this year became the youngest player to win an ATP match.
since 2013 (as well as the youngest Spaniard since Nadal himself). Carlos is followed by a former world number 1, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who compared his pupil's game to that of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. "If I have to be honest, his way of playing is more similar to that of Djokovic and Federer.
They like to be aggressive from the back line and go to the net to close the point. I understand that there are high expectations, also because it is a long time that here in Spain we have not had any such strong boy of 16 or 17 years-old.
We must try to protect him from excessive pressure, so that he can safely go his way. The comparison with the other great Spaniards will be inevitable, but our goal is to help him keep things normal to keep him calm" - clarified Ferrero.
Soderling on his enemy Rafael Nadal!
In very amazing interview of some minths ago, Robin Soderling revealed that in the past he often thought of suicide. Instead in a recent interview, Robin Soderling explained his unorthodox tactics against Rafael Nadal at the 2009 French Open fourth round.
Soderling said about that match: "At the 2009 Roland Garros, I became the first player to beat Rafael Nadal on the clay-courts of the Philippe Chatriere Stadium. I went into the match with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to win.
I didn't know how to play with topspin anyway, so I just played even flatter. I didn't care if I missed. I knew I wouldn't win if I didn't take my chances and that day it worked out really well. I was playing so freely.
That was an amazing feeling. To those who dedicate themselves to sport and their entire environment, I tell them to train hard and take it very easy. From here I tell them to play sports because they feel comfortable doing it and not because of pressure.
It's time to address mental illness among professional athletes, and this time actually do something about it. Data shows that up to one in three elite athletes suffer from mental health issues which can manifest as stress, eating disorders, burnout, depression and anxiety.
We need to start discussing it and making sure that the next generation of athletes will come better prepared than myself."


greetings from the rolling hills of New England.
land of might and glory.
If only it were really that easy.
No, you couldn't possibly know. You're Sang.
EAP - or is that Eat a Peach?
EABOYPRB - Enough about both of you poor rat bastids.
You're like a bad fungus.
time for a Patriots fan to sit atop the board.
all of you; go away.


text:
package ru.ydn.wicket.wicketorientdb.utils;

import java.io.Serializable;

import com.google.common.base.Function;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.record.impl.ODocument;

/**
 * {@link Function} to get field value from ODocument
 *
 * @param <V> field value type
 */
public class GetODocumentFieldValueFunction<V> implements Function<ODocument, V>, Serializable {

	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
	private final String fieldName;

	public GetODocumentFieldValueFunction(String fieldName) {
		this.fieldName = fieldName;
	}

	@Override
	public V apply(ODocument input) {
		return input.field(fieldName);
	}

}


Enjoy the ease of low-cost, in-branch tax preparation. We'll electronically file your taxes so you receive your refund quickly. Then you can choose to have it directly deposited into one of your LGFCU accounts.
All branch locations have tax preparers ready to complete and electronically file basic tax returns for eligible members for a flat fee of $75.
Gather your tax documents and stop by your local branch. There's no need to call for an appointment! A tax preparer will confirm your eligibility, make sure that you've brought all the documents needed and make copies of your information. Within 5 business days, your return will be ready for you to review and sign.
Healthcare tax documents including Forms 1095 A, B or C, Marketplace Exemption Letters etc.
*Note: In lieu of bringing individual receipts and statements, you can complete the Itemized Deduction Detail Sheet.
Other restrictions may apply. Please contact your local branch for additional information.
If you're getting a refund, let it make more money for you! Deposit it into a Holiday Cash Club Account and get a jump on paying for holiday spending next year while earning dividends. Or consider opening a Money Market Share Account to start an emergency savings fund.
Visit your local branch for tax preparation.
If you'd prefer to do taxes yourself, try TurboTax and get a special member discount.


Get your elfing shoes on and jump for festive joy on the best fun urban adventure challenge Sydney Amazing Races activities Christmas bonanza. Its that festive season time of the year again and we are ready for your activities group to get racing to your secret santas work party celebration location. That's the stash where all the free foods and drinks are at! We will get you there on time and ensure you have some wild tales and stories to share with your work colleagues. Show them who's boss and book now for some free excellent surprise treats to be thrown in. The best value team building activities we can muster. Start in your offices, at work sites and complete 9-14 amazing challenges, tasks. Roadblocks, Detours and yields along the route. Through The Rocks, Botanic Gardens and Sydney Harbour Coves. Navigate lanes and alleyways to Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and Pyrmont. Explore China Towns famopus eateries for congealed pigs blood, snails or stay safe with Tofu skewers.
Allow Amazing Race Sydney experts create your custom built journey of Christmas fun surprise discoveries.


Browse profiles of Member members that have joined Autism Dating Service that are associated with Blonde. Meeting others that have similar interests is a pefect way to find things to do on a first date. Create a Totally Free Profile to Go out Today!
I don't use functioning labels, and I'm neurodiversity positive. I love music, anime, business, languages, and the gym. I'm starting a school. I don't watch TV or live action anything - anime only. I normally lean toward gay, but atm I'm pretty asexual. Let's get ice cream and build an empire.
Funny, nice,caring, and out going for the most part.
Looking for my forever friend and love!!
I'm very caring and compassionate!!
I am James and a new graduate with mod autism. People say I am handsome with a sense humour ...I am also somewhat non verbal...I enjoy movies, mall, walking in the park and any activity in the community. Up for anything.. Send me a hi!