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Colloquia Week
Every week, senior researchers in each department at ASDRP give public seminars presenting the current state of the field and disseminating how their research at ASDRP fits into the broader context of the frontiers of modern science and engineering. Colloquia are public events, and anyone can join. Click on the "Join the Colloquia" link to add the event to your calendar.
Summer 2021 Colloquia Schedule - updated 7/13/2021
Week of Aug 14 - 21:
Tuesday, Aug 17 @ 8:00pm BIOL- see Friday
Wednesday, Aug 18 @ 8:00pm CSEN - Shivi N. (see description below)
Friday, Aug 20 @ 8:00pm CHEM/BIO - Jane W. (see description below)
Zoom Links
Biological, Human, & Life Sciences
Combined Biological, Human, and Life Sciences and Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics
Friday @ 8:00-9:00 PM PDT
Synthesis of NRTI Analogs Using Click Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationships
HIV, a retrovirus that attacks the body's immune system, binds to surface receptors on CD4 cells, injects viral RNA, and converts itself into DNA through the reverse transcriptase enzyme. Ultimately embedding itself into the host DNA, it can then replicate, assemble, and bud out of the cell. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, a class of antiretroviral drugs, bind directly to the RT active site by mimicking DNA nucleotide bases to halt the replication process. Zidovudine (AZT) is a particular NRTI of interest due to its azide chain, which can undergo a Copper-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction that enables clicking different alkynes onto the resulting triazole ring. In this manner, we can create and test a vast library of Zidovudine analogs on the HIV-RT enzyme for enhanced potency and other medicinal properties. This presentation will cover the synthetic objectives of the CuAAC mechanism and biological testing methods on target proteins.
Researcher: Jane W., Amador Valley High School
Advisor: Njoo, Organic & Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Catalysis
Keywords: Organic synthesis | antiretrovirals | click chemistry | HIV | AZT
Wednesdays @ 8:00-9:00 PM PDT
Detecting Intracranial Hemorrhages In Computerized (Axial) Tomography Images Using Image Classification Technologies Such As TensorFlow And OpenCV
Machine learning models and deep learning techniques have been proven to be quite helpful to clinical professionals accurately diagnose many medical conditions. Inspired by the recent use of machine learning models, we develop a deep learning model that detects intracranial hemorrhages in CT brain scans. The model classifies the scans into two classes, hemorrhagic and normal. We evaluate this model using multiple public datasets. Our model 1) increases the speed of diagnosis, removing the significant dependency on highly trained professionals 2) reduces the cost for diagnosis, 3) increases accessibility in rural areas, where highly trained specialists may not be found, and 4) reduces the strain on overworked radiologists that have to go through thousands of CT scans a day.
Researcher: Shivi N., Mission San Jose High School; Vajraang P., Dougherty Valley High School; Aarav B., Mission San Jose High School; Aditya V., Prospect High School
Advisor: Subramaniam, Data Science and Computer-Guided Statistical Modeling
Keywords: Intracranial Hemorrhage | Machine Learning | Computerized Tomography Scans (CT) | Neural Networks | TensorFlow
Comprehensive review of the brain network vs. the brain connectome
The Human Connectome Project, commonly abbreviated as HCP, is a large-scale initiative involving teams of researchers at universities around the world. Through the use of various different types of MRI scanners, the brain connectome can be mapped, and the role of neural pathways in the development of things ranging from personality to mental disorders can be determined and analyzed. Structural and functional connectivity and their key differences can also be examined. This review will include a comparison between the connectome and the brain network, and as well as the specifics of what each teaches about the human brain. There will also be a brief discussion of the origins of the human connectome and the first species for which it was mapped.
Researcher: Shreya D., American High School
Advisor: Jahanikia, Neuroimaging & Bioinformatics
Keywords: Neuroscience | HCP | connectome | brain network | MRI
Wednesdays @ 8:00-9:00 PM PST
Statistical report of the studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic and sleep disorders on different populations
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered typical living habits, including vital circadian cues, and is linked to new pressures, new responsibilities, and new concerns about one's health and financial security, all of which are likely to disrupt sleep. Our research group aims to study the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine on sleep during the pandemic by assessing vaccinated and unvaccinated participants. To characterize the populations/participants (females, healthcare workers, children, etc.), we gathered data from numerous papers on the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and the quality of sleep. In each paper, the impact level of the pandemic on sleep disorders was quantified through assessments (The PSQI, SCC and K10 to name a few). With this information, we will provide a statistical report analyzing different populations' sleep quality relative to the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how our understanding of each population will direct our research.
Researcher: HeeJee Y., Amador Valley High School & Tejas G., Dougherty Valley High School
Keywords: statistical analysis | COVID-19 | pandemic | sleep disorders
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics
Fridays @ 8:00-9:00 PM PST
Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship of 2-Substituted Benzimidazole KRAS Inhibitors
The KRAS gene, first identified as an oncogene in Kirsten Rat Sarcoma virus, provides instruction towards the production of the K-Ras protein. The KRAS protein is responsible for relaying the signals instruct the cell to grow and divide or to mature and take on specialized functions from outside of the cell to the cell's nucleus. When mutated, KRAS can fail to deactivate, leading to uncontrolled cell growth and signaling, causing cancerous growths. Mutations of KRAS proteins occur in approximately 25 percent of all human cancers, including more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancers and approximately 25 percent of lung cancers. Despite its prevalence as an oncogene, KRAS's lack of clear binding sites has made KRAS one of the most challenging and elusive targets as a cancer therapeutic. However, benzimidazole derivatives have been demonstrated to play a role in suppressing KRAS-related cancer cells, and the Clark groups plan to synthesize a variety of benzimidazole derivatives, and plan on testing the compounds effectiveness through a wide array of bio-assays. These include the use of HCT116 cells to test for anti-proliferative activity, the use of MTT Assays to trach morphological change, and potentially even SDS-PAGE and Western Blots in order to track the ligand's mechanisms.
Researcher: Zaid V., Mission San Jose High School
Advisor: Clark, Organic & Medicinal Chemistry
Keywords: Organic synthesis | Medicinal Chemistry | Benzimidazoles | KRAS Oncogene
Understanding the cortical plasticity, gamma-band activity, and motor processing of musical multi-instrumentalists
It is widely understood that the neurological networks of musicians who have extensively practiced their craft are developed differently than those who are not musically trained. Numerous structural, cortical, and emotional changes in the brains of those that play music are commonly observed. However, an area that has not yet been extensively explored is the difference between the brains of people who play one instrument and people who are proficient in multiple. Our aim is to understand how playing two or more instruments affects neuroplasticity and brain function. This presentation will cover why we believe that the brains of multi-instrumentalists are more sensitive to a larger range of timbres, reflected by an increase in cortical plasticity, gamma-band activity, and motor processing.
Researcher: Aditya A., Mira Loma High School
Keywords: Musicians | Instruments | Multi-instrumentalists | Timbre | Gamma-band activity | Neuroplasticity | Neuroscience
Department of Biological, Human and Life Sciences
Tuesdays @ 8:00-9:00 PM PST
Investing the Effectiveness of Clozapine on the Schizophrenic C. elegan Model
Affecting twenty million people worldwide, schizophrenia is a neurological disorder in which disturbances to the brain's ability to process information causes patients to be unable to accurately perceive reality. Currently, only palliative treatments are known, and past studies suggest that psychosocial therapies and medication may be effective treatments. This study assesses the efficacy of the antipsychotic, clozapine, on relieving depressive symptoms and lack of motivation in the transgenic schizophrenic e1370 strain of C. elegans.
Researcher: Mohika P., Irvington High School
Advisor: Truong, Schizophrenia
Keywords: C. Elegans | Schizophrenia | Antipsychotic | Clozapine | Neuroscience
Utilizing Quantitative NMR to Monitor Reaction Kinetics Towards the Development and Evaluation of Anticancer and Antiviral Products.
Benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy offers specific insight into structural elucidation key to molecular characterization, and serves as a rapid & efficient alternative to traditional NMRs. By taking scans over a set period of time, benchtop NMR alongside quantitative NMR calculations can be used to monitor reaction kinetics over time, offering key insight as to the development and evaluation of anticancer and antiviral products. Here, multi nucleus NMR is used to track the in situ creation of singlet oxygen by berberine analogs towards developing solutions for cancer related to photodynamic therapy via proton NMR, as well as the use of fluorine NMR to track the formation of carmofur analogs for antiviral purposes.
Researcher: Sarah S., Los Altos High School
Keywords: Organic Synthesis | Natural Products | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance | Berberine | Carmofur
The Exploration of Habitable Exoplanets using Data Mining Algorithms and Data Manipulation
The NASA Exoplanet Archive is a dataset that is an extraction from the total sets of data from the Keck, Kepler, TESS, and Gaia observations, where observations show that the observed stellar objects have been determined to possess one or more planets. It is continually updated as more and more exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, are discovered and documented. Our first objective was to see how many of these entries were duplicates, which would bring the total number of entries we would work with from 29,283 to 4,259. In previous research, this dataset was filtered by determining which of these exoplanets are inside their Circumstellar Habitable Zone (CHZ), commonly defined as the range of distance from a host star such that a planet may contain liquid water, a key requirement for life as we know it. However, this calculation was done only for exoplanets with M-type host stars. Over the course of our research, we were able to expand this calculation of the CHZ to exoplanets with host stars of all spectral types. We performed more in-depth investigation of planets with G, K, and M types stars by comparing them to planets in the Planetary Habitable Laboratory (PHL) exoplanet dataset to see how many similarities there are. The PHL catalog used its own set of criteria to define those planets in it as habitable.
Researcher: Hrithik P., Amador Valley High School
Advisor: Downing, Exoplanet Researcher and Computer Science
Keywords: HabitableZone | Kth Nearest Neighbor | PlanetRadius | Luminosity | Albedo
The use of Pytochemicals in improving drug Bioavailabilitys
Bioavailability is the measure of what fraction of a drug from the initial dose enters the systemic circulation. Many orally administered pharmaceuticals have low bioavailability due to their affinity for efflux proteins such as p-glycoprotein (pgp) and the cyctochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) proteins, this means that a larger dose of the drug has to be administered in order for it to be effective, and this can makes drugs costly. Bioenhancers are phytochemicals that improve the bioavailability of drugs through various mechanisms of actions including inhibition of efflux proteins such as pgp and cytochrome P450 3a4. Here, we are covering the past and recent research in herbal bioenhancers, and covering how they are used in our study.
Researcher: Anvita D.,Mission San Jose High School
Keywords: Medicinal chemistry | Biopotentiatiors | Bioenhancers | Pgp | Cytochrome p45 | Metabolismy
Benzimidazole derivatives are a subset of organic compounds that show promise in the fields of medicinal chemistry and Pharmacology. Benzimidazoles are heterocyclic, aromatic, organic compounds that consist of a fused benzene ring and an imidazole ring. These two fused rings provide an electron-rich system capable of interacting noncovalently with many biological targets, which makes the use of benzimidazole derivatives such a promising solution to inhibiting elusive biological targets. Our research aims to synthesize eight different benzimidazole derivatives with the hope that they could act as inhibitors to the G12D mutant KRAS gene, an oncogene that was thought to be undruggable until recently.
Researcher: Rosie Chen, Wilcox High School
Keywords: Benzimidazoles | Anti-cancer | KRAS gene |oncogenes |medicinal chemistry
Impacts of Auxin and Cytokinin Addition Alongside Abiotic Stress on the Polyphenolic Content of Mentha piperita and Salvia rosmarinus and their Implications Towards Ameliorating Alzheimer's Disease
Research on the use of plant-derived polyphenols to treat neurodegenerative diseases has become increasingly popular in recent years. One of the richest sources of polyphenols, Mentha x. piperita, has been found by multiple studies to have the highest quantities of the flavanone eriocitrin and the phenolic acid rosmarinic acid, of which the latter has also been researched to have potential in treating Alzheimers' disease. We also conducted research on Salvia rosmarinus, also known as rosemary, because it, too, is known to have a high polyphenolic content. Our aim was to find which auxins would increase polyphenol production in peppermint and rosemary plants by use of oxidative stress and the addition of various plant hormones. We did our research using 12 of each type of plant which were divided into 6 droughted and 6 non-droughted, with 1 control for each sub-group. All plants including controls were sprayed with the cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), and the remaining 5 plants in each group were sprayed with a different auxin each, these being indole-3-butyric acid, o-chlorophenyl acetic acid, sodium naphthyl acetic acid, p-chlorophenyl acetic acid, and phenylacetic acid. We measured the phenolic contents of the plants 2 weeks after inoculation with hormones using the FOX assay. Both the non-droughted peppermint and rosemary plants sprayed with PAA had noticeably higher concentrations of polyphenols, indicating a potential for further study.
Researcher: Nisha Andure, Mountain House High School
Keywords: Polyphenols | Mentha piperita | Auxins | FOX Assay | cytokinins.
Leveraging GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy to gain insight into the reaction mechanics of the nitro-aldol reaction and synthesis of thymoquinone & other therapeutics
Quantitative NMR- and GC-MS- enabled kinetics can provide a multitude of information regarding the structure and reactivity of a compound. The metal-catalyzed synthesis of the cytotoxic, anticancer and antiinflammatory terpene thymoquinone, for instance, was able to be assessed for completion through these GC-MS methods. Although thymoquinone has highly beneficial biological properties, its chemical instability has rendered this terpene unable to be effectively administered as a drug parenterallically, leading to subsequent analysis on its photodimerization using proton NMR and in silico methods as well. Furthermore, studies involving 19F NMR monitoring, including the synthesis of anticancer dihydropyrimidine and anti-COVID-19 analogs, along with the investigation of C-C bond formation events on fluorinated molecules, allow for expedient reaction monitoring and data regarding the mechanism of action of the synthesis of essential medicinal compounds.
Researcher: Neha Mandava, Santa Clara High School
Keywords: Thymoquinone | NMR spectroscopy | photodimerization | GC-MS | anti-cancer | nitro-aldol | fluorine
PAST COLLOQUIA
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This entry was posted in Events on September 21, 2013 by Jan Hawley.


OK, it's time to talk minimalism. Yes, we know that minimal interior design can sometimes come across as cold and sterile, but it doesn't have to be that way! It's all about embracing simplicity and making your home a calming and relaxing space, and who doesn't want that? We know it might seem daunting, so we've rounded up 5 tips for achieving a beautiful minimal interior. Enjoy!
Do you really need those seashell turtles all over the place? How about those old magazines in the corner? Less is definitely more in the case of minimalism and while we know it's a formidable task, trust us when we tell you that getting rid of physical and visual clutter is good for the sake of yourself as well as your home. Organized storage is a great way to keep items from imposing on the interior space and will stop you running around trying to find that pair of scissors you thought you saw somewhere in that pile over there.
2. Keep your colour scheme simple.
Do not be afraid of white space! If white is just too stark for you, stick to neutrals or add an accent colour, varying the hues if you must, and adding texture and (simple) pattern for visual interest. Remember, you want to create a calm, streamlined effect rather than a busy or chaotic one.
3. Create a balanced space.
Symmetry is the easy way to go here, so arrange pillows symmetrically on the couch, or hang paintings or mirrors on either side of the couch. If symmetry is not your thing, create a more informal sense of balance by arranging dissimilar objects with equal visual weight – a large object one one side of the couch and a group of smaller ones on the other, for example.
4. Choose a focal decor point.
Accentuate a beautiful fireplace by hanging a stunning piece of art over the mantle, or position a bold couch at the visual centre of the room, drawing attention to a conversational area. All other decor and design elements should radiate from the focal point.
We know you want to show off your beautiful collections or vacation pictures so to avoid cluttering up the walls and surfaces around the room, create groups of similar objects, such as photo frames and make a bold visual statement.


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The Maranga or Lima Culture (150AD-700AD)
Lima History & Cultures (Part 3)
Sunflower Updated February 28, 2021
After the decline of the Chavin a new civilization arose in the area of Lima around 150 AD which brought great progress and changes to the region. The Maranga Culture or also called Lima Culture inhabited at first only the area of today's districts of Callao, La Punta, Bellavista and La Perla. Having adapted and refined the agricultural and irrigation knowledge of the Chavin, they were able to use the available resources better and cater for a bigger population.
The Lima civilization constructed the first channels from the Rimac River to irrigate the dessert lands at the outskirts of Callao and the eastern parts of the valley. Even today parts of these channels still exist. This irrigations system was an outstanding achievement of engineering for that time. To maintain the channels and ensure an equal distribution of the water among the people an advanced social organization was required.
The Urban Centers of the Maranga in Lima
The Maranga soon spread throughout the valley and populated the whole region of today's Lima. They built extensive urban centers with monumental pyramidal structures, known as huacas which later were altered and extended by following cultures. The center of their administrative, economical and religious activities was the ancient city of Maranga. It contained impressive huge monuments, numerous pyramids, palaces, temples, administrative centers, an ancient wall, roads, residential areas, water reservoirs and irrigation channels. Remains of this vast settlement can still be found partly beautiful restored in the Parque de las Leyendas in Lima's district San Miguel.
cruz blanca2
muralla
pucllana
maranga1
Pyramidal structures that date back to the Maranga culture are Huaca San Marcos, Huaca Concha, Huaca Middendorf and Huaca Potosi Alto. It is believed that centers built outside the ancient city of Maranga like the Huaca Huallamarca in Lima's district of San Isidro and the Huaca Pucllana in Lima's district of Miraflores were used by the expanding population of the Maranga as administrative centers for their different irrigation zones. According to partly proven assumptions of leading experts the Lima culture also built the oldest structures of the famous Archaeological Complex of Pachacamac including the Old Pachacamac Temple (Huaca Lima) and another undiscovered construction lying under the great Temple of the Sun.
The Maranga are believed to have also laid the foundation of the ancient city of Cajamarquilla and another ancient city only slightly smaller than Maranga referred to as Limatambo or Huacas de Lince at the border of today's districts of San Isidro and La Victoria. Unfortunately from the at least 11 structures only two, the Huaca Santa Catalina and the Huaca Bolconcillo, partly survived.
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Celebrations for the New Year in Peru
Just like in many other countries around the globe, the New Year's Day is a public holiday in Peru and celebrated on January 1. Festivities to welcome the New Year start on the evening of December 31.
Date : Sunday, 01 January 2023
Date : Friday, 06 January 2023

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Jets Pizza, restaurant, listed under "Restaurants" category, is located at 7916 Mason Montgomery Road Mason OH, 45040 and can be reached by 5132298620 phone number. Jets Pizza has currently 0 reviews.
Browse all Restaurants in Mason OH. Discover census data for Mason, OH.


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Q: Not able to see entries in Sent items of docusign application I am using the embedded signing feature of DocuSign and I have integrated my application with DocuSign. I am using the SOBO functionality to create envelopes.
I am able to generate the URL and able to send it also. User also getting the envelope but when I login to my DocuSign account, I don't see the entries in sent items.
Please help me to understand what can be the issue here.If we leverage the SOBO functionality why can't we see the entries in Sent items?

A: If the signer is receiving the envelope, then you're sending it correctly.
In that case, if you're using SOBO, then the user that you're sending the envelope for should see it in her Sent items list, not in yours.
Eg, "System account 01" is an authorized SOBO user. It sends an envelope on behalf of Susan. Susan should see the envelope in her sent items list. And Susan should receive email notifications when the signer signs the documents, when the envelope is completed, etc.

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Risen Energy's speedy construction of the Merredin Solar Farm is progressing well
7th Jan 2020 | Announcements News
Construction of the 132 MWdc Merredin Solar Farm is progressing well and at an extremely speedy pace.
The speed of the solar farm's civil and mechanical construction has been enabled by good management of finances, great teamwork and strong cooperation between Risen Energy and partners.
They used innovative methods and organisational efficiencies to accelerate the completion of the civil and mechanical works of the solar farm in the span of 3.5 months, making it a remarkable feat.
Efficient procurement processes and Risen Energy's large capacity allowed rapid delivery of equipment to the site.
Pilecom, a Western Australian company installed the last of the 46,563 steel post foundations on November 8th. The tracking system and solar panels are mounted on these piles.
By early December, the solar farm's civil and mechanical works were completed by the principal construction contractor, Monford Group. 354,452 PV panels and 4,249 torque tubes were installed, with approximately 60km of cable trenching laid and 22 inverters placed onto their foundations. On-site labour peaked at 425 staff and the speed at which they completed the works was exceptional.Once the field assembly was complete, 300 labour staff demobilised from the site in early December.
Approximately 150 staff remain on-site to continue with electrical works and completion of the solar farm. From now to February 2020, the planned work will include the electrical installation, substation install, electrical testing, O&M Building install and connection to the existing high voltage system.
After completion, approximately 100 staff will be demobilised. The remaining staff will stay on to complete the final electrical installation and testing. This part of the work will continue through to Q2 2020.Throughout all stages of the project, Risen Energy has been working closely with the Merredin Shire Council, the Commander of the local police as well as the Merredin Fire Chief. The Merredin Shire Council gave praise to Risen's ability to manage such a large work force in their town.The construction staff have used just about every business in the town including the newsagent, bottle shop, butcher, hair salons, restaurants, gift shops, pharmacy and hardware.


Research destinations and ask yourself the following question: What are the main dangers of the country or countries that I will be visiting? Crime, natural disasters, health issues and political instability are all things to be considered. Study www.fco.gov.uk or www.smarttraveller.gov.au both great resources for travelers. Time spent planning and preparing is never wasted. Don't just look at the country but specifically at where you will be, region, city and town.
Research your destinations using commercial websites, interact on chat forums, advice pages and blogs. The websites www.lonelyplanet and www.bootsnall.com are great sources of information. Learn from others mistakes and experiences.
List the main dangers you have found from your research in points 1 and 2 and then ask yourself one further question: How can I minimize these risks? It is not just identification of risks that's important. Learning how to react accordingly is vital. Professionals in all industries train constantly for what may happen, it should be the same for emergency preparedness when traveling. Consider taking a travel safety course.
Insurance may cost money that you don't think you can afford, but believe me, when you need it you will be glad you opted for it. Medical evacuation costs especially in more remote environments that you may find yourself in can easily reach into the hundreds of thousand of dollars. Check the small print over and over again and if in doubt check again.
Off the beaten track travelers may find themselves in medical and first aid situations that they have to deal with themselves. Being able to care for yourself, friends and colleagues can significantly increase chances of survival in times of extremis. Learning how to identify, prevent or treat the basics such as heat illness, travelers diarrhea and mosquito borne diseases are extremely important. Other life saving skills such as CPR and hemorrhage control should also be considered, especially if exploring in remote environments. Consider taking a first aid course or at a minimum learning the basics prior to travel.
This is an underrated piece of advice. Traveling is all about getting to know the locals, seeing new things, experiencing new adventures and having the time of your lives. If one is patient, polite and generally nice then life just goes so much smoother. With patience, comes the ability to put up with perceived rudeness, inefficiency, delays, corruption and a whole variety of things that as travelers or volunteers we may not be accustomed too. Things are done differently in different places, with patience we learn and we adapt.
If you are kind to people then 90% of the time they will reciprocate. You smile they will smile back, if you are nice, they will also be nice. This opens so many doors to a volunteer, meeting people, learning about secret local spots off the beaten track, meals with kind strangers and a host of other great experiences that come from interacting and being nice.
One of the biggest risks to travelers in foreign countries is vehicular accident. Even when on a bus, wear a seatbelt. There are many other risks related with transportation. Buses, trains, boats, rickshaws, mopeds all have a huge list of inherent risks associated to their use. Research and prepare, but whatever you do always wear that seatbelt.


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Research: Indirect transmission of C. jejuni between broilers
Infectious diseases in plants, animals and humans are often transmitted indirectly between hosts (or between groups of hosts), i.e. via some route through the environment instead of via direct contacts between these hosts. A recent study examined indirect transmission experimentally, using transmission of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) between spatially separated broilers as a model system.
Three stages in the process of indirect transmission were distinguished; (1) an infectious "sender" excretes the agent, after which (2) the agent is transported via some route to a susceptible "receiver", and subsequently (3) the receiver becomes colonised by the agent. The role of the sender and receiver side (stage 1 and stage 3) was studied here by using acidification of the drinking water as a modulation mechanism.
In the experiment one control group and three treatment groups were monitored for the presence of C. jejuni by taking daily cloacal swabs. The three treatments consisted of acidification of the drinking water of the inoculated animals (the senders), acidification of the drinking water of the susceptible animals (the receivers) or acidification of the drinking water of both inoculated and susceptible animals. In the control group 12 animals got colonised out of a possible 40, in each treatment groups 3 animals out of a possible 40 were found colonised with C. jejuni.
The results of the experiments show a significant decrease in transmission rate (beta) between the control group and treatments group (p < 0.01 for all groups) but not between different treatments; there is a significant negative interaction effect when both the sender and the receiver group receive acidified drinking water (p = 0.01). This negative interaction effect could be due to selection of bacteria already at the sender side thereby diminishing the effect of acidification at the receiver side.
Source: BMC Veterinary Research
Editor WorldPoultry
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Immunomodulating activities of macroalgae
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On Jun 17 In Nutrition
The nutritional needs of slow-growing birds
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Effects of different catching practices on broilers
Catching broilers should be performed with the curtains in a closed position with catchers carrying one broiler...
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Colombia: Detecting superbugs in poultry
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About Euroleague Jam
Contact Euroleague Jam
European Hoops; American Perspective; Usually Watching on Replay Stream
ELJ's "Key Five-and-One" Playoff Preview: Real Madrid (1) vs. Darussafaka (8)
April 13, 2017 April 13, 2017 Kevin O'Brien
We have five days until the Euroleague playoffs officially begin. Instead of just doing a traditional, all-out analysis on each series, I instead am going to highlight the five key players to each series. Plus, at the end, I will choose one "wild card" factor that could impact the respective series. Hopefully, this gives the playoff preview a different flavor from the rest of the previews out there (not that there is anything wrong with other previews; just want to do something different).
Okay let's begin with our "Key Five" of the 1-8 matchup: Real Madrid vs. Darussfaka.
Sergio Llull
The likely Euroleague MVP favorite, a solid series from Llull will be required for Los Blancos to move onto the Final Four after missing out last season (they were swept handily by Fenerbahce last year in the playoffs). There are not many players as entertaining in Europe as Llull. The free-shooting, Red Bull chugging, do-everything point guard for Madrid was a key reason why they finished with the best record in the Euroleague at 23-7. While Llull has always excelled as a scorer, his improvement this year in playmaking, ability to create for his talented roster, and knack for coming through in the clutch has elevated him from "local folk hero" to "European superstar who should be in the NBA" levels.
Llull is averaging a team-high 16.9 ppg, 5.9 apg and 16.7 PIR per game for Los Blancos, and he won multiple MVP of the weeks throughout the season. Thus, it is safe to say that Dacka point guard Scottie Wilbekin will have his hands full trying to contain this Spanish energizer bunny.
Randolph led Lokomotiv Kuban (a team that played in the Eurocup this season) to a Final Four in 2015-2016, his coming out party occurring in the playoffs against Barcelona in Games 4 and 5. This year, Randolph made the trek west to Madrid to play for a loaded Real Madrid roster, and the former NBA lottery pick hasn't disappointed. He averaged 10.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1 bpg, and a 13 PIR per game despite averaging a little over 20 mpg in the Euroleague (mostly due to Madrid's crazy depth in the frontcourt). Randolph had probably his biggest performance in Round 28, where he was named MVP of the Week after a 21 point, 4 block performance in a road win in Piraeus over Olympiacos, as evidenced in this video below.
Randolph is on the verge of a three-year extension with Real Madrid, with at least one guaranteed in Spain (he could opt out for a NBA contract in his last two years). And it would be worth it, especially if Randolph continues his hot play and leads Madrid to their second Euroleague title in three seasons.
The Slovenian boy wonder has made tremendous leaps as a player in year two with Real Madrid. Despite a primary bench role, Doncic has become one of Madrid's most important players, both in Euroleague as well as ACB play. And that is incredible when you think about it: he's only 18 years old (was 17 through a good part of this year), and he plays with former NBA players such as Randolph, Gustavo Ayon, Andres Nocioni, Rudy Fernandez, Jeff Taylor, and Trey Thompkins (I'm sure Jaycee Carroll had a cup of coffee with a NBA team too, but I'm too lazy to research it now). Doncic is probably Real Madrid's most balanced player, as he is a triple-double threat every time he steps on the floor. And that is impressive potential in the Euroleague, where unlike the NBA (where triple doubles are becoming more and more common fare thanks to Russell Westbrook's skills) triple-doubles are incredibly rare occurrences (there have only been six triple-doubles in Euroleague history, with the last one being done by Nikola Vujcic of Maccabi Tel Aviv during the 2006-2007 season).
During a MVP of the week performance, Doncic nearly put up the 7th triple double in Euroleague history with a 10 point, 11 rebound, 8 assist performance against Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv in Round 17. Not bad for a teenager, as you can see below.
Dacka doesn't exactly have the strongest bench in the Euroleague, so it'll be interesting to see if the wings of Dacka will be able to handle the Slovenian teenage prodigy. If they struggle to, you can almost guarantee that this will be a short series.
Brad Wanamaker
Wanamaker has sneakily become a dark horse candidate for MVP this year. While a lot was made about James Anderson's decision to turn down a player option from the Kings to sign with Dacka instead, Wanamaker has been the Turkish club's best signing. Wanamaker, a likely All-Euroleague selection, has been outstanding, especially during the last part of the season where basically carried Dacka to their first Euroleague playoff berth. Head coach David Blatt has transitioned his NBA experience with Dacka this year, and has given Wanamaker the kind of Iso-heavy reign that he gave LeBron James in his one-and-a-half year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. And Wanamaker hasn't disappointed, as evidenced by his 16.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 17.5 PIR per game line while averaging a team-high 32:56 mpg.
Wanamaker also had one of his biggest performances in Round 29, as he helped fuel a comeback on the road in Bamberg that kept alive Dacka's playoff hopes. Wanamaker scored 30 points, had 6 assists and put a PIR of 34 in a key win that helped set up their crucial "winner take all" matchup with Red Star in Round 30 (which Dacka won).
Dacka will have a lot of factors going against them in this series, with Madrid's depth and home court advantage being the primary ones. However, for Dacka to have a chance to pull off the upset, they will need Wanamaker to keep pulling off his "LeBron act" in this series.
Since arriving in January, Ante Zizic has been Dacka's best and primary front court player, giving them the kind of balance they didn't quite have when Semih Erden was their starting center. In Euroleague play, Zizic is averaging 8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and a PIR of 12.2 in 16 games, while averaging nearly 22 mpg. The 20-year-old Croatian has generated a lot of buzz not just in Europe, but internationally as well, especially considering he was a first round pick of the Boston Celtics in last year's draft.
Zizic is no stranger to big games, as he had his best performance against Turkish Derby rival Anadolu Efes in Round 19. Against Efes, Zizic scored 16 points, had 18 rebound and posted a PIR of 25. It was obvious, as one can see below, that Efes and head coach Velimir Perasovic just had no answers for the Croatian rising star (though Efes did win 93-81).
The Dacka front court is going to have issues against Madrid's depth and versatility in the post. Zizic will have his hands full for sure, and it will be difficult for him to experience the wave after wave talent he will face in this series. If Zizic avoids foul trouble, and can step up like he has showed at times this year, then perhaps he can not only fuel a Dacka upset, but will come to the NBA sooner than expected.
Series Wild Card: David Blatt vs. Pablo Laso
Coaching will be a big deal this series. Blatt has a legendary status in Europe thanks to his 2014 title with Maccabi Tel Aviv, but his arrival in Dacka has received mixed reaction. Some have felt that he has disappointed, relying too much on the ISO ball that he utilized in the NBA. Some on the other hand have felt that he has done a good job, helping Dacka become more on the radar in the highly top-heavy European basketball scene. Whatever your thoughts are, it cannot be denied though that Blatt can be one of the more entertaining coaches to watch thanks to his fiery personality.
Laso on the other hand has been one of the best basketball minds in Europe for a while now. Though he doesn't have the global celebrity of Blatt, Laso has one multiple ACB title, and a 2015 Euroleage championship with Real Madrid. This year may have been Laso's most impressive campaign yet, as he has been able to manage the depth and egos of this Los Blancos team well in both domestic and European play.
Laso is no "quiet personality" though, as evidenced below:
It will definitely be entertaining to see what both coaches will do this series? Will Blatt out-scheme Laso? Will Laso demonstrate why he should be considered the best coach in Europe and dispatch Blatt and Dacka with ease?
We will know next week.
Euroleague2016-2017, Ante Zizic, Anthony Randolph, Brad Wanamaker, Darussafaka Dogus, David Blatt, Euroleague, Key Five and One, Luka Doncic, Pablo Laso, Playoffs, Real Madrid, Sergio Llull, Spain, Turkey
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4 thoughts on "ELJ's "Key Five-and-One" Playoff Preview: Real Madrid (1) vs. Darussafaka (8)"
Πάτε καλά; April 13, 2017 / 6:08 pm
Wanamaker is going to be the hottest name in the market this summer for top Euroleague teams.Otherwise, if I were Blatt I would apply tremendous pressure on Real guards (and on the ball in general): I have many guards (not just Brad & Scottie) that I can sacrifice for 5 min on the court just to make some fouls, tire the guards of Real. I would also defend myself in a zone style, to ice the pace and tire you a little bit more. But I doubt I can steal that way more than a game. Sooner or later, Real will execute me from the perimeter.
ps. Doncic is Slovenian, not Latvian.
Pierre Marie Corbacho April 13, 2017 / 6:13 pm
Good catch. I don't know why I said he was Latvian. Brain fart on my end.
And I agree. If Dacka does go to the Eurocup like the rumors have mentioned, then Wanamaker is going to get a big pay day. If Bogdanovic goes to the NBA, it would not be surprising to see Fener make an offer to Wanamaker to replace him. I could see that being a good fit actually, and it would be much of a move either for Wanamaker.
I like that strategy but your ultimate point is true: maybe that works for 1 game, but over the course of a 5-game series, this Madrid team just has way, way too much firepower for Dacka to handle.
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UNFURNISHED 3 bedroom home in Clinton.
Complete with three bedrooms, family bathroom, generous sized kitchen, open plan living, single carport, this truly a delightful package in a great location.
Two of the three bedrooms have built-ins, and ceiling fans. The bathroom is contemporary, and the kitchen is a good size, plenty of bench space plus good size pantry.
An open plan kitchen overlooks the dining room which leads out to the carport, transform the carport into an Alfresco entertaining area an inviting place to sit back with a cold beer and enjoy cooling breezes and the wonderful warm climate...this is the perfect spot for a Sunday afternoon BBQ. An air-conditioned open plan living area, a cosy place to watch television and relax indoors.
Magnificent locations with public transport close by.
Located in a pleasant part of highly sought after Seaview Estate, Clinton, public & private schools, sporting facilities and shops are close by, and Gladstone CBD is less than 7.0 kilometres away. Properties in this area attract high occupancy rates for investors, and are also popular with young families.


Television channels today have grown more focussed on social media as a means to marketing owing to multiple reasons. Data has time and again proved television viewers to be active on social media while consuming content on what once used to be the dominating screen. Secondly, the stakes and investments on television content being much higher, channels leave no stone unturned to reach out to newer audiences through digital channels.
"The objective for TV channel should be to channelize this heavy intent to express into something beneficial for the brand. Basically use the intense need to express to drive positive sentiment and building association," said Harikrishnan Pillai, Founder, TheSmallBigIdea.
A dedicated movie channel to Bollywood classics, Sony Max2 initiated the season 3 of Max2 Timeless Digital Awards with the aim of establishing a digital IP by reaching out to relevant audience through relatable content from the classics released in 1950s and 60s.
The idea was to leverage the popularity enjoyed by these movies through references among movie goes even today.
"The objective was to build a bigger, larger and more engaging season of awards. And the challenge was doubly difficult because the awards were from an era where most of digital audiences are either clueless or uninterested," shared Chetan Asher, CEO, Tonic Worldwide.
The campaign was initiated through buzz around Bollywood classics through creatives from iconic movies with #IndiaKiShaan. Followed by this, Sony Max2 launched their microsite featuring various categories and nominees.
To support the activities going on the microsite, the movie channel initiated an influencer outreach campaign, through which various fashion bloggers re-created celebrated and most loved looks of those decades, including polka dots and winged liner.
"Insights from social media have helped us identify relevant content pegs to engage with our audience. Contemporizing the content to make it relatable helped the brand to make the era of 50s and 60s popular with the audience and garner maximum participation," said Vaishali Sharma, Senior Vice President Marketing and Communication, Sony Max2.
Through the integrated campaign, Sony Max2 earned nearly half million votes for Timeless Digital Awards from over 1.30 lac users. The campaign earned a reach of over 4.8 million with 9.9 million impressions.
Television premieres of blockbuster films form a crucial part of every movie channel's content play. With increasing rate of rights acquisition, movie channels are pressured to attract more eyeballs for advertisers, to maximize the RoI.
To create buzz around the world television premiere of Padman featuring Akshay Kumar, the channel initiated #Padathon. With the aim to empower the common man and with the mission to create more pad men, Zee Cinema announced that every post or tweet using the #Padathon and tagging Zee Cinema, the channel shall contribute Rs.10/- towards the cause of aiding menstrual hygiene. All the money raised through this campaign will be donated to an NGO which provides low-cost sanitary pads to needy women. Akshay Kumar kick-started the campaign which went on to attract quite a few celebrities.
To leverage the increasing popularity of Instagram, &Pictures initiated a campaign focussed on quality engagement. &Charades, like the name suggests was their version of the game dumb charades where the users had to guess the name of the movie enacted in the video.
The videos were enacted by influencers, for enhancing the reach of the brand, through the campaign to newer audiences.
&Pictures received more than 30.8K Views with a Total Reach of 32.5K on the 50 videos created and shared by them.
Going forward, social media shall play an even integral role in the social media plans for television channels.


The theme for this year's edition of the World Economic Forum, taking place in Davos between the 22 – 25 January, is Globalisation 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Myself and a delegation of South African Ministers will work other global participants on defining new models for building sustainable and inclusive societies in a plurilateral world.
As Africa's leading industrialised nation, South Africa has been preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution for several years across various sectors of government. All industries are being digitally disrupted, which presents an opportunity for a growing digital economy. The Fourth Industrial Revolution provides us with a new and unique opportunity to address youth unemployment by adapting our education models to catalyse innovation and upskill the next generation for digital transformation.
Through the Department of Trade and Industry's (dti's) Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), government has developed several iterations of industrial policy to support Africa's industrialisation and optimisation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The dti recently established a new Chief Directorate, the Future Industrial Production & Technologies (FIP&T) unit to examine likely impacts and build capacity around government to confront challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Industries with wide product ranges (such as food and beverages), commodity producers (metals, agriculture) and precision-driven (pharmaceuticals and electronic components) are most likely to invest in Industry 4.0, which is crucial for the South African economy.
Early South African areas of response to date include aggressive technology acquisitions, transfer and diffusion of technologies; securing inward investment from global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in key strategic value chains to build global competitive capabilities e.g. Mining and mining capital equipment; fuel cells; aerospace and defence.
As government, we have stepped up research and development and commercialisation efforts, led by the Department of Science & Technology and its institutions, in close collaboration with the dti.
We are providing a much stronger institutional architecture to support technology transfers – building on excellent examples like the Technology Localisation Implementation Unit at the CSIR. In addition, we have programmes to support innovation, such as tax incentives to encourage acquisition and innovation in production capabilities, new systems, processes, products and exports.
Knowledge and ICT skills will be critical to Africa unlocking future opportunities. Upskilling is essential to ensure economic survival and social consent; a critical responsibility falls on the state and business for continuous, targeted training and re-training initiatives. Governments and business should work to assist workers and communities with the changes required to be part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
President Ramaphosa recently announced, as part of government's broader strategy to upskill the next generation with digital skills, learners will be equipped with tablet devices to assist e-learning at public schools.
We encourage South African companies to consider the rest of Africa as a key market, especially for trade in value-added products that will form part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution value chains. Intra-African trade remains low compared to other major regions in the world such as the EU and Asia. Africa needs to increase its production base of export manufacturing and focus on facilitating the movement of goods across borders in competitive ways.
There has been encouraging progress on this front. In July 2018, South Africa joined almost 50 other countries on the continent in signing the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) agreement which seeks a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments. With about 1.2-billion people on the African continent, the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement could create one of the largest free trade market zones in the world.
Africa has shown its digital leapfrogging capabilities in the past through successful digital transformation – the area where we're seeing economic growth occur for Africa.
The ITU Telecom World was hosted by South Africa for the first time in Durban in September 2018. The conference attracted 7 000 government Ministers, leaders of multilateral organisations, regulators, business, entrepreneurs and small businesses. We embraced this opportunity because it ensured that Africa's voice was heard in the important technology discussions which include preparations for 5G networks, impact and ownership of Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and the risks and opportunities of a smarter world.
In this regard, African countries are rolling out the Internet-for-All programme which focuses on the provision of digital skills, localisation of the internet content and manufacturing and the rollout of infrastructure. Some private sector companies, like Cisco and Microsoft, are partnering with African countries to scale up digital skills training.
Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is the Minister of Communications in South Africa.


The United Nations declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. This is a very important recognition of the multiple social, economic, environmental and cultural functions of family farming. For example, family farmers produce more than 50% of the world's food, and are important guardians of biodiversity. Creating the conditions for family farming to thrive is essential for a sustainable future.
The threats to family farming are multidimensional. Climate change, land grabbing, land degradation, the aggressive promotion of industrial farming and dependence on large agribusiness chains are some of the most pressing challenges. Many family farmers have proven to be innovative and resilient under the right socio-political framework and conditions – especially when supported by public and institutional policies.
Family farmers can exert a large degree of autonomy through the use of agro-ecological practices and the creation of markets that are based on more direct relationships with consumers. They pool their labour and resources, and increase their yields. They organise themselves and make their voices heard. They build their own educational spaces where they learn from each other and teach others. Women play a key role in these strategies, which are often carried out in close collaboration with local decision makers, researchers, and consumer platforms.
needed to valorise and promote sustainable family farming? How can agro-ecological family farming become an attractive proposition for future generations? What can we learn from existing and emerging practices?
The 20th World Congress of Soil Science, June 8(Sun) ~ 13(Fri), 2014, Korea is jointly hosted by Korean Society of Soil Science and Fertilizer, Rural Development Administration(RDA) and International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS).
The 20WCSS Program Committee cordially invites you to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations. All abstracts should be submitted online no later than October 30, 2013.
If you have questions, please contact the 20WCSS Secretariat at wcss@20wcss.org.
Youth are the future. Invest in them!
by Codrin Paveliuc-Olariu on #AASW Blog!
With more than 200 million people aged between 15 and 24 years (comprising over 20% of the population and 70% of the population being under 30 years old), Africa's future seems bright. Young people usually bring new skills and abilities to the table, and tend to be highly competitive into sectors that use innovative technologies (such as ICT, social media or even agriculture).
But presently this is not the case in Africa. According to the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) Youth Policy Case Studies, while approximately 70% of youth live in rural areas and represent almost 65% of the workforce there.
The symposium will to bring together local, regional and international scientists who have conducted research in Nepal or in contexts relevant to Nepal, as well as policy makers and program implementers in Nepal on August 13-14, 2013 to discuss scientific evidence that provides insights about the causal pathways and interactions leading from food production to market to household, diet and nutritional well-being.
It is our hope that this symposium will foster the exchange of new ideas, encourage innovations, and present the latest research findings on nutrition-sensitive program elements that can improve food security and status among nutritionally vulnerable groups.
Submit an Abstract: The selection of oral and poster presentations will be based on research abstracts submitted by no later than June 30th, 2013.
Click here for details on abstract submission requirements.
Nature and extent of causal linkage between food production, price and market availability, household access, utilization and consumption, and nutritional status.
Register for the Symposium: Click here for details on registration.
A recent study reveals bio-fertilizers effects on soil fertility and crop yield.
Which are the tools to face the increasing food demand?
Is the chemical fertilizers use the only possible solution to enhance crop yield?
Which are the mineral fertilization effects on soil in the long run?
The overuse of these products is already causing soil impoverishment. According to a study published on International Journal of Microbiology Research (Biofertilizers: A novel tool for agriculture – Volume 1, Issue 2, 2009, pp-23-31), to overcome this problem it is extremely important to use bio-fertilizersfor two main reasons: on the first hand, they restore soil fertility by providing soil with soil organic matter and living micro-organisms; on the second hand, they increase mineral fertilizers efficiency because they enhance nutrients availability for plants (for example, by fixing atmosphere Nitrogen or dissolving Potassium present in soil).
In this way, bio-fertilizers improve plant health and, then, they increase crop yield.
They represent a benefit for any kind of soil.
A clay soil, for example, has tiny and tightly particles which hamper the flow of water, nutrients and oxygen. Bio-fertilizers reconfigure the clay into a larger, more loosely packed particles. The larger spaces between the particles improve the flow of water, oxygen and nutrients to roots.
Moreover, roots are able to penetrate deeper into soil, reaching more nutrients.
Bio-fertilizersalso improve crop yield and soil fertility in sandy soil, where the large spaces between particles enable water and its dissolved nutrients to draw too quickly for optimal root absorption. They soak up and hold these substances so that roots have more time to absorb them.
Furthermore, besides improving soil features and supplying soil organic matter, they also supply soil with Zinc, Copper, Boron and other vital nutrients.
To sum up, bio-fertilizers can be considered the innovative tool for agriculture: the meeting point between a sustainable soil management and the continuous increase of food demand.
Imagine you're working for your country's government and you've been given the formidable task of developing a strategy to help the agriculture sector adapt to climate change. Working out how climate models will play out on the ground for farmers, and conceiving options for farmers to adapt is sophisticated stuff, and the challenge is only compounded when the best information remains somewhat uncertain.
In Nicaragua, scientists have managed to predict a "narrow niche" where Arabica coffee production will still be viable as temperatures rise, which allows farmers to prepare to relocate to cooler areas, or else switch to similarly profitable crops.
Ask a young person what they wish for their future, and very few will mention agriculture. Youth are not interested in the agriculture sector, which is perceived as unglamorous and without much profit. This of course raises the question: who will grow the crops to feed the world?
People do not realize how important agriculture is, what it is, and what it means to society. You could say that it is the very first business, but most people think of it as some redneck mowing a field. In fact, agriculture is hard work, and the whole nation depends on it. It affects the life of every individual.
The non-availability of qualified manpower, flawed government policies, public aversion to farming, unviable and conventional farming methods, and inadequate agricultural education are the major handicaps of Nepali farming. Educated youth consider agriculture a less than glamorous job. However, this should not be taken for granted; we need to encourage more people to take it up as a career. We need to interact with people, both in farming and non-farming sectors, and identify innovative and enterprising people who can make farming more attractive and profitable.
"Farming is dirty and messy. If truth be told, most of the time it's rather grimy. It is incapable of tackling the bigger concerns of economic boost, self-employment, entrepreneurship, sustainability and societal well-being. The world 'culture' actually has no place in agri-culture," said Swikriti Pandey, a student of agriculture at Nepal Agriculture and Forestry University. No doubt, instead of culture, it is time to add innovative terms to the word 'Agri', such as Agri-enterprise, Agri-business, Agri-tourism, and so on.
Every agriculture planner, scientist and expert agrees that there should be a balance between education, research and implementation in agriculture. But in Nepal, the relationship between these three pillars is given very little weight. Academic institutions do not know what kind of graduate and post graduate students they should produce, research institutions are not aware of the kind of technical products they should develop, and the big problems of agriculture are ineffectively addressed.
To make Nepali agriculture competitive, there is a need to substantially increase investment, in agriculture in general, and in research in particular. In order to meet the challenges of agriculture, agricultural universities should focus their curricula on relevant researches on agriculture and forest sectors. In recent times, information technology sector is booming, propelled by the rapidly growing usage of mobile phones and internet services. Mobile phones can help in agriculture and rural development by providing information to farmers about supply and demand, market opportunities, and much more. Agriculture professionals are more and more interested in the potential uses of ICT for rural development, while these tools also continue to be popular among young people.
With a click of a mouse, a farmer in Kathmandu can upload and share pictures of maize planting practices to thousands of followers worldwide. A farmer from another corner of the world can comment on that picture and ask why he planted his crops the way he did. Over a period, each farmer has the knowledge to help him plant a better crop the next time. Meanwhile, thousands of agriculture students across the world are watching this conversation unfold, and learning from both these farmers.
I agree with, Eugene F Ware that "The farmer works the soil. The agriculturalist works the farmer." It means, if farmer fails, all agriculturists fail. One of the things missing in today's agriculture is imagination. Today's generation of farmers, teachers, agricultural scientists, policymakers, and also the media have collectively failed to trigger the imagination of the youth. Yes, there are major challenges. Farming is not an easy or glamorous option, but there are ways of doing agriculture in a sustainable and rewarding manner.
Applications may be submitted directly to the IUCN Global Gender Office from 23 May and closure date as 20 June 2013 after which applicants will be evaluated based on the eligibility criterias as set out below.
Asia and the Pacific has been the world's largest resource user since the mid-1990s and if current trends continue, its CO2 emissions are likely to more than triple by 2050, putting an unbearable strain on the earth's ecosystems.
Energy: According to IEA projections, global energy demand is set to increase by one-third from 2010 to 2035, with the People's Republic of China, India, and other developing Asian countries accounting for over 60% of the global total. Without greater use of renewable energy and improved energy efficiency, developing Asia's share in global energy-related CO2 emissions could increase from the current 35% to about 45% by 2030.
Transport: Emissions from transport are the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions, with the vast majority of projected increases expected to come from developing Asia. By 2030, Asia will account for 31% of total worldwide transport-sector related CO2 emissions. Private vehicle ownership is doubling every 5 years in many Asian countries, with growth in urban areas often doubling every 2 to 3 years.
Land Use Change and Forests: Around 17% of total annual global greenhouse gas emissions come from land use change and forests, with about one-third from Asia and the Pacific. In Indonesia and some South East Asian countries, the land use and forest sector is responsible for up to 75% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Vulnerability: According to UNU, 7 of the world's 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change and disasters caused by natural hazards are in Asia and the Pacific. Vanuatu tops this list, followed by Tonga (2nd), Philippines (3rd), Solomon Islands (4th), Bangladesh (6th), Timor-Leste (7th) and Cambodia (9th). More than 60% of the region's population works in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry—the sectors most at risk from climate change. Climate change will cut agricultural crop yields and hike food prices – every 10% rise will push another 64 million Asians into poverty.
Disasters: Natural disasters affected an annual average of more than 200 million people in the Asia and Pacific region between 2001 and 2010 (90% of world total), with more than 70,000 fatalities (65% of world total). Extreme weather events displaced more than 42 million people in the Asia and the Pacific during 2010 and 2011.
Sea level rise: ADB estimates that Asian urban dwellers at risk of coastal flooding will increase from more than 300 million to 410 million by 2025. In inland areas, the number of people at risk will rise from 245 million to 341 million by 2025. Twenty million Bangladeshis would be displaced by a 1 meter rise in sea level by 2050.
The annual economic cost of disasters averages $53.8 billion in Asia and the Pacific. Yet less than 5% of disaster losses in developing Asia are insured, compared to 40% in developed countries.
Investing in disaster risk reduction pays – it has been estimated that the economic impact of disaster will be reduced by $7 for every $1 spent.
An estimated $600 billion to 1.5 trillion dollars will be needed annually to help developing countries transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies, with $40 billion annually needed for adaptation in Asia and the Pacific alone.
ADB invested about $7 billion in clean energy-related projects since 2008, with $2.1 billion in 2011 alone. Since 1987, ADB has carried out disaster-related projects worth more than $12 billion and its aggregate urban lending is more than $11 billion.
Through mechanisms such as the Climate Investment Funds, multilateral development banks have mobilized $6.5 billion for climate action in developing countries, with $2.5 billion earmarked for Asia and the Pacific. The Green Climate Fund, currently under development, aims to mobilize an additional $100 billion per year for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.
The People's Republic of China leads the world in renewable energy investment, accounting for half of all global output of solar modules and wind turbines.
Among other measures, Asian governments should consider creating a regional carbon market, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and establishing a free-trade zone within Asia for high-impact, low-carbon technologies and services.


text:
Monex Completes Acquisition of TradeStation
TOKYO and PLANTATION, Fla., June 10, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monex Group, Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 8698) ("Monex") and TradeStation Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRAD) ("TradeStation") today announced the successful completion of Monex's acquisition of TradeStation for approximately $402 million through a cash tender offer followed by a short-form merger of Monex's wholly-owned subsidiary in the United States, Felix 2011 Acquisition Sub, Inc., with and into TradeStation. As a result of the acquisition, TradeStation became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monex.
At the effective time of the merger, shares of TradeStation common stock held by the remaining TradeStation shareholders who did not tender their shares in the tender offer (other than those who properly exercise appraisal rights) were cancelled and converted into the right to receive the same $9.75 per share price, without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes, that was paid in the tender offer. As a result of the merger, TradeStation shares will be delisted and cease to trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. TradeStation shareholders who did not tender their shares in the tender offer will receive relevant information in the mail on how to receive payment for their shares in connection with the merger.
About Monex Group Inc.
Monex Group Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange 1st section: 8698), including its main subsidiary Monex Inc. (Tokyo, Oki Matsumoto, Chairman and CEO), an online securities brokerage, provides advanced and unique financial services to individual investors. Monex Group has been a pioneer among Japanese online securities brokers since the complete liberalization of commissions and fees in stock brokerages in 1999. Monex relentlessly strives to offer its customers in Japan innovative products and services and has established its reputation as a unique independent financial institution group. Its services cover M&A advisory, debt & equity underwriting, asset management focusing on alternative investments, investment education, and other investment banking functions along with an online distribution network to more than 1.2 million individual investors in Japan.
Monex Group aims to globalize its customer base and businesses in addition to enhancing its global product line and services. Specifically, in recent years, Monex has embarked on an ambitious plan to strengthen its products and services globally by focusing its expansion efforts to date on the growing Chinese market, by opening representative offices in Beijing and acquiring BOOM Securities (HK) Limited and its group companies in Hong Kong. As a core element in the further expansion and global diversification of its businesses, it has been seeking opportunities to expand into the U.S. market, which it saw as the missing pillar in achieving a truly global platform. The acquisition of TradeStation is expected to provide Monex with an immediate expansion and strong commercial presence in the U.S. online brokerage market.
About TradeStation Group, Inc.
TradeStation Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRAD), through its brokerage subsidiaries, offers the TradeStation platform to the active trader and certain institutional trader markets. TradeStation is an electronic trading platform that offers state-of-the-art electronic order placement and execution and enables clients to scan the markets and design, test, optimize, monitor and automate their own custom Equities, Options, Futures and Forex trading strategies.
TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, DTCC, OCC & NFA) is a self-clearing, licensed securities broker-dealer and a registered futures commission merchant, and also a member of numerous major exchanges. Its TradeStation Prime Services division, based in New York, seeks to provide prime brokerage services, including securities lending, to small and mid-sized hedge funds and other firms. TradeStation Forex, Inc. (Member NFA) is a Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED) which offers foreign currency (forex) accounts under what is commonly referred to as the "agency broker model." The London-based subsidiary, TradeStation Europe Limited, an FSA-authorized brokerage firm, introduces UK and other European accounts to TradeStation Securities and TradeStation Forex. TradeStation's technology subsidiary, TradeStation Technologies, Inc., develops and offers strategy trading software tools and subscription services and owns TradeStation's intellectual property.
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to materially differ from those described. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including all statements and information regarding the intent, belief or current expectation of Monex, TradeStation and members of their respective senior management teams. All forward-looking statements are based largely on current expectations and beliefs concerning future events, approvals and transactions that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Factors that may cause or contribute to the actual results or outcomes being different from those contemplated by forward-looking statements include: the effects of disruption from the proposed transactions making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers and/or other business relationships; other business effects, including the effects of industry, regulatory, economic and/or market conditions that are outside of Monex's or TradeStation's control; unexpected transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in documents filed by TradeStation with the SEC, including, but not limited to, TradeStation's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 11, 2011, TradeStation's Annual Report, as amended, on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 containing Part III information, filed with the SEC on April 29, 2011 and the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO and Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 filed with the SEC in connection with the tender offer. Neither Monex nor TradeStation undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as expressly required by law.
CONTACT: Contact for Monex Takashi Oyagi Chief Strategic Officer Monex Group, Inc. +81-3-6212-3750 Contact for TradeStation David H. Fleischman Chief Financial Officer TradeStation Group, Inc. 954-652-7000


TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Baldemar Velasquez is one of the most outspoken supporters of migrant workers and unions and has been for nearly fifty years.
"Lot's of people reacting to the family separations, children in cages, and trying to essentially treat symptoms of a larger deep-rooted problem that is set historically," said Velasquez.
Dozens gathered Sunday to listen to Velasquez share his knowledge on immigration and explain what the organization he founded and leads, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, does in Toledo.
"Most of the migrants that I know, that I represent, they come with work visas in the United States. They don't want to come here and live, they want to come here and work, and build their homes in Mexico.
Velasquez says there may be as many as 10,000 undocumented immigrants in the area. He says many are not paid well.
Many in the audience at the forum asked what they can do to help.
Velasquez says the country needs to face the immigration issue head on.
"We need to look for a way to help them stay in their home country, so that we don't have this issue at the border in the first place," said Velasquez.
Given his experience working with immigrants for several decades, Velasquez has a viewpoint that many in the audience found persuading, including Toledo City Councilwoman Sandy Spang.
"I think it's always important to be informed about the issues that are relevant at both the local, state, and federal level. I think coming here tonight, people were able to hear a perspective that they maybe hadn't heard before," said Spang.
"We have to organize the poor, organize the immigrants, so they can find their collective voice. There's a lot of people speaking for them, but you don't see them speaking for themselves a lot of times," said Velasquez.
"I would be willing to "shut down" government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!"
Velasquez responded to Trump's tweet by saying "Fifty years from now if he ever builds a wall, it will come down as one of the most ignorant and anti-intellectual thought out phenomenon in history to spend that much money on a wall, when it can be utilized to do other things in this country."


A project offering hope for one of the UK's rarest bumblebees has been launched on the Peak District moors.
The aim is to boost populations of the threatened Bilberry bumblebee by planting 1,000 bilberry plants inside specially designed grazing-proof metal cages on Hathersage Moor.
Bilberry bumblebees have suffered a dramatic decline in recent years. They were once found widely across north and west Britain, but the Peak District is now one of their last strongholds. Even there, this cold-loving upland species is expected to decline further because of climate change.


This article is from the Sep./Oct. 1996 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.
Iwould like to start a rat club here, and produce show-quality pet rats. Most people in this area are only familiar with the black and brown hooded and white rats. I have The Proper Care of Fancy Rats by Nick Mays. Taking this book with me, I have searched for and found the more uncommon and less known types.
Please send me any information that would help me market and sell rats, and start a rat club. Thanks!
AWe would love for you to start a club in your area, and we will help in any way we can. The best information we can give you on starting a club is contained in the article that was in the July/August issue of AFRMA Rat and Mouse Tales, and continues into this one.
Marketing and selling our critters is one of the most difficult things for most fanciers. We know that we have these wonderful, special animals for sale, but no matter what we do, people still go to the pet stores to buy their rats. I usually only breed two or three litters a year, since that is the number of babies I can reliably sell to good homes.
One way of advertising, that I have found to be effective and inexpensive, is to take advantage of the bulletin boards put up in local pet shops. I use professional looking flyers with color pictures (Kinkos color copies are very cheap since you can get six to eight pictures on a page). On the flyers I say something like "Pedigreed Fancy Rats For Sale." I then go on to list whatever colors I have, and mention the fact that they are handled from birth, bred for health and temperament, and make wonderful pets.
Once you start your new club, you will find that it is easier to sell your rats. You will have the opportunity to sell to other fanciers, and to new people just entering the fancy. You will also find yourself putting on displays, and talking to many people. This inevitably leads to people asking you the question "Well, if I shouldn't buy from a pet shop, where should I get my next rat?" Needless to say, this is the time to have a business card in hand.
Pet shops are of course the other alternative to selling your rats. Many are very happy to take your excess stock, and some will even pay you for them. Unfortunately, most pet shops consider all rats to be feeders, and your critters could end up as snake food. A few pet shops will take the more unusually colored rats and set them aside to sell as pets. Unfortunately, these stores are few and far between.
Does anyone else have a different way of marketing their critters that works well? If so, we would love to hear about it. Drop us a line and let us know.
QWhat is the average life span for a mouse? The book I read said between 1½ and 3½ years (rarely seven years). That's quite a gap it seems to me?
AOur members have found over the years the average life span is 1–2 years for mice. It would be the exception rather than the rule if you had mice live longer than 2 years.
QToday, my brother and I are now the proud owners of two hooded, 4-week-old rats. So far they've been great fun!!! We bought all what a rat could want. Also, we bought a rat book which my question relates to. It said in the book we have to clip and trim their nails and teeth. I'm sorry, but no matter how friendly and cute they may seem, I will never cut a rat's (young or old) teeth—or nails! Is there any way around this problem? Thanks.
AYou should not need to trim your rats' teeth unless there is a problem such as something happening to the jaw to where the teeth then grow crooked and don't meet like they should. In this case they could grow right through the roof of the mouth. A vet would need to be consulted in a case such as this and he could trim the teeth for you at that time. If you look at your rats' teeth periodically and know what they normally look like, when something goes wrong you will know it.
QLast week I bought two baby feeder mice, just weaned from their mother, as my pets, and I have a few questions.
I have a glass aquarium I use as my mice's home, 20x11x12. Is this cage big enough? What is the optimum size cage for two adult mice?
My male mouse often spends most of the day isolated in a paper towel tube I have put inside his cage. Is this anything to worry about?
How often should I replace the wood shavings inside of the mice's cage?
It gets very hot in California during the summer, and I'm worried about my mice getting too hot. I currently have a fan on low power blowing directly over the cage's steel mesh cover. Should I be doing this? Is there something else I can do to keep my mice cool? And finally, what is the optimum heat and humidity range for my pets?
The rule of thumb for mouse (and rat) cages is always "the bigger the better." With mice, you must choose a cage which allows ample room for lots of tubes, wheels, etc., and I always recommend a 10 gallon or larger. Since your tank sounds like a 10 gallon, your mice should have plenty of room. Keep in mind that if you have both a male and a female mouse housed together, two will quickly become eight, then sixteen, and up, and up, and up! When this happens, living quarters will become rather tight.
In the wild, mice are rather secretive shy animals. They are also more or less nocturnal. Domestic mice also have these habits, some more than others. The reason your male mouse hides in his tube all day is that he sees it as a nice secure burrow. He probably spends most of the night (while you are asleep) running around. This is normal behavior and nothing to worry about. You might try enticing your mouse out of his tube with a special treat. Eventually your mouse will associate you with the treat, and come running when you enter the room.
The shavings in your cage should be changed at least once a week. If it smells dirty before the week is up, then it needs to be changed more often. Keep in mind that male mice (particularly American pet shop mice) have a very strong pungent odor. This is normal, and the mouse uses it to mark its territory. If you disturb the substrate in the cage too often, the mouse will feel he has to mark his territory more often, and the smell will go up accordingly. It takes a little practice, but it is useful to learn to distinguish between male mouse smell and dirty cage smell. The houses, toys, wheels, water bottle, food dish, etc., should also be cleaned each week when you clean the cage.
Most mice do not particularly like air blowing directly on them; however, it is important to keep them cool. They do not like hot weather. It is okay to use a fan to circulate air over the mouse's cage to encourage air exchange, but don't direct the air to blow directly into the cage. One of the best ways to keep mice cool is to take a Tupperware (or other small sealable container) and fill it with ice. The mice will lie on this to keep cool. A small water bottle which has been frozen will also work. Mice also enjoy frozen vegetables, fruit, and even ice cubes, though you don't want to make their litter damp. Mice (and rats) should be kept around 65–75 degrees, humidity of 40–60 percent, and out of direct sunlight. They will happily live at cooler temperatures so long as they have a nice snug nest. Warmer than 80 degrees and you need to provide some way for rats and mice to cool down.


In a world behind high walls and luxury, the wealthy may believe they are powerful in the comfort of their mansions, but it is the housekeepers who see all and know all. Devoted daughter, Linda Ndlovu (Thando Thabethe), goes to look for the truth when she hides her identity behind an apron. Assuming the role of housekeeper to bring the Zwide family to justice after one of her loved ones are framed for murder.
Mzansi Magic's local drama Housekeepers addresses the class dynamics between the wealthy and the poor, as well as how social systems can easily favour the rich.
Going beyond the walls of affluent Fourways families, and the helpers who run their households and raise their children - Housekeepers brings to the forefront the characters who are often the ones overlooked.
After her mother is framed for murder, Linda Ndlovu (Thando Thabethe) takes it upon herself to clear her mother's name and bring the people responsible to death. But as the storyline progresses, boundaries between friends and enemies, and employer and employee become blurred.
Right off the bat, I found the cinematography extremely striking, especially when looking at the juxtaposition between the high walls of Fourways, and the dusty streets of Diepkloof. But what makes Housekeepers even more interesting to watch is the unique editing techniques. The methods add a whole new level of sophistication to the production quality, and it's unlike anything else I've seen on local television.
Thando's portrayal of scorned daughter, Linda Ndlovu is commendable, and deserves a round of applause. Her body language, performance, passion and mannerisms are exactly what the role demands. And her delivery is exceptional, and natural, as if she isn't even aware that the cameras are rolling. Thando delivers a stand-out performance.
Mangaliso Ngema (Peter Zwide) and Zikhona Sodlaka (Boniswa Mzobe) are very believable in their portrayals of the prosperous yet devious couple.
Zikhona brings the villainous Boniswa to life, and she is the one character who I despise. Her self-serving, malicious and cold-hearted qualities are executed excellently, and she has become one of the characters you simply love to hate (or just hate) and who's unpredictability keeps you hooked!
The script is absolutely gripping, and week-by-week I'm consistently on the edge of my seat to see what scheming plans the Zwide family has up their sleeve next. The content, and issues transpiring on screen are relatable and what adds even more value are the actors' delivery. It feels authentic and genuine.
Housekeepers airs Saturdays at 20:30 on 1Magic (DStv 103) and Mondays at 20:00 on Mzansi Magic, (DStv 161). It is also available on DStv Now and Showmax.


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Outraged Garrison Keillor fans deluged Minnesota Public Radio Thursday with complaints about the firing of the humorist over alleged workplace misconduct.
Some say they will no longer support MPR, one of the nation's largest public radio operations, which depends heavily on financial contributions.
MPR said Wednesday it was cutting ties with Keillor, creator and former host of the popular public radio show "A Prairie Home Companion," over an allegation of workplace misconduct. The network did not give details, but Keillor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he had put his hand on a woman's bare back while trying to console her.
On Thursday, MPR repeated that it had received just one formal complaint against Keillor, a day after a statement by him raised questions about the extent of the allegations.
Keillor told The Associated Press in an email Thursday evening that one person had brought a claim against MPR and one person had brought a claim against him. He says he hasn't seen the allegations against him and that his account to the Star Tribune was the only incident he could remember.
Andresen didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Keillor's statement.
Meanwhile, MPR News reported that many people were angered at Keillor's dismissal and dozens planned to cancel their memberships.
More than 400 people had expressed themselves through MPR's Public Insight Network within 24 hours of the news breaking. Discussions on the MPR News Facebook page had generated more than 25,000 words, enough to fill a 100-page book.
While many fans supported Keillor, the professional fallout for the popular radio personality continued on Thursday.
The Washington Post said it won't distribute any more columns by Keillor because he didn't reveal he was under investigation in his most recent column. Keillor's last column criticized calls for Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct.
According to its 2016 financial report, St. Paul-based MPR and its parent company, American Public Media, received 63 percent of its revenue that fiscal year from the public. Of that public support, $21 million was from individual gifts and memberships.
Keillor was on an East Coast tour through Sunday with the folk duo Robin and Linda Williams. But the remaining shows in Connecticut and New York State were canceled, according to websites for those theaters. Keillor also was set to appear Wednesday night at a theater in western Massachusetts, but that show was canceled after news broke of his dismissal by MPR.
MPR has said it received allegations of "inappropriate behavior" against Keillor last month involving one person who worked with him during his time hosting "Prairie Home." MPR did not elaborate on the allegation.
Keillor retired as host of the radio variety show last year, but the Saturday evening show continues with mandolinist Chris Thile as host.
MPR said it would rename the show and end distribution of "The Writer's Almanac," Keillor's daily reading of a poem and telling of literary events. MPR also plans to end rebroadcasts of "The Best of A Prairie Home Companion" hosted by Keillor.
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