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Apple, Coca-Cola, HSBC and Louis Vuitton Named "Brand of the Year" at the 2014 World Branding Awards
The World Branding Forum
Tony Fernandes (left), founder of AirAsia, receiving the "Brand Builder of the Year" award from Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum. (PRNewsFoto/The World Branding Forum)
LONDON, October 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Sixty nine brands from 25 countries were honoured at the World Branding Awards in a glittering ceremony at the prestigious One Whitehall Place in London over the weekend.
Global winners include Apple, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, Guinness, Heinz, HSBC, Louis Vuitton, McDonald's, Mercedes-Benz, Samsung, Sony PlayStation and VISA. National tier winners from Britain include Barclays, the BBC, British Airways, Silentnight, Thomas Cook, the University of Oxford and WHSmith. Each brand was named "Brand of the Year" in their respective categories.
The awards were organised by the World Branding Forum, a global non-profit organisation which produces, manages and supports a wide range of programmes covering research, development, education, recognition, networking and outreach. It is also involved with research and development, the implementation of standards, best practice guidelines and tools, as well as other branding initiatives.
Richard Rowles, chairman of the World Branding Forum said, "It takes years to build a strong brand, and brands that make the list at these awards deserve recognition. Their work inspires those in the branding industry. These are brands that have a strong relationship with consumers. In addition to a brand valuation, voting by consumers shows that connection that winning brands have with the general public."
The awards recognised some of the best global and national brands for their work and achievements. Uniquely, winners were judged through four streams: brand valuation, consumer market research, public online voting, as well as voting by the World Branding Forum Advisory Council, which is made up of luminaries from the world of branding.
The awards gave special recognition to Tony Fernandes, founder of AirAsia, naming him "Brand Builder of the Year", for his work in building the budget airline brand. The airline was also the only regional winner, having scored the highest for a budget airline in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
Other national tier winners include Telstra from Australia, Baidu from China, Lego from Denmark, McDowell's No. 1 from India, Garuda Indonesia, Colgate from Hong Kong, Ferrari from Italy, Shell from the Netherlands, Maybank from Malaysia, Raoul from Singapore, Nescafé from Switzerland and Chatime from Taiwan.
The event was hosted by David Croft from Sky Sports. For more information and the full list of winners, visit http://www.awards.brandingforum.org .
About the World Branding Forum
The World Branding Forum (WBF) is a registered global non-profit organisation. Its aims and activities are to provide benefit to all those involved in the branding community, including those who work in the branding, design, marketing, advertising, public relations and communications disciplines worldwide. In particular, the organisation's objectives are to advance the standards, skills and education of all those involved in the branding and related industries. The WBF produces, manages and supports a wide range of programmes covering research, development, education, recognition, networking and outreach. For more information, visit http://www.brandingforum.org.
About the World Branding Awards
The World Branding Awards is the premier awards of the World Branding Forum, a registered non-profit organisation. The awards recognise the achievements of some of the world's best brands. There are two major tiers of awards - the Global Awards are awarded to international brands, while the National Awards are awarded to brands that are household names in their country of origin. For more information, visit http://www.awards.brandingforum.org.
SOURCE The World Branding Forum


Guest House is located in Volgograd. This room rental will provide you with a TV air conditioning and a balcony. There is a full a kitchenette with a microwave and a refrigerator. Featuring a shower private bathrooms also come with free toiletries. You can enjoy garden view from all the rooms. At Guest House you will a garden and barbecue facilities ironing and laundry facilities and free parking. An array of activities can be enjoyed on site or in the surroundings including hiking. The guest house is 11 km from the Central Stadium and the Mamayev Kurgan and here you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Gumrak / Volgograd International Airport is 22 km away from Guest House.


There's no denying that I love to dress up! Lucky for me, we have 7 weddings this year (3 down, 4 more to go) – giving me ample opportunities to switch out of my everyday jeans and play dress up for the night. This dress is one of my fave evening looks so far. The color, fit and quality are so amazing that I am already looking for another opportunity to wear it.
I've shared some other glam dresses below. Let me know which one is your fave?


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A Place To Be Snowed In
Wilderness Lodge Hosts Winter Activities, Serves Seasonal Food
Beverly Kehe-Rowland
The Highmark QUAD ski race is held at The Wilderness Lodge each year. Submitted photo
"It's probably the second oldest cross-country ski facility in the nation," said Ryan Janes about The Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, Pa.
Janes' grandparents, Jim and Nansi Janes, built the lodge, which was completed in 1969.
It was originally launched as a snowmobile lodge, but there weren't enough snowmobiles at the time so it was transitioned to a cross-country ski facility. Today the focus is on traditional, back country and skate skiing, with a small group of people doing telemark skiing. There is a very large snowmobile clientele as well.
The property is located on the backside of Peek'n Peak on the southwest ridge of the Chautauqua Ridge. Winds coming across Lake Erie collect moisture and drop it there, allowing winter activities at times when other areas have little or no snow. It spans more than 350 acres, with a trail network of over 1,000 acres, "due to generous neighbors." There are more than 25 miles of trails groomed with the same finish groomers as were used in the last two Olympic cycles.
Janes claims the longest he has been snowed in, where he could not leave the property, was five days.
"We had a nor'easter blow in on a Sunday in the late 90s. The cars in the lot were just mounds. People came for a night and ended up staying until Wednesday," he said.
He went on to tell how they strategically place snow fencing in order to form drifts where they want them on trails.
"We're the skiing home of the Highmark QUAD games, as well as the Pennsylvania Championship Race by PACCSA. We are highly family-oriented and have a youth skiing development program with classes for ages four to nineteen," he said.
His grandfather passed away in 1980, leaving his wife to run the business, which she retired from at the age of 82, after running the business for many years without her husband. The grandson took over in 2004.
"I've been in and out of this place my whole life," Janes said. "We have the most fantastic clientele with the third generation not uncommon."
The Lodge is modeled after a European-style inn with common space, eating space and kitchen downstairs. It is very rustic with a lot of stone and wood incorporated into the design. A wall constructed from massive rocks is an eyecatcher due to the size of the stones. It is an original wall from a barn on a farm located on the property before it failed during the Great Depression. The older man built a long bar from rocks he salvaged from the structure which had collapsed.
There are no two bar stools that are alike or the same height, as they were crafted on a day when Janes needed bars stools and had a chainsaw.
"I like crafting and creating, making something interesting out of nothing."
There is a unique round fireplace, designed and built by his grandfather, who cut the sheet steel himself. A counter from a general store with a flour bin tucked inside makes up part of the bar area.
"Everything in here was repurposed. We were green before green existed because we were broke," said Janes.
His grandparents took down several structures to acquire the materials needed to achieve their goal when building the lodge. It is built from 90% repurposed materials.
"He did all of this on one leg. He survived World War II, but lost his leg in a hunting accident by his own gun," he said. "I feel I owe it to the ones (who went) before me to work hard."
The grandfather had thought of opening an antique store before they chose to build the lodge because of their extensive antique collection. Several pieces are displayed in the restaurant and sitting area.
"We have a wonderful antique selection," said Janes.
A glassware-filled display case and a 1920 Knabe baby grand piano, that may have been found in a jazz club in Chicago in the twenties, are displayed. Drawers filled with various materials from an 1890s schoolhouse are mounted on a wall in a back area of the large room. Lessons were taught about their contents, which cover a broad spectrum. The drawers are labeled: rubber, coal tar products, drugs, gums and resins, vegetable fibers, spices and flavors, animal products and oil seeds and oils and more.
Many collections have placed throughout, including locks, bells, tools, kitchen utensils, musical instruments and keys. There are too many objects to take in on one or two visits, including many oddities such as a philodendron fossil.
A number of paintings have been hung on the walls. "My grandmother was a prolific painter," Janes said.
The Lodge's restaurant specializes in farm to table food and boasts craft beers and a "fantastic bourbon selection."
"We raise our own beef and poultry. I started using the same recipes my grandmother used originally. We've expanded and updated to a more current palate," Janes said. "We do as much from scratch and by hand as possible."
He went to say he does a lot of roasting and uses that for the base for their soup.
"We don't take shortcuts. It took ten years before I put 'chef' on my business card. I thought I had to earn my way into that," he said.
A limited menu that changes weekly is served.
"It's always new. A fan favorite may be brought back once over the winter. We use a small streamlined menu, done without sacrificing quality," he said. "We have a ton of people who come for the food and beverage. Friday is quiet and candlelit. On Saturday the after-ski party goes from 4:00-9:00."
There are nine guest rooms located on the upper level that can sleep 36 guests.
"Our goal is to open between Christmas and New Year's and we usually close somewhere in March. Occasionally we ski into April," he said.
Janes is a self-taught chicken and cattle farmer and the owner of N-Hance Erie, which is a kitchen cabinet and hardwood floor refinishing company.
"I like to consider myself an entrepreneur. I'm always looking for an opportunity to build something, to create new jobs, to create value, to build my family and friends. It's all about building-up people," he said.
"We live in a really unique time. We're the first generation to walk around with the complete knowledge of humanity in our pocket. We literally have the ability to teach ourselves anything."
He shared some of his favorite recipes. "I know Pan-Seared Scallops aren't exactly country, but these scallops are to die for and a favorite around our house."
The Wilderness Lodge is located at 13488 Weeks Valley Road, Wattsburg, Pa., just 38 miles from downtown Jamestown. Interested parties can get a snow report by calling (814) 739-2946 and may also make room reservations at that number. The restaurant does not take reservations. The Wilderness Lodge can be found on Facebook or at thewildernesslodge.net.
Wilderness Braised Beef
3-4 lb beef roast, brisket or ribs
Coarse ground sea salt
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
4-5 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 c dry red wine (Cabernet or Pinot Noir)
2 qts beef stock
Put a large cast iron Dutch oven or roaster on the stove top over high heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom. Pat beef dry and then sprinkle with salt. When oil is almost hot enough to smoke, place the beef in the pan. Brown beef, turning once. Once browned on both sides, remove and set aside. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil, vegetables and a little salt. Turn vegetables a few times while cooking, but not too often. Developing some browning on the vegetables will help develop the flavor. Remove vegetables when they start to soften. Leave heat on high setting. (Don't worry about any bits or black in the pan, that's the base of your flavor.) After oil begins to smoke a little, carefully add red wine. It should flash boil almost immediately, deglazing the pan. When it comes to a rolling boil for a few seconds, add beef stock, beef, vegetables and rosemary to the pot. Add water until the meat is nearly covered. Tightly cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil. This can be slowly simmered on the stove on low heat or baked in the oven at 325 degrees. Turn once per hour until meat is tender. Add water as needed to maintain the depth and be sure to never let boil dry. Total cook time will be between 2 ¢ to 4 hours, depending on the cut. Potatoes can be added at the turnover for a one pot meal. The liquid left at the end makes an excellent gravy and can be reduced.
Country Roasted Chicken
5-6 lb free-range chicken
Old Bay seasoning
1 can beer
Thaw bird overnight. Rinse and dry. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (convection oven preferred). Rub dried chicken inside and out with a liberal amount of salt and Old Bay. Brush the entire bird with a blend of the oils over the seasoning. Place bird breast-side up on a rack in a large roaster, making sure there is air space under the chicken. Add beer and 1 beer can of water to the pan below the chicken. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over so the thighs are up (this helps keep the breast moist and will brown the skin on the bottom half.) Reduce heat to 400 degrees. Continue baking 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bird is evenly browned, skin is crispy and temperature in middle of the breast has reached 165 degrees. A meat thermometer is needed as a smaller bird will finish much faster than a larger one. Carve and serve.
Optionally the chicken can be brined overnight for an even more tender bird.
Thaw first and then
1 c white vinegar
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 T Old Bay seasoning
1 c sea salt
Mix everything in a large pot. Add chicken and then add water until bird is completely covered. Store in refrigerator from 1 hour to overnight.
3/4 c whole milk
1/4 c rendered beef or pork fat, olive oil or melted butter.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix milk, eggs, flour and salt. Don't over mix. Allow to rest 30 minutes. Add 1 tsp fat to each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan. Heat pan in oven 5-6 minutes until hot. Divide batter equally between cups to about half full and return pan to oven. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with roasted meat and gravy.
1/2 lb jumbo scallops
Pat scallops dry. In a shallow stainless or cast iron skillet, place butter and oil. Heat on medium high, melting the butter and stirring the two together with a spatula. Continue heating to the point of smoking. This recipe needs a pretty good exhaust fan as it does generate some smoke. Using a fork and caution, place scallops into preheated oil on the flat sides and cover with a splatter screen. Don't touch them. If they aren't evenly browning, lift the pan and gently move the oil around by slightly tipping the pan. Be very careful. Leave them in place in the pan until a ring of golden brown has formed all of the way around. Flip scallops over one time and do the same browning process to the other side. Time varies from 3-7 minutes based on the size of the scallops and should be judged more by color. They should have a wonderful texture around the rims with a buttery soft and almost translucent center. Serve with melted or clarified butter.
1 3/4 c self-rising flour
1/2 c margarine
1/4 c currants
2 T whole milk
1 tsp lard
Mix flour and salt and then fold in margarine, sugar and currants. Add egg and milk and mix to a fairly stiff dough. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds. Re-roll trimmings. Grease a medium hot griddle with the lard. Cook evenly-spaced on griddle for about 3 minutes per side. Place hot Welsh cakes into powdered sugar, turning to coat both sides. Serve hot or cold.
Chocolate Lodge Cake
1 tsp soda
1 tsp real vanilla extract (preferably Madagascar)
2 sticks margarine
1 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp real vanilla
For cake
Grease a 10-inch by 15-inch baking pan and then dust with a little flour. Shake flour around to lightly coat all sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk and set aside. Combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk. In a small saucepan, add cocoa powder then whisk in water. Add margarine and stir over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour hot mix into flour mix and stir to incorporate. Add sour cream mixture and whisk everything for 1 minute. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20 minutes. Test with a knife or toothpick in the center. Remove from oven and let cool.
For icing:
Combine milk, margarine, cocoa powder and salt in a saucepan. Heat until butter is completely melted and then remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Whisk powdered sugar into hot mix, a little at a time, until smooth and of the proper consistency. Pour icing over warm cake and set aside uncovered to cool.
Fresh, Family Friendly
Many Interests
A Year Of Learning
Sharing Traditions
Christmas At The Inn
City Woman Keeps Swedish Family Traditions

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Good feedback lies at the heart of good learning. It's about "working the gap" between what your learners already know, understand and can do and what they will know, be able to understand and do in the future.
The role of the teacher is not to close the gap for their learners but to support them to close the gap for themselves.
Share learning intentions and success criteria with learners.
Engage in quality dialogue and discussion.
Mark less yet achieving more.
Make effective use of peer and self-assessment.
Make clear how they will learn – will the learning focus on recalling facts, developing skills or building awareness and understanding? For example: "We will memorise a passage from a poem", "We will learn how to balance on a beam", or "We will understand how water turns to ice".
Make them manageable, accessible and visible, e.g. no more than two or three learning intentions per-lesson that are clearly displayed throughout the lesson. You could use a flip chart or have the learning intentions at the bottom of each PowerPoint slide.
Clarify what learning has taken place – the most powerful learning is when learners can tell us what they have learned in their own words.
Identify what difficulties are being experienced – learner talk helps us to identify mis-learned ideas or incorrect understanding.
Introduce future tasks – learner feedback helps us plan and tailor future learning to the abilities and current learning of our students.
Asking better questions – think about targeting open and closed questions to specific learners. Many teachers still use "hands-up" as an effective response strategy. The issue with this is that you can't easily differentiate your questioning to meet the needs of individual learners. Surely it is far better to target your questioning precisely to the ability of each individual learner? This also has the added benefit of being an effective classroom management strategy.
Valuing wrong answers – these give us insights into mis-learning and help us generate class discussion. If we receive a wrong answer, we can take the answer round the class – "how do you think we got that answer?" – or extend the student's thinking directly – "explain how you arrived at that answer".
Thinking about how we ask questions – give learners time to think (at least 10 seconds), take answers around the class, and treat questioning as a volleyball match rather than a tennis rally. This analogy implies that it is better to keep the answer "in the air" as long as possible – like a volleyball match – rather than seeing it as a simple two-way exchange between one student and the teacher – as in a tennis rally.
Developing opportunities for group discussion such as "think, pair, share" – learners think of their own answer to a question then discuss it with a partner and finally share it with the class. Or "Ask for five" – ask learners to come up with their own solutions to a problem or issue and then work in pairs or small groups to come up with their best five responses which they then share with the class.
Use written feedback with caution. Most written feedback has little impact on learners, their learning or the progress they make.
This is a bold statement, especially since most teachers in the UK spend most of their time providing this sort of feedback and marking. So, why is this the case?
Many learners just don't engage with the written feedback. They just don't read it – either because they feel they don't need to if the grade is okay, or because they just don't want the bad news if the grade is poor.
Marking according to success criteria. This can be quite contentious in schools but it makes perfect sense. If the learning intention of a lesson is "to learn to use descriptive language to describe a character" then the marking should focus on how successfully a learner has done this and not on spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG). If the learning intention of a lesson is to improve SPAG then the marking and feedback should focus on this. By marking according to success criteria, both you and the learner are focusing on the desired learning intention for that activity or piece of learning.
Use highlight and prompt marking. Highlight (with a highlighter pen) "growth points", i.e. two or three aspects of the work that have been successful in terms of learning intentions and success criteria. Prompt – identify one area for improvement, linked with an arrow to the nearest white space and write a prompt to help learners make that small improvement. Some schools refer to this method as "two stars and a wish".
What about grading work? To be effective, your written comments need to cause thinking and give pupils help to improve. Grades or marks on their own don't do that any more than vague comments like "good work" would.
It enables more pupils to receive immediate and good-quality feedback more often than any one teacher has time for.
It helps learners to take more responsibility for their own learning.
There's no need to conceal your difficulties.
It is okay to be stuck.
It is normal and acceptable to get something wrong.
As leaders of learning in our classrooms, we can support the development of these skills by continuing to value "wrong answers" in ways we have set out above. In addition, we can set learning tasks that focus on the process rather than the outcome.
Modelling good-quality products and processes: For learners to be able to make judgements about their learning and the learning of their peers, they need to know "what good looks like". As teachers, we need to model "good" for them or, even better, use examples of other learners' work to show them "what good looks like".
Working more effectively in pairs: Many learners don't "instinctively" know how to work collaboratively and cooperatively, we need to teach it just as we need to teach behaviour or subject-specific skills and knowledge.
It has long been the case that effective marking and feedback is far more than the appropriate use of a tick or a cross. Many teachers still have serious doubts about the idea that they could mark less and achieve more, yet even Ofsted has recently commented that the cycle of marking often perpetuated by school leadership teams has got out of hand.
If we let go and provide support, young people can become less dependent on us, more engaged in their own learning – and better able to assess and feedback on their own learning and progress and that of others.


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Packing up…Josh Rawitch
Though we still have five more days in Vero Beach, the huge truck that departs for Los Angeles will leave Dodgertown tomorrow at noon, so we packed up the office tonight, leaving only what we need for the last few days.
For the clubhouse attendants, this is a ton of labor and few people realize just how hard these guys work every day. Mitch Poole, Jerry Turner, Alex Torres and Jose "Peps" Castillo deserve a big time salute from everyone in the organization.
In the PR department, we had countless boxes of media guides from every team around the leagues, plus plenty of boxes of our own guides. But the biggest load was more than 200 dozen baseballs, which the players were kind enough to sign for various charities around the city. When the boxes were in my office, it practically filled the place wall to wall, so it feels pretty empty in here right now.
The NCAA tourney also brought some excitement to Dodgertown. Scores were being announced over the PA system at Holman Stadium all night and the Villanova/BC game that went into overtime was a huge hit in the clubhouse. Twenty-five players/coaches/staff members stuck around late to see how it would turn out and it didn't disappoint, with a last-minute shot accounting for the win.
Of course, it was also a sad day at Dodgertown, as our minor league pitcher, Orlando Rodriguez was involved in a tragic car accident last night. Our hearts go out to everyone involved.
Today's lineup – Josh Rawitch


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Excerpt taken from "Front of the Line".
"Beyond our knowledge of events, the last battle had narrowed down to a place called the Argenta Gap and our previous skirmishing seemed insignificant when we found ourselves up in line with the Northants waiting to attack across a huge anti tank ditch, while the Northants did things in real style in Argenta with fighter bomber support as well as flamethrower tanks. We attacked all day with two companies and our faithful friends of the 17th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. As B Company was in reserve, I saw nothing of this last breaking of the last line after having crawled so slowly up the Italian peninsula.
I sat in a ditch with the platoon and waited, waited until the anti tank ditch had been taken and B Company was ordered to attack in the dark up to yet another canal bank ahead of us. But if the last line was broken on GHQ's map, it was not broken on B Company's front as we advanced on both side of the road under fire. We got to our first bound on a burning farm after losing some casualties by shellfire and dazed Germans crawled out of an outbuilding. While we roped them in, the left hand Bren gunner shouted out to me from the hayricks and I found him with his gun pointing down the entrance to a dugout shaft. We were all carrying grenades and one was in my hand, but some Power stopped me from rolling it down those stairs and fourteen Germans, hands held high, trooped out into captivity and life. Sergeant Hall was busy while I was rooting around the ricks and the front of the next farm exploded as his PIAT bomb hit it at a range of ten yards, wiping out a German machine gun crew. Once again, the pure oblivion of the assault took command, an oblivion that generates an ignorance of risk, an oblivion that holds cowardice and courage on a knife edge; the orgasm of war.
Before we reached the canal, a great flash and roar hurled the leading section flat and I thought that someone had trodden on a mine. Next day, I called the roll as we hung on in the farm, which we would not quit for all the gold of Peru, even though it burned steadily around our ears. I could account for everyone save one and in spite of every check, his fate remained a mystery. It stayed so until the Rifles crashed through ahead of us in their Kangaroos and we were ordered to march on again to follow up. As we left our smouldering wreck, Sergeant Hall called out: "What's that up on the roof?" and hanging over the eaves, we saw a pair of legs. Our mystery was solved. That crash as we reached the canal had been a bazooka hitting our missing man square on the belt buckle and blowing half of him on to the road; the other half was never found.
All day, we marched on to catch up with the Rifles, who rode to war in armoured taxis. They rode so swiftly that dismounting on a captured enemy gun battery, they were able to wind the telephone and have a chat with a bewildered German officer at the other end. And it was while on this march up to the Santerno for the night attack that, pulling out of the column to count heads, the feeling came to me that came to all at some time during those dusty, muddy, snowy roads and tracks. Standing aside for a few moments before being rebuked by Jack for not being at the head of the platoon, a great wave of love for those bowed, laden, dusty, slouching figures swept over me. There they were, even the one you knew would run away at the first opportunity. They couldn't drive a truck, they couldn't see their war from a tank periscope or a workshop window, their education wouldn't help them into a job at Base: they sought safety. Got help them, but they were here at war's extremity where only God could stand; the crest of foam on the breaking wave. Such a thin crest for such a giant wave. But if the assault was the orgasm of war, the tired, joking, grumbling file of the rifle company was the love that endured for ever for it was sired by death and fear and common laughter. They asked for so little.
Santerno was easy. Two companies were in by night and then B and D by day to open out but not before a 105 blew Jack Phelan and me across a farmyard. Jack with a splinter under his eye and myself with a small one across the throat. It was all folding up now, but wisely this knowledge was not allowed to come down to our level. With such knowledge, who could be blamed for simply sitting down and refusing to move? But even so, the prayer rising day and night was "Please God, not now. Not just at the end – Please God." I was among that chorus that rolled around the Gate of Heaven and more so when the Skins took a village by night and Norman Plymen, sent up to replace Jack as company commander, told me we were to attack next morning up to the River Po. With Norman, I went to get a look at the way ahead from the bell tower, but rising out of the ladder way at the top, I heard the bell ring beside me. It was not Norman playing about with the rope but a clear bullet splash on the bell that sent us both down to view the ground from a lower and safer level.
The tanks allotted to us for the attack had a better knowledge than us so, after a show of track-rattling and turret swivelling, they stayed behind in the orchards, while we set off across the cornfields. They stayed there all day and may be there now for all I know. German tanks had also stayed but for different motives. When on the first bound, we took a farm, we also took four prisoners. Roughly searching them in the kitchen, I pulled out a packet of German oak leaf cigarettes from a corporal's pocket. With a sneering 'shit', I flung the packet into a rain puddle and looked at his eyes as he watched his only smoke on the way to the cage ground into pulp. Then with 'smoke from the Englander', I gave him a tin of fifty Players: Vae Victis.
Corporal Nansen called me on the right and, joining him by the Bren gun, I saw a German tank over the canal bridge, his gun in line with our farm. With another confident prediction from myself, 'It's alright, it's knocked out', and another shrewd remark from Nansen, 'I've heard that before', I took four of the platoon over the bridge to claim our trophy. Not until I saw grey figures leaping into the turret did I believe it but, when he opened up with his machine gun, it became all too clear. The only thing that saved us was that we were so close that he could not depress his gun enough to kill us. That, plus the depth of the ditch, enabled us to crawl back to the bridge. The Germans put the bridge out of bounds by blowing the coping stones out with an HE shell, so it was into the canal and swim for all save one, who had never learnt that skill.
Pursued along the far bank by the machine gun and covered with duck weed, we retreated to Norman and Company HQ. While I watched for a rope, the quicker-witted Fusilier Salmon had handed our non swimmer across with linked machine gun belts. He was rightly decorated for this and for reviving him, who came across via the canal bottom.
Next morning, we crossed and took the now burning tank and farm and while we searched the hayricks and buildings and Norman and I stood by the back door, I saw Death's fist crash down for the last time. The farm owner, hidden in some dugout, came out with gesticulations and applause to greet his liberators. As he babbled his joyous thanks, a single rifle bullet hit him full in the chest and he went to his account on his own doorstep.
From the kalefields ahead, like a jack-in-the-box shot a German. Running towards us, he waved one of those pamphlets, which guaranteed a prisoner long life and happiness by courtesy of the Allies. Passing Siever, he was greeted with: 'What are you selling mate – the Mirror or the Mail?'
Then there was a last patrol into the kale, a few shorts, which hit the trees beside us and, next morning, John Beamish, coloured cap on his blond thatch, led C Company into Ruina on the Po banks. No shot fell when we looked at the roaring brown flood down the bank; no shot when the six pounders were wheeled up to snatch a church steeple opposite; no shot when, after a lunch of cognac. I fell asleep on my blanket wall in B Company HQ.
I awoke when the door crashed open and I saw the CSM festooned with rifles. He flung them in a corner with the remark; 'It's all over. Get their rifles off them or they'll kill themselves'. I rose and poured two mugs of cognac. We shook hands and drank them down. He went out to disarm the company and I sat down alone at the table. From outside, the noises had started; noises that were to crescendo into a Donnybrook of twenty miles of the Po, flickering under Very lights and mortar flares.
I finished the cognac and went out to join them, to ring the bell of the church and to ride a horse into Battalion HQ to try to let it sink in and understand that tomorrow held no barrage, no start time, no Spandaus, no death."


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PH open to nuclear power development talks with US
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The Philippines is open to nuclear energy negotiations with other countries aside from the United States, an official of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) said in a report by Philippine News Agency.
Currently, the country is in discussion with the US for the 123 Agreement, an agreement for cooperation as a prerequisite for nuclear deals.
"Before they (US) could export their nuclear expertise and technology, they have to seek clearance from the government. So this agreement is crucial since American companies could not export nuclear technologies and experts without this agreement," PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla said during the Laging Handa public briefing.
He cited that the US is the most experienced in nuclear energy since they have 92 working nuclear power plants, the highest number in the world.
These plants supply 20 percent of their power, according to Arcilla.
While he considers the US as the most experienced, Arcilla clarified that other countries are also experts and have interest to partner with the Philippines.
Among them is South Korea, which offered to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
Arcilla said the decision will be up to the President, and also noted that the deal will not require a 123 Agreement.
Other countries he mentioned for possible nuclear negotiations are France, China and Japan.
"(The 123 Agreement) does not lock us into the American negotiations only. We are also open to other countries. We should not set aside, however, America's experience. There are 450 nuclear power plants in the world, and almost 100 are in the US," he said.
Arcilla said it is also important that the government has a national position and policy on nuclear energy.
Early this year, former President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 164, which include nuclear power in the country's energy mix.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also pushed for the development of the country's indigenous energy resources for energy security, improve access to power and promote clean energy.
Meanwhile, Arcilla said the decision to revive the BNPP or to establish a new one would depend on the President and the Department of Energy.
"If we consider the technical aspect, (the BNPP) could still function, and South Korea has an offer, and they have a working model," he said.
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Bitcoin (BTC) miners in China are in a bind after a ransomware by the name of 'hAnt' has been targeting specific mining rigs such as the Bitmain's Antminer S9, T9 and L3. The ransomware has also found its way into Avalon rigs. The malicious code was first detected in August 2018.
Mining Production in China averaged 1.56 percent from 2013 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 7.90 percent in June of 2014 and a record low of -3.80 percent in September of 2017. This page provides - China Mining Production- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
Hosted by China Mining Association and organized by Tianjin Minexpo Co., Ltd. CHINA MINING Conference and Exhibition 2018 (20th session) was held at the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center from October 18th to 20th, 2018.
News › China › Society. China science. China science 'Forget the Facebook leak': China is mining data directly from workers' brains on an industrial scale.
19 dead in east China mining accident. News Desk Agence France-Presse Beijing, China / Mon, October 29, 2018 / 02:18 pm .
Deadly mining accidents are common in China, where the industry has a poor safety record, despite efforts to improve coal production conditions and crack down on illegal mines.
China is the world's largest producer of coal. According to the country's national coal mine safety administration, the China saw 375 coal mining-related deaths in 2017, down 28.7% year-on-year.


Chun YS, Passot G, Yamashita S, Nusrat M, Katsonis P, Loree JM, Conrad C, Tzeng CD, Xiao L, Aloia TA, Eng C, Kopetz SE, Lichtarge O, Vauthey JN. Deleterious Effect of RAS and Evolutionary High-risk TP53 Double Mutation in Colorectal Liver Metastases. Ann Surg. 2019 May; 269(5):917-923. PMID: 28767562.
Lin CH, Konecki DM, Liu M, Wilson SJ, Nassar H, Wilkins AD, Gleich DF, Lichtarge O. Multimodal Network Diffusion Predicts Future Disease-Gene-Chemical Associations. Bioinformatics. 2018 Oct 09. PMID: 30304494.
Choi BK, Dayaram T, Parikh N, Wilkins AD, Nagarajan M, Novikov IB, Bachman BJ, Jung SY, Haas PJ, Labrie JL, Pickering CR, Adikesavan AK, Regenbogen S, Kato L, Lelescu A, Buchovecky CM, Zhang H, Bao SH, Boyer S, Weber G, Scott KL, Chen Y, Spangler S, Donehower LA, Lichtarge O. Literature-based automated discovery of tumor suppressor p53 phosphorylation and inhibition by NEK2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 10 16; 115(42):10666-10671. PMID: 30266789.
Clarke CN, Katsonis P, Hsu TK, Koire AM, Silva-Figueroa A, Christakis I, Williams MD, Kutahyalioglu M, Kwatampora L, Xi Y, Lee JE, Koptez ES, Busaidy NL, Perrier ND, Lichtarge O. Comprehensive Genomic Characterization of Parathyroid Cancer Identifies Novel Candidate Driver Mutations and Core Pathways. J Endocr Soc. 2019 Mar 01; 3(3):544-559. PMID: 30788456.
Karamitri A, Plouffe B, Bonnefond A, Chen M, Gallion J, Guillaume JL, Hegron A, Boissel M, Canouil M, Langenberg C, Wareham NJ, Le Gouill C, Lukasheva V, Lichtarge O, Froguel P, Bouvier M, Jockers R. Type 2 diabetes-associated variants of the MT2 melatonin receptor affect distinct modes of signaling. Sci Signal. 2018 Aug 28; 11(545). PMID: 30154102.
Almannai M, Wang J, Dai H, El-Hattab AW, Faqeih EA, Saleh MA, Al Asmari A, Alwadei AH, Aljadhai YI, AlHashem A, Tabarki B, Lines MA, Grange DK, Benini R, Alsaman AS, Mahmoud A, Katsonis P, Lichtarge O, Wong LC. FARS2 deficiency; new cases, review of clinical, biochemical, and molecular spectra, and variants interpretation based on structural, functional, and evolutionary significance. Mol Genet Metab. 2018 11; 125(3):281-291. PMID: 30177229.
Swings T, Marciano DC, Atri B, Bosserman RE, Wang C, Leysen M, Bonte C, Schalck T, Furey I, Van den Bergh B, Verstraeten N, Christie PJ, Herman C, Lichtarge O, Michiels J. CRISPR-FRT targets shared sites in a knock-out collection for off-the-shelf genome editing. Nat Commun. 2018 06 08; 9(1):2231. PMID: 29884781.
Huang KL, Mashl RJ, Wu Y, Ritter DI, Wang J, Oh C, Paczkowska M, Reynolds S, Wyczalkowski MA, Oak N, Scott AD, Krassowski M, Cherniack AD, Houlahan KE, Jayasinghe R, Wang LB, Zhou DC, Liu D, Cao S, Kim YW, Koire A, McMichael JF, Hucthagowder V, Kim TB, Hahn A, Wang C, McLellan MD, Al-Mulla F, Johnson KJ, Lichtarge O, Boutros PC, Raphael B, Lazar AJ, Zhang W, Wendl MC, Govindan R, Jain S, Wheeler D, Kulkarni S, Dipersio JF, Reimand J, Meric-Bernstam F, Chen K, Shmulevich I, Plon SE, Chen F, Ding L. Pathogenic Germline Variants in 10,389 Adult Cancers. Cell. 2018 04 05; 173(2):355-370.e14. PMID: 29625052.
Lisewski AM, Quiros JP, Mittal M, Putluri N, Sreekumar A, Haeggström JZ, Lichtarge O. Potential role of Plasmodium falciparum exported protein 1 in the chloroquine mode of action. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist. 2018 04; 8(1):31-35. PMID: 29324251.
Schönegge AM, Gallion J, Picard LP, Wilkins AD, Le Gouill C, Audet M, Stallaert W, Lohse MJ, Kimmel M, Lichtarge O, Bouvier M. Evolutionary action and structural basis of the allosteric switch controlling ß2AR functional selectivity. Nat Commun. 2017 12 18; 8(1):2169. PMID: 29255305.
Otaify GA, Whyte MP, Gottesman GS, McAlister WH, Eric Gordon J, Hollander A, Andrews MV, El-Mofty SK, Chen WS, Veis DV, Stolina M, Woo AS, Katsonis P, Lichtarge O, Zhang F, Shinawi M. Gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia: Severe atypical presentation with novel heterozygous mutation of the anoctamin gene (ANO5). Bone. 2018 02; 107:161-171. PMID: 29175271.
Katsonis P, Lichtarge O. Objective assessment of the evolutionary action equation for the fitness effect of missense mutations across CAGI-blinded contests. Hum Mutat. 2017 09; 38(9):1072-1084. PMID: 28544059.
Carraro M, Minervini G, Giollo M, Bromberg Y, Capriotti E, Casadio R, Dunbrack R, Elefanti L, Fariselli P, Ferrari C, Gough J, Katsonis P, Leonardi E, Lichtarge O, Menin C, Martelli PL, Niroula A, Pal LR, Repo S, Scaini MC, Vihinen M, Wei Q, Xu Q, Yang Y, Yin Y, Zaucha J, Zhao H, Zhou Y, Brenner SE, Moult J, Tosatto SCE. Performance of in silico tools for the evaluation of p16INK4a (CDKN2A) variants in CAGI. Hum Mutat. 2017 09; 38(9):1042-1050. PMID: 28440912.
Xu Q, Tang Q, Katsonis P, Lichtarge O, Jones D, Bovo S, Babbi G, Martelli PL, Casadio R, Lee GR, Seok C, Fenton AW, Dunbrack RL. Benchmarking predictions of allostery in liver pyruvate kinase in CAGI4. Hum Mutat. 2017 09; 38(9):1123-1131. PMID: 28370845.
Galaz-Montoya M, Wright SJ, Rodriguez GJ, Lichtarge O, Wensel TG. ß2-Adrenergic receptor activation mobilizes intracellular calcium via a non-canonical cAMP-independent signaling pathway. J Biol Chem. 2017 06 16; 292(24):9967-9974. PMID: 28442571.
Koire A, Kim YW, Wang J, Katsonis P, Jin H, Lichtarge O. Codon-level co-occurrences of germline variants and somatic mutations in cancer are rare but often lead to incorrect variant annotation and underestimated impact prediction. PLoS One. 2017; 12(3):e0174766. PMID: 28350864.
Gallion J, Koire A, Katsonis P, Schoenegge AM, Bouvier M, Lichtarge O. Predicting phenotype from genotype: Improving accuracy through more robust experimental and computational modeling. Hum Mutat. 2017 05; 38(5):569-580. PMID: 28230923.
Wilson SJ, Wilkins AD, Lin CH, Lua RC, Lichtarge O. DISCOVERY OF FUNCTIONAL AND DISEASE PATHWAYS BY COMMUNITY DETECTION IN PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTION NETWORKS. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2017; 22:336-347. PMID: 27896987.
Gallion J, Wilkins AD, Lichtarge O. HUMAN KINASES DISPLAY MUTATIONAL HOTSPOTS AT COGNATE POSITIONS WITHIN CANCER. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2017; 22:414-425. PMID: 27896994.
Bocchini CE, Nahmod K, Katsonis P, Kim S, Kasembeli MM, Freeman A, Lichtarge O, Makedonas G, Tweardy DJ. Protein stabilization improves STAT3 function in autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome. Blood. 2016 12 29; 128(26):3061-3072. PMID: 27799162.
Li Z, Gonzalez CL, Wang B, Zhang Y, Mejia O, Katsonis P, Lichtarge O, Myers JN, El-Naggar AK, Caulin C. Cdkn2a suppresses metastasis in squamous cell carcinomas induced by the gain-of-function mutant p53(R172H). J Pathol. 2016 10; 240(2):224-34. PMID: 27447534.
Marciano DC, Lua RC, Herman C, Lichtarge O. Cooperativity of Negative Autoregulation Confers Increased Mutational Robustness. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 Jun 24; 116(25):258104. PMID: 27391757.
Sung YM, Wilkins AD, Rodriguez GJ, Wensel TG, Lichtarge O. Intramolecular allosteric communication in dopamine D2 receptor revealed by evolutionary amino acid covariation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Mar 29; 113(13):3539-44. PMID: 26979958.
Regenbogen S, Wilkins AD, Lichtarge O. COMPUTING THERAPY FOR PRECISION MEDICINE: COLLABORATIVE FILTERING INTEGRATES AND PREDICTS MULTI-ENTITY INTERACTIONS. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2016; 21:21-32. PMID: 26776170.
Koire A, Katsonis P, Lichtarge O. REPURPOSING GERMLINE EXOMES OF THE CANCER GENOME ATLAS DEMANDS A CAUTIOUS APPROACH AND SAMPLE-SPECIFIC VARIANT FILTERING. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2016; 21:207-18. PMID: 26776187.
Lua RC, Wilson SJ, Konecki DM, Wilkins AD, Venner E, Morgan DH, Lichtarge O. UET: a database of evolutionarily-predicted functional determinants of protein sequences that cluster as functional sites in protein structures. Nucleic Acids Res. 2016 Jan 04; 44(D1):D308-12. PMID: 26590254.
Mullany LK, Wong KK, Marciano DC, Katsonis P, King-Crane ER, Ren YA, Lichtarge O, Richards JS. Specific TP53 Mutants Overrepresented in Ovarian Cancer Impact CNV, TP53 Activity, Responses to Nutlin-3a, and Cell Survival. Neoplasia. 2015 Oct; 17(10):789-803. PMID: 26585234.
Peterson SM, Pack TF, Wilkins AD, Urs NM, Urban DJ, Bass CE, Lichtarge O, Caron MG. Elucidation of G-protein and ß-arrestin functional selectivity at the dopamine D2 receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jun 02; 112(22):7097-102. PMID: 25964346.
Osman AA, Neskey DM, Katsonis P, Patel AA, Ward AM, Hsu TK, Hicks SC, McDonald TO, Ow TJ, Alves MO, Pickering CR, Skinner HD, Zhao M, Sturgis EM, Kies MS, El-Naggar A, Perrone F, Licitra L, Bossi P, Kimmel M, Frederick MJ, Lichtarge O, Myers JN. Evolutionary Action Score of TP53 Coding Variants Is Predictive of Platinum Response in Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Cancer Res. 2015 Apr 01; 75(7):1205-15. PMID: 25691460.
Neskey DM, Osman AA, Ow TJ, Katsonis P, McDonald T, Hicks SC, Hsu TK, Pickering CR, Ward A, Patel A, Yordy JS, Skinner HD, Giri U, Sano D, Story MD, Beadle BM, El-Naggar AK, Kies MS, William WN, Caulin C, Frederick M, Kimmel M, Myers JN, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary Action Score of TP53 Identifies High-Risk Mutations Associated with Decreased Survival and Increased Distant Metastases in Head and Neck Cancer. Cancer Res. 2015 Apr 01; 75(7):1527-36. PMID: 25634208.
Kang HJ, Wilkins AD, Lichtarge O, Wensel TG. Determinants of endogenous ligand specificity divergence among metabotropic glutamate receptors. J Biol Chem. 2015 Jan 30; 290(5):2870-8. PMID: 25519912.
Osman AA, Monroe MM, Ortega Alves MV, Patel AA, Katsonis P, Fitzgerald AL, Neskey DM, Frederick MJ, Woo SH, Caulin C, Hsu TK, McDonald TO, Kimmel M, Meyn RE, Lichtarge O, Myers JN. Wee-1 kinase inhibition overcomes cisplatin resistance associated with high-risk TP53 mutations in head and neck cancer through mitotic arrest followed by senescence. Mol Cancer Ther. 2015 Feb; 14(2):608-19. PMID: 25504633.
Katsonis P, Koire A, Wilson SJ, Hsu TK, Lua RC, Wilkins AD, Lichtarge O. Single nucleotide variations: biological impact and theoretical interpretation. Protein Sci. 2014 Dec; 23(12):1650-66. PMID: 25234433.
Katsonis P, Lichtarge O. A formal perturbation equation between genotype and phenotype determines the Evolutionary Action of protein-coding variations on fitness. Genome Res. 2014 Dec; 24(12):2050-8. PMID: 25217195.
Kang HJ, Menlove K, Ma J, Wilkins A, Lichtarge O, Wensel TG. Selectivity and evolutionary divergence of metabotropic glutamate receptors for endogenous ligands and G proteins coupled to phospholipase C or TRP channels. J Biol Chem. 2014 Oct 24; 289(43):29961-74. PMID: 25193666.
Lisewski AM, Quiros JP, Ng CL, Adikesavan AK, Miura K, Putluri N, Eastman RT, Scanfeld D, Regenbogen SJ, Altenhofen L, Llinás M, Sreekumar A, Long C, Fidock DA, Lichtarge O. Supergenomic network compression and the discovery of EXP1 as a glutathione transferase inhibited by artesunate. Cell. 2014 Aug 14; 158(4):916-928. PMID: 25126794.
Marciano DC, Lua RC, Katsonis P, Amin SR, Herman C, Lichtarge O. Negative feedback in genetic circuits confers evolutionary resilience and capacitance. Cell Rep. 2014 Jun 26; 7(6):1789-95. PMID: 24910431.
Lua RC, Marciano DC, Katsonis P, Adikesavan AK, Wilkins AD, Lichtarge O. Prediction and redesign of protein-protein interactions. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2014 Nov-Dec; 116(2-3):194-202. PMID: 24878423.
Homan EP, Lietman C, Grafe I, Lennington J, Morello R, Napierala D, Jiang MM, Munivez EM, Dawson B, Bertin TK, Chen Y, Lua R, Lichtarge O, Hicks J, Weis MA, Eyre D, Lee BH. Differential effects of collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation on skeletal tissues. PLoS Genet. 2014 Jan; 10(1):e1004121. PMID: 24465224.
Young E, Zheng ZY, Wilkins AD, Jeong HT, Li M, Lichtarge O, Chang EC. Regulation of Ras localization and cell transformation by evolutionarily conserved palmitoyltransferases. Mol Cell Biol. 2014 Feb; 34(3):374-85. PMID: 24248599.
Zheng L, Sepúlveda LA, Lua RC, Lichtarge O, Golding I, Sokac AM. The maternal-to-zygotic transition targets actin to promote robustness during morphogenesis. PLoS Genet. 2013 Nov; 9(11):e1003901. PMID: 24244181.
Amin SR, Erdin S, Ward RM, Lua RC, Lichtarge O. Prediction and experimental validation of enzyme substrate specificity in protein structures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Nov 05; 110(45):E4195-202. PMID: 24145433.
Wilkins AD, Venner E, Marciano DC, Erdin S, Atri B, Lua RC, Lichtarge O. Accounting for epistatic interactions improves the functional analysis of protein structures. Bioinformatics. 2013 Nov 01; 29(21):2714-21. PMID: 24021383.
Baker SA, Chen L, Wilkins AD, Yu P, Lichtarge O, Zoghbi HY. An AT-hook domain in MeCP2 determines the clinical course of Rett syndrome and related disorders. Cell. 2013 Feb 28; 152(5):984-96. PMID: 23452848.
Erdin S, Venner E, Lisewski AM, Lichtarge O. Function prediction from networks of local evolutionary similarity in protein structure. BMC Bioinformatics. 2013; 14 Suppl 3:S6. PMID: 23514548.
Shoji-Kawata S, Sumpter R, Leveno M, Campbell GR, Zou Z, Kinch L, Wilkins AD, Sun Q, Pallauf K, MacDuff D, Huerta C, Virgin HW, Helms JB, Eerland R, Tooze SA, Xavier R, Lenschow DJ, Yamamoto A, King D, Lichtarge O, Grishin NV, Spector SA, Kaloyanova DV, Levine B. Identification of a candidate therapeutic autophagy-inducing peptide. Nature. 2013 Feb 14; 494(7436):201-6. PMID: 23364696.
Radivojac P, Clark WT, Oron TR, Schnoes AM, Wittkop T, Sokolov A, Graim K, Funk C, Verspoor K, Ben-Hur A, Pandey G, Yunes JM, Talwalkar AS, Repo S, Souza ML, Piovesan D, Casadio R, Wang Z, Cheng J, Fang H, Gough J, Koskinen P, Törönen P, Nokso-Koivisto J, Holm L, Cozzetto D, Buchan DW, Bryson K, Jones DT, Limaye B, Inamdar H, Datta A, Manjari SK, Joshi R, Chitale M, Kihara D, Lisewski AM, Erdin S, Venner E, Lichtarge O, Rentzsch R, Yang H, Romero AE, Bhat P, Paccanaro A, Hamp T, Kaßner R, Seemayer S, Vicedo E, Schaefer C, Achten D, Auer F, Boehm A, Braun T, Hecht M, Heron M, Hönigschmid P, Hopf TA, Kaufmann S, Kiening M, Krompass D, Landerer C, Mahlich Y, Roos M, Björne J, Salakoski T, Wong A, Shatkay H, Gatzmann F, Sommer I, Wass MN, Sternberg MJ, Škunca N, Supek F, Bošnjak M, Panov P, Džeroski S, Šmuc T, Kourmpetis YA, van Dijk AD, ter Braak CJ, Zhou Y, Gong Q, Dong X, Tian W, Falda M, Fontana P, Lavezzo E, Di Camillo B, Toppo S, Lan L, Djuric N, Guo Y, Vucetic S, Bairoch A, Linial M, Babbitt PC, Brenner SE, Orengo C, Rost B, Mooney SD, Friedberg I. A large-scale evaluation of computational protein function prediction. Nat Methods. 2013 Mar; 10(3):221-7. PMID: 23353650.
Al Mamun AA, Lombardo MJ, Shee C, Lisewski AM, Gonzalez C, Lin D, Nehring RB, Saint-Ruf C, Gibson JL, Frisch RL, Lichtarge O, Hastings PJ, Rosenberg SM. Identity and function of a large gene network underlying mutagenic repair of DNA breaks. Science. 2012 Dec 07; 338(6112):1344-8. PMID: 23224554.
Bachman BJ, Venner E, Lua RC, Erdin S, Lichtarge O. ETAscape: analyzing protein networks to predict enzymatic function and substrates in Cytoscape. Bioinformatics. 2012 Aug 15; 28(16):2186-8. PMID: 22689386.
Wilkins AD, Bachman BJ, Erdin S, Lichtarge O. The use of evolutionary patterns in protein annotation. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2012 Jun; 22(3):316-25. PMID: 22633559.
Wilkins A, Erdin S, Lua R, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary trace for prediction and redesign of protein functional sites. Methods Mol Biol. 2012; 819:29-42. PMID: 22183528.
Adikesavan AK, Katsonis P, Marciano DC, Lua R, Herman C, Lichtarge O. Separation of recombination and SOS response in Escherichia coli RecA suggests LexA interaction sites. PLoS Genet. 2011 Sep; 7(9):e1002244. PMID: 21912525.
Schaaf CP, Koster J, Katsonis P, Kratz L, Shchelochkov OA, Scaglia F, Kelley RI, Lichtarge O, Waterham HR, Shinawi M. Desmosterolosis-phenotypic and molecular characterization of a third case and review of the literature. Am J Med Genet A. 2011 Jul; 155A(7):1597-604. PMID: 21671375.
Häberle J, Shchelochkov OA, Wang J, Katsonis P, Hall L, Reiss S, Eeds A, Willis A, Yadav M, Summar S, Lichtarge O, Rubio V, Wong LJ, Summar M. Molecular defects in human carbamoy phosphate synthetase I: mutational spectrum, diagnostic and protein structure considerations. Hum Mutat. 2011 Jun; 32(6):579-89. PMID: 21120950.
Erdin S, Lisewski AM, Lichtarge O. Protein function prediction: towards integration of similarity metrics. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2011 Apr; 21(2):180-8. PMID: 21353529.
Venner E, Lisewski AM, Erdin S, Ward RM, Amin SR, Lichtarge O. Accurate protein structure annotation through competitive diffusion of enzymatic functions over a network of local evolutionary similarities. PLoS One. 2010 Dec 13; 5(12):e14286. PMID: 21179190.
Lua RC, Lichtarge O. PyETV: a PyMOL evolutionary trace viewer to analyze functional site predictions in protein complexes. Bioinformatics. 2010 Dec 01; 26(23):2981-2. PMID: 20929911.
Lisewski AM, Lichtarge O. Untangling complex networks: risk minimization in financial markets through accessible spin glass ground states. Physica A. 2010 Aug 15; 389(16):3250-3253. PMID: 20625477.
Wilkins AD, Lua R, Erdin S, Ward RM, Lichtarge O. Sequence and structure continuity of evolutionary importance improves protein functional site discovery and annotation. Protein Sci. 2010 Jul; 19(7):1296-311. PMID: 20506260.
Lichtarge O, Wilkins A. Evolution: a guide to perturb protein function and networks. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2010 Jun; 20(3):351-9. PMID: 20444593.
Rodriguez GJ, Yao R, Lichtarge O, Wensel TG. Evolution-guided discovery and recoding of allosteric pathway specificity determinants in psychoactive bioamine receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Apr 27; 107(17):7787-92. PMID: 20385837.
Bonde MM, Yao R, Ma JN, Madabushi S, Haunsø S, Burstein ES, Whistler JL, Sheikh SP, Lichtarge O, Hansen JL. An angiotensin II type 1 receptor activation switch patch revealed through evolutionary trace analysis. Biochem Pharmacol. 2010 Jul 01; 80(1):86-94. PMID: 20227396.
Erdin S, Ward RM, Venner E, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary trace annotation of protein function in the structural proteome. J Mol Biol. 2010 Mar 12; 396(5):1451-73. PMID: 20036248.
Baameur F, Morgan DH, Yao H, Tran TM, Hammitt RA, Sabui S, McMurray JS, Lichtarge O, Clark RB. Role for the regulator of G-protein signaling homology domain of G protein-coupled receptor kinases 5 and 6 in beta 2-adrenergic receptor and rhodopsin phosphorylation. Mol Pharmacol. 2010 Mar; 77(3):405-15. PMID: 20038610.
Shaibani A, Shchelochkov OA, Zhang S, Katsonis P, Lichtarge O, Wong LJ, Shinawi M. Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy due to mutations in RRM2B. Arch Neurol. 2009 Aug; 66(8):1028-32. PMID: 19667227.
Kobayashi H, Ogawa K, Yao R, Lichtarge O, Bouvier M. Functional rescue of beta-adrenoceptor dimerization and trafficking by pharmacological chaperones. Traffic. 2009 Aug; 10(8):1019-33. PMID: 19515093.
Ward RM, Venner E, Daines B, Murray S, Erdin S, Kristensen DM, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary Trace Annotation Server: automated enzyme function prediction in protein structures using 3D templates. Bioinformatics. 2009 Jun 01; 25(11):1426-7. PMID: 19307237.
Rajagopalan L, Pereira FA, Lichtarge O, Brownell WE. Identification of functionally important residues/domains in membrane proteins using an evolutionary approach coupled with systematic mutational analysis. Methods Mol Biol. 2009; 493:287-97. PMID: 18839354.
Ward RM, Erdin S, Tran TA, Kristensen DM, Lisewski AM, Lichtarge O. De-orphaning the structural proteome through reciprocal comparison of evolutionarily important structural features. PLoS One. 2008 May 07; 3(5):e2136. PMID: 18461181.
Kristensen DM, Ward RM, Lisewski AM, Erdin S, Chen BY, Fofanov VY, Kimmel M, Kavraki LE, Lichtarge O. Prediction of enzyme function based on 3D templates of evolutionarily important amino acids. BMC Bioinformatics. 2008 Jan 11; 9:17. PMID: 18190718.
Mihalek I, Res I, Lichtarge O. Background frequencies for residue variability estimates: BLOSUM revisited. BMC Bioinformatics. 2007 Dec 27; 8:488. PMID: 18162129.
Shin H, Lisewski AM, Lichtarge O. Graph sharpening plus graph integration: a synergy that improves protein functional classification. Bioinformatics. 2007 Dec 01; 23(23):3217-24. PMID: 17977886.
Chen BY, Fofanov VY, Bryant DH, Dodson BD, Kristensen DM, Lisewski AM, Kimmel M, Lichtarge O, Kavraki LE. The MASH pipeline for protein function prediction and an algorithm for the geometric refinement of 3D motifs. J Comput Biol. 2007 Jul-Aug; 14(6):791-816. PMID: 17691895.
Chen BY, Bryant DH, Fofanov VY, Kristensen DM, Cruess AE, Kimmel M, Lichtarge O, Kavraki LE. Cavity scaling: automated refinement of cavity-aware motifs in protein function prediction. J Bioinform Comput Biol. 2007 Apr; 5(2a):353-82. PMID: 17589966.
Mihalek I, Res I, Lichtarge O. On itinerant water molecules and detectability of protein-protein interfaces through comparative analysis of homologues. J Mol Biol. 2007 Jun 01; 369(2):584-95. PMID: 17434530.
Ribes-Zamora A, Mihalek I, Lichtarge O, Bertuch AA. Distinct faces of the Ku heterodimer mediate DNA repair and telomeric functions. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2007 Apr; 14(4):301-7. PMID: 17351632.
Chen BY, Bryant DH, Cruess AE, Bylund JH, Fofanov VY, Kristensen DM, Kimmel M, Lichtarge O, Kavraki LE. Composite motifs integrating multiple protein structures increase sensitivity for function prediction. Comput Syst Bioinformatics Conf. 2007; 6:343-55. PMID: 17951837.
Rajagopalan L, Patel N, Madabushi S, Goddard JA, Anjan V, Lin F, Shope C, Farrell B, Lichtarge O, Davidson AL, Brownell WE, Pereira FA. Essential helix interactions in the anion transporter domain of prestin revealed by evolutionary trace analysis. J Neurosci. 2006 Dec 06; 26(49):12727-34. PMID: 17151276.
Lisewski AM, Lichtarge O. Rapid detection of similarity in protein structure and function through contact metric distances. Nucleic Acids Res. 2006; 34(22):e152. PMID: 17130161.
Yao H, Mihalek I, Lichtarge O. Rank information: a structure-independent measure of evolutionary trace quality that improves identification of protein functional sites. Proteins. 2006 Oct 01; 65(1):111-23. PMID: 16894615.
Raviscioni M, He Q, Salicru EM, Smith CL, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary identification of a subtype specific functional site in the ligand binding domain of steroid receptors. Proteins. 2006 Sep 01; 64(4):1046-57. PMID: 16835908.
Morgan DH, Kristensen DM, Mittelman D, Lichtarge O. ET viewer: an application for predicting and visualizing functional sites in protein structures. Bioinformatics. 2006 Aug 15; 22(16):2049-50. PMID: 16809388.
Kristensen DM, Chen BY, Fofanov VY, Ward RM, Lisewski AM, Kimmel M, Kavraki LE, Lichtarge O. Recurrent use of evolutionary importance for functional annotation of proteins based on local structural similarity. Protein Sci. 2006 Jun; 15(6):1530-6. PMID: 16672239.
Mihalek I, Res I, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary trace report_maker: a new type of service for comparative analysis of proteins. Bioinformatics. 2006 Jul 01; 22(13):1656-7. PMID: 16644792.
Mihalek I, Res I, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary and structural feedback on selection of sequences for comparative analysis of proteins. Proteins. 2006 Apr 01; 63(1):87-99. PMID: 16397893.
Chen BY, Bryant DH, Fofanov VY, Kristensen DM, Cruess AE, Kimmel M, Lichtarge O, Kavraki LE. Cavity-aware motifs reduce false positives in protein function prediction. Comput Syst Bioinformatics Conf. 2006; 311-23. PMID: 17369649.
Chiba P, Mihalek I, Ecker GF, Kopp S, Lichtarge O. Role of transmembrane domain/transmembrane domain interfaces of P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) in solute transport. Convergent information from photoaffinity labeling, site directed mutagenesis and in silico importance prediction. Curr Med Chem. 2006; 13(7):793-805. PMID: 16611068.
Mihalek I, Res I, Lichtarge O. A structure and evolution-guided Monte Carlo sequence selection strategy for multiple alignment-based analysis of proteins. Bioinformatics. 2006 Jan 15; 22(2):149-56. PMID: 16303797.
Shenoy SK, Drake MT, Nelson CD, Houtz DA, Xiao K, Madabushi S, Reiter E, Premont RT, Lichtarge O, Lefkowitz RJ. beta-arrestin-dependent, G protein-independent ERK1/2 activation by the beta2 adrenergic receptor. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jan 13; 281(2):1261-73. PMID: 16280323.
Raviscioni M, Gu P, Sattar M, Cooney AJ, Lichtarge O. Correlated evolutionary pressure at interacting transcription factors and DNA response elements can guide the rational engineering of DNA binding specificity. J Mol Biol. 2005 Jul 15; 350(3):402-15. PMID: 15946684.
Gu P, Morgan DH, Sattar M, Xu X, Wagner R, Raviscioni M, Lichtarge O, Cooney AJ. Evolutionary trace-based peptides identify a novel asymmetric interaction that mediates oligomerization in nuclear receptors. J Biol Chem. 2005 Sep 09; 280(36):31818-29. PMID: 15994320.
Res I, Lichtarge O. Character and evolution of protein-protein interfaces. Phys Biol. 2005 Jun; 2(2):S36-43. PMID: 16204847.
Res I, Mihalek I, Lichtarge O. An evolution based classifier for prediction of protein interfaces without using protein structures. Bioinformatics. 2005 May 15; 21(10):2496-501. PMID: 15728113.
Chen BY, Fofanov VY, Kristensen DM, Kimmel M, Lichtarge O, Kavraki LE. Algorithms for structural comparison and statistical analysis of 3D protein motifs. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2005; 334-45. PMID: 15759639.
Cushman I, Bowman BR, Sowa ME, Lichtarge O, Quiocho FA, Moore MS. Computational and biochemical identification of a nuclear pore complex binding site on the nuclear transport carrier NTF2. J Mol Biol. 2004 Nov 19; 344(2):303-10. PMID: 15522285.
Quan XJ, Denayer T, Yan J, Jafar-Nejad H, Philippi A, Lichtarge O, Vleminckx K, Hassan BA. Evolution of neural precursor selection: functional divergence of proneural proteins. Development. 2004 Apr; 131(8):1679-89. PMID: 15084454.
Mihalek I, Res I, Lichtarge O. A family of evolution-entropy hybrid methods for ranking protein residues by importance. J Mol Biol. 2004 Mar 05; 336(5):1265-82. PMID: 15037084.
Madabushi S, Gross AK, Philippi A, Meng EC, Wensel TG, Lichtarge O. Evolutionary trace of G protein-coupled receptors reveals clusters of residues that determine global and class-specific functions. J Biol Chem. 2004 Feb 27; 279(9):8126-32. PMID: 14660595.
Mihalek I, Res I, Yao H, Lichtarge O. Combining inference from evolution and geometric probability in protein structure evaluation. J Mol Biol. 2003 Aug 01; 331(1):263-79. PMID: 12875851.
Yao H, Kristensen DM, Mihalek I, Sowa ME, Shaw C, Kimmel M, Kavraki L, Lichtarge O. An accurate, sensitive, and scalable method to identify functional sites in protein structures. J Mol Biol. 2003 Feb 07; 326(1):255-61. PMID: 12547207.
Lin CY, Varma MG, Joubel A, Madabushi S, Lichtarge O, Barber DL. Conserved motifs in somatostatin, D2-dopamine, and alpha 2B-adrenergic receptors for inhibiting the Na-H exchanger, NHE1. J Biol Chem. 2003 Apr 25; 278(17):15128-35. PMID: 12566440.
Lichtarge O, Yao H, Kristensen DM, Madabushi S, Mihalek I. Accurate and scalable identification of functional sites by evolutionary tracing. J Struct Funct Genomics. 2003; 4(2-3):159-66. PMID: 14649300.
Yang M, Wang W, Zhong M, Philippi A, Lichtarge O, Sanborn BM. Lysine 270 in the third intracellular domain of the oxytocin receptor is an important determinant for G alpha(q) coupling specificity. Mol Endocrinol. 2002 Apr; 16(4):814-23. PMID: 11923477.
Madabushi S, Yao H, Marsh M, Kristensen DM, Philippi A, Sowa ME, Lichtarge O. Structural clusters of evolutionary trace residues are statistically significant and common in proteins. J Mol Biol. 2002 Feb 08; 316(1):139-54. PMID: 11829509.
Lichtarge O, Sowa ME. Evolutionary predictions of binding surfaces and interactions. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2002 Feb; 12(1):21-7. PMID: 11839485.
Lichtarge O, Sowa ME, Philippi A. Evolutionary traces of functional surfaces along G protein signaling pathway. Methods Enzymol. 2002; 344:536-56. PMID: 11771409.
Imanishi Y, Li N, Sokal I, Sowa ME, Lichtarge O, Wensel TG, Saperstein DA, Baehr W, Palczewski K. Characterization of retinal guanylate cyclase-activating protein 3 (GCAP3) from zebrafish to man. Eur J Neurosci. 2002 Jan; 15(1):63-78. PMID: 11860507.
Lichtarge O. Getting past appearances: the many-fold consequences of remote homology. Nat Struct Biol. 2001 Nov; 8(11):918-20. PMID: 11685232.
Sowa ME, He W, Slep KC, Kercher MA, Lichtarge O, Wensel TG. Prediction and confirmation of a site critical for effector regulation of RGS domain activity. Nat Struct Biol. 2001 Mar; 8(3):234-7. PMID: 11224568.
Geva A, Lassere TB, Lichtarge O, Pollitt SK, Baranski TJ. Genetic mapping of the human C5a receptor. Identification of transmembrane amino acids critical for receptor function. J Biol Chem. 2000 Nov 10; 275(45):35393-401. PMID: 10952985.
Amir RE, Van den Veyver IB, Schultz R, Malicki DM, Tran CQ, Dahle EJ, Philippi A, Timar L, Percy AK, Motil KJ, Lichtarge O, Smith EO, Glaze DG, Zoghbi HY. Influence of mutation type and X chromosome inactivation on Rett syndrome phenotypes. Ann Neurol. 2000 May; 47(5):670-9. PMID: 10805343.
Lloyd TE, Verstreken P, Ostrin EJ, Phillippi A, Lichtarge O, Bellen HJ. A genome-wide search for synaptic vesicle cycle proteins in Drosophila. Neuron. 2000 Apr; 26(1):45-50. PMID: 10798391.
Sowa ME, He W, Wensel TG, Lichtarge O. A regulator of G protein signaling interaction surface linked to effector specificity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Feb 15; 97(4):1483-8. PMID: 10677488.
Sheikh SP, Vilardarga JP, Baranski TJ, Lichtarge O, Iiri T, Meng EC, Nissenson RA, Bourne HR. Similar structures and shared switch mechanisms of the beta2-adrenoceptor and the parathyroid hormone receptor. Zn(II) bridges between helices III and VI block activation. J Biol Chem. 1999 Jun 11; 274(24):17033-41. PMID: 10358054.
Baranski TJ, Herzmark P, Lichtarge O, Gerber BO, Trueheart J, Meng EC, Iiri T, Sheikh SP, Bourne HR. C5a receptor activation. Genetic identification of critical residues in four transmembrane helices. J Biol Chem. 1999 May 28; 274(22):15757-65. PMID: 10336477.
Schumacher A, Lichtarge O, Schwartz S, Magnuson T. The murine Polycomb-group gene eed and its human orthologue: functional implications of evolutionary conservation. Genomics. 1998 Nov 15; 54(1):79-88. PMID: 9806832.
Lichtarge O, Yamamoto KR, Cohen FE. Identification of functional surfaces of the zinc binding domains of intracellular receptors. J Mol Biol. 1997 Dec 05; 274(3):325-37. PMID: 9405143.
Onrust R, Herzmark P, Chi P, Garcia PD, Lichtarge O, Kingsley C, Bourne HR. Receptor and betagamma binding sites in the alpha subunit of the retinal G protein transducin. Science. 1997 Jan 17; 275(5298):381-4. PMID: 8994033.
Dunbrack RL, Gerloff DL, Bower M, Chen X, Lichtarge O, Cohen FE. Meeting review: the Second meeting on the Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP2), Asilomar, California, December 13-16, 1996. Fold Des. 1997; 2(2):R27-42. PMID: 9135979.
Sheikh SP, Zvyaga TA, Lichtarge O, Sakmar TP, Bourne HR. Rhodopsin activation blocked by metal-ion-binding sites linking transmembrane helices C and F. Nature. 1996 Sep 26; 383(6598):347-50. PMID: 8848049.
Lichtarge O, Bourne HR, Cohen FE. Evolutionarily conserved Galphabetagamma binding surfaces support a model of the G protein-receptor complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Jul 23; 93(15):7507-11. PMID: 8755504.
Lichtarge O, Bourne HR, Cohen FE. An evolutionary trace method defines binding surfaces common to protein families. J Mol Biol. 1996 Mar 29; 257(2):342-58. PMID: 8609628.
Jardetzky O, Lichtarge O, Brinkley J, Madrid M. The structure of proteins and their binding sites: NMR and artificial intelligence. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1989; 289:145-56. PMID: 2726796.
Lichtarge O, Jardetzky O, Li CH. Secondary structure determination of human beta-endorphin by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Biochemistry. 1987 Sep 08; 26(18):5916-25. PMID: 2960378.
Lichtarge O, Cornelius CW, Buchanan BG, Jardetzky O. Validation of the first step of the heuristic refinement method for the derivation of solution structures of proteins from NMR data. Proteins. 1987; 2(4):340-58. PMID: 3448608.
Goldsmith HL, Lichtarge O, Tessier-Lavigne M, Spain S. Some model experiments in hemodynamics: VI. Two-body collisions between blood cells. Biorheology. 1981; 18(3-6):531-55. PMID: 7326392.


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Morgan Stanley to Pay More than $7 Million to Resolve FINRA Charges Relating to Misconduct in Early Retirement Investment Promotion
Washington, DC – The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that it has fined Morgan Stanley & Co. $3 million – and ordered it to pay more than $4.2 million in restitution to 90 Rochester, NY-area retirees – to resolve charges that its supervisory system failed to detect and prevent brokers from persuading Eastman Kodak Company and Xerox Corporation employees to take early retirement based upon unrealistic promises of consistently high investment returns and by espousing unsuitable investment strategies.
FINRA found that Morgan Stanley failed to reasonably supervise the activities of Michael J. Kazacos and David M. Isabella, two former registered representatives in its Rochester branch office. FINRA has permanently barred Kazacos from the securities industry for committing numerous violations of FINRA rules in connection with his solicitation and handling of IRA rollover/retirement accounts, such as making unrealistic predictions that customers would earn investment returns of 10 percent each year.
In a formal disciplinary complaint filed today, FINRA charged Isabella with having engaged in similar misconduct. The matter will be adjudicated before a three-member FINRA Hearing Panel. FINRA also found that Ira S. Miller, the manager of Morgan Stanley's Rochester branch, failed to reasonably supervise both representatives. Miller was fined $50,000, suspended from acting in a principal capacity for one year and ordered to re-qualify as a principal before serving in such capacity in the future.
FINRA found that as a result of the misconduct at least 184 customers suffered financial hardships, including market losses, a reduction in principal and the inability to sustain expected withdrawal rates. In many cases, the customer's initial investment was eroded by market declines and the customer's monthly withdrawals were not funded by income but were really distributions of principal. Some customers were forced to return to work at a greatly reduced income in order to meet their basic living expenses. FINRA has ordered Morgan Stanley to pay restitution to 90 former customers of Kazacos or Isabella who sustained losses. The firm has previously settled with 101 other customers of those brokers.
"Protecting investors who have retired or are considering retirement has been one of FINRA's top priorities," said Susan L. Merrill, Executive Vice President and Chief of Enforcement. "Brokerage firms and brokers who serve investors considering retirement must ensure that their customers are given suitable investment recommendations based upon reasonable assumptions of market performance and are given thorough disclosure of investment risks.
The supervisory failures of Morgan Stanley and its management led to losses suffered by customers at a vulnerable time in their lives – retirement – which could have been avoided."
Specifically, FINRA found that, from 1998 through 2003, Kazacos persuaded retirees and potential retirees to invest their retirement assets with him by representing that these investors would earn 10 percent returns each year and would be able to satisfy their income needs by withdrawing annually a similar percentage for living expenses without reducing their principal.
Kazacos' statements encouraged several individuals to move their retirement accounts to Morgan Stanley, with some deciding to retire sooner than they otherwise might have.
FINRA found that Kazacos told customers in their 50s that, even though they had not reached the minimum age for taking withdrawals from their qualified retirement accounts (59-and-a-half), they could begin taking systematic distributions from their accounts, without penalty, by relying upon Section
72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code. FINRA also found that Kazacos failed to inform these customers of the risks associated with his recommended investment strategies.
FINRA further found that, once Kazacos began servicing the retirement accounts – which were often the only source of income for the retirees – he implemented unsuitable investment strategies that exposed the accounts to greater risk, particularly in a declining market, and reduced the principal in many accounts. He invested many of the customers in mutual funds, with an unsuitably high concentration in equity funds. Kazacos also recommended unsuitable variable annuity transactions.
As to Isabella, a former Xerox employee, FINRA charged that from 2000 through 2003, he solicited many of that company's retirees and potential retirees to invest with him at Morgan Stanley. Isabella allegedly represented to prospective customers that, if they invested their retirement money with him, they would earn approximately 10 percent returns or more each year and be able to satisfy their income needs by withdrawing a consistent amount of money each year without reducing their principal.
FINRA found that Morgan Stanley failed to enforce a reasonable supervisory system to ensure that Kazacos and Isabella provided customers with appropriate risk disclosures concerning their retirement accounts. During the relevant time period, Kazacos and Isabella generated approximately $15.4 million in gross commissions. The firm knew or should have known that these representatives were actively marketing their early retirement programs to retirees and potential retirees. Nevertheless, the firm failed to take reasonable steps to ensure, among other things, that customers received proper risk disclosures and that Kazacos and Isabella did not promise or promote unrealistic investment returns. FINRA further found that Morgan Stanley also failed to ensure that the securities and accounts that those representatives recommended for the retirees, such as variable annuities and fee-based managed accounts, were properly reviewed for suitability and other concerns.
FINRA also found that Miller failed to take appropriate action to reasonably supervise Kazacos and Isabella to prevent their unsuitable investment recommendations and failures to disclose risks to many customers.
In settling these matters, Morgan Stanley, Kazacos and Miller neither admitted nor denied the findings, but consented to the entry of FINRA's findings.
If you were persuaded to take an early retirement from your employer based on advise and assurances from your investment advisor or insurance agent, you may have a claim for damages (negligent advice to retire). We are currently investigating and filing claims on behalf of numerous retirees who were given unsuitable and/or fraudulant advice regarding the investment of their retirment funds. Please contact our office for a free case evaluation. Thank you.


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HomeUncategorizedOperation London Bridge
Operation London Bridge
By Charith
The plan for the death of Queen Elizabeth II is called "Operation London Bridge". The plan includes a number of measures such as how to announce her death, the period of mourning that will be declared due to the Queen's death and how the Queen's funeral will be carried out.
Immediately after the Queen's death, her private secretary must notify the British Prime Minister. The phrase "London Bridge is Down" will be used to communicate the Queen's death until her death is officially announced, in order to avoid unnecessary public panic caused by the death of the Queen by using the phrase "London Bridge is Down".
The British Prime Minister and the British Foreign Office must immediately inform 15 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and 36 Commonwealth countries of the Queen's death. After that, the death of the British Queen will be announced globally.
Official Notice "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon"
The Queen's death will be officially announced by Buckingham Palace through an announcement traditionally hung on the door of Buckingham Palace, and the news will be broadcast around the world by BBC Radio, which has traditionally held the rights to broadcast royal announcements ever since. Additionally, according to current practices, the palace's website and social media accounts will announce her death on a dark background and all accounts will be marked with a black banner.
After the Queen's death, Prince Charles will assume the throne and will be recognized as King by his family members. If King Charles does not choose another name at the consecration ceremony held at a later date, he will be known as 'King Charles III'. King Charles is scheduled to address the nation the evening after the Queen's death.
"My heart has been with you all."
The plan states that no matter where the Queen dies in the world, her death should be brought to the throne room of Buckingham Palace. If the Queen dies in a foreign country, she will be brought to London by plane No. 146 belonging to Royal Air Force No. 32 Squadron. If she dies in Scotland or at another castle, her body will be transported by royal train to London's Sainte-Français railway station, where the British Prime Minister will receive the body.
On the fourth day after the Queen's death, her body will be taken to Westminster Hall, the British Parliament, in a large procession with royal military honors and will lie in state for 4 days. In the meantime, the parliament will meet and condole the death of the queen and the accession of King Charles will be accepted by the parliament. After that the Parliament will be adjourned for 10 days.
The day of the Queen's funeral is designated as a day of national mourning. At 9am that day, Big Ben will be tolled to express condolences and at 11am her body will be taken to Westminster Abbey. There, the Queen's body will be buried in the Royal Tombs in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
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London Games 2012
Silver for Adams, beaten by great rival
8:17 am on 8 August 2012
New Zealand's Valerie Adams, the defending champion, has had to settle for a silver medal in the Olympic shot put.
Her great rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus won gold on Monday night with a dominant series of throws, claiming the title with a best distance of 21.36 metres.
Adams's best was 20.7. She would have had to have thrown a personal best to beat Ostapchuk.
Evgeniia Kolodko of Russia won the bronze medal.
Adams says she is very disappointed, as she really wanted to defend her title.
"I left my heart out there trying, and that's all I could do."
She says she is the strongest she has ever been in her career and can't complain.
"We try, we train, and tonight was Ostapchuk's night and I cannot control that - I can only control what my performances are."
Adams says she was beaten by a better person, but is very happy with the silver.
"I have to be happy, you know - we got a medal for New Zealand and I'm proud to have done that for New Zealand."
One of Adams's oldest supporters, former Olympic shot-putter Les Mills, says she should still be proud of her performance.
Mr Mills told Morning Report it was just a case of Adams not being the best on the day.
"She perhaps just lacked that little spark of fire that makes the difference between winning and losing and Ostapchuk found it.
"Ostapchuk performed marvellously well. Valerie performed well, and threw a long way - but that's how competition goes, you win some you lose some."
Effect of startlist error unclear
Earlier Mr Mills said it was unclear whether being left off the startlist initially had hindered Adams' performance.
"Did it leave her hanging for a day, worrying about it, and did that knock the edge off her sort of explosive finish to a throw?
"I don't know. I would have thought she'd have put that behind her and it was just a competition where she didn't quite fire."
With the completion of the women's shot put, New Zealand remains 14th on the medal table with three gold, one silver and four bronze.
Van Dalen progresses
The other New Zealander in action at the track and field on Monday, Lucy Van Dalen, has made it through to the semi-finals of the women's 1500 metres.
The 23-year-old finished eighth in her heat, which was not in itself good enough to put her directly into the next round, but her time of 4:07.04 took her through as one of the fastest losers.
Van Dalen was in the leading bunch until midway through the final lap when she stumbled after colliding with one of her competitors.
The fastest qualifier was Ethiopia's Abeba Aregawi, the winner of Van Dalen's heat, who posted a time of 4:04.55.
The semi-finals will be raced on Wednesday.
More track and field news
In other athletics action, American Jennifer Suhr went one better than four years ago, winning the pole vault and denying Yelena Isinbayeva her third successive title. The Russian world record holder finished third.
Kirani James of Grenada, 19, won the 400 metre title, in a race noteable for the total absence of Americans, who failed to make the final for the first time ever. The Untied States had won the last seven Olympic titles.
World champion Yuliya Zaripova of Russia won the women's 3,000 metre steeplechase and Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic won the 400 hurdles, eight years after winning in Athens.
Adams celebrates a perfect end to Olympics
Beaming Adams gets gold
Adams home to claim gold medal
Adams invited to second medal ceremony
Call for second medal ceremony for Valerie Adams
Tongan group wants Adams ceremony in Sth Auckland
London Games 2012 RSS


Sale price now, discount on the Graphic 45 Sun Kissed 12" x 12" Collection Pack (16 sheets of paper, 1 sticker set) from the CraftDirect store online. You get the cardstock and a sheet of stickers for making great layouts, all in one convenient package. The Sun Kissed collection offers lots of shades of blue and coral, as well as patterns and imagery to go along with your ocean-themed projects.
Graphic 45 4501676 - Sun Kissed 12" x 12" Collection Pack.


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El impacto socioeconómico de la pandemia de COVID-19 es una grave crisis mundial que inició a principios del año 2020, primeramente en China, y luego en todo el mundo, causado principalmente por la expansión de la enfermedad COVID-19. La pandemia de COVID-19 ha provocado, entre otras cosas, un impacto socioeconómico a nivel global. La alta circulación viral y rapidez de propagación del virus, así como las medidas impuestas por los Gobiernos con el fin de controlar la enfermedad para evitar un colapso sanitario, ha afectado severamente a la economía de los países, así como al estilo de vida de sus ciudadanos. Se ha dado lo que se conoce como "Exceso de mortalidad" en varios países del mundo debido a la COVID-19.

Esta crisis, a veces llamada el Gran Encierro, el Gran Confinamiento, la Coronacrisis o la crisis económica por coronavirus, está causando la mayor recesión mundial de la historia. Esta crisis ha causado la caída del mercado de valores de 2020, un fuerte aumento del desempleo, el colapso de la industria del turismo, el colapso de la industria hotelera, el colapso de la industria de la aviación, el colapso del precio del petróleo, el colapso de pequeñas empresas, la desestabilización y colapso de la industria energética, el aumento de la deuda pública, el aumento de la desigualdad económica entre ricos y pobres, el cierre masivo de escuelas, el aumento de la desigualdad de aprendizaje educativo entre ricos y pobres, una gran desaceleración de la actividad del consumidor, una crisis de liquidez del mercado, la suspensión masiva de eventos culturales, artísticos, deportivos, religiosos, políticos, entretenimientos, entre otros eventos; así como grandes protestas y disturbios alrededor del mundo.

Durante los primeros meses, cuando la epidemia se limitaba casi exclusivamente a China, se produjo escasez generalizada de productos farmacéuticos, electrónicos  y otros productos manufacturados debido a la paralización de numerosas fábricas en China. En ciertas localidades (en particular en Italia y Hong Kong) se observaron compras de pánico y la consiguiente escasez de comida y otros artículos esenciales de abastecimiento. La caída de la demanda de materias primas por el parón de actividad en China primero y luego en el resto del mundo llevó a fuertes caídas de precios, en particular del petróleo, lo cual perjudicó a los países y empresas productores. El miedo de los inversores les llevó a refugiar su dinero en valores considerados seguros, en particular la deuda pública de los países percibidos como más solventes. De manera colectiva, los empleos destruidos representan más de una cuarta parte de todos los puestos de trabajo en estas economías. A medida que las empresas pierden ingresos, el desempleo aumenta considerablemente, lo que transforma una perturbación en la oferta sobre una perturbación en la demanda aún más extensa para la economía.

Los mercados bursátiles mundiales empezaron a caer fuertemente el 24 de febrero de 2020 debido al aumento significativo en el número de casos de COVID-19 fuera de China continental. Para el 28 de febrero de 2020, los mercados bursátiles de todo el mundo acumulaban los mayores descensos de una semana desde la crisis financiera de 2008. Algunos comentaristas llamaron a esta caída un «cisne negro», si bien el inventor del concepto de cisne negro no está de acuerdo con la etiqueta porque considera que una pandemia como la de COVID-19 era altamente probable.  Las fuertes caídas prosiguieron las semanas siguientes, con fuertes bajadas el 9 de marzo y el 12 de marzo.

A mediados de marzo la gravedad de la crisis obligó a intervenir a los gobiernos y a los bancos centrales de muchos países, a través de la política monetaria y la fiscal para evitar el colapso de la economía Los mercados bursátiles rebotaron rápidamente debido a la intervención de los bancos centrales de las principales potencias financieras, que inundaron de liquidez el sistema y redujeron fuertemente los tipos de interés. El índice estadounidense S&P500 recuperó su valor anterior a la pandemia en junio  y en noviembre se batió el récord de subida mensual en las principales bolsas del mundo. Además de las acciones, también subieron fuertemente otros activos como el oro  y las criptomonedas. Los mercados de Estados Unidos y de Alemania terminaron el año en máximos históricos, mientras que los de otros países como el Reino Unido y España cerraron 2020 con fuertes pérdidas. Las principales fortunas del mundo vieron aumentar su patrimonio alrededor de un 24% a lo largo del año.

A medida que se propagaba la pandemia, se cancelaban o posponían las conferencias y eventos mundiales en tecnología, moda, deportes, entre otros. En España los sectores económicos más afectados por las restricciones serán probablemente aquellos en los que la mayoría de trabajadores son mujeres, como son la hostelería, el turismo o la  peluquería. A diferencia de la situación durante la crisis, en el que el sector de la construcción, más masculinizado, fue el más afectado. Por lo tanto, muchas mujeres quienes ya sufrían unas condiciones precarias perderán su empleo. Además, la limitación del transporte público ha afectado mayormente a las mujeres, ya que hay un gran porcentaje de ellas que utilizan el transporte público como único medio de transporte.

Antecedentes económicos

Guerra comercial entre China y Estados Unidos

Efectos económicos del Brexit

Causas e impactos económicos

Pandemia de COVID-19: Brote inicial en China
A mitad de diciembre de 2019, un grupo creciente de personas, muchos relacionados al Mercado Mayorista de mariscos de Huanan en Wuhan, fueron infectados con neumonía sin causas claras. Científicos chinos posteriormente enlazaron la neumonía a una nueva cepa de coronavirus,  la cual recibió la designación inicial de 2019-nCoV.

El 10 de enero de 2020, se reportaron el primer caso de muerte y 41 infecciones clínicamente confirmadas causadas por el reciente coronavirus . Al 22 de enero de 2020, el nuevo coronavirus se había extendido a varias provincias y ciudades importantes en China, con 571 casos confirmados y 17 muertes reportadas. También se reportaron casos confirmados en otras regiones y países, incluyendo Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwán, Tailandia, Japón, Corea del Sur, Singapur, los Estados Unidos, Australia, y Canadá.

A las 2am del 23 de enero de 2020, las autoridades emitieron un aviso informando a residentes de Wuhan que desde las 10am,  todo transporte público, incluyendo autobuses, ferrocarriles, vuelos, y servicios de transbordador serían suspendidos. El Aeropuerto de Wuhan, la estación de ferrocarril de Wuhan, y el metro de Wuhan se cerraron. A los residentes de Wuhan no les fue permitido dejar la ciudad sin permiso de las autoridades. El aviso causó un éxodo de Wuhan. Se estima que unas 300,000 personas abandonaron Wuhan solo en tren antes del encierro de las 10am. En la tarde de 23 enero, las autoridades empezaron a cerrar algunas de las carreteras importantes que salen de Wuhan. El encierro vino dos días antes del Año Nuevo chino, el festival más importante en el país, y tradicionalmente el punto más alto de la temporada de viajes, cuando millones de chinos recorren el país.

Siguiendo el encierro de Wuhan, los sistemas de transporte público en dos ciudades de nivel prefectura vecinas de Wuhan,  Huanggang y Ezhou, también fueron puestas en encierro. Al 24 de enero, en un total de 12 otras ciudades desde nivel condado a prefectura en Hubei, incluyendo Huangshi, Chibi, Jingzhou, Yichang, Xiaogan, Jingmen, Zhijiang, Qianjiang, Xiantao, Xianning, Dangyang y Enshi, se habían impuesto  restricciones de movimiento, llevando el número de personas afectadas por la restricción a más de 40 millones.

Pandemia de COVID-19: Propagación internacional

Cuarentenas y toques de queda

Guerra de precios del petróleo entre Rusia y Arabia Saudita

Colapso del mercado de valores en 2020

Impacto financiero

Impacto logístico Post-COVID
Independiente a datos de crisis económicas, en realidad existió un pequeño impulso en las PYMES dentro de México, pero únicamente enfocadas al sector logístico aprovechando todo el tema de envíos a domicilio; Aunque si bien realmente la competitividad del sector ha incrementado considerablemente en la época existen algunos casos específicos que han aprovechado un sector básicamente sin tomar en cuenta por otras empresas ya existentes a este ámbito, por ejemplo, las empresas de estados como Morelia, Tlaxcala y Querétaro han comenzado ofrecer este tipo de servicios, pero como se menciona anteriormente, únicamente enfocada al transporte y rutas, ya que se demostró que se está impulsando el sector de envíos a domicilio. Incluso surgen nuevas empresas como el caso de Sabrosón S.A de C.V, que es una aplicación enfocada a pedir comida a domicilio, aunque su fundación data de toda la época COVID, dada la necesidad de satisfacer ese sector en un estado con poca competencia en el sector envíos en tiempo corto, lo que demuestra a simple vista lo importante de satisfacer esa necesidad de atención a los clientes en la época reciente de pandemia.

Impactos sociales

En los sistemas de salud

En la salud

Violencia doméstica
ONU Mujeres organizó del 25 de mayo al 5 de julio de 2020, en nombre del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Género de la UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact una reunión digital global  para recoger las opiniones de la sociedad civil sobre el nivel al que afecta el extremismo violento respecto a las dimensiones de género. Los participantes afirmaron que la pandemia de COVID-19 agravó las desigualdades de género existentes. Asimismo, resaltaron la necesidad de cambiar la perspectiva a la hora de abordar el extremismo violento y el terrorismo, así como de invertir en iniciativas que promuevan la igualdad de género y los derechos humanos dentro de las comunidades.

Este último párrafo es un extracto de https://reliefweb.int/report/world/promoting-peace-and-protecting-women-s-rights-contexts-affected-violent-extremism

En el funcionamiento de Internet

En la religión

En el medio ambiente

En la alimentación

En la educación

En la aviación

Sinofobia y sentimiento antiasiático

Aplazamiento o cancelación de eventos deportivos, religiosos, políticos y culturales

Se ha dado la  cancelación de todo tipo de eventos, por una razón fundamental e importante, y es que en estos eventos se da la aglomeración de gente que conllevaría al aumento de posibilidades de contraer esta enfermedad, entonces los estados de diferentes países están tomando esta como una medida más a la lista, para evitar la propagación del Covid-19.

Véase también
 Pandemia de COVID-19
 Gran Recesión
 Lunes Negro (2020)
 Guerra de precios del petróleo entre Rusia y Arabia Saudita de 2020
 Sinofobia y sentimiento antiasiático por la pandemia de COVID-19
 Instituto de Virología de Wuhan
 Crisis sanitaria
 Anexo:Cronología de las pandemias
 COVID-19
 SARS-CoV-2
 Desinformación sobre la pandemia de COVID-19
 Impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 por sexo
 Protestas contra el confinamiento por la pandemia de COVID-19
 Escasez global de chips (2020-presente)
 Crisis de la cadena de suministro global de 2021-2022
 Crisis mundial energética de 2021-presente
 Aumento de la inflación 2021-2022
 Crisis alimentaria mundial de 2022

Referencias

Enlaces externos

 Lagarde urge a la UE a actuar para evitar una crisis como la de 2008, El País (11/03/2020)
 El Ibex 35 sufre el mayor desplome de su historia por el pánico del coronavirus, La Vanguardia (12/03/2020)
 La solidaritat i el voluntarisme durant la crisi de la COVID-19]

Actualidad

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