text:
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blame it on dawkins
Christians coping with personal tragedies are lashing out at the secular world to find convenient villains and scapegoats.
by: Greg Fish on 11.25.2008
If you're planning to read books about evolution, the famous archconservative pundit blog World Net Daily has a stark warning for you. It might drive you to suicide just like it did 22 year old college student Jesse Kilgore. Ed Brayton, the co-founder of Panda's Thumb, tackled the article on his site with his first thoughts.
When we get past the initial reaction to this "cautionary tale," we can deconstruct the narratives behind it. In the PR world, the narrative is the anecdotal evidence designed to support your big talking point. You tell stories that ultimately culminate in your talking point or vaguely hint at it if you don't want to be too obvious. The narrative here is that colleges are either populated by militant atheists who pounce on Christians every chance they get or they're run by even more atheistic professors who are on a mission to indoctrinate students.
In this version, the atheist in charge of the classroom challenged a young man raised to believe in creationism to try and read Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion with fatal results. The story also claims there were only two Christians on the campus with a slight concession that one or two more may be hiding in the shadows:
"Then another friend at the funeral told me the same thing," Keith Kilgore said. "This guy was his best friend, and about the only other Christian on campus."
Kilgore attended Jefferson Community College which has some 3,000 students. In a country in which over 80% of the population ascribes to some form of Christianity and only 5% say they're atheists, statistics say that there should be over 2,400 Christians to 150 atheists. But we're told by Kilgore's father and WND that all the demographic data we have is wrong and one college in the middle of rural New York is some sort of atheist nexus.
But oh there's more. The WND writers go out of their way to state that until Jesse read The God Delusion, everything was just fine. Their evidence for this? He blogged in support of numerous conservative views on abortion, gay marriage and "for family values," whatever that means. So what we know about Kilgore's psyche, his relationships with his parents and his parents is only what WND kindly allows us to know. People don't randomly go off into the forest while reading a fiery screed that attacks their personal beliefs and shoot themselves. Self-preservation is one of the key instincts and while we can override it, it takes a lot for us to do so. If it was that easy to lose all hope in the world and kill oneself, half of all teenagers would be dead.
There's also another subtext to this tale, one which presents the professor's invitation to read the book as a hate crime and a double standard on the part of colleges and police:
"Here's another thing," he continued. "If my son was a professing homosexual and a professor challenged him to read [a book] 'Preventing Homosexuality'…
If my son was gay and [the book] made him feel bad, hopeless, and he killed himself, and that came out in the press, there would be an outcry."
"But because he's a Christian, I don't even get a return telephone call," the father told WND.
Never mind that it's the job of a good professor to challenge the beliefs of students. And never mind that homosexuality has biological elements and you could never pray the gay away (that widely published medical research is totally ignored by people like Keith Kilgore). Clearly, there was something bothering the young man and he had issues that are not being brought to light because of the intellectual dishonesty and blame-shifting that's taking place here. To expect a college to start punishing professors for doing their jobs so a family can affirm their personal beliefs, find a scapegoat for their problems and appease the pundits who will use this personal tragedy as a political pawn to advance their questionable agendas is just plain misguided.
The lesson here according to Mr. Kilgore is that Christians should shun public schooling since using creationist comebacks in class doesn't seem to work on the atheists running them. With laying the blame for his son's death at the doors of the educational institutions, he's burying a whole lot of questions about what went wrong and why and helping WND push its mantra that public schools are evil and offer unsavory ideas that all religious people should avoid.
In the end, the WND story leaves a skeptical reader very confused and raises a lot of questions that are supposed to be answered with the blanket accusations leveled against colleges and the study of evolution. Then again, WND is not meant for skeptical readers. It's editorial policy is to mesh talking points with actual events so much so, it becomes impossible to tell fact from the the writers' opinions. In journalistic standards, it's basically like the Weekly World News. If you already accept what they write as truth, you'll be satisfied at having your beliefs reaffirmed. But if you're skeptical, they won't even bother to change your mind. According to them, you're so far gone and so evil, it's not worth their time.
# oddities // atheism / christianity / education / religion
by: Greg Fish
Los Angeles-based editor and founder of Weird Things, co-host of the WoWT Podcast, ex-Soviet computer lobotomist with a graduate degree in computer science. Specializes in, but not limited to, popular science, technology, the web, and conspiracy theories. His work also appeared in Rantt, BusinessWeek, i09, HowStuffWorks, SEED, RawStory, Science To The People, Le Monde, and Discovery News/Seeker, and he has a weekly radio segment on The Shift With Drex.
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At 2:05, Michelle Bachmann is standing before congress giving a speech. Following her at 2:07, Gary Busey appears giving his speech at the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy. Understanding Sean Hall's definition of intratextuality in This Means This, This Means That as "the internal relationship between different parts of the same work," the viewer can see these relationships: both are standing behind podiums, making similar hand gestures to an audience.
Through the intratextual relationship between the two clips, the viewer can interpret that I am making some sort of comparison between these two. However, the comparison can take on heavier meaning if the viewer can recognize Gary Busey as a symbol of 'crazy.' Such an understanding of Busey would require the reader to not only know about his erratic behavior, but also of the popular understanding of him as crazy that would sustain his symbol-status as such.
Assuming the viewer is attuned to Busey's symbolic qualities, the viewer can finally interpret the metaphor. A metaphor, as Hall defines it, is "an implied comparison between two similar or dissimilar things that share a certain quality." If Bachmann=Busey, and Busey=Crazy, then Bachmann=crazy. Ultimately, this emerging metaphor acts to do one of two things effectively: introduce Bachmann is crazy to a viewer that might not know much about her (or thought otherwise), or reaffirm any of the viewer's existing thoughts that she is crazy and show it in a new way.
I applied a good level of intertextuality to this mash-up. According to Hall, intertextuality is "how works of various kinds (e.g. books, paintings, sculptures, designs, advertisements, etc.) make reference—often in clever ways—to other works". I did some reference of my own when I used a clip from Breaking Bad wherein Huell, a crooked lawyer's henchman, falls onto a pile of money. Assuming a good amount of viewers have seen this show, they can know that the pile of money that Huell is falling onto is dirty money—obtained through selling methamphetamine and murder. Using the meaning that Breaking Bad's producers have already created around this widely-known scene, I inserted it into my mash-up to add an important layer of meaning: dirty money fueling the religious and political attacks of science.
Now, that dirty money scene will influence what meaning is made in the gutter—or the space between two separate items (video clips in this case)—preceding and proceeding it. For instance, when juxtaposed to the scene of billionaire Charles Koch (:40), the gutter contains the following implications: the money that pumps into dark money groups like Americans for Prosperity is dirty itself. By themselves, these two clips probably wouldn't suggest that much for my purposes—probably only facts and ideas that people already knew. Now, however, my viewer is able to see political funders like Charles Koch in a way that challenges their ethics not just politically, but morally. Ultimately, Koch's lack of morality that I implied will carry into the greater point, politics and science, and suggest something new: dark money groups are funding anti-science politicians. Now, the issue isn't just who is crazy or uninformed, but also corrupt.
I use the word "viewer" a lot in this reflection, so I should probably do some analysis of whom I'm speaking of and how they are interpreting my work. Obviously, this mash-up is very political, and in terms of American politics, is critically aimed at the Republican Party (Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, Mitt Romney, and Sarah Palin are all Republicans). Knowing this, I have to understand that different viewers may have different conceptions about what I'm saying. A conception, as defined by Hall, is a "thought" about something that can be very different from another's due to "different information coded into the concepts that they use." A person who regularly follows politics might have a different understanding of the clip I used of Mitt Romney, and know that was when he mocked President Obama for wanting to "heal the planet." A person who doesn't watch politics, however, might not know how loaded that clip was. I tried to set my mash-up so that people across different levels of contemporary political knowledge can follow my point. I did this by making sure I used clips of recognizable, high-profile politicians who are not only widely recognizable, but also whose agendas are clear. I believe doing this made my mash-up's message accessible to a larger audience.


text:
Zenobia Frost
Zenobia Frost is a Brisbane-based writer whose second collection of poetry, After the Demolition, was recently released by Cordite Books. In 2018, she received the Arts Queensland Val Vallis Award for her poem 'Reality on Demand', while 2017 saw her work recognised with a Queensland Writers Fellowship. She has been shortlisted for both the Overland Judith Wright Prize (2017) and Red Room Poetry Fellowship (2017–18).
Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Overland, Meanjin, Australian Poetry Journal, Cordite, ABR's States of Poetry: Queensland, Scum, ARC (Canada), Solid Air: Australian and New Zealand Spoken Word, and Contemporary Feminist Poetry. She is a regular voice at the Queensland Poetry Festival, but has also performed in Germany, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Hobart. In 2015, an ArtStart grant allowed her to study poetry in the Black Forest and online with Warsan Shire (cowriter on Beyonce's Lemonade).
Zenobia's first poetry collection, Salt and Bone (Walleah Press, 2014), was shortlisted for the 2013 Thomas Shapcott Prize and commended in the 2014 Anne Elder Awards. Salt and Bone has been called 'sparse and alarming . . . visceral and seductive' (Alyson Miller, Cordite) and 'quirkily powerful' (Martin Duwell, Australian Poetry Review).
Zenobia recently earned her Master of Philosophy degree in Creative Practice, with an exegetical work on place attachment and housing insecurity in Brisbane poetry. After the Demolition was recently praised in Overland for its 'political poetics of space
Instagram: @zenfrost
Website: www.zenobiafrost.wordpress.com
Skype readings with Zenobia Frost at Wilderness School
Blueprint: Bramble Tce
Blueprint No. 6: Rosemount Street
Fellowship Shortlist and Poems 2017
Poetry Object 2013
Zenobia Frost reads 'Blueprint: Bramble Tce'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: ¿Como puedo centrar este scrolltext o scrollbar? Mi cuadro de texto queda en el centro y no he podido colocarlo en otro lado, los atributos que tiene de columna y fila solo sirven para mover la barra de dezplazamiento...ayuda por favor
import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import ttk

root = tk.Tk()
root.title('NAES Solver')
root.geometry('700x350')

#Etiqueta variable y cuadro de texto con barra de desplazamiento horizontal
etiqueta = tk.Label(text="Variables", fg="black", bg="yellow").place(x=30,y=8)

textContainer = tk.Frame(root, borderwidth=1, relief="sunken")

text = tk.Text(textContainer, padx= 20, pady=2, width=10, height=1, wrap="none", borderwidth=0)

textHsb = tk.Scrollbar(textContainer, orient="horizontal", command=text.xview)

text.configure(xscrollcommand=textHsb.set)

text.grid(row=0, column=0, sticky="nsew")

textHsb.grid(row=1, column=0, sticky="ew")

textContainer.pack(side="top")

root.mainloop()

A: Tienes mal el import inicial, que debería ser  from tkinter import tk, pero esto no está relacionado con la pregunta.
El problema es que los objetos text y textHsb se posicionan dentro de su Frame, pero éste no se ha posicionado dentro de la ventana que lo contiene. El Frame se ha ajustado al tamaño exacto de sus dos "hijos" (text y textHsb). Aunque cambies sus atributos de columna y fila, eso moverán a los hijos dentro del frame, pero no al frame dentro de la ventana.
Y colocar un frame dentro de una ventana no tiene muchas opciones (no admite grid() ni place(). Simplemente se puede poner "arriba", "abajo", "izquierda" o "derecha", quedando centrado en el lado que indiques.
Quizás se vea mejor si ponemos fondo rojo al frame y azul a la ventana raiz:

Como ves, el fondo rojo es apenas visible. El frame ocupa lo mismo que sus contenidos y está empaquetado en la zona de arriba de la ventana raíz, siendo el resto "padding" hasta rellenar esa ventana. La etiqueta ha sido colocada en una posición absoluta también dentro de la ventana raiz.
Una posible solución es meter la etiqueta dentro del frame, en vez de colocarla en la raiz. De este modo la raiz tendrá un solo "hijo" (el frame) y el frame tendrá tres hijos (la etiqueta, el texto y la barra de scroll), y puedes usar columnnas y filas para colocarlos:
textContainer = tk.Frame(root, borderwidth=1,relief="sunken", bg="red")
etiqueta = tk.Label(textContainer, text="Variables", fg="black", bg="yellow").grid(column=0, row=0)
# ...
text.grid(row=0, column=1, sticky="nsew")
textHsb.grid(row=1, column=1, sticky="ew")

El resultado sería ahora:

Como ves por los colores, el frame (rojo) contiene ahora tanto a la etiqueta como a la entrada de texto, lo que nos permite colocarlos uno respecto a otro. El propio frame sigue saliendo centrado en posición "top", pero si quieres puedes cambiarlo al empaquetarlo, mediante textContainer.pack(side="left") por ejemplo.
Alternativamente puedes pasarle los parámetros textContainer.pack(fill="both", expand=True) para que llene todo el espacio disponible en la ventana, en cuyo caso el side ya es irrelevante y saldrá todo pegado arriba a la izquierda:

(ya no se ve nada azul, pues todo el área del padre ha sido ocupada por el frame hijo).
Código completo (y quitando ya los horribles colores usados para depuración):
import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
root.title('NAES Solver')
root.geometry('500x150')

#Etiqueta variable y cuadro de texto con barra de desplazamiento horizontal
textContainer = tk.Frame(root, borderwidth=1,relief="sunken")
etiqueta = tk.Label(textContainer, text="Variables", fg="black", bg="yellow").grid(column=0, row=0)

text = tk.Text(textContainer, padx= 20, pady=2, width=10, height=1, wrap="none", borderwidth=0)
textHsb = tk.Scrollbar(textContainer, orient="horizontal", command=text.xview)
text.configure(xscrollcommand=textHsb.set)
text.grid(row=0, column=1, sticky="nsew")
textHsb.grid(row=1, column=1, sticky="ew")

textContainer.pack(fill="both", expand=True)
root.mainloop()

Y esto es lo que se ve (he escrito ya una cadena larga en la zona de texto para que se vea la barra de scroll:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Large 2 story in New town with 4 Bedroom, 2 1/2. Large Living Room Opens to the Kitchen/Breakfast room area, the kitchen has cherry cabinets,glass back splash,all stainless appliances stay. The Breakfast area walks out to yard & patio. The main level also has a half bath room. The upstairs has a large master bedroom which includes a large walk in closet. The master bathroom has dual sinks, shower and linen closet. Upstairs has 3 bedrooms, and a loft area that can be utilized as office space, play area. The second level also has the laundry area. Attached 2 car garage that you get to through the alley.


text:
Carl J Elsbree
803 S. Washington St.
East Rochester, New York, United States
White Haven Memorial Park
Obituary of Carl J Elsbree
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Carl J. Elsbree, 85, of Webster, NY on 1/7/2023. Carl was born on W. Hickory St. in East Rochester, NY to Paul R. Elsbree and Bethel V. Ashton. He attended the schools of E.R. his entire lifeuntil graduating in 1955. He went on to graduate with an Associates Degree from MCC. Carl lived a full and prosperous life having to provide for himself from an early age. He was a multiple service station owner/operator from the age of 19 until his military duty with the National Guard. He worked 30+ years at Xerox Corporation working his way from the docks doing trick work eventually being promoted to manager in the records department. Carl recieved many accolades and awards during his employment with Xerox to include being asked to be the founding Director of the Xerox Museum originally in Downtown Rochester. Carl was very active in his community as a member of the East Rochester Volunteer Ambulance Corp.(ERVAC) to which he attained the rank of Captain for a few terms. He was truly a self made man through had work and determination. This is how he lived his life. No challenge was too tough when he gave his all. Carl is survived by his children, R. Carla Edgett (Stephen),Todd M. Elsbree (Michelle); his grandchildren, Stephen and Dayna Edgett, John, Rebecca and Melissa Elsbree ; his brother, James (Pam) Elsbree. Vistitation will be at Harloff Funeral Home, 803 S. Washington St., East Rochester, NY. on Friday, January 13, 2023, from 4pm-7pm. Burial with be at White Haven Memorial Park, 210 Marsh Road, Pittsford NY on Saturday January 14th at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers if you choose please consider a donation to the National Space Society, of which Carl was a 40+ year member/enthusiast.


text:
Volume 9, February
Volume 8, December
Covered in:
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Biology, Volume 9, Issue 1 (January 2020) – 21 articles
Cover Story (view full-size image): In the last decade, a new method of cell–cell communication mediated by membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs) has emerged. EVs, including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), represent a new important topic, because EVs are a means of communication between cells and they can also be involved in removing cellular contents. EVs are characterized by differences in size, origin, and content and different types have different functions. They appear as membranous sacs released by a variety of cells, in different physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Intriguingly, exosomes and microvesicles are a potent source of genetic information carriers. Apoptotic bodies are new and relatively poorly known vesicles, on which numerous in-depth studies are needed in order to understand their role and possible function. View this paper.
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All Sections Behavior Biology Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Biological Engineering Biophysics Cell Biology Conservation Biology and Biodiversity Developmental Biology Ecology Evolutionary Biology Genetics and Genomics Immunology Marine Biology Microbiology Neuroscience Pharmacology Physiology Plant Science Proteomics Structural Biology Systems Biology Theoretical Biology Zoology Medical Biology Biotechnology Climate Change Biology Biometrics Biological Education and Thinking Infection Biology Cardiovascular Biology Synthetic Biology Cancer Biology Chemical Biology Reproductive Biology Astrobiology Toxicology Metabolism
Open AccessReview
Apoptotic Bodies: Particular Extracellular Vesicles Involved in Intercellular Communication
Michela Battistelli
Elisabetta Falcieri
Biology 2020, 9(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9010021 - 20 Jan 2020
Cited by 73 | Viewed by 2994
In the last decade, a new method of cell–cell communication mediated by membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs) has emerged. EVs, including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), represent a new and important topic, because they are a means of communication between cells and they [...] Read more.
In the last decade, a new method of cell–cell communication mediated by membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs) has emerged. EVs, including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), represent a new and important topic, because they are a means of communication between cells and they can also be involved in removing cellular contents. EVs are characterized by differences in size, origin, and content and different types have different functions. They appear as membranous sacs released by a variety of cells, in different physiological and patho-physiological conditions. Intringuingly, exosomes and microvesicles are a potent source of genetic information carriers between different cell types both within a species and even across a species barrier. New, and therefore still relatively poorly known vesicles are apoptotic bodies, on which numerous in-depth studies are needed in order to understand their role and possible function. In this review we would like to analyze their morpho-functional characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Cell Biology)
Supplementary material:
Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 6676 KiB)
Autophagy Inhibition Induces the Secretion of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) with Autocrine and Paracrine Effects on the Promotion of Malignancy in Breast Cancer
Israel Cotzomi-Ortega
Arely Rosas-Cruz
Dalia Ramírez-Ramírez
Julio Reyes-Leyva
Miriam Rodriguez-Sosa
Patricia Aguilar-Alonso
Paola Maycotte
Breast cancer is the main cause of cancer-related death in women in the world. Because autophagy is a known survival pathway for cancer cells, its inhibition is currently being explored in clinical trials for treating several types of malignancies. In breast cancer, autophagy [...] Read more.
Breast cancer is the main cause of cancer-related death in women in the world. Because autophagy is a known survival pathway for cancer cells, its inhibition is currently being explored in clinical trials for treating several types of malignancies. In breast cancer, autophagy has been shown to be necessary for the survival of cancer cells from the triple negative subtype (TNBC), which has the worst prognosis among breast cancers and currently has limited therapeutic options. Autophagy has also been involved in the regulation of protein secretion and, of importance for this work, the inhibition of autophagy is known to promote the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines from distinct cell types. We found that the inhibition of autophagy in TNBC cell lines induced the secretion of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pro-tumorigenic cytokine involved in breast cancer invasion and immunomodulation. MIF secretion was dependent on an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by the inhibition of autophagy. Importantly, MIF secreted from autophagy-deficient cells increased the migration of cells not treated with autophagy inhibitors, indicating that autophagy inhibition in cancer cells promoted malignancy in neighboring cells through the release of secreted factors, and that a combinatorial approach should be evaluated for cancer therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Autophagy in Cancer)
Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 17 KiB)
Metabarcoding Reveals Temporal Patterns of Community Composition and Realized Thermal Niches of Thalassiosira Spp. (Bacillariophyceae) from the Narragansett Bay Long-Term Plankton Time Series
Tatiana A. Rynearson
Sarah A. Flickinger
Diana N. Fontaine
Diatoms generate nearly half of marine primary production and are comprised of a diverse array of species that are often morphologically cryptic or difficult to identify using light microscopy. Here, species composition and realized thermal niches of species in the diatom genus Thalassiosira [...] Read more.
Diatoms generate nearly half of marine primary production and are comprised of a diverse array of species that are often morphologically cryptic or difficult to identify using light microscopy. Here, species composition and realized thermal niches of species in the diatom genus Thalassiosira were examined at the site of the Narragansett Bay (NBay) Long-Term Plankton Time Series using a combination of light microscopy (LM), high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of the 18S rDNA V4 region and historical records. Thalassiosira species were identified over 6 years using a combination of LM and DNA sequences. Sixteen Thalassiosira taxa were identified using HTS: nine were newly identified in NBay. Several newly identified species have small cell diameters and are difficult to identify using LM. However, they appeared frequently and thus may play a significant ecological role in NBay, particularly since their realized niches suggest they are eurythermal and able to tolerate the >25 °C temperature range of NBay. Four distinct species assemblages that grouped by season were best explained by surface water temperature. When compared to historical records, we found that the cold-water species Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii has decreased in persistence over time, suggesting that increasing surface water temperature has influenced the ecology of phytoplankton in NBay. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Life of Diatoms: From Genes to Ecosystems)
Provincial Differences and Dynamic Changes in Mariculture Efficiency in China: Based on Super-SBM Model and Global Malmquist Index
Xuan Yu
Qiuguang Hu
Manhong Shen
The continued growth in mariculture efficiency in China is vital in ensuring that the country will continue to be the primary source of its own food in the 21st century. A large gap exists between the input and output of mariculture in China's [...] Read more.
The continued growth in mariculture efficiency in China is vital in ensuring that the country will continue to be the primary source of its own food in the 21st century. A large gap exists between the input and output of mariculture in China's coastal provinces. Hence, methods to improve mariculture efficiency can be developed by analyzing provincial differences and dynamic changes in mariculture efficiency. These methods are important in solving China's food security problems. This study uses the super-slacks-based measure model and global Malmquist index to measure the mariculture efficiency scores and their changes in China's nine coastal provinces from 2004 to 2016. Results suggest that the mariculture efficiencies in Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, Shandong, and Guangdong are higher than those in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, and Hebei. The mariculture efficiency in China increased by 6.45% from 2004 to 2016, and technological progress was the main driving force for this. The authors combine the results with the mariculture characteristics in each province and present the following findings: (1) mariculture scale affects mariculture efficiency; (2) efficient mariculture relies on a good marine ecosystem; (3) policy adjustments significantly affect the development of mariculture; (4) the key to improving mariculture efficiency is enhancing mariculture technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Marine Biology)
Open AccessEditorial
We Do Not Eat Alone: Formation and Maturation of the Oral Microbiota
Luca Fiorillo
From the earliest moments of life, contact with the outside world and with other individuals invalidates the sterility of the oral cavity. The oral cavity passes from a sterility condition, that is present only during intrauterine life, to a condition in which a [...] Read more.
From the earliest moments of life, contact with the outside world and with other individuals invalidates the sterility of the oral cavity. The oral cavity passes from a sterility condition, that is present only during intrauterine life, to a condition in which a microbiota organizes and evolves itself, accompanying the person throughout their life. Depending on a patient's age, systemic conditions and/or oral conditions, different characteristics of the oral microbiome are shown. By verifying and analyzing this process it is possible to understand what is at the basis of the etiopathogenesis of some oral pathologies, and also the function of the oral microbiome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oral Microbiota: Development Control, Physiopathology and Oral Biomarkers)
Supplementary File 1 (PDF, 147 KiB)
Glucose Favors Lipid Anabolic Metabolism in the Invasive Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231
Mª Carmen Ocaña
Beatriz Martínez-Poveda
Ana R. Quesada
Miguel Ángel Medina
Metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells is considered one of the hallmarks of cancer. Many studies have been carried out in order to elucidate the effects of tumor cell metabolism on invasion and tumor progression. However, little is known about the immediate substrate preference [...] Read more.
Metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells is considered one of the hallmarks of cancer. Many studies have been carried out in order to elucidate the effects of tumor cell metabolism on invasion and tumor progression. However, little is known about the immediate substrate preference in tumor cells. In this work, we wanted to study this short-time preference using the highly invasive, hormone independent breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. By means of Seahorse and uptake experiments, our results point to a preference for glucose. However, although both glucose and glutamine are required for tumor cell proliferation, MDA-MB-231 cells can survive two days in the absence of glucose, but not in the absence of glutamine. On the other hand, the presence of glucose increased palmitate uptake in this cell line, which accumulates in the cytosol instead of going to the plasma membrane. In order to exert this effect, glucose needs to be converted to glycerol-3 phosphate, leading to palmitate metabolism through lipid synthesis, most likely to the synthesis of triacylglycerides. The effect of glucose on the palmitate uptake was also found in other triple-negative, invasive breast cancer cell lines, but not in the non-invasive ones. The results presented in this work suggest an important and specific role of glucose in lipid biosynthesis in triple-negative breast cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 570 KiB)
Protein Deimination and Extracellular Vesicle Profiles in Antarctic Seabirds
Richard A. Phillips
Sigrun Lange
Pelagic seabirds are amongst the most threatened of all avian groups. They face a range of immunological challenges which seem destined to increase due to environmental changes in their breeding and foraging habitats, affecting prey resources and exposure to pollution and pathogens. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Pelagic seabirds are amongst the most threatened of all avian groups. They face a range of immunological challenges which seem destined to increase due to environmental changes in their breeding and foraging habitats, affecting prey resources and exposure to pollution and pathogens. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers for the assessment of their health status is of considerable importance. Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) post-translationally convert arginine into citrulline in target proteins in an irreversible manner. PAD-mediated deimination can cause structural and functional changes in target proteins, allowing for protein moonlighting in physiological and pathophysiological processes. PADs furthermore contribute to the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which play important roles in cellular communication. In the present study, post-translationally deiminated protein and EV profiles of plasma were assessed in eight seabird species from the Antarctic, representing two avian orders: Procellariiformes (albatrosses and petrels) and Charadriiformes (waders, auks, gulls and skuas). We report some differences between the species assessed, with the narrowest EV profiles of 50–200 nm in the northern giant petrel Macronectes halli, and the highest abundance of larger 250–500 nm EVs in the brown skua Stercorarius antarcticus. The seabird EVs were positive for phylogenetically conserved EV markers and showed characteristic EV morphology. Post-translational deimination was identified in a range of key plasma proteins critical for immune response and metabolic pathways in three of the bird species under study; the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans, south polar skua Stercorarius maccormicki and northern giant petrel. Some differences in Gene Ontology (GO) biological and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways for deiminated proteins were observed between these three species. This indicates that target proteins for deimination may differ, potentially contributing to a range of physiological functions relating to metabolism and immune response, as well as to key defence mechanisms. PAD protein homologues were identified in the seabird plasma by Western blotting via cross-reaction with human PAD antibodies, at an expected 75 kDa size. This is the first study to profile EVs and to identify deiminated proteins as putative novel plasma biomarkers in Antarctic seabirds. These biomarkers may be further refined to become useful indicators of physiological and immunological status in seabirds—many of which are globally threatened. Full article
Figure 6 Cont.
Optimizing the Design of Diatom Biosilica-Targeted Fusion Proteins in Biosensor Construction for Bacillus anthracis Detection
Nicole R. Ford
Yijia Xiong
Karen A. Hecht
Thomas C. Squier
Gregory L. Rorrer
Guritno Roesijadi
In vivo functionalization of diatom biosilica frustules by genetic manipulation requires careful consideration of the overall structure and function of complex fusion proteins. Although we previously had transformed Thalassiosira pseudonana with constructs containing a single domain antibody (sdAb) raised against the Bacillus anthracis [...] Read more.
In vivo functionalization of diatom biosilica frustules by genetic manipulation requires careful consideration of the overall structure and function of complex fusion proteins. Although we previously had transformed Thalassiosira pseudonana with constructs containing a single domain antibody (sdAb) raised against the Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain, which detected an epitope of the surface layer protein EA1 accessible in lysed spores, we initially were unsuccessful with constructs encoding a similar sdAb that detected an epitope of EA1 accessible in intact spores and vegetative cells. This discrepancy limited the usefulness of the system as an environmental biosensor for B. anthracis. We surmised that to create functional biosilica-localized biosensors with certain constructs, the biosilica targeting and protein trafficking functions of the biosilica-targeting peptide Sil3T8 had to be uncoupled. We found that retaining the ER trafficking sequence at the N-terminus and relocating the Sil3T8 targeting peptide to the C-terminus of the fusion protein resulted in successful detection of EA1 with both sdAbs. Homology modeling of antigen binding by the two sdAbs supported the hypothesis that the rescue of antigen binding in the previously dysfunctional sdAb was due to removal of steric hindrances between the antigen binding loops and the diatom biosilica for that particular sdAb. Full article
A Model In Vitro Study Using Hypericin: Tumor-Versus Necrosis-Targeting Property and Possible Mechanisms
Yue Li
Shuncong Wang
Yuanyu Zhao
Hexige Saiyin
Xiaoyan He
Juanzhi Zhao
Ling Li
Ali Talebi
Gang Huang
Yicheng Ni
Hypericin (Hyp) had been explored as a tumor-seeking agent for years; however, more recent studies showed its necrosis-avidity rather than cancer-seeking property. To further look into this discrepancy, we conducted an in vitro study on Hyp retention in vital and dead cancerous HepG2 [...] Read more.
Hypericin (Hyp) had been explored as a tumor-seeking agent for years; however, more recent studies showed its necrosis-avidity rather than cancer-seeking property. To further look into this discrepancy, we conducted an in vitro study on Hyp retention in vital and dead cancerous HepG2 and normal LO2 cell lines by measuring the fluorescence intensity and concentration of Hyp in cells. To question the DNA binding theory for its necrosis-avidity, the subcellular distribution of Hyp was also investigated to explore the possible mechanisms of the necrosis avidity. The fluorescence intensity and concentration are significantly higher in dead cells than those in vital cells, and this difference did not differ between HepG2 and LO2 cell lines. Hyp was taken up in vital cells in the early phase and excreted within hours, whereas it was retained in dead cells for more than two days. Confocal microscopy showed that Hyp selectively accumulated in lysosomes rather than cell membrane or nuclei. Hyp showed a necrosis-avid property rather than cancer-targetability. The long-lasting retention of Hyp in dead cells may be associated with halted energy metabolism and/or binding with certain degraded cellular substrates. Necrosis-avidity of Hyp was confirmed, which may be associated with halted energy metabolism in dead LO2 or HepG2 cells. Full article
Open AccessOpinion
The Switch between Protective and Nonprotective Autophagy; Implications for Autophagy Inhibition as a Therapeutic Strategy in Cancer
David A. Gewirtz
Autophagy, a process of cellular self-degradation and cell survival whereby the cell generates energy and metabolic intermediates under conditions of stress (i.e., nutrient deprivation), is also commonly induced in tumor cells in response to chemotherapy and radiation. While chemotherapy-induced autophagy and radiation-induced autophagy [...] Read more.
Autophagy, a process of cellular self-degradation and cell survival whereby the cell generates energy and metabolic intermediates under conditions of stress (i.e., nutrient deprivation), is also commonly induced in tumor cells in response to chemotherapy and radiation. While chemotherapy-induced autophagy and radiation-induced autophagy are generally considered to have cytoprotective functions, thereby reducing tumor cell sensitivity (and potentially conferring resistance) to various treatment modalities, autophagy can also be nonprotective; furthermore, the nature of the autophagy can be altered via the "autophagic switch" depending on such factors as the p53 status of the tumor cells. Defective or compromised autophagy has also been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, raising concerns as to the impact of autophagy inhibition on normal tissue function. Furthermore, the impact of autophagy inhibition on the immune system response to therapy as well as the influence of autophagy inhibition in combination with chemotherapy or radiation on critical tissue sites such as the bone marrow remain uncertain. These are factors requiring serious consideration within the context of current clinical efforts to exploit autophagy inhibition as a therapeutic strategy in cancer. Full article
Open AccessConference Report
New Frontiers in Stem Cell Research and Translational Approaches
Nicola Alessio
Dario Siniscalco
Gianfranco Peluso
Umberto Galderisi
Stem cell biology represents a challenging research area with a huge potential translational approach. This review focuses on the most recent findings on stem cell basics and clinics in several fields of research, as final outcome of the 10th conference held by Stem [...] Read more.
Stem cell biology represents a challenging research area with a huge potential translational approach. This review focuses on the most recent findings on stem cell basics and clinics in several fields of research, as final outcome of the 10th conference held by Stem Cell Research Italy (SCR Italy) in Naples, Italy in June 2019. Current state-of-the-art and novel findings on stem cell research are discussed, bringing together basic and applied research with the newest insights in stem cell therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Meeting—Stem Cell Research Italy)
Mechanisms and Drivers for the Establishment of Life Cycle Complexity in Myxozoan Parasites
Martina Lisnerová
Ivan Fiala
Delfina Cantatore
Manuel Irigoitia
Juan Timi
Hana Pecková
Pavla Bartošová-Sojková
Christian M. Sandoval
Carl Luer
Astrid S. Holzer
It is assumed that complex life cycles in cnidarian parasites belonging to the Myxozoa result from incorporation of vertebrates into simple life cycles exploiting aquatic invertebrates. However, nothing is known about the driving forces and implementation of this event, though it fostered massive [...] Read more.
It is assumed that complex life cycles in cnidarian parasites belonging to the Myxozoa result from incorporation of vertebrates into simple life cycles exploiting aquatic invertebrates. However, nothing is known about the driving forces and implementation of this event, though it fostered massive diversification. We performed a comprehensive search for myxozoans in evolutionary ancient fishes (Chondrichthyes), and more than doubled existing 18S rDNA sequence data, discovering seven independent phylogenetic lineages. We performed cophylogenetic and character mapping methods in the largest monophyletic dataset and demonstrate that host and parasite phylogenies are strongly correlated, and that tectonic changes may explain phylogeographic clustering in recent skates and softnose skates, in the Atlantic. The most basal lineages of myxozoans inhabit the bile of chondrichthyans, an immunologically privileged site and protective niche, easily accessible from the gut via the bile duct. We hypothesize that feed-integration is a likely mechanism of host acquisition, an idea supported by feeding habits of chimaeras and ancient sharks and by multiple entries of different parasite lineages from invertebrates into the new host group. We provide exciting first insights into the early evolutionary history of ancient metazoan parasites in a host group that embodies more evolutionary distinctiveness than most other vertebrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Evolutionary Biology)
Open AccessEditor's ChoiceArticle
Genetic Diversity and Identification of Vietnamese Paphiopedilum Species Using DNA Sequences
Huyen-Trang Vu
Quoc-Luan Vu
Thanh-Diem Nguyen
Ngan Tran
Thanh-Cong Nguyen
Phuong-Nam Luu
Duy-Duong Tran
Truong-Khoa Nguyen
Ly Le
Biology 2020, 9(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9010009 - 31 Dec 2019
Paphiopedilum is among the most popular ornamental orchid genera due to its unique slipper flowers and attractive leaf coloration. Most of the Paphiopedilum species are in critical danger due to over-exploitation. They were listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade [...] Read more.
Paphiopedilum is among the most popular ornamental orchid genera due to its unique slipper flowers and attractive leaf coloration. Most of the Paphiopedilum species are in critical danger due to over-exploitation. They were listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which prevents their being traded across borders. While most Paphiopedilum species are distinctive, owing to their respective flowers, their vegetative features are more similar and undistinguished. Hence, the conservation of these species is challenging, as most traded specimins are immature and non-flowered. An urgent need exists for effective identification methods to prevent further illegal trading of Paphiopedilum species. DNA barcoding is a rapid and sensitive method for species identification, at any developmental stage, using short DNA sequences. In this study, eight loci, i.e., ITS, LEAFY, ACO, matK, trnL, rpoB, rpoC1, and trnH-psbA, were screened for potential barcode sequences on the Vietnamese Paphiopedilum species. In total, 17 out of 22 Paphiopedilum species were well identified. The studied DNA sequences were deposited to GenBank, in which Paphiopedilum dalatense accessions were introduced for the first time. ACO, LEAFY, and trnH-psbA were limited in amplification rate for Paphiopedilum. ITS was the best single barcode. Single ITS could be used along with nucleotide polymorphism characteristics for species discrimination. The combination of ITS + matK was the most efficient identification barcode for Vietnamese Paphiopedilum species. This barcode also succeeded in recognizing misidentified or wrongly-named traded samples. Different bioinformatics programs and algorithms for establishing phylogenetic trees were also compared in the study to propose quick, simple, and effective tools for practical use. It was proved that both the Bayesian Inference method in the MRBAYES program and the neighbor-joining method in the MEGA software met the criteria. Our study provides a barcoding database of Vietnamese Paphiopedilum which may significantly contribute to the control and conservation of these valuable species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Conservation Biology and Biodiversity)
Dawn to Dusk: Diurnal Rhythm of the Immune Response in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)
Ruth Montero
Joanna Ewa Strzelczyk
Justin Tze Ho Chan
Marieke Verleih
Alexander Rebl
Tom Goldammer
Bernd Köllner
Tomáš Korytář
The daily change of light and dark periods influences different physiological processes including feeding, resting and locomotor activity. Previously, several studies on mammalian models revealed a strong link between day-night rhythms and key immunological parameters. Since teleost fishes possess innate and adaptive immune [...] Read more.
The daily change of light and dark periods influences different physiological processes including feeding, resting and locomotor activity. Previously, several studies on mammalian models revealed a strong link between day-night rhythms and key immunological parameters. Since teleost fishes possess innate and adaptive immune responses like those observed in higher vertebrates, we aimed to elucidate how changes in light-dark cycles shape the immune system of fish. Using the rainbow trout laboratory model, we investigated the link between diurnal rhythms and immune competence of fish. Initially, the cell composition and phagocytic activity of leukocytes was analyzed in the circulation as well as in the head kidney, the functional ortholog of mammalian bone marrow. Once the baseline was established, we evaluated the ability of fish to respond to a bacterial stimulus, as well as the changes in antimicrobial activity of the serum. Our results suggest increased immune competence during the day, manifested by the higher presence of myeloid cells in the circulation; increased overall phagocytic activity; and higher capacity of the sera to inhibit the growth of Aeromonas salmonicida. Notably, our flow cytometric analysis identified the myeloid cells as the major population influenced by the time of day, whereas IgM+ B cells and thrombocytes did not vary in a significant manner. Interestingly, the presence of myeloid cells in blood and head kidney followed complementary trends. Thus, while we observed the highest number of myeloid cells in the blood during early morning, we witnessed a reverse trend in the head kidney, suggesting a homing of myeloid cells to reservoir niches with the onset of the dark phase. Further, the presence of myeloid cells was mirrored in the expression of the proinflammatory marker tnfa as well as in the number of leukocytes recruited to the peritoneal cavity in the peritonitis model of inflammation. Overall, the data suggest a connection between diurnal rhythms and the immune response of rainbow trout and highlight the relevance of rhythmicity and its influence on experimental work in the field of fish chronoimmunology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Immunology)
The Role of Autophagy in Pancreatic Cancer—Recent Advances
Maria New
Sharon Tooze
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers with a 5-year survival rate of only 9%, despite ongoing efforts to improve treatment. This dismal prognosis is due to the difficulty of early stage diagnosis, drug resistance, and likelihood of metastasis development. [...] Read more.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers with a 5-year survival rate of only 9%, despite ongoing efforts to improve treatment. This dismal prognosis is due to the difficulty of early stage diagnosis, drug resistance, and likelihood of metastasis development. It is therefore of great importance to identify appropriate therapeutic targets and gain a greater understanding of PDAC biology. Autophagy is a membrane-mediated degradation and recycling mechanism, which is crucial for cell homeostasis. There is evidence for both a tumor-suppressive and a tumor-promoting role of autophagy in cancer, and this is likely context dependent. Within PDAC, a large body of evidence points towards autophagy being required for tumor survival and metabolism. In this review, we describe the recent advances in the understanding of the role and regulation of autophagy in PDAC. Full article
The Biological Impacts of Sitagliptin on the Pancreas of a Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Drug Interactions with Metformin
Lamiaa M. Shawky
Ahmed A. Morsi
Eman El Bana
Safaa Masoud Hanafy
Sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, is a beneficial class of antidiabetic drugs. However, a major debate about the risk of developing pancreatitis is still existing. The aim of the work was to study the histological and immunohistochemical effects of sitagliptin on both [...] Read more.
Sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, is a beneficial class of antidiabetic drugs. However, a major debate about the risk of developing pancreatitis is still existing. The aim of the work was to study the histological and immunohistochemical effects of sitagliptin on both endocrine and exocrine pancreases in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus and to correlate these effects with the biochemical findings. Moreover, a possible synergistic effect of sitagliptin, in combination with metformin, was also evaluated. Fifty adult male rats were used and assigned into five equal groups. Group 1 served as control. Group 2 comprised of untreated diabetic rats. Group 3 diabetic rats received sitagliptin. Group 4 diabetic rats received metformin. Group 5 diabetic rats received both combined. Treatments were given for 4 weeks after the induction of diabetes. Blood samples were collected for biochemical assay before the sacrification of rats. Pancreases were removed, weighed, and were processed for histological and immunohistochemical examination. In the untreated diabetic group, the islets appeared shrunken with disturbed architecture and abnormal immunohistochemical reactions for insulin, caspase-3, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The biochemical findings were also disturbed. Morphometrically, there was a significant decrease in the islet size and islet number. Treatment with sitagliptin, metformin, and their combination showed an improvement, with the best response in the combined approach. No evidence of pancreatic injury was identified in the sitagliptin-treated groups. In conclusion, sitagliptin had a cytoprotective effect on beta-cell damage. Furthermore, the data didn't indicate any detrimental effects of sitagliptin on the exocrine pancreas. Full article
Storage Compound Accumulation in Diatoms as Response to Elevated CO2 Concentration
Erik L. Jensen
Karen Yangüez
Frédéric Carrière
Brigitte Gontero
Accumulation of reserve compounds (i.e., lipids and chrysolaminarin) in diatoms depends on the environmental conditions, and is often triggered by stress conditions, such as nutrient limitation. Manipulation of CO2 supply can also be used to improve both lipids and carbohydrates accumulation. Given [...] Read more.
Accumulation of reserve compounds (i.e., lipids and chrysolaminarin) in diatoms depends on the environmental conditions, and is often triggered by stress conditions, such as nutrient limitation. Manipulation of CO2 supply can also be used to improve both lipids and carbohydrates accumulation. Given the high diversity among diatoms, we studied the two marine model diatoms—Thalassiosira pseudonana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a freshwater diatom, Asterionella formosa, and Navicula pelliculosa—found in fresh- and sea-water environments. We measured the accumulation of reserve compounds and the activity of enzymes involved in carbon metabolism in these diatoms grown at high and atmospheric CO2. We observed that biomass and lipid accumulation in cells grown at high CO2 differ among the diatoms. Lipid accumulation increased only in P. tricornutum and N. pelliculosa grown in seawater in response to elevated CO2. Moreover, accumulation of lipids was also accompanied by an increased activity of the enzymes tested. However, lipid accumulation and enzyme activity decreased in N. pelliculosa cultured in fresh water. Chrysolaminarin accumulation was also affected by CO2 concentration; however, there was no clear relation with lipids accumulation. Our results are relevant to understand better the ecological role of the environment in the diatom adaptation to CO2 and the mechanisms underpinning the production of storage compounds considering diatom diversity. Full article
The Role of Beclin 1-Dependent Autophagy in Cancer
Silvia Vega-Rubín-de-Celis
Autophagy (self-eating) is an intracellular degradation process used by cells to keep a "clean house"; as it degrades abnormal or damaged proteins and organelles, it helps to fight infections and also provides energy in times of fasting or exercising. Autophagy also [...] Read more.
Autophagy (self-eating) is an intracellular degradation process used by cells to keep a "clean house"; as it degrades abnormal or damaged proteins and organelles, it helps to fight infections and also provides energy in times of fasting or exercising. Autophagy also plays a role in cancer, although its precise function in each cancer type is still obscure, and whether autophagy plays a protecting (through the clearing of damaged organelles and protein aggregates and preventing DNA damage) or a promoting (by fueling the already stablished tumor) role in cancer remains to be fully characterized. Beclin 1, the mammalian ortholog of yeast Atg6/Vps30, is an essential autophagy protein and has been shown to play a role in tumor suppression. Here, an update of the tumorigenesis regulation by Beclin 1-dependent autophagy is provided. Full article
Modification of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 18 Secretion by Monocytes Derived from Patients with Diabetic Foot Syndrome
Karine O. Galstyan
Ludmila V. Nedosugova
Narine S. Martirosian
Nikita G. Nikiforov
Natalia V. Elizova
Kira I. Kolmychkova
Igor A. Sobenin
Alexander N. Orekhov
Background: This study involves the investigation of spontaneous and induced secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the anti-inflammatory chemokine C-C motif chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) by monocytes isolated from blood of patients with long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), [...] Read more.
Background: This study involves the investigation of spontaneous and induced secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the anti-inflammatory chemokine C-C motif chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) by monocytes isolated from blood of patients with long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), both with or without foot ulcers. Methods: A total of 121 patients with T2DM (79 without diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) and 42 patients with DFS) were included. Cluster of Differentiation 14 (CD14+) monocytes were isolated from patients' blood and stimulated by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) for induction of pro- and anti-inflammatory monocyte activation, respectively. The concentrations of TNF-α and CCL18 in the culture medium were measured using ELISA on day 1 and day 6 after cell stimulation. Results: We found a correlation between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and stimulated secretion levels of TNF-α (r = 0.726, p = 0.027) and CCL18 (r = –0.949, p = 0.051) in patients with DFS. There was an increase of pro- and anti-inflammatory activation of monocytes in all patients with different durations of DFS (p < 0.05). However, no stimulation of anti-inflammatory activation was detected in patients with DFS lasting more than 6 months (p = 0.033). Conclusions: Our study showed an increase in pro-inflammatory secretion and a decrease in anti-inflammatory secretion by monocytes isolated from blood of patients with T2DM depending on HbA1c levels and duration of the inflammatory process. These findings allow us to assume that monocytes isolated from T2DM patients are characterized by a biased ability to respond towards pro-inflammatory stimulation, contributing to the chronic wound process. Full article
Impact Effect of Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether "Twelve Months Vapor Inhalation Study in Rats"
Osama M. Sarhan
Antrix Jain
Hamed M. A. Mutwally
Gamal H. Osman
Sung Yun Jung
Tawfik Issa
Mohamed Elmogy
We investigated the early risk of developing cancer by inhalation of low doses (60 µL/day) of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) vapors using protein SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS analysis of rat sera. Furthermore, histological alterations were assessed in the trachea and lungs of 60 [...] Read more.
We investigated the early risk of developing cancer by inhalation of low doses (60 µL/day) of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) vapors using protein SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS analysis of rat sera. Furthermore, histological alterations were assessed in the trachea and lungs of 60 adult male Wistar rats. SDS-PAGE of blood sera showed three protein bands corresponding to 29, 28, and 21 kDa. Mass spectroscopy was used to identify these three bands. The upper and middle protein bands showed homology to carbonic anhydrase 2 (CA II), whereas the lower protein band showed homology with peroxiredoxin 2. We found that exposure to MTBE resulted in histopathological alterations in the trachea and the lungs. The histological anomalies of trachea and lung showed that the lumen of trachea, bronchi, and air alveoli packed with free and necrotic epithelial cells (epithelialization). The tracheal lamina propria of lung demonstrated aggregation of lymphoid cells, lymphoid hyperplasia, hemorrhage, adenomas, fibroid degeneration, steatosis, foam cells, severe inflammatory cells with monocytic infiltration, edema, hemorrhage. Occluded, congested, and hypertrophied lung arteries in addition, degenerated thyroid follicles, were observed. The hyaline cartilage displayed degeneration, deformation, and abnormal protrusion. In conclusion, our results suggest that inhalation of very low concentrations of the gasoline additive MTBE could induce an increase in protein levels and resulted in histopathological alterations of the trachea and the lungs. Full article
Consequences of Haemorrhagic Smolt Syndrome (HSS) for the Immune Status of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) (Case Study)
Aleksei Krasnov
Ingunn Sommerset
Tina Søfteland
Sergey Afanasyev
Preben Boysen
Hege Lund
Haemorrhagic smolt syndrome (HSS) is a disorder of unknown aetiology causing losses in the fresh water phase of Atlantic salmon farming. Normally, the mortality is limited and symptoms disappear upon seawater exposure. In this case study, classical HSS pathology with internal organ haemorrhages [...] Read more.
Haemorrhagic smolt syndrome (HSS) is a disorder of unknown aetiology causing losses in the fresh water phase of Atlantic salmon farming. Normally, the mortality is limited and symptoms disappear upon seawater exposure. In this case study, classical HSS pathology with internal organ haemorrhages and nephrocalcinosis was diagnosed, and the losses were substantial. Microarray analyses of head kidney revealed association between HSS and enhanced expression of stress genes and proteins reducing bioavailability of iron, heme, and retinol. In parallel, suppression of multiple metabolic pathways was observed. Up-regulation of genes encoding acute phase proteins, complement, and lectins indicated mild inflammation but without characteristic features of viral or bacterial infections. Microarray analyses highlighted several members of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily that may control development of B-cell immunity. Examination of IgM at the mRNA and protein levels showed the impact of HSS on vaccine responses. In fish without HSS symptoms (non-HSS), titres of vaccine specific antibodies to A-layer of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida and Moritella viscosa and antibodies binding to DNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (DNP-KLH), which are presumably polyreactive, were respectively four- and 14-fold higher than in HSS-diseased fish. Parallel sequencing of variable regions of immunoglobulin Mrevealed a larger size of most abundant clonotypes shared by multiple individuals in the non-HSS group. The results of the current case study indicated that, in addition to direct damage, HSS suppresses humoral immune responses including the production of specific and polyreactive antibodies. Full article
Displaying articles 1-21
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https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/1


Discussion in 'ORFFL' started by Len, Jan 27, 2019.
If both of the Crouch brothers can stay on the park in 2019, look out for the Potoroos.
We'll call them the Upright brothers if they do so.
I have prepared a 2019 fixture and sent it to P/L for his help to upload it.
Is it just me or are the byes getting later and later? We're going to have an 11-6 split this year.
I see we are scheduled for lock-out from first bounce on Thursday. Is that the ORFFL way, or should that be Friday night bounce down with the weekend teams probably not named until after our current lock-out?
Normally we have a semi-rolling lockout, where Thursday teams lock Thursday night and the rest at the start of the game on Friday. Means you can loophole bench players from first game also.
Did we at some stage change the rules to allow for an emergency to be named on every line (i.e. 5) or did we keep to maximum of 4 emergencies to be named?
I seem to remember we tinkered with this at some stage, but I can't find anything on it.
Pretty sure we've always had just the 4 E's. Thanks Len. Just remember all when loopholing to have a player in place or it wont auto sub.
I'll try and make sure TS leagues is up to date later tonight so people can input their teams when I get back home.
Evening FLs - would one of you kindly join our ORFFANS SC league over on the Hun - we find ourselves one team short.
PS.....Does your league need any additionals?
Ok - then feel free to post over on the ORFFAN SC thread the code and we should be able to fill your league.
Showing 17/18 in ours so we need one additional, and 15/18 in yours so assuming need three more ?


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text:
It's been a long while since our last post. We actively posted almost 1200 times from 2005 to 2015, to help bring to light the bad behavior of Washington Mutual Bank and then their successor Chase. A lot of really unsavory stuff. But at some point, as the recovery started to blossom and we received fewer stories of despair from readers, we got a little tired of blogging. But there were plenty of good reason to leave the site up.
And we're glad we did, given the email we got this morning from reader Tim.
A foreign airline canceled my flights due to Covid-19 and said it would take a least four months to get a refund, which meant of course, never. Chase disputes department received a deceptive response to my dispute from the merchant. Chase then denied my claim despite my explaining in detail, with documentation, that the merchant was misleading them. But it was like trying to explain something to a door. Chase again denied my dispute and I thought that I had permanently lost a lot of money. It hurt.
I searched Google for a Chase ombudsman and another search string that I cannot recall. I eventually came across your website with the Chase executive office contact information. I called, they investigated and in the end I received a full credit because the disputes department investigator made a mistake. In reality he/she was too lazy and too lacking in reading comprehension and critical thinking skills to understand a simple concept.
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Uncategorized | admin July 31, 2020


Founded in 1929, CPRE Kent is a conservation charity that campaigns to protect the Kent countryside from inappropriate development. CPRE Kent also campaigns on a range of other issues such as littering, pollution, heritage, landscape, light pollution, noise pollution and quiet lanes and the use of local produce. We aim to support villagers and communities to encourage a living and vibrant countryside and to preserve our flora and fauna for future generations.
To campaign to ensure that, when development takes place in Kent, it does so in ways and at locations which, ultimately, minimise damage to the countryside.
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text:
Award-Winning Director Finds a Winning Home Entertainment Experience Like No Other Quark Henares unravels the latest Home Entertainment System by Sony
When it comes to a home entertainment system, award-winning film and music video director Quark Henares not only knows the intricacies of being behind the camera, he also has a passion for immersive theatre systems that allow him to watch his favorite shows and movies in the comfort of his living room.
"After a long day at work, relaxation for me is about being immersed in a movie or TV show," shared Quark. "I am admittedly a guy who is a geek when it comes to gadgets, especially when it comes to putting together my home theatre system. Visual 'life-like' quality, rich colors, and crisp surround sound are things that are important to me."
That's why as soon as Quark got the latest Sony Home Entertainment products and hooked the system up in his home, the director couldn't contain his excitement over Sony's newest offering. "I use premium Netflix knowing that I can fully enjoy Sony BRAVIA's 4K HDR technology. Watching Blu-rays on my 65-inch X9300D BRAVIA TV gives the best color intensity from the most dynamic black to brightness that the format can give. It's also easy to access online videos with just one touch of a button. A cool standout feature that I love is the microphone that allows me to find and play videos easily," he mused.
According to Quark, the HT-ST9 Hi-Res Audio Sound Bar is the icing on the cake where he plays everything from background music to HD movies. "The sounds are distinctly clear and crisp, and the bass booms with realism makes you feel like you are standing in a stadium or a concert hall. I enjoy it because even while playing video games I feel like I'm inside the world of the game, because the sound envelopes me. It provides that great cinematic experience, delivering the highest possible sound quality," he shared.
Quark is also known amongst his friends to be a fun host of movie nights. According to him, if you're planning a movie night at home, here are a few things to consider:
Content – Find something fun to watch that you know everyone will enjoy.
Good food and drinks – It is always better to have more of everything to avoid running out of things. Prepare enough food and drinks that are reachable to minimize those distracting moments of people ordering food or walking around and blocking the screen.
Good home entertainment system – You need a reliable and great home entertainment system so that watching a movie becomes a mini-special event for you and your friends.
Providing the best 'immersive' home entertainment system to customers is important to Sony. As a company, the brands aspire to create more products that will excite the senses and take the viewing experience to the next level by integrating clear, crisp sounds and high resolution visuals.
Quark Henares testifies to this as the latest addition to the growing line up of Sony ambassadors. "I really love being part of the Sony family, and I am proud to say that they are part of my home and my every day routine. With the recent cool weather I decided to hangout in my balcony and listen to music through Sony's Sound Bar. Later that evening over dinner, I watched streamed videos on my BRAVIA, and then caught up with the latest TV series with friends. Sony's line up truly provides a 360-degree experience for me and complements my lifestyle," said Henares.
"At Sony, we don't compromise on sound and visuals. We provide our customers the best that technology can give with our ever-immersive home entertainment system. The latest Sony BRAVIA 4K HDR lineup and HT-ST9 are a result of our passion for ingenuity and giving the consumers what they want and more," said Mr. Nobuyoshi Otake, President and Managing Director, Sony Philippines.
To learn more about the various home entertainment products spanning BRAVIA TVs and Sound Bars offered, visit the Sony Centres and Authorized Dealers across the country. For more information, visitwww.sony.com.ph, or follow twitter.com/SonyPHinc andInstagram.com/sonyPHinc.
Labels: Sony, Sony Philippines
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Zack Strong: The Spirit of Gratitude
From Zack Strong at the Independent American Party website:
As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought it would be wholly appropriate to share several things for which I am personally thankful. First, however, I want to say a word about the state of our society. Gratitude seems to be a trait which is in rapid decline. We were once a God-fearing nation which rightly attributed our prosperity, security, virtue, manliness, strong families, flourishing churches, cultural development, political wisdom, constitutional government, and individual Liberty to God our Father and the religion of His Son. In former times, statesmen, academics, pastors, laborers, and laymen alike publicly expressed their gratitude to God for the bounties He had poured out upon the United States. Yes, the American heart was once brim with gratitude to the Almighty and to His Son Jesus Christ.
In place of gratitude, modern society has enshrined the mortifying traits of self-love, self-indulgence, selfishness, greed, and pride. Pride is the gateway sin. It leads one to pit his supposed wisdom against the eternal wisdom of God. It leads him into crooked paths and perverse logic. It drives him into darkness. It prompts a man to become a rule unto himself and to live as if his actions merit no eternal consequences. Pride leads him to hate others, to covet what he does not have, to lust after that which is forbidden, to never be content or thankful with what he receives. Indeed, how can one who endlessly covets more and more, who is jealous of others, who thinks he is above his fellow man, who believes he is entitled to power and praise and prosperity, ever be thankful with what he has been given? When ripe, pride produces love of self rather than love of others, greed for personal gain rather than selfless sacrifice for others, self-indulgence rather than a desire for the betterment of one's fellow man. Ultimately, the two traits – pride and gratitude – are incompatible.
Pagan temples of self-worship and humanism dot the land. The priests of pleasure and prophets of promiscuity are preaching their perverse philosophy of self-love and selfishness in every ear. Society scoffs at those who are humble and acknowledge a power greater than themselves. Self-love is an addicting tonic which, when consumed in abundance, produces spiritual death. It is a virus which numbs the tender feelings of the soul. It is a poisoned potion brewed in the depths of hell and ritualistically drunk by tens of millions as they pander for the praise of the world, reject sound principles in favor of momentary pleasure, sever ties with reality to pursue utopian dreams of paradise in the form of self-centerdness, and reject the notion that they owe obeisance or gratitude to any external force. Yes, they have chosen to become rules unto themselves. They are creatures who have rejected their Creator; children who have rejected their Father while enjoying the luxuries of His marvelous estate and the blessings of His generous hand.
It is a shame to say it, but God is rarely mentioned in public discourse any more. And when He is mentioned, He is either mocked, derided, or profaned. The so-called enlightened, sophisticated, advanced, tolerant, open-minded, progressive, and educated laugh at the idea of God. Indeed, they reject what they cannot see, hear, or scientifically measure. Following their logic, love and all similarly unquantifiable emotions are figments of our imagination – fantasies, social constructs, myths – and life is a meaningless, animal existence in which nothing but hedonistic self-indulgence and self-love are the ultimate goals. Yes, communism – for these ideas are central to communist theology – has eroded the American soul by diminishing all that is good and praiseworthy and by magnifying all that is base and selfish.
Secularism and kindred humanist philosophies of varying names (communism, humanism, statism, rationalism, liberalism, fascism, socialism, progressivism, anarchism, libertinism, atheism, satanism, materialism, etc) openly parade down the streets of our cities, in the halls of government, in the classrooms of universities and public schools, in the churches, and in our homes. The idols and heroes of our society teach us to eat, drink, and be merry. We are seduced into rampant sexual relations with anyone and everyone whenever the animalistic urge strikes. Morality is old-fashioned, prudish, and oppressive, they say. We are conditioned to be disrespectful, raucous, disobedient, and crude. We are told that survival of the fittest is the name of the game. TV and entertainment blast us with materialistic messages which urge us to want more, spend more, buy more, waste more, covet more, lust more. The ends justify the means in this race for self-gratification, and public image is paramount. We must not only keep up with the Joneses, we must surpass them and squash them under our foot. We must not be content with what we have, we must crave bigger toys, more possessions, fancier phones, the newest fashion, sleeker cars, larger homes. And if we have to take out a second mortgage or a new credit card to fund all these luxuries and extravagances, it's worth it as long as we're indulging our passions and lusts.
I've presented a fairly bleak picture of the present. Yet, I don't think it even comes close to doing justice to the depraved state humanity finds itself in. We are a society, culture, and people in rapid decline. This decline is spiritual, emotional, physical, economic, political, societal. Today is the great day of Lucifer's power.
I have not presented this dark image in vain. I intend to now contrast this image with flashes from the past – events, happenings, and words for which I am grateful. It is my hope, as you recall these instances, that you will take heart and realize that God is at the helm. He has blessed those who put their faith in Him, and always will. He has prospered nations who have lived His laws and walked in His footsteps. He has blessed our nation more than it now deserves. Yes, I hope you come away from this article with more gratitude for the fortuitous circumstances you find yourself in by living in this blessed country.
With all the complaining we do, it all seems childish when we step back and consider what we really have as Americans. No other people on earth have equal blessings, rights, and privileges. I encourage you to make a list of things you are personally thankful for in your own life. I recently did this exercise. A few of the blessings on my list are: a good family, good books, my testimony of Jesus Christ, the Constitution, clean comedy, inspirational music, etc. I pray that hope will well up inside you as you read the quotes below and that you will lift up your chin, square your shoulders, and press forward against the onslaught of the enemy with perfect faith in God and trust in the triumph of good over evil, righteousness over sin, light over darkness, truth over error. I pray that you will realize how blessed you are and that you will get on your knees and thank our Eternal Father for His gracious blessings.
As I contemplate the story of America, I can't help but recall how this New World was opened to the world's knowledge. I am grateful that the Almighty inspired a good man, Christopher Columbus, to open the Americas to settlement in modern times. Columbus's honorable name has been traduced by dishonest and agenda-driven scholars and historians. He was, in fact, a good man, a wise man, a Christian. Of his expeditions, Columbus wrote the following:
"The Lord was well disposed to my desire, and He bestowed upon me courage and understanding; knowledge of seafaring He gave me in abundance, of astrology as much as was needed, and of geometry and astronomy likewise. Further, He gave me joy and cunning in drawing maps and thereon cities, mountains, rivers, islands, and harbours, each one in its place. I have seen and truly I have studied all books – cosmographies, histories, chronicles, and philosophies, and other arts, for which our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my emprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?" (cited in Mark E. Petersen, "The Great Prologue," 26).
I am further grateful that God inspired humble Christians to inhabit this continent. Yes, the first boatload of settlers were a band of sincere Christians who came to America not in search of gold, but in search of a home where they could freely worship God. Before going ashore, the men of the Mayflower sat down and composed a constitution, or a covenant, known as the Mayflower Compact. I'm thankful for the vision and devotion of these men and women who consecrated themselves, as their first official act in the New World, to the worship of God. Their act set the tone for the settlers who would later be inspired to follow them. The Mayflower Compact read in part:
"In the name of God, Amen. . . . Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith . . . Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick."
I'm grateful that the American colonists were pious Christians who deliberately established the colonies on biblical principles. I am grateful that the pulpits and public podiums of early America blazed with the fire of Liberty, morality, and Christianity. Below are two examples:
William Penn, one of the most famous preachers in colonial America, wrote the following in 1668: "If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him. . . . Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants."
John Witherspoon, arguably early America's most notable pastor, gave a sermon entitled "The Trial of Religious Truth by Its Moral Influence." In this sermon, he warned that a "universal profligacy makes a nation ripe for divine judgments, and is the natural means of bringing them to ruin." In a later Thanksgiving sermon, he said, "civil liberty cannot be long preserved without virtue. A Republic must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty."
It was inspiring messages like these that rang in the ears of the men and women who forged this nation and prompted them to faithfulness and piety. I am grateful for their faithful devotion to these high principles of personal conduct. Indeed, Liberty could never have been won without morality and religion being firmly rooted in the hearts of Americans. It was the foundation upon which they built.
I am thankful that Thomas Jefferson penned these words, ratified by fifty-five other brave men, in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. . . . And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
I am grateful that the men who waged the War for Independence strove to fight honorably and, by so doing, called down the blessings of Heaven in their behalf.
General Washington issued numerous noteworthy orders to his men during the war. On July 4, 1775, the following was issued:
"The General most earnestly requires and expects a due observance of those articles of war established for the government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing, and drunkenness. And in like manner he requires and expects of all officers and soldiers, not engaged in actual duty, a punctual attendance on Divine service, to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the means used for our safety and defense."
After the war had been won with the conspicuous assistance of the Almighty, General Washington stated the following upon relinquishing his military command on December 23, 1783:
"The successful termination of the war has verified the most sanguine expectations; and my gratitude for the interposition of Providence, and the assistance I have received from my countrymen, increases with every review of the momentous contest. . . . I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them to His holy keeping."
Truly thankful I am for great leaders and brave, honorable men who risked life and limb to maintain a nation of freemen rather than a nation of subjects or slaves.
I am grateful to the Founding Fathers who deliberated in Philadelphia in 1787 and, under the hand of divine inspiration, crafted the U.S. Constitution. I praise the Constitution as an instrument of God. It is as sacred to me as any other scripture. I pledge my allegiance to the Constitution and the principles it so beautifully enshrines. I am grateful to the political stability that has emanated from adherence to that wise document for so many years.
I'm grateful for numerous early presidents and statesmen who, in their official capacities and public discourses, acknowledged their reliance upon God and America's indebtedness to Heaven.
In his First Inaugural Address, George Washington declared: "It would be improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the council of nations and whose providential aide can supply every human defect. . . . No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency."
Thomas Jefferson, in his Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1805, said: "I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our forefathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessities and comforts of life, who has covered our infancy with His Providence and our riper years with His wisdom and power."
President Washington issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation on January 1, 1795. It read in part:
"It is in an especial manner our duty as a people, with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God, and to implore Him to continue and confirm the blessings we experienced. Deeply penetrated with this sentiment, I, George Washington, President of the United States, do recommend to all religious societies and denominations, and to all persons whomsoever within the United States, to set apart and observe Thursday, the 19th of February next, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, and on that day meet together and render sincere and hearty thanks to the great Ruler of nations for the manifold and singular mercies which distinguish our lot as a nation."
Washington went on to list many of the blessings with which God had blessed the United States, including "the possession of constitutions of government which unite and, by their union, establish liberty and order." He thanked Heaven for peace and prosperity and asked God to impart the blessings of "sobriety, order, and morality and piety" to Americans and to all mankind.
John Quincy Adams, in an Independence Day oration in 1821, proclaimed: "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."
In yet another Fourth of July oration, this time in 1837, John Quincy adams said: "Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day. Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity . . ."
John Jay wrote in a letter of October 12, 1816: "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."
Writing in his 1785 "Religious Freedom, A Memorial and Remonstrance," James Madison stated: "It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage. . . . Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe.
Many more such statements could be cited, but I express gratitude for the few I have listed. Such statements increase my adoration for the faith and devotion of the Founders of America. What wonderful Christian men we once had as our leaders! I honor their memory.
I am grateful that the United States remains intact as a nation in 2015. I am sincerely grateful that, despite all of the assaults on our Liberties, our rights, the Constitution, and on the men who established this nation, Freedom still burns in the hearts of tens of millions of Americans. I am grateful for men like Chuck Baldwin, Joel Skousen, Alex Jones, Ezra Taft Benson, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Michael Badnarik, W. Cleon Skousen, Ron Paul, Ken Bowers, Jack Monnett, Hans Verlan Andersen, David Barton, Stan Montieth, and others, who have stuck their necks on the line to expose the enemies of Freedom, to teach real history and correct principles, to defend the Constitution, and to rally Americans behind the standards of goodness, humanity, Liberty, and God.
I am grateful for each good, sincere person. I cannot express enough respect for those who defend truth no matter how unpopular it is. To you brave few, my heart goes out. I am your ally and friend in this fight. I am grateful that God has not forsaken this land entirely and that His Spirit still roams from sea to sea inspiring the hearts and minds of receptive and honest men and women. That same "Almighty Being" who aided General Washington during the Revolution, who inspired the Founders to craft the Constitution, and who made America the richest, most powerful, most influential and free nation in world history is the same Being who is today marshaling His followers for this final struggle for the souls of men. God rules over the destinies of nations. It is in Him we can trust. It is His blessings which should humble us and make us grateful.
Above I said that today is the great day of Lucifer's power. This is true. Yet, let me be unmistakably clear: Satan's time is drawing to a swift close. His fragile kingdom is in its death throes. Christ's Kingdom is only in its infancy. After a short while, Satan will decrease, but the Messiah will only increase for eternity. Our Lord has already defeated the Devil and his machinations. Our Redeemer has previously conquered death and hell. Our King is shortly coming to reign as King of King and Lord of Lords. He will banish evil and destroy the pagan temples of the adversary. He will crush the wicked who refuse to heed His call and who fight against His disciples. He will overthrow every last vestige of Lucifer's kingdom. Satan shall be bound. What a glorious thought!
Yes, there is an awakening happening. The hearts of many are reviving as they come to the Light. The Light is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. As we serve Him, we will be blessed individually and as a nation. As we reject Him, we will fall both as individuals and peoples. We live in a covenant land with divine obligations to serve God, to be virtuous, and to hold up the torch of Liberty to the nations. I am eternally, emphatically, indescribably grateful that Christ has already won the victory and that He has declared how the story ends. I am grateful that I can put my whole faith in Him and I know with unflinching certainty that I have not trusted in vain. I am eternally indebted to my Savior, and everlastingly thankful for His mercies. If, in our Thanksgiving celebrations, we have forgotten to thank the Lord for His innumerable blessings upon us, our families, and our country, we have missed entirely the essence and purpose of this uniquely American holiday.
Let us make a sincere effort to be more grateful, to acknowledge God's hand in our personal lives, to acknowledge the ever-present finger of the Lord in our nation's history and destiny, and to be constantly grateful and humble. We live in such a blessed, prospered, special land. No other nation in world history has enjoyed as many luxuries, conveniences, technologies, nor the level of prosperity, prestige, and power, as has the United States. We can attribute all of these marvelous blessings to the fact that the men and women who founded this country were devout Christians who not only professed, but practiced, their religion. They established this country as a Christian republic with its roots running deep into the fertile Christian soil tilled and prepared by generations of industrious, upright individuals seeking to create a new Israel – a city on a hill. Through inspiration they established just laws and a Constitution which set each person at Liberty and assured each man his accountability before God. No other people in modern times has ever enjoyed so many rich blessings! I thank God for the privilege of living in the United States of America.
I leave you with a quote to contemplate:
"My God! how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy." – Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, June 17, 1785
A first big step toward a brighter future is to cultivate a spirit of gratitude for what the Lord has blessed us with. Have an extraordinarily wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks to Kelly Gneiting for the link.
This entry was posted in Right-wing minor parties and tagged Independent American Party on November 25, 2015 by Jed Ziggler.
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Handmade. If there is another ailment or an allergy you would like on the charm, just contact us. If it will fit on this charm we will make a listing. You can see how it looks before you decide to purchase it.
Comes complete as shown. The bracelet looks very nice as a stand-alone style or layered with other bangles. The layered look with this type of bracelet is very popular now.
Fits a standard wrist size. If your wrist measures 6 inches to 8 inches this should fit comfortably.
This bracelet is silver plated.
This bangle bracelet will stretch over your hand and spring back once on your wrist.
The medical ailment charm is aluminum. Maintenance free. Very nice. It looks like sterling silver. 1 Inch diameter.
The caduceus is the same on the front side and the same on the back side.
Hand stamping is a very popular look. All the fonts are stamped with a hammer one letter at a time which gives it character.
If you need to open the jump ring on the charm, we suggest using 2 flat nose pliers which makes it very easy to open. Put the pliers on each side of the ring, in the MIDDLE of the jump ring. Then just twist to open and twist again to close. NEVER pull the ring open or it will not shut properly. Simple as that.