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What to do in Hurghada?
Hurghada has an excellent Egyptian resortopportunities for recreation - here it will be interesting, fun and comfortable to all, regardless of age. This is facilitated by interesting excursions, hotels, bars, discos, beaches.
What to do in Hurghada?
- See the Coptic Church;
- A stay at the Palace "1000 and 1 night" (there is a restaurant, where the shows with oriental beauties, fire shows, horse stunts);
- Go on a journey through the desert in jeeps;
- View marine biology center with an aquarium and a museum;
- View on singing fountains in the hotel "Golden Five".
Things to do in Hurghada?
Start your acquaintance with the Hurghada to be with a walkon closer inspection of streets and architectural heritage. Going into the old part of the city, you can explore the exotic Arabic and wander through the local market, where they sell just as many unusual and beautiful!
Be sure to view the name of the mosqueAbdulhasana Elshazi visiting quarter El Dahar. Here you can go shopping, souvenir shops, jewelry salons, to see the famous traffic light and a snack in the cafe or restaurant (here you can smoke hookah). Walking through the district of Sakkala, you will meet a variety of shops, including duty-free, "Pyramid", McDonalds, a bowling club, Disco El Sakia.
In memory of Hurghada should buy oils and essences, stone statues of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and gods, a hookah, products with embossed, papyrus.
Active holidays in Hurghada
Hurghada - a paradise for divers: then open hundreds of dive centers. Places for diving reef Carless (there is coral gardens, giant moray eels and various fish and sharks), Small Giftun (popular among advanced divers - here you will meet crocodiles fish, napoleon fish, stingrays, fish-stones), Fanadir Reef ( on this long reef you can find a variety of fish, octopus, spotted stingrays), reef "lions head" (here you will see clownfish, angelfish, fish, unicorns, fish-needles), a reef Saab Sabine (it is home to turtle fish , unicorn fish, stingrays, butterfly fish).
To see the underwater life, just going to the sea, you cantaking up snorkeling. Capture fish can be an underwater camera (you can buy it at each corner for $ 20). For classes is better to choose snorkeling reef Abu Nuhas, Kerless-reef, reef Abu Ramada, Petro-Reef.
windsurfers should adviseto come to Hurghada in the season of strong winds (summer, early autumn). Windsurfing is possible in hotels or large centers (Windsurfing School "North Wind", Planet Windsurfing Sofitel).
Arriving to Hurghada, you can spend your vacation fun and active.


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How Relevant is staying relevant?
So, the past week or so my office has been partaking in some retreat sessions to discuss the aim, mission and goals of our department. One of my co-workers brought up the discussion of staying relevant with our students and how important should this be? When we were discussing this topic, it went beyond just learning new technology or being forward thinking with our marketing and event planning, it was down to the simplest level. Do we seem "old" to our students? Do we talk the right lingo? Should we know what's popular in the movie theater, the latest Grammy drama, or what's trending on twitter so that students can relate to us?
I mean..I'm all about tweeting out the latest Kanye West drama fest that is happening on a daily basis, but if I Bye Felicia a student, do they think I'm trying too hard and lose my authenticity?
Being my normal scholar self, I immediately got back to my office and began to research this idea. Nothing. Came. Up. Nothing. Not one blog, article, or scholarly research paper. There was nothing I could find on whether staying relevant on topics with students would help develop connections, or put a wedge in them.
I truly believe as an academic advisor our students look to us as supplemental parent figures for most of their academic life. I remember when I was a teenager, if my parents asked me to "chill on the weekend" with them, I'd roll my eyes and think "man you are trying waaayyyy too hard." Is that what my students think of me? Should I even care?
Obviously it is always important for professionals in higher education to stay relevant when it comes to emerging technologies, marketing trends, and new theories and philosophies that are being developed, but it is important to stay relevant in the way I'm referring to?
I do think staying relevant is important, in a way. For example, the School of Management at UB has a Businessweek Survey that in the past we have to encourage our senior students to take the time to fill out. We needed to come up with a new creative way to do this. What did we do? Take the current media trends of the time and popular memes and try to create a poster campaign that our students would recognize and relate to.
…And it worked. Our students created a buzz about the posters, and we hit our target number of students earlier than we ever have in years past. In this sense, knowing the trends of the time was a huge gain for us. But is it needed for everyday conversations and advisement? Does it add a layer of relatability to students, or does it seem like we're trying too hard?
I would like to know everyone else's thoughts on this topic, leave your comments below!
-Samantha Calabrese
Academic Advisor
University at Buffalo
2/27/2015 05:20:33 am
Great idea! Being in Student Life and Leadership (what most institutions call Student Activities), there will forever be the challenge of "engaging" students and really figuring out their interests on a particular budget. I have had similar ideas as far as advertisements are concerned. 1 idea was with my SGA - creating a poster based off a picture of the group in their conference room. I would borrow some elements from the Sons of Anarchy (SOA) in their element as they bring items to the table in the series. So, it wouldn't be "SOA", rather "SGA" - see what I did there? :)
2/27/2015 05:40:11 am
Hey Ben! Thanks for the comment! We didn't have any true concerns with copyright and everything was run through departments for approval. So I think you would be ok! :) And a great idea! I think more fun elements for marketing and targeting students is where the true bang of relevance comes in, rather than trying to incorporate lingo in everyday life, or wear hip clothes... :p
2/27/2015 05:37:27 am
Interesting questions, Sam. I think that in part it depends on how much age difference there is between you and your students. In one of my lectures last semester, I tried to lighten up things with a "all about that bass" reference. It fell flat (and I have no doubt there were some eye rolls). But I'm thinking it might have been in part because they see me as so much older than them, and thus (perhaps) as trying too hard. For you (closer in age) it is probably different. They probably expect you to be more in tune with current trends. That said, I think that all instructors and Higher Ed staff need to use some of the strategies you mention, in order for students to see them as having relevance and being worth listening to.
2/27/2015 05:42:04 am
Ronda!! Thanks for the comment! :) Although I may be the youngest on my staff, other staff members had the same concern. I do think age comes into it, but I'm hoping as I get older I won't run into too many eye rolls! But it definitely creates more questions, does age play into authenticity and relevancy? So many different thoughts and questions can arise from this! And you're right, I think as part of our duties as higher ed professionals is to keep up on different strategies to always reach our student population.
Dalene Aylward
2/27/2015 06:05:41 am
Great post! I think authenticity with students is so important. Would it be realistic for me to discuss these topics? Would I be trying to hard, like you said? If it's something I have to struggle with answering & concentrate on integrating in the conversation, then it's likely not authentic.
2/27/2015 08:18:28 am
5/13/2015 08:57:49 pm
Nice Article.
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WNY Advising

subset: commoncrawl


text: Tore down the old shed, but the wood and everything is still piled up. (Waiting for dumpster). A neighbor over the driveway asked about using some of the wood, which I had no problem with whatsoever. Talked to him about a trade... I wanted some of wood to build a garden box and asked if he could just use his saw to cut some pieces to size for me - I'm thinking just nail some together into a rectangle and put int he yard - and he could use anything else. He offered to make the box! Two hours later, I have a beautiful box, lined and ready to load with compost! He and I both agreed... bartering rocks!!!


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Check here for audio from Sunday's state finals.
Hear Hunterdon Central's Alex Shaffer talk about his state championship at 119 pounds. He defeated Perth Amboy's Heriberto Quintana by major decision 15-5.
Greg Tufaro talked to Perth Amboy's Heriberto Quintana about his loss in the 119-pound final.
Harry Frezza talked to Bound Brook's Andrew Campolattano about winning his third straight state title, even if it cost him a tooth in the process.
Greg Tufaro talked with South Plainfield's 103-pound state champion Anthony Ashnault after his thrilling victory over Colts Neck's Tyler Fraley.


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What HSA employer contribution rules do you need to know about? With the rising costs of healthcare, health savings accounts (HSAs) are growing in popularity among employers and employees alike. HSA's are typically paired with a high deductible health insurance plan under a Section 125 Cafeteria Plan. They provide numerous tax benefits in addition to flexibility for those using them to pay for health coverage. However, there are specific rules employers must follow when making contributions to employee HSAs.
HSA Employer Contribution Rules
There are a few main reasons employers love HSAs so much.
- Contributions to the HSAs of eligible employees (typically those with high deductible insurance who do not have other first-dollar coverage) are excludable from an employee's income and not subject to federal income tax, Social Security or Medicare taxes — a triple tax advantage.
- Employer contributions to employee HSAs are tax deductible as a business expense for the organization.
- Lower costs associated with a reduced administrative burden and higher deductible health plans.
HSA employer contributions are subject to Section 125 nondiscrimination testing
We have written recently about Subject 125 Cafeteria Plans. The nondiscrimination component of Section 125 holds that plans cannot unfairly benefit your highly compensated employees.
In a nutshell:
- Employees must have the plans available to them at a range of salary levels.
- Must utilize the plan fairly evenly across income levels.
- Employers cannot offer more or better benefits to your highly paid employees exclusively.
- No more than 25 percent of non-aggregate of non-taxable benefits can be provided to key or highly compensated employees.
- No employers are excluded from nondiscrimination testing!
HSA employer contribution caps for 2019
For individuals: $3,500
For families: $7,000
Catch-up contributions: $1,000*
*If the employee is older than the age of 55 years, they may qualify for additional tax-preferred HSA contributions known as "catch-up contributions."
While employers may choose to either contribute to their employees' HSAs a set amount or a match against employee contributions, the IRS does set annual limits on the amounts that are tax deductible. Keeping total contributions from employees and employers is crucial to maximizing the financial advantages of the HSA. Contributions above those limits may be counter as taxable income for the employee. Individuals will use Form 8889 to delineate HSA contributions.
What happens if an employee with an HSA leaves the company?
With very few exceptions, HSA contributions vest immediately, making them the property of the individual. This makes them an asset they can take with them if and when they leave the company.
Exceptions might be if the employer contributed funds to the HSA in excess of the employee's statutory limit for the calendar year when they left or if the employee was never actually HSA eligible. If you think either is a probably scenario, contact an accounting professional immediately to figure out the best course of action. While these situations are rare, they can also be complicated. It is best to proceed with any action to recoup HSA contributions under the advisement of a licensed professional. One who can accurately assess the viability of the employer's claim.
Do HSA employer contributions have to be uniform?
Not at all! Employers make all sorts of arrangements for their HSA contributions depending on what works best for them. Some opt for lump-sum payments that can happen once a month, once a pay period or even once a year. Others match their contributions to an employee's. Still other employees choose to do a combination of periodic lump sums and regular flat contributions. This is one element of versatility that allows employers to be strategic about HSA contributions to maximize their utility. Be sure to ask us about how your company can best structure your HSA contributions for employees to get the most benefit for both you and your employees.
How do I report HSA employer contributions?
If you are using a Section 125 plan, both employee pre-payroll contributions and employer contributions are classified as employer contributions, reported on the W-2 form as a single number in Box 12. Additionally, HSA administrators must issue Form 5498-SA by May 31 of each year (this is because you can contribute to your HSA for a tax year up to the due date of your personal income tax return without filing an extension.
Do you have more questions about an existing HSA plan within your company or are you looking to implement a new one? Be sure to give us a call for a free consultation. This is a highly underutilized healthcare solution and is especially beneficial to small business owners. We would be happy to help you take full advantage!


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Introduction: DIY Para Cord Identification Tags
These tags are great for putting on suit cases or for travelling bags or for school bags.
Step 1: What You Will Need
You will need scissors, a lighter or some source of flame to whip the ends and the para cord. You can make this as big or as small as you want so I have left the measurements of how much para cord is needed open to you choice.
Step 2: Making Your Para Cord Base
I used grey para cord for my base and pink for the knot or the identification colour. first loop the para cord as shown in the picture, then knot it using both ends of cord but making a single knot.
Step 3: Making the Knot
The knot that I used is really simple it is just an in and out knot that continues as long as you like. It is a good idea to leave some room to loop your cord to put on a case or bag. the beginning knot is in the picture.
Step 4: Finishing
As you get to the end you want to double back through your previous loop on the other side and put the end through that loop. Then you use a lighter to whip or burn the ends and possibly the end and beginning knots to make sure that they stay together and tight. You can make them with many different colours but I recommend using a dull or neutral colour with a bright colour.
Thanks for reading!
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This is such a good idea for so many things!
Saw the potential with this immediately. Using a 12" piece for the loop, and another 12" piece for the wrap, I've made the perfect size to slip onto my fishing rods. Each color relates to a different line strength. From a distance, I know which rod I want to grab.
Glad you could find another use for it!
Definitely! I agree
Fun design. And it never hurts to have some paracord nearby in case you need it.


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The collaboration between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic representations should be stepped up in order to not only understand the national processes, but also to engage in them, in particular through the promotion of the country and the support of commodity producers as the foundation of economic growth. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during a meeting with the heads of foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine. The Head of Government stressed that such large meetings are held rarely - every two years. However, there is a need to conduct such meetings more often - at least once a year in a wide circle, as well as at the level of sectoral interaction - with line ministries.
"There should be a high-level collaboration between the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions. The priority is one - Ukraine should demonstrate a strong economic growth", Volodymyr Groysman stressed and explained that it is possible to achieve such a growth by attracting investments, popularizing reforms and changes that already bring results, and promoting privatization opportunities. In this context, the Head of Government urged diplomats not to stand on the sidelines, especially when the transformations take place amid the complicated challenges of a hybrid war and a heavy debt burden.
"Ukraine now has a heavy state debt suppressing economic growth, but we know what to do to get rid of financial dependence in the medium and long term. Due to GDP growth, investments we must open Ukraine to the world as an attractive investment destination", the Prime Minister underscored.


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Hi, this is Jay P. Morgan. Today on The Slanted Lens we're talking about Quality of Light in our next installment of The Laws of Light. If you haven't, go back to the beginning and learn the basic Laws of Light, before you watch this video. Quality of Light Today on The Slanted Lens we're […]
Laws of Light: Three Objects
Get a The Great Courses Plus Membership free trial here. Today on the fourth in our Laws of Light series, it's time to combine three objects together and light them separately, all at the same time. Before you watch this you'll want to check out each object on it's own. Click here for the Sphere, […]
Laws of Light: Cylinder
It's time for the third installment of the Laws of Light. Today we're going to look at the cylinder, the transitional object. Get a free month of The Great Courses Plus- click here! Laws of Light: Cylinder The third installment in our Laws of Light series is here! The cylinder is a transitional object that […]
Laws of Light: Cube
Laws of Light: Sphere
Hi, this is Jay P. Morgan. Today on The Slanted Lens, we're starting a series called "The Laws of Light." These principles were taught to me at Art Center College of Design by Charlie Potts, who was the head of the photo department there. I was taught these principles, I've been building on them for […]
Studio Portrait on Location
Photography Lighting Using the Sun as Keylight Quick Tip
Register for my Lighting on Location Photography Workshop today! Hi, this is Jay P. Morgan. Today on The Slanted Lens, we're going to show you how to take harsh sun, and turn it into a beautiful soft keylight, using a translucent reflector. Let's take a look at the footage we shot, out at a vintage […]
Food Photography with Camera Movement using Syrp Slider
10% off registration expires April 1st. Use "earlybird". Hi, this is Jay P. Morgan. Today on The Slanted Lens I'm going to show you my favorite lighting setup for photographing or filming food using the Sryp Genie, Genie Mini, and Magic Carpet slider. Not only that, I'm going to show you a great parallax move that really […]
How to Set Up a Light Stand – Quick Tip
Vintage Portraits on a Budget
For a couple years now, I have been shooting a portrait series I call Time Period; it is an art series that allows me to look back a how people lived their lives in past times. I love history and this gives me the opportunity to live in a different time period, if only for a few hours. My goal is to create portraits that look like they were taken by me as if I were there in that time. It is a fun process, but can be an expensive one. Shooting for different time periods means that you need props, wardrobe and locations that fit and if you aren't careful, these can all drive the cost way up. Today I am out at Herber Valley Air Museum for a portrait with a WWII pilot in front of his airplane and I want to give you four tips that will help you set up a vintage portrait shoot like this one without breaking the bank.
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Short-chain fatty acids stimulate leptin production in adipocytes through the G protein-coupled receptor GPR41
Communicated by Joseph L. Goldstein, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, October 29, 2003 (received for review March 5, 2003)
Leptin is an adipose-derived hormone that regulates a wide variety of physiological processes, including feeding behavior, metabolic rate, sympathetic nerve activity, reproduction, and immune response. Circulating leptin levels are tightly regulated according to energy homeostasis in vivo. Although mechanisms for the regulation of leptin production in adipocytes are not well understood, G protein-coupled receptors may play an important role in this adipocyte function. Here we report that C2–C6 short-chain fatty acids, ligands of an orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR41, stimulate leptin expression in both a mouse adipocyte cell line and mouse adipose tissue in primary culture. Acute oral administration of propionate increases circulating leptin levels in mice. The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids required to stimulate leptin production are within physiological ranges, suggesting the relevance of this pathway in vivo.
Leptin is a circulating hormone secreted primarily by white adipose tissue, an organ that functions not only in energy storage but also as an important site for the production of endocrine factors (1). Among the many known diffusible factors produced by the adipose tissue, leptin is of considerable importance, because of its intimate involvement in energy homeostasis and many other physiological processes. Failure of leptin signaling is associated with numerous defects in mice (1–3), rats (4), and humans (5, 6), including severe obesity, hyperphagia, infertility, and immunological defects. Exogenous leptin administration reduces food intake and body weight and increases energy expenditure in both wild-type and leptin-deficient ob/ob mice (7, 8). Administration of leptin to mice also blunts neuroendocrine response to fasting, accelerates sexual maturation, and reverses starvation-induced immune suppression (9–11). Circulating leptin levels are tightly regulated by energy balance. Leptin levels positively correlate with adiposity and are believed to serve as an index of body fat stores (12). Fasting dramatically decreases leptin levels, whereas refeeding restores them. Injection of insulin to fasted animals increases leptin production in adipose tissue, suggesting that postprandial insulin surges play a role in the regulation of leptin production (13). Several other factors have also been documented to regulate leptin gene expression in adipocytes, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activators (14), catecholamines (15), glucocorticoids (16), cytokines (17), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (18), adenosine (19), and endothelins (20).
Among the above regulators, catecholamines, adenosine, and endothelins all act by means of cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed in adipocytes. GPCRs are seven-transmembrane receptors that activate heterotrimeric G proteins during ligand binding. The human genome project has resulted in the discovery of many "orphan receptors" for which cognate ligands have yet to be identified. Because GPCRs play pivotal roles in a variety of physiological processes and have proven to be excellent therapeutic targets, great efforts have been put into ligand discovery for orphan GPCRs. GPR41 is one such orphan GPCR, cloned during a search for novel galanin receptor subtypes (21). Here we report that short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are specific agonists of GPR41, confirming an independent study by another group that was recently published (22). We further demonstrate that GPR41 is expressed in adipose tissue and SCFAs stimulate leptin production both in cultured adipocytes and in the whole animal. SCFAs are a major product of food digestion and the primary energy source in ruminants. In humans and other omnivorous mammals, SCFAs are also generated in large amounts primarily by fermentation of dietary fibers in the lower intestine, and they contribute significantly to caloric intake (23). Our findings suggest that SCFAs also function as signaling molecules, which may serve as one of the factors that regulate leptin production in accordance with dietary intake.
Materials and Methods
Chemical Compounds. All compounds tested for GPR41 agonist activity were purchased from Sigma. Medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids (≥C10) were dissolved in 100% ethanol to make 10 mM stock solutions. Other compounds were dissolved or diluted with H2O to make 100 mM stock solutions. Stock solutions were serially diluted with culture medium to obtain final concentrations in the assay.
Xenopus Melanophore Culture and Pigment Aggregation Assay. Culture of the Xenopus melanophore, DNA and transfection, and the pigment aggregation assay were performed exactly as described (24). The coding sequence of human GPR41 cDNA (GenBank accession no. AF024688) was cloned into the pCDNA3.1 expression vector.
cAMP Determination in CHO-K1 Cells. CHO-K1 cells were transfected with expression plasmids by using Lipofectamine 2000 (GIBCO/BRL). For the cAMP assay, cells were pretreated with 1 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine for 20 min, then incubated with SCFAs for 10 min, and finally stimulated with 50 μM forskolin in the presence of SCFAs for 5 min. The cAMP assay of cell lysates was performed with a cAMP enzyme immunoassay system by following the manufacturer's instructions (Amersham Pharmacia). The coding sequence of mouse GPR41 cDNA (GenBank accession no. AC087143) was subcloned into the pCDNA3.1 expression vector.
Ob-Luc Cells and Luciferase Assay. Culture of Ob-Luc cells and luciferase assay were performed exactly as described (20).
Primary Adipose Tissue Culture and Leptin Immunoassay. Epididymal fat was taken from 7-week-old male Swiss mice (Taconic Farms), finely minced, suspended at 100 mg of tissue per ml in low-glucose DMEM, and then cultured at 37°C under 5% CO2/95% air (GIBCO/BRL). After 1–12 h, culture medium was replaced with fresh medium containing appropriate ligands. Conditioned medium was taken for leptin immunoassay (R & D Systems) 24 h later.
RT-PCR. Total RNA was extracted from mouse tissues by using RNA STAT-60 (Tel-Test, Friendswood, TX) and treated with RNase-free DNase (Roche). cDNA was synthesized with the ImProm-II system (Promega). A pair of primers amplified the entire coding region of mouse GPR41: 5′-TGACCATGGGGACAAGCTTC-TGACCATGGGGACAAGCTTC-3′ and 5′-ACTAGCTCGGACACTCCTTG-3′.
Retroviral Infection. Recombinant retroviral infection was performed with the RetroMax system (Imgenex, San Diego) by following the manufacturer's instructions. Briefly, 293-EBNA cells were cotransfected with the PCL-10A1 package plasmid and an empty pQCXIP expression vector or the vector containing mouse GPR41 cDNA. Undifferentiated Ob-Luc cells were infected with virus supernatant at 3-fold dilution, selected with 30 μg/ml puromycin for three passages, and differentiated as described (20).
RNA Interference. The retrovirus-mediated RNA interference study was performed with the pSuper RNA interference system (Oligoengine, Seattle) by following the manufacturer's instructions. Briefly, each pair of 64-nt oligonucleotides were synthesized, annealed, and ligated into pSuper.Retro vector. Within the 64-nt oligonucleotides, a 19-nt target sequence is included in both sense and antisense orientation, separated by a 9-nt spacer sequence. 293-EBNA cells were cotransfected with the PCL-10A1 package vector and pSuper.Retro vector containing inserts. Ob-Luc cells were either infected with individual virus supernatant or coinfected with all three virus supernatants containing sequences targeting different regions of GPR41 cDNA, selected with 10 μg/ml puromycin for three passages, and then differentiated (20). The target sequences in GPR41 cDNA are 5′-TGGAACCTGCTACCTGGAA-3′, 5′-CTCTTGTATCGACCCCCTG-3′, and 5′-ACCTGACCATTTCGGACCT-3′. The negative control sequence was based on the Drosophila rhodopsin cDNA: 5′-ACGGAAGTTGCTGACCGG-3′.
Isolation of Mouse Adipocytes and cAMP Quantification in Adipocyte Culture. Isolation of mouse adipocytes was performed as described with slight modifications (20). Mouse epididymal fat pads were dissected from 7-week-old male Swiss mice; the fat was then minced and digested. Dispersed adipose tissues were filtered through 500-μm nylon mesh (Small Parts, Miami) and centrifuged at 500 × g for 2 min. Fat cells were washed twice with Krebs–Ringer Hepes buffer and once with low-glucose DMEM. Packed fat cells (100 μl) were transferred into 1.5-ml tubes containing 400 μl of low-glucose DMEM with appropriate ligands and cultured at 37°C under 5% CO2/95% air for 15 min. Each reaction was then mixed with 500 μl of extraction buffer (160 μl of methanol/320 μl of chloroform/20 μl of 5 M HCl) and centrifuged at 11,000 × g for 5 min. The supernatant was then taken for cAMP immunoassay (R & D Systems).
Oral Administration of Propionate. Ten-week-old C57Bl6/J male mice (The Jackson Laboratory) were fed ad libitum and gavage-administered with water in the early light phase daily for 1 week. On day 8, these mice were gavage-administered with 200 μl of 2.5 M sodium propionate solution (pH 7.0) or an equimolar amount of sodium chloride solution instead of water. Animals were killed 7 h later. Epididymal fat pads were then dissected and weighed. Plasma propionate concentrations were determined by HPLC after chemical derivatization as described (25). Plasma leptin levels were measured by mouse leptin immunoassay (R & D Systems). For oral administration of hexanoate, mice were gavage-administered with 400 μl of 1.25 M sodium hexanoate solution (pH 7.0) or an equimolar amount of sodium chloride solution.
Statistical Analysis. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way ANOVA followed by a post hoc Dunnett's test.
SCFAs Activate Human GPR41 Expressed in Xenopus Melanophores. In the course of ligand screening for orphan GPCRs by using the Xenopus melanophore assay system (26), we unexpectedly found that acetic acid, used as a solvent for certain peptide ligands, activates the human GPR41. This finding led us to recognize that other SCFAs and their various salts also activate GPR41. SCFAs (C2-C6) induce pigment aggregation in melanophores transfected with human GPR41 cDNA, with EC50 values of 120, 2.1, 11, 4.1, and 40 μM for C2, C3, C4, C5, and C6 straight-chain fatty acids, respectively (Fig. 1A ). Interestingly, C3 and C5 are consistently more potent than other SCFAs in this assay, indicating a peculiar potency rank order. We also screened a group of molecules structurally or metabolically related to SCFAs for their abilities to activate GPR41 in melanophore cells (see Table 1, which is published as supporting information on the PNAS web site). Among the compounds we screened, only C4–C6 branched-chain fatty acids are active in addition to C2–C6 SCFAs (Fig. 1B ). These results suggest that activation of GPR41 specifically requires simple short-chain monocarboxylates.
SCFAs Activate the Gi Pathway Through GPR41 Expressed in CHO-K1 Cells. Activation of the Gi pathway in melanophores induces pigment aggregation. The fact that SCFAs stimulate pigment aggregation suggests that the human GPR41 is a Gi-coupled receptor. We identified and cloned the mouse homolog of GPR41 from the GenBank database (accession no. AC087143). The mouse GPR41 shares 75% identity with the human receptor in both nucleic acid and amino acid sequences. To determine whether the mouse GPR41 couples to the Gi protein in mammalian cells, the effect of SCFAs on forskolin-induced cAMP production was examined in CHO-K1 cells transfected with the mouse GPR41 cDNA. As expected, C2–C6 SCFAs suppress forskolin-induced cAMP production in CHO-K1 cells (Fig. 1C ). In contrast, CHO-K1 cells transfected with an unrelated GPCR, human endothelin-B receptor, do not respond to SCFAs (data not shown).
GPR41 Is Expressed in White Adipose Tissue and SCFAs Stimulate Leptin Production in Adipocytes Through GPR41. By using RT-PCR analysis, we observed that GPR41 mRNA is highly expressed in human adipose tissues (data not shown). RT-PCR analysis showed that GPR41 is expressed in mouse white adipose tissue and a mouse adipogenic cell line Ob-Luc cells following differentiation, but it is barely detectable in brown adipose tissue and undifferentiated Ob-Luc cells (Fig. 2A ). Control reactions without reverse transcriptase do not produce detectable signals.
The observation that GPR41 is expressed in the white adipose tissue prompted us to study the effects of SCFAs on leptin expression by using the Ob-Luc cell line. Ob-Luc cells have one allele of leptin gene knocked in with a luciferase cassette, allowing leptin gene expression to be monitored by luciferase assay (20). SCFAs increase the luciferase activity in differentiated Ob-Luc cells, with EC50 values of 860, 78, 330, and 51 μM for C2, C3, C4, and C5 fatty acids, respectively (Fig. 2B ).
To examine whether the stimulatory effects of SCFAs on the leptin locus are indeed mediated by GPR41, we first overexpressed the mouse GPR41 cDNA in Ob-Luc cells by retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. Overexpression of mouse GPR41 in infected cells was confirmed by Northern blot analysis (data not shown). The EC50 value of propionic acid in stimulating luciferase activity is 64 μM in Ob-Luc cells infected with control virus and 22 μM in cells infected with virus containing GPR41 cDNA (Fig. 2C ).
We next performed retrovirus-mediated RNA interference study by infecting Ob-Luc cells with virus containing short interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences targeting different regions of the GPR41 mRNA. RT-PCR demonstrated a marked reduction of GPR41 mRNA levels in Ob-Luc cells after infection with the GPR41 siRNA viruses but not with the control virus containing a Drosophila rhodopsin siRNA sequence (data not shown). Although the response to propionic acid remained intact in Ob-Luc cells infected with control virus, coinfection with virus supernatants containing sequences targeting three different regions of GPR41 mRNA almost completely abolished the stimulatory effect of propionic acid (Fig. 2D ). Infection with individual stocks of virus containing siRNA sequence no. 1 or no. 2 also significantly decreased the response of Ob-Luc cells to 1 mM propionic acid by 68% and 69%, respectively (data not shown). These observations indicated that the effect of propionic acid inOb-Ob-Luc cells is mediated by GPR41.
Furthermore, in primary cultures of mouse white adipose tissue, SCFAs increased the level of leptin secreted into culture medium with EC50 values of 190, 200, and 360 μM for C3, C4, and C5 fatty acids, respectively (Fig. 2E ). C2 and C6 fatty acids were barely active at high concentrations in this assay.
SCFAs Stimulate Leptin Production Through the Gi Pathway. Because we found that GPR41 activates the Gi pathway in both melanophores and CHO-K1 cells, we examined whether the stimulation of leptin production by SCFAs in adipocytes is inhibited by pertussis toxin treatment, which specifically inactivates the Gi pathway. Pertussis toxin pretreatment completely abolishes the stimulatory effect of propionic acid in Ob-Luc cells (Fig. 3A ) and mouse adipose tissue in culture (Fig. 3B ), suggesting that the effects of SCFAs in adipocytes are mediated by activated Gi proteins.
Adipocytes express high levels of β-adrenergic receptors, and activation of the Gs pathway by the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol increases intracellular cAMP levels (27). We examined whether SCFA-induced Gi activation in native adipocytes counteracts isoproterenol-induced elevation of cAMP. Although the basal level of cAMP in the adipocyte preparation is low, isoproterenol (100 μM) markedly increases cAMP levels, and coadministration of 3 mM C3, C4, or C5 SCFAs decreases the cAMP levels by ≈70% (Fig. 3C ).
Effect of Propionic Acid Is Modulated by Adenosine and Insulin. Adipocytes produce adenosine, which acts as an autocrine factor through the Gi-coupled A1 receptor present in these cells (28). Addition of adenosine deaminase to the medium depletes adenosine released by adipose tissue in primary culture (29). The basal level of leptin production in primary cultures of native adipose tissue is reduced in the presence of 10 units per ml adenosine deaminase, in accordance with a previous report showing that adenosine is an activator of leptin production (19). However, rather than being diminished, the response of adipose tissue to propionic acid is further enhanced by adenosine deaminase treatment, implying that the Gi pathway is desensitized by the constant presence of autocrine adenosine, whereas depletion of adenosine resensitizes this pathway on which propionate/GPR41 works (Fig. 4A ).
Insulin signaling and G protein signaling have been reported to affect each other, suggesting crosstalks between these pathways (30). Moreover, at the whole-animal level, insulin sensitivity is augmented in guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein-deficient mice and reduced in Gi-deficient animals (31, 32). We observed that adenosine deaminase treatment reduces the stimulatory effect of insulin on leptin production in the adipose tissue in primary culture (Fig. 4A ). Furthermore, propionic acid and insulin display more than additive effects in stimulating leptin production when coadministered (Fig. 4B ). Taken together, these findings suggest that adenosine and SCFAs use the same Gi pathway in adipocytes, and insulin communicates with this pathway in stimulating leptin production.
Oral Administration of Propionate Increases Circulating Leptin Levels in Vivo. We examined whether SCFAs are able to affect leptin levels in the whole animal. In mice, oral administration of 500 μmol of propionate in bolus by gavage increased plasma propionic acid level from ≈25 to ≈250 μM 7 h after gavage. Plasma leptin levels are elevated by ≈80% after propionate administration (Fig. 5A ). We observed similar elevations when leptin levels were normalized to body adiposity by using the gonadal fat weight as an index (Fig. 5B ). In contrast, oral administration of 500 μmol of sodium hexanoate had no effect on plasma leptin levels (Fig. 5 C and D ), showing the specificity of the effect of propionate.
In addition to the production through endogenous metabolic pathways, a large amount of SCFAs are generated from fermentation of dietary fibers in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The concentration of total SCFAs in humans is ≈50–100 μM in peripheral blood and ≈300–450 μM in portal blood (33). Indeed, SCFAs are a prominent source of dietary energy in mammals. They constitute ≈70% of the energy supply in ruminants and ≈5–10% in nonruminants (23). In the present study, we identified a molecular mechanism for monitoring extracellular SCFA levels. We demonstrated that SCFAs are activators of GPR41 and that they stimulate leptin production in both cultured adipocytes and whole animals. GPR41 is expressed in the white adipose tissue, and overexpression of GPR41 increased the potency of propionic acid in stimulating leptin production in adipocytes. In addition, suppression of GPR41 expression by RNA interference inhibited the stimulatory activity of propionic acid, confirming the direct involvement of GPR41 in the stimulatory effect of SCFAs on leptin production. The EC50 values of SCFAs in stimulating leptin production are close to the concentrations of total SCFAs in the circulation, suggesting that our findings may be relevant in vivo. The EC50 values of SCFAs in stimulating pigment aggregation in Xenopus melanophores transfected with GPR41, however, are significantly lower than the EC50 of SCFAs in stimulating leptin production in adipocytes. We speculate that this discrepancy is caused by differences in the expression levels of GPR41, the time course of assays, and intracellular signaling machineries in these distinct cellular systems. Further studies are needed to address this point.
The finding that SCFAs activate GPR41 and stimulate leptin production in adipocytes establishes a role for this group of molecules in cellular signaling and suggests their potential therapeutic applications. GPR43 is another orphan GPCR that shares 38% identity with GPR41 in amino acid sequence (21). In an assay that examines elevation of intracellular calcium concentration, we detected weak activities of SCFAs in CHO-K1 cells transfected with human GPR43 cDNA, with acetic acid being significantly more potent than other SCFAs (data not shown). This observation suggests that SCFAs can activate the Gq pathway through GPR43. Importantly, we also detected expression of GPR43 in mouse adipose tissue by RT-PCR analysis (data not shown). Our data indicate that SCFA-induced leptin production is mediated by Gi activation and that acetic acid is less potent than C3–C5 SCFAs in stimulating leptin production. Although these findings argue against a role for GPR43, further studies are needed to address the questions of whether GPR43 can couple to Gi proteins in vivo and whether this receptor is involved in the up-regulation of leptin production by SCFAs in adipocytes.
Leptin is a potent anorexigenic hormone that suppresses food intake through receptors expressed in the central nervous system (34). We found that acute administration of sodium propionate almost doubled the plasma concentration of leptin in mice. This led us to examine the effect of propionate administration on food intake as well. However, we did not observe any significant difference in food intake between propionate-treated and control groups after acute gavage. It may be that the observed 2-fold increase of leptin level in the peripheral blood is not enough to acutely induce significant effects on food intake, especially in the context of gavage-induced stress (35, 36). However, several independent studies have demonstrated that sodium propionate supplemented diets or i.v. propionate infusions reduce food intake in chicken and sheep through yet unidentified mechanisms (37, 38). Indeed, our preliminary experiments have shown a reproducible reduction of food intake in mice fed chow containing 3% sodium propionate in diet as compared to controls fed equimolar sodium chloride (unpublished data). Further investigation is required to examine whether the anorexic effect of chronic propionate treatment is in part mediated by the leptin pathway.
In this study, we focused on a function of GPR41 in adipocytes and found that adipocytes can sense SCFA levels and positively regulate leptin production in response to elevated SCFA concentrations. Future studies will further define the physiological roles of SCFAs as a group of heretofore overlooked signaling molecules in various tissues.
We thank H. Kurosu, S. L. McKnight, M. R. Lerner, J. L. Chen, and M. S. Brown for discussions and S. D. Haferkamp, C. H. Michnoff, and J. Ou for technical help. J. T. Willie helped edit the manuscript. M.Y. is an Investigator of Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This work was supported in part by research funds from the Perot Family Foundation and Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
↵ ‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Room Y5.210, Dallas, TX 75390-9050. E-mail: masashi.yanagisawa{at}utsouthwestern.edu.
Abbreviations: GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor; SCFA, short-chain fatty acid; siRNA, short interfering RNA.
- Copyright © 2004, The National Academy of Sciences
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
School Is Out for Summer
I wrote this piece a year ago as school was getting out. Its theme still applies. I didn't change anything, including my age.
Here are some recent things that keep me thinking about this obsession of mine with the poor kids in the public schools in this city and how they're being sinfully short-changed when it comes to reading, how they're being allowed to graduate from local high schools without really knowing how to read. Every day I notice something that makes me think about this.
Usually I see an article in the paper or hear something on public radio, or something I see on the street brings it to mind. What I see in the paper or hear on the radio is almost never about reading, of course; it's usually about teachers or charter schools or budgets or buildings. But that lack of media attention to my obsession grabs me too.
Last week I went out of town, and thought about it even there. I'm obsessed, like I said; so it goes wherever I go.
And where I went to was New Canaan, Connecticut for a college roommate's kid's high school graduation. That's a world-and-a-half away from the schools and kids I'm usually thinking about. It's a movie-set of Range Rovers and skis in the garage. Leafy, rolling streets and million dollar homes. A wooden train station where commuters leave for Manhattan. I looked at the high school yearbook supplement in my friend's living room. It told where the 300-and-some seniors would be going to college next year. Exeter's seniors couldn't be going to better schools. And this was a public school list I was looking at.
Here some numbers came out this month from the State Education Department that showed that only 21% of the city's high school graduates were prepared to do college-level work. 21%. Hell, some major league pitchers hit that well. That's beneath unacceptable. That's a sin is what it is. And it's the poor kids who bring the average down. Black and Hispanic kids. They're the ones who are getting left behind, getting lost. I'm sure you've noticed. You've noticed it for years. Then why is the discussion always about almost everything but them and how they can't read well enough to go to even the CUNY colleges without taking remedial courses? Why is the discussion dominated by worries about teachers and charters and buildings? Why isn't it dominated by talk of why another year has passed and another class of kids has not learned to read well enough to make something stimulating of their lives? Isn't that what the teachers and the charters and the buildings are there for?
The kids in New Canaan can probably ski and they likely have an iPad at home. They've been to Beaver Creek and St. Croix. And the mailbox at the end of the driveway groans with glossy catalogs six days a week. In some essential way this stems from the adults in their house or in some ancestral house having learned how to read well. You can't get there any other way. And by reading I don't necessarily mean that the whole town now, or all the great-grandparents then, read the best literature. That's just one kind of reading. Law books require a great reading facility too. So do medical books, and books on economics. The Times, the Wall Street Journal. That's reading too. It comes with the territory, and a territory like New Canaan doesn't come without it.
This morning I grabbed a collection of Hemingway's short stories off the beyond-cluttered table in front of my couch and started reading 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place' for maybe the 20th time in my life. I've read it more than I've read any other piece of writing. The first paragraph of course sets the scene, and as I read it, I thought how wonderful it was to be able to read, and how sad it was that some people in this city would not be able to read it and enjoy it. Here's the first paragraph:
It was late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man
who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the
electric light. In the daytime the street was dusty, but at
night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit
late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he
felt the difference. The two waiters inside the cafe knew that
the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good
client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave
without paying, so they kept watch on him.
I turned 64 in June. I have four grandchildren, a fifth due to show up next month. Their mothers, two of my daughters, and their fathers read to them three or four books a day. Every day. (Which is more than reading-obsessed me did when my three kids were little. I'll excuse myself, by saying I was very young.) One granddaughter who lives way out west was two a few weeks ago. I sent books. An iPhone photo of her and her presents showed that others sent her books too. That's great. Even if she never reads that Hemingway story, she's likely to grow up to be a good reader.
The poorer-than-my-grandchildren city public school kids almost surely don't have the number of books my granddaughter has. And you hear that used as an excuse for why the schools can't seem to get their reading scores up to par. Are they saying these kids are destined by fate to not be capable readers? Can that be? The schools are making excuses? In 10 or 12 years they can't teach a kid to read? Well then I'm glad they don't run AA or Weight Watchers or camps for overweight kids. It's very cynical to run a system in which only 21% of the graduates are college-ready and then to be resistant to any kind of structural change to that system. Come on. If Derek Jeter were hitting .210, he'd be on the bench.
I'm surprised New York City isn't outraged. But it isn't. In the casual listening I do to local radio, there's more talk about how we're falling behind other nation's schools in science. Huh? I say to myself,You think those kids who can barely read have a chance to be scientists? You think the schools should teach those kids more science, not more reading?
21%. That's a crazy, sad number. You wouldn't think New York City would accept that of itself, would you.
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World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine – London – 15-17 May
Marco Thio will be attending the World Advanced Therapies & Regenerative Medicine Congress & Expo 2019. Europe's most important advanced therapies event with 1000+ attendees and 300+ speakers with both a conference and expo, covering: Gene Therapy, Gene Edited Cell Therapies, Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine. we look forward seeing you there,
Royal College of Ophthalmologists – Glasgow, UK – 20-23 May
Dr Gianpaolo Bruti and Dr Mehri Behbehani will attend the annual congress of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists between May 20-23 in Glasgow. Both will be happy to meet you. More information can be found here
TERMIS EU – Rhodes, Greece – 27-31 May 2019
Marco Thio and Matei Cirstea will attend TERMIS: Tissue Engineering Therapies: From Concept to Clinical Translation & Commercialisation in Rhodes from 27th to 31st May. Marco will be presenting on the industrial perspective of electospinning as a method fr biomaterial manufacture. TERMIS is the most prominent organisation in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative… Read more »
IKC/Regener8 – Leeds, UK – 29th June
Rob McKean will attend IKC & Regener8 Annual Conference 2018 Date: June 29, 2018 @ 9:00 AM Location: Leeds The Medical Technologies IKC and Regener8 are back in 2018 to host a one-day conference on 29th June, focussing on best practice in translating regenerative devices – a potential £1bn industry in the UK. The full programme will… Read more »
UCL Innovation Forum – London – 24th April 2018
TECL's CEO Ann Kramer will be speaking at this year's Innovation Forum event on Regenerative Medicine. A new era in Regenerative Medicine: accelerating research from bench to bedside. You can register here. About the event Stem Cell Therapies, CAR-T, Cell and Gene Therapies, are the cutting-edge technologies of translational medicine in the 21st century. They… Read more »
Future Healthcare – London – 13/14 March 2018
Marco Thio will be at The Future Healthcare Exhibition and Conference on 13th and 14th March.
European project BONE
Eliminating the Need for Repeat Surgery. The Electrospinning Company is part of a European regional consortium led by Maastricht University (UM) which will spend the next four years developing innovative bone implants. These implants will become an alternative for repeat surgeries, prolonged medication use and donor tissue implementation following complex bone fractures. The BONE (Biofabrication… Read more »


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Only For Kidcoover Registered Families:
Please note that this booking request form (below) is for families that have already registered with Kidcoover. Not registered? Click Here. All bookings are subject to the following terms: Hourly rates are $19.00/hour (all-inclusive) and charges are calculated for actual time worked by the caregiver – to the minute.
Same-Day Bookings & Bookings Received after 6pm for the following morning/afternoon are subject to a $15 rush fee (we put all-hands-on-deck for last minute bookings).
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to confirm a caregiver. All bookings are processed on a first-come, first-served basis and confirmed, subject to your review and approval of the caregiver's profile. Thank you for your patience.
- 3 Hour Minimum: Applies to all bookings.
- Pre-Authorized Payment to Confirm: You must have a pre-authorized payment form on file with us (a form will be provided to you). We will process payment for the first 3 hours. The balance will be charged 2 days post-invoice.
- Same-Day Bookings & Bookings Received after 6pm for the following morning/afternoon: Are subject to a $15 service fee (we put all-hands-on-deck for last minute bookings)
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National TV Safety Day is February 2nd, the day before the big game – according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a child dies every two weeks from a television or other piece of furniture falling on them and more than 25,000 children are injured.
Most of those deaths are to children under the age of five years. Home is a playground to young children and they love to climb. If something interesting catches their attention they will try to figure out a way to reach it.
Below are some tips to prevent these injuries from happening:
• Anchor televisions, dressers, bookcases, and any other tall furniture to the wall (most televisions come with anchor kits or you can purchase furniture brackets, wall-straps, or braces)
• Follow all manufacturer's directions for installation
• Keep all toys, food, remote controls or anything else that catches a child's attention out of sight if in high places
• Install "stops" on dresser drawers to prevent them from being pulled all the way opened (multiple open drawers may cause a tipover)
• Keep heavier objects in bottom drawers or lower to the ground shelves
Since we're talking about the under-5 crowd, here are a few other home safety tips to keep in mind:
• Keep furniture away from windows to prevent children from climbing up and having access to the window
• Use blind cord wind up protectors or cut long cords for curtains or window blinds to prevent strangulation injuries (the cords still work when they are shortened and kids can't get tangled in them)
• Keep the hot water tank temperature at or below 120 degrees to prevent burns
• Water safety includes using toilet locks, keeping buckets empty and stored upside down, and never leaving a child unsupervised in the bathtub, even just to answer a call or the door
• Keep smoke detectors on every level and near bedrooms, batteries changed every six months, and have a fire escape plan for your family
• Carbon monoxide detectors should also be near bedrooms – if it goes off immediately take everyone and leave the house – call the fire department from another location
• Play gates will help to prevent falls on stairs (pressure gates at the bottom and gates bolted into the wall at the top of the stairs) or keep small children out of certain areas of the house
• Store firearms in a locked gun safe or with a safety lock and with ammunition locked and stored in a separate area at all times
Supervision of small children is always the best way to keep them safe; they always seem to find a way to exercise their curiosity in new ways. Please check our website for additional tips at www.chp.edu/besafe.


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We are delighted that some of the CuraCloud team's scientific work will be featured at the 21st International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) from September 16th to 20th 2018 in Granada, Spain. Hao-Yu Yang, an algorithm engineer at CuraCloud Corporation in Seattle, will attend to present posters on the topics of "Volumetric Adversarial Training for Ischemic Stroke Lesion Segmentation" and "Automatic Brain Tumor Segmentation with Contour Aware Residual Network and Adversarial Training". Posters from other CuraCloud scientists accepted for display include "Invasive Cancer Detection Utilizing Compressed Convolutional Neural Network and Transfer Learning", and "Integrate Domain Knowledge in Training CNN for Ultrasonography Breast Cancer Diagnosis". CuraCloud is proud of the work of our scientists and committed to bringing advances in medical image analysis technology into practical clinical use to benefit patients.
CuraCloud at MICCAI 2018
by Vera Ranguelova | Sep 14, 2018 | Events


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Recently NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made a statement that football fans deserve better, calling the replacement ref situation an "unfortunate distraction." The past three weeks in the NFL have been tumultuous, but I, along with millions more, were forgiving enough to tune in with record ratings. Only until the golden boy of the NFL (Aaron Rodgers) was affected did the league have any desire to settle the referee contract, calling the call the final push toward a settlement.
Because I live in Packer Country, I have heard every gripe possible regarding the touchdown call in Seattle. Every cheesehead and player on that team has touted that the call was botched, but they clearly do not realize that the simultaneous possession rule would have been interpreted exactly the same by the "regular refs".
The fact of the matter is that the rule may have been the cause for the Packers' loss, but the same rule would have also been used to justify an interception. With that said, it is irrefutable that the standard refs could have made the exact same interpretation with the black and white rule in front of them.
The rule itself, not the referees, is the root of the controversy in the Packer/Seahawk game last Monday night. Simultaneous possession was introduced to the NFL in 1988 as an attempt to encourage an offense-oriented game, and last Monday night was not the first instance of it ruining a team's night. The rule worked against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the mid-nineties when the Miami Dolphins scored a touchdown on what was ruled a simultaneous possession, and it subsequently knocked the Steelers out of playoff contention.
I believe that the NFL, players, and Packer fans unjustifiably used the replacement refs as a scapegoat for last weeks' controversial call. The only fault that could be cited for the replacement ref crew is that they did not carry out the proper mechanics of making the call by conferencing before making the call on the field. However, with the call on the field being a touchdown, there was no incontrovertible evidence to overturn the call. Hochuli and his crew would have had to make the same call had they been in that situation.
The point of all this is that everyone who has voiced that the replacement refs had botched enough calls and that they are glad that the regulars are back are hypocrites because I cannot recall any gratitude for them in the past. The same criticisms for the refs have existed for decades, and until people accept that you cannot take the human element out of football, they will never be satisfied. Fans expect the refs to be absolutely perfect but quickly forgive their $100 million dollar babies for only completing 55% of their passes.
Personally, I do not believe that the NFL has now put a better product out on the field because the same terrible rules that started this fiasco remain. If I, as well as other football fans, deserve better, then why doesn't the NFL eliminate ambiguous rules and create consistency with penalty calling that gives an equal playing field for offenses and defenses. Believe me, I understand that having pass-happy teams and putting up 40+ points a game leads to more media revenue for franchises via Fantasy Football addiction, but with that comes slanted rules that can sink any team at any time.
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Surviving the Holidays
By Judy Cornett
How am I going to get through the upcoming Holidays feeling as sad and lonely as I do right now? This was a thought that kept going through my head while everyone was in the Christmas Spirit and my spirit was lacking I did not see how I could hide my feelings and act as if I was as happy as all the carols said I should be. The first year after my husband Jerry passed away was a real test.
I was grateful I attended the Surviving the Holidays seminar that was held at Grace UMC in 2016. During this time with others who were also walking the grief journey, I learned that I could actually do the holidays differently. REALLY! I did not put up a tree for the first time in 50 years. REALLY! And, I decided to do some of my usual traditions differently as well. I made things as simple as possible because my energy and mood dictated this change.
Yes, it was alright to respect my feelings, and others understood that I needed to do this. I was able to ask for help when needed and learned that others were so happy to be there for me.
This year, Grace UMC will again be offering Surviving the Holidays on Wednesday, November 29, from 7 – 9 p.m. This will be my second Holiday Season without Jerry, and I will be there on November 29 because there is no timetable on grief.
If you have lost a loved one and find yourself dreading the upcoming Holidays, please join me!


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Have Questions?
Still have questions? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.
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Cancer is a disease that will touch virtually everyone, either personally, or through a family member or friend. Maintaining appropriate health insurance is an important first step to protecting yourself financially in the event you are diagnosed with the disease, but that alone will not cover all your expenses.
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James Hunt and Niki Lauda. A screenwriter would be hard pressed to invent two more contrasting personalities than these iconic Formula 1 drivers. One a champagne-quaffing English playboy who oozed charisma; the other a dour, driven Austrian who couldn't even charm his own teammates.
And they make perfect subjects for writer Peter Morgan, who has reunited with Frost/Nixon director Ron Howard for Rush, a slick, exhilarating, terrifically entertaining movie about the pair's intense rivalry during the 1970s. As Morgan and Howard remind us, that was a fast and furious, high-risk era when, in words given to Lauda in voiceover, '25 drivers start the season; two of us die'.
Hunt, played with a cavalier swagger by a perfectly cast Chris Hemsworth, finds nobility in the danger. Lauda, played by an equally convincing Daniel Brühl, takes a far more calculating approach. On the eve of a race, Hunt will most likely be cavorting with models and air hostesses; Lauda will be huddled with his mechanics.
Morgan doesn't probe particularly deeply into his heroes' psyches, and he probably over-revs some of the off-track drama. But he and Howard give the action such flash and dash that it seems churlish to complain.
They don't go at full throttle all the time, though. The film's earlier scenes have an enjoyable comic brio: Lord Hesketh (Christian McKay), a toff right out of PG Wodehouse and Hunt's aristocratic sponsor, getting his butler to serve oysters and caviar in the pit; a hitchhiking Lauda showing off his driving skills to a pair of Ferrari fans and his hitherto blasé future wife (Alexandra Maria Lara). But when the duo's rivalry comes to a head during the incident-filled 1976 season and things turn more serious, Morgan and Howard thrillingly increase the film's dramatic torque.
We may never quite feel we're inside Hunt and Lauda's heads, but for the tyre-scorching, nerve-shredding races themselves, shot beautifully through a petrol haze by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle and given extra charge by Hans Zimmer's score, they're so electrifying we're strapped in the cockpit alongside them.
Certificate 15. Runtime 122 mins. Director Ron Howard.
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ASHLEY JENNINGS is a new age entrepreneur and a super connector. She is a graduate of Columbia University and on a mission to get people and their startups in the best possible position to succeed. She spends her day doing branding and web design and nurturing startup founders on Reno's Startup Row. She is also the founder of Girlmade (http://www.girlma.de/) which equips high school age women with the knowledge they'd need to succeed in both the business and collegiate worlds. Young and old can learn from Ashley's keen understating keen understanding of the lean startup and how to pitch.
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DIVERSITY DECK® Endangered Animals
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Ever heard of the Spotted Handfish or the Golden-eyed Stick Insect? Thanks to the climate crisis, species are becoming extinct at alarming rates as we now enter the 6th mass extinction our planet has faced. Our selection of lesser known but incredible creatures that are currently facing extinction seeks to inspire curiosity and intrigue over the wonderful lifeforms our planet has to offer, encouraging individuals to amend their lifestyles in order to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change.
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The information below provides priority dates and times for currently enrolled students and the first open registration date for new and returning students. If you are a currently enrolled student, you will also receive notification of your assigned priority registration date via your CPCC email account.
Priority registration is for currently enrolled SPRING* students in degree, diploma or certificate programs with:
50+ completed* credit hours Friday, April 25 (noon)
Active Military and Veterans Saturday, April 26 (7:30 a.m.)
30-49 completed Monday, April 28 (7:30 a.m.)
10-29 completed Tuesday, April 29 (7:30 a.m.)
0-9 completed Wednesday, April 30 (7:30 a.m.)
All other currently enrolled Thursday, May 1 (7:30 a.m.)
Open registration for summer and fall 2014 begins May 5. Summer registration ends May 20 and fall registration ends August 17.
Note: Corporate and Continuing Education registration begins April 25 and is ongoing throughout the term. For more information, call 704.330.4223.
For more information about registration, call 704.330.2722 or visit www.cpcc.edu/admissions.
*For purposes of priority registration, completed credits do not include ungraded classes, audits, grades of "I" or "F," literacy classes or non-credit continuing education classes. To view your priority registration date, go online to CPCC Login, log in, click on "Students" and then choose the "Priority Registration – View priority registration information" link.


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1. Domain Registration: This is the basic step that you need to identify a unique name for your business's online representation. To make sure it remains unique, we have to get it registered, this registration process is called Domain Name Registration.
Since domain name registration is a straightforward process, so usually its price is same for all companies.
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Volunteers Without Borders (VWB)
Thailand: Volunteers Without Borders (VWB) started life as a company CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) project. Track of the Tiger T.R.D. (Tourism Resources Development.), within two years of commencing the project under a PPS (private-public-sector model,) had secured a small PATA Foundation (Pacific Asia Tourism Association Foundation) grant and won the coveted SKAL Ecotourism Award. 10 years on, it is still growing and is currently generating an average of 30'000 Baht per month in trail fee revenues for the village community.
In 2011 VWB made the transition from company CSR project and became a registered foundation in Thailand (No. Chor Mor 353). Its basic admin and overheads are still funded by the CSR budget of Track of the Tiger T.R.D., but their growing numbers of individual projects are funded by donors drawn from the company client base.
- Those interested in reviewing / studying the Private-Public Sector development model for tourism should read the section below – A different approach. We welcome questions and feedback.
- Potential volunteers and or volunteer placement agents looking for options should read the (a) 10 very important questions you should ask before choosing your volunteer programme and its provider. (b) Volunteer legally.
- Those interested in learning how volunteering (short or long term) can be used as a powerful tool in developing sustainable, equitably operated visitor based economies should read 1 and 2 above, and then visit our Travel4Good project.
Key team members
VWB is a foundation set up by Track of the Tiger T.R.D. VWB is therefore ably and enthusiastically supported by a compliment of well-trained Supervisors, Assistants and Administrative staff from Thailand and elsewhere.
Shane K Beary, CEO
The founder, Shane K. Beary, was born in Ireland but raised in Africa. Whilst in Africa he served with 'C' Squadron SAS where he functioned as a combat tracker, later spending a year at the 'Tracking Wing' as a bushcraft & survival instructor. Towards the end of a 7-year military career, he was inducted into a newly formed unit, the 'Selous Scouts', where he worked as a clandestine operative. Leaving the military in 1975 he spent 8 years as an oilfield diver in the heyday of the North Sea development. Most of that time spent as a 'saturation diver' on cutting edge diving projects.
He came to Thailand in 1984, built a teakwood Lodge on the Kok river, right on the Burmese border, and established his tour operation. In addition to providing 'soft adventure tours', he started running adventure incentive programmes, and outdoor education programmes in 1992. The company's 'Special Events Management' and 'Team Building' programmes grew out of that early initiative. VWB was an idea that he developed in response the rapid degradation of the delicate ecosystems and community groups that Thailand tourism depends on.
Sriphan Beary, Managing Director
Khun Sriphan, as Managing Director of Track of the Tiger, oversees all financial and accounting operations and provides input to strategic planning. Having operated the initial Maekok River Lodge and tour operation, then the Maekok River Village Resort, Khun Sriphan is now based at the Head Office in Chiang Mai.
Annop Chaithanee, Director
Khun Annop is the Assistant Managing Director for Track of the Tiger and has some 15 years experience in the planning, implementation and logistical support operations for Track of the Tiger. He is the "behind the scenes" man who will ensure all events run smoothly for tourists, multinational organisations, volunteers and international schools.
Richard Casswell, Volunteer Project Manager
Having grown up on a farm in rural England Richard developed a keen interest in the outdoors and the environment from a young age. This background led him to undertake his undergraduate degree in Physical Geography at Aberystwyth University, Wales. After graduation he went on to complete an MSc in Environmental Technology at the University of Wolverhampton, brining him to the forefront of the industry. After a couple of years working as an environmental consultant to the waste industries big players he decided to travel broaden his horizons.
Whilst travelling Richard took on seasonal work to support further travels to many countries throughout SE Asia, Australia and Africa. During this time he also set up a small operation in the UK producing Biodiesel. Richard took up a position as project Coordinator for a marine research Project in Madagascar with a prominent NGO and then went on to be their SE Asia Eco Trail Leader. Richard has a sound technical Environmental background with extensive knowledge of the travel industry and volunteer projects. He also has a great love of the outdoors with a wide range of experience in many outdoor activities. He also keeps a keen eye on environmental and development issues especially in the developing world.
Supporting cast
The above management team is ably and enthusiastically supported by a compliment of well-trained Supervisors, Assistants and Administrative staff.
Volunteers Without Borders welcomes your enquiries or bookings. We ensure that all emails are responded to in a professional and personal manner within 24 hours during Thailand working hours and within 48 hours over the weekend.
VWB Office:
22/8 Moo 4, Mahidol Road
Nonghol, Amphur Muang
Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
Phone: +66 (0) 53 334 938
+66 (0) 53 800 099
Fax: +66 (0) 53 334 938 ext 4
+66 (0) 53 800 099 ext 4
Email: email@example.com


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Included data to use within Australia.
Includes 4GB roaming data for use in selected countries.
|Plan Name
|$50 My Plan Plus 12M SIM Only
|Excess Data
|$10 per 1GB
|Included standard national calls
|Included standard national texts
|International calls and texts
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International Roaming Inclusions
Optus Sport. $0 per month
National Geographic. $0 per month
Fair Go Policy applies.
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My Plan Plus 12M SIM plans: New and recontracting services only. Excludes TechFund and Fleet customers. Cancellation fees apply.
International Call/Text Inclusions: Can be used for standard international calls and text to the following Selected Countries: Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, mainland China, Columbia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam. International minutes billed per minute. 'yes' International rates apply for excess and non-included usage. See optus.com.au/international.
International Roaming data: The $50 plan gives you 4GB included roaming data to use overseas in the Zone 1 countries per month. If you exceed your included data allowance, then standard pay as you go roaming data charges will apply. For list of countries see
Optional International Calls Pack: Available on $30 My Plan Plus SIM Only and is a monthly recurring pack to be used to Selected Countries for calls, SMS and MMS. Includes unlimited standard international calls to mobile and fixed lines and standard unlimited text. The pack can be cancelled at any time.
Optional International Country Standard Talk & Text Pack: Available to add to any My Plan Plus (including SIM Only) and My Plan Flex connected after 21 May 2018. Packs include up to 300 mins of standard international calls and unlimited standard international SMS/MMS to one country. Packs are available to the following countries Austria, Bangladesh, Chile, Croatia, Fiji, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Turkey. These packs can be cancelled at any time.
Additional Data: If you use more than 150GB on a single billing account we may continue to charge you at the same rates or restrict your data use until next billing period.
Usage Alerts: Usage alerts are not real-time and delays of up to 48 hours may be experienced
My Account: Services that share data may have a service login to My Account which will display all service numbers contributing or using the shared data pool on the account. If you have more than 6 services you may not be able to use My Account to monitor usage or add/change alerts.
24/7 Live Chat: Not available to Optus DSL customers. Excludes technical support and Fleet mobile services. Available for customers with a valid ABN or ACN.