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$100M for Cities to Prepare for Disaster
Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Judith Rodin explains how a $100 million commitment to the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge will help cities better prepare for natural and man-made disasters. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... since it getting it that's the legacy of the Rockefeller Foundation ... founded by the finest what Newell family of the sign nine hundred years ago ... the mock the case in the foundation is launching a new part of the legal initiative hinted at making Cities Maura zillions of the threat of natural disasters and other challenges ... like the wreckage of Katrina that huge assault ... it tells about his Rockefeller Foundation president to threaten ... the wind on to run and congratulations on you know this thank you so much Michael sorry I'm just a hoot about this initiative hundred million dollars in a sense for cities around the world um ... what is the intent behind this ... Rockefeller learned not only in working in Katrina betting building in Asia climate change resilience network in in Tunisia and Thailand Vietnam and India ... that cities are woefully unprepared and certainly we in New York learn that after the real insanity ... I had the privilege of sharing the Commission for Governor Cuomo and the recovery from Sandy hit and we have started recommending and actually building in New York an enormous number of these resilience infrastructure initiative so ... we thought the seventieth anniversary hundred cities around the world ... all of them really woefully unprepared for the shots and stresses of the twenty percent is that the candidates rather than the sum of the disaster relief be but it isn't spend fortunes of money over and over and over again and disaster recovery ... this is really about ... rebounding more quickly to prevent saying ... trying to we can anticipate that may shock and stress where it will happen now what will happen ... but we can rebound more quickly and get ourselves back when the stock Exchange close for two days after Sandy was because of the ... electric grid to do and so we never know with a lot better ... than a thousand that would put little sausage so ... I do indeed ROE is part of resiliency were so networks ... that we could fail more safely if we dealing deliberately just chillin in more redundancy you were not going to have spare parts stockpiled regionally and in New York Connecticut and New Jersey so that if something goes down in transportation around the electric grid ... we have those parts available rather than waiting for three weeks till they get me to get ... medicine for thousands of applicants the fittest Wellington we had so much interest from all over the world and even Rotterdam I was with the mayor of Rotterdam last week that he doesn't ... like if I it's the iconic prepares to show ... they say we need this too so it would ... um what are the most vulnerable places in the twelve most vulnerable places I think are along coastlines and preferred don't says we've seen the onslaught of water over and over again EU flags in tsunami is then ... the city's better hit the hardest over no freakin seem to have what are the value has yet to be featured as the deadline ... to deliver the Rockefeller Foundation that is really what are the most iconic philanthropic organizations and we we get the proper posts in this is just a few but what is right here ... and that ... of course it's it's a name that Just was an ounce in the near and hitting ... her to sustain its office Obama says but just about getting it's about investing wisely as well tell Slavov about that out of his list and housing is really the demonstration of ... Private Wealth Domingo and its Americas first global philanthropy John D Rockefeller the founder of Standard Ohio ... really believe that ... philanthropy unlike charity can solve problems at the root cause the charity was about fixing it after it happened ... and philanthropy was about finding those problems at the beginning and trying to sell them and they ... were done she loses thorny problems on ... feeding billions of people in Asia through the green revolution ... creating and spreading the field of public health all over the world ... bringing Western medicine to China ... so it's an amazing hundred years this is her legacy and that of course is just a toss about managing that down and write a mean hand is the latest lawsuit lookin' up and so we have a highly professional and Taubman committee managed by a highly professional investment committee ... and we are trying to capitalize on that well ... and it was founded with about three to four billion dollars in today's terms ... and we've given ... billions and billions of dollars and were still in three to four billion in the corpus of their endowments and good management and smart given its approval of that that that profess that the private professional ... the duty to look at the trickle exactly ... doctrine think you're a much understand that the winners will be announced in the cities in two thousand fifteen zero for four with ... two thousand thirteen s more to this and they're going to do with it certain that there are excellent for good results thank you very much heat on the accretion it very much


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Style Icon: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jazz Age Trendsetter
When it comes to the height of style in 1920's America, F. Scott Fitzgerald was the man. His writing, his relationships, his dress, and his lifestyle were all at the forefront of what the Jazz Age had to offer. Both observer and participant in the roaring days of the 1920's, Fitzgerald literally defined the times:
Early Years
Named Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald after Francis Scott, the author of the Star-Spangled Banner (and a second cousin thrice removed), he was born in 1896 to a Catholic family in St. Paul, Minnesota. That boy from an upper Midwest town would eventually come to coin the term "Jazz Age" - a time that today is looked upon as flamboyant, carefree, high-flying and bursting with style and energy.
Fitzgerald served in the army, studied at Princeton (though he didn't earn a degree), and got his start writing for the Saturday Evening Post and Vanity Fair. Writing stories for these publications wasn't his first love (that was novels), but they paid for at least some (he was deep in debt) of his lavish lifestyle.
Living Well
Living in homes from Long Island to the French Riviera, Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, led the way as Jazz Age trendsetters. They appeared much as the characters depicted in Fitzgerald's novels, from his first, This Side of Paradise, to his most heralded, The Great Gatsby. Indulgence and irreverance were the attitudes in his life and writing during what Fitzgerald called "a new generation grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken".
Fitzgerald ran with contemporaries who were the elite of the day. He was particularly dazzled by the wealthy American couple Gerald and Sara Murphy, so much so that they inspired the characters Dick and Nicole Diver in Tender Is The Night. They were the ultimate socialites and known for living and entertaining well.
The Party Goes On
After a lifelong battle with alcoholism and splitting from Zelda, who had long suffered from schizophrenia, Fitzgerald died in Hollywood in 1940 of a heart attack. It was only posthumously that his novel The Great Gatsby was recognized as the defining literary work of its time.
Fitzgerald's style, no matter how decadent beyond his reach, still reverberates today. He's celebrated as an American style icon who not only set the bar, but experienced it firsthand, observed it in others, and defined it for an era.
Other American Style Icons:
• Benjamin Franklin
• Mark Twain
• Ernest Hemingway
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
• Elizabeth Taylor
Images: Time Life Pictures/PBS, Aled Lewis, Estate of Honoria Murphy Donnelly/NY Mag, University of South Carolina, St. Paul Public Library, ,Encore Editions, Coralie Bickford-Smith, Ten East Read, Maison Kitsuné, Paramount/Everett/Rex Features via Brandish

subset: commoncrawl


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Photo by Shutterstock
Looking to dye your lovely locks, but without the toxic chemicals? Well, you're in luck because you could be dying your hair with gold someday. Though a couple of scientists in New Zealand were able to successfully dye lamb's wool with gold, Dr. Philippe Walter at Université Pierre et Marie Curie-CNRS and his colleagues were interested in trying out gold nanotechnology to dye hair. It's known that the Romans and Greeks used to dye their hair with lead, so Dr. Walter figured gold would have similar effects. They carried out the test on a couple of white hairs by soaking them in gold particles. After a day, the hairs turned yellow then a little over two weeks later, the hairs were permanently a dark brown — even after several washes.
With $30 of gold used to dye an average head of hair, that's pretty affordable compared to a $100 trip to the hair salon. There are some downsides though: the dying process alone takes about six hours and then 16 days for the color to really show up. Also another quick note, your hair will glow red under ultraviolet lights (talk about being the life of the party!). Dr. Walter says that it's a side-effect of how gold interacts with hair fibers. Gold nanotechnology is more known for it's work towards detecting cancer, but this could be its breakthrough into the beauty industry.
+ Press Release
+ Université Pierre et Marie Curie


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Samsung's Next Big Thing?
The following video is from Tuesday's MarketFoolery podcast, in which host Chris Hill and analysts Jeff Fischer and Jason Moser discuss the top business and investing news of the day.
Samsung has confirmed that it is developing a smart watch. Sony already has one on the market. And according to reports, Apple is working on a smart watch. Will smart watches be the next big moneymakers for Samsung and Apple? What would a smart watch mean for sports watch makers such as Nike ? In this installment of MarketFoolery, our analysts discuss the future of watches.
There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever, and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with over 1,000% gains. However, after the company's major backslide recently, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. Eric Bleeker, The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and sell Apple and the opportunities left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.
The relevant video segment can be found between 9:34 and 13:36.
For the full video of today's MarketFoolery, click here.
The article Samsung's Next Big Thing? originally appeared on Fool.com.Chris Hill has no position in any stocks mentioned. Jason Moser owns shares of Nike. Jeff Fischer owns shares of Apple and Apple. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple and Nike. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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By Lisa Capobianco
Staff Writer
What started out as a cleanup day in a basement turned into an excavation site for Meriden resident Shawn Hard.
About four years ago, Hard was cleaning up the basement of his home on Reservoir Avenue one day when he came across a tombstone with a name familiar to Southington: Cornelia Sloper.
Hard found the tombstone hidden in a dark corner of his basement. As he dusted off the 400-pound tombstone, Hard read the inscription: "Cornelia, wife of David R. Sloper, died Feb. 4, 1837." Underneath, he read another inscription that said their daughter, also named Cornelia, died in May that same year.
"That's pretty wild," Hard said. "We had no clue how it got here or how long it was there for."
Hard and his wife Kelley Ingram said they wanted to find the rightful owners of the headstone, but did not know about the history of the Sloper family. They called Eddie Siebert, a constituent worker from Mayor Michael Rohde's office. When Siebert inspected the tombstone, he recognized the name, and had a feeling it was connected to the Southington YMCA.
"This is neat," Siebert said. "This is certainly the most unique—dealing with the afterlife."
When John Myers, the executive director of the YMCA, heard about the headstone, he shook his head saying, "Was that our Cornelia?" Myers knew there had to be a connection to Southington, so he figured out the mystery based on the history of the Sloper family.
Cornelia Sloper was the first wife of David R. Sloper. She died in 1837 after giving birth to her daughter named Cornelia, who passed away three months later. David then remarried to a woman named Augusta Woodruff, and together they had a daughter also named Cornelia. David and Augusta's daughter, Cornelia Sloper Neal, left the Southington property to the YMCA, which is now known as "Camp Sloper." The town once referred to Cornelia Sloper Neal as "Nellie."
Last week, Myers and Siebert, along with YMCA Director of Operations Tony Palmieri, worked together at Hard's home to lift the tombstone out of the basement. Myers decided to place the tombstone at Camp Sloper's memorial forest where members, friends and family of the YMCA can keep the memory of their loved ones alive with plants, benches and trees. The forest is located in the southwest corner of Camp Sloper's outdoor center.
Myers said adding this new piece of history at Camp Sloper tells a story to everyone who visits Memorial Forest.
"We take pride in trying to teach the history on the Y," Myers said. "It is a real human interest story."
Both Hard and his wife said they feel content now that the tombstone has a new home.
"I'm glad it is going back to its rightful owners," Ingram said.
Tombstone with Sloper ties found in Meriden
By Lisa Capobianco


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© 2015 - Walt Disney Pictures
Running Time: 130 min.
Release Date: May 22, 2015
DVD: October 13, 2015
Current rating:
based on 92 votes and 29 reviews
Rate Movie | Read all user reviews
Cast: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Bauer, Thomas Robinson, Pierce Gagnon, Matthew MacCaull, Judy Greer
Post-vacation blues? Say no more. If you're missing all the holiday binge-watching,...
The range of DVD releases coming out today offer quite the variety of topics, from an...
It's been another exciting weekend at the box office with the highly anticipated San...
The top five films at the North American box office keep changing and this week is no...


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Northeast Texas poetry contest winners announced
Entries could be any style or length, but were asked to focus on some aspect of life in Northeast Texas. Contest judges were Professors Chuck Hamilton, Anna Ingram, and Jim Swann. Cash prizes were provided by Friends of NTCC Honors. The winners were as follows:
Adult Category (non-student or student with more than 50 hours of college credit)
First Place: Karen Sadar Watt of Pittsburg
Second Place: Lauren Shortnacy of Mount Pleasant
Student Category
First Place: Alisha Richardson of Avinger
Second Place: Zachary Davis of Pittsburg
Third Place: Sephanie Peek of Omaha
Fourth Place: Noah Griffin of Pittsburg
The winning poems are included below:
1st Place Adult Winner
Stopped Behind a Chicken Truck on a Humid Evening
(With apologies to Robert Frost)
By: Karen S. Watt
Whose truck this is, I think I know
He's sold his share in the company, though.
He will not see my car stopped here
As feathers drift around like snow.
My little car's close to the rear.
I don't know why I stopped so near
To a Pilgrim's truck in traffic stalled
Bound for the plant this time of year.
My little Mazda gives a shake
This route might be a big mistake!
The only other sound's the screech
Of other cars applying breaks.
The truck's cages are piled up in a heap,
But I have a dinner date to keep,
And fried chicken to eat before I sleep -
And fried chicken to eat before I sleep.
2nd Place Adult Winner
Remember Me
By Lauren Shortnacy
There once was a girl who couldn't wait to leave the countryside.
To leave the life she knew and go beyond the boundaries
of Northeast Texas.
She dreamed of big towns and city lights
Instead of little creeks and fireflies.
The busyness of the day instead of the slowness of the breeze
and back wood adventures.
She wanted extravagant dinners instead of momma's cooking
High society parties instead of friends sitting on a tailgate.
She was seeking the nightlife of a celebrity and luxury of a royal,
Not enduring journeys along the back roads.
She wanted the love she adored on the television screen
And not the feeling of finding love along the lakes
within the summer's breeze.
Although the girl had no regrets with the life she had,
There had to be more glamour than county fairs and rodeos.
So she left.
Left behind all she had known to find comfort in the city life.
She left her bare feet along the gravel roads for high heels
on the dance floor.
Left the long lost secrets of the railroads for the track of a subway.
The skies filled with wishing stars that helped her find her way
when she was afraid of the dark,
Were pushed to the back of her mind and replaced with empty skies and tall buildings.
Her new life was exciting and different but it wasn't the same.
She couldn't understand that the feelings and memories of her home
Were all she could think about.
She wanted to feel the sweet dewy grass along her bare feet again.
Embrace the fresh smell of rain and the spring flowers
in her mother's garden.
To talk amongst the birds chirping in the early morning's light,
And to sing along with the crickets in the late night hours.
She wanted to go back to everything she had remembered
about her little town,
Everything that had made her the woman she was
in that very moment.
So without reason, and without question,
she set out on another adventure.
An adventure toward the place she had tried so hard to run away from.
While she rode down the long winding road before her, she thought to herself.
Why was it so hard to let go of her hometown?
It wasn't just because it was where she was born and raised,
But the feeling it gave to anyone and everyone.
It was a small utopia that always welcomed strangers who came upon it.
She liked being a part of a small town without judgment
And how it offered warmth to anyone's soul.
Through the woods and trees, along the pastures and railroads,
Among the lakes and the creeks,
A soft voice was known to whisper out listening to listening ears…
"You are welcomed here my friend, stay forever
And always remember me."
1st Place Student Winner
A Fairy-Tale Land in Northeast Texas
By: Alisha Richardson
When I walked around the spring path that circled the pond, I had seen,
a parade of beautifully random wild flowers marching.
The trees were vibrant, arrayed in cloaks of a thousand shades of green.
And the woods, livened by the light of the sun, were singing.
The placid waters of the pond reflected the trees like a looking glass,
their curled and knotted arms reaching out across the smooth surface.
Whatever those arms sought, it seemed to be forever out of their grasp.
But, from her fingertips, mimosa laid blossoms around the pond like a necklace.
The vibrant greens of the leaves died away when autumn arrived.
And the leaves turned wispy, as their softness also died.
No longer the gentle cloaks the trees relished, the leaves were discarded well,
and they flickered goldenly in the sun's light as, to the pond, they fell.
The golden leaves, with light feet, touched the water and stood, floating.
Then, Wind turned toward the pond and blew his breath upon her, gloating.
For Wind hated calm things like the placid pond, whose name was Water.
He hated Water for he, always blowing, could never rest like her.
Wind's breath tickled Water's face and because of it, she stirred and turned.
And the leaves began to spin in circles, as Water's every movement, they learned.
Even rudely roused, Water's motion was slow and graceful – Wind's eternal opposite.
And because of Water, the leaves became lithe fairies dancing with fiery spirit.
The golden fairies danced, following the graceful lead of the water maid,
and Wind fumed, frustrated that his attempt to disturb her had failed.
Then, Wind turned toward the pond and blew his breath upon her, sadly laden.
For Wind, always blowing, loved his eternal opposite: the water maiden.
Leaving Water and Wind to their ways, I came to a grove of pines.
The trees were tall and thick, and some enveloped by thorny vines.
Here, Earth wore a fragrant blanket of pine needles and slept beneath the trees.
And through the peaceful woods came Fire, striding with careless ease.
Fire then sneezed and, catching a great pine ablaze, hastened to put it out.
But the tree fell and woke Earth, and finding it, she gave an angry shout.
As Fire could not douse his own flames, the tree had burned until it fell, wilting.
And Fire, knowing it was not the tree's time, scratched his head, guilty.
But Earth scooped up a handful of soil and doused the tree, as it was still ablaze,
and Fire, who could only start mores fires, watched her douse one, amazed.
The flames slowly and softly died out beneath Earth's gentle hand,
and then, on Fire's own flaming head, Earth rubbed the soil of the land.
Earth smiled playfully, showing him forgiveness for the burned–down tree,
but, Fire only looked away and frowned, crossing his arms indignantly.
Then he realized her hands were still in his flaming hair, seemingly unburned,
and he grabbed them to see if they were hurt, finding himself concerned.
Earth laughed, her voice like leaves in the wind, and pulled her hands free.
"Now, Fire, promise me you will not burn, untimely, even one more tree."
An intense red came to Fire's yellow cheeks, as he did not mean to burn the pine,
But he did not defend himself, as he could not always speak to one so divine.
Earth then left him in her pine tree grove, and Fire wordlessly watched her go,
thinking to himself, how long will I love her and how long will she not know?
Leaving Fire and Earth to their ways, I at last returned home, filled with wonder.
This fairy tale land in Northeast Texas, a place I often escape to throughout the year.
2nd Place Student Winner
Sensations of the Sun
By: Zachary Davis
The sun has just recently capped the horizon
And the illuminated shadow of countless clouds dot the sky
They drift aimlessly as the world below them sleeps
Suddenly the silent land bursts to life
A myriad of birds wake, crying out to each other and the world
As if to say the day has begun
A lone buck stands in a field
verdant and sparkling from recent rain
He silently beckons for others to follow
Grasshoppers flee by the hundred
As hooves hit the ground
Small white flowers dot the landscape
sending off wafts of onion
The breeze is warm
As the mahaya sways
In tune with the rhythm of a land
Both changed and preserved by the generations
Who've witnessed its beauty
The sun stands at its full height
Beaming down as much heat as light
The humidity rises and shade is sought by most
On the shore of a pond a single frog is croaking
Lamenting the loss of its log to a smug cottonmouth
A great tree, ancient and gnarled
Has at long last lost its struggle with age
And now lays on the ground it once shaded
It's brothers tall and ringed from the wire they've overtaken
Mourn their loss with the creaking groans of age
A single ant marches on; single-minded in its search
Soon the ground will be ablaze with the reds and blacks of its sisters
In a nearby thicket Cicadas can be heard
Their distinct call like humidity given a voice
The day has been long as the sun begins to set
A patchwork of color blankets the sky as dusk creeps in
The land slows and becomes dark
My home grows silent as I close my eyes
preparing myself for when the world once again bursts to life
3rd Place Student Winner
By: Stephanie Peek
Values and virtues and manners are taught,
and love for our neighbor is felt.
Where sermons are heard and churches abound,
in what's known as the true bible belt.
Where summers are humid, and thick heavy air,
surrounds you as hot as can be,
and gossip is common in the small town cafe,
known for refreshing iced tea.
It's the place where childhood memories,
are of fishing in still murky ponds,
and the smell of freshly cut grass
from the daily mowing of lawns.
Where we regard heroes as soldiers,
and the American flag is still flown,
with yellow ribbons on oak trees
until they all get home.
Not seeing many places,
or traveling very far,
knowing where you come from
helps make you who you are.
wherever life may take you or
wherever you may roam,
it's the place you can always come back to,
and the porch light is always left on.
4th Place Student Winner
Morning Glory
By: Noah Griffin
A stream of light, no, a flood
Crawling over the horizon with unyielding resolve
I sit and gaze at the startling beauty before me
I can't help it, who could refuse such a masterpiece?
The tops of the Texas pines cannot withhold the suns' majesty
As the celestial relic rises ever higher
The night's leftover shadows retreat into shade
They slink back mysteriously like a Spider withdrawing into her tunnel of web
As the last of the darkness continues to slither away
My eyes are turned upward to the heavens
The clouds change color as the sun progresses
First blue, then a sudden explosion of red, yellow, and pink
I stare in amazement at the tapestry of color above my head
How can light and water accomplish such art?
It is as if each cloud were a sponge dipped in paint
And then Splattered across the eastern sky
The splendor is breathtaking, but it doesn't last for long
As the hue of the firmament changes, so does the atmosphere
What started out as a cool and brisk morning has now turned into something else
The sun no longer embraces the horizon, for he hangs aloof in brilliant solace
The clouds no longer shine in color, for they have faded to white
The air has begun to sear and the ground has begun to bake
And so, just as the sun has risen, I too must rise in confidence and glory
So shall I rise


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For carrying out section 301 and title IV of the Public Health Services Act with respect to human genome research $524,807,000.
|Sources of Funding
|FY 2010 Actual
|Type 1 Diabetes
|Subtotal, adjusted appropriation
|Real transfer under Director's one-percent transfer authority (GEI)
|Real transfer to under Secretary's one-percent transfer authority
|Comparative transfer to NLM for NCBI and Public Access
|Comparative transfer under Director's one-percent transfer authroity (GEI)
|Comparative transfer under Secretary's one-percent transfer authority
|Subtotal, adjusted budget authority
|Unobligated balance, start of year
|Unobligated balance, end of year
|Subtotal, adjusted budget authority
|Unobligated balance lapsing
|Total obligations
1/ Excludes the following amounts for reimbursable activities carried out by this account:
Excludes $117 in FY 2010; $171 in FY 2011; and $145 in FY 2012 for royalties.
1/ All items in italics are "non-adds"; items in parenthesis are subtractions
FTTP = Full-time temporary equivalent
FTE = Full-time equivalent
Major changes by budget mechanism and/or budget activity detail are briefly described below. Note that there may be overlap between budget mechanism and activity detail and these highlights will not sum to the total change for the FY 2012 budget request for NHGRI, which is $9.0 million more than the FY 2010 Actual, for a total of $524.8 million.
Medical Sequencing (+$4.7 million; total $71.0 million): Translating the fruits of the Human Genome Project into medical practice remains a high priority for NHGRI and NIH. Combined with ever-decreasing sequencing costs, the additional $4.734 million provided will increase the proportion of the Institute's sequencing program to support new opportunities to apply genomic tools to the study of human disease.
Large-scale Sequencing (Non-Medical) (-$3.1 million; total $11.9 million): This decrease in non-medical sequencing represents a continuing reprioritization of research funding at NHGRI towards clinical applications of genomic research. The decrease is balanced both by an increase in medical sequencing as well as ever-decreasing sequencing costs.
Section 301 and title IV of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.
FY 2010 Actual
FY 2011 Continuing Resolution
FY 2012 Budget Request
Program funds are allocated as follows: Competitive Grants/Cooperative Agreements; Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other.
In 2010, Dr. Eric Green, the new Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), concluded an extensive strategic planning process that culminated in the early 2011 publication of a vision for the most cutting-edge opportunities in genomics over the next decade. Building upon a solid foundation of knowledge, the new strategic vision describes a path from the Human Genome Project (HGP) to the development of new diagnostics, therapies, and clinical practices, and the eventual widespread adoption of genomic medicine. Achieving the goals laid out in the strategic plan will involve funding research across a continuum, from basic genomics to the application of genomic medicine to improving human health.
Biology of Genomes: Since completion of the HGP, NHGRI-funded research has moved the field of genomics forward, building upon our understanding of the 'functional parts' of the human genome. The ENCylopedia Of DNA Elements (ENCODE) program is successfully generating a wealth of data about the human genome's functional elements (such as those that turn genes on and off), which are critical for understanding the perturbations in biological pathways that manifest in disease.
New Centers of Excellence in Genome Science will combine cutting-edge genomics research to accelerate discoveries with training programs that focus on traditionally underrepresented groups. These programs are designed to increase multi-disciplinary research and education in the field of genomics, thereby reinvigorating the biomedical research community— both key NIH initiatives (Technologies to Accelerate Discovery, New Investigators, New Ideas).
A consequence of the dramatic increase in DNA sequencing capacity, and the resulting increase in the volume of electronic genomic data generated, is the urgent need for new tools and strategies for managing large amounts of genomic data and for innovative methodologies to analyze large genomic data sets. This need is a high priority for the NHGRI Computational Biology Program, and is consistent with the NIH initiative, "Technologies to Accelerate Discovery." Each human genome consists of 6 billion DNA bases, which is ~200 GB of sequence information per individual. Since there are a large number of participants typically included in a research study and there are an ever-increasing number of studies that generate genome sequence data, the NHGRI program is actively seeking to address the substantial bottleneck in available computational capacity that represents an acute challenge for the field.
Genomics and Disease: The Cancer Genome Atlas, a project conducted in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is revealing new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying different cancers. NHGRI aims to replicate those successes in the NHGRI Medical Sequencing Program, bringing similar strategies to common, genetically complex diseases as well as rare, genetically simpler diseases. In fact, studies of this kind are already generating exciting results. NHGRI-funded researchers recently sequenced and then compared the genomes of four members of a family in which both children are afflicted with Miller syndrome, a malformation disorder. In this way, the scientists were able to identify the genetic cause of this disease rapidly, something that had eluded research efforts until now. Discovering the genetic causes of these diseases reveals possible avenues for therapies, an important step in translating basic science into new and better treatments — another of NIH's priorities as laid out in the initiative "Re-engineering the Therapeutic Development Pipeline."
The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Project, funded through the NIH Common Fund, is led by NHGRI scientists, and aims to establish similarly robust projects for studying diseases that are important to people living in Africa and, indirectly, in America. H3Africa will generate extensive data about genetic variation in African populations, where there is greater genetic diversity than anywhere else on the planet, and then facilitate the growth of genomics infrastructure and training to empower local researchers to address health challenges through genomics-based strategies.
Importantly, many NHGRI programs do not just sequence DNA, but also analyze phenotypic and environmental information that is fundamental to understanding genomic data in a broader functional context. In line with NIH initiatives to apply high-throughput technologies (Technologies to Accelerate Discovery) and to increase translational research (Re-engineering the Therapeutic Development Pipeline), the NHGRI-administered NIH Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) has been partnering with sister agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, providing technical expertise to screen commonly used chemicals for potential health effects; this aids their decision-making processes and their ability to achieve their missions. A concrete example of this has been NCGC working with federal partners in the response to the Gulf oil spill, conducting toxicological analysis on the dispersants in use, and informing EPA and other agencies in their deliberation on safe exposure levels for workers as well as the safety of seafood from the affected area.
Unlike rare diseases, which are more often the result of a mutation(s) in one gene or an area of the genome, common diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease) are the result of a complex interplay among genes, behavior, and the environment. As such, teasing out the inherited components of common diseases has been extraordinarily challenging; however, research efforts across NHGRI's portfolio are applying genomic technologies in new and powerful ways to do just that. For instance, the NHGRI ClinSeq program is exploring the clinical strategies that will be needed for widespread medical sequencing. As sequencing costs continue to decrease, these tools will be integrated into clinical care. A vivid example of NIH's work to apply genomic strategies to translational research questions, ClinSeq recently sequenced the first whole genome of a patient with cardiovascular disease, revealing the cause of his family's history of heart disease.
Genomics and Medicine: While full deployment of genomic medicine is one of the key longer-term goals for genomics and NHGRI, work in this area already is beginning to have an effect in the clinic. For instance, pharmacogenomic strategies are now being used in the treatment of cancer. Testing breast cancer patients for Her2 gene mutations or colorectal cancer patients for KRAS gene mutations to establish whether a particular drug will be effective are examples of effective genomic-based clinical steps that are already saving patients' lives. This also obviates the need for costly but ineffective drug treatments, which supports the NIH initiative "Enhancing the Evidence Base for Health Care Decisions" to use science to inform healthcare cost analyses.
Genomics and Clinical Care: Ultimately, informing clinical care using genomics is the central long-term goal of NHGRI, and research efforts in this area are already being pursued. The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network is a multi-center effort to combine genomic techniques and electronic medical records to improve patient care. The emphasis now is on translating scientific findings from genome-wide association studies into new and better treatments for disease, but the lessons learned will be applicable to implementing genomic medicine down the road, aiding NIH in its goal of using science to enable healthcare reform ("Enhancing the Evidence Base for Health Care Decisions").
Full realization of the potential of genomic medicine will require a multi-pronged approach that includes not only basic science advances, but also health applications research, the education of health professionals and the public, and the continued engagement with issues relevant to society through our Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) program. NHGRI's programs described above, as well as our other innovative basic, translational, clinical, and educational efforts, will all be leveraged to ensure that the promise of genomic medicine can and will benefit the health of the nation.
Overall Budget Policy: The FY 2012 request for NHGRI is $524.8 million, an increase of $9.0 million or +1.8 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. NHGRI is increasing funding for Medical Sequencing while proportionally decreasing funding for Comparative Genomics Sequencing. This will allow NHGRI to devote a larger proportion of the overall large-scale sequencing effort in FY 2012 to projects directed toward understanding disease.
Funds are included in R&D contracts to reflect NHGRI's share of NIH-wide funding required to support several trans-NIH initiatives, such as the Therapies for Rare and Neglected Diseases program, the Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network (OppNet), and support for a new synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. For example, each IC that will benefit from the new synchrotron will provide funding to total NIH's commitment to support this new technology -- $10 million. NIH will provide an increase of four percent for stipends levels under the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award training program to continue efforts to attain the stipend levels recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. This will build on the two percent increase in stipend levels for FY 2011. Stipend levels were largely flat for several years, and the requested increase will help to sustain the development of a highly qualified biomedical research workforce.
Comparative Genome Sequencing: NHGRI's comparative genome sequencing program performs genome sequencing on many different organisms to better our understanding of how the human genome functions. By comparing the genome sequences of humans with those of both closely and distantly related organisms, we are able to identify regions of similarity and difference. Such studies reveal regions of the genome that have been preserved throughout evolution, inferring that these regions serve critical biological functions. Conversely, rigorous study of regions that have changed substantially during evolution can reveal sequences that confer human-specific functions. This work provides insights about the structure, function, and evolution of human genes and can point to new paths for combating human disease. Currently, the genomes of more than 200 organisms either have been sequenced or are being sequenced using NHGRI funding. Among these include livestock such as the cow and chicken genomes, data from which can have a direct benefit to food production and food safety. Ongoing sequencing targets include non-human primates and other mammals; fungi, including multiple strains of yeast; and other disease-causing organisms, such as parasites and their host vectors. NHGRI funds this work largely through three major sequencing centers that are world renowned for their cost-effective, high-quality work.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Comparative Genomic Sequencing is $11.9 million, a decrease of $3.1 million or 20.8 percent below the FY 2010 Actual level. The activity in Comparative Genomic Sequencing will continue NHGRI's signature efforts to generate the genomic sequence data from many sources. These data represent a key resource that, along with other data sets such as those from the ENCODE and modENCODE projects (see below), are needed to reveal the functional components of the human genome. However, as the sequences of additional organisms accumulate, NHGRI needs to add fewer new ones. This allows the Institute to continue its on-going reprioritization and expand the Medical Sequencing and The Cancer Genome Atlas components of the NHGRI large-scale sequencing program (see below). The total amount of NHGRI spending on large-scale sequencing will remain constant. The reprioritization will allow the Institute to devote a larger proportion of the overall large-scale sequencing effort in FY 2012 to projects directed toward understanding disease.
Medical Sequencing: Initiated in 2006, NHGRI's medical sequencing program funds the application of new DNA sequencing technologies in clinical settings, in order to gain a more complete understanding of the genetics and genomics of human diseases. The medical sequencing program supports a number of studies to identify the genes responsible for relatively rare disorders and to identify genetic variants associated with a range of common diseases, including diabetes, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, schizophrenia, and autism. Some of these projects are being done in collaboration with other NIH institutes. In FY 2012, the NHGRI sequencing program will add two new projects, one focused on single gene disorders (Mendelian Disorders Genome Centers) and one on the use of genomic sequencing in the clinic (Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Projects).
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Medical Sequencing is $71.0 million, an increase of $4.7 million or 7.1 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. Medical sequencing continues to be an area of growth for NHGRI. With large-scale sequencing now completely transitioned to the next-generation sequencing instruments, many new opportunities have been created to apply genomic tools to the study of human disease and the application of that information to the development of new approaches to disease management. In FY 2012, NHGRI will continue to increase the proportion of its Large-Scale Sequencing program funds that support the Medical Sequencing component, and initiate new aspects of medical sequencing. Many of the new opportunities will be pursued in collaboration with other NIH ICs.
FY 2010 Level: [$66.3 million]
FY 2012 Level: [$71.0 million]
Change: [+$4.7 million]
Having sequenced the human genome (and the genomes of a number of other organisms to aid in understanding how the human genome sequence confers functional information), NHGRI is intensifying its focus on applying DNA sequencing to elucidate the genomic basis of human disease. While approaches vary, this is, in general, accomplished by obtaining and comparing sequence information from many (sometimes thousands) of individuals with and without a disease (e.g., Alzheimer's, autism, and cardiovascular disease), and looking for sequence differences (or variants) that correlate with that disease. Though the variants usually do not directly reveal the underlying cause of the disease, they do provide significant clues about the gene(s) that could be involved, and provide significant direction for follow-up study. As a group, such studies provide basic information about important questions, such as whether variants for common disease are more likely to reside in genes or outside of genes (e.g., regulatory sequence), or whether the frequency of a disease in the population is due to many different rare variants in the same gene or pathway or to fewer more common variants.
The opportunity for extremely productive medical sequencing projects is now provided by the significant gains in sequencing efficiency (lower cost) that have occurred over the last five years, and the development of computational infrastructure and analysis methods that can handle the massive amounts of sequence data being generated by such studies. Both the technology and the informatics/analysis development are far from optimized at this point, and a significant aim of the medical sequencing program is to drive their ongoing optimization so that such studies become more routine and efficient.
NHGRI is pursuing this opportunity in three ways. Additional medical sequencing targets are being added to the large-scale genome sequencing program, joining those already ongoing in autism, diabetes/metabolic disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, and several other diseases. In 2011, two significant initiatives will begin: one focused on rare disease (aimed at setting up a program for more efficiently identifying the molecular basis for all such disorders) and another focused on applying genome sequencing to clinical practice, the latter is important both for improving our understanding of genetic disease and for establishing genome sequencing as a routine clinical tool.
The Cancer Genome Atlas: All cancers are diseases of the genome, as they result from DNA mutations and epigenetic changes that lead to uncontrolled cell growth. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is a collaborative program of NHGRI and the National Cancer Institute to develop a comprehensive catalog of the many genomic alterations that occur in each major type of cancer and to provide these data rapidly to the research community. Taking advantage of recent advances in technologies for studying genomes (in particular sequencing genomes), tumor and matched normal tissue samples can be analyzed for gene mutations, chromosomal rearrangements, copy-number variation, gene-expression alteration, and changes in epigenetic modifications. In its pilot phase, TCGA met several objectives, most importantly the demonstration of the feasibility and value of comprehensively analyzing the genomes of specific tumor types. TCGA's first undertaking, which focused on brain cancer, demonstrated in FY 2009 the technical feasibility and potential clinical utility of large-scale, multi-dimensional analysis of cancer genomes. Comprehensive characterization of ovarian cancer, the second tumor type completed by TCGA, is opening new avenues of research for the diagnosis and treatment of this devastating disease. TCGA has now initiated projects on colon and rectal cancers, breast cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, and several others.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for TCGA is $34.8 million, an increase of $672 thousand or 2.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. Now in its full-scale production phase, the TCGA effort will be generating enormous amounts of data that will change the face of cancer research. The increase in FY 2012 will allow NHGRI to build upon advances made using ARRA funding in 2009-2010.
Genomic Function: NHGRI supports research to identify and characterize the function of all parts of genomes and to understand their biological relevance. The major activities in this area are the ENCODE and modENCODE projects. ENCODE (ENCyclopedia of DNA Elements) is a research consortium organized by NHGRI designed to take advantage of new analytical technologies, including next-generation DNA sequencing, for identifying all of the functional coding and non-coding (e.g., regulatory) elements in the human genome. The full-scale ENCODE effort has been so successful that the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research advised NHGRI to extend the program for an additional year (FY2011) to take advantage of the high rate of data production (more than 2000 experiments performed). The results of these experiments are being analyzed and promise to lead to new ways of thinking about the biology of the human genome and, in combination with the results from a number of other NHGRI and NIH projects, will lead to an enhanced understanding of human disease. As understanding the genomes of other 'model' organisms can also give important insights into the structure and function of the human genome, the Model Organism ENCODE (modENCODE) Project extends the ENCODE approach to two models that are widely used in biomedical research: the fruit fly and the round worm. The modENCODE data are providing important insights into the biology of these organisms, which serve as valuable tools for comparative studies aimed at understanding human biology. Two papers published in Science at the end of 2010 document the significant discoveries made in the modENCODE project. The current versions of the ENCODE and modENCODE projects will be completed in FY2011 and the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research is currently considering a proposal for FY2012 to continue the Institute's large-scale efforts in functional genomics by improving the technology to analyze gene regulation and to develop methods for high-throughput biological validation of the results of ENCODE and modENCODE.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Genomic Function is $56.6 million, an increase of $1.1 million or 2.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. Activity in Genomic Function will remain essentially constant, maintaining the proportion of the NHGRI extramural budget devoted to this area. This can be done because the use of next-generation sequencing technology has resulted in a significant increase in the amount of data generated without an increase in cost. The Institute also will continue to fund meritorious investigator-initiated applications submitted in response to announcements that encourage new technologies and new approaches to the analysis of genomic function.
Genomic Variation: Despite the fact that two individuals' genomes differ by less than one percent, these differences underlie distinct traits that range from the benign (such as hair or eye color) to disease (such diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease). NHGRI began the comprehensive cataloging of human genetic variation by leading the International HapMap Project, which captured the common patterns of genetic variation, specifically the single-letter variations in our genome's alphabet known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To get a more detailed description of human genetic variation, the 1,000 Genomes Project is sequencing the genomes of approximately 2,500 people from around the world to produce an updated map of the human genome that will provide a view of biomedically relevant DNA variants at a very high resolution. As with other major genomic reference projects, data from the 1,000 Genomes Project are rapidly being made available to the worldwide scientific community through freely accessible public databases. In addition, larger scale genomic variants — 'structural variants' involving a few thousand to more than a million letters — are now known to be a significant cause of disease. Important information about human structural variation will come out of the 1,000 Genomes Project, as well as from a number of investigator-initiated research projects funded by NHGRI.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Genomic Variation is $20.7 million, an increase of $400 thousand or 2.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. Activity in Genomic Variation will remain essentially constant, maintaining the proportion of the NHGRI extramural budget devoted to this area. The primary emphasis within this program will continue to be on the full-scale implementation of the 1000 Genomes Project. New directions will include the analysis of the role of variation in understanding gene expression. The Institute also will continue to fund meritorious investigator-initiated applications submitted in response to announcements that encourage new technologies and new approaches to the analysis of genetic variation, and the role that genetic variation plays in the determination of human disease, disease susceptibility, and environmental sensitivities.
Computational Genomics: New genomic methods, such as next-generation DNA sequencing technologies, are driving the generation of prodigious amounts of data; each whole genome sequence is around 250 GB, the size of a large laptop hard drive, and studies can involve hundreds or thousands of samples. The need to correlate these data with other biological and clinical data has led to an explosion in the amount and complexity of data associated with genomic studies. As such, the effort required to manage genomic data and make them available to the entire scientific community is increasing significantly. Therefore, NHGRI is supporting the development of new technologies and analytical approaches for working with the enormous amount of data generated by large-scale genomic studies and how to make such large data sets available to the broad research community. The increasing volume of data necessitates a new and stronger emphasis on data management and analysis strategies. Additional work is also needed for analyzing individual genomes and for understanding the relationship between genetic variation and disease. NHGRI will continue its support for genomic databases because these are essential resources that link biological data to genome sequence information and are utilized worldwide to accelerate biomedical research. NHGRI will also continue to encourage investigator-initiated research to develop robust software tools to improve the utility of these genomic databases and the ability to analyze genomic data.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Computational Genomics is $50.2 million, an increase of $970 thousand or 2.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. Activity in Computational Genomics will remain essentially constant, maintaining the proportion of the NHGRI extramural budget devoted to this area. Effort will be directed to increasing the efficiency of data storage and distribution mechanisms, as the amount of data that needs to be processed has increased significantly with the introduction of next-generation sequencing and other new genomic technologies. In FY 2012, NHGRI will continue its support for the essential biomedical research resource represented by genomic databases. The Institute also will continue to fund meritorious investigator-initiated applications submitted in response to announcements that encourage new technologies and new approaches to the rapidly emerging issue of public access to large genomic datasets.
Technology Development: The mission of NHGRI's technology development program is to make DNA sequencing and other genomic analyses faster and more cost-effective for use in medical research and eventually, in the provision of health care. The cost of DNA sequencing has fallen dramatically, by a factor of more than 100, over the past decade, and it continues to fall. This cost reduction is due in large part to research supported by NHGRI. The ability to sequence an individual's genome inexpensively will not only further biomedical research, but also eventually enable health care professionals to tailor diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies to each person's unique genetic profile. After the completion of the Human Genome Project, NHGRI continued to support the development of new genomic technologies, and in 2004 started a program to reduce DNA sequencing costs within five years from approximately $10 million for a human genome sequence to $100,000. In 2009, that goal was exceeded. In doing so, NHGRI funded 17 teams of investigators who worked toward those goals, several of whom also participated in private sector efforts with similar goals. But at $100,000 per human genome, DNA sequencing is not yet into the realm of a diagnostic technology, so NHGRI is continuing its sequencing technology development efforts. Currently, the majority of effort is focused on achieving another 100-fold reduction in cost, which would bring the cost of sequencing a human genome to $1,000 or less. A total of 27 groups of investigators are actively supported to work toward that goal, including 10 new or extended awards made in FY 2010 to accelerate progress. NHGRI also leads the Department's High Priority Performance Goal to reduce the cost of a fully-loaded genome sequence to $15,000 by the end of FY 2012. The reduction of sequencing costs will be enabled through incremental improvements in the latest platforms at the NHGRI-funded large scale DNA sequencing centers. Examples of other genomic technology investments include single-cell genomic analysis, which is of great interest to understand biological mechanisms in all cells, and particularly in cancer, and to learn how to control and analyze large numbers of individual DNA molecules to build maps that complement sequence information.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Technology Development is $44.6 million, an increase of $861 thousand or 2.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. NHGRI will continue in FY 2011 its ground-breaking efforts to reduce the cost of DNA sequencing so that this technology, which has increasingly become central to biomedical research, can become a widely disseminated research tool and, beyond that, a tool for clinical application and individual healthcare. The Institute also will continue to fund meritorious investigator-initiated applications submitted in response to announcements that encourage the development of new technologies for biomedical and translational research.
Other Basic Genomics: Multi-investigator, interdisciplinary research teams that can create, use, and expand the data sets and technologies developed by the Human Genome Project (and by genomic efforts since the end of the HGP) are crucial to develop new and innovative research projects, and to foster the wider application of genomic methods to the study of human biology and disease. Started in FY 2001, the NHGRI Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS) program supports the formation of such teams, and provides focal points across the country to provide education and training about genomic research opportunities to more than a hundred aspiring young investigators, including members of groups traditionally under-represented in science. In FY 2010, NHGRI announced a grant to establish one new CEGS focused on how differences in gene sequences between individuals relate to disease. Nine previously funded CEGS are continuing their research. Although CEGS is the largest single program in basic genomics, significant funding is devoted to individual investigator grants.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Other Basic Genomics is $62.9 million, an increase of $820 thousand or 1.3 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. In FY 2012, NHGRI will continue to support the CEGS program in its efforts to stimulate highly innovative research approaches that will substantially advance genomic approaches to the study of a biological problem, and to foster the wider application of comprehensive, high-throughput genomics methods to the study of human biology and disease. The Institute will also continue to fund meritorious investigator-initiated applications that will increase the ability of genomics to have a major impact on the progress of biomedical and translational research.
Translational Genomics: With the exception of rare diseases caused by variations in single genes, most human diseases arise from a very complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental exposures. Therefore, DNA variation and external factors acting 'on' the genome must all be considered in diagnosing and treating patients. Understanding this interplay will change approaches to health care, allowing not only more accurate predictions of disease, but, ultimately, individually based disease prevention and treatment. In FY 2010, the Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI) program took the first steps in identifying key genetic variants associated with specific diseases and using that information in clinical research. A one-year, fast track FY 2010 GEI project is aimed at identifying all the genetic variants, even those that are quite rare, in genomic regions found associated with specific diseases. This effort will involve extensive genome sequencing in large numbers of individuals. Another important program, the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network, is described below in more detail as a program portrait. In FY 2008, NHGRI initiated a four-year project to measure disease-implicated gene variants in well-characterized populations to gain a better understanding of how specific genetic variants act to influence the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other common diseases. Scientists have already discovered more than 800 genetic variants associated with over 150 diseases and clinical traits, such as cancer, cholesterol levels, and lipid levels. In FY 2009, NHGRI initiated a major new program to identify genetic variants associated with treatment response using genetic association studies in randomized clinical trials.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Translational Genomics is $22.0 million, an increase of $425 thousand or 2.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. Activity in Translational Genomics will remain essentially constant, maintaining the proportion of the NHGRI extramural budget devoted to this area. NHGRI will continue in FY 2012 to support this area of research as the combination of advances in genomics with cutting-edge approaches to population studies remains of very high programmatic interest as an important strategy for addressing problems of human health. The Institute also will continue to fund meritorious investigator-initiated applications, and to collaborate with other NIH Institutes/Centers in the area of translational genomics.
FY 2010 Level: [$4.3 million]
FY 2012 Level: [$8.7 million]
Change: [+$4.4 million]
Increasing the adoption of electronic health records is now a national priority, offering the potential to improve patient health and reduce health care costs. Biorepositories, also known as biobanks, are facilities that store and maintain tissue samples and other biospecimens for use in research. The Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network is an NHGRI-led effort in which participating sites that have existing DNA biorepositories and electronic medical records integrate the two (linking each specific DNA sample to the corresponding patient's electronic medical record), and then to use those resources to explore the relationship between genetic variation and common human traits.
Since the generation of the first human genome sequence ten years ago, researchers have uncovered many gene variants that are associated with disease through studies that analyze both genomic and phenotypic information (physical traits, disease symptoms, and so forth) to search of associations. These studies often require a great investment of both time and money. eMERGE aims to advance the efficiency of this approach. Specifically, a patient's medical record already contains much of the phenotypic data of interest to researchers, and being able to integrate these data with genomic data offers the promise of greatly improving the efficiency of identifying relevant genetic and genomic links to disease.
The first phase of the eMERGE project involves the efforts of five leading medical research institutions across the country (Group Health Cooperative of the University of Washington, Marshfield Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University). These groups are investigating a number of diseases, including dementia, cataracts, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, and arrhythmia. In addition to studying the genotype-phenotype relationships within these diseases, the eMERGE investigators are looking at the ethical, social, and legal issues involved with incorporating genomic data into electronic medical record data for both research and patient care.
The second phase of the eMERGE project involves expanding the number of phenotypes being captured from 14 to at least 40, and increasing the number and diversity of both patients and sites. This phase also seeks to develop approaches and tools that will have a direct impact on improving patient care. Examples include (but will not be limited to) identifying patients that are at a very high genetic risk for a given condition and then alerting their clinicians to the need for increased surveillance or preventative care; and identifying pharmacogenetically important variants in patients that ought to be taken into account by their care providers (choosing the correct dosage of a particular therapy and avoiding drugs that have a high likelihood of adverse effects). Sharing expertise and experience both within and outside eMERGE will continue to be a key goal, with the intent of improving the methodology for genomic research with biorepositories and their incorporation into medical care in general.
Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications: As the use of genetic and genomic technologies in translational and clinical research studies continues to increase, the importance of addressing the societal implications of this work grows as well. NHGRI addresses such issues through its Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program and through public consultation and community engagement activities that identify and respond to culturally specific concerns. It is also important to provide participating communities opportunities for input into the design and conduct of genetic and genomic research. One important component of the ELSI Research Program is the Centers of Excellence in ELSI Research (CEERs) program. These CEERs, modeled on the successful CEGS program, have a number of aims: creating the kinds of multi-disciplinary approaches needed to study the ethical, legal, and social issues that are raised by progress in genomic science; using those approaches to conduct ELSI research to inform the development of research, health, and public policies and practices; and importantly to train the next generation of ELSI researchers. Four CEERs were originally established in FY 2004; in FY 2008, two new centers were funded. Center sites now include Case Western Reserve University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, University of North Carolina, and University of Washington. In FY 2010, three of the four original CEERS were competitively renewed, and the fourth center was funded at a reduced level as it transitions to independent support. In addition, two new three-year Exploratory Centers were funded at the Oregon Health & Science University and Columbia University. NHGRI-funded ELSI researchers have been studying a wide range of research questions, from public attitudes towards genetic testing and research, including direct-to-consumer testing, to the impact of gene patents on the development of new diagnostic tests.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for ELSI is $19.1 million, an increase of $370 thousand or 1.97 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. The ELSI budget is legislatively mandated at 5.0 percent of the total NHGRI extramural budget. In FY 2012, NHGRI will continue to support the ELSI research program in its efforts to anticipate and address the social, legal, and ethical issues that will arise from new information about the human genome and the genetic contribution to human disease, and new approaches to applying that information to the improvement of human health.
Intramural Research: Researchers within NHGRI's Division of Intramural Research continue to identify and characterize the genetic components of both rare and common diseases. NHGRI research groups have recently identified a number of genetic variants that increase an individual's susceptibility to specific diseases, such as diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and lung cancer. NHGRI's researchers also have identified genes that are responsible for a number of debilitating developmental disorders, such as microcephaly, and have made significant advances in understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for proper development of the overall body plan of vertebrates. NHGRI Intramural investigators plan to continue expanding their collective focus on translational research in FY 2012. One such study focuses on the microbial communities (microbiomes) of the skin and nose in patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema) and immunodeficiency syndromes. The goal of this program is to characterize the microorganisms that live on (or in) the human body, so that appropriate, targeted therapies can be developed to treat diseases caused by these microbes. As part of this project, the Staphylococcus genome will be sequenced to begin to understand how certain strains of this pathogenic bacterium become drug-resistant. Meanwhile, two NHGRI Intramural clinical genomics initiatives have reached a mature and productive stage. The first, called ClinSeq, is a pilot study aimed at developing the technologic and procedural infrastructure to facilitate large-scale genome sequencing in a clinical research setting. The second, called Multiplex, is a large, multi-disciplinary research project aimed at understanding patients' reactions to genetic susceptibility testing for common health conditions. Both of these studies have already provided valuable insights into how these kinds of genomic approaches can be used towards advancing personalized medicine, thereby improving the health of individuals. The NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, a clinical research program to study patients with mysterious conditions that have long eluded diagnosis, is now in full stride; more than 2,350 inquires have already been evaluated for potential participation and over 100 patients have been admitted into the program.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for Intramural Research is $105.2 million, an increase of $1.0 million or 1 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. This increase will facilitate growth in three major areas: (1) The addition of physician-scientists to strengthen the Institute's translational and clinical research programs. The increase also includes continued growth of our flagship intramural clinical genomics projects ClinSeq and growth to support the Undiagnosed Diseases Program; (2) Continued acquisition and implementation of 'next-generation' technologies for performing large-scale DNA sequencing. Genomics continues to see major growth in terms of new methods for obtaining very large amounts of DNA sequence data at lower costs. The NHGRI Intramural Program will continue to implement these powerful new DNA sequencing technologies in FY 2012. This requires substantial expansion of computational infrastructure as well as increased bioinformatics and computational staffing. Note that these new technologies are increasingly being applied to clinical research projects; and (3) Continued growth of a trans-disciplinary program to explore the skin's microbiome — all of the genomes of the microbes that inhabit human skin. This effort will help to define the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other single-celled microbes that live on the skin's surface, one of the body's first lines of defense against illness and injury.
Research Management and Support: The NHGRI Office of the Director, part of the RMS program, oversees the operation of the Institute and includes a number of component parts. Major ongoing initiatives for which the Office of the Director provides key leadership and financial support include National DNA Day, the U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, community genomics programs, and the development of genetics education resources for health professionals. Through these activities, the Office of the Director supports a suite of innovative communications tools to convey the NIH and NHGRI messages to the public and the media. DNA Day is an annual opportunity to educate students about genetics and genomics and to use this cutting-edge field to spark their interest in science. The U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative is a coordinated multi-agency effort to encourage all American families to learn more about their family health history and to employ it in preventive health care. To expand the initiative's reach and public benefit, NHGRI continues to collaborate across federal agencies to enhance the family history tool's capabilities and to engage in demonstration projects to develop evidence regarding the tool's utility, including as part of electronic health records. Projects to promote the public's awareness of and participation in the initiative will also be pursued. NHGRI's leadership role in instigating the development, pilot testing, and dissemination of an interdisciplinary web-based genetics educational resources, known as G2C2 [g-2-c-2.org], is creating stronger and deeper relationships with those developing the educational standards for all health care professionals.
Budget Policy: The FY 2012 budget estimate for research management and support is $25.7 million, an increase of $752 thousand or 3.0 percent over the FY 2010 Actual level. In FY 2012, NHGRI plans to continue to develop ongoing initiatives for which the Office of the Director provides leadership and financial support. Such programs within the Office of Policy, Communication, and Education include National DNA Day, the U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, and outreach and informational resources for the general public and health professionals through community and web-based activities. In addition, NHGRI is enhancing the Risk Management Program, which includes business process reengineering, setting up new procedures and tools to ensure our continued prudent use of RMS funds. RMS funds will be used to continue funding the activities mentioned above to support the infrastructure that allows NHGRI to pursue and achieve its mission.
Last Updated: April 13, 2011


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Michael Synk is like a professor, salesman, evangelist and coach all rolled into one, prodding and supporting the community of executive leaders in Memphis via In-Synk, the business education and coaching firm he founded.
He teaches a set of core principles that are actionable and bite-sized, the antithesis of the massive strategic analysis that gives companies so much to do that nothing gets done. He's written books like "How to Create Customers as Loyal as Norm Peterson: The Cheers Model of Marketing," and he's packed his concepts into a daylong workshop being held this month that looks to help companies turn their goals for the future into a plan they can start executing today.
One thing that's important to point out about him: Synk is a coach, which is different than a consultant.
It was the subject of a blog entry he posted to his website recently. One is not better than the other, according to Synk, and people do try to hire him as a consultant. But Synk is a coach, and he spells out the difference.
A coach, for example, helps companies figure out decisions, while, according to Synk, a consultant figures out the problem and recommends a solution.
A coach holds someone accountable for implementing the decision, while a consultant implements the solution. A coach is pushing for "constant improvement everywhere," while a consultant improves or solves one or two things. Also, a coach often has an ongoing relationship with a client, while a consultant's relationship is more transactional in nature.
Synk warns about not trying to fit a coach into a consultant's box, and vice versa. While he says both can be valuable to a business, he urges executives to think hard about one question: what kind of help do I need?
That's where he comes in, via everything from his writings to The In-Synk Plan Forward Workshop, which will be held Oct. 18 at the University of Memphis. Sponsored partly by The Daily News, the workshop will walk business leaders through the importance of four key elements to any business growth: people, cash, strategy and execution.
And by the time it's over, those attendees will leave with a one-page strategic plan they can use to move their business to the next level.
"I bring business leaders the clear perspective and proven tools they need to successfully align strategies, actions and goals," Synk says about what he offers.
And testimonials from some of his clients run the gamut of Memphis business owners – small and large, and across multiple industry niches.
–Michael Synk
Swankys Taco Shop owner Matt Wilson said Synk was able to show him "about 1,000 ways to improve my business" in a 40-minute span of time.
"I've never seen a more effective speaker in such a short period of time show me so much," Wilson said.
Cliff McKinney is a relatively new CEO, heading up a tech startup called Work For Pie that is among the ventures involved with the EmergeMemphis incubator Downtown.
"Michael led a cohort of high growth potential companies, Work for Pie among them, through his framework for thinking about how to build a startup with the right foundations for culture, leadership, values and goals so that it can reach its full potential," McKinney said. "His advice has been extremely valuable to me as a first-time CEO, and I would recommend him to anyone who is either new at this game (or) wants to grow their business significantly but just doesn't quite have the framework in place to get there."
Eric Mathews, co-president of LaunchYourCity, describes Synk as a "generous participant in the entrepreneurial ecosystem" being built in Memphis.
"We have been able to bring Michael on board as a business strategy coach for both startups and speedups in the community with great results," Mathews said.
The metaphor Synk uses to describe what he does involves sand and rocks. He likens sand to the day-to-day tasks involved with running a business – sales calls and the like. Moving a rock, on the other hand, is the kind of thing that improves a business and helps it grow.
"You've got to find a rock," Synk said.
Reuben Brunson, founder and CEO of Rocket Fuel, said Synk helped his company build a map to get it toward a more successful future. And he sums up his appreciation for Synk's view of how to grow a business in three words:
"We like Mike."
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


text:
|2010-08-28, 21:40
|Link #1041
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Floor eh duh?
|2010-08-28, 22:00
|Link #1042
Senior Member
I still do not want to go down that path, because it would basically make all of Chiru practically worthless in any kind of reasoning.
|2010-08-28, 22:00
|Link #1043
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
The word used by her for revival is 蘇る, which also works for resurrection as well. She's basically saying the old Beatrice will never be back again.
So, basically, we have proto-Beatrice, which is the one who fell in love with Battler, and final-Beatrice which is the one who received the love towards Battler from proto-Beatrice. In EP4, after battler failed his test, we saw two Beatrices. I believe the one who tested him was probably proto-Beatrice, who hadn't completely given up on him. However, after her failed, she gave up completely and only final-Beatrice remained. However, Battler beat the shit of that Beatrice in EP4, and then after all the events in EP5, Yasu finally gave up, and as a result killed Beatrice.
Now, why can the Beatrice we saw in EPs 1-4 cannot be revived? I believe there are several possibilities. 1) The original Beatrice is from 6 years ago, as time passed she changed too. Thus, she cannot go back to who she was. 2) She has no purpose, if Battler has remembered, then there's no need for the previous Beatrice to exist (i.e. the one who trolled Battler, etc.). 3) She's moved on. 4) Featherine's Red refers to something else. 5) There may be another person who also uses the legend of Beatrice and loves Battler. There may be other possibilities, but I cannot think of any.
|2010-08-29, 00:05
|Link #1044
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Floor eh duh?
George is culprit.
Kannon is real.
Shannon and Jessica and all moms fall for Ghoda.
Ghoda vs George.
Ghoda wins and solves epitaph.
He becomes MAGICAL CHEF Ghoda.
Kinzo sacrifices sheep to god.
Ghoda and Battler later grow up to be best friends with Amasuka and go on great gun action adventure as the three musketeers.
|2010-08-29, 00:09
|Link #1045
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
|2010-08-29, 00:13
|Link #1046
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Floor eh duh?
|2010-08-29, 00:19
|Link #1047
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Such trolling is indeed something to look forward to after all this time. It's high time Ryukishi pulled out all the stops here, we need something on the same level as Akasaka appearing out of nowhere and demolishing an entire detachment of goons single-handed.
Hope being fulfilled? Psh?
Love? Boring.
Murder? Passe'.
Umineko has always had trolling at it's heart, it's time Ryukishi took off the gloves and show us what hes really made of.
Last edited by TehChron; 2010-08-29 at 00:20. Reason: Clarification
|2010-08-29, 07:22
|Link #1048
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: forever lost inside a logic error
It's not like I'm changing anything because I don't want to accept Bern's story.
Yeah, I don't think Bern's story is true and I don't like it one bit, but I'm not creating any new theory to bypass that red truth. Simply using what I've always thought about red truth and author theory, that statement Bern said only means "so far I haven't shown any fake scene", which I can totally believe.
As for her statement that she's not the gamemaster, how can I believe her, when in the ura tea party you clearly see her behind a chessboard?
Plus why Will used quotation marks when referring to Bern's "truth"?
And if it wasn't enough BATTLER tells Ange that the truth about Rokkenjima isn't a scary story.
I think there's more than enough here to doubt what Bern's has shown to Lion and Ange.
|2010-08-29, 11:06
|Link #1049
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: HK, China
Hmm... in the ???, I suppose Bern took the chessboard from Featherine and said she hadn't been a GM at all, so she had to make her own EP8 and gave the red text "this story will not be given a happy end"
You could say Featherine was the GM (観劇の魔女たち) or there was no GM. But Bern had no reason to lie behind the scene in the ???.
|2010-08-29, 11:50
|Link #1050
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: forever lost inside a logic error
I don't think this is what Bern meant there. The way I see it she simply said she wasn't done being the gamemaster or that she didn't really mastered the game the way she wanted to.
Also Featherinne clearly stated in EP6 that she wanted Bern to be the GM of EP7. What do we do about that? Forget it was ever said?
|2010-08-29, 11:56
|Link #1051
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Well according to Featherine, Bern wasn't simply the GM, but her "reader" which seems to imply that all the information was from Featherine herself and Bern was just there to spin it into the episode. Perhaps Bern had conclusions of her own that weren't involved in the story?
|2010-08-29, 12:10
|Link #1053
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
It's possible I could be remembering incorrectly, I'll look for it again.
Edit: Bern says that she's the reader, and that the answers will be strangely interpreted since she has no love. Featherine goes further to say she can be the GM of the tale, and that she only cares about the answers not how they're presented as a tale. I suppose it matters if you think "reader of the answers" and "GM of the tale" are mutually exclusive or not, although I'm not necessarily sure they are exclusive.
|2010-08-30, 03:39
|Link #1056
Awakened One
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Italy
I think it means that the original author won't write the character anymore.
In this case, Yasu is satisfied that Battler reached the truth and has no need to play Beatrice anymore. Battler can make his own Beatrice with "magic" (=imagination) but she will never be the same as the original. Similarly, I can write a Sherlock Holmes novel but he will never be Doyle's Holmes, even if I understood his character perfectly.
|2010-08-30, 15:00
|Link #1057
Intellectual Rapist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 3 12151805142615
|2010-08-30, 15:10
|Link #1058
Join Date: May 2009
He has a reason to lie, but he can't, or there'd be riots.
|2010-08-30, 15:55
|Link #1060
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
"Yasu" is the nickname of a certain character, derived from the last name "Yasuda" who is a Fukuin student selected for service at Ushiromiyas at a tender age of six (sounds like someone we know, right?) and is later claimed by other characters to be "the man from 19 years ago", the surviving baby Natsuhi dropped off the cliff. Most of Ep7 is devoted to the life story of that character, who takes over much of Shannon's previously known biographical details. That "Yasu" eventually goes on to become Beatrice through solving the epitaph and being acknowledged by Kinzo as the only child of Beatrice-2 and Kinzo himself. (And thus both Kinzo's child and grandchild, yes.)
The text remains weasely about whether "Yasu" is equivalent to Shannon or Kanon or not, because at least once a character refers both to Shannon and Yasu as distinct people in the same sentence. It does apparently want us to believe it's the hypothetical character who plays both Shannon and Kanon, but it is not quite conclusive on the subject.
"Yasu" is also the name of the culprit in a very famous ancient murder mystery text adventure game for NES and other machines of that era, so the name is clearly a reference.
|Thread Tools


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Kim Kardashian has thanked doctors for taking good care of her son Saint while he was hospitalized for pneumonia last month.
"The Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star and Kanye West's two-year-old son was reportedly admitted into a Los Angeles hospital on Dec. 28, and spent two days there before he was released on Dec. 30, and the 37-year-old is now praising medical staff who worked nonstop to care for him.
"My precious baby boy is so strong!," she writes on Instagram, alongside a picture of herself holding her son. "After spending three nights in the hospital & seeing my baby get multiple IV's (intravenous therapy) and hooked up to oxygen machines, our end of year was challenging. Pneumonia is so scary.
"I just want to thank every nurse & doctor out there who works so hard around the clock. We are so grateful for you all! He's home and all better. He's so resilient I'm sure he will still say the ambulance ride was cool! My strong Saint."
Saint's hospitalization comes days after Kim, Kanye, their daughter North, and the toddler celebrated the holidays at a Christmas party at her mother Kris Jenner's house.
"Happy Holidays," she captioned a photograph of the family.
The couple is also gearing up for the arrival of their third child, a girl, via surrogate. Kim and her family recently celebrated the impending birth of the baby girl, who is reportedly due Jan. 18, at a Japanese garden-themed shower in November.
"Ok guys, my baby shower for baby number three," Kim said in an Instagram video. "It's just a tea for three with cherry blossom forest. It is so pretty."


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Vikings' Peterson Still On Track to Play Sept 9
Viking head coach Leslie Frazier said Wednesday that running back Adrian Peterson is still on track to play when the regular season begins on September 9 at home against Jacksonville. Frazier says he'd like to see Peterson see action in practice and carries in a preseason game before he's cleared to play in the regular season.
Frazier says the doctors are telling him that Peterson is on track to play week 1. Peterson says his surgically repaired left knee is ready to take a hit. Peterson will not play in the Vikings preseason opener at San Francisco Friday night at 8pm.


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Sunday's Super Bowl pitting the Denver Broncos against the Seattle Seahawks will be watched intently around these parts by only the most serious of football fans. For the rest of us, it's an excuse to eat some bad food and watch some good commercials.
But anybody who lives around Boston should be cheering for Seattle, and it has nothing to do with the Broncos knocking the Patriots out.
It has to do with Breno Giacomini, the hulking right tackle for the Seahawks.
Breno grew up in Malden, the son of Brazilian immigrants. His dad, Joao, worked in maintenance at the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel in the 1990s when Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe was at some function. Joao Giacomini sneaked young Breno in to meet his idol, and as soon as Breno had that autograph he was determined to follow in Bledsoe's footsteps.
At Malden High, Breno played quarterback as a freshman. He played his sophomore year, too, but then quit football to concentrate on basketball full time, hoping he could get a college scholarship.
That's where my cousin Rich and his staff come in. Rich Cullen was the head football coach at Malden High, and had noticed Breno playing soccer in eighth grade. He asked Breno to come out for football. Cullen was crushed when Breno sat out football his junior year in 2002, and later convinced Breno that he'd have much more fun playing both basketball and football, rather than just basketball.
Breno came back and had a good but not off-the-charts senior year playing tight end and defensive end. He did have an outstanding game on Thanksgiving, his final high school game, against Medford, Malden's archrival, and that was the film Cullen sent to all the big college coaches. None was interested.
Enter Malden High's defensive coordinator, Ray Bogus. He played football at a small college in Montana for the father of University of Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino Jr. In fact, he coached the younger Petrino in a youth league in Montana.
"You've got to take a look at this kid," Bogus told the Louisville coach. "He's got great potential."
The Louisville coaching staff was impressed by the film, and Petrino dispatched his tight end coach to Malden. Rich Cullen picked him up at Logan and was surprised when the coach turned and said, "Take me to your school cafeteria. I want to talk to the lunch lady."
The lunch lady assured him that Breno Giacomini was a nice, polite boy.
"That's good enough for me," the coach said.
Breno's college career wasn't stellar, but he kept getting bigger, and he was relentless at getting better. The Green Bay Packers drafted him, but it was only after he joined the Seahawks in 2010 that he came into his own on the offensive line.
Still, it is what Breno Giacomini does off the field that should make you root hard for Seattle this Sunday. Every off-season, he comes back to Malden to run a football camp for kids for free.
"The vast majority of our student-athletes live at or below the poverty line," said Dana Brown, Malden High's principal. "Like Breno, about 40 percent of our students and athletes are the children of immigrants."
Breno and Louisville teammate Gary Barnidge, a tight end with the Browns, are taking their free camp to other countries.
Last fall, Malden High head coach Joe Pappagallo was surprised to get a bunch of boxes delivered. They were full of cleats, gently worn by Seattle players. Breno sent them, just as he sent a box of gloves he picked up from the locker room floor.
Last year, the Seahawks appeared in a nationally televised game. As usual, the players introduced themselves on screen, saying where they played in college. But when Breno's face flashed on screen, he didn't say Louisville. He said Malden High.
Breno Giacomini will never forget where he came from.
Go Seahawks!Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The 162nd St. Joseph County Grange Fair may be days away from officially opening, but there is a lot going on in Centreville.
On Wednesday afternoon, fair manager Bill Johnson estimated there were 300-400 people already busy at work at the fairgrounds.
While the fair doesn't open until Sunday morning, there are three events being held today and Saturday.
The 162nd St. Joseph County Grange Fair may be days away from officially opening, but there is a lot going on in Centreville.
On Wednesday afternoon, fair manager Bill Johnson estimated there were 300-400 people already busy at work at the fairgrounds.
While the fair doesn't open until Sunday morning, there are three events being held today and Saturday.
The annual 4-H Club cat show begins at 6 p.m. today (Thursday) at the Community Tent.
On Saturday, the 4-H dog show starts at 8:30 a.m. in the show arena followed by the poultry show at 4:30 p.m.
Connie Pagels of Burr Oak Township, a 4-H leader for 44 years, said she is excited about the dog show.
"We actually got show gates this year and for the first time, we will look like a real dog show," she said.
The cat show, dog show and poultry show are free to the public.
Glad to be back at fair
Blake Huston, general manager for Mid America Rides, said he's glad to be back in St. Joseph County for another year.
"This is one of the best kept fairgrounds in the state," he said. "We always look forward to being here."
Hutson said this year there's a new kiddie ride called the "Frog Hopper." He said this will be the Frog Hopper's first county fair.
Hutson said the midway will feature all the traditional amusement rides, including the "Screamer."
New improvements
Every year, the St. Joseph County Grange Fair Association announces some special improvement to the fairgrounds.
Bill Younts, president, announced that big changes have been made to the Nottawa drive-in entrance.
Traffic will be able to enter the fairgrounds near the Peaceful Corners campground through two lanes when necessary. There's a new ticket booth to accommodate more traffic and new fencing.
In addition, there's a new horse show arena. The Fair Association, along with equine enthusiasts, local businesses and friends, dedicated the new Megan Holt Memorial Arena June 20. It is a few feet east of the old arena. Both arenas will be used for shows.
The Megan Holt Memorial Arena is named after Megan Holt, an avid horse person, who died in an auto accident in 2009.
Cost of feed hurting kids
The price of livestock feed because of this year's drought is having an impact on 4-H entries.
Bill Johnson said many young people couldn't afford to raise large animals because of the price of feed.
Horse entries are about the same as last year, said Johnson, but the number of steers and other large animals entered by 4-H Club members is down. Chicken and rabbit entries are up.
New Elephant Encounter
Fair Association vice president Jimmie Barnes said The Elephant Encounter is the "only show of its kind" and will be on exhibit Monday through Saturday at the fair.
"Since they are coming quite a distance, the first day of the fair (Sunday) will be a day of travel and set up for the elephant encounter."
The elephants will be in a tropical setting showing their agility with audience participation. Motorists on M-86 may be able to catch a glimpse of the elephants.
This new attraction will entertain and educate fairgoers of all ages. Elephant rides will be offered.
Kris Lewis of Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union, sponsors of the Elephant Encounter, said two elephants are headed for Centreville.
Cora, a 49-year-old Asian elephant, weighs 9,000 pounds. Shannon is a 25-year-old African elephant weighing 4,500 pounds.
They were raised by a family that has spent the past three generations studying and caring for them. They were never circus or zoo animals.
What about the weather?
Fair president Bill Younts said he is confident it will be a good, dry fair week.
"It hasn't rained all summer, so I don't think it's going to rain during fair week," he said with a smile.


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We were great Top Chef Just Desserts fans. We were watching it through the YouTube channel of a Korean guy who was living at that time in New Zealand. Recently I found they've banned him :(( Why?! Come on people, how are supposed Bulgarian guys to watch an American show?
Whatever. This recipe comes from the baker Eric Wolitzky, who showed great recipes but his plating was always in a quandary. Now I see why. We liked the cake, a lot, but we were out of ideas for plating it. It would have been better if we had some vanilla ice cream but we were too lazy to make some. Besides it's still too cold for ice cream.
Oups, one of the cherries run away...or someone ate it...
Note: In our adaptation of the recipe(below) we've diminished the sugar and butter content
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe:
Adapted from Eric Wolitzky (Top Chef Just Desserts, Season 1, Episode 2, Elimination Challenge)
For the Caramel:
- 100 gr dark brown sugar;
- 50 gr white granulated sugar;
- 80 gr butter;
- 1 Tsp rum;
- 80 gr butter;
- 150 gr granulated sugar;
- 210 gr cake flour;
- 2 tsp baking powder;
- 3 gr salt;
- 1 tsp ground cardamom;
- 2 tsp vanilla extract;
- 2 eggs;
- 200 gr sour cream;
- 2 tsp rum;
- 1 pineapple cleaned and cut into rounds or whatever shape you like;
- 10 pitted sour cherries soaked in rum(optional).
Arrange the pineapple rounds and sour cherries on top of the caramel. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
Make the cake batter. Sift dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla and rum. Mix in half of dry ingredients. Mix in all of sour cream and then remainder of dry ingredients. Pour on top of pineapple and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake for around 30-33 minutes. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter.