text:
In recent years, it has been exhilarating to see how many of our grantees have contributed to remarkable progress, and in some cases dramatic breakthroughs, in their areas of work.
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
As we celebrate the Holidays and look toward the dawn of a new year, it is a good time to step back and reflect on what each of us has achieved. In a time when society appears to be hopelessly divided and our political leadership seems to inevitably disappoint, it is easy to become frustrated and jaded about our individual and collective ability to achieve greater goals. It would be a mistake, however, to assume that just because the news (regardless of which source we may choose) is so overwhelmingly negative that we, as a society, are not making progress on many fronts. If, for example, we take a moment to focus on the tireless efforts and impressive accomplishments of the many dedicated individuals who commit their energies to the work of the non-profit sector, it can lead one to be inspired and have hope for the future.
Our job at the Foundation is to identify programs that have the potential to make a difference in seven areas of Education and five areas of Scientific Research. Each year our program officers carefully review each of our grantees to determine whether their and our goals are being met. In recent years, it has been exhilarating to see how many of our grantees have contributed to remarkable progress, and in some cases dramatic breakthroughs, in their areas of work. While the level of our financial support to any given grantee or issue is relatively modest, it is hugely satisfying to be able to play a role, however small, in helping these organizations move the needle.
What achievements am I referring to? I could list many, but given the limited space here, I will mention just two: one in Education and one in Scientific Research.
The achievement in Education involves the collective impact that a cross section of our grantees have had on the educational landscape in Chicago. Despite the constant troubling headlines about the leadership and financial challenges faced by Chicago Public Schools (CPS), CPS students have been making remarkable progress over the past several years. Since 2011, the high school graduation rate of CPS students within five years of starting high school has increased from 57% to 77%, but this notable improvement only tells part of the story. A recent study by Stanford's Center for Education Policy Analysis found that between 2009 and 2014 the average scores of CPS students on standardized tests in third through eighth grade grew faster than those of students in 96% of school districts nationwide. While there is still much room for improvement, these statistics suggest that the work of many of our grantees that support CPS principals and teachers, and promote the academic development of CPS students, are making a measurable difference.
The achievement in Scientific Research involved the observation of gravitational waves, which were first predicted by Albert Einstein over 100 years ago, and first detected by scientists worldwide in late 2015. This initial discovery, which had its genesis in the world of theory, was made using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which Kip Thorne, long-time lead theoretical gravitational wave researcher at our grantee CalTech, was instrumental in developing. The LIGO detections of gravitational waves created from the merging of black holes has launched somewhat of a revolution in astrophysics. Most recently the detection of gravitational wave signals from neutron star collisions were coupled with observations from various technologies to pinpoint the source. The magnitude of the initial discovery was demonstrated in the award of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics to three researchers, including Kip Thorne. Scientists at several of our other grantees have also played key roles in this field-changing scientific breakthrough.
I am not highlighting these advances because I believe the Foundation has played a material role in any of them. Such an assertion would be unjustified and inappropriate given the relatively modest resources we have available to fund this work. Rather, I am highlighting them because they are examples of the many noteworthy advancements being made through the tenacious efforts of a legion of dedicated educators and scientists across our country. If we step back for just a moment from the mind-numbing torrent of negative news we hear each day and focus on the promise of the achievements, such as those I have mentioned above, we have every reason to be optimistic about our future.
James D. Parsons
December 2017


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We have been hearing since our childhood that all the expenses related to the Transfer of Sponsorship are the responsibility of the employer (Kafeel). When my uncle took his 3rd transfer, he had to pay a certain amount as Iqama Transfer Fee. Similarly, when I entered into the practical life I noticed that almost all companies in Saudi Arabia are asking their employees to pay some amount as Iqama Transfer fee which is quite illegal. After knowing this, I started looking into the Saudi Labor Law about the relevant clauses. It gave me enough material to write this article.
General Practice in Saudi Arabia regarding Iqama Transfer Fee
It is the general practice in Saudi Arabia that almost 99.99% companies don't bear full charges of Iqama transfer. They only bear the charges equivalent to the amount payable as first transfer of Iqama i.e. SR 2,000. Normally, there are charges of SR 2,000/- for the first transfer, SR 4,000/- for the second transfer and SR 6,000/- for any transfer after that. Now the question is who will bear the expenses of transfer of sponsorship? Generally, the employer bears only SR 2,000 for the transfer of sponsorship. Any expense over and above this amount is borne by the employee. Let's say, if it is your third transfer, you will bear SR 4,000/- and employer will bear SR 2,000/-.
Fee for Iqama Transfer
- Fee for First Iqama Transfer is SR 2,000/-
- Fee for Second Iqama Transfer is SR 4,000/-
- Fee for Third Iqama Transfer & onwards is SR 6,000/-
Legal Responsibility of Iqama Transfer Fee
Now let's talk about the legal responsibility of Iqama Transfer Fee. According to Article 40 (3) of the Saudi Labor Law, all the responsibility regarding transfer fee of Iqama lies on the shoulders of Kafeel to whom an employee is transferring in. For example, if you are getting transferred from Kafeel A to Kafeel B, the Iqama transfer fee will be paid by Kafeel B. No portion of Iqama transfer fee will be legally borne by the Employee. However, as already explained almost all companies are exploiting employees by charging Iqama Transfer Fee from them which is a clear violation of Saudi Labor Law.

subset: commoncrawl


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Even when eligible, not everyone chooses to receive payments from welfare. This may be by ignorance or by choice. In the latter case, welfare payments may obliterate other incomes, or vice-versa. A particularly interesting problem is that of single mothers reporting (or not) paternity.
Indeed, reporting who the father of the child induces most of the time procedures by the state to obtain child support from the father. If the mother is a welfare recipient, most US states capture most of this child support. It becomes thus a strategic decision for the mother: report the father and see little in child support, or seek child support informally (and possibly not strain a relationship with the father).
Jennifer Roff shows that this can be formulated as a Stackelberg game where the mother is the leader. She shows in particular that the outcome of this game can have perverse consequences when states capture more of the child support payments: mothers report fewer fathers, and the total captured amounts are lower. Also, awarding high child support payments decreases expected payments as mothers expect fewer fathers to comply, mostly because because of low paternal incomes. In other words, it does not necessarily pay to play tough.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Single mothers and Stackelberg games
Posted by Economic Logician at 9:01 AM
Labels: game theory, welfare
1 comment:
This reminds me of Del Boca and Ribero's research on visitation and child support. I wonder what implications this has for father child contact.
- September 2, 2008 at 12:22 PM
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text:
Thai Folk Art
Scroll below for links to my thumbnail pages
At many temples in Thailand, you will see a variety of sculptures, murals and other forms of artwork
that will tell a story. These stories can come from the Buddhist scriptures, from folklore, Thai
proverbs and other beliefs. These representations can teach people easily a good way to live.
Most fascinating to me are the depictions of hell at various temples. They usually follow a similar
theme, but will have differences in the way they are depicted artistically. There is usually a central
theme of a thorned tree which is a punishment for adultery, which is called Ton Ngew. There are dogs
at the bottom of the tree, which will bite adulterers if they don't go up the tree, and a crow at the top
that will bite if they get to the top. There is a pot of boiling copper which is called Kra Ta Tongdaeng,
from which, either people will have to drink or where they are placed as a punishment. There are
usually two very large and tall sculptures of a man and woman in the middle of the tableaux. In both
Suphan Buri and Bang Saen, the figures are over four stories high. The man is a "Prate" and has
received this punishment for treating his parents badly. There are other sculptures surrounding the
large figures (also called "Prate") of those receiving various punishments upon judgement in hell.
There is a person called Yam Pa Pan, or Yam Ma Toot, who is not in hell, but sits in judgement of those
who have died, and will send them either to heaven or hell, depending on their life. It is interesting to
note that the Thai Buddhist view of hell differs from the western view in that it is a temporary place
where beings go until their negative karma is used up. They then can be reborn into another realm.
Click here
to post comments about the site.
Right, one of a series of
statues depicting common
Thai proverbs and idioms,
at the Buddhist temple
called Wat Saen Suk
Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram in Bang
Saen, Chonburi.
for a thumbnail page
of the photos of the
proverbs. Scroll down for
more pages of photos of
Thai proverbs and idioms.
Left, a partial detail
of a painting on the
interior temple wall,
of Kra ta tongdaeng,
the boiling pot of
copper in which a
person has been
placed in hell, at Wat
Tha Soong temple in
Uthai Thani.
for a larger
photo of the painting
Right, a partial
detail of a painting
on the interior
temple wall of Ton
Ngew, the tree of
adultery, at Wat
Tha Soong temple
in Uthai Thani.
Click here
for a
large photo of the
painting detail.
Right, a
heaven and
hell on the
exterior wall of
Wat Tha
Temple in
Uthai Thani.
Click here
a larger view
of the painting.
Depictions of Hell at Wat Pairongwua
Depictions of Hell at Wat Saen Suk
Depictions of Hell at Wat Saen Suk I
This page is a sampling of some of the sculptures
depicting hell present at the Buddhist temple called
Wat Pairongwua in Supan Buri. There is a variety of
portrayals in the sculpture, ranging from the horrific
to the unusual.
While there are stylistic differences, the depiction of
hell at Wat Saen Suk Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram in Bang Saen,
Chonburi is shown using the same convention as at
other Buddhist temples throughout Thailand.
Depictions of B
uddhist Scripture
at Wat
Pairongwua in Supan Buri
Depictions of Buddha's Life and Scripture
at Wat Saen Suk Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram
At Wat Pairongwua in Suphan Buri, there are
depictions of the Buddha's life, in both statue and
mural medium. There are also depictions of heaven at
the temple, and while lovely and serene, they are
sedate in comparison to the depictions of hell. There
is also one of the largest Buddha images I have ever
seen at this temple.
There are depictions of the different stages of
Buddha's life, mostly using statues as a medium at
Wat Saen Suk Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram in Bang Saen,
Chonburi. There are murals in a Sala that illustrate the
Buddhist scriptures, but also, the scriptures are also
represented in statue form. There are Buddha
statues in all of the standard postures here.
s of Chinese Gods
at Wat Saen
Suk Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram
Depictions of the Chinese Zodiac at Wat
Saen Suk in Bang Saen, Chonburi
There is a wide range of styles of Chinese gods and
goddesses at the Wat Saen Suk Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram in
Bang Saen, Chonburi. One of the statues is much
taller than a house, and people will throw coins into
the navel for good luck.
hai Proverbs and Idioms I
Thai Proverbs and Idioms I
Its fun to see cultural differences in the way idioms
and proverbs are used. The idioms relate more the
daily life of the people, and if the daily life is different,
the idiom or proverb will be different. The name of the
proverb is on each photo in an Anglicized version of
the Thai Language. The meaning in both Thai and
English is written below the photo's title on each
photo page. These photos come from Wan Saen Suk
Sut-ti-wa-ra-ram in Bang Saen, Chonburi.
Note: A brief explanation of the depictions of hell is described at the Thai World View website:
Click here
to go that site.
Folk Art at Temples in Thailand
Copyright 2007 Brent Damon Heironimus
The Chinese Zodiac is represented in a truly Thai
style at Wat San Suek in Bang Saen, Chonburi. Thai
mythical characters ride atop the varying animals.
Thai Folk Art
click for thumbnail pages
CONTACT us by sending an email to brent at
Major Page Links at
his site:
Stock Photo
Thai Folk Art
Thai Temples
Wat Po, in Bangkok
Wat Pu Kow Tong, Bangkok
Wat Benchamabopit, Bangkok
Wat Tha Soong, Uthai Thani
Wat Pairong Wua, Suphan Buri
Wat San Suek in Chonburi
Songkhla Province Travel
Asia and Europe
Whats New
Copyright 200
Brent Damon Heironimus
Thai Folk Art
Thailand Travel
Thai Temples
About us
What's New


text:
2014 Puzzle 11: "The End of the Line"
Here's contest puzzle #11. Solve using the Crossword Compiler applet below, download a PDF, or use Across Lite.
The meta is a Beatles song.
Submit your answer to the meta using the form on the home page.
The End of the Line by Pete Muller


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Honestly, when I heard about this, I do find this pretty interesting. I've always liked our regional talents - and this seems to be one good platform to showcase them.
Ah, honestly Thailand has done it again.. and it do seem pretty well too!!
For apparently, I'm informed that the THAILAND'S MOST WANTED SHOW gathers the famous talented performers in 7 categories:
1. Thai Fight; Thai martial art
2. Intersection Art; the combination of gymnastic, bullet, acrobatic, and Thai Dancing
3. Traditional Thai Puppet; Joe Louis the best traditional Thai puppet
4. Art of Shadow; tell the Thai story to art of shadow
5. Beat Box; fun and fantastic beat box style by special technique
6. Art of Sand; the best sand creator in town
7. Talented Voice; unbelievable voice from the talented singer
That's a pretty impressive line up heh?!
It will be nice to see how the show is done.. with cultural performances being side by side with modern performances.
Well, if you are visiting Bangkok from now till end of March 2013, then do head over to the National Theatre Bangkok to catch Thailand's many talents!
But take note - it's only available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (730-9pm).
Owh, how I wish I can see this!!


text:
The tipi is a beautiful space for events and gatherings of all kinds. Individual tipi owners have used their tipis for year round living, camping, and for historical purposes at museums and community centres. A 15 ft tipi is ideal for camping or for a small gathering space. The 20ft tipi is very large and can fit 25 people seated in a circle; however it is harder to heat. Our 6ft kids tipi can be set up by children in 15 mintues and can fit 6 children in a circle.
We build a Sioux style tipi. This is the type that works best with a canvas cover. The traditional Mi'kmaq home is the wigwam which comes from the Mi'Kmaq word "wikuom", meaning dwelling. The conical wigwam was constructed from poles covered with birch bark strips sewn together with spruce. Wigwams were usually put up by women and could be built in a day. Women from yurt dwelling nations were also responsible for the set up of their homes!
The floor was lined with fir twigs, woven mats and animal furs and a large hide acted as a door cover. Wigwams were painted with figures of animals and birds. The largest conical wigwams housed 12-15 people; for bigger families a longer style with two firplaces was built.
The word tipi or teepee was never used by the Mi'Kmaq as it comes from a different native language and usually refers to a tent covered with skins, not bark. Birchbark made a good cover for a wigwam since it was waterproof and portable. When a family moved they took the birchbark sheets with them.
We have adjusted the traditional design slightly to produce a tipi that has been reinforced in all the areas that usually wear. Our tipis are extremely hard wearing, particularly in bad weather. If you will be living in the tipi we recommend purchasing the inner liner. It will prevent drafts and provide a more comfortable space.
Our tipis have many advantages including:
A rot proof bottom on our inner liners
Large pockets on the smoke flaps to make it easy to fit the smoke flap poles
Grommet enforced dowel holes
Nylon loops on the bottom of the tipi to prevent rot
Our tipi covers include the pegs, smoke flap ropes, anchor rope, wooden lacing pins, a canvas storage bag and a tipi door.
|Inner liner
|20ft (280 sq ft)
|15ft (170 sq ft)
|6ft kids tipi (28 sq ft)
|$695 (poles availible at $40 each)
Little Foot Yurts does not provide the tipi poles, except for the 6ft kids tipi at $40 per pole.
The inner liner is ideal if you will be using it for accommidation as it prevents drafts and provides a more comfortable space.
|You will need to...
|Remove bark and sand
|Collect Spruce or Pine
|Buy Natural rope
|20ft tipi
|14 poles
|26ft long
|40ft (1/2"-3/4" diameter)
|15ft tipi
|14 poles
|22ft long
|35ft (1/2"-3/4" diameter)
|6ft kids tipi
|9 poles
|8ft 2" long
|20ft (1/2" diameter)
A canvas care guide and training manual is included in the above prices. If you require set of your tipi for
the first time we offer face-to face training and set up for $250. Delivery charges are not included. Our travel costs are .70 per kilometer (one round trip) for the tipi training and set up.
The Lunenburg County Historical Society purchased 2 tipis from Little Foot Yurts as part of our Renaissance Project. Alex and Selene personally delivered them to the Fort Point Museum in LaHave and demonstrated how to set them up. Over the years we have used the tipis as living exhibits at the museum site, as well as for story telling, and craft demo's at the 'Acadian-Mi'kmaq', and 'LaHave Folk' festivals. They are very popular with both young and older visitors to the site, who often enjoy picnics inside them. We have been very pleased with the quality of the tipis, and with the personal service provided by Selene and Alex, whether it was to assist with setting up, taking down, or repairing a tear.- Gary Malone, Director of Lunenburg County Historical Society, NS See more testimonials


text:
- Research article
- Open Access
Isolimonic acid interferes with Escherichia coli O157:H7 biofilm and TTSS in QseBC and QseA dependent fashion
- Amit Vikram1,
- Palmy R Jesudhasan2,
- Suresh D Pillai1, 2Email author and
- Bhimanagouda S Patil1Email author
© Vikram et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012
- Received: 30 March 2012
- Accepted: 1 October 2012
- Published: 15 November 2012
E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC) is an important human pathogen. The antibiotic treatment of EHEC reportedly results in release of Shiga toxin and is therefore discouraged. Consequently, alternative preventive or therapeutic strategies for EHEC are required. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of citrus limonoids on cell-cell signaling, biofilm formation and type III secretion system in EHEC.
Isolimonic acid and ichangin were the most potent inhibitors of EHEC biofilm (IC25=19.7 and 28.3 μM, respectively) and adhesion to Caco-2 cells. The qPCR analysis revealed that isolimonic acid and ichangin repressed LEE encoded genes by ≈3 to 12 fold. In addition, flhDC was repressed by the two limonoids (≈3 to 7 fold). Further studies suggested that isolimonic acid interferes with AI-3/epinephrine activated cell-cell signaling pathway. Loss of biofilm inhibitory activity of isolimonic acid in ΔqseBC mutant, which could be restored upon complementation, suggested a dependence on functional QseBC. Additionally, overexpression of qseBC in wild type EHEC abated the inhibitory effect of isolimonic acid. Furthermore, the isolimonic acid failed to differentially regulate ler in ΔqseA mutant, while plasmid borne expression of qseA in ΔqseA background restored the repressive effect of isolimonic acid.
Altogether, results of study seem to suggest that isolimonic acid and ichangin are potent inhibitors of EHEC biofilm and TTSS. Furthermore, isolimonic acid appears to interfere with AI-3/epinephrine pathway in QseBC and QseA dependent fashion.
- Quorum sensing
- Natural products
- Limonoids
- Citrus
- Escherichia coli O157:H7
- Epinephrine
Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a major foodborne pathogen associated with frequent outbreaks of diarrheal disease. Most individuals develop watery diarrhea and recover. However, about 15–20% cases may develop life-threatening bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) [1, 2]. Dissemination and contact of humans with EHEC from multiple sources such as undercooked meats, raw fruits and vegetables, physical contact with EHEC harboring animals further contribute to increased frequency of illness [2, 3].
EHEC is usually ingested through contaminated food products. Once inside the host, EHEC traverses to colon and establishes itself in the distal ileum or large bowel. Inside the colon, EHEC is thought to use guided motility, provided by flagellar motion, to reach its preferred site of attachment [4]. Autoinducer molecules (AI-2/AI-3) and hormones (epinephrine/norepinephrine) induce various virulence factors and are speculated to help in attachment and subsequent infection process [5]. A two-component system QseBC [6] induces flagellar operon in response to hormones and AI-2/AI-3, resulting in increased and guided motility [4] towards epithelial cell layer. Upon encountering the epithelial cell layer, the flagella and other surface structures such as type 1 pili and hemorrhagic coli pilus help EHEC to attach to the surface [7–9]. Multiple environmental and genetic factors such as pH, hormones, signaling molecules as well as quorum sensing (QS) regulate the expression of Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) and flagellar operons [10–13]. The hormones and AI-3 also induce type III secretion system (TTSS) in EHEC through QseEF and QseAD [14, 15]. TTSS is encoded in LEE, which is organized in five operons LEE1-LEE5. LEE1-encoded regulator (Ler) is the first gene on LEE1 operon and subject to modulation by various regulators. In turn, Ler activates the transcription of the five operons [13, 15, 16].
The TTSS penetrates the host cell membrane and serves as conduit for injecting effector proteins. These effector proteins manipulate the host machinery including actin cytoskeleton, resulting in attaching and effacing lesions. Some of the secreted effectors disrupt the tight junction leading to higher secretion of chloride ions and ultimately developing in diarrhea [17]. The phage encoded Shiga toxin is the main virulence factor of EHEC and other Shiga toxin producing E. coli. The Shiga toxin disrupts the protein synthesis in host epithelial cells causing necrosis and cell death [17]. Additionally, Shiga toxin travels to kidney through blood stream and damages renal endothelial cells inciting renal inflammation, potentially leading to HUS [2, 18]. Along with the direct injury to epithelial cells, biofilms formed by pathogenic E. coli strains can pose serious health problems such as prostatitis, biliary tract infections, and urinary catheter cystitis [19].
Antibiotics and antidiarrheal drug therapy of EHEC activates the stress response resulting in induction of phage lytic cycle and subsequent release of Shiga toxin. The release of Shiga toxin is directly correlated with increase in HUS incidence [2, 18]. At present, CDC recommends preventive measures such as washing hands and thorough cooking of meats etc. to control EHEC infections. However, these preventive measures need to be supported with alternative strategies for prevention and control of EHEC infections. A promising strategy is to identify anti-virulence agents, which may be used alone or in conjunction with antibiotic therapy [20]. Anti-virulence agents target bacterial virulence determinants including toxin production, adhesion to host cells, specialized secretion systems such as TTSS [21]. Application of anti-virulence agents is speculated to allow host immune system to prevent or clear the bacterial infection. Several synthetic and natural molecules with anti-virulence properties have been discovered [20, 21] and at least one molecule, LED209, was shown to be effective in animal models [20]. However, none of the molecules have entered wide-scale clinical trial as of yet, owing to various concerns such as their toxicity and safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify a more diverse pool of molecules with anti-virulence activities. Availability of such a pool will ensure better drug designing strategies, to combat bacterial infections like EHEC.
Secondary metabolites produced by plants present very diverse scaffolds, which have been used for designing novel drugs including antimicrobials. In nature, secondary metabolites contribute to systemic and induced plant defense system against insect, bacterial and fungal infestation [22]. Several secondary metabolites belonging to classes such as coumarins, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids demonstrate inhibitory properties against numerous microorganisms. Recently our group and others identified QS inhibitory properties of several plant secondary metabolites and extracts rich in phytochemicals [23–28].
Previously purified isolimonic acid, ichangin, isoobacunoic acid, IOAG and DNAG were used in the present study [36]. Purity of the individual limonoids was calculated from percent peak area using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis [38]. A stock solution was prepared by dissolving 20 mg of each purified limonoid in 1 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Bacterial strains and plasmids
Bacterial Strains used in the study
E. coli O157:H7 EDL933
Wild type
E. coli TE2680 LEE1:lacZ
E. coli TE2680 LEE2:lacZ
EHEC 86–24 ΔqseA
VS145 with plasmid pVS150
EHEC 86–24 ΔqseC
VS138 with plasmid pVS178
WT with plasmid pVS178
This study
WT with pVS150
This study
TEVS232 with pVS150
This study
WT with pAV11
This study
WT with pAV12
This study
qseA into pACYC177
E. coli K12 qseBC in pBAD33
EHEC qseC in pBAD33
This Study
EHEC qseB in pBAD33
This study
Growth and metabolic activity
The growth and metabolic activity of EHEC was measured as previously described [36]. Briefly, overnight cultures of EHEC were diluted 100 fold in LB media. Two hundred microliters of diluted cultures was placed in each well of 96-well plates and grown for 16 h at 37°C in presence of 6.25, 12.5, 50, or 100 μg/ml limonoids or equivalent volume of DMSO. The plates were constantly shaken at medium speed in Synergy™ HT Multi-Mode Microplate Reader (BioTek, Instruments, Winooski, VT). OD600 was recorded every 15 min. Metabolic activity of EHEC was measured by adding AlamarBlue (25 μl/well) and absorption at 570 and 600 nm was monitored in similar fashion as growth curve.
Biofilm assay
EHEC biofilms were grown in polystyrene 96-well plates by plating 200 μl/well of 100 fold diluted overnight cultures in presence of 6.25, 12.5, 50, or 100 μg/ml of limonoids at 26°C for 24 h without shaking [23, 39]. For VS138 (ΔqseC) and VS179 (VS138 + qseBC) biofilms were quantified after 48 h growth in 96-well plates. The biofilms were quantified by staining with 0.3% crystal violet (Fisher, Hanover Park, IL) for 20 min. Extra stain was washed with phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.4) and dye associated with attached biofilm was dissolved with DMSO. An absorbance at 570 nm was used to quantify the total biofilm mass.
In vitro adhesion assay
Human epithelial Caco-2 cells were purchased from ATCC (Manassas, VA) and maintained in Dulbecco's Minimal Essential Medium (DMEM) with nonessential amino acids and 10% fetal bovine serum without antibiotics. Caco-2 cells were seeded at 1 × 105 cells/well in 6-well plates and infected with approximately 5 × 106 cells/well of freshly grown EHEC ATCC 43895 in presence or absence of 100 μg/ml isolimonic acid, ichangin, isoobacunoic acid, IOAG and DNAG. The plates were incubated for 3 h at 37°C in 5% CO2 environment. After completion of incubation, plates were washed 3× with sterile PBS to remove any loosely attached cells. Caco-2 cells were lysed with 0.1% Triton-X in PBS to release the bacteria and serial dilutions were plated on LB-agar and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Colonies were counted after incubation period and presented as log10CFU/ml.
Caco-2 cell survival assay
Caco-2 cells (1 × 104/well) were seeded in 96-well plate and exposed to 100 μg/ml of isolimonic acid, ichangin, isoobacunoic acid, IOAG and DNAG for 6 h in humidified incubator at 5% CO2, 37°C. Cell survival was determined by measuring lactate dehydrogenase using CytoTox-ONE™ Homogeneous Membrane Integrity Assay (Promega Corp., Madison, WI).
Quantitative PCR
Sequences of the Primers used in this study
Sequence (5'-3')
This study
This study
This study
This study
qseB (cloning)
This study
qseC (cloning)
This study
AI-3 reporter assay
Preconditioned media (PM) was prepared as described [41]. Overnight cultures of TEVS232, TEVS21 and AV45 (EHEC ATCC 43895 harboring pVS150) were diluted 100 fold in LB medium and grown till OD600 ≈0.2. The cells were collected by centrifugation at 2500 × g for 10 min and resuspended in either fresh LB media supplemented with 50 μM epinephrine or PM and treated with 100 μg/ml isolimonic acid or equivalent amount of DMSO. The β-galactosidase activity was measured after 30 min incubation at 37°C using o-nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside as previously described [45] and reported as mean ± SD of three replicates.
Statistical analysis
Percent inhibition of biofilm formation was calculated from three experiments consisting of three replicate wells using the formula 100- [(OD570 of sample well/ OD570 of positive control) × 100]. Effects of different limonoids for each activity were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey's pairwise multiple comparison test on SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The effect was considered significant at p <0.05. The data for EHEC biofilm was fitted to a 3-parameter sigmoid models y= a/(1+exp(−(x-x0)/b)) using SIGMAPLOT 11.0 (Systat Software, Inc.). In order to conduct the analysis, concentration of each limonoids was converted to Log10 μM and plotted against percent inhibition values.
Effect of citrus limonoids on EHEC growth and biofilm formation
Generation time (in minutes) of E. coli O157:H7 upon exposure of different concentrations of limonoids
Concentration (μg/ml)
23.56 ± 0.71
23.11 ± 0.76
22.97 ± 0.96
23.65 ± 0.95
23.58 ± 1.06
22.96 ± 1.06
24.90 ± 1.82
22.97 ± 0.97
23.12 ± 0.92
23.16 ± 0.93
23.27 ± 1.09
23.64 ± 1.08
23.62 ± 2.47
23.58 ± 1.19
23.26 ± 1.23
22.58 ± 1.26
23.68 ± 0.91
23.51 ± 1.26
23.68 ± 1.84
23.54 ± 1.01
22.69 ± 1.09
23.12 ± 1.08
23.97 ± 1.31
23.69 ± 1.32
23.91 ± 0.63
23.70 ± 1.09
23.90 ± 1.02
23.55 ± 1.05
23.61 ± 1.05
23.76 ± 1.01
Effect of limonoids on adhesion of EHEC to Caco-2 cells
Citrus limonoids repress the LEE, flagellar and stx2 genes
Expression of LEE encoded, flagellar and stx2 genes in presence of 100 μg/ml limonoids
Gene name
Isolimonic acid
Isoobacunoic acid
-3.2 (±2.1)
-5.0 (±0.8)
-1.4 (±0.3)
-1.8 (±0.4)
-0.7 (±1.5)
-5.3 (±0.8)
-6.6 (±1.0)
-1.6 (±0.1)
-3.2 (±0.3)
-2.0 (±0.6)
-2.5 (±0.7)
-6.3 (±1.3)
-1.7 (±0.3)
-2.5 (±1.2)
-2.3 (±0.5)
-6.2 (±1.0)
-12.4 (±2.1)
-2.4 (±1.3)
-3.7 (±2.0)
-1.2 (±2.4)
-2.7 (±0.1)
-6.9 (±1.1)
-0.7 (±1.5)
-1.7 (±0.6)
-1.6 (±0.8)
-3.5 (±0.7)
-10.0 (±1.5)
-3.0 (±1.2)
-2.6 (±1.7)
-1.6 (±0.8)
-2.8 (±0.9)
-4.5 (±1.3)
-1.5 (±0.3)
-2.1 (±0.4)
-1.3 (±0.3)
-2.8 (±0.5)
-6.9 (±0.4)
-1.8 (±0.5)
-2.3 (±0.4)
-1.7 (±0.5)
-2.5 (±0.8)
-4.9 (±1.0)
-1.6 (±0.4)
-2.2 (±0.8)
-1.2 (±0.1)
-0.3 (±1.8)
-0.5 (±1.6)
1.8 (±0.8)
1.3 (±0.4)
1.7 (±0.5)
Shiga toxin produced by EHEC is responsible for HUS [2]. We were further interested in learning if any of the limonoids modulate expression of stx2. Isolimonic acid and ichangin (100 μg/ml) repressed the stx2 by 4.9 and 2.5 fold, respectively (Table 4), while IOAG, isoobacunoic acid and DNAG did not seem to affect the expression of stx2.
Effect of isolimonic acid on AI-3/epinephrine induced LEE expression
QseBC dependent inhibition of biofilm by isolimonic acid
QseA dependent inhibition of ler by isolimonic acid
EHEC is an important gastrointestinal pathogen, prolific biofilm former and demonstrates resistance to various antimicrobials in biofilm mode of growth [51]. For successful colonization of gastrointestinal tract and initiation of infection, adhesion of EHEC to intestinal epithelium is an essential early event [47, 48]. Additionally, several E. coli pathovars were reported to produce and live in biofilms inside the human body [19]. In order to counteract these maladies, an antivirulence molecule with anti-adhesion and/or anti-biofilm properties may be highly desirable. Research in our laboratory has identified several molecules with differing anti-virulence effects [23, 28, 36, 37, 52, 53]. The current work examined the potential of five citrus limonoids- isolimonic acid, ichangin, isoobacunoic acid, IOAG and DNAG, to inhibit EHEC biofilm and TTSS. All the tested limonoids seem to interfere with the EHEC biofilm formation in a dose dependent fashion (Figure 2). Isolimonic acid was the most potent inhibitor of the EHEC biofilm and adhesion to Caco-2 cells. Moreover, the limonoids do not seem to affect growth of EHEC, suggesting that limonoids, especially isolimonic acid inhibits EHEC biofilm and adhesion without adversely affecting the growth or metabolic activity (Table 1, Additional file 1: Figure S1).
In EHEC, the initial attachment to various surfaces such as epithelial cells and plastic surface is regulated by several factors including TTSS, flagella and fimbriae [47, 48, 54]. LEE encoded TTSS, effector proteins as well as flagella and intimin [47, 48] play an important role in adhesion of EHEC to gastrointestinal tract surface, while flagella and fimbriae also contribute in biofilm formation. Results of the adhesion and biofilm assay indicated that one or more of above-mentioned factors may be affected by limonoids particularly by isolimonic acid. To investigate this hypothesis, expression of LEE encoded genes and flagellar master regulators flhDC was determined by qRT-PCR. Isolimonic acid and ichangin appear to exert their antivirulence and biofilm inhibitory effect by repressing TTSS carried on LEE, stx2, which encodes for Shiga toxin and flagellar master regulon flhDC (Table 4).
In EHEC, expression of LEE and flagellar operons are regulated by multiple environmental and genetic factors including QS [10–13]. In particular AI-2/AI-3/epinephrine mediated cell-cell signaling regulates the expression of both flagellar operon and LEE, which contribute to adhesion and biofilm formation. Furthermore, expression of stx2 is also regulated by QS [2, 12, 55, 56]. Therefore, repression of TTSS, flagella and stx2 indicated a possibility that limonoids, especially isolimonic acid may interfere with EHEC QS. Isolimonic acid was chosen for further studies, as it demonstrated the most potent inhibition of biofilm formation, adhesion, LEE, flhDC and stx2. For determination of AI-3/epinephrine mediated QS in EHEC, reporter strains TEVS 232 and TEVS21 containing chromosomal fusions LEE1:LacZ and LEE2:LacZ were used. The analysis was confined to LEE1 and LEE2, because these two operons have been reported to be directly activated by AI-3/epinephrine mediated QS [15, 41]. To test if the isolimonic acid acts as an QS inhibitor, PM/epinephrine stimulated activation of LEE1 and LEE2 in reporter strains was measured [41]. The PM, described earlier [41], was used as a source of AI-3 molecules as the purified AI-3 was not available. Repression of AI-3/epinephrine-induced ler, LEE1 and LEE2 (Figure 5) indicated that isolimonic acid interferes with EHEC QS system.
The autoinducers and hormones reportedly increase the autophosphorylation levels of histidine kinase QseC, which then activates QseB to regulate motility and biofilm formation [57]. Furthermore, interaction of AI-3/epinephrine with QseA activates LEE encoded genes [15, 57]. It was possible that isolimonic acid interferes with EHEC QS in a mechanism involving QseBC and QseA. If activity of isolimonic acid depends upon functional QseBC, deletion of qseBC will eliminate the inhibitory effect. On the other hand, complementation of ΔqseBC with plasmid borne QseBC is likely to restore the inhibitory effect of isolimonic acid. Furthermore, overexpression of qseBC in wild type background (EHEC ATCC 43895) will result in higher levels of QseBC proteins in the cell and consequently will have a higher activity. This higher level of activity may compensate and relieve the inhibitory effect of isolimonic acid on biofilm formation. In order to verify QseBC dependent inhibition, biofilm formation in ΔqseBC strain (VS138) and complemented strain (VS179) [6] in presence of 100 μg/ml of isolimonic acid was measured. As expected, isolimonic acid did not reduce the biofilm formation in VS138. In contrast, isolimonic acid exposure resulted in a significant decrease in VS179 (qseBC complemented strain) biofilm as measured by crystal violet (Figure 6A), indicating involvement of QseBC. Additionally, overexpression of qseBC, qseB and qseC in EHEC ATCC 43895, under the control of arabinose operon restored the inhibitory effect of isolimonic acid on EHEC biofilm formation (Figure 6B). Taken together these results suggest that effect of isolimonic acid is dependent upon QseBC. Furthermore, the effects of isolimonic acid did not seem to arise from modulation of qseBC expression. However, based on the current data it was not possible to differentiate, if the effect is dependent solely upon qseB or qseC, as supplementation of EHEC by both qseB and qseC relieved the inhibitory effect. Further studies are required to precisely determine if the target of isolimonic acid is qseB or qseC.
The present study demonstrates that the citrus limonoids, particularly isolimonic acid and ichangin are strong inhibitors of biofilm formation and attachment of EHEC to Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, isolimonic acid and ichangin seems to affect biofilm formation and TTSS by repressing LEE and flagellar operon. Isolimonic acid seems to exert its effect by inhibiting AI-3/epinephrine mediated cell-cell signaling in QseBC and QseA dependent manner. However, the mechanism by which isolimonic acid affects the QseBC and QseA remains to be elucidated. One possibility is that the isolimonic acid may interfere with the DNA binding activities of QseB and QseA. Another possible scenario will be that isolimonic acid interferes with phosphorylation events. However, further study is required to determine the target of isolimonic acid for the modulation of flhDC and ler. In addition, determination of the structure-activity relationship will provide further insights into the inhibitory action of isolimonic acid. In nutshell, isolimonic acid acts as an antivirulence agent in EHEC and may serve as lead compound for development of novel agents. Furthermore, the fact that isolimonic acid is present in citrus juices and do not demonstrate cytotoxic effect on normal human cell line [58], increases the desirability to develop it as antivirulence agent.
We would like to thank Dr. V. Sperandio (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX) for generously providing AI-3 reporter strains harboring chromosomal LEE1:lacZ (TEVS232), LEE2:lacZ (TEVS21) and EHEC mutants VS145, VS151, VS138, VS179.
This project is based upon the work supported by the USDA-NIFA No. 2010-34402-20875, "Designing Foods for Health" through the Vegetable & Fruit Improvement Center. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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text:
An article recently appeared in FOTM (Fellowship of the Minds) on the exploits of a funeral home and embalming service at 623 Main Street in East Hartford, Connecticut: Hartford Trade Service and River Bend Funeral Home & Crematorium. Both businesses are long associated with one Kevin K. Riley. You can find that article here.
The reason for FOTM's interest in the flat-footed, squatty establishment depicted above is because it's purported to have been where the bloody remains of the alleged Sandy Hook massacre perp, Adam Lanza, were cremated. Supporting evidence for this is in the FOTM article.
Partners in estate plundering and other venal crimes. The problem: the establishment has a squalid history, having been the vortex of crimes committed by a pair of conspirators, Kevin Riley himself and his bookkeeper, Yolande Faulkner. In 2011, after a four-year investigation, the duo was proven to have robbed the estates of multiple deceased people, falsifying their records, plundering their valuables and selling their real estate. And they took advantage of a lucrative state contract to swindle and double-bill their way into multiple court dates and Hartford Courant articles. (See links in the timeline below.)
For this, Riley went away to the poky for eight months after sentencing in 2011, and Faulkner was slapped with fines and community service, later reduced due to purported hardship: Faulkner cares for a disabled husband and aged mother.
Adam's post-mortem handler. And yet, Riley's business was chosen in 2012 to handle the remains of the most heinous perpetrator of child killings in recent Connecticut history — after Riley's license was revoked and his business ostensibly ruined.
How could this be? Why would the State of Connecticut – itself the victim of Riley's double-billing schemes – seek out his business to handle such a potentially controversial body of evidence?
Two Kevins? Critics/trolls of FOTM's article have said the equivalent of, "So what?" (And much worse.) They claim that by 12-14-12, Kevin Riley had been succeeded by another Kevin – one "Kevin Davidson"- whose name appears on the sign of the cement block establishment:
While that's evident (if debatable) it doesn't explain another glaring oddness.
One Yolande. In February 2016, an employee of Kevin's named "Joe" handed a business card to a potential customer of River Bend Funeral Home after he wrote a name ("Yolande") and phone number on the reverse side. (The number has been blurred in the photo below for privacy reasons.)
It turns out that "Yolande's" phone number belongs to Yolande Faulkner, Riley's bookkeeper and co-conspirator. So at least one-half of the larcenous duo is still operating out of 623 Main Street.
A chain of opportunistic crimes. Cinderella thought it would be interesting to unravel the back-story to all of the above, so we constructed a footnoted timeline. The timeline, with comments beneath it, follows.
Note the interesting real estate transactions that correspond with difficult times in the Riley biography, particularly in 2010-2012, when the gavel was about to come down. (One might add that it took that gavel a long time to descend on Riley's head.)
Nov. 1, 1956: Kevin Kelley Riley is born
Early years: By the eighth grade, young Kevin Riley knows he wants to become an undertaker and embalmer; During his schooling and apprenticeship toward this goal, he works at various odd jobs, as hot dog vendor, horse groomer, junkyard worker and truck washer1
Jan 17, 1979: 1281 Ridge Road, North Haven, CT is quit-claimed to or inherited by Russell & Sarah Davidson; See http://gis.vgsi.com/northhavenct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=2254
Oct. 17, 1985: Joseph & Todd J. Warzecho purchase 623 Main Street, East Hartford for $85,000; See: http://www.mapsonline.net/easthartfordct/web_assessor/
1987: Kevin Riley founds the Hartford Trade Service1
July 1991: Using profits from Hartford Trade Service, K. Riley founds Coventry Funeral Home1
1998: Denise and Kevin Riley are still running the Coventry Funeral Home on Route 44 in Coventry while living in the back of the house with their three young children, ages 6, 10 and 121
June 22, 2001: This is the date that Hartford Trade Service, LLC is described as first being "registered" as a "Domestic Limited Liability Company"; The "principal" is listed as Kevin K. Riley, Manager, with a business address of 623 Main Street, East Hartford, but with a residence address of 20 Pinney Road, Somers, CT; The "agent" is listed as David A. Ruth (who was Riley's attorney at one time); The agent's business address is listed as 1159-A Boston Turnpike, Bolton, CT; The business ID is 0684625; The current business status is described as "Dissolved"; See: http://www.concord-sots.ct.gov/CONCORD/online?sn=PublicInquiry&eid=9740
Oct. 31, 2001: Joseph and Todd J. Warzecho quit-claim 623 Main Street, East Hartford to Todd J. Warzecho (3/4 int. C/O Preferred Auto Rentals) See: http://www.mapsonline.net/easthartfordct/web_assessor/
2004: K. Riley lands an exclusive lucrative contract, worth $500K, with the state of Connecticut to bring bodies to Farmington for autopsies and provide a decent burial in cases where no members of the immediate family are available 2
July 2005: When Shirley Sullivan of Bridgeport dies, K. Riley is named fiduciary of her estate; Riley hires another licensed funeral director, Salvatore Spadaccino, out of Monroe, CT to appraise the home; Spadaccino is an ex-con, convicted of drug trafficking in 1986, See: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/475726/united-states-v-salvatore-f-spadaccino/; Spadaccino's appraisal ($175,000) falls short of the court-ordered appraisal by $85,000; The house is sold to Lucien Investors, Inc. an LLC with one member, a John Diema, a realtor who works for the same parent company as Spadaccino: ERA Shays Real Estate; Obviously this is a cozy arrangement; After Lucien buys the property, it is sold to a Stamford banker for $305,000 a few months later; K. Riley charges the Sullivan estate $15,000 for a funeral no one attends2a, 7
October 2005: K. Riley double-bills the estate of Helen Gall of Columbia, CT for transporting her remains (his contract with the State covered this service); charging $13,000 for a funeral, while adding in duplicate or frivolous charges3,4
July 28, 2006: Hartford Trade Service, LLC, purchases 623 Main Street, East Hartford for $230,000 from Todd J. Warzecho (3/4 int. C/O Preferred Auto Rentals) See: http://www.mapsonline.net/easthartfordct/web_assessor/
August 2006: K. Riley takes the body of Meriden resident Julia Drozd to Hartford Trade Service for cremation and burial; he is later accused by Drozd's attorney, John Miller, of selling Drozd's belongings and renovating her house for the purpose of selling it; Probate Judge Brian Mahon orders an investigation by the state Dept. of Public Health; Riley and his attorney, David A Ruth, call Riley's actions "an honest mistake," saying that Riley had turned over proceeds from the sale of Drozd's possessions in an auction house; Riley portrays his actions as charitable because the house was in poor condition, inhabited by Drozd's mentally ill son, Robert, who had been found in the house with his 3-day-old dead mother2
Nov. 2006: Bridgeport Judge of Probate Paul Ganim removes K. Riley as fiduciary of the Bridgeport estate of Shirley Sullivan, deceased July 2005; Ganim's decision follows Riley's suspicious sale of Sullivan's house and questionable fiduciary fees (see July 2005 above)2a
Jan 2007: The CT State Dept. of Public Health seeks a summary suspension of K. Riley's embalmer's license and his licenses to run the Coventry Funeral Home and Hartford Trade Service on the basis of a 44-page report that reveals violations, including double-billing, using unlicensed embalmers, using his state contract to solicit private business, as well as selling off assets of dead people's estates without documentation and charging high costs for funerals few people attends; Riley is also accused of improperly cremating Julia Drozd, falsifying her death certificate (with the wrong date) and selling off her belongings; Riley's new attorney, John Droney, argues that Riley deserves a hearing and that his rights "are being trampled"; The CT Board of Examiners of Embalmers and Funeral Directors postpone a decision to revoke Riley's license 3
March 2007: K. Riley faces 21 charges under the investigation of Edward D. Bergin of the State Public Health Department, but is allowed to operate his businesses while hearings continue; More details emerge, including the double-billing of Helen Gall's estate, routine overbilling, charging for hearses never used and overcharging for urns; Bergin questions why Riley took 43 days to cremate Gall's remains, keeping her in cold storage while charging the estate $50/day; He reveals that in the Drozd case, Riley changed Drozd's address to his own, took possession of her and her mentally ill son's mail, and "cleaned out" her house; Oddly, Riley never submitted a funeral bill in the Drozd case, Bergin reveals, and there remains confusion as to how he was paid 4
May 29, 2007: This is the date that River Bend Funeral Home and Crematorium, LLC is described as first being "registered" as a "Domestic Limited Liability Company"; The "principal " is listed as Kevin K. Riley, Manager, with a business address of 623 Main Street, East Hartford, but with a residence address of 20 Pinney Road, Somers, CT; The "agent" is listed as David A. Ruth, Esq. (who was Riley's attorney at one time); The agent's business address is listed as 1159-A Boston Turnpike, Bolton, CT; The business ID is 0901394; The current business status is described as "Dissolved"; See:http://www.concord-sots.ct.gov/CONCORD/online?sn=PublicInquiry&eid=9740
June 2007: A marathon probate court hearing in Meriden is held on the Riley case before Judge Brian Mahon; in an unprecedented move, probate court officials agreed to transfer all probate cases Riley was involved in across the state to the Meriden court; Probate officials also refer the cases to Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane's office; During the hearing, Riley insists that he was "doing a job for the medical examiner's office that no other funeral director … wanted to do…" 5
July 2007: Claiming to be "financially drained" by his legal problems, K. Riley sells hisCoventry funeral home to Philip and Jessica Pietras for $800,000; Riley continues to run his other businesses at this time, but is "no longer an employee" of the newly named Coventry Pietras Funeral Home; Riley is allowed to stay in the house until he can find "alternate living arrangements" 5 In his testimony before the state board, K. Riley blames the media for his plight, as well as the managers he put in charge after he suffered two heart attacks. "I'm not the ghoul I've been portrayed as on the front page of The Hartford Courant," he is quoted as saying.6 Riley's attorney, John Droney, calls the proceedings led by investigator Bergin a "witch hunt," and Riley accuses Bergin of attempting to "hoodwink" the board. The health department's attorney, Diane Wilan, focuses on testimony that Riley used unlicensed embalmers and did not provide services with fixed prices.6 The board, at this point, is expected to make a decision about Riley's license in November 2007; however, another year will pass before this happens
Sept. 2007: Investigators from the chief state's attorney's office seize records from both ofRiley's businesses – the Coventry Funeral Home and Hartford Trade Service – including computers and employment records; a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27 by the CT Board of Examiners of Embalmers; some concern is expressed by one of the probate administrators involved (James Lawlor) that the board of examiners may dismiss many of the charges8
May 20, 2008: A new embalmer suddenly enters the picture: Kevin C. Davidson of North Haven, whose licensing information (under #2698) is listed multiple times on the State of Connecticut e-licensing website; See: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx
Dec. 2, 2008: K. Riley is fined $10,000 by the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Embalmers and Funeral Directors for allowing unlicensed employees to perform embalming; the Board votes unanimously that this is the only charge by DPH officials that could be proved; Riley is allowed to keep his funeral license9
Feb. 2009: Investigators from the state's attorney's office search the Weston Auction House, (where Riley's employee, Yolande Faulkner, works part-time as bookkeeper) situated close to the Coventry Funeral Home; they look for records of jewelry and other items sold there that they believe were taken by Riley from homes of the deceased10
October 1, 2009: Yolande Faulkner, the bookkeeper for Hartford Trade Service, is arrested and charged with first-degree larceny; She is held with bail set at $250,000 and is arraigned at Superior Court in Hartford, charged with one count each of Corrupt Organizations and Racketeering Activity, first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and 10 counts of second-degree larceny; Faulkner's court date is set for Nov. 13; Riley's arrest is believed imminent by his attorney10
October 15, 2009: Details of the double-billing schemes of K. Riley are revealed in a 49-page arrest warrant unsealed on the same day he's arrested (October 15, 2009); In sum, Riley double-billed the Department of Social Services and the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner more than $25,000 combined; In many instances, he charged the State transportation and burial fees while charging the same amount to the deceased's estate; The warrant also details Riley's schemes to steal valuables from the homes of deceased people Riley was entrusted by the state to serve; Riley posts $500,000 bail and is scheduled for a court appearance October 29; He is charged with one count of Corrupt Organizations and Racketeering Activity and multiple counts of first-degree larceny, second-degree Larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and forgery; In addition to Riley, another office worker at Hartford Trade Service, Sheri Blews, is arrested; The arrest warrant discloses that, in the Julia Drozd case, according to employees' testimony, Riley found and presumably kept up to $24,000 in cash found in the Drozd home11
2010 (month???): Kevin Davidson Realty is said to be established in 2010 at 1281 Ridge Road, North Haven, CT; See http://businessbay.us/kevin-davidson-realty-llc-north-haven-ct
February 9, 2010: K. Riley is arrested in his Somers home and charged with 63 counts of second-degree larceny; Prosecutors from the state's attorney's office charge him with double-billing the state for cremation containers 62 times, amounting to $8,440. He also over-billed families for containers, in the amount of $7,130; The Courant report on Riley's arrest describes him as operating "the Riverbend Funeral Home and Crematory in East Hartford," not "Hartford Trade Service" as previously 12
Aug. 27, 2010: K. Riley is convicted and pleads guilty to a long list of larceny and double-billing charges, and is ordered to pay restitution of $62,902; He faces a two-year prison sentence; Likewise, his "co-conspirator," Yolande Faulkner, is found guilty and faces a two-year prison sentence for larceny charges, ordered to pay $13,296 while facing a possible two-year prison sentence; Court dates for both are set for November; Officer Sheri Blews is likewise charged, and her case is pending; in the Courant article covering the convictions, it's revealed that Riley's victims include the estates of Anne Drysdale of Stamford and Joseph Chionski of West Hartford, which were plundered for the sale of items (including Tiffany and sterling silver items) by Faulkner at Weston Antiques13
Oct. 25, 2010: This is the date that Hartford Trade Service, LLC is described as being "registered" as a "Domestic Limited Liability Company" at the 623 Main Street East Hartford address; The principal listed is "Kevin Davidson" (manager), with a residence of 9 Lawncrest Drive, North Haven; The agent listed is also "Kevin Davidson" of "1281 Ridge Road, North Haven, CT" (business and residence address); The business ID is listed as 1018891; The business status is described as "Active" See: http://www.concord-sots.ct.gov/CONCORD/online?sn=PublicInquiry&eid=9740
Nov. 8, 2010: This is the date that River Bend Funeral Home and Crematorium, LLC is described as "registered" as a "Domestic Limited Liability Company" at 1281 Ridge Road, North Haven, CT 06473 – NOTE: This is a RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS owned by Russell & Sarah Davidson; See Jan 17, 1979 ; The principal and agent is Kevin Davidson of the same Ridge Road address; the business ID is 1020079; The business status is "Active"; See: http://www.concord-sots.ct.gov/CONCORD/online?sn=PublicInquiry&eid=9740
Jan. 3, 2011: Hartford Trade Service, LLC sells 623 Main Street, East Hartford to Kevin Davidson Realty, LLC for $280,000; See: http://www.mapsonline.net/easthartfordct/web_assessor/
Jan. 4, 2011: The expiration date for River Bend Funeral Home's license (#649) as listed inThe State of Connecticut's elicensing website: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx]
Jan. 4, 2011: The granted date for River Bend Funeral Home's new license (#666) as listed in The State of Connecticut's elicensing website: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx] (The license is said to be active until 6-30-2016)
Jan. 5, 2011: The expiration date for Hartford Trade Service's license (#467) as listed in the State of Connecticut's elicensing website: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx
Jan. 5, 2011: The granted date for Hartford Trade Service's new license (#667) as listed in theState of Connecticut's elicensing website: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx; (The license is said to be active until 6-30-2016)
Jan. 25, 2011: K. Riley is sentenced to 8 months in prison and forced to surrender his funeral director and embalming licenses; He must repay the estates he stole from as well as two state agencies he double-billed; He must also perform 100 hours of community service during each of the three years of probation after release from prison; Y. Faulkner receives a 5-year suspended sentence and must pay full restitution in addition to 100 hours of community service during each of three years of probation; Judge David Gold grants clemency to Faulkner, who cares for a disabled husband an elderly mother, because he says "prison would be more punitive to those she cares for rather than her"; He describes Riley and Faulkner as "good people who'd lost their way" 14
Feb 15, 2011: The state of Connecticut's Department of Public Health lists this as the date Kevin Riley (#002251) voluntarily surrendered his license as funeral director and embalmer: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3143&q=388896; Compare this with the items listed for January 4 & 5 for the same year.
May 25, 2012: Kevin Davidson purchases 9 Lawncrest Drive, North Haven from Michael Zumbo for $233,500
Sept. 12, 2012: 623 Main Street, East Hartford is quit-claimed to River Bend Funeral Home & Crematorium (whose agent is "Kevin Davidson") by Kevin Davidson Realty, LLC; See: http://www.mapsonline.net/easthartfordct/web_assessor/
Dec. 14, 2012: After the Sandy Hook event, in which Adam Lanza allegedly takes his own life, it is decided that Lanza's remains will be cremated in secret; The alleged death certificate of Adam Lanza lists "Hartford Trade Service" as the funeral facility in Box #33 – with an illegible signature next to it and the license number "2698," which turns out to be that of Kevin Davidson (See May 20, 2008 above); Also, see: https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2016/04/27/sandy-hook-the-curious-case-of-adam-lanzas-ex-con-funeral-home-director/
Feb. 14, 2013: Y. Faulkner's sentence is modified after she completes 200+ hours of community service; She is placed on conditional discharge from that service so that she'll have time to care for sick family members; She is ordered to make a $1,000 charitable donation in lieu of the time 15
Dec. 2013: K. Riley purchases the Demers Home at 129 Springfield Road in Somers, CT forabout $95,000; The home is a leaky, vermin-infested derelict rooming house that Riley will sink an alleged $200,000 in the next year and a half, removing 30-40 trees, filling nine dumpsters with garbage and hoarded junk, and renovating 16
April 26, 2015: K. Riley holds an open house at the newly reno'd Demers Home, which he has renamed Tall Pines Rooming House, LLC; He is reported to be renting rooms there for between $150 and $250 per week16
Dec. 16, 2015: This is the date that Kevin Davidson Realty, LLC is said to be registered as a "Domestic Limited Liability Company" at 623 Main Street, East Hartford; The principal and agent are recorded as the same person, Kevin Davidson: Davidson's business address is listed as 623 Main Street, East Hartford (the address of record for Hartford Trade and River Bend) with a residential address of 9 Lawncrest Drive, North Haven, CT 06473; The business ID is 1193087
Current (2016): All State Estate Liquidators & Cleaning Service, a company operated out of a P.O. Box address in Bolton, CT, continues to be run by Yolande Faulkner; See: http://www.businessdatabase.us/all-state-estate-liquidators-cleaning-service-bolton-ct-06043.usbiz; Faulkner, who appears to divide her time between Bolton and Vernon, neighboring towns in Connecticut, recently placed one of her residences, a lavish log home, on the market; The current asking price as of May 2016: $359,900; See: https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ct/vernon/166-grier-rd/pid_11274459/
1 "Rileys Have Home Sweet Funeral Home," Lisa Goldberg, Hartford Courant, 3-08-1998
2 "A Mortician's Unusual Undertaking," Colin Poitra and Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 11-05-06
2a "Funeral Director On Hot Seat," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 11-17-06
3 "Funeral License Ruling Delayed," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 1-12-07
4 "Investigator Lays Out Funeral Director Case," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 3-30-07
5"Man Sells Funeral Home As Legal Woes Continue," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 7-07-07
6 "Funeral Director: I'm Not A Ghoul," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 7-20-07
7 "Unseemly Undertaking," Tribune Digital – The Courant, 8-20-07
8 "Records Seized from Funeral Businesses," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 9-20-07
9 "Funeral Chief Fined $10,000," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 12-04-08
10 "Aide to Funeral Director Arrested – Bookkeeper Charged With Racketeering," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 10-02-09
11 "Funeral Home Owner Charged with Racketeering," Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 10-16-09
12 "Funeral Director Faces More Charges," Christine Dempsey, Hartford Courant, 2-09-10
13 "Funeral Director Who Plundered Estates Is Found Guilty," Dave Altimari and David Owens, Hartford Courant, 8-27-10
14 "Funeral Home Director Sentenced To 8 Months," David Owens and Dave Altimari, firstname.lastname@example.com, Hartford Courant, 1-25-11
15 "Sentence Modified For Bookkeeper in Funeral Scam," Hilda Muñoz, firstname.lastname@example.com, Hartford Courant, 2-14-13
16 "Miraculous makeover: Once filthy Somers rooming house undergoes stunning transformation," Lauren Quirici, Journal Inquirer, 5-24-15
What should we make of the odd coincidences in the above timeline? For instance, consider Kevin Davidson Realty – an entity that mysteriously popped up like a daisy out of a corpse in 2010 – the same year that Kevin Riley was arrested in his Somers home and charged with 63 counts of larceny.
That same Kevin Davidson Realty would later purchase 623 Main Street on Jan. 3, 2011 — just a few weeks before Riley was sentenced to prison on Jan. 25, 2011.
Then, in September 2011, Kevin Davidson Realty turned over 623 Main Street to River Bend Funeral Home & Crematorium for a cool $0. (And wouldn't this be about the time Riley was released from prison?) Before and since that time, Cinderella could find no evidence that Kevin Davidson Realty had/has taken part in any reported real estate transactions — at all.
Yet, like three passed-over peas in a pod, Kevin Davidson Realty, Hartford Trade Service and River Bend Funeral Home & Crematorium currently share the same business address.
One Yolande. Two Kevins (?). Three businesses. Maybe it means nothing. But one question persists: Why did the State of Connecticut trust the remains of Adam Lanza to a business steeped in deception and opportunistic crimes? A business that ripped off the people of Connecticut by double-billing services rendered to the most exploitable of the exploited – those who die alone, without living relatives or companions competent to defend them against criminal acts.
Well, dear reader. You tell me. ~C


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Sydney Summit – Video HighlightsHighlights from our Sydney Community Engagement Summit held at the Mercure Hotel in September 2018.
Posted by Community Engagement Summit Series on Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Be part of a fresh and exciting event that will advance the practice of Community Engagement and create better outcomes for communities across Australia.
The 2018 Community Engagement Summit Series has been designed with the belief that contemporary, high quality professional development for engagement practitioners is the cornerstone of delivering even better outcomes for our communities in the future.
Session 1: Emerging trends in engagement This session will explore the most pressing and relevant trends for engagement practitioners. Presenters will reflect on the past 12 months and provide observations and examples of where they think the industry is heading in the near future. The session will uncover emerging techniques, as well as look at engagement across industries and delve into how this impacts the way we plan and deliver projects.
Session 2: Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities Engaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities This session is designed to create better outcomes when we engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and community members from a CALD background. Hear from experienced practitioners who will provide advice based on their experience working with and as part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and CALD communities.
Session 3: Digital and virtual engagement Each year we aim to bring you updates on new and emerging technology which can help make engagement fun, interesting and more effective. This year our program offers some very exciting demonstrations of digital engagement, virtual and augmented reality which has been used to great effect. The session will feature presentations from universities, leading tech companies and organisations who are using these tools to better engage.
Session 4: Careers in community and stakeholder engagement Have you ever thought about where a career in community and stakeholder could take you? Our diverse panel of engagement professionals will talk through the many paths and trajectories a career in this industry can take you. We'll discuss careers in the government and private sector, consulting and contract work and even working for yourself. The session will also delve into what study and qualifications you should seek, and whether a standardised qualification should be available to professionals in this sector.
Session 5: Engaging with regional and remote communities This session features organisations who work with regional and remote communities on a daily basis, sharing their stories and successes. Hear real-life examples of how to best engage with regional and remote communities and how to reach those in geographically challenging locations.
Session 6: Interactive group learning sessions Throughout the two days take part in group learning which is designed so that participants can network, share challenges and wins and learn from the wealth of knowledge in the room.
Exciting program of industry experts for our 2018 Summits
Participants have taken great value from attending our previous Community Engagement Summits – here's what they said:
"The topics covered across the 2 days of the Summit were interesting and relevant to engagement practice. All speakers were engaging and passionate about their work. I enjoyed both days and feel I will use some of the ideas in my work."
"When organisations offered examples of what hasn't worked and what has, it was very applicable."
"I felt the presenters were very open… and as such were able to give great feedback/ pointers for similar projects."
"Opportunity to focus on community engagement at an achievable level for local government"
"There was an interesting mix of speakers and lots of opportunities to network and meet people."
Welcome We are pleased to officially launch the 2018 Community Engagement Summit Series. This is our third successive year hosting the series, and to date we have had participants from over 150 organisations across five states join us to share and learn the latest in community engagement. Our events are planned and designed through research, networking and talking to industry leaders to ensure we are delivering content which is fresh, useful and up to date. Our objective has always been to advance community engagement across the country through quality professional development. We aim to do this by bringing engagement practitioners together to share examples, stories and case studies so we can all learn from each other's successes and the challenges we face as we engage with our communities and stakeholders. This is a dynamic and changing industry, with many new and exciting ways to plan and deliver community engagement. The Summit Series theme this year, 'full sphere of engagement' reflects that practitioners need to be at the top of their game across a broad range of topics. As such we have assembled presenters and facilitators with expertise across many areas of practice. We hope you will join us to in Sydney or Perth this year as we are sure you will take a lot away from this exciting series of events!
Darius Turner Joel Fredericks CO-CHAIR CO-CHAIR
• Experience industry leading engagement practitioners sharing their knowledge in an interactive setting • A community engagement event run by community engagement practitioners • A fresh approach to community engagement conference style events with a focus on participation and interaction • Contemporary and future-focused demonstrations of tools and techniques to help reach your audience • Updates from leading community engagement academics on how research is leading practice • Tips and ideas which can be used to deliver high quality engagement with your communities
Charity Partner We are proud partner to have Action on Poverty as our charity partner for the 2018 Community Engagement Summit Series


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From the website:
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text: I was wondering if anyone was aware of a method for mounting virtual CD devices with CD image files. I keep images (.CUE/.BIN pairs) of my CD collection on a NAS appliance tucked away in my closet. I'd like to write a script to mount each one, create ID tags, rip the tracks, then move along to the next one. I figure with a quad core opteron, it should be able to crank through them in a few days (it's a few thousand CD's worth of images). Anyone done this before with their trusty CentOS box? I'd be using CentOS 5. Best,


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Disney's latest animation feature, The Princess and the Frog, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 16 June 2010. Running time: 94 minutes. Rated: G
In the age of computer animations and 3D special effects, it's always good to see a traditional hand-drawn story that is just as beautiful to the eye — but with that extra bit of fluidity and a human touch. That's exactly what Disney has delivered with Oscar-nominated The Princess and the Frog, a true family film that brought back the nostalgic feelings of those classic animated features from my childhood.
I must admit, The Princess and the Frog was not a film that immediately jumped out at me at during its theatrical run. The original Grimm brothers' fairytale about a princess who turns a frog into a prince never really appealed to me personally, and I thought the film would just be a simple retelling of that story.
However, full credit must go to John Musker and Ron Clements (creators of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin). Instead of going down the expected route, The Princess and the Frog turns the original fairytale on its head, and the result is both surprising and hilarious.
The obvious thing that sticks out about this film is that Disney finally has a black female lead in Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose from Dreamgirls), a hardworking waitress who dreams of opening up her own restaurant. But there's a lot more than that. Rather than some magical alternative world, The Princess and the Frog is set in French Quarter of New Orleans. This backdrop gives the film an entirely new dimension, bringing back that fun-filled era of jazz music, big bands and old-school dancing never before seen in Disney animated features.
Young Tiana's world is turned upside down when Prince Naveen (voiced by Bruno Campos from Nip/Tuck) arrives for a royal visit. Of course, there is a mysterious villain, and without giving away too much of the plot, spells and frogs become involved and the setting is transformed from New Orleans to the mystical bayous of Louisiana, where more interesting characters are introduced, including a musical alligator and a lovesick firefly.
As I understand it, The Princess and the Frog endured a lot of controversies and changes over title, the lead characters, the location and the villain — but seriously, as always, it was much ado about nothing. In the end, it's just pure family fun without a suggestion of political messages or racial or cultural insensitivity.
I haven't been a big fan of animations for a while (with a few notable exceptions), but I really enjoyed The Princess and the Frog. It is indeed a film intended for the whole family but the target is still clearly young children, despite a couple of "frightening" scenes involving voodoo and the "other side". The humour is very much geared towards the kids, though from about the halfway mark I found myself laughing way more than I should have been.
I don't usually consider myself a jazz listener, but the score for this film was exceptional — lively and fun while remaining true to the Disney spirit. But perhaps my favourite thing about The Princess and the Frog was the character of Prince Naveen. For once, the male lead is not just some wealthy, handsome and unbelievably perfect guy who comes in to sweep the heroine off her feet. Naveen is really a bit of a douche, and I was almost disappointed to find that he actually had some redeeming qualities by the end of the film.
3.5 stars out of 5!


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Hey little one! Have you ever dreamed of exploring an island or travelling to the moon? Do you want to race cars and horses or to talk to a friendly bear? Or maybe you just need to hide from the rain? No problem! Louie is here!
And with the help of Yoko, they will draw many exciting things for you to discover, right before your very eyes: a house, an aeroplane, a kangaroo, a rocket and even an elephant! What is better, you can learn to be a master artist yourself! The book has been tanslated to 13 different languages nad sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide,


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In early 2017, we collaborated with Studio 3AM to help design, brand, and animate the intro to the anthology of short films titled « Blade Runner: Lost Memories. » These short films were conceived to bridge the gap between the original Blade Runner and the latest edition of Blade Runner 2049, and our goal was to find the most subtle, yet effective concept to really tie everything together. Ultimately, we selected a noir concept of backlighting the iconic Blade Runner logo with a rotating strobe, sporadically revealing different sections of the logo. This concept is a homage to one of the best Sci-Fi noir films made to date, and we had an absolutely amazing time building it out and being a part of this iconic enterprise.
Client – 3AM
Art Director – Chris Eyerman / Ash Thorp
Designer – Ash Thorp
Animator – Christoffer Bjerre
Producer – Monica Thorp
For more please visit – Ashthorp.com


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We feature Capel Rugs, the oldest and largest manufacturer and importer of area rugs in America. Creating rugs that can stand the test of time, has been their family motto for 90 years. Capel Anywhere™ rugs are water, mold and mildew resistant, and they clean up easily with a hose and water.
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