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US 7590592 B2 Résumé The computerized bidding method matches hospitality facility data and meeting requirement data, permits the posting of offers and responsive bidding by both hospitality facility vendors and meeting planners, and facilitates the exchange of data. In a simplified system, meeting planner requirement data (at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data) is matched to hotel or hospitality vendor data (at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data), and the system sends planner offer data to matching hospitality vendors without disclosing the planner contact data. Thereafter, the hotel vendors respond and the responses are sent to the meeting planner posting the offer. The presentation to the planner may be in spread sheet form, sorted by pre-set criteria.
Revendications(9) 1. A computerized bidding, matching and information exchange method accessible on a telecommunications network for matching hospitality facility data, representing vendors furnishing hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities, with meeting requirement data, representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events, the bidding, matching and information exchange method comprising:
gathering and storing, via said telecommunications network, said hospitality facility data for said plurality of vendors and said meeting requirement data for said plurality of meeting planners in a database accessible via said telecommunications network, said hospitality facility data including at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data;
gathering meeting requirement offer data, via said telecommunications network, including at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data, and
matching meeting requirement offer data with hospitality facility data on said database and communicating said meeting requirement offer data, via said telecommunications network, to matching vendors with the matching hospitality facility data and withholding, from matching vendors, said meeting planner contact data associated with said meeting requirement offer data; and
gathering responsive hospitality bid data, via said telecommunications network, from a plurality of interested matching vendors relative to said meeting requirement offer data and communicating said responsive hospitality bid data, via said telecommunications network, to said meeting planner posting said meeting requirement offer data.
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Description This is a continuation patent application based upon and claiming the benefit of application Ser. No. 09/740,371, filed Dec. 19, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,338. The present invention relates to a computerized method and a system for matching hospitality providers, such as hotels and hospitality facilities provided by vendors, with the needs or necessities of a plurality of meeting planners which organize and implement corporate, association and third party private meetings and events. Meeting planners facilitate and organize corporate meetings, events, and other types of gatherings for businesses, charitable organizations and private parties. There is a continuing need by these meeting planners to locate prospective venues, confirm the amenities, room availability, meeting room availability and other characteristics of the hospitality facility prior to negotiating a price for the meeting or event. From the perspective of the hospitality facility vendor (that is, the hotel, conference center or other type of hospitality facility), there is a need to easily provide basic information regarding the facility and a further need to operate the facility at a high occupancy or utilization rate. Of course, the hospitality facility vendor is seeking the highest possible price for utilization of the facility and the highest occupancy rate, and meeting planners are seeking the lowest possible price for room and board and reasonable quality facilities. Taking into account the competing and common interests of these parties, there is a need for an information and matching service, implemented as a computer program or a computerized method, which facilitates the postings of offers to sell or provide hospitality facilities and subsequently permit meeting planners to bid on those hotel offerings and a system and method for vendors to bid on meetings and events corresponding to event offers posted by meeting planners. A discussion of some prior art systems follow. Winsor consultants ("Meeting Auctions" www.meetingauctions.com/) discloses a method for providing and bidding on meeting rooms. Four options are listed. In option one, the user searches the hotel database and completes an Auction/RFP form (request for proposal) stating his requirements regarding hotel rooms. When the submit button is clicked, the form is sent to the Auctioneer who contacts the hotel and sends the user the results. In option two, the user provides more data in the Auction RFP form, such as region, a range of dates, etc. The Auctioneer contacts the hotels with the same effect. In option three, if the user request in the Auction RIP/form, the Auctioneer will contact a large group of hotels to solicit proposals. After discussing a short list with the user, the Auctioneer will work out a satisfactory rate and contract with the selected hotel(s). In option 4, the user fills out the Auction RFP form with the minimum information, and the Auctioneer contacts the user to discuss options. An article from Business Wire (Oct. 27, 1999) discloses details regarding StarCite.com which provides an auctioning system for meetings and planning particularly with reference to bidding for hotel rooms, and other aspects concerning meetings. The emphasis is on planning, and the essential idea is to develop a large database that contains as much information as possible about hotels including all aspects of meeting, such as old RFPs so that planners can plan and track meetings, amount spent, and have reference to suppliers and specific meeting and travel policies. Planners can search more than 50,000 suppliers. Another site is enventsource.com. Priceline.com is engaged in a bidding and auction system. The procedure is straight forward and involves booking a hotel room at a favorable rate dictated by the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,207 to Walker et al discloses a system for allowing prospective buyers of goods and services to communicate a binding purchase offer globally to potential sellers and for sellers to conveniently search for relevant buyer purchase offers. No auction is conducted in the normal sense, and the system is simply an outreach technique that a buyer with limited resources and usage can use to contact many sellers, and thereby, try to purchase at more favorable and competitive terms vis-a-vis large buyers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,045 to Barzilai et al discloses a computer based method of selling consumer products and services. The computer electronically establishes a virtual showroom in which is displayed the consumer products and services, and a plurality of customers are interconnected to the computer via a telecommunication link. The auction is run in the usual way, with consumers bidding for the goods and services. The computer determines the highest and successful bid. It is an object of the present invention to provide a computerized bidding method and a system for matching hospitality facility data, provided by vendors, with requirement data representing respective necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a computer system wherein the roles of the seller (offeror) are reversed with respect to the buyer (bidder) dependent upon a particular desired transaction. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an information storage and management system which enables the vendor to quickly and easily input or register and confirm hospitality facility data representing their hotels, convention centers and hospitality facilities. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple system for registering meeting planners and for enabling those planners to input requirement data representing necessities of meetings and events such as number of hotel rooms needed, size of meeting rooms needed, special amenities such as golf, tennis etc., geographic location, maximum price, and date. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a screening service which initially matches hospitality facility data with requirement data from meeting planners. It is another object of the present invention to provide a computerized system and a method for posting offers for hospitality facilities or services by vendors, and posting offers by meeting planners to fulfill meeting and event requirements, and a complementary system enabling meeting planners to bid on hospitality facility offers and hotel and hospitality vendors to bid on meeting and event requirements or offers posted by meeting planners. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a matching system which displays, to the vendor or meeting planner initiating the offer, all bids, in a blinded format, posted by the prospective complementary contracting party. It is a further object of the present invention to enable electronic communications between offerors and bidders by providing all bids to the offerors, permitting the offeror to select a predetermined number (typically three), unblinding the selected bid data and offeror data for that predetermined number, and exchanging unblinded data to the selected bidders and the offeror such that the offerors and the bidders can conclude contract negotiations for the hospitality facility without further intervention by the computerized system. It is another object of the present invention to enable the offeror to select additional bids, other than the initially selected bids, to fulfill the offeror's desires. If a hospitality facility vendor is the offeror, the meeting planner bidders may not be desirable or, for example, not credit worthy. If the offeror is a meeting planner, the facilities bid by vendors may not meet or exceed the meeting planner-offeror's expectations, economic parameters, time for event or other stated or unstated conditions. In such event, the computerized system and method produces and presents an additional group of bidders, which meet the offer data, to the offeror. The computerized bidding method matches hospitality facility data and meeting requirement data, permits the posting of offers and responsive bidding by both hospitality facility vendors and meeting planners, and facilitates the exchange of data and essentially enables an auction between multiple parties. The hospitality facility data represents vendors for hotel facilities, meeting room facilities or other hospitality facilities. Meeting requirement data represents the necessities of a plurality of meeting planners for a corresponding plurality of meetings or events. The system and the method stores the hospitality facility data and the meeting requirement data in a database. The hospitality facility data and meeting requirement data at least includes, respectively, vendor contact data, meeting planner contact data, room data, amenity data and price data. The system and the method gathers meeting requirement data from a plurality of meeting planners. Typically, this meeting requirement data includes minimum facilities requirement and price data. In an enhanced version, the meeting requirement data also includes location and date availability. The system matches the meeting requirement data with previously stored hospitality facility data. Typically, the data match involves date availability, price, number of rooms required and, sometimes, location. Meeting requirement data is truncated or blinded to obscure or withhold the identity of the meeting planner offeror who supplied the meeting requirement data. The blinded meeting requirement data or offer is sent to hospitality vendors which match the meeting requirements. The hospitality vendors then submit specific hospitality facility data or bids to the system. The system and the method presents to the meeting planner offeror blinded specific hospitality facility data or blinded hospitality bids. The system and method then permits the meeting planner offeror to select a predetermined number (typically 3) of the blinded hospitality vendor bids. Upon this selection, the system and the method exchanges contact data and a full detail of the meeting planner offer and a full detail of the selected vendor hospitality bids to the meeting offeror and all of the "winning" or selected hospitality vendor bidders. In the event the meeting planner offeror cannot fill his or her necessities (the meeting can select or reject a bid in his or her complete discretion), the meeting planner can request the system and the method to provide another group of hospitality vendor bidders while deselecting one or more previously submitted hospitality vendor bids. The system then again exchanges contact data and full offeror and bid data between the selected bidders and the meeting planner offeror. The system and the method also enables the hospitality vendor to offer hospitality facilities. Blinded facilities offer data is presented to one or more inquiring meeting planners. Additionally and optionally, blinded facilities offer data is provided to everyone via the Internet. Meeting planners can bid by submitting specific facilities requirement data for those hospitality vendor offers. The meeting planner bids are blinded (to remove bidder name, etc.) and all blinded planner bids are presented to the hospitality vendor offeror. The hospitality vendor offeror is permitted to select a predetermined number (3) of the blinded meeting planner bids (specific requirement data) and, upon selection, the system enables direct communication with the exchange of hotel vendor offeror contact data and winning meeting planner bidder contact data. If the vendor-offeror cannot fulfill the offer (in his or her sole discretion to accept or reject bids), the vendor-offeror requests additional meeting planner bids and deselects other previously supplied meeting planner bids. Thereafter, the system repeats the exchange of data process. In a simplified system, meeting planner requirement data (at least meeting planner contact data, facilities requirement data, date range data and price data) is matched to hotel or hospitality vendor data (at least vendor contact data, location data, room quantity data, date available range data, and meeting room data), and the system sends planner offer data to matching hospitality vendors without disclosing the planner contact data. Thereafter, the hotel vendors respond and the responses are sent to the meeting planner posting the offer. The presentation to the planner may be in spread sheet form, sorted by pre-set criteria. Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: The present invention relates to a computerized bidding method and a system for matching hospitality facility data, provided by vendors, with meeting requirement data, provided by meeting planners and representing respective necessities for a plurality of meetings or events. Throughout the description of the present method and system, abbreviations are sometimes utilized describing certain features. The following Abbreviations Table lists these items.
In a preferred embodiment, the system and method are deployed on Internet 10 via computer system server 20. Server 20 includes CPU 36, memory 38 and I/O 40, and is coupled to Internet 10. In a different embodiment of the present invention, the meeting planner—hotel auction system or processing system or method may be partially or entirely carried out with the use of a telephone communications center 42. The telephone communications center typically includes one or a plurality of computers 44 and one or more telephones 46. Human operators may answer telephone inquiries from a meeting planner or hotel representative seeking information regarding an auction. The input of information can be facilitated by a person at telephone communication center 42. For example, computer 44 could display questions which the operator could audibly present via telephone 46 to a caller. The operator would input into computer 44 the caller's answers and system 44 could generate appropriate responses to complete data entry forms for the system. In a preferred embodiment, inquiries regarding meeting planners, hotels or auctions are obtained by utilizing a web browser or other type of interface on a user's computer 12 (a client computer) as deployed by server 20. The information obtained by computer 12 is generally stored in server 20. Thereafter, the information is processed by server 20 and the output information representing processed data is delivered to the user via Internet 10, and ultimately to user or client computer 12. Although the system and method is described generally for use in conjunction with Internet 10, the system and method could be utilized exclusively by a single computer, such as laptop computer 17, operated by a meeting planner or a hotel representative. Laptop 17 could be utilized with a CD-ROM storing a major portion of the data bases necessary to carry out the principles of the present invention. Since the bidding process involves a complementary party, that portion must be interactive over a communications channel. Further, the information processing system could be deployed over a local area network or a wide area network or utilized exclusively in-house by a single company with subsidiaries bidding for a facility, such as a corporate resort. The browser is displayed on computer 12 or 17 or on an Internet enabled, computerized device such as a PALM PILOT or Internet enabled cellular telephone. The browser and web server may be considered part of the interface to the data and information processing system. The present invention could be produced in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software, and these hardware and software implementations would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The system, or method, according to the inventive principles as disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiment, may be produced in a single computer system having separate elements or means for performing the individual functions or steps described or claimed or one or more elements or means combining the performance of any of the functions or steps disclosed or claimed, or may be arranged in a distributed computer system, interconnected by any suitable means (such as a local or widely distributed network over a telecommunications system), as would be known by one of ordinary skill in art. According to the inventive principles as disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiment, the invention and the inventive principles are not limited to any particular kind of computer system but may be used with any general purpose computer, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art, arranged to perform the functions described and the method steps described. The operations of such a computer, as described herein, may be according to a computer program contained on a medium for use in the operation or control of the computer, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The computer medium which may be used to hold or contain the computer program product, may be a fixture of the computer such as an embedded memory or may be on a transportable medium such as a disk, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is not limited to any particular computer program or logic or language, or instruction but may be practiced with any such suitable program, logic or language, or instructions as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Without limiting the principles of the disclosed invention any such computing system can include, inter alia, at least a computer readable medium allowing a computer to read data, instructions, messages or message packets, and other computer readable information from the computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include non-volatile memory, such as ROM, Flash memory, floppy disk, Disk drive memory, CD-ROM, and other permanent storage. Additionally, a computer readable medium may include, for example, volatile storage such as RAM, buffers, cache memory, and network circuits. Furthermore, the computer readable medium may include computer readable information in a transitory state medium such as a network link and/or a network interface, including a wired network or a wireless network, that allow a computer to read such computer readable information. With respect to registration function 61, inputs are obtained from meeting planners 62, vendors representing hotels and hospitality facilities 64 and third parties having facilities data 66. These third party data sources 66 provide basic hotel data such as name, full address and sometimes quality rating or ranking. Registration function 61 processes this information and places or stores the information into a planner database 68 and a hotel database 70. These data bases are typically located on server 20 but may be located on a CD-ROM used by laptop 17. Other databases, lists or indexes may be utilized as discussed later herein. It should be noted that a single database or spreadsheet appropriately divided into meeting planner regions and hotel vendors regions is contemplated by the present inventive system. However, it is convenient to discuss two databases, one associated with the meeting planner information and the second associated with the hotel or hospitality facility vendor information. The discussion of two or more data bases is not meant to limit the claimed invention since a single database, properly organized, may be utilized. In order to reduce the data input time by hotel and hospitality providers or vendors, the system sometimes obtains hospitality facility data from third-party sources. This input of third-party data 66 is recognized in Meeting auction or exchange data function 63 obtains offer information from a plurality of planners 62 a. Meeting auction exchange function 63 outputs information to hotels and other hospitality facility vendors 64 a and planners 62 a. Entities 64 a and 62 a interact the meeting auction function 63 with bids and communications. As used herein, the term "hotel" includes any type of organization or person that furnishes hotel rooms or facilities, motels, rooms, meeting facilities, conference centers, and other hospitality facilities such as golf, tennis, sailing, marina, adventure excursions, tours etc. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to vendors providing hotel accommodations but is related to a wider range of hospitality vendors. "Hospitality vendor" is synonymous with "hotel vendor" or simply "hotels." Hotel auction or data exchange function 65 receives offer input from hotel vendors 64 b and outputs information or interacts with planners 62 c and hotels 64 b. These latter entities bid and interact with function 65. Administration function 67 accepts input from a system administrator 72 and generates output to administrator 72 and website administrator 74 and customers 76 utilizing the system and method. Customers 76 include vendors and meeting planners. Administration function 67 can be further segmented into website management 69, marketing 71 and error handling 73. Error handling 73 may include information or data errors as well as administrative errors. Such administrative errors may include erroneous contact information for particular hotel vendors. Vendor branch 81 obtains the user name and hotel name in step 82. If the hotel or hospitality facility is already documented and identified in hotel database 70, according to decision step 84, the YES branch is taken. Step 86 confirms the hotel data with the user-hotel representative typically on the client computer. One of these client's computers includes client computer 12 in If the hotel or hospitality facility is not identified and documented in hotel database 72 (
The present version of the invention includes a verification routine. Step 88 verifies that the user represents the hotel which he or she as indicated in step 82. Typically, the system administrator or staff orally confirms the identity and authority of the hotel's contact person. This is an off-line verification function. An electronic verification (i.e., by automatically, electronically checking the personal records on the website of the vendor or the corporate meeting planner) may be implemented. Table 2 which follows provides an example of hotel registration verification.
In an enhanced system, the electronic verification program will generate e-mail to the designated e-mail address and then require the recipient's e-mail system to reply to that specific e-mail message. In this manner, the enhanced system electronically verifies that the user is a representative for a particular hotel and is, in fact, associated with that hotel. Post-verification step 90 sends an e-mail to the user with a URL or hot link. This e-mail enables the user to quickly access the computerized bid-offer system. Table 3 which follows provides general information regarding the hotel or the hospitality facility listed in hotel database 70 of
If the registration inquiry in step 80 branches to meeting planner branch 83, the system further branches or splits into corporate meeting planner branch 87 and third-party corporate representative branch 89. In each one of these branches, obtain data steps 92 a and 92 b enable the system to gather basic meeting planner data. Table 4 which follows identifies meeting planner categories and definitions.
The definitions in above Table 4 provide a simple frame work for categorizing various meeting planners. Other frameworks may be utilized. These categories and definitions are not meant to be limiting with respect to the utilization of the present system. The data obtained in data gathering step 92 a may include the registration data for the planner set forth in Table 5 below.
The registration table for third-party corporate meeting planners is set forth below in Table 6.
Returning to the corporate meeting planner branch 87, after the system obtains basic data (see Table 5), the system in step 94 verifies the user name and the organization. Currently, the system operator confirms this registration and corporate authorization data and an electronic notation is made in the records. Table 7 which follows provides the planner verification steps.
With respect to the third-party meeting planner branch 89, after the system obtains basic information on the third-party representing a specific corporation, the system obtains corporate data in step 96 for the planner. As listed above in Table 6, the user must be an authorized corporate representative and the corporation must specifically elect and confirm that it is bound by the decisions of the third-party consultant. For a corporation to be bound, an electronic authorization may be utilized. See Table 6, Corporate Selection and Approval. The data obtained in data step 92 b relates to basic consultant information and data acquisition step 96 obtains corporate or association data. Returning to the registration branch 89 for the third-party consultant for a corporation, in step 98, the system marks the corporate planner database with indication that copies be sent to the designated corporation. Step 100 verifies the data obtained in Table 6. This verification is similar to the Planner Verification Table. Step 102 sends a hotlink or hyperlink from the system to the consultant for the corporation.
Hotel search active area 1022 and meeting search active area 1024 transfers the registered user or visitor to a search process 1021. Search process 1021 enables the registered user or the visitor to search for and review the data shown in the blinded or truncated hotel offer or blinded or truncated meeting offer database. In other words, the registered user or visitor may wish to look at all hotels in the State of Florida rather than all hotels in the U.S. Search criteria based on dates availability, location, type of hotel and price are common search criteria. Registration areas 1026 include hotel active area 1028 and meeting planner active area 1030. The registration areas 1026 transfer the visitor or potential user to a registration process 1032. Registration process 1032 is discussed above generally in connection with A registered user can input his or her name in user name input active area 1034 and insert his or her appropriate password at password input area 1036. The user is then transferred to a functional routine identified herein as member filter function 1038. The user is then presented with his or her specific activities page. An example of a hotel activity page is shown in In order to enhance the user friendliness of the system, a demonstration active area 1040 is provided. Demonstration area 1040 includes demonstration for hotel offers and bids 1042 and a demonstration for meeting planner offers and bids 1044. A demonstration for the registration function may also be provided in active area 1046. The users, upon actuation of active areas 1042, 1044 or 1046 are transferred via hyperlink to a demonstration database 1050. Of course, demonstration database 1050 could be part of hotel database 70 and meeting planner database 68 (which may be a single database as described earlier) or may be a separate database in order to avoid corruption of accurate data with respect to the hotels, meeting planners, posted offers and posted bids (offer-bid database 68-70). In step 112, the system obtains "open," that is not expired, offer data and responsive bid data for that hotel or hospitality facility vendor from the database. Step 114 displays those open offers wherein the hotel or hospitality facility vendor is offering to provide hospitality services to registered meeting planners. Step 116 enables the user to select more data (show details and show bid history) to view outstanding offers and display posted by the user. Offers and bids not posted by the user are blinded or truncated data compilations. Bid data can be changed via this step unless the auction has expired. Step 118 obtains any open bids made by the hotel vendors for events and meeting offers posted by meeting planners. Step 120 displays those bids. Step 122 enables the user to select and display more details regarding those bids. See Tables 10 and 11 below. Returning to
In An example of outstanding offer data is shown below in Table 10.
Outstanding bids posted by the hotel and shown in the display field of
Table 11 also shows blinded or truncated facilities offer data made available to a meeting planner who has posted an offer for an event as "requirement data." The term "requirement data" is utilized because the meeting planner "needs" or "requires" that facility or service (e.g. compare a "need" for a golf course to a "need" for a 2000 person meeting room) to prepare, launch and execute a successful meeting. The blinded data is in a summary format and does not show identity or contact data of the posting party. Returning to After the post new offer step 124, the system executes search hotel database step 128. It should be again noted that these functions 116, 122, 124, 128, 132 and 134 are selected by the registered user via an active field on a web page. Therefore, the process flow (e.g., 122-124-128 etc.) is not linear but is dynamically selected (or not selected ) by the user. The output of that search is provided as display 130. The registered hotel user is currently permitted to search the entire hotel database to view all hotel specifics (but not data identifying the bidder's name on bids or the offeror's name of offers). The same is true for visitors. See Table 12 below for the search routine fields which define the inquiry format. An asterisk in these tables generally refers to a pull-down menu selection for the client computer or user. The pull down menu * is optional. After the search hotel database routine step 128, the system executes a search meetings database step 132 to locate open requests for quotes (RFQs) or request for proposals (RFPs), that is, open meeting planner offers. Table 12 which follows provides some search criteria. The search criteria can be utilized for a hotel or a meeting auction, or a hotel auction. It should be noted that the "auction" is primarily promoted by the easy exchange of data and the matching of offers and bids wherein each party in the system may be both an offeror (a seller) and a bidder (a buyer). This dual role of both the hotel and the meeting planner is unique to the present system. A hotel vendor may want to search the hotel database to look for outstanding blinded offers. An open offer, even if blinded, affects competition. Since blinded or truncated data is available to all (truncated data represents data without naming the offeror or bidder, see Tables 8A, 8B), price and facility competition is fostered without specifically identifying the offeror. Sophisticated competitors may be able to "guess" who is offering or bidding due to certain unique attributes (e.g., a marina) in a location (e.g., Orlando, Fla.) but the offers and bids are considered anonymous in nature. Since only registered vendors (e.g. hotels) and registered planners are permitted to offer and place bids, the data is genuine and represents high quality information.
After the search meetings routine 132, the system executes step 134 which updates database information as necessary. If hotel data must be updated, update step 134 jumps to the registration routine as noted in jump step 136. This jump step transfers operation of the program to registration functional routine shown in Returning to
The offeror should identify at least one location setting (a region, a state or a city or airport). The system in
Step 158 obtains upcoming events from an event database (which may be supplemental to planner database 68 and hotel database 70), and enables the meeting to display and update that event database. The event database is described in greater detail in The offer postings for meeting planners (sometimes called requirement data) typically include the following data; however, a smaller or minimal data set may be used by the system for this function or for any other data presentation function herein:
This bid data by hotels responding to a posted planner offer is sometimes called specific hospitality data. A smaller offer data set may be used.
Step 216 posts the full bid data (access permitted only by the bidder) and truncated or blind bid data in the auction-exchange database 68-70. As used herein, a "blind bid" or "blinded data" does not include bidder identity data. Offeror data may also be "blinded data" if the offeror's identity is temporarily hidden. This use of blinded data reduces harassment of the offeror or bidder. Step 218 updates all records as necessary. With respect to
In the event a third-party meeting planner representing a corporation or other entity wants to post an offer or a bid for an event or meeting, that consultant prepares and inputs data shown below in Table 18. This input is used in conjunction with the process described in connection with
The following Search Detail Table can be executed by the hotel vendor-user or the meeting planner-user. See
If the YES branch is taken from decision step 250, step 254 periodically searches the offer and bid database 68-70 to locate open meeting planner offers (requirement data, facilities requirement data for facilities necessities), and the system automatically locates facilities or hotels matching those open planner offers. In step 256, an e-mail is prepared with blinded facilities requirement data or offers. The blinded data excludes the name and contact data for the meeting planner-offeror. Output step 257 sends planner offer data to the registered user hotels. If the registered user hotel vendor wants to bid on those outstanding meeting planner offers, the hotel submit the bids in step 259. In other words, the hotels respond to the e-mail. In the present embodiment, the response is provided via the Internet wherein the hotel utilizes a client computer to access the central computer 20 established by the administrator operating the present computerized system. Decision step 260 determines whether the bid data from the hotel (specific hospitality facility data) meets or exceeds the meeting planner bid (facility requirement data). If not, the NO branch is taken and the system loops to a point immediately before decision step 260. If the bids exceed the meeting planner offers, the YES branch is taken and the system executes decision step 262. Decision step 262 involves an automatic review of all outstanding offers, whether those offers are meeting planner offers (facilities requirement data) or whether those offers are hotel offers (facilities offer data). Decision step 262 determines whether a particular auction or exchange time has expired. As stated earlier, the auction or exchange time frame closes in 5 days, 10 days, or 15 days as selected by the offering party. Once the system determines that the auction time has expired, the YES branch is taken and decision step 264 determines whether there is one or more bids for a particular offer. If not, the NO branch is taken and the system in step 266 removes the offer from the system and an output step 267 notifies the offeror that no bids have been placed. If the YES branch is taken from decision 264, the system executes step 268 which sorts the bids by price, by total revenue for a hotel offeror, by composite rating for a planner offeror, or other criteria. Tables 20 and 21 which follow provide two examples of sort routines for a Meeting Auction Sort Order (Table 20) and a Sort Hotel Auction Criteria (Table 21).
The hotel offers are sorted by the following Sort Hotel Auction Criteria Table.
After the sort function in step 268, the system sends, as an output in step 269 blinded bids in a spreadsheet format to the offering party. Other output formats may be utilized. The bids are placed in a sorted order, typically keyed to price. However, the Sort Order Tables 20 and 21 show that date availability has a higher priority then price. It should be noted that other sort criteria and prioritization may be utilized. In input step 271, the offeror selects n number of bids and inputs that selection via the Internet (in a preferred embodiment) into the system. Herein n is three (3). The system operator may change n. Step 272 logs in n selections into the system and marks the remainder of the outstanding bids as "B List" or non-selected bids. In a current embodiment, the offeror selects the top three (3) bids based upon subjective or objective standards. Accordingly, if the offeror were sent 10 prioritized blinded bids (not showing the name and contact information of the bidder) in output step 268, the offeror in step 271 selects 3 of the 10 bids. The remaining 7 bids are placed on a non-selected or on a B List. Step 274 involves compiling unblinded n bids and unblinded offeror data. Output step 275 sends that unblinded n bid data and offeror data to the specific offeror and n bidders. Input step 277 recognizes that the offeror may reject m number of the n bids. In other words, the offeror could reject all three unblinded bids. In this case, n=3 and m=3. Alternatively, the offeror may reject one (m=1) bid. Decision step 278 determines whether additional bids from the B List or non-selected list are needed. If so, the YES branch is taken and step 280 selects m bids from the B List, deletes the non-selective bids from the n bids sent to the offeror in step 275, unblinds the m bids and e-mails those m bids to the offeror and the m bidders. This is an exchange of contact data. Accordingly, the system keeps anonymous the bidder's names until the offeror selects n number of bids and sends unblinded data to the n bidders and the offeror. In this manner, meeting planners who are offering facilities requirement data for meeting are not bombarded or annoyed by a large number of hotel vendors bidding on the facilities requirement data or meeting offer. In a like manner, a hotel posting a facilities offer data is not bombarded with a large number of unsolicited bids from meeting planners. From the bidders' standpoint, the system is beneficial because one or more bidders may participate in an auction or data exchange using various specific hospitality facility data (hotel bids) or specific facilities requirement data (meeting planner bids) which are "out of the normal range" or "far fetched" bids. In the event those bids are accepted by the counterpart offeror, the bidder is financially rewarded by filling up his or her facility (if the bidder is a hotel) or by fulfilling a meeting plan offer (facilities requirement data) which plan was an unlikely candidate to fulfill. For example with respect to hotels, the hotel may wish to severely discount the price of 10% of their rooms during off-season when their normal vacancy rate is 30% or higher. The hotels may wish to let those rooms at a significantly discounted price in order to keep an occupancy rate of 70% or higher during an off-season period. Meeting planners responding to this hotel offer could take advantage of this discount during non-peak seasons. If the bids are completely out of range, that is, other bids come in that are significantly better from the offeror's view point, the blinded nature of the bids shields the bidder from embarrassment and harassment. Hence, there is a significant benefit to both the offering party and the bidding party with the present system. The output from step 280 regarding the selection of m bids from the B List, deletion of n bids from the original A List and the unblinding and the e-mailing of contact data and full offer and bid data involves a jump from jump point 8-9A to 8-9B, that is, immediately preceding the unblind bid step in step 274. If no more bids are needed from decision step 278, the NO branch is taken and, in step 282, the offers and the bids are cleared from the system. The system program ends after clear step 282. It should be noted that clear step can be modified such that unwanted bids can be recycled to other auction periods.
Step 410 conducts a periodic search through the meeting database date field at a certain time period earlier than the event date. This is identified in Step 418 sends information or blinded data, typically via e-mail, to hotels which match the prospective meeting planner offer. The hotels are reminded to post offers on the prospective meeting planner offers. Similarly, the posting planner is reminded to post a formal planner offer for the event. The system may also be modified to (a) initially match hotels with the potential planner offer, (b) monitor the potential planner offer (PPO) such that when the PPO becomes final or becomes an actual planner offer, then (c) pre-selected hotels are immediately notified. See step 256, In some situations, it may not be necessary to exchange blinded offer data or blinded bid data. For example in connection with single, large hospitality vendor (e.g., MARRIOTT), all bidders would know the vendor. Hence blinded vendor hospitality offer data is not utilized. A similar situation arises for large meeting planners (e.g., AMERICAN EXPRESS travel agents). The appended claims are meant to cover this aspect. The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Citations de brevets
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West Junius Restaurants
There are no restaurants in West Junius. The closest places to eat are at fast food places in Waterloo along route 318 and restaurants in Geneva along route 5/20. If you are on I-90 (the Thruway) then there is a Junius Ponds rest area with full facilities and a restaurant.
Related to:- Seniors
- Road Trip
West Junius Warnings and Dangers
West Junius has such a small population and covers such a small area that it has no statistics for crime. The police departments of Junius and Geneva overlap and indicate no violent crime in the area and almost no non-violent crime. A few petty thefts and misdemeanors are all that is recorded. There are no registered sex offenders.
It is a pretty safe place to visit.... but there isn't much to visit in the first place. Most tourists are just passing through this location.Related to:- Road Trip
- Women's Travel
- Family Travel
When looking up information about West Junius on your favorite mapping program be aware that some of the programs are wrong.
Three online mapping sites showed no West Junius at all.
One online and one offline program had the wrong name at the intersection of routes 318 and 14 (they indicated it as Bloomfield).
The ones that did indicate West Junius sometimes placed it near exit 42 on I-90 and some placed it a little farther east.
West Junius IS right at the intersection of routes 14 and 318.Related to:- Road Trip
West Junius Hotels
0 Hotels in West Junius

subset: commoncrawl


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Pro Bowl: Men of Troy
Published: Feb. 9, 2008 at 03:18 p.m.
Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware debate who's the best player ever from Troy University.
© 2015 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC. PRIVACY POLICY | Terms & Conditions


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Pitching massive corporations on a new idea can be a treacherous road. They can ignore the pitch, steal the idea or worse. It's the stuff of legend and at time, material for a Hollywood movie.
According to Ad Age, this week Universal Studios releases "Flash of Genius," a film that paints Ford Motor Co. as a corporate ogre.
The film is based on the true story of Detroit engineering professor Robert Kearns (played by Greg Kinnear), who invented the intermittent windshield wiper in the late 1960s and shopped it around to carmakers.
Mr. Kearns got a series of patents for his wiper design in 1967. He shopped it around to various automakers, but never reached any deals. Ford debuted intermittent wipers in 1969; other car companies eventually followed. In the 1970s, Mr. Kearns sued two dozen automakers for patent infringement.
Detroit Free Press also has a detailed article about the film's release.
David & Goliath, The Remake
September 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment


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- Filed Under
EDITOR: Recently, the U.S. State Department announced that it could not find any serious objections to the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. While there may have been some valid reasons to wait on this report, it is now clear that we should proceed with the building of this pipeline.
Except for political considerations (read: millionaire environmental wackos) the president does not have a valid reason to delay this project any longer. Five years of research is long enough. Anyone born today will never live long enough to see the day when oil disappears from the many beneficial uses that it provides. Yes, there is room for wind and solar energy, but oil must play a major part in the solution of our energy problems. The concern by the environmentalist that the pipeline will cause ground and air contamination is vastly overblown. It is probable that transporting this oil by rail or truck presents a greater risk than the pipeline.
It is time for the president to do what is in the best interests of the people of this country, and not worry about the unfounded concerns of the environmentalists.
Let's move forward with the building of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Ray A. Kalpinski,
Wisconsin Rapids


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What does UN WSIS stand for?
What does UN WSIS mean? This page is about the various possible meanings of the acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term: UN WSIS.
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UN WSIS | United Nations World Summit on the Information Society |
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"UN WSIS." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/UN%20WSIS>.


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Below is the poem entitled Angel of Justice which was written by poet Angelika Kaluska. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by Angelika Kaluska
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An Angel of Justice Cometh on earth Judgeth all people Those good and those bad Taketh under his wings All of the innocent The rest lives in fear Those are condemned Her eyes are white And as bright as sun Who looketh inside Becomes a weak runt Thou shalt be afraid Every night, every day An Angel awaits For vengeance on earth


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Hours of Work and Retirement BehaviorC. Sofia MachadoUniversity of Minho - Economic Policies Research Unit (NIPE) Miguel PortelaUniversity of Minho; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) IZA Discussion Paper No. 6270 Abstract: Using a novel dataset from the 2006 Portuguese Labor Force Survey this paper examines the impact of a voluntary reduction in hours of work, before retirement, on the moment of exit from the labor force. If, as often suggested, flexibility in hours of work is a useful measure to postpone retirement, then a reduction in working hours should be associated with retirement at later ages. Results prove otherwise suggesting that reducing hours of work before retirement is associated with early exits from the labor force. A reduction in hours of work seems to signal the worker's wish to retire sooner rather than to announce the desire of remaining in the labor market. This result may enclose the need for some alternative policy strategies regarding working hours. Number of Pages in PDF File: 35 Keywords: aging, retirement, working hours, older workers JEL Classification: J14, J26, J22, J21 Date posted: January 21, 2012Suggested CitationContact Information
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Castle Dwellings have been extremely proactive and have managed to let out 40 of my properties in less than a month. Thank you for all your help and keep up the good work.
Consistent and clear communication and as i result i trusted Castle Dwellings 110%.
I will no doubt be recommending Castle Dwellings to my friends and family. Thank you for a fast sale.
Mr Barnfather
You have negotiated my sale in a very short timescale and saved me money in the process. Thank you.
Clegg: No SNP 'life support' deal
Gallipoli marks Anzac centenary
Farage reveals hospital treatment
Castle Dwellings Ltd is an independent International Property Consultancy based in Castleford.
We provide easy accessibility, superb local market knowledge, friendly and well trained staff and cutting edge technology. All of this is directed at meeting and exceeding your Real Estate needs. Our staff are experts in their field and are here to support our clients at each stage of their property investment decisions.
We aim to be the best independent property consultancy in Castleford where we proactively promote our clients' interests and goals like they were our very own.
Our proactive approach means that we have access to properties worldwide. We endeavour to supply our clients with the best properties at the best competitive prices available on the market today.
We offer an extensive range of top quality properties offering great investment potential. Whether your requirement is to buy or sell a home or to explore investment opportunities in Castleford, the rest of the UK, Turkey, Europe or Dubai, we can offer you the right property to meet your needs.
Our unparalleled market knowledge, supreme technical virtuosity and unrivalled sales management skills will give you access to the most exciting properties in Castleford and the rest of the world.


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Free SAT Critical Reading Study Guide: SAT Reading Comprehension Study Guide
From Proprofs
Free SAT Critical Reading Study Guide: SAT Reading Comprehension Study Guide (Redirected from SAT Critical Reading Exam Preparation Guide)
Home > SAT Test > SAT Wiki > SAT Reading Guide
[edit section] SAT* Critical Reading Study Guide
Welcome to the Free SAT Critical Reading Study Guide! The articles in the guide below are organized by question type and are short enough for most students to cover thoroughly in about an hour.The SAT critical reading section, (formerly called verbal section), includes short and long reading passages. It comprises of sentence-completion questions and passage-based reading questions that are covered below in two guides: Sentence Completion Guide and SAT Critical Reading Guide.
Use the guides well and enjoy!
[edit section] SAT* Sentence Completion Guide
[edit section] SAT* Reading Comprehension Guide
- Reading a Passage
- Basic Comprehension Questions
- Analytical Questions
- Vocab-in-Context Questions
- Advanced Comprehension Questions
- Two Passage Questions
- More on Analytical Questions
- Extension Questions
- Summary and Review
We also recommend that you practice some SAT Reading Comprehension quizzes after reading the guide. For questions and comments, please use the SAT Forum.
Top 5 Contributors to this article


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Kobayashi Risa
this wiki
Kobayashi Risa | |
Written by: | Ansela |
Age: | Approx. 400 (looks 20-ish) |
Species: | Shinigami |
Home Continuum: | Earth / Bleach |
Department: | Bad Slash |
Division: | |
Response Center: | 1988 |
Partner: | Ansela Jonla |
Fandom(s): | Bleach, FMA, Gravitation, Gundam 00, Gundam Wing, Harry Potter, LotR, Naruto, Pern, Saiyuki, Stargate SG-1/Atlantis |
Lust-object(s): | Ulquiorra Schiffer, Roy Mustang, Seguchi Tohma, Allelujah Haptism, Trowa Barton, Draco Malfoy, Elrond, Hyuga Neji, F'nor, Cho Hakkai, Daniel Jackson, Carson Beckett |
Favorite(s): | Peace and quiet, reading, meditating |
Weapon(s): | Zanpakuto, kido |
Agent Kobayashi Risa, of the Department of Bad Slash, is a rather calm and collected Shinigami from the Bleach continuum, who would like everyone to know that she neither approves of nor assists in her partner's thieving ways.
[show]Agent Profile Edit
Appearance Edit
Risa is about 5'8" in height, with the build and muscles appropriate for wielding a katana. She has light brown hair with a thin red streak on the left side of her bangs and a thin blonde streak on the right side. Her eyes are a reddish-brown shade, much like Abarai Renji's. She tends to wear her Shinigami shihakusho when not in disguise, and when in disguise she will wear anything as long as it isn't too revealing.
Personality Edit
Risa is calm and aloof most of the time and has a great deal of patience, which is useful when trying to convince her partner that stealing everything in sight isn't necessary. She prefers to spend her time either practicing her kenjutsu or kido or meditating in order to increase her bond with her zanpakuto. She has a rather formal manner of speech, for which Ansela sometimes mocks her. She hates Sues with a fiery passion, because a Sue was responsible for almost killing her in the fic that she was recruited from. When confronted with an authority figure, Risa is polite and respectful, often using the -sama honorific to refer to them. Oh, and she's scared of lizards and lizard-like creatures.
History Edit
Risa was the Third Seat of Eighth Division, a seat which is canonically filled, but the Suethor failed to do the research to find this out. When a strange woman arrived in Seireitei demanding that she be allowed to take the position of Thirteenth Division Lieutenant, a position that Risa had been training for since Shiba Kaien's death, Risa challenged her to a fight in order to prove which one of them was more suited to be Ukitake's Lieutenant. After a badly written fight scene Risa was left to bleed to death in the training ground dirt, due to the extreme character warping effect that the Sue had on the assembled Captains, who normally would have helped her. The two agents sent to deal with the Sue rescued and recruited Risa. She was then assigned as Ansela's partner.
Weapons Edit
As a graduate of the Shinigami Academy, Risa is fully capable of using the Shinigami magic system, known as kido. She is capable of using bakudo, or binding spells, up to Spell 71, and hado, destruction spells, to Spell 69. She also has a theoretical knowledge of how to use hakuda, or hand-to-hand, but she hasn't had a chance to practice this since she left the Academy so she is unlikely to rely on this for combat.
Risa also wields a zanpakuto, or Soul Cutter, named Dokuha. These weapons can have up to three forms, a sealed form and two released forms, but Risa has only mastered the first two. In its sealed form, Risa's zanpakuto looks like a regular katana, with a light green sheath and hilt. The guard is shaped like two fangs pointing in opposite directions. In its shikai, or first release, Dokuha takes the form of a kusarigama with a short blade in place of the weighted end. The length of the chain isn't fixed, so it can be as long or short as Risa needs it to be, enabling her to use it for restraining Sues. Both the kama and blade portion of Dokuha are coated with a mild poison that slows the reaction times of its victim once it enters the blood stream, making them think that Risa is getting faster when they are in fact getting slower.
Mission Reports Edit
Risa currently has no missions archived, but when she finally gets round to submitting a report, they will be located here.


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Results 1 - 50 of 1690 | ||
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Matt Ulrich U Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, - - 2014
Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) were originally discovered as by-products and mediators of chronic inflammation such as in atherosclerosis. Over the last years, an increasing body of evidence led to the notion that OxPL not only contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory processes but in addition play an integral role as ...
Kühl Uwe U Medizinische Klinik für Kardiologie und Pulmologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, - - 2014
The term myocarditis describes inflammatory disorders of the heart muscle of varied infectious and non-infectious origins. It can be caused by any kind of infection, drugs, toxic substances, or be associated with autoimmune conditions. Viruses are the main causes at least in developed countries. Acute myocarditis most commonly results from ...
Cobo Eduardo R ER Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Gastrointestinal Research Group, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada. - - 2013
β-defensins are small cationic antimicrobial peptides secreted by diverse cell types including colonic epithelial cells. Human β-defensins form an essential component of the intestinal lumen in innate immunity. The defensive mechanisms of β-defensins include binding to negatively charged microbial membranes that cause cell death and chemoattraction of immune cells. The ...
Pastore Saveria - - 2012
Resveratrol (RV) differentially affects UV-induced death/pro-survival pathways in normal and tumor cells. On these grounds, RV-containing topical products have been developed to prevent UV-associated tumorigenesis/damage to human skin. Here we evaluated mechanisms of combined effects of RV and low-dose solar simulated UVA+UVB or 6-formylindo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ), a product of tryptophan photo-oxidation ...
Kim Honsoul - - 2012
Lymphatic vessels (LVs) are highly dynamic structures that intimately interact with their surrounding microenvironment. They have a profound influence on the immune system and therefore can manipulate inflammatory processes. Inflammation is a major cause of adulthood lymphangiogenesis and LV remodeling. In turn, LVs can reciprocally manipulate inflammatory processes. For instance, ...
Hong Yuan - - 2012
A major problem with current cancer vaccines is that the induction of CD8 immune responses is rarely associated with antitumor benefits, mainly owing to multiple immune suppressions in established tumor lesions. In this study, we investigated if and how activation of endogenous CD4 T cells could be achieved to influence ...
Chen Jian-Hua JH Department of Infectious Diseases, Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, - - 2012
To investigate whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) could induce a hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in vitro by dendritic cells (DCs) transduced with lentiviral vector-encoding ubiquitinated hepatitis B virus core antigen (LV-Ub-HBcAg). Recombinant LV-Ub-HBcAg were transfected into highly susceptible 293 T cells to obtain ...
Shifrin David A DA Jr Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, - - 2012
The continuous monolayer of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) lining the gut lumen functions as the site of nutrient absorption and as a physical barrier to prevent the translocation of microbes and associated toxic compounds into the peripheral vasculature. IECs also express host defense proteins such as intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), ...
Humbert J-M - - 2012
Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells capable of promoting or regulating innate and adaptive immune responses against non-self antigens. To better understand the DC biology or to use them for immune intervention, a tremendous effort has been made to improve gene transfer in these cells. Lentiviral vectors (LVs) have ...
Donnarumma Giovanna - - 2011
Keratinocytes play an active role in innate immune responses by secreting a variety of cytokines and chemokines. The release of critical proinflammatory cytokines, which are necessary to activate the immune response, is induced by the stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) by molecules present on pathogenic micro-organisms such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ...
Liu Shan - - 2011
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of gonadotropins (Gn) on oocyte maturation, developmental competence and apoptosis in an animal model. Bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured for 24h in media supplemented with varying concentrations of Bravelle (B), B+Menopur (B+M) or B+Repronex (B+R) (Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Parsiappany, ...
Patial Sonika S Department of Physiology, Division of Human Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, - - 2011
G-protein coupled receptor kinase-5 (GRK5) is a serine/threonine kinase discovered for its role in the regulation of G-protein coupled receptor signaling. Recent studies have shown that GRK5 is also an important regulator of signaling pathways stimulated by non-GPCRs. This study was undertaken to determine the physiological role of GRK5 in ...
Kuranaga Erina - - 2011
In metazoan development, the precise mechanisms that regulate the completion of morphogenesis according to a developmental timetable remain elusive. The Drosophila male terminalia is an asymmetric looping organ; the internal genitalia (spermiduct) loops dextrally around the hindgut. Mutants for apoptotic signaling have an orientation defect of their male terminalia, indicating ...
Patial Sonika S Department of Physiology and Division of Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, - - 2011
G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is a member of a kinase family originally discovered for its role in the phosphorylation and desensitization of G-protein-coupled receptors. It is expressed in high levels in myeloid cells and its levels are altered in many inflammatory disorders including sepsis. To address the physiological role ...
Song Jun-Xian - - 2011
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)), which is produced primarily by macrophages and is predominately found in the blood and in atherosclerotic plaques, represents a potentially promising target for combating atherosclerosis. Although statins are known to decrease the levels and activity of circulating and plaque Lp-PLA(2) during atherosclerosis, little is known regarding ...
Lee Soyoung - - 2011
The immunotoxicity of implanted nanostructured titanium is a paramount issue for vascular, dental and orthopedic applications. However, it has hitherto been unclear whether implanted surface nanostructures can inhibit inflammatory response. Herein, macrophage activation, as evidence of migration, on transparent flat and nanostructured titanium correlated with pro-inflammatory protein synthesis and cytokine ...
Glim J E - - 2010
Macrophages play an important role in demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS). Activated macrophages ingest myelin particles, thereby acquiring a foamy appearance. Foamy macrophages in MS lesions were described as being anti-inflammatory. Therefore, these cells might play a role in modulating the inflammatory state of an active lesion. Here, we investigated ...
Yuk Sang-Suk - - 2010
Epimedium brevicornum Maxim (Berberidaceae) possesses estrogenic properties. It is one of the most widespread herbal remedies used in Oriental medicine. The present study investigated the effects of Epimedium brevicornum water extract (EB) on proinflammatory mediators secreted from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. EB significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), ...
Zhu C L - - 2010
Interleukin (IL)-27 is a new member of the IL-6/IL-12 family, composed of two subunits, the Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) and p28 chains (p28), and produced by activated monocytes and dendritic cells. IL-27 plays an important role in the regulation of differentiation of naive T helper cells and has diverse ...
Voluntarily produced increases in heart rate variability modulate autonomic effects of endotoxin ...
Lehrer Paul - - 2010
Exposure of healthy people to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) produces a pro-inflammatory response, subjective symptoms, and decreased heart rate variability (HRV). Given the efficacy of HRV biofeedback (BF) for treating asthma, the large autonomic effects of HRV BF, and the link between vagus nerve activity and inflammation, we hypothesized that HRV ...
Wang Ping - - 2010
Src-suppressed C kinase substrate (SSeCKS), a protein kinase C substrate, is a major lipopolysaccharide (LPS) response protein, regulating the inflammatory process. In the process of spinal inflammatory diseases by LPS intraspinal injection, expression of SSeCKS in the spinal cord was increased, mainly in active astrocytes and neurons. Induced SSeCKS was ...
Sprong Tom - - 2011
Lipopolysaccharide is a major constituent of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and important in the induction of pro-inflammatory responses. Recently, novel LPS species derived from Neisseria meningitidis H44/76 by insertional inactivation of the lpxL1 and lpxL2 genes have been created with a lipid A portion consisting of five (penta-acylated ...
Oskolkova Olga V - - 2010
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are precursors of multiple pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules generated by enzymatic stereospecific and positionally specific insertion of oxygen, which is a prerequisite for recognition of these mediators by cellular receptors. However, nonenzymatically oxidized free and esterified polyunsaturated fatty acids also demonstrate activities relevant to inflammation. In particular, ...
Zhu Qing-Yuan - - 2010
MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is an archetypical member of the dual-specificity phosphatase family that deactivates MAPKs. Induction of MKP-1 has been implicated in attenuating the LPS- or peptidoglycan-induced biosynthesis of proinflammatory cytokines, but the role of noncoding RNA in the expression of the MKP-1 is still poorly understood. In this study, ...
Ortiz-Stern A - - 2011
Allergic asthma is a T cell-dependent inflammatory lung disease that results from complex interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental factors, including exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, we have shown that airway LPS exposure was sufficient to induce airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and eosinophil recruitment in mice that had previously ...
Chimienti Guglielmina - - 2011
To examine the role of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] on the inflammatory response of cells in the nervous system by investigating its effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion. Human astrocytoma U373 cells were treated with recombinant apolipoprotein(a) [r-apo(a)] A10K (175-11 nM), alone or in combination with LPS (100 and 10 ng/ml). IL-6 levels ...
Spencer S J - - 2011
The early life environment can be crucial in influencing the development of an animal's long-term physiology. There is now much evidence to suggest that perinatal challenges to an animal's immune system will result in changes in adult rat behavior, physiology, and molecular pathways following a single inflammatory event during development ...
Gundersen Yngvar - - 2010
The question of specific immunomodulating qualities of hypertonic saline (HTS) has not been settled. It has proven difficult to distinguish between immunomodulation directly attributable to HTS and influence because of favorable circulatory effects. The nature of immune activator may also play a role. In a whole-blood model, we have investigated ...
Joh Eun-Ha - - 2010
In our previous study, lancemaside A isolated from Codonopsis lanceolata (family Campanulaceae) ameliorated colitis in mice. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of lancemaside A was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mice and their peritoneal macrophage cells. Lancemaside A suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, in vitro and ...
La Vu Dang - - 2010
Plant extracts and/or secondary metabolites are receiving considerable attention as therapeutic agents for treating inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis, which affects the tooth supporting tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a Grindelia robusta extract enriched in saponins and polyphenols on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ...
Noel Greg - - 2010
Immature myeloid cells have been implicated as a source of postburn inflammation, and the appearance of these cells correlates with enhanced upregulation of hematopoiesis. The role of proliferative cells in postburn immune changes has not been directly tested. Gemcitabine, a ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor, has been shown to deplete proliferative immature ...
Chandrasekaran C V - - 2011
There is an insistent need for robust, reliable, and optimized assays for screening novel drugs targeting the inflammatory/allergic markers. The present study describes about the optimization of eight cell-based assays utilizing mammalian cell lines in 96-well format for quantifying anti-inflammatory/allergic drug candidates. We estimated the inhibitory response of reference compounds: ...
Leverence Jeremy T - - 2011
Chronic inflammation incited by bacteria in the saccular lung of premature infants contributes to the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). LPS-mediated type II alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) injury induces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines that trigger pulmonary neutrophil influx, alveolar matrix degradation and lung remodeling. We hypothesized that NADPH oxidase ...
Li Zhuowei Z Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, - - 2010
Hyaluronan is a high-molecular mass component of pulmonary extracelluar matrix, and lung injury can generate a low-molecular mass hyaluronan (HA) fragment that functions as endogenous ligand to cell surface receptors CD44 and TLR4. This leads to activation of intracellular NF-κB signaling and proinflammatory cytokine production. Based on previous information that ...
Wang Yongjun Y Department of Medicine and Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, - - 2010
The sensitization of hepatocytes to cell death from tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) underlies many forms of hepatic injury, including that from toxins. Critical for hepatocyte resistance to TNFα toxicity is activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling, which prevents TNFα-induced death by the up-regulation of protective proteins. To further ...
Rearte B - - 2010
Sepsis and septic shock can be caused by Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and other microorganisms. In the case of Gram-negative bacteria, endotoxin, a normal constituent of the bacterial wall, also known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), has been considered as one of the principal agents causing the undesirable effects in this critical ...
Herrmann Vroni - - 2011
Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, an atypical pneumonia. Lp is found in freshwater habitats and replicates within different protozoa (amoebae). It is known that Lp uses amino acids as primary energy and carbon sources for replication. However, very recently it was reported that Lp is ...
Jamalan Mostafa - - 2011
Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has T-helper 1 (Th1) immunostimulatory activities but because of toxicity and pyrogenicity cannot be used as an adjuvant. Brucella abortus LPS has less toxicity and no pyrogenic properties in comparison to other bacterial LPS. In the current study, the immunostimulatory properties of B. abortus LPS were evaluated ...
Ephedrannin A and B from roots of Ephedra sinica inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory ...
Kim Ik-Soo - - 2010
Ephedra sinica is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and has pharmacological functions including anti-inflammatory effects. However, the active ingredients from Ephedra roots have not been characterized. Here, two active constituents were isolated and their structures and mechanisms of action were defined. Active constituents from Ephedra roots were isolated by continuous ...
Regen Tommy - - 2011
Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 responds to a range of agonists in infection and injury, but is best known for the recognition of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Assembly in heterologous receptor complexes as well as signaling through both MyD88 and TRIF adaptor proteins, as unmatched by other TLRs, could underlie its versatile ...
Osterbye Thomas - - 2010
T1DM is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease targeting insulin-producing beta-cells. Multiple factors may contribute to the development of T1DM. Among these, the metabolic state of beta-cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines, produced by infiltrating immune cells, have been implicated in the precipitation of T1DM. In this study, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy of human pancreata ...
Ansari Niloufar - - 2010
Anti-inflammatory therapy approaches have been in the focus of attention in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we examined the role of new 1,2,4-triazine derivatives against cytotoxicity exerted by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in differentiated rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line. Our results indicated that LPS-induced ...
Zhao Chengguang - - 2010
Curcumin is a multifunctional natural product with regulatory effects on inflammation. However, a major limitation for the application of curcumin is its poor bioavailability. We previously demonstrated that the mono-carbonyl analogues of curcumin possessed improved pharmacokinetic profiles. In this study, 33 novel mono-carbonyl analogues of curcumin were synthesized and their ...
Basu Subhabrata S Department of Reproductive Biology, Case Western Reserve University at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. - - 2011
Obese pregnant women develop severe insulin resistance and enhanced systemic and placental inflammation, suggesting associated modifications of endocrine and immune functions. Activation of innate immunity by endotoxins/lipopolysaccharides (LPS) has been proposed as a mechanism for enhancing metabolic alterations in disorders with insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to ...
Lappalainen M H J - - 2010
It appears that contacts with furred animals early in life and already during gestation contribute to the immunological development in humans, but the mechanisms and relevant exposures are not clear. To investigate whether exposure to animals during pregnancy and the first year of life is associated with early immune development, ...
Meng Ning - - 2010
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as an important proinflammatory agent, targets the endothelium. However, almost all in vitro experiments of the effect of LPS on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) were performed under an artificially decreased concentration of serum that was not enough to maintain the cell growth for a long time. The mechanism ...
Tucsek Zsuzsanna - - 2011
Macrophages represent the first defense line against bacterial infection and therefore, play a crucial role in early inflammatory response. In this study, we investigated the role of MAPKs and MKP-1 activation in regulation of an early inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. We induced the inflammatory response by treating ...
Dharane Neé Ligam P - - 2010
Catabolism of tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway is up-regulated in the human placenta by infection, resulting in the release of pro-inflammatory and neuroactive metabolites into the fetal circulation. In this study we determined if activation of NFκB is involved in the inflammation-induced increase of kynurenine pathway activity in the human ...
Park Hye-Jin - - 2010
The immunomodulatory activity of an organic extract of Phellinus linteus grown on slightly germinated brown rice (PBR) was previously demonstrated. Here, we investigated the possible anti-inflammatory activity of the PBR extract by analyzing its effect on the expression of macrophage-derived cytokines, chemokines, and mediator genes that participate in immune and ...
McAleer Jeremy P JP Department of Immunology, MC1319, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, - - 2010
Toll-like receptor (TLR) adjuvants are capable of driving T cell immunity. The TLR4 agonist LPS activates antigen-presenting cells through myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and TIR domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-beta (TRIF)-dependent signaling pathways, initiating CD4 T helper cell clonal expansion and differentiation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) supports the development of ...
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Live updates
- Kevin Ashford
Help hibernating hedgehogs appeal this autumn
They've been around since the time of dinosaurs but there are fears that hedgehog numbers are in decline. It's thought tidy gardens and the use of chemicals may be among the factors. As they hibernate there are calls for all to be more hedgehog friendly.
Cardiff Council 'disappointed' at school policy wording
Cardiff Council says it is 'disappointed' that St. Illtyd's Catholic High School references outdated legislation in its policy on sex education.
In the online document, the school refers to the controversial Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 - repealed a decade ago - which banned the 'promotion' of homosexuality by local authorities.
Earlier today the Archdiocese of Cardiff said the school will review the wording of the policy.
Stonewall Cymru: Section 28 'harmful' and 'spiteful'
The Director of Stonewall Cymru has called the now-overturned Section 28 a 'spiteful, harmful piece of legislation' - as two Welsh schools come under scrutiny for appearing to reference it in their sex education policies.
Section 28: Cardiff school to 'review policy wording'
St. Illtyd's Catholic High School in Cardiff says it will review the wording of its online policy on sex education, which makes reference to the now-repealed Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.
The controversial legislation, which stopped councils 'promoting' homosexuality, was overturned by Tony Blair 10 years ago.
Meanwhile Tasker Milward VC School in Haverfordwest, has apologised for 'any distress caused' after an outdated policy on sex education was found to remain on its website. That policy has since been removed.
School apologises for 'old policy' on sex education
A Pembrokeshire school has apologised for 'any distress caused' after an outdated policy on sex education was found to remain on its website.
Tasker Milward VC School, in Haverfordwest, said the document had since been taken down.
It comes as more than 40 UK schools have been accused of sex education policies replicating the now-repealed Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which stopped councils 'promoting' homosexuality.
The controversial legislation, introduced under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was the subject of protests before being overturned by Tony Blair in 2003.
The British Humanist Association said it had found that 45 UK schools "continue to have sex and relationships education policies that either replicate Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 or are unhelpfully vague on the issue".
Earlier today the Welsh Government said it would be 'investigating as a matter of urgency', commenting on Twitter: 'We're very concerned to hear reports about Tasker Milward School's sex education policy. The law is very clear in respect of Section 28.'
Tasker Milward quickly tweeted in response, saying: 'TM apologises that an old policy was available on our website, we are committed to equality for all. We do not want to upset anybody.
'Tasker Milward are committed to promoting equality and opportunity for all as stated in our Strategic Equality Plan.'
The school then released a longer statement, saying: 'The Sex Education policy on the Tasker Milward school website was an old policy not in operation and which had not been deleted.
'The school does have a current Strategic Equality Plan, further details of which can be obtained directly from the school.
'The headteacher, Maggie Haynes, apologises for any distress that the failure to remove the old policy from the website may have caused.'
Haverfordwest fuel clean-up continues
Richard Brown is the Head of Environmental Services at Pembrokeshire County Council. He says work is currently underway to clear the fuel that leaked after a crane collided with a fuel tanker. He says there is concern that some of the fuel entered nearby streams.
Road closure update: Haverfordwest
With the exception of the A4076 exit/access, the Merlins Bridge roundabout in Haverfordwest has now re-opened to cars and vans following the collision between a mobile crane and a fuel tanker earlier today.
However, large vehicles which are asked to use the Cleddau Bridge diversion route.
The A4076 from Johnston to Haverfordwest is likely to remain closed for the remainder of the day.
Petrol clean-up after fuel tanker crash
A clean-up operation is underway in Haverfordwest after a fuel tanker ruptured following a collision with a crane this morning.
Dyfed-Powys Police say nobody was hurt in the incident, but that a 'substantial amount' of fuel leaked from the tanker.
Johnston Road, Old Hakin Road, Freemans Way and Pembroke road are closed, and diversions are in place.
Roads: A4076, Haverfordwest
The A4076 is closed in both directions because of an accident between Dredgman Hill / Magdalen Street / Caradog's Well Road (Merlins Bridge Roundabout) and Freemens Way / Cambrian Place (Salutation Square).
Welsh Bradley Manning play wins award
A Welsh play about Bradley Manning, the American soldier who passed military secrets to WikiLeaks, has won an award for drama.
'The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning', produced by National Theatre Wales, has been given the first James Tait Black Prize for Drama.
Manning spent four years at school in Haverfordwest.
It was written by Tim Price, and charts his radicalisation from those teenage years in Wales to the present day.
Manning was convicted of espionage charges by a US military court last week, but acquitted of the most serious charge against him - aiding the enemy.
The £10,000 award is the first of a new drama category in Britain's oldest literary awards. It was launched last year by the University of Edinburgh.
Tim Price said: "I am thrilled to be recognised by such a prestigious award, and honoured to be chosen as winner from such a fantastic shortlist of plays - that it is the first time a category for drama has been added to the James Tait Black Prizes is even more exciting."
The play is currently being performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.


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Nuzhat Chowdhury is waiting to see how her parents react when she stands at the podium at Rock Bridge High School's graduation ceremony on Saturday.
"I didn't tell my parents (that I was selected to speak)," she said. "I have no idea what their reaction will be."
Eman Abdelhadi, Clay Minchew and Chowdhury were chosen by a student committee several weeks ago to speak at the graduation. The committee heard interested students read their speeches before making the final selection.
This week was "senior week" — a week free of classes and full of special events for seniors at Rock Bridge, and Minchew has been enjoying the experience. Walking near Peace Park, he starts to laugh as he describes how seniors participated in the unofficial tradition of throwing water balloons at underclassman at an assembly on Tuesday.
"People had (water balloons) in their pockets and wrapped up in their shirts underneath their robes," he said.
Minchew, a three-year varsity football player, is the only one of his friends who tried out to be a speaker.
"My friends ask, 'Why are you doing it?'" he said. "It's not something I would normally do, but people I talk to think it's cool."
As Abdelhadi, an editor for the school newspaper The Rock, and Chowdhury, founder of the Harry Potter fan club "The Portkey," sit at Panera Bread, it is obvious that they are old friends. After meeting in a seventh grade French class, the two girls found they had more in common than school.
"I realized, haven't I seen you at the mosque?" Adbelhadi said, remembering the moment she discovered that her new friend shared her Muslim faith.
Although both girls say being Muslim has affected their experiences at Rock Bridge, Abdelhadi feels that because she wears a hijab, the religious head scarf worm by some Muslim women, she stands out more among her peers.
"I am very vocal about Islam," she said. "Because I choose to wear the hijab, I am seen as a spokesperson in a way. It defines you, even if you don't want it to. But I don't mind."
Abdelhadi said that her speech is centered around her experience at Rock Bridge.
"I love Rock Bridge," she said. "I learned that you are defined by your contributions to the community. You have all these different groups of kids, but its all their accomplishments together that make the school what it is. I have a lot of Bruin pride."
Chowdhury found writing the speech came easily.
"It's all a metaphor about how life is like an unwritten novel," she said.
Saturday will be Minchew's first experience sharing his poetry.
During his speech, Minchew will read his poem "Life is short, life is sweet." He was inspired to write the poem after attending the funeral of classmate Paige Siddall, who died in a car accident in November.
"I thought about what they would say if that happened to me," said Minchew, who urges his fellow students to live each day to the fullest.
Minchew has written several poems, and writing runs in his family. Before she died, Minchew's grandmother wrote a poem to help her family cope, which she put in a drawer with her will. Minchew will also read her poem, "Rainbows follow the rain," during his speech.
Next year, Minchew plans to attend Missouri Western, majoring in construction engineering and playing football. Abdelhadi and Chowdhury will both attend MU, with Abdelhadi majoring in political science and journalism and Chowdhury majoring in political science and international affairs.
But for now, the students are focused on Saturday's ceremony.
"It will be our very last time together," said Chowdhury. "I hope everyone is united by what we say."


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KNOPP Genealogy in All RegionsSearch criteria: All Regions, Surname KNOPP What can you do here?Search online databases for your ancestors:*
Find related genealogy web sites:Web sites 1 through 10 of 11 2. Ancestors of Pvt. Harold Mayland Barton 3. 1844 Chicago Illinois Directory 4. 1844 City Directory for Chicago, Illinois 5. Cullman County, Alabama: Duck River Baptist Church Cemetery 7. Spitzmiller, Spitzmueller, Spitzmüller Genealogy 8. MacDonald / Griffin - Genealogy 9. Clark/Mell Ancestral Research Search for KNOPP at partner sites:KNOPP queries on CousinConnect.com KNOPP genealogy records at DistantCousin. Share your research with others: |
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TC Oswald forms in the Gulf
The weather bureau says a category one cyclone has formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria and is expected to make landfall between Aurukun and Kowanyama at some stage Monday night.
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At 4pm Monday afternoon Tropical Cyclone Oswald was estimated to be 70 kilometres west of Kowanyama travelling at 17 kilometres per hour [kph] in an east northeasterly direction.
Cairns duty forecaster Bill O'Connor says high rainfall figures will most likely cause flooding throughout the week.
"We could see some places with 600, 700millimetres of rainfall over three or four days. So it could cause quite a problem," he says.
The slow moving tropical cyclone is expected to sit over Cape York for the next 36 hours.
As the cyclone crosses the coast, a storm tide is expected in coastal areas between about Kowanyama and Weipa.
Mr O'Connor says large waves may produce minor flooding along the foreshore.
"We've seen close to the highest tides of the year up through Weipa this afternoon," he says.
"I would anticipate tomorrow afternoon we'll still see tides close to the highest for the year north of about Pormpuraaw, close [up] to the Torres Strait."
Coastal areas along the north tropical coast will also see "signicant rain" Mr O'Connor says.
Almost 200 properties have lost power in Aurukun. Ergon Energy says it can't restore power until the storm has passed.
People between Karumba and Cape York are urged to remain inside until the cyclone has passed.
ABC Weather presenter Jenny Woodward tweeted Monday that if Tropical Cyclone Oswald makes landfall it will be the first cyclone to do so since Yasi in 2011.
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at Your Local Ace
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