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Mini-Tyson Selcuk Aydin strikes again! After only 32 seconds in the 2nd round the WBC International Champion hat stopped his challenger Marat Khuzeev with a stunning left uppercut. It took several minutes for the physicians to bring the Russian back to his feet. Once more Selcuk proved that he is one of the most dangerous fighters today, stated promoter Ahmet Öner. He is a knockout machine. For me there is no welterweight who punches as hard as Selcuk, added coach Karsten Röwer. Aydin defended his title for the first time and promoted his record to 16-0 with 13 stoppages.
Heavyweight sensation Odlanier Solis was even faster than his stable-mate. The 2004 Olympic gold medallist and three-time world amateur champion stopped US veteran Chad Van Sickle after only 98 seconds in the first with a hard body shot. It went pretty well, said Solis..
The opponent was simply not strong enough for Odlanier, added promoter Ahmet Öner. He will face stronger opposition in the future. Still it was a very impressive victory. Odlanier came back from an injury and he did it with style. On October 11th he will be back in action on the Vitali Klitschko-Samuel Peter undercard. And I think next year he is ready for the world title.
Solis got great power, great hand speed and a fantastic eye for the situation, said coach Orlando Cuellar. He is special and Im sure that he is already one of the best in the world. He is ready to become heavyweight champion of the world.
German heavyweight hope Steffen Kretschmann stopped journey-man Otis Tisdale in the 5th. It was Kretschmanns 11th win in his 11th pro-fight including 9 knockouts.
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Apple iPad Forum
Astronomy App Sky Guide can be Downloaded for Free via the Apple Store app for a Limited Time'Sky Guide' is an award-winning astronomy app and also very popular among iPhone and iPad users. As it turns out, the app is free right now within the Apple Store app, down from its usual price of $1.99. We don't know for how long this promotion will last, so if you're passionate about astronomy, you need to get it as soon as possible.
While the app is free, it isn't available on iTunes but through the official Apple Store app. Thus, in order to download it, you will first need to get the Apple Store app on your iPhone or iPad. After that, you need to open the app and select the Stores section near the bottom of the home page. Scroll down a little bit to the first section, and then swipe right twice.
That's where you'll see the offer to download the regularly $1.99 title for free....
Apple has Promoted Jony Ive to the Role of Chief Design OfficerApple announced today that Jony Ive has been named the Chief Design Officer (a newly-created position) of the company. Thus, Ive is currently only the third C-level executive at Apple after CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri. Ive previously held the role of senior vice president of design and he was even knighted in 2012 for his services to design. Apple's move was first revealed in an interview with Sir Jonathan in the Telegraph newspaper.
Later on, chief executive Tim Cook has sent out an internal memo to Apple's employees, where he says the following:
I have exciting news to share with you today. I am happy to announce that Jony Ive is being promoted to the newly created position of Chief Design Officer at Apple.
Jony is one of the most talented and accomplished designers...
Microsoft's Cortana Officially Announced for iOS & AndroidThis morning, Microsoft officially announced Cortana will be coming to Android and iOS. It's a brilliant move by Microsoft in a string of brilliant moves since the leadership changeover occurred. The personal digital assistant will obviously be in direct competition to both Siri and Google Now. The main difference will now be that you can get Cortana as an app for any mobile device.
Microsoft didn't share a specific time-frame for release, but left it with a vague "later this year." Cortana offer several of the same features you can find on Google Now or Siri, including contextually-aware reminders, routing and mapping, weather and traffic, sports scores, and more. When she launches, not all of Cortana's Windows 10 features will be immediately available for Android and iOS. This...
iOS 9 to Support Legacy iPhones and iPads9to5 Mac has a really interesting report today that outlines some of the big changes that Apple has in store with its forthcoming iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 software. 9to5 Mac says that it has heard from multiple sources in the know that Apple's engineers have concentrated on achieving Snow-Leopard-style stability focus for both iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 in 2015.
It turns out that Apple executives were not in favour of a total pause on new features, which is what the engineers would have preferred, but did agree to hold back some features that had initially been planned, in favour of quality assurance.
Talking specifically about iOS 9, which 9to5 Mac says is codenamed "Monarch," it's expected to feature the Apple Watch's new San Francisco typeface as its system-wide font, as well as a new Home...
Apple Could Launch 2 New 12-inch iPads With Dual-app Viewing Mode and Multi-user SupportFresh intel coming from well-connected Mark Gurman with 9to5Mac says that Apple is indeed working on releasing a brand new iPad Pro. He has apparently gotten hold of a leaked product roadmap which says Apple will launch two new twelve-inch iPads, and will also introduce some useful software features for them -dual-app viewing mode and add multi-user support.
At the moment we can only speculate on the release date of the device, which could be set for this fall, but as far as the software goes, there's a chance that we'll witness some new features being talked about at the company's developer conference WWDC 2015.
According to the roadmap, the two big iPads are being internally referred to as "J98″ and "J99" (codenames). It seems that the new devices are going to be larger versions of...
Fresh Patent Says Apple is Working on an iPad Stylus Stylus Capable of 3D InputMore and more trustful reports seem to suggest that Apple is indeed working on the iPad Pro, and even the company's own patents seem to show it. It's not the first time when we're seeing this, but a fresh stylus concept was revealed in Apple's filing for "Expanded Function Touch Sensor Implement," published this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,
The invention describes an advanced stylus with a number of sensors to detect a variety of types of input, such as the angle at which the stylus is touching the display, or the distance of the stylus from the device. Of course, at the moment we're not sure if such a tool would be limited to the iPad Pro, but it would definitely make work easier on the device, if it does come with a screen size bigger than 12-inch.
The advanced...
Foxconn Gets Big Order From Apple for iPhone 6s and iPad ProAppleInsider reports that Apple's long-trusted manufacturing partner Foxconn looks likely to be responsible for the majority of the production for the forthcoming iPhone 6s and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to highly credible analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The KGI Securities analyst said in a memo to Taiwan's China Post today that Apple will be keeping the current 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhone sizes, with the 4.7-inch phone making up 66% of units. Kuo also re-stated that the new phones will come with Force Touch technology.
The reason behind Apple preferring Foxconn over any of its other partners is, according to Kuo, because it has a better iPhone yield rate than any of its rivals.
Kuo also said that the next iPhone could be announced in August, which is also something that has been rumoured...
Possible Apple Watch/Apple Pay Security Flaw DiscoveredBGR writes today of a worrying new security flaw that has been discovered by a blogger that appears to enable thieves to use Apple Pay on a stolen Apple Watch without having to enter the original owner's PIN code.
The apparent vulnerability appears to be the result of the way in which the Apple Watch uses sensors to detect when the owner is wearing it, and thus eliminates the need to input the security code when the Watch is being worn, and also lets the user make payments with Apple Pay without having to input a PIN.
When a Watch is removed from the wrist the sensors detect this and PIN security is enabled, and this is where the possible security flaw occurs, as there is a delay of around a second when the Watch is taken off the wrist before PIN security is re-enabled. Also, the...
Morgan Stanley Says U.S. Consumer Interest is Increasing for the Apple WatchWhen it comes to estimates regarding the sales performance of Apple's products, you never know whom to trust. And it's even more challenging when we're talking about a brand new category, such as the wearable one.
Yesterday, we reported that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was claiming that the Apple Watch demand may be slowing down. But today, another trustful analyst, Katy Huberty from investment bank Morgan Stanley, says U.S. consumer interest for the Apple Watch is actually increasing.
Citing the AlphaWise U.S. Wearables survey, the analyst believes Apple will manage to sell as much as 36 million units in the first year of its availability. Thus, Huberty has raised its previous estimates by 20 percent, from 30 million units to 36 million units for the device's first year of...
Apple Stores Begin Stocking Standalone Apple Watch Bands for PurchaseAccording to a fresh report coming from 9to5Mac, it seems thatApple Stores have began stocking standalone Apple Watch bands for purchase. For now, this has been confirmed in the United States and the United Kingdom, but users from other launch countries inform that they too can order Apple Watch bands online through the Apple Store. Here's what well-connected Mark Gurman says:
"This strap inventory will primarily be for customers who would like to swap the band that comes pre-bundled with their Apple Watch after their purchase. Secondary to this, these early band shipments for stores will be available as replacements for worn-out bands from the various store Apple Watch try-on stations"
Gurman also informs that the remaining Apple Watch inventory will be available to be sold to...
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Robinsons to reopen Tacloban stores on Thursday
MANILA, Philippines—Robinsons Retail is set to reopen its supermarket, department store and other stores in typhoon-ravaged Tacloban on Thursday but on a limited scale and shortened hours due to power supply constraints.
The retailer will set up a temporary selling area of about 5,500 square meters at Robinsons Place-Tacloban from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. This is to "provide for the shopping needs of the Taclobanons for the upcoming Yule season," Robinsons Retail told the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Six weeks after Robinsons Place–Tacloban was battered and severely damaged by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international name: "Haiyan"), Robinsons Retail will reopen Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, Handyman Do It Best, Robinsons Appliances, Toys R Us Toybox and Daiso Japan in Tacloban City.
"Our stores in Tacloban City are among the best performers since they opened four years ago, so this is the group's way of giving back to the city's loyal patronage for the Robinsons brand," said Mariano Joaquin Jr., vice president for business development at Robinsons Retail Group.
"There is really a conscious effort from the group to re-open on the 19th of December to be in time for the Christmas holidays. This is also the group's way of helping the national and local governments to bring the city's trade and commerce back to normal," Joaquin said.
The daily store hours will be limited due to the limited power supplied by the mall's generator set. Due to this same power supply constraint, the supermarket will not be able to carry frozen and refrigerated items like fresh meat, fish and ice cream for the time being, the company said.
"Nevertheless, they commit to sell the usual variety of canned goods, snacks, beverages, milk and other food products including Noche Buena items like quezo de bola and fresh fruits. On top of these, people will also find a wide variety of basic wear, shoes, hardware products, home appliances, toys and gift items in the entire selling area," the disclosure said.
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This robustly sculpted ceramic vase gets softened with an enduring toile motif in natural buff.
Since 2005, Cyan Design has offered exquisite and uncommon collections in home decor. With their motto, "Beautiful objects for beautiful lives," Cyan has become a go-to source for design professionals and decorating enthusiasts alike, with a continuously updated line of fresh and unique accents.


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- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
From the Publisher'...the book is a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of teachers of mathematics at any level. It provides a useful antidote to the notion that all mathematical ideas were developed in Western Europe and provides the teacher with a numerous example by which to convince students that, indeed, every culture has mathematics.'
Mathematical Reviews, 2002a


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Paul Vulpius' "Help yourself" A comedy hit in 3 hilarious...
Paul Vulpius' "Help yourself" A comedy hit in 3 hilarious acts. Poster for Federal Theatre Project presentation of "Help Yourself" at the Columbia Theatre, 135 O'Farrell, San Francisco, California, s ... show more
- A Federal Theatre Road Attraction - Div. of W.P.A.
- Work Projects Administration Poster Collection (Library of Congress).
- Posters: WPA Posters
- Theatrical productions--California--San Francisco--1930-1940.
- Banking--California--1930-1940.
- Comedies--1930-1940.
- Screen prints--Color--1930-1940.
- Theatrical posters--1930-1940.
- Album: All photos
- Heart Unheart
- Comment


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Manulife to Sell Life Retrocession Unit to Pacific Life
July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Manulife Financial Corp., Canada's largest insurer, agreed to sell its life retrocession business to Pacific Life Insurance Co.
The sale of the unit that provides insurance to reinsurance companies will result in an after-tax gain of about C$275 million ($286.7 million), Manulife said today in a statement. The Toronto-based insurer said the reduction in annual earnings from the sale isn't material.
"Although this business is profitable, it does not have a growth profile acceptable to us," Manulife Chief Executive Officer Donald Guloien said today in the statement. "The transaction releases capital which will be reinvested in higher growth businesses or to reduce leverage."
Manulife, which has been trying to bolster capital, said the sale will increase its so-called minimum continuing capital and surplus requirements ratio by about six basis points after completion. The insurer's MCCSR ratio was 243 percent on March 31.
The retrocession business has about 90 employees in Toronto, Boston, Barbados and Cologne, Germany, Manulife said. The unit has "net life insurance in-force" of $106 billion.
Pacific Life, based in Newport Beach, California, said the transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter. The deal will give Pacific Life about 41 percent share in the North American market for individual life retrocession, the company said in a separate statement. Pacific Life doesn't have publicly traded shares.
Manulife fell 42 cents, or 2.6 percent, to C$15.57 at 4 p.m. in trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The shares have declined 9.2 percent this year, compared with an 8.5 percent drop for the six-member S&P/TSX Life & Health Insurance Index.
To contact the reporter on this story: Sean B. Pasternak in Toronto at email@example.com.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Scanlan at firstname.lastname@example.com; Dan Kraut at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Princess Monique Show – Healthy Relationships (3/4/12)
Rihanna And Chris Brown together again? What is the reuniting of C. Breezy & Rhi Rhi teaching our teens about relationships? On Sunday's show we discussed how abusive relationships can start even on the first date. […]
Ga. Author Pleads Guilty To Scamming Women He Met On Dating Website
Ga. Author Pleads Guilty Of Scamming Women He Met On Dating Website
OBoy! Jazze Pha Is Doing More Than Producing Hits These Days
Homegrown Atlanta favorite Producer Jazze Pha known for discovering and producing artists like Ciara is taking his talent for producing hit songs and artists into the literary world.
Best Dates for Adventurous Couples in Atlanta
Plan your next date around options that will appeal to the daredevil in every couple: get high, free fall and soar over the most action-packed city in the state. Check out these kick-the-bucket-list, dare-devil dates […]
My Big is Beautiful: Speed Dating
Derrick is having another Big Is Beautiful Party this weekend. Make plans now!


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News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- Agency of the Month
- Business of Government Hour
- The CFO Agenda: Delivering value from financial transparency and audit efforts in the public and private sector
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- CXO Surveys
- Disaster Resilience for America
- Federal News Countdown
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
Shows & Panels
- AFCEA Answers
- American Readiness: Renewable Power and Efficiency Technologies
- Ask the CIO
- The Business Case for Cloud Computing in Government
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- Connecting the Dots: Digital Authentication in Government
- Cybersecurity Game Changer: Real-Time Event Processing in Government
- Data-Centric Approaches to Government in the Cloud
- Delivering the Digital Government Mission
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal News Radio's National Cyber Security Awareness Month Special Panel Discussion
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Future of Government Data Centers
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Industrialized, Interoperable and Insight-driven Federal Health Panel
- Innovation and Tech Superiority through Acquisition Reform
- Mitigating Insider Threats in Virtual & Cloud Environments
- Moving Agency Applications to the Cloud with PaaS
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Security in the Age of Targeted Attacks
- Air Traffic Management Transformation Report
- The Business of Cloud
- Cloud First Report
- Data Driven Cloud Series
- Disaster Resilience for America
- General Dynamics IT Enterprise Center
- Gov Cloud Minute
- Government in Technology Series
- Homeland Security Cybersecurity Market Report
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Modern Mission Critical Series
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- The New IP for Federal IT
- The Social Platform Solution for the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Technology Insights
- The Cyber Security Report
- The Next Generation Cyber Security Experts
Shows & Panels
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- Disaster Resilience for America
- F-35 Lightning II Program
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- On DoD
- Pentagon Solutions
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
- Transforming Business Operations at the Defense Department
VA secretary asks Iraq veteran congressman: 'What have you done?'
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Wednesday asked a Republican lawmaker who served in both Iraq wars, "What have you done?" as the two men sparred over huge cost overruns at a troubled Denver VA hospital.
Bill targets pornography viewing on agency computers
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) introduced a new bill to stop federal employees from using work computers to watch pornography.
Longer leases, improved space utilization key to big savings for GSA
With half of all federal leases in the D.C. region expiring in the next five years and a "buyers market" in real estate, the federal government faces a huge cost-saving opportunity. A House round table discussion examined how the General Services Administration could take advantage of this "perfect storm".
From Congress to consumer safety, Buerkle describes recipe for success
Anne Marie Buerkle is a current commissioner at the Consumer Product Safety Commission and a former New York congresswoman. She sat down with Women of Washington Hosts Gigi Schumm and Aileen Black to discuss her path to Capitol Hill and what she's found since her arrival in DC.
Fixing the SES: 'This used to be an honor. Now it's a joke.'
Fewer than half of the Senior Executive Service members who responded to an exclusive Federal News Radio online survey say they would join today. The survey results were even more dim for federal employees at the GS-15 and GS-14 ranks. In the first of our four-part special report, Fixing the SES, we examine how current senior execs feel about the SES, and what they believe is right and wrong with the service.
Chaffetz supports a federal pay raise but wants something in return
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee tells NTEU members that he wants their help in ridding the federal workforce of bad actors.
Obama budget to fix IRS' service woes, says commissioner
Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen wants to get his agency to a point where Americans can make all their tax transactions online, and told the Senate Finance Committee that it needs funding close to what President Barack Obama has proposed.
IGs face obstacles, delays in accessing agency records
A trio of inspectors general told the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform today about obstacles they routinely encounter in obtaining records as part of their investigations into potential wrongdoing.
DoD's proposals aim to simplify 'mindboggling' acquisition rules
Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told the House Armed Services Committee that a bunch of incremental changes could help DoD find success with its acquisitions more often. The seven legislative proposals address redundant documents and processes that the military needs help from Congress to get rid of and give program managers more time.
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), Chairman, House Veterans Affairs Committee
Bonuses went to some employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs who later got caught up in the wait time scandal, and other incidents at the agency. The congressman who sponsored the bill that makes it easier to fire SESers at VA wants to go after those bonuses now. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) is chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said seeing results from the VA Management Accountability Act of 2014 (the firing bill that President Barack Obama signed late last year) won't happen overnight.
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), House Armed Services Committee
Both the House and Senate Armed Services committees are setting their hearing agendas for the 114th Congress. Both have new leaders, but many of the problems they'll deal with have been around for a long time. On In Depth with Francis Rose, Chairman Randy Forbes (R-Va.) of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces says carrying momentum into future Congresses could be one of the most important achievements of this Congress.
House bill would reduce SES pensions at VA
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller wants new ways to punish SES members accused of misconduct, including possible pension reductions, limits on paid leave. He also wants to curtail VA's bonus award system.
Fearless forecast
NARFE Legislative Director Jessica Klement and Federal Times Senior Writer Andy Medici will predict what's ahead for federal workers and retirees in 2015.
January 21, 2015
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), Chairman, HASC, and Jim Talent, AEI
Sequestration, cyber attacks and terrorism are just a few of the concerns that top the list for the 114th Congress. In anticipation of tonight's State of the Union address, the American Enterprise Institute will hold a "congressional roadmap for rebuilding our nation's military" at 10 a.m. Former Sen. Jim Talent is an AEI senior fellow; Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. They joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive with a sneak peak at the event.
House votes to undo Obama immigration actions
GOP House votes to overturn Obama's immigration actions, expose many immigrants to deportation
Digging through the new bills: Across-the-board cuts and more
We've gone through the first 400 bills in the new Congress to pull out those you'll want to watch, from a measure to kick political appointees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan to three that embrace across-the-board spending cuts.
Rep. Mark Meadows, Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Operations
The new Congress has lots of new committee and subcomittee chairs. That's especially true of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Its subcommittee on government operations has a new chairman with new priorities. On the Federal Drive, Rep. Mark Meadows (R, N.C.) spoke with Tom Temin and outlined what the subcommittee wants to achieve this session and where it plans to start.
Congress and the partisan divide
Tom Davis, director of Federal Government Affairs for Deloitte, discusses his new book, and what can be done to end the partisan divide in Congress.
January 6, 2014
More women, minorities in new Congress
More women, minorities in new Congress, but still largely white and male
What feds should know about the 114th Congress
Tuesday marks the first day of the 114th Congress, which mostly serves as a day of ceremony for freshman members. But once the fanfare is over, experts on the Hill say Republicans and Democrats will get right back to settling some old scores left over from 2014.


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A short review.
Submitted by Stewart (not verified) on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 05:48.
This was great. I have a myspace account right now. When i first saw this i was skeptical, thinking it was just going to say how everyone has a myspace and thats what makes it stupid, but the zine was full of interesting info i did not know. FUCK NEWS CORP!


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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #816
TURKEYS: They love chasing laser dots, especially to exciting music.
GLBT HISTORY: Gay Family Values pays a visit to the history museum which just opened in SF's Castro.
SKINS VS SKINS: John McEnroe, Henri Leconte, and fellow Frenchmen Michael Llodra have a strip tease in Adelaide, Australia.
CHEYENNE JACKSON: Trailer for upcoming film The Green.
For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.
RE the video of the Castro/GLBT history exhibit: the speaker obviously means well, and I'm sure he's a great guy, husband, dad, but his own apparent ignorance about San Francisco gay history is profound.
Gay veterans didn't settle in Eureka Valley after WWII any more than any other part of The City. There would have been nothing special to attract them to the neighborhood then. The first gay bar didn't open until the late 60s. Those who wanted to be close to other gays settled near gay/gay-friendly bars such as the Silver Rail, the Old Crow, Mona's, the Black Cat, and Finocchio's legendary female impersonation club in the Tenderloin or North Beach, and later "Polkstrasse" which was the first to be known as THE "gay neighborhood."
Worst of all is his assertion that San Francisco had no real political activism before Harvey Milk. That would be news to the still-living Jose Sarria who ran for Supervisor as an out gay man in 1961, the first to run for any public office in the nation, and 12 years before Harvey did—and when he did it was only because he was pissed off at having to pre-pay a business tax on his camera store and NOT gay-related per se.
SF had its own chapter of the Mattachine Society in the 50s, and the country's first lesbian organization, the Daughters of Bilitis was started here in 1955. There were even protests against the ban on gays in the military in SF as early as 1966. The Tavern Guild [1962] and the Society for Individual Rights [SIR; 1964] had already begun to influence local elections before anyone here ever heard of Harvey. Dianne Feinstein credited her 1969 win to the Board of Supervisors to SIR and the gay vote. In 1971, the gay vote helped elect Sheriff Richard Hongisto. Milk didn't permanently move to SF until 1972, but, again, wasn't yet politically active. That year, in addition to the city passing a gay rights ordinance, the Alice B. Toklas Club [formerly SIR] provided Presidential candidate George McGovern one-third of the signatures needed to get him on the CA primary ballot. Thus, that year, SIR co-founder Jim Foster became the first out gay man to address a Democratic National Convention.
None of this takes away from what Milk did accomplish, but the video, I'm sure unintentionally, both misrepresents and disrespects those who came before.
Posted by: firstname.lastname@example.com | Jan 17, 2011 7:00:56 PM
Yeah, I love that tennis video. The young guy is Ryan Harrison, and he will be a huge tennis star in a year or two....ok, maybe three or more.
Have lots of pics and video of him and Llodra on tenniscrackwhore.com, I like to call it a fansite with homosexual tendencies. Enjoy!
Posted by: Greg | Jan 17, 2011 7:02:11 PM
John McEnroe has a nice, toned body for a man of any age let alone one in his fifties. Also, the movie trailer for "The Green" looks like it's going to be a great movie.
Posted by: DLA | Jan 18, 2011 3:44:27 AM


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Overview of content related to 'amazon'
This page provides an overview of 1 article related to 'google books'. Note that filters may be applied to display a sub-set of articles in this category (see FAQs on filtering for usage tips). Select this link to remove all filters.
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search and Google Print) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition, and stored in its digital database. The service was formerly known as Google Print when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2004. Google's Library Project, also now known as Google Book Search, was announced in December 2004. (Excerpt from Wikipedia article: Google Books)
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Turning on the Lights for the User: NISO Discovery to Delivery Forum
Laura Akerman and Kim Durante report on Discovery to Delivery, Creating a First-Class User Experience, a NISO Forum on today's information seekers and current standards developments held in March 2010 at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center.
April 2010, issue63, event report


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PCB Mount Surge Suppressors Datasheets
from Infineon Technologies AG
Silicon TVS diodes Array. Summary of Features: ESD / transient protection of e.g. ADSL, VDSL,ISDN, WAN, LAN, I ²C Bus, Microcontroller Inputs,Video and other high-speed data lines in telecom applications:IEC61000-4-2 (ESD): ± 15 kV (Air / Contact),IEC61000-4-4 (EFT): 4 kV / 80 A (5/50... [See More]
- Mounting: PCB
- Application: Network Applications
- Device Type: SPD
- Surge Current: 27
from Mersen
Mersen's surge suppression fuses are specially designed to address the protection of Surge Protective Devices (SPD). The surge suppression fuses have been specially designed to withstand 8x20 MicroSec surge pulses without opening, allowing the SPD to react to the surge. All surge suppression fuses... [See More]
- Mounting: Wall/Panel (optional feature); PCB (optional feature)
- Technology: Metal Oxide Varistor
- Device Type: SPD; Single Phase
- Surge Current: 10000
from Farnell Europe
ESD PROTECTION, 1 CHANNEL, 0.05PF [See More]
- Mounting: PCB
- Application: Telecom. Applications; USB 3.0
- Device Type: Dataline & DC Signal
- Clamping Voltage: 15
from GAIA Converter
The GAIA Converter Hold up device HUGD-50 provides a state-of-the-art solution to the problem of maintaining electronic system in operation during input bus drop-out for enough time. Usually this approach uses very large capacitors because they are only charged at the voltage at which power fails. [See More]
- Mounting: Plug-in; PCB
- Application: Telecom. Applications; Military, Aerospace
- Device Type: SPD
- Clamping Voltage: 9 to 40
from L-com, Inc.
The HyperLink AL-D15P12DW is designed to provide superior lightning and surge protection for RS-485 control and 12VDC power lines. These protectors incorporate individual protection circuits for the RS-485 control lines and DC power lines. All housed in one weatherproof resistant enclosure. RS-485... [See More]
- Mounting: Plug-in; PCB
- Technology: Metal Oxide Varistor; Gas Tubes
- Device Type: SPD; Dataline & DC Signal
- Application: Data Acquisition; Network Applications; Audio & Video Applications
from NSI Industries LLC
The surge suppressor for high electrical noise is ideal for high electrical noise interference, recommended for all digital controls. [See More]
- Mounting: PCB
- Device Type: Single Phase
from Okaya Electric America, Inc.
External mounting tab [See More]
- Mounting: PCB
- Technology: Spark Quencher
- Device Type: Three Phase
- Application: Office Appliances, Automatic Machines
from RFE International, Inc.
Epoxy: UL 94V-0 rated flame retardant, typical IR less than 1 uA above 10V [See More]
- Mounting: PCB; Zener Diode
- Surge Current: 100
- Device Type: Dataline & DC Signal
- Clamping Voltage: 18.8
from RS Components, Ltd.
Type:2-Electrode Surge Arrestor; Voltage Rating:150 VDC; Impulse Discharge Current kA:10; Operating Temperature Range:-40 - +90C; Package:Surface mount; Impulse Spark Over Voltage:500V; Capacitance:1pF at 1MHz; DC Spark Over Voltage:150V [See More]
- Mounting: PCB
- Operating Temp: -40 to 194


text: Quick View save 27% What the F*@# Should I Drink?: The Answers to… by Zach Golden July 30, 2013 | Hardcover In stock online from $12.64 We've all been there: you come home from a long day and just want to have a drinkbut which drink? There are so many options, how do you decide? What the F*@# Should I Drink? has the answer! The follow-up to the wildly successful and deliciously offensive What the F*@# Should I Make for… See Details $13.30 / $12.64 lowest price*was $17.50


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Episode Reviews (12)
Solid A-
***This review WILL contain SPOILERS***
I thought the episode was a fitting send-off, and was almost perfect. The pacing, for the most part, was great, there were lots of allusions to earlier episodes, and we finally got to see Fry and Leela get married "for real" (rather than just the glimpse we saw in the time-skipping episode).
The reason I can't give it a 10 is because of the very end. If the writers had closed it off, and had Fry and Leela *stay* in their frozen time, it would've been perfect. Going back to the moment before the time button was invented reset everything and, IMO, robbed the audience of final closure. They're going back to a time when they're not married, and technically, there's no assurance that they will be, since a lot of what happened subsequent to the time button is dependent on it.moreless
The Second Conclusion of "Futurama"
The series has been cancelled once again. Why do networks hate the show so much? As much as I hate how TV shows are coming to an end, this one has a very good ending. It was about time Fry and Leela got married. They went from young-to-old and they have traveled around the world. This was actually the perfect end to a great series. Ken Keeler must be REAL good at making series finales.
Perfect series finale
Now here's something Futurama did that other shows in it's genre have failed to do, end when it needed to. Futurama may have had it's duds from time to time, but this series finale uses imagery, emotions, and writing like no other. All in all, the writers knew what they were doing, and it ended when it needed to.
What am I going to do with my life
I finshed the show last night, and now i dont know what I am going to do with my life... Overall I would say it was a great finale. It had a bit of everything from the past seasons, and my favorite part about it was when the professor said that it would take them back to the moment before he created the time button. I really hope that this show gets renewed ANYWHERE I dont care what network.
Perfect episode, I hope Futurama will never return
What an ending for such a great show. The episode started off normal, but then turned into one of the greatest moments in TV or movies for me ever. It had everything:
- this half science, half crazy thing that Futurama can do so perfectly if they just try hard enough
-all those little jokes that made every second of that episode so great (spoiler/exaple: a bed made of pandas with coalas as pillows; makes you ask yourself if they are warm or not)
- really good storytelling for just 22min time
- a perfect ending for fry and leela
hope and guess this was for real the last episode, and it should be, now go with grace and such a great episod, this is a perfect ending
"Wanna go around again?"
Now THIS is the kind of finale that Futurama deserved.
As a show that's had not one but four (potential) finales, you could say that Futurama has become a bit of an expert on the subject. Admittedly, their success in that field has been a little, shall we say, scattershot.
The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings was long standing the one that I recognized as THE definitive ending, both bittersweet and full of hope for the future. The ending to Into the Wild Green Yonder also had its moments, and it was great to see Leela and Fry finally get together, but it somehow just didn't live up to the first for me. As for Reincarnation, the rumored last episode when it was uncertain if the show would be picked up for another season, I'll admit.... I was underwhelmed.
But I have to say, the writers really hit the nail on the head this time. As a show that for years has been one of my favorites (and sometimes I feel has been under-appreciated), "Meanwhile" was a fitting tribute to a couple that's been building since the episode "Titanic" in season two.
Fry finally takes the big leap to propose to Leela, while swiping an invention of the Professor's that can replay the same ten seconds over and over again, allowing him to make the moment last as long as he wants. Without giving too much away to those that haven't watched it, crazy time antics happen and Fry and Leela are trapped in a single moment that is frozen for all of eternity while they age naturally.
The last episode wasn't afraid to pull out the black humor and cynicism Futurama is great at, but the blows were softened by sentiment and humanity, with each dark joke countered by a rather touching Fry/Leela moment. The finale managed to give the characters a bit of closure in addition to making several nods to parts of the show's history, while managing not to wrap it up too neatly, hinting that-for the characters at least-life in this universe would go on.
As an episode, there are a few minor qualms (the plot did seem a bit mechanical at times, with not much that you honestly couldn't see coming), but as a finale, Meanwhile did a spectacular job of giving a great send off to a great show, and has since become one of my favorite episodes that the series has produced.


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By Wayne Allen
With the business of the the holiday season and other factors, organizers with the Regional Health Summit have decided to move the event from Jan. 24 to April 11.
First offered more than a year ago, the summit — held at Shawnee State University — is titled Regional Health Summit No. 2 - Working Together Towards Wellness.
"The focus of this year's summit will be implementing workplace wellness programs," said Ed Hughes, CEO of Compass Community Health.
He said there is going to be a push for as many employers within the tri-state area to attend.
"United Health Care is going to give an overview about how health and wellness and impact to the workplace, in terms of productivity and the cost of health insurance," Hughes said.
According to Hughes, Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) will guide participants through having some smoking cessation and tobacco cessation programs available. In the afternoon sessions, the summit will focus on tobacco prevention in schools.
"While there, they will be able to hear about tobacco prevention programming that might be able to be linked to the school systems," Hughes said. "I know the schools feel very overwhelmed in terms of being able to do anything extra. We're looking at ways the community could help support those efforts within the schools."
He said the Ohio Department of Health will have representatives at the summit.
"During this time we're looking for members of the Scioto County Health Coalition to meet with Ohio Department of Health in regards to future planing activities. We're (Scioto County Health Coalition) starting to attract the attention of a lot of folks in terms of progress being made," Hughes said.
For more information about the event, call 740-351-1827 ext. 201.
Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 228 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT


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Paul Schoknecht | May 7, 2012 | Comments
Why should a consumer keep your application on their phone?
Mobile advertising spending has been growing between 50 to 80 percent year over year and, according to eMarketer, it is set to reach 2.6 billion this year and 4.3 billion in 2013. This isn't surprising when you think about the mind-boggling penetration numbers I wrote about in a previous column.
There are an estimated 1.186 billion global active broadband subscribers in 2011 (International Telecommunication Union, Nov. 2011) and according to IDC (Feb. 2012), 796 million smartphones have been shipped in just the last two years. Yes, that was 1.1 with a "b" and yet most companies' mobile experiences are wretched. In fact, 79 percent of Fortune 500 companies do not yet have a mobile-optimized site.
We marketers should be ashamed of ourselves. It isn't as though this trend has sneaked up on us. In fact, I think it has been the year of mobile for the last four years. Now, the economy has caused a lot of people to make hard decisions with limited marketing dollars, but as marketers we should strive to be ahead of the market and, unfortunately, in the case of mobile we are truly behind.
On average, 10 to 15 percent of all traffic comes from mobile devices and the majority of the experiences a consumer encounters are subpar. As a business, would you ever just ignore 10 to 15 percent of your customers? I've never heard anyone answer this question with a serious yes. So why is 79 percent of Fortune 500 companies doing this today?
What would my solution be? Put your mobile ad buys on hold until you get your owned properties in order. So what should "getting your house in order" entail? First, start with the data you have. Through web analytics you have a rich data set that shows what users are looking for when they come to your site from a mobile device. By digging into this data you can reinvent your properties based on consumer needs.
But don't stop there. Your goal should be to create unique experiences. If it is a mobile application, ask yourself what is in it for the consumer to keep your application on their phone. Does it fill a need? Does it engage them in a unique way? Is it a space they would expect for you to fill? Test your concepts early. For one of our clients, we did creative concept testing early and were able to quickly eliminate potential paths that were not resonating with our target audiences. Finally, give the consumer the choice for how they want to interact with you. ESPN is a great example of a company that lets you decide if you want to see the mobile website, the mobile application, or the full web experience. This will increase not only the adoption rate, but also the use of the platforms.
Most importantly, get started today because the numbers are only going to get larger.
On the heels of a fantastic event in New York City, ClickZ Live is taking the fun and learning to Toronto, June 23-25. With over 15 years' experience delivering industry-leading events, ClickZ Live offers an action-packed, educationally-focused agenda covering all aspects of digital marketing. Register today!
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As digital experience director at JWT Atlanta, Paul drives digital strategy and user experience for clients including U.S. Marine Corps, FEMA, Shell, Jiffy Lube, Transamerica, and U.S. Virgin Islands across the digital spectrum of web, mobile, social, gaming, and media. His passion for the space and his ability to translate current trends into marketing applications helps the brands that he works with stay at the forefront of innovation. His team leads the digital activation process across all clients from inception through the creative execution process to reporting.
Paul is a Chicago native who has led JWT's digital efforts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta. Prior to joining JWT he worked with several leading agencies in Southern California where he led digital initiatives for clients including Anheuser-Busch, Sony Pictures, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Sprint/Nextel, and Symantec.
Paul currently lives in Atlanta with his wife and two daughters.
June 23-25, 2015
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August 10-12, 2015
September 8-10, 2015
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce
This Magic Quadrant examines leading digital commerce platforms that enable organizations to build digital commerce sites. These commerce platforms facilitate purchasing transactions over the Web, and support the creation and continuing development of an online relationship with a consumer.
Paid Search in the Mobile Era
Google reports that paid search ads are currently driving 40+ million calls per month. Cost per click is increasing, paid search budgets are growing, and mobile continues to dominate. It's time to revamp old search strategies, reimagine stale best practices, and add new layers data to your analytics.
June 10, 2015
12:00pm ET/9:00am PT


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Poll: Which story idea should I pursue next? Vote Now!
Author has written 24 stories for Twilight, Glee, and Covert Affairs.
Hey peoples!
I'm Mallory!
The Basics:
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Thank you to novice242, my winning bidder for the Support Stacie Auction! :o) Her winning story is Coming Back for More. Please go read it and review! It was for a lovely cause.
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Receive Medicare updates and information monthly.
Life events and different health care needs can sometimes lead to considering a change in your Medicare coverage or plans.
Moving is one example. Your plan may or may not be offered in your new location. And plans sometimes decide to change their service area. What happens if your plan leaves you?
Well, there's an enrollment period for that! Here's a summary of when you can change your Medicare coverage.
Medicare Open Enrollment is the main time period for changing your Medicare coverage or plan. It is similar to the annual enrollment you probably experienced with your employer health coverage. It's a good reminder each year to consider whether you need to make a change.
Medicare Open Enrollment happens every year from October 15 through December 7. Any changes you make during this time go into effect on January 1 of the following year.
Here's what you can do during this enrollment period:
If you miss Medicare Open Enrollment, you may have to wait until the following year to change your coverage, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Things happen in life that may affect your Medicare coverage needs. Special Enrollment Periods allow you to make changes to your coverage outside of Medicare Open Enrollment under certain circumstances.
Some situations that may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period are:
Many people work past age 65, so transitioning to Medicare from employer coverage is common. You have eight months to enroll in Original Medicare (Part A, Part B or both) from the time your employment or insurance ends, whichever comes first. You have just two months from this date to join a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) or a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D).
Special Enrollment Periods for other situations have different rules about when you can make changes and what changes you can make. It's important to understand the rules. There may be enrollment penalties in some cases.
The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period gives you a chance to leave a Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. This time period happens every year from January 1 through February 14.
You are automatically switched to Original Medicare when you leave a Medicare Advantage plan. If your Medicare Advantage plan included drug coverage, then you have until February 14 to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D). Your drug coverage will begin the first day of the month after the Part D plan gets your enrollment form. You may incur a premium penalty if you don't enroll in a Part D plan at this time and decide to get it later.
Get information about Medicareplans in your area at
or call UnitedHealthcare.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) TTY 1-877-486-2048 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekOr call your plan's customer service number You may also go to Medicare.gov
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There is provided a method for growing human intervertebral cells. Disc tissue is surgically removed from a normal disc of a patient, the cells expanded by feeding with a cell stimulant such as a growth factor, or a cytokine or a bioactive agent to form monolayer primary cell cultures on a plastic mesh such as a nylon mesh. In the case of a growth factor, fetal bovine serum is preferred as it improves cell proliferation and production of appropriate extracellular matrix components. In another aspect of this invention, the monolayer primary cell cultures are seeded in alginate or agarose and fed again with the cell stimulant until three-dimensional cell cultures are formed. The cells are recovered from the alginate or agarose or from monolayer cultures. Re-implantation is carried out using bioresorbable carriers or cell suspensions.
1. A method for propagating human intervertebral disc cells in vitro comprising:
a) providing human intervertebral disc tissue;
b) mincing said human intervertebral disc tissue to obtain a minced explant comprising human intervertebral disc cells; and
c) culturing said minced explant under conditions to propagate and form a monolayer of human intervertebral disc cells, wherein the human intervertebral disc cells of said monolayer can be isolated and further propagated upon passaging.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said minced explant is anchored by a plastic mesh.
3. A human intervertebral disc cell culture obtained by the method of claim 2 comprising a monolayer of human intervertebral disc cells and a human intervertebral disc minced explant, wherein at least a portion of said monolayer of human intervertebral disc cells is attached to said human intervertebral disc minced explant.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said minced explant is cultured in the presence of serum, growth factors or cytokines.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said minced explant is cultured in the presence of fetal bovine serum.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein said minced explant is cultured in the presence of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β).
7. A human intervertebral disc cell culture obtained by the method of claim 1 comprising a monolayer of human intervertebral disc cells and a human intervertebral disc minced explant, wherein at least a portion of said monolayer of human intervertebral disc cells is attached to said human intervertebral disc minced explant.
8. A method for culturing human intervertebral disc cells in a three-dimensional structure in vitro comprising:
a) providing human intervertebral disc tissue;
b) mincing said human intervertebral disc tissue to obtain a minced explant comprising human intervertebral disc cells;
c) culturing said minced explant under conditions to propagate and form a monolayer of human intervertebral disc cells, wherein the human intervertebral disc cells of said monolayer can be isolated and further propagated upon passaging;
d) isolating said human intervertebral disc cells from said monolayer;
e) seeding the isolated cells into a carrier such that the isolated cells are dispersed and distributed in the carrier thereby forming a three-dimensional structure; and
f) culturing said dispersed and distributed cells in the three-dimensional structure.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said three-dimensional structure is formed in a cell well insert.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein said carrier is alginate.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein said carrier is agarose.
This invention relates to a method for producing human intervertebral disc cells. More particularity, this invention relates to methods for growing intervertebral cells in monolayers cultures followed by three-dimensional growth of cells.
In spite of the large health care costs associated with degenerative disc disease, the cell biology of the human intervertebral disc cell has been neglected compared to the knowledge available on chondrocytes or bone cell populations. Recent studies have presented data on the formation and turnover of matrix in situ in the human disc. Antoniou, J., Steffen, T., Nelson, F., Winterbottom, N., Hollander, A. P., Poole, R. A., Aebi, M., Alini, M., "The human lumbar intervertebral disc-Evidence for changes in the biosynthesis and denaturation of the extra cellular matrix with growth, maturation, ageing, and degeneration," J. Clin. Invest. 98, 996-1003 (1996). Growth of the young disc showed active matrix formation and denaturation of Type II collagen; aging and maturation were associated with decreased matrix synthesis and reduced denaturation of Type II collagen. Degenerative stages showed decreased aggrecan and Type II procollagen formation and increased Type II denaturation and Type I collagen synthesis. Successful isolation and in vitro growth of disc cells under experimental conditions can be a valuable tool for clarification of the cellular mechanisms involved in these observed matrix changes.
Studies of human disc cells cultured in alginate beads have provided evidence that more than one distinctive cell population resides in the disc. Chelberg, M. K., Banks, G. M., Geiger, D. F., Oegema, T. R., "Identification of heterogeneous cell populations in normal human intervertebral disc," J Anat, 186, 43-53 (1995). Others have used the alginate bead technique to study canine disc cells in culture. Maldonado, B. A., Oegema, T. R., "Initial characterization of the metabolism of intervertebral disc cells encapsulated in microspheres," J Orthopaedic Res, 10, 677-690 (1992). Cells from the rat disc have been grown in monolayer culture. Ichimura, K., Tsuji, H., Matsui, H., Makiyama, N., Cell culture of the intervertebral disc of rats: Factors influencing culture, proteoglycan, collagen, and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis," J Spinal Disorders, 4, 428-436 (1991).
Three-dimensional cell culture is a preferred culture method for chondrocytes, a cell type similar to at least some members of the disc cell population, and is known to de-differentiate in monolayer culture and reexpress a characteristic Type II collagen extracellular matrix production when placed in agarose culture. Benya, P. D., Shaffer, J. D., "Dedifferentiated chondrocytes reexpress the differentiated collagen phenotype when cultures in agarose gels," Cell, 30, 215-224 (1982).
It is an object of the present invention to produce human intervertebral cells in monolayer explant cultures.
Another object of the present invention is to produce human intervertebral cells in a three-dimensional cultures.
It has been found the human intervertebral cells may be grown and implanted into individuals with idiopathic scoliosis, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, recurrent disc herniation or spinal stenosis. Healthy specimens are obtained from the patient by either direct or percutaneous routes by a physician.
In a first embodiment of the present invention intervertebral healthy cells from a patient are grown into primary cell cultures in the presence of a cell stimulant such as a growth factor, or a cytokine or a bioactive agent to form monolayer primary cell cultures. In the case of a growth factor, fetal bovine serum is preferred as it improves cell proliferation and production of appropriate extracellular matrix components. The explant is first preferably grown on a nylon mesh anchor which simplifies feeding; cell are then expanded to larger numbers in monolayer culture.
In a second embodiment, the monolayer primary cell cultures may be seeded into alginate or agarose and fed again with the cell stimulant until three-dimensional cell cultures are formed. The cells are recovered from the alginate or agarose. Re-implantation into a site of disc degeneration is carried out using bioresorbable carriers or by placing cells directly in a disc.
The file of this patent contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent with color drawings will be provided by the Patent and Trademark Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the process of the present invention;
FIG. 2A is a phase-contrast photomicrograph of cells growing from a disc explant fragment onto a nylon mesh (X130);
FIG. 2B is a scanning electron micrograph of cells spreading and extending processes onto the mesh (bar at the upper left, 10 μm);
FIG. 3A shows cells grown in a three-dimensional environment;
FIG. 3B is an electron microscopic examination of matrix material;
FIG. 4 is a photomicrograph of immunohistochemical localization of extracellular matrix products around first passage cells grown in agarose from a 24-year old normal subject;
FIG. 5A presents pooled data for Type I collagen and Type II collagen; and
FIG. 5B presents pooled data for 4-S chondroitin sulfate and keratin sulfate.
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
The present invention is directed to a method for producing human intervertebral cells which are intended for implantation into a patient. It is important that the cells implanted into the patient be grown from the patient's own cells. The present invention in one embodiment provides growing intervertebral cells by feeding with a cell stimulant or merely using an expanded number of cells from monolayer explant culture (primary culture). In another embodiment, this invention provides seeding cells from the primary culture into three-dimensional growth environments of alginate or agarose and continued feeding or without with a cell stimulant. As shown in FIG. 1, disc tissue is surgically removed from a normal disc of a patient, the cells expanded by feeding with a cell stimulant on a plastic mesh such as a nylon mesh, grown in a three-dimensional microenvironment with cell stimulants such as growth factors and bioactive agents to re-express phenotype, placed in a carrier material or injected as a cell suspension and inserted into a site with disc degeneration in that same patient.
Production Of a Monolayer Culture (Primary Culture)
Disc tissue is derived from surgical disc procedures performed on individuals with idiopathic scoliosis, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, recurrent disc herniation or spinal stenosis and the like. Healthy disc tissue may be obtained by any of the known surgical procedures and placed in a sterile medium and incubated with fungizone as a precaution against contamination. The healthy disc tissue is rinsed with phosphate buffered saline. Regions of annulus and nucleus are visually identified and representative pieces of annulus and nucleus are dissected. Those designated for culturing cells are further examined and any cartilaginous or vascular regions are carefully removed. The disc tissue to be cultured is minced into 1-2 mm square pieces, again rinsed with saline to remove clots or residual debris, placed into culture dishes and anchored by placement of a sterile nylon mesh over the minced explant. Use of the nylon mesh anchoring technique for explants not only simplifies the feeding of cultures by anchoring fragments and thus preventing loss of fragments during cell feeding, but also provides a substrate for cell outgrowth.
To the designated cells is added Minimal Essential Medium (MEM, GIBCO) with Earle's salts, 1% L-glutamine, 1% non-essential amino acids, 1% penicillin-streptomycin and about 20% (v/v) of a cell stimulant, such as a growth factor, or a cytokine or a bioactive agent. Fetal calf serum and fetal bovine serum (GIBCO, Grand Island, N.Y.) are preferred. Other cell stimulants include, for example, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factor I, insulin-like growth factor II, basic fibroblast growth factor, acidic fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, serum, insulin, human recombinant bone morphogenetic protein 2, Vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and other forms of bone morphogenetic protein or ITS (insulin-transferrin-selenium). Serum may or may not be present during feeding with the cell stimulant. Cells may also be grown in the Hams medium with addition of previously mentioned agents.
The primary cultures are grown at a temperature between about 30� C. and about 50� C., preferably at 37� C. Normally, the primary cultures are grown at high humidity conditions under a blanket of CO2. These cultures are fed with the cell stimulant every two days. When primary cultures show a confluent outgrowth of cells from the nylon mesh, the cultures are trypsinized. It has been found that cell viability may average 96% on a monolayer culture.
Three-Dimensional Cell Growth
Following trypsinization, cells established in monolayer primary cultures may be seeded in alginate or agarose. Trypsinized cell cultures are assayed for cell viability and the required volume of cell suspension centrifuged and the medium aspirated off.
Regarding alginate, an alginate solution may be prepared by mixing a 1.2% solution of KELTONE LV alginate (KELCO, San Diego, Calif.) in 0.9% physiological saline and then sterilized. An appropriate volume of the sterile alginate solution is added to attain the desired cell/alginate suspension.
The three-dimensional cell structures are grown in multiwell plates. Inserts are placed in the bottom of each well. One type of insert that may be used is a COSTAR TRANSWELL Clear Insert (COSTAR, Cambridge, Mass.). The alginate/cell suspension is added to the insert.
After the alginate/cell suspension is in place, a polymerizing solution is added to the well. The polymerizing solution may be one having a divalent cation. A preferred polymerizing solution is CaCl2. The alginate/cell suspension is incubated in the polymerizing solution for four minutes and the solution aspirated out. Wells were rinsed with MEM with 20% FBS. The rinsing volume is allowed to stand for one minute, aspirated off, and the wells filled with MEM and cell stimulant (as described above) and regularly fed. Methods for disc cell growth in alginate are a modification of the methods described in Maldonado, B. A., Oegema, T. R., "Initial characterization of the metabolism of intervertebral disc cells encapsulated in microspheres," J Orthopaedic Res, 10, 677-690 (1992) and Guo, J., Jourdian, G. W., MacCallum, D. K., "Culture and growth characteristics of chondrocytes encapsulated in alginate beads," Conn Tiss Res 19:227-297 (1989).
The cells are recovered from alginate by rinsing with NaCl followed by addition of a dissolving buffer, incubated until the alginate is dissolved, centrifuged and rinsed again with NaCl. Cells are similarly recovered from agarose and other carrier types, as required. These cells, grown in this manner, may be implanted into the patient's disc using sterile, surgical direct or percutaneous techniques with placement of cells or cells on their carriers into regions selected by the surgeon. This may or may not be preceded by direct or percutaneous debridement of diseased tissue areas. Methods for re-implantation into the disc include, but are not limited to, use of cells in alginate, bioresorbable collagen substrates, and other resorbable carriers.
This example illustrates the growth of healthy disc cultures. Healthy disc tissue was obtained and rinsed with phosphate buffered saline at pH 7.4. The tissue was placed in modified Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) with Earle's salts (MEM, GIBCO, Grand Island, N.Y.) with 1% (v/v) L-glutamine (Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, Calif.), 1%. (v/v) penicillin-streptomycin (Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, Calif.), but without added serum. The disc tissue was incubated in three 15-minute rinses of MEM with 1% fungizone (Irvine Scientific) as a precaution against contamination of the cells during removal.
Regions of annulus and nucleus were visually identified and representative pieces of annulus and nucleus were dissected. Cartilaginous and vascular regions removed from tissue designated for culturing. The disc tissue to be cultured was minced with a scalpel into 1-2 mm square pieces, again rinsed twice with saline to remove clots or residual debris, placed into 35 mm culture dishes and anchored by placement of a sterile nylon mesh (SPECTRA MESH, Spectra Laboratory Products) over the minced explant to provide a substrate for cell outgrowth.
A series of cultures were fed with varying amounts of cell stimulant. Minimal Essential Medium (MEM, GIBCO) with Earle's salts and about 20% (v/v) of fetal bovine serum (FBS, GIBCO, Grand Island, N.Y.) was added to the minced explant. The primary cultures were grown at a temperature of 37� C. and 95% humidity under a blanket of 5% CO2. The primary cultures are fed with fetal bovine serum every two days.
Disc cells from both the annulus and nucleus grew well on the mesh lattice. Cells from the disc grew slowly even in the presence of high (20%) FBS. Cells usually required up to a month from initiation of explants until P1 cultures could be established. Doubling time in the presence of 10% FBS was 6.2 days; in 20% FBS, 3.4 days, and in 25% FBS, 3.5 days. Cell viability, determined by trypan blue exclusion, averaged 96% on monolayer culture. A phase-contrast photomicrograph of cells growing out from a disc explant fragment onto a nylon mesh (X130) is shown in FIG. 2A. In FIG. 2B there is shown a scanning electron micrograph of cells spreading and extending processes onto the mesh.
When primary cultures showed a confluent outgrowth of cells from the nylon mesh, cultures were trypsinized (1:250, trypsin (0.5 g/l), EDTA (0.2 g/l)) (Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, Calif.) and a split ration of 1:4 used for further culturing.
In this example, primary cell cultures were grown in alginate. Cells established in monolayer primary culture were seeded either into alginate layers on inserts (P1 cultures) or continued as monolayer P1 cultures which were subsequently split and used as the cell source for sequential P2, P3 or P4 passages seeded into alginate. Several cryofrozen cultures were thawed and expanded as P1 passages on monolayer with subsequent P2 and later passages seeded into alginate.
The alginate solution was prepared from a 1.2% solution of KELTONE LV alginate (KELCO, San Diego, Calif.) in 0.9% physiological saline with stirring for one hour. The alginate solution was sterilized by filtering through a 0.2 μm bottle top filter fitted onto a 100 ml sterile bottle.
Trypsinized primary cell cultures were assayed for cell viability and the required volume of cell suspension centrifuged at 500 rpm for five minutes in an IEC MP4R centrifuge and the medium subsequently aspirated off. An appropriate volume of sterile 1.2% KELTONE LV alginate solution was added to attain the desired cell/alginate suspension. Cells were mixed in the alginate by gentle thorough pipetting.
COSTAR TRANSWELL Clear Inserts (COSTAR, Cambridge, Mass.) were placed in multiwell plates, and the desired amount of alginate/cell suspension was carefully added to the bottom of the insert well without formation of air bubbles. A correctly prepared insert showed a fully covered filter with a meniscus formed in the insert. For a 24 well plate 50 μL of alginate/cell suspension was added to each insert. After the alginate/cell suspension was in place, each insert was carefully lifted with sterile forceps and the desired volume of 102 mM CaCl2 polymerizing solution was added to the well. This volume covered the bottom of the filter, but was not enough to allow the CaCl2 solution to enter into the insert. The inserts were incubated in CaCl2 polymerizing solution for four minutes and the solution aspirated out. Wells were rinsed with MEM with 20% FBS (2.5 mL/well for 24 well plates).
The rinsing volume filled both well and insert, was allowed to stand for one minute, and was aspirated off. Four inserts were set up for each concentration at each time point (Days 6, 8 and 10). Each well was fed with MEM supplemented with TGF-β1l) (SIGMA) at the following doses: control (no TGF-β1), 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, 2.5, and 5 ng/ml. These alginate cultures were grown for ten days with feeding three times per week. Cell proliferation data, expressed as total [3 H]thymidine uptake/μg DNA, were obtained on days 6, 8, and 10.
The cells were removed from the alginate by rinsing the wells twice with 0.15M NaCl2 (2.5 mL/well for 24 well plates) by lifting the insert and pipetting into the well. The rinse solution was incubated for one minute, and was aspirated off via the solution under the insert. The solution within the insert was not aspirated off. After the second rinse, the remaining liquid from the insert was wicked off by gently touching a twisted sterile gauze square to the side of the tipped well. Three times the volume of the alginate in dissolving buffer (55 mM sodium citrate and 0.15M NaCl2) was added to the inside of the insert and plates incubated at 37� C. for ten minutes with shaking. Contents of the insert were gently pipetted to ensure complete dissolution of the alginate.
At the end of ten days, medium was withdrawn and cultures fixed with 1% neutral buffered formalin for five minutes, the insert carefully cut from the plastic holder and wrapped gently in lens paper, placed in a tissue cassette in 70% ethanol and processed using the short cycle run on a paraffin processor (Shandon Lipshaw Hypercenter XP, Pittsburgh, Pa.). Morphologic studies of cells grown in these three-dimensional microenvironments show that cells lay in a lacunar space with matrix deposited between and around the disc cells (FIG. 3A). Electron microscopic examination revealed that matrix material consisted of proteoglycans and banded and non-banded collagen (FIG. 3B).
Adjacent sections of three-dimensional cultures from Example 2 cut en face were collected and utilized for immunohistochemical localization of rabbit anti-human collagen Type I or rabbit anti-human collagen Type II (Biodesign International, Kennebunk, Me.), monoclonal anti-proteoglycan delta DI-4S (ICN, Costa Mesa, Calif.) or monoclonal anti-keratin sulfate (Seikagaku Corp., Tokyo, Japan).
Negative controls were incubated minus primary antibodies. Localization utilized DAB colorimetric visualization of extracellular matrix constituents. Cells or colonies were scored for positive immunohistochemical localizations using a Nikon microscope (20X objective) and OSTEOMEASURE computer software (OsteoMetrics, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.). The mean number of cells or colonies assessed for each localization was: Type I collagen: 272; Type II collagen: 260; proteoglycan delta DI-4S, 241, and keratin sulfate, 201. Nine surgical and two normal series of cells were studied in this experiment. Passages 1 through 4 were evaluated for cells from one specimen and one normal; passage number 3 was studies for normal; passages 1 through 3 for two specimens; passages 2 through 3 from three specimens; passages 2 through 4 in one, and passages 2 through 5 in two specimens. FIGS. 5A and 5B show the proportion of colonies positive for the presence of Type I or Type II collagen, 4-5 chondroitin sulfate or keratin sulfate.
Statistical Analysis
Data are presented as mean �s.e.m. SAS� (version 6.11, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, N.C.) software was utilized for data analysis. Standard statistical methods were employed. Paired t-test were used to compare means of frozen and non-frozen matrix scoring. To detect potential bias between frozen and non-frozen groups with respect to both passage 2 and passage 3 results (examined separately), unpaired t-tests were used. A repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to test for differences over time (passages 2, 3 and 4). All tests were two-sided, and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Immunohistochemical Characterization of Cells Grown in Alginate and Quantitative Scoring of Matrix in Cells and Colonies
Cells from the annulus were characterized using sequential passages of cells seeded into alginate over passages 1 through 5. Representative micrographs showing localization of Type I or Type II collagen or proteoglycan D1-4S or keratin sulfate are shown in FIG. 4. The micrographs illustrated in FIG. 4 show sequential serial sections with localizations of types I, II, III, and VI collagen, 4-S-chondroitin sulfate, and keratin sulfate. Positive immunoreactivity is shown by dark staining DAB reaction product (X100).
As shown in Table 1, both non-frozen and cryo-frozen cells have been analyzed in the present study. Table 1 presents data which were analyzed by paired t-tests since the same cultures were followed through sequential passages. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean percentages of frozen and non-frozen cells with respect to the various extracellular matrix components.
TABLE 1______________________________________Summary of Quantitative Cell/Colony Scoring of ImmunolocalizedExtracellular Matrix Components in Non-Frozen and Frozen Cultures* Passage 1 Passage 2** Passage 3***______________________________________Non-Frozen Cultures:Type I Collagen (n = 4) 94.7 � 2.7 96.3 � 1.2 97.3 � 1.0Type II Collagen (n = 4) 85.3 � 1.6 82.5 � 4.0 86.6 � 1.6Proteoglycan delta 89.4 � 2.8 85.5 � 1.6 93.8 � 4.3DI-4S (n = 4)Keratin sulfate (n = 4) 82.9 � 5.3 84.8 � 2.1 86.0 � 3.3Frozen Cultures:Type I Collagen -- 93.3 � 1.0 94.0 � 3.8Type II Collagen -- 87.5 � 2.2 92.0 � 2.0Proteoglycan delta DI-4S -- 91.9 � 2.2 94.4 � 2.3Keratin sulfate -- 82.4 � 3.3 86.2 � 2.9______________________________________ *Data are mean % � s.e.m. The total number of colonies or cells scored in each analysis ranged from 201 to 272. **n = 6 for P2 for frozen cultures ***n = 7 for P3 for frozen cultures
FIG. 5 presents pooled data for frozen and non-frozen cells studied from passages 1 through 5. These data were also evaluated using paired t-tests of passages 2 and 3 and of 2 and 4, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the mean of passage 2 and those of both passage 3 and 4, with respect to Type I collagen, Type II collagen and keratin sulfate. Passage 3 was found to have a significantly higher (p=0.02) mean incidence of proteoglycan D1-4S than did passage 2.
A repeated measures analysis of variance was also applied to the data in FIG. 5 which used five observations (data for all of passages 2, 3 and 4). No statistically significant changes over the course of passages 2, 3 or 4 were identified for the incidence of the four extracellular matrix components studied.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
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In a rented room, a videographer invites a boy to come in and entertain him, while filming all the fun for us to enjoy. At first, the boy servicing is shy and a bit coy about undressing; the videographer helps the boy undress and shows us his nice biceps and abs. In this "Erotic Ninja Presents – The Hitman #1" video, pleasuring one's self with the help of a boy is explored and filmed. Taking advantage of a nice hard body, the videographer caresses the torso of the boy and asks to see more. Removing all but a white Speedo bathing suit, the boy's hard toned body is revealed. Leaving on his trunks, the boy's package is stuffed tightly into the trunks; a small line of pubic hair juts out from the suit as multiple bulges are clearly visible, all in the right spots. The boy is again fondled, and then strips the videographer down. Engulfing the man's penis, balls and pubic hair, the boy is enjoying his obligations. As the youngster lavishes his tongue upon the videographer, they watch one ano
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Durant's middle school red team improved to 6-0 on the young softball season with a dominating run to the Tishomingo Tournament championship on Saturday.
The Lady Lions roared past Sulphur, 8-1, in the semifinals before blasting Atoka, 14-1, for the title. For the tournament, Durant outscored it's three opponents by a whopping 40-2 margin.
In Saturday's opener, Durant broke open a tight game with a six-run explosion in the second inning. Kristin Scott worked four strong innings on the pitching rubber, scattering four hits while striking out two for the victory.
Offensively, Haley Morgan led the charge with three of the squad's seven hits and also drove in two runs. Randi McLarry contributed two and four RBI as well.
The title tilt saw Tristyn Hamilton toss up another dominate pitching effort, yielding only two hits with six strikeouts in only three innings of work before the run rule was enforced. Durant scored three runs in the first inning, four in the second and seven in the third utilizing four hits coupled with seven Atoka errors.
Karli Westmoreland, Jaci Phillips and Cassidy Ward all notched a hit with Scott finishing with a pair of runs batted in.
Monday's games:
A six-run second inning helped propel the Durant Middle School softball red squad to a 10-1 win over Coalgate Monday, upping their season record to 7-0.
The Lady Lions made the most of seven hits, scattering each throughout the lineup as no player finished with more than one in the contest.
Hayley Morgan, Kristin Scott and Jaylin Ford each finished with two runs batted in.
Karlie Westmoreland picked up the pitching victory with four strong innings in which she allowed just two hits and struck out four.
The middle school squads travel to McAlester for their next action today.
Junior Vastity:
The Durant Lady Lion junior varsity utilized a huge seven-run seventh inning to rally past the Bennington varsity en route to a softball sweep on Monday.
Trailing 13-7 in the final frame of the opener, the hosts put together a string of base runners for the dramatic 14-13 comeback win. They followed with a 5-4 triumph in the nightcap.
Durant finished with 17 hits in the contest as Alexis Mendez and Taylor Russell posted three apiece and Victoria McCarty, Alissa French, Logan Hime, Nicole Jackson and Hannah Hime added a pair. Mendez came up big with a double, triple and home run while driving in five. Jackson had a triple as well while McCarty, Russell, Logan Hime and Rachel Lamb all doubled.
Kevin Farr can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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News Archive
May 6, 2015
A guide to the Education Department and Corinthian borrowers.
May 6, 2015
George Mason economics professor has won many fans with playful videos, but a Roosevelt U professor and his students have produced a response -- and fans of the Austrian school may need to cover their ears.
May 6, 2015
The following colleges and universities have announced their commencement speakers for spring 2015:
May 5, 2015
Should U of Minnesota have investigated and questioned the judgment of professors whose poster promoting a panel discussion on the Charlie Hebdo murders offended Muslim students?
May 5, 2015
As Corinthian files for bankruptcy, Education Department officials race to head off the political firestorm over debt forgiveness sparked by unprecedented collapse of the for-profit college.
May 5, 2015
U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign partners with massive open online course provider Coursera to launch a low-cost online M.B.A.
May 5, 2015
A new report suggests that while growing personnel and construction costs are a factor in the rising price of public higher education, a decline in state funding is the real culprit.
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Old Fashioned Indian Pudding
|2 Cup (32 tbs), divided
|Yellow cornmeal
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs)
|2 Tablespoon
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|Ground cinnamon
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|Ground ginger
|1⁄4 Teaspoon
|Whole egg
|1 , beaten
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs)
|1 Tablespoon, melted
|Vanilla ice cream
|1 Pint (For Serving)
1. Into a medium (1 ½ quart ) microwaveable casserole or dish, add 1 1/2 cups milk
2. Heat milk in the microwave for about 4 minutes until hot but not boiling.
3. Add together cornmeal, sugar, salt, and spices into hot milk and stir thoroughly.
4. Return to microwave and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, stirring twice.
5. In the mean time, beat egg, molasses and butter.
6. Spoon some of hot milk mixture into egg mixture and blend well before pour the eggs into the milk mixture in the casserole. Stir thoroughly.
7. Cook pudding mixture for another 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
8. Pour the remaining cold milk over the pudding.
9. Cook for 3 1/2 minutes, without stirring, until pudding is set.
10. Let dish stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
11. Take dish to the table and spoon into bowls.
12. Serve warm plain or topped with vanilla ice cream if you like.


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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Fourth Time's A Charm
In its fourth iteration, Diamond's DA42-VI is a far better twin
Following the bankruptcy of Thielert in 2008, Diamond CEO Christian Dries decided the company would begin building its own engines. Diamond constructed a new facility on Austria's Wiener-Neustadt Airport, and the much improved 168 hp Austro 2.0 engines premiered in 2009 on the DA42NG (for Next Gen).
Diamond is betting its future on what some have incorrectly defined as an antediluvian technology. It's true the Austro engine is a piston mill that burns jet fuel, a diesel, complete with 17:1 compression ratio, no spark plugs and a heavy, cast iron block. Ironically, it's a diesel that's not even approved to burn diesel fuel (assuming you could find any).
That's fine with Diamond, as they'd just as soon distance themselves from the whole stigma of diesel, a primitive propulsion system that's well over a century old and long outdated as an aircraft propulsion system.
Dave and Susan Passmore purchased the first of the new series IV aircraft.
Diesels burn jet fuel, so they cleverly side-step considerations of fuel availability, since jet fuel is becoming readily available worldwide. Conversely, the 100LL avgas supply is slowly diminishing around the globe, either by political mandate over environmental concerns or the simple law of supply and demand.
Major oil companies that refine avgas are in business to make money, and that means volume. The volume of avgas worldwide is shrinking. Mobil is already out of the avgas business, and other companies are considering production cuts so they can allocate their resources to more profitable products. Viable alternative fuels are under development for present and future avgas aircraft, but if they ever do come to market, they'll almost undoubtedly be more expensive than today's 100LL. In Europe today, jet fuel generally sells for at least $1.00/gallon less than avgas, another significant benefit of a jet A-powered aircraft.
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Labels: Piston Twins, Pilot Reports, Aircraft