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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (
Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is an artificial way to support daily nutritional requirements by bypassing the digestive system, but long-term TPN administration may cause severe liver dysfunction. Glycyrrhizin is an active component of licorice root that has been widely used to treat chronic hepatitis. The aim of this study is to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of glycyrrhizin on TPN-associated acute liver injury
Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a method for providing nutrients, such as glucose, amino acids, lipids, added vitamins and dietary minerals, to patients who are unable to sustain adequate nutrition by standard enteral means, namely, those who suffer from gastrointestinal disorders. However, long-term TPN administration increases the risks of hyperglycemia, hepatic inflammation, steatosis, insulin resistance and reduced immune responses [
Previous studies demonstrated three possible routes of pathogenesis for chronic TPN-induced hepatitis: direct toxic effect of detergent-like bile salts [
Recently, glycyrrhizin has been reported to exhibit hepatoprotective effects in the treatment of viral hepatitis [
In this study, we used a TPN-induced acute liver injury rat model to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of glycyrrhizin. We assessed the early stage of TPN-related acute liver injury by biochemical, histopathological and immunohistochemical investigation to understand the possible molecular mechanism. We found that glycyrrhizin exhibits hepatoprotective activity in TPN-induced acute liver injury by suppressing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines.
To investigate the effect of TPN on biochemical markers of acute liver injury in experimental rats, TPN was intravenously infused via the left femoral vein of rats at a flow rate of 20 mL/kg/h for three hours. After GL treatment, serum ALT and AST levels were significantly elevated compared to the control group (rats with normal saline infusion and without GL pretreatment,
Total bilirubin (TB) also decreased in a dose-dependent manner in response to glycyrrhizin pretreatment (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg, i.v.), but the lowest dose of glycyrrhizin (1 mg/kg, i.v.) had no effect (
To investigate the histopathological changes in response to GL, liver tissues were fixed in 10% natural buffered formalin and then stained with H&E. When comparing the liver cell morphology of the control, TPN and TPN pretreated with glycyrrhizin (10 mg/kg) groups, only the control and glycyrrhizin-pretreated group exhibited normal liver cell structure, with a well-defined cytoplasm and nucleus in the cells and ribbon-like hepatocyte arrangements (
The quantification of pathological liver cells revealed that the number of normal hepatocytes was reduced in the TPN group [TPN
After TPN administration, serum protein biomarkers for reactive nitrogen species, nitrotyrosine and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) were increased in the TPN group compared with both the control and three GL-pretreated groups (
To determine what kind of cell death was involved in the TPN related acute liver injury, the presence of the apoptotic marker cleaved caspase-3 was examined in liver tissues from the control, TPN and pretreatment with glycyrrhizin groups. As shown in
To investigate the molecular mechanism that underlies the pharmacological effects by which glycyrrhizin prevents TPN-induced hepatocyte apoptosis, we assessed the expression of several proapoptotic molecules under endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. These molecules included Apoptosis Signal-regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1), c-Jun NH2-terminal Kinase (JNK1/2), p38 MAPK and CHOP [
To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of glycyrrhizin, the protein level of SOCS3 in rat livers was examined. SOCS3 is an inducible negative feedback regulator of inflammation. As shown in
In contrast to most TPN-related hepatitis investigations, which focus on late stage liver injury, we established an animal model of TPN-related acute liver injury and provide valuable implications for essentially preventing TPN-induced hepatitis. Our data provide evidence that suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress and reactive nitrogen stress may have hepatoprotective effects and reduce the development of TPN related hepatitis.
As shown in
According to a previous study, the hepatoprotective effect of glycyrrhizin in viral hepatitis patients is due to its cytoprotective effect via the suppression of TNF-α-induced cytotoxicity and inhibition of immune-mediated cytotoxicity against hepatocytes [
The overproduction of nitric oxide and its derivatives have been implicated as a cause of tissue damage in response to inflammation. Pro-inflammatory mediators, such as NO, which is generated by iNOS and nitrotyrosine, are considered to be indicators of the reaction during the inflammatory response [
Cytokines mediate various biological processes, including inflammation, apoptosis, necrosis and fibrosis [
Infusions containing lipids and glucose activate stress kinases (JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK) and increase ER stress in rats [
Glycyrrhizin (
Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 ± 20 g were obtained from the National Yang-Ming University Animal Center, Taipei, Taiwan. The rats were pathogen-free and had free access to food (Laboratory Rodent Diet 5001, PMI Nutrition International LLC, Brentwood, MO, USA) and water. The rats were housed with a 12 h light and 12 h dark cycle. All of the experimental protocols involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC number: 981106) of National Yang-Ming University. Rats were anesthetized with urethane (1 g/kg, i.p.). All of the animals were equipped with the left femoral vein for solution or drug administration.
The rats were intravenously infused with TPN via the left femoral artery at a flow rate of 20 mL/kg/h for 3 h to induce acute liver injury. Normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) was used as the vehicle for the control group. Different doses of glycyrrhizin (1, 3 or 10 mg/kg) were administered intravenously before TPN infusion.
Before TPN administration, glycyrrhizin was dissolved in 1 mL normal saline and given as an i.v. bolus, whereas the TPN group received an equal volume of normal saline (1 mL via i.v. bolus). The total energy of Kabiven® was 1038 kcal [11% glucose, 885 mL; amino acids/electrolytes (Vamin 18), 300 mL; and 20% fat emulsion (Intralipid), 255 mL]. Each rat received a total infusion volume of 12 mL TPN at a rate of 20 mL/kg/h for three h. A typical 200 mg rat received approximately 8.6 kcal of energy.
Every group had six animals. The blood samples were collected through left femoral vein immediately and stored in heparin-coated capillary tubes until liver enzyme profiling and biochemical analyses. The liver tissue was collected, washed with normal saline and then fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathological examinations.
The blood samples were collected from the animals and centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 15 min. The plasma samples were used for the following biochemical analyses of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TB) and triglyceride (TG) levels. All of these analyses were performed using the Hitachi 902 Automatic Analyzer with adapted reagents from Roche (Boehringer, Mannheim, Germany).
The liver tissues were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin and cut into 4 μm-thick slides transversely from portal Zone 1 to Zone 3, which is close to the terminal of hepatic venule tract, for hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining (Tokyo, Japan). The rest of tissues were stored at −80 °C. The histopathological changes in liver cell morphology were examined using a BX51 light microscope (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) at high power (200× magnification) for each slide. For quantitative purposes, two portal zones were randomly chosen in each slide and photographed using an Image-pro Plus medical image analysis system. The cell numbers were recorded. The normal hepatocytes were counted from 10 fields that were randomly chosen in liver samples from each group under 200× magnification. The means numbers of normal cells were calculated per microscope field from six animals in each group.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed using a biotinylated secondary antibody (Vectastain Universal Elite ABC Kit, Burlingame, CA, USA). Monoclonal rabbit antibodies against human SOCS3 and cleaved-caspase 3 were diluted at a ratio of 1:100. The primary antibodies were omitted for the negative controls. For three slides, the cytoplasm stained brown and was scored positive. The expression of SOCS3 and cleaved-caspase 3 was quantitatively evaluated using an Olympus C × 31 microscope with the Image-pro Plus medical image analysis system. The digital images were captured using a digital camera (Canon A640, Tokyo, Japan). The positive area and optical density (OD) of SOCS3 and cleaved-caspase 3-positive cells were determined by measuring three randomly selected microscopic fields (400× magnification) for each slide. The IHC index was defined as average integral optical density (AIOD) (AIOD = positive area × OD/total area).
After sacrifice, the rats' livers were rapidly removed, disassociated and homogenized in ice-cold lysis buffer (1% NP-40, 0.5% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and a protease inhibitor mixture comprised of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, aprotinin and sodium orthovanadate). The total cell lysate (50 μg of proteins) was separated by the SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) (12% running and 4% stacking) and analyzed using the designated antibodies. The Western-Light Chemiluminescent detection system (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) was used to detect the signals, as previously described by Chiu
The data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of three independent experiments, and all of the data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni correction. The data were analyzed using the SAS software statistical package "SigmaPlot" version 9.0 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA).
Taken together, our data provide new information on the molecular mechanisms by which glycyrrhizin inhibits inflammation. Namely, GL acts by reducing iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and nitrotyrosine levels through the activation of SOCS3. In addition, glycyrrhizin was found to have anti-apoptotic effects on TPN-related acute liver injury in rats through the inhibition of JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and inactivation of the CHOP protein, thereby reducing ER stress. The inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin on ER stress and reactive nitrogen species production is one possible mechanism by which glycyrrhizin prevents TPN-related liver injury. Overall, we demonstrated a novel animal model for early stage of TPN related acute liver injury and elucidated the potential therapeutic effects of glycyrrhizin on TPN related hepatitis. Nevertheless, glycyrrhizin therapy for chronic parenteral nutrition-related hepatitis warrants further investigation.
Funding for this study was provided in part by research grants from the National Science Council (NSC99-2113-M-010-001-MY3, NSC99-2628-B-010-008-MY3) Taiwan; the Tomorrow Medical Foundation, Taiwan; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital or Chang Gung University of Science and TechnologyChiayi Campus (grants CZRPG880253 and CMRPF6A0072). We thank Tim Baker and Bessy Hung for editing this manuscript.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The chemical structure of glycyrrhizin (GL).
Histological examination of the effect of glycyrrhizin (GL) on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) rats. The livers were H&E-stained to examine the portal (zone) and terminal hepatic venules (Zone 3). (
The relative intensity of RNS oxidants and acute inflammation cytokines in rat serum. (
Immunohistochemical analysis of cleaved caspase-3 staining in rat livers from different liver zonal areas. TPN
The effect of glycyrrhizin (GL) on liver histological SOCS3 and apoptotic pathway protein expression in rat livers. (
The effect of glycyrrhizin (GL) on liver cytokine-inducible SOCS3 protein levels. (
Effect of GL on the serum levels of liver enzymes, triglyceride and total bilirubin in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) rats.
|TB (mg/dL)
|TG (μg/μL)
|27 ±4
|123 ±6
|0.10 ±0.1
|5.5 ±0.4
|55 ±5
|434 ±5
|0.41 ±0.1
|9.3 ±0.4
|GL 1 mg/kg + TPN
|38 ±4
|310 ±16
|0.36 ±0.1
|8.1 ±0.4
|GL 3 mg/kg + TPN
|33 ±3
|236 ±9
|0.26 ±0.1
|6.9 ±0.3
|GL 10 mg/kg + TPN
|24 ±3
|146 ±9
|0.20 ±0.4
|6.4 ±0.3
Values represent the mean ± SD (
ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; TB: total bilirubin; TG: triglyceride.


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Fire destroys SUV in Hillsboro
Just after Midnight Friday, Hillsboro Fire crews were called to a commercial fire at 171 SW Dennis Ave. They arrived to find an SUV in flames and heavy smoke coming from under the exterior covered area of a commercial tire store. The crew from Engine #1 quickly extinguished the SUV fire as additional firefighters arrived to check the building. Firefighters found no fire extension into the building. Heat and smoke damage was contained to the exterior covered area.
A Hillsboro Fire Investigator and a Hillsboro Police Officer interviewed witnesses at the scene and are working to determine the cause of the fire. The SUV was a total loss. No injuries were reported.

subset: commoncrawl


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P. Ovidius Naso
At quae venturas praecedit sexta Kalendas,
hac sunt Ledaeis templa dicata deis:fratribus illa deis fratres de gente deorum
circa Iuturnae composuere lacus.
On the sixth day before the coming Kalends a temple was dedicated to Leda's divine sons: brothers of the race of the gods founded that temple for the brother gods beside Juturna's pools.
Reprinted by permission of the publishers and the Trustees of the Loeb Classical Library from P. Ovidius Naso: Volume V. Fasti, Loeb Classical Library Vol. 253, translated by J.G. Frazer, revised G.P. Goold, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, © 1931, by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Loeb Classical Library ® is a registered trademark of the President and Fellows of Harvard College.


text:
|Major in Classical Studies
|Submitting Dean
|Submitting College
|Arts & Sciences -- Dr Richard W Stratton x7440
|Departments Generating the Proposal
|Objection Deadline
|May 11, 2010
|Proposal Status
|Final Approval Granted
|Proposal Last Updated
|November 08, 2010 by Karen Greene
|Effective Date
|Fall 2010
|Brief Summary of Proposal
|Slight revision to the major in Classical Studies. Several courses are added and credits required are reduced from 36 to 33. 11/8/2010 - THIS PROGRAM IS A SUSPENDED PROGRAM. Changes were made to the program (i.e. several courses were added and credits required were reduced from 36 to 33), however the program is still suspended.
|Type of Proposal
|Program changes
|Graduate School Endorsement Status
|Not required
|Graduate School Endorsement Updated
|April 19, 2010 by GS Heather Blake
|Institutional Research Status
|IR Status Updated
|April 19, 2010 by IR Anu Mahapatra
|Library Status
|Not required
|Library Status Updated
|April 16, 2010 by UL Diana Chlebek
|Distance Learning Review Committee Status
|Not required
|DLRC Status Updated
|General Education Advisory Committee Status
|Not required
|GEAC Status Updated
|April 19, 2010 by Karen Greene
|Resource Requirements
|No additional resources
|Resource Requirements Updated
|April 27, 2010 by AS dean's ofc Cathy Moore
CPS Menu


text:
September 3, 2004
Field Hockey vs. Simmons. *Kendall, 1 pm.
Soccer vs. Elms. *Kendall, 1 pm.
Sunday 5
Catholic Mass to Welcome New Students *Abbey Chapel, 9:30 am.
Ecumenical Worship Service:
Service of Songs, Psalms, and Prayers *Abbey Interfaith Sanctuary, 11 am.
Monday 6
Community Drumming Circle Everyone is welcome to join this Orientation
Week event. Bring a drum if you have one! Skinner Green,
8:30 pm.
Tuesday 7
Career Development Center Open House *CDC workshop room, 3 pm.
Major Fellowships
for Graduate Study and Postgraduate Study Abroad *CDC
workshop room, 8 pm.
Green Light Party: Ready, Set, Go! First dance
party of the year, hosted by the seniors. All are invited.
$2, or free if you wear green. Great Room, *Blanchard Campus
10 pm.
Thursday 9
Open Hours for Major Fellowships *CDC conference room, 12:15
Jewish Community BBQ *Eliot House lounge, 5 pm.
College Democrats Meeting *Cleveland L-1, 6:30 pm.
Christian Fellowship Ice Cream Social An informal
way to get more information about the Christian community on
campus—-- and eat lots of ice cream! Abbey/Buckland green,
7 pm.
Friday 10
Fulbright Workshop *CDC workshop room, 10 am.
Halal Lunch Followed by
Jumma Prayer Muslim Prayer Room, *Eliot
House, noon.
College Early Music Painless Auditions The Five
College Early Music Program welcomes students, faculty, and
members interested in auditioning to perform in one or more ensembles.
The auditions are ""painless" experiences, held at
all the campuses. Performances sponsored by the program feature
baroque and Renaissance music played on modern and period instruments
and sung in historically informed style. We also offer lessons
on historical instruments. Come and talk to us! Room 210, *Pratt
Hall, 1–4 pm.
for Venus Written by Pulizer Prize winner
and MHC alumna Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Julia Whitworth, Venus is
based on the true story of Saartjie Baartman, a southern African
woman who was lured to Europe in 1810 and exhibited nude in a
London circus on account of her (purportedly) sizeable posterior.
Her keepers renamed her the "Hottentot Venus." In
Venus, Parks deconstructs the act of viewing itself in order
to examine racist and sexist acts of objectification and stereotyping.
The play's deliberately ironic tone and considerable humor
create a disturbing and thought-provoking political vaudeville.
The play will be cast according to principles of diversity and
multiculturalism. People of all races, ethnicities, genders,
ages, and physical disabilities are welcome to audition, irregardless
of formal theatre experience. There are roles for 2–-6
men and 6–-10 women. Callbacks will be 9/12, 1–-5:30
pm. Performances are November 3–-7. Contact Julia Whitworth
at email@example.com or
x2658 for more information. Rooke Theatre, 6–-10 pm.
Kabbalat Shabbat Service *Abbey Interfaith Sanctuary, 6:30 pm.
for Falling
Bodies This play, written
by Mary Jo Salter and directed by Holger Teschke, tells
the story of English poet John Milton's 1638 visit to the blind
Galileo Galilei. The famous astronomer is under house arrest
near Florence,
having been found guilty of heresy for defending a Copernican
view of the
universe. The play and its characters move in and out of history,
time and space, blindness and seeing, art and science, and the
price of
cosmic ambition. There are roles for 5 men and 12 women, dancers,
musicians. Callbacks will be 9/12,
10–-2 pm. Performances are November 18–-21. McCulloch
Auditorium, *Pratt Hall, 7 pm.
SGA Annual Fall A Cappella Jam Chapin Auditorium,
*Mary Woolley Hall, 8 pm.
Karaoke Kafe Featuring
karaoke hosts Skye Pebbles ''05
and associate director of residential life Bill Bociner. *Blanchard
Great Room, 10:30 pm.
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This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Secondary metabolites are small molecules that show large structural diversity and a broad range of bioactivities. Some metabolites are attractive as drugs or pigments while others act as harmful mycotoxins. Filamentous fungi have the capacity to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites including polyketides. The majority of genes required for production of these metabolites are mostly organized in gene clusters, which often are silent or barely expressed under laboratory conditions, making discovery and analysis difficult. Fortunately, the genome sequences of several filamentous fungi are publicly available, greatly facilitating the establishment of links between genes and metabolites. This review covers the attempts being made to trigger the activation of polyketide metabolism in the fungal model organism
A common feature of aspergilli and filamentous fungi in general is their capacity to produce secondary metabolites (SMs). As opposed to the primary metabolites, SMs are not essential for cellular growth, but provide fungi, as well as bacteria and plants, with a competitive advantage in nature, e.g., by serving as agents for chemical warfare or as signal molecules. Hence, an impressive range of compounds with broad ranging bioactivities has evolved. SMs can be divided into four main chemical classes: Polyketides (PK), terpenoids, shikimic acid derived compounds, and non-ribosomal peptides (NRP). Moreover, hybrid metabolites composed of moieties from different classes are common, as in the meroterpenoids, which are fusions between PKs and terpenes. Hybrid molecules significantly add to the complexity and variety of the fungal metabolomes.
In addition to their likely important ecological roles in their natural biological niches, SMs also have a considerable impact on human life. For instance aflatoxins, ochratoxins, and fumonisins act as mycotoxins by having a detrimental effect on humans and livestock, whereas others are beneficial and serve as food additives, pigments, cholesterol-lowering drugs, immunosuppressants, antibiotics and anticancer agents. The different aspects of SM action and application have spurred a tremendous interest in fungal secondary metabolites, which is further underlined by the fact that around 63% of all small molecule drugs, which reached the market from 1981–2006 were inspired by natural products or derivatives thereof [
In filamentous fungi, the competitive race in SM development and the cost of producing and secreting complex compounds have resulted in the evolution of a multifaceted regulation of SM biosynthesis to avoid unnecessary use of resources. This hampers their discovery since production of most SMs is not induced under laboratory conditions. Analysis of full genome sequences of eight different aspergilli have demonstrated that for the majority of genes that putatively encode enzymes for SM production, the product is not known or detected. In this review, we will provide highlights of the use of genome mining, sophisticated molecular biological and chemical tools to trigger the production of SMs from cryptic gene clusters and discuss how these techniques have accelerated our understanding of PK production and regulation in
PKs in fungi are synthesized by the use of acyl-CoA units. They act as the general substrates for large multi-domain enzymes named polyketide synthases (PKSs), which resemble eukaryotic fatty-acid synthases (FASs) in domain architecture. PKSs are divided into three types of PKSs based on their catalytic organization, however, only the iterative type I PKS (iPKS) has been reported in
Three fundamental domains are found in all iPKSs in
iPKSs in fungi can, based on their catalytic domains, be classified as non-reducing (NR-PKSs), partially reducing (PR-PKSs), or highly reducing (HR-PKSs) [
NR-PKSs differ in domain architecture from reducing PKS by not having any of the reducing domains and by having an N-terminal starter unit-ACP transacylase (SAT) domain and an internal product template (PT) domain. The SAT domain is responsible for selecting the starter unit to be extended by the enzyme [
It should be noted that it currently is impossible to reliably predict the product of iPKSs based on their amino acid sequences and domain architecture. This is in part due to the inability to predict the number of iterations performed by the iPKS and in part due the lack of understanding of how deployment of tailoring domains in individual iterations are programmed into the enzyme.
Interestingly, the PKS encoding gene tends to reside in clusters of genes coding for a broad range of enzymatic activities. The compound coming directly from the PKS rarely seem to be the final product in the biosynthesis, but usually undergoes further modifications by tailoring enzymes from small decorations to drastic and large intervention and couplings.
Through inspection of the genome sequence (genome mining), the latest estimate of genes encoding PKSs in
An overview of the relative distribution of the 32 putative polyketide synthases (PKS) open reading frames (ORFs) on the eight chromosomes of
At present, a total of nine PKS genes have been coupled to the polyketome (collection of PKs and their synthesis) in
Spores from
The study of conidial pigmentation in
Heterologous expression of
Biosynthetic pathway for formation green conidial pigment in
YWA1 is then believed to be dimerized or polymerized by the YA laccase into the green conidial pigment(s) via phenolic oxidative coupling. However, to date no one has succeeded in characterizing the chemical structure of the green conidial pigmentation in detail. As the final product remains elusive, it is impossible to predict if other tailoring enzymes further modify the YWA1 backbone or reactions occur with other metabolites or cellular components, e.g., the cell wall.
Sterigmatocystin, a PK, was first partially purified from a
The aflatoxins are among the most carcinogenic mycotoxins and the research in aflatoxin and sterigmatocystin intensified with the Turkey X disease caused by aflatoxins in the middle of the last century [
The biosynthetic cluster of sterigmatocystin in
The sterigmatocystin gene cluster. The black arrows are predicted
The PKS catalyzing the production of the PK backbone of sterigmatocystin was identified by Yu and co-workers in 1995 [
Applying this strategy of deleting and overexpressing genes encoding global epigenetic regulators has paved the way for novel discoveries in secondary metabolism. Moreover the alternative of utilizing a chemical epigenetic approach through epigenetic modifier molecules has proven successful in activating gene clusters in
The first step in the biosynthesis of sterigmatocystin (
Proposed biosynthesis of sterigmatocystin. StcA contains starter unit-ACP transacylase (SAT), β-ketosynthase (KS), acyltransferase (AT), product template (PT), acyl carrier protein (ACP) and thioesterase/claisen cyclase (TE/CLC) domains. *Indicates a proposed, but not confirmed, enzyme. Multiple arrows indicate that the number of enzymatic steps is unknown.
Individual disruption of StcB and StcW resulted in elimination of sterigmatocystin and accumulation of averufin, indicating that both enzymes catalyze the conversion of averufin to 1-hydroxyversicolorone [
Deletion of
Keller and co-workers [
The final step in the biosynthesis of sterigmatocystin is the methylation of demethylsterigmatocystin catalyzed by StcP [
Aspyridone is a PK-NRP hybrid and a fascinating example on how PK-NRP compounds in
Proposed biosynthesis of aspyridone A and B. (
The structure of aspyridone A and B suggested that their synthesis involved both PKS and NRPS activity. Indeed, analysis of the AN8412 structure revealed domains characteristic for a HR-PKS as well as NRPS in one ORF spanning more than 11 kb. This is a special subclass of reducing PKSs, where the PKS has been directly fused with a single NRPS module at the C′-terminal end. This architecture allows for the incorporation of amino acids or carboxylic acids into the carboxylic end of the growing PK chain. Only one of these fusion enzymes has been found in
The formation of preaspyridone into aspyridone A and B was proposed by Bergmann
The emericellamides are other examples of hybrid compounds that are formed between PKs and NRPs. In this case the biosynthesis requires a PKS and a NRPS rather than a fusion PKS-NRPS as used in the production of the aspyridones. Emericellamides are cyclic depsipeptides and a total of five variants, A, C–F, of these metabolites have been found in
In order to discover novel natural products, Chiang and co-workers [
To investigate whether AN2545, now called
Bioinformatic analysis of the three additional genes suggested that they all encode activities that are relevant for emericellamide biosynthesis. Specifically,
Next, the PK carboxylic acid is converted to a CoA thioester by the acyl-CoA ligase, EasD, loaded onto the acyltransferase EasC, and then transferred to the thiolation (T) domain of EasA. This NRPS is a multi-modular enzymatic assembly containing 18 domains grouped into five modules. Among those, the authors propose that the first T domain is responsible for accepting the incoming PK from EasC (
Proposed biosynthesis of the emericallamides. The order of the methyltransferase (MT) and dehydratase (DH) domain as suggested by Chiang
Asperthecin is a PK compound that was first isolated from
About 50 years later, Szewczyk and co-workers [
Interestingly, AptA was shown to have SAT-KS-AT-PT-ACP domains, but lack a TE/CLC domain [
Proposed biosynthesis of asperthecin (
In another approach, Li
Asperfuranone is an example of a novel PK metabolite discovered through genetic mining in
With the gene cluster and predicted functionalities of the gene products defined, a biosynthetic pathway of asperfuranone was proposed (
Proposed biosynthesis of asperfuranone. The highly reducing (HR)-PKS, AfoG, contains KS, AT, DH, CM, ER, KR, and ACP domains whereas the NR-PKS, AfoE, contains SAT, KS, AT,PT, ACP, CM , and R domains. The only intermediate isolated in the biosynthesis is preasperfuranone [
Other puzzling discoveries have been made in connection to the asperfuranone production. When trying to activate a cryptic NRPS gene cluster containing two NRPSs,
The PK monodictyphenone was first reported in
The presence of the SM clusters in silent areas of chromosomes, e.g. near telomeres and centromeres, suggests that chromatin remodeling factors can influence the expression of genes responsible for SMs. As rationalized by Bok and co-workers [
As the compounds appearing were UV-active suggesting high conjugation likely due to aromaticity, the ten NR-PKSs investigated in the asperthecin and asperfuranone studies were individually deleted in the
Two groups cultivated
MdpG synthesizes the main PK backbone. Since MdpG lacks a CLC/TE domain, MdpF, a putative zinc dependent hydrolase, is believed to catalyze the release of the PK from MdpG [
Proposed biosynthesis of emodin. MdpG contains SAT, KS, AT, PT, and ACP domains.
The first stable intermediate following emodin towards the prenyl-xanthones is monodictyphenone [
The biosynthesis of the six monodictophenone derived metabolites is based on hydroxylation (MdpD), C-prenylation (XptA),
Suggested biosynthesis of the shamixanthons from emodin. Multiple arrows indicate that the number of enzymatic steps are unknown.
In addition to the
The deficiency in methylation of H3K4 in the
Four additional orsellinic acid derived compounds were found in a defect COP9 signalosome (CSN) mutant strain [
Very little is known about the biosynthesis of the metabolites of the
Recently Scherlach and co-workers [
The meroterpenoids austinol and the related compound dehydroaustin were first isolated from
The two austinols were detected for the first time in
In 2011, Nielsen and co-workers [
Proposed biosynthesis of orsellinic acid and its derivatives of orsellinic acid. The enzymes that catalyze the individual reactions in the biosynthesis of the metabolites are so far unknown and biosynthesis is proposed based on the observed metabolites.
The proposed enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of F-9775A and F-9775B of the figure here.
A more detailed understanding of the biosynthesis of the austinols has not been established yet. However, it is well established that 3,5-dimethyl orsellinic acid is synthesized from condensation of an acetyl-CoA unit with 3 malonyl-CoA units to form the PK backbone, which is methylated twice, catalyzed by AusA. The PK part is then alkylated with farnesyl pyrophosphate to form a transient intermediate (
Secondary metabolism represents chemical diversity and span in biological functionality to the extreme. As shown above, individual compound classes can even form hybrid molecules to other compound classes. There is a high commercial interest in discovery and utilization of SMs in general as drugs or additives, or to avoid mycotoxins in food and feeds. Mapping PK biosynthesis to genes in
The ability to predict enzymatic function based on gene sequences has proven fruitful in characterization of secondary metabolism, since this has revealed the location of e.g., PKS genes. Additionally, the presence of gene cluster specific TFs was utilized in activation of silent SM clusters both in the case of aspyridones and asperfuranone. The asperfuranone biosynthesis is moreover an example of a previously unknown compound, with a potential to be a novel drug, has been found in a well-known filamentous fungus. Another case of a metabolite with attractive properties is emodin, which has been known for more than a century, but just recently had the biosynthetic machinery uncovered in
Proposed biosynthesis of austinol and dehydroaustinol. All genes in the biosynthesis of austinol and dehydroaustinol, except AusA, are unknown.
Epigenetic regulation through chromatin remodeling has shown to be involved in activation of several SM gene clusters. Conserved chromatin remodeling factors have influenced both local activation of some SM clusters and more global responses within the genome. Gene clusters producing sterigmatocystin, orsellinic acid, emodins, and austinols have shown to respond to specific factors. The presence of SM producing genes outside gene clusters, e.g., in prenyl-xanthone production, is probably more common than observed so far. Moreover, cross-talk between pathways is frequently observed, as more pathways become known. This can open a discussion whether common pools of intermediates or enzymes can exist. In addition, the compartmentalization of SM production is an area to be explored. Furthermore, controlling compartmentalization of production as well as secretion will influence yields and downstream applications which are important factors for exploiting SM production commercially. Existing compounds can be modified genetically to add/remove chemical groups on existing drugs, mix moieties from different SM classes or species by for example domain swapping, and to considerably increase/abolish a specific production.
Altogether the recent uncovering of secondary metabolism in
This work was supported by the Danish Research Agency for Technology and Production grant # 09-064967, FOBI, DTU, and Novozymes. Additionally, we thank Maria Månsson for critical proof reading of the manuscript and for suggestions.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


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The public school board is asking for proof that teachers graduating from the University of Toronto's education faculty will be well prepared to work with needy students and communities in light of the cancellation of a specialized, in-depth inner-city program.
A board committee was to vote on sending a letter asking that U of T's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education "confirm with the cancellation of this course, how its teacher candidates will be prepared to work to support all of our students."
Trustees are worried that without a "specific optional course, the breadth and depth of learning may not be sufficient in understanding the determinants of health in supporting our students."
Ending the inner-city specialization has proved controversial, with educators and trustees alike saying it is needed in a city where one in three children lives in poverty.
OISE dean Julia O'Sullivan told the Star that "all of our teacher candidates, all of our graduates, must be educated about these issues."
So rather than a small group — about 60 — taking the inner-city specialization, all 1,167 student teachers will learn about inner-city issues and "have opportunities for community engagement projects as well.
"We have a deep and abiding commitment to urban education," she said, adding that these issues "will be embedded across the Bachelor of Education program."
York University instructs all of its student teachers in urban education, but has promised to keep its inner-city specialty, calling it a "priority" and saying it is important to be visible in and committed to the community.
The change means OISE students won't learn on-site at George Syme Community School, in the Jane St. and St. Clair Ave. W. area.
Marguerite Campbell, a Toronto principal who was seconded to coordinate OISE's inner-city option, said the neighbourhood will feel the loss.
Children in inner-city areas have different needs, and teachers — who typically come from middle- or upper-middle class backgrounds — must learn first-hand about their lives and communities and forge strong connections to be effective educators, she has said.
Trustee Chris Tonks, whose ward includes George Syme school, was upset OISE did not notify or consult with the board before cancelling.
"Was there something on the (board) end that OISE was not happy with? If so, we are willing to work with OISE to address any concerns they may have," he said.
Some 62 student teachers were enrolled in the inner-city option this year at OISE, volunteering countless hours outside of their classes working with community agencies and families.
O'Sullivan said OISE will continue to be "highly visible to the community across the GTA, and in the other areas where we work."


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by Staff Writers
Yangcheng, China (UPI) Jan 2, 2013
Chinese scientists report they've cultivated a high-yield, salt-resistant rice variety that boosts output to almost 2 1/2 tons per acre.
Researchers from Hainan University planted 18 salt-resistant varieties on saline-alkali land along the sea coast in the city of Yancheng in China's eastern Jiangsu province and identified one variety matching the output of varieties growing on normal farmland, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Researchers inserted a salt-resistant gene from a wild plant into a normal rice variety six years ago, and after years of screening obtained the 18 salt-resistant varieties.
Saline-alkali land is expanding by almost 5,000 acres a year in Yangcheng, experts said, and the high-yield, salt-resistant variety could mean enormous economic benefits by helping the world's most populous nation produce more rice.
China has about 13.3 million hectares of saline-alkali soils with the potential to be cultivated, equivalent to one-tenth of the country's total farmland, data from the Chinese Academy of Sciences indicate.
More than one-quarter of the world's land is saline-alkali soil and another 20 percent of farmland is at risk of salination, Wang Cailin, chief scientist of the rice-breeding program, said.
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Monday July 23rd, 2012 4:44pm
Day 2 of the Syracuse Shootout I was hot and bright – a fantastic day for so many teams to show their stuff in front of recruiters from far and wide. Over the first two days of the event, the Shootout I (which features travel and elite teams) brought 40 teams to the south campus area of Syracuse University, where the Hookway Practice Fields became a lacrosse extravaganza that lasted throughout the weekend. Teams traveled from as far away as Chicago, Cincinnati, Missouri, and Burnaby, British Columbia. Recruiters from Syracuse, Cornell, Albany, Cortland, Nazareth, Clarkson, Mercyhurst, and Le Moyne were on hand for the day's action. There were coaches from colleges in North Carolina (Guilford) and Washington, DC (Catholic), and dozens more througout the weekend. The event has become a place where recruiters are very likely to find gems with so many high school-aged players in one place.
Cincinnati Elite 2012-2013 vs. Burnaby Mountain Jr. Elite
The Boys from Cincinnati took control of the half I caught of this matchup. Evidence of the increasing embrace for the sport in Ohio, the 2012-2013 team was impressive on both ends of the field. A senior attackman, Nick Lewis looks like another promising player coming out of the Mason program, which has recruits heading to UNC and Albany. Lewis is a stocky, quick attackman with a fast release and hard shot. He tallied Cincy's first goal on an explosive dodge from X, putting the ball in the top left corner just as he got past GLE. Lewis plays tough and has a good set of hands on him. Other offensive players standing out for Cincinnati included Connor Polak (2012), middie Nolan Frey (2013) and Evan Beck (2012). Sophomore attackman/middie Sammy Hubbard has great size and strength, and he could be another Ohio player to watch down the line.
The defense for Cincy was backstopped by Under Armour Midwest Underclassmen member Alex Burgdorf, who has quick reflexes and looks poised in the cage. Long-stick middie Cody Englehardt (2012) played great defense for Cincinnati. He's got good footwork, and he was harassing ball carriers throughout the half I watched. He's fast and got up the field quickly. He was all over groundballs and looks like he's got solid fundamentals. Face-off man Krieg Greco (2013) played some tough short-stick defense. This team had reportedly only lost two games up to this point in the summer, both of those one goal losses in two previous tournaments.
The majority of Burnaby's players had great stick work, and you can see how that skill set allows even smallest players to be dangerous around the cage, including little Kyran Clarke (2013), who is no more than 5-7 and was taking a beating, but getting right back up. One player really making things happen on offense for the BC crew in this contest was face-off middie Ryan Sarazin (2013), who was tough to beat on the draw. He drove down the right alley and scored on an overhand shot, and later created transition, feeding inside to Clarke, who caught, turned and cranked a shot from 10 yards out. Burnaby defender Quinton Pavan made some nice plays on groundballs, winning races to the ball and also spinning through and around a bunch of checks heading up field.
Albany Power Rising Juniors vs. Binghamton Saluki
The blossoming talent in the Capital District has produced several travel teams from the area that are exciting to watch, and the Albany Power Senior team is no exception. While Albany's Top Dog team is loaded with players from Shenendehowa, this junior squad features some of the best upcoming talent from the likes of some of Section 2's other large schools, including Niskayuna, Guilderland and Shaker. Attackman Luke Goldstock from Niskayuna was one of the Albany team's offensive forces. The tall, hard-shooting attackman has smarts and can feed well, too. He's got a good stick, a quick release, and looks like he'll draw some attention if he hasn't already. Goldstock worked well with high school teammate Lucas Maloney – who put up 52 goals and 8 assists as a sophomore last season. Goldstock registered 27 goals and 18 assists for Nisky. Maloney was fighting through traffic throughout this contest, really showing the ability to get to the cage with an assortment of moves. Goldstock, Maloney, and Mike Divietro moved the ball very quickly together and put the foot on the gas early to help the Power jump out in front of Binghamton by several goals.
A midfielder who stood out to me was Jake Gargiulo, a smooth, fast and wiry player with a quick stick, hard passes and shots, and athleticism. The Balston Spa product was quick to lose him man when initiating up top, and he was aggressive in transition. He put up 33 points as a sophomore middie, and he looks promising. Middie Brian Schneider, who plays at Lansingburgh, led his team last year as a sophomore with 37 points. He dodged from behind the cage, slipping inside his man and finishing with ease from just a couple yards out. Tyler Pantalone, another Nisky player with good size, was faring well in the face-off battle, and he made a quick burst down the lane, shaking his man and scoring on the move.
Dominic Sloma looks like the next defenseman from Nisky to make a name for himself. He's smooth, throws accurate checks, makes smart decisions and has the footwork to make life miserable for many attackmen. He's also got a pretty good handle. Defenders Kyle Fragnoli (Shaker) and Brandon Melius (Nisky) also played well in this game. Goaltender Evan Quinn made a couple decent saves here, though his defense wasn't letting Binghamton get too close to him.
Talking with some kind and helpful parents on the sideline, I learned this was the first semblance of a travel or elite team put together by the Binghamton program. Senior goalie Tim Langhorne was doing his best to keep Albany at bay, making some clutch saves to keep it within reach for Saluki. He stuffed a blast by Gargiulo and snagged another shot on the doorstep out of the air. Midfielders Chase Westbrook (2013) and Vince Evans (2013) and attackmen Gavin Abbott (2013) and Nishan Ketchoyian were carrying the load offensively for Binghamton, a program that has only two fellow Class A teams in Section 4 – Ithaca and Corning, the now unified district of Corning East and Corning West.
Blaze Rising Seniors vs. CNY Roadhawks 2012
The Blaze Rising Seniors – made up of players from the Rochester/Genesee River Valley – took on some of the top juniors from Section 3 in this one. Pittsford middies Corey Parke and Tyler Aycock were two of the Blaze players catching attention of recruiters throughout the day. Parke is a dangerous dodger and shooter. Aycock is a skilled defensive midfielder, has speed and stands at about 6-1, maybe 6-2. Syracuse-bound Fairport attackman/middie Derek DeJoe can shoot the lights out of the ball. DeJoe looks bigger than he did just a few months back. Even with his hard outside shot, he doesn't shy away from trying to work his way inside of a defense. He's got good hands and is an athletic player, which is why he was running some midfield this past season for Fairport coach Mike Torrelli.
Fairport netminder Blaze Riorden, Inside Lacrosse's #50 in the most recent Young Gun Rising Juniors, was fabulous in net, which he needed to be against a fast and skilled Roadhawks 2012 team. Riorden's stick just seems to seek the ball naturally, as he flicked away a couple of shots released within close range, making it look easy. His hands are incredibly fast, and he plays with a loose, casual swagger. He's got great stick skills and makes accurate passes, and the right ones. Garrett Warren is a solid long-stick middie, coming out of the successful Irondequoit program. He's athletic with sound fundamentals. Pittsford's Kevin Sanna and Churchville's Nick Bruno were notable defenders for the Blaze against the Roadhawks 2012 team.
There's a whole list of players who look like they could have breakout years in the coming season on the Roadhawks. Owen Nicola (Westhill), Scott Slater (Cicero-North Syracuse), Nick Capriotti (East Syracuse Minoa), Mike Fiorini (Baldwinsville) and sophomore Connor O'Hara (Skaneateles) are players that will be major contributors on the their respective high school teams next season. But like the day before, Corcoran's Ryan Cook (2013) was tremendous for the Roadhawks. The slick and brave attackman was tough to stop any time he went to the cage, finding ways around and inside of his man. Cook is a successful varsity wrestler (going 22-9 this season), which is evident in his gritty play that compliments his great stick skills. He's smooth and relaxed with the ball. One of his goals came on a slick feed from Liverpool middie Austin Hope, who found Cook on the doorstep for a couple of fakes and the finish. He later scored after snagging a rebound in front of the cage, dipping his stick low to his left hand, scooting by a defender and then bringing it back up high to dunk it in the net.
A great individual effort, defender Jeff Conley went coast-to-coast, sliding through the defense, grabbing his own rebound after shooting once, and then depositing a goal in impressive fashion. Again, Liverpool's Bryan Capone (Vermont) was tremendous on defense. He and Cazenovia defender Goris Clayton were tough to beat all weekend. In cage, Skaneateles' Ryan Higman was seeing the ball well. He's developed throughout the year, having played an entire season as the starter for the Lakers. He's certainly a goalie to watch.
Team One Orange vs. CNY Roadhawks 2013
Team One Orange traveled to Syracuse from Chicago to display its talent. The boys from the Windy City put on a fine showing here against the 2013 Roadhawks. AJ Fish (2013) is a smart player who showed his shooting abilities by burying a shot from way outside. On another play, he drove lefty from X, got topside and buried an overhand shot top shelf. He's a skilled creator and was doing a nice job of finding openings for himself and his teammates. Matt Brown (2013) looked like a tough, fast midfielder, and AJ Schmidt (2013) looks to have some upside as well. Grant Soucy (2013) was really active on defense for Team One Orange, getting all guys' hands and covering a lot of ground.
I learned of a reward system put in place by some of the parents of the Team One players: beef jerky awarded to anyone netting a hat trick, anyone scoring with a long pole, or a goaltender pitching a shutout. You have to appreciate such a savory incentive.
The Roadhawks 2013 have some middies who looked like they'll be players to watch next season. Jack Fabrizio scored on a sweep left to right and ripping an overhand shot. And Shaun McDonald scored on a drive to the cage after coming with a groundball.
Blaze Rising Juniors vs. LB3 Rising Juniors
The Blaze Rising Juniors had all kinds of players who I'm sure recruiters would love to speak with. One player sparking some conversation was Luke Bailey (McQuaid Jesuit), the younger brother of Jake, who will be a freshman at UNC this fall. He's a force in the midfield, off the wing, and he just torments the ball carrier. He's got some vicious checks and I saw him cause multiple turnovers. He's got those long limbs to use to his advantage. He covers a lot of ground in a hurry. Bailey looks like he's the next in what has become a pipeline for outstanding defenseman coming out of Western New York.
Penfield goaltender Keith Keehn was phenomenal in the half I saw him face the LB3 Rising Juniors. He was flying all over the place to turn shots away, including a couple of beauties right on the doorstep. It looked like business as usual for the Section 5 netminder. He had some tough defenders in front of him, including Bailey, Charlie Cummins (Penfield) and Andrew Mietelski (Fairport). Midfielder Chauncey Scissum is an athletic specimen. He's a bit raw, but he was one of the more athletic kids I saw all day long. Jay Valkiener and Kevin Vaughn (both Fairport middies) look like promising players.
For LB3, Eric Fernandez is a small and shifty, and he was certainly one of the Philly-area team's better creators. He showed some brass to fight through the Blaze defense one a couple plays, standing up to some physical play. Other players who stood out for LB3 were long stick Andrew Eidenshink, middie Mike Pascali and defender Pat Sawyer.
Champion Select vs. BLA Rising Seniors
This game was fun to watch, as there were clearly some bragging rights on the line for the two Buffalo area teams. The player really shining in this game was Champion Select's Alex Misterman from St. Francis. He's a well rounded middie who can win face-offs, dodge, has the quicks to play defense, creates transition – and he's got a great sense of the field. He's short and has quick change of direction, one time just slicing through the defense with a face dodge, speeding to the cage and scoring on a bounce shot. The kid looks legit. As did a number of his Champion Select team mates, including Cooper Stefaniak (St. Francis), who ripped a nice overhand shot from the wing, middie Jimmy May (Frontier) and attackman Pat McCooey (Orchard Park). Phil Brind'Amour (Iroquois HS) – a good-sized attackman at 6-2, 200-pounds with nice stick skills – used his big frame to bull dodge and power past defenders. He scored twice when I was watching, including a goal on a sweet backhand shot right in front of the net. Hamburg attackman Mitch Shafer, a solid attackman who played well all weekend, was in on the scoring action against BLA.
Defender Kole Robinson (Orchard Park) has good fundamentals, and he helped the Select smother a talented BLA Rising Seniors squad. Niagara-Wheatfield netminder Rob Einenbart turned away a number of shots in helping BLA keep it within reach in the half I saw.


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Ab-Soul ft Kendrick Lamar – ILLuminate
One of my favourite rappers at the moment (Ab-Soul) has released the official video for the single "ILLuminiate" which features man of the moment Kendrick Lamar. The track has been produced by Skhye Hutch, and credits for the visuals go to Fredo Tovar and Scott Fleishman of A Plus Filmz. ILLuminate is featured on Ab-Soul's most recent album "Control System" which can be downloaded from the iTunes link listed above, and features guest appearances from Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock amongst others. You can watch the official video from Ab-Soul ft Kendrick Lamar – ILLuminate on the youtube player below.
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2002 Pontiac Sunfire Reviews and Owner Comments
2002 Pontiac Sunfire owners review and rate their 2002 Pontiac Sunfire.
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2002 Pontiac Sunfire (2 Reviews)
I bought it new (my first car) and it lasted until last December when an idiot didn't stop at a red light and wrecked my passenger side completely. I am really sad to loose this car. It's beyond repair. While the suspension and air conditioning may be its weakest, this car had no issue up to 140,000KM. I was able to move so much stuff, drive long distances with no issue. As surprising as it could be, this car was amazing with extreme snow. Living in Canada, it is quite important. While other cars get stucked in parking or driveway and can't do anything, this sunfire with its rear wheel drive (mine was sunfire 2002 SX), just surpassed them all and was driving like a crossover on snow and icy roads. For the price it's really a good one for starters.
Great car. Bought it new, never had an issue, almost ready to turn 100,000 miles. Might have another 100,000 left in it!


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Logan's kick returns intriguing to Steelers
A couple of days before the Steelers' second preseason game, the coaches told Stefan Logan that he would serve as the team's primary kickoff and punt returner against the Redskins.
They weren't the only ones eager to see what the pint-sized Logan could do in his first extended game action as a Steelers player.
"Before he even touched the first kickoff, we were making bets on the sideline (of) when he's going to take one to the house," starting running back Willie Parker said. "He's amazing."
He sure was Saturday night, and the explosiveness Logan displayed in piling up 205 return yards turned him from a curiosity into a legitimate candidate to make the 53-man roster of the reigning Super Bowl champions.
"I think it's pretty obvious that he did a nice job," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
Logan's breakout performance could not have come at a better time — for both him and the Steelers.
Had Logan flopped in the Steelers' 17-13 loss to the Redskins at FedEx Field, he may not have gotten another serious look from the coaches in his bid to make the team. His showing, meanwhile, gives the Steelers hope that they have found a player who can add a much-needed spark to the return game, particularly on kickoffs.
Last season, lumbering running backs Najeh Davenport and Gary Russell served as the primary kickoff returners, and the Steelers were 29th out of 32 NFL teams in that department.
Against the Redskins, Logan ripped off kickoff returns of 60 and 45 yards and said he was "inches" from taking both returns all the way to the end zone.
Not bad for a guy who is just over the height minimum for some of the rides at Kennywood and who will be a 28-year-old rookie if he plays his way onto the Steelers.
The 5-foot-6, 180-pound Logan played high school football in Miami but spent five years away from the game before taking it up again at the University of South Dakota.
Logan spent some time on the Dolphins' practice squad in 2007 before making his way to Canada.
He starred for the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League last season, and the Steelers signed Logan last February, shortly after they had won a sixth Super Bowl.
Logan, who was given the nickname "Joystick" while in Canada because of his ability to make the kind of outrageous cuts seen in football video games, opened eyes during offseason practices.
And his speed even impressed Parker, who has long been one of the fastest players on the team.
Parker said the two raced during the offseason and that he beat Logan in a 40-yard dash. But, Parker added: "If we would have raced five more yards, he would have blown past me. Once he gets in playing shape, he is going to be deadly."
Logan, for his part, is hoping to blow past the other candidates to return kickoffs and punts this season. He may have separated himself from the pack by averaging almost 40 yards on four kickoff returns against the Redskins.
"When my (teammates) see a guy who can take it to the house at any moment, they're going to block their tails off," said Logan, who is called "Half Pint" by his Steelers teammates.
The question the Steelers may have to answer in a few short weeks is whether they have the luxury of carrying a player on the roster who may only help them in the return game.
"It's a possibility," Tomlin said of Logan, who also has lined up at running back and wide receiver but has been focusing solely on his duties as a return man. "He got our attention."
The key for Logan is holding that attention.
"I want to show everything I can do in these last two (preseason) games," Logan said. "I'm sure I'm going to get another shot at it, and I'm sure I'll do what I can to take it to the house."
By the numbers
Stefan Logan shined as a return man in the Steelers' 17-13 loss to the Redskins on Saturday night. But playing in the Canadian Football League last season, he excelled as both a running back and receiver. Here are some of the highlights from his only CFL season.
4 — Logan's rank among the CFL's rushing leaders.
6 — Logan's rank among CFL leaders in yards from scrimmage.
7.3 — Yards per carry Logan averaged.
52 — Passes Logan caught.
1,366 — Yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving) for Logan.


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Rattlers score early, score late; win second straight
By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers | April 18, 2012 7:12 PM ET
The Rattlers (7-6) grabbed control with a five run first inning against Burlington starting pitcher Jose Macias. Wisconsin loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Stang unloaded the bases with a triple to the corner in right field. Brandon Macias would be next and his single knocked in Stang. Then, Macias stole second and went to third on a throwing error. George singled in Macias for a quick 5-0 lead.
Burlington (6-7) got a run back off Wisconsin starter Mark Williams on a leadoff homer in the second by Dusty Robinson. The homer was the fifth of the season for Robinson.
The Rattlers got that run back in the bottom of the fourth inning when George blasted his first home run since July 23, 2010.
Williams struck out six over five innings and turned the 6-1 lead over to the Rattlers bullpen.
The Bees started their comeback in the seventh inning against Seth Lintz. He gave up a two-run homer to Nick Rickels with one out in the inning and the Rattlers lead was cut to 6-3.
In the eighth, Burlington had runners at the corners and two outs with John Nester at the plate. Nester fouled off five two strike pitches from Lintz and worked the count full before coaxing a walk from the Rattlers reliever to load the bases.
Tommy Toledo relieved Lintz at that point and gave up a three-run triple to Royce Consigli that tied the game 6-6.
But, the Rattler hitters responded in the bottom of the eighth. Parker Berberet drew a leadoff walk and John Dishon pinch ran for him. Stang, who had also tripled in the third inning, was asked to drop a sacrifice bunt and he did to send Dishon to second base. Macias singled to left, but it was hit too sharply for Dishon to score. An error on the throw in from the outfield let Macias take second base. The Bees walked George to load the bases and setup a potential double play with Hopkins due at the plate.
Hopkins foiled the strategy with a single to center that drove in two runs and put the Rattlers up 8-6.
One out later Rivera smacked a triple to center to drive in two more runs and give the Rattlers a 10-6 advantage.
Toledo worked a 1-2-3 ninth to finish the Bees.
The Timber Rattlers begin a six game road trip on Thursday night with a game against the West Michigan Whitecaps at Fifth Third Ballpark. David Goforth (1-0, 3.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Brennan Smith (1-0, 0.00) is set to start for the Whitecaps. Game time is 5:35pm CDT. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 5:15pm.
Dusty Robinson (5th, 2nd inning off Mark Williams, 0 out)
Nick Rickels (1st, 7th inning off Seth Lintz, 1 out)
Carlos George (1st, 4th inning off Jose Macias, 0 out)
WP: Tommy Toledo (2-0)
LP: Brent Powers (2-1)
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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Bearing false witness to Pope Francis' recent lesson on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, Think Progress has twisted his words to fit their upside down thinking. In doing so, Think Progress has actually endorsed Creationism, the long-held traditional Biblical view that God created man and earth and all of nature.
Giddy with supposed self-righteousness, Jack Jenkins of Think Progress posted, "Pope Francis Makes Biblical Case For Addressing Climate Change: 'If We Destroy Creation, Creation Will Destroy Us'", with as much dishonest parsing of the Pope's words as Satan used against Jesus about Scripture in the desert.
Jenkins called the words of the Pope, "environmentalist theology" which is accurate, however, if you read the entire text of the Popes' address, you find he is talking to destroyers of God's creation - ALL of God's creation, with an emphasis on the culture of death that is the hallmark of progressive "sacramental" rights.
Jenkins writes:
Pope Francis made the religious case for tackling climate change on Wednesday, calling on his fellow Christians to become "Custodians of Creation" and issuing a dire warning about the potentially catastrophic effects of global climate change.
Speaking to a massive crowd in Rome, the first Argentinian pope delivered a short address in which he argued that respect for the "beauty of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos" is a Christian value, noting that failure to care for the planet risks apocalyptic consequences.
"Safeguard Creation," he said. "Because if we destroy Creation, Creation will destroy us! Never forget this!"
Abortion destroys Creation in the womb, and its acceptance, culturally, is much of the cause of our nation's spiritual demise. Abortion is destroying us, but Think Progress, an oxymoronic website for a death culture movement, endorses that destruction.
Pope Francis made no mention of global climate change in his Wednesday audience, but simply expressed the beauty and goodness of God's creation, and how our connection to every creature compels us to protect life. The Pope spoke of the Holy Spirit, who, with God the Father and Son, make up the Holy Trinity, and specifically references the creation of life between man and woman. His words:
Pope Francis: ...and when God finished creating man, He didn't say that "it was good", He said that it is "very good!", He draws us close to Him. And in God's eyes we are the greatest, the most beautiful, the best things about Creation..."But father the Angels? No the Angels are beneath us! We are more than the Angels! We heard it in the Book of the Psalms! God really loves us! We have to thank him for this!
The gift of knowledge places us in profound harmony with the Creator and allows us to participate in the brightness of His gaze and His judgment. And it is in this perspective that we can grasp in man and woman the summit of Creation, as the fulfillment of a plan of love that is imprinted in each of us and that makes us recognize each other as brothers and sisters.
When the leftists tell us that we are destroying nature, yet they do not see humans as the best part of nature, their agenda and lies begin to show.
We use nature's gifts to better the lives of man. The plastics used in neonatal care are made from nature's petroleum, and the smart phone that connects you to the world uses tin, gold and copper. Yet, try to destroy copper, gold, or water for that matter. Conservation is a proper and good practice, but to suggest that government can change the climate is the biggest lie imaginable, and Think Progress actually abuses the Pope to deliver it.
Reading the short address called to mind a hymn of the wondrous power of God, and terrific beauty of his creation.
How Great Thou Art
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
The Pope talks about how we, as children of God, are to be good custodians of Creation. Think Progress jumped and grabbed at nature outside of human beings, when it is clear that Francis is speaking not just of plant life, but specifically, of human life.
Pope Francis: At the same time, however, the gift of knowledge helps us to avoid falling prey to excessive or incorrect attitudes. The first lies in the risk of considering ourselves masters of Creation.
To be a master of Creation, one has to believe they are controlling what God made, and only God can do that. So really, what Think Progress has done is show, once again, that they put themselves as God, and think they can control His earth.
The Pope's final words of the address are, "This should give us pause for thought and we should ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of knowledge that Creation is a gift from God, a gift for the best thing He created which is the human person..."
This rewriting of nearly everything our Pope has to say by progressives is constant, and to react to him, based on reading only the headlines and their version of what the Pope said and meant, is irresponsible. Think Progress took a terrific message, delivered by the Pope, and accepted by those in good faith, and turned it into a partisan lie in order to hide its own desire to defy God and His Creation, and become sinful masters of nature.
It's really quite a sickening thing the left is doing to make the American people believe that the Pope endorses their atheistic ideology.


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Have Ford Questions? Ask a Mechanic for Answers ASAP
Welcome to JustAnswer.com! My name is DriveFast71(Ron) and I will do my best to answer all of your questions completely and accurately.
On this vehicle, the Thermostat is built into, and part of the thermostat housing. So you replace the housing as a unit. THe housing will come with a new thermostat and gasket.
Disconnect the heater hose from the thermostat housing.
Disconnect the lower radiator hose from the thermostat housing and remove the thermostat housing.
It should be accessible from the engine compartment. Towards the top of the engine, and towards the passenger's side. (red arrow, #5 in image below) (Click "view full image" on the image above/below to get a pop-up window with a close-up view of the location)


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As the spotlight of investors' attention swings from Greece to Spain, the mood in Italy has been one of increasingly nervous apprehension.
The euro debt crisis, as the financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore noted, has come to resemble Agatha Christie's novel Ten Little Indians. And Italians are only too aware that, with the possible exception of the Cypriots, they are next in line after the Spanish.
"We're in a better position than the Spanish inasmuch as our banks do not have the same exposure to bad property loans," said Pietro Reichlin, professor of economics at the Luiss University in Rome. But, he added, the balance sheets of Italian banks – like those of so many in the euro zone – are also heavy with government bonds whose prices have been steadily eroded as the yield on Italian sovereign debt has risen.
This yield has been on an upward trend since March, reflecting that Italy's economy has become incapable of sustained, significant growth.
The economy has been at a standstill since the start of the 2000s. In the first quarter of 2012, it shrank 1.4 per cent year on year. Last month, the OECD forecast that between 2012 and 2017, Italy's GDP would grow an average of 0.5 per cent per annum, the lowest among more than 40 countries for which it made forecasts.
Last week, the Italian cabinet finally approved a package of measures to boost growth but it turned out to be not only much delayed but much reduced.
What the crisis has highlighted is that Italy's growth is restricted by deep-seated problems that include widespread corruption, an educational system turning out fewer graduates than almost any in Europe and courts that fail to offer investors judicial security.
The Australian Financial Review


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Seattle gains super-efficient 'Passive Houses'
Published 2:12 pm, Saturday, July 27, 2013
While heating and air conditioning systems were big innovations in home comfort, the next step forward may be eliminating them.
A couple of Seattle developers have done just that, building houses that meet "Passive House" standards.
Passive Houses use 90 percent less energy than typical existing homes and 75 percent less energy than most new homes, according to the Passive House Institute. They do this mainly by with extremely efficient insulation and windows, tight sealing, and elimination of separate heating and air conditioning systems.
Heat comes from the sun, internal heat sources and heat recovery. Ventilation and passive techniques, like shading, keep homes cool in the summertime.
On Tuesday, developer Cascade Built and NK Architects announced that Park Passive, in Madison Park, is the city's first Passive House to be certified by the Passive House Academy and authorized by the Passive House Institute ("Passivhaus Institut" in its native Germany).
The 2,710 square-foot house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. While many of the green features are hard to see (insulation, high-efficiency fixtures and appliances, etc.), the house includes such visible features as high ceilings, big windows, and wall paneling, stair treads and a coutertop made out of a tree salvaged from the site during construction.
Real Estate Media OS playlist
Meanwhile, Dwell Development just sent along photos of its Passive House, in Columbia City. It says it's the area's first spec Passive House.
Click through the gallery above to see both homes.
Read more real estate news. Visit seattlepi.com's home page for more Seattle news.


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Give these remote control flying drone custom toys imprinted with your company logo as a gift that will definitely get recipients buzzing while taking your brand to heights.
These custom plastic nickels are the perfect size for logo.
These promotional products from ePromos are ready to ship in 24 hours. Rush promotional items for a last minute event or if you're other supplier fell through.


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Commentary: Cellphone carriers take bold stand against your property rights
Updated 9:14 pm, Tuesday, January 29, 2013
As of Saturday, it became illegal to unlock your cellphone. That means, even if you own it outright, you can't alter the device to make it work on another carrier without risking a fine.
Why shouldn't you be able to do whatever you want with your own property? Because cellphone companies want to sell more phones and the Library of Congress rolled over for them.
That's not how the industry puts it, of course, but it is the truth.
The broadly written Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 made it illegal to create devices or services that allowed people to sidestep technology protecting copyrighted works. It was mainly geared toward digital rights management tools of the day that prevented you from making multiple copies of downloaded songs or DVDs.
Business Channel
Under pressure from carriers and the CTIA-The Wireless Association trade group, the Library of Congress switched its stance and agreed to eliminate that exemption in October. The change went into effect this past weekend.
Now if you unlock your phone for your own use, you could face a suit or fine. Michael Altschul, general counsel for CTIA, told the New York Times that prohibiting people from unlocking their phones protected the carriers' investments in the subsidies. Otherwise, he suggested, people could unlock their devices and sell them at a higher price, an abuse that could threaten the industry's ability to continue providing the subsidies.
"It's allowing that business practice to go forward at a time when the price of devices continues to grow," Altschul said.
But this largely ignores the way the subsidies actually work — and the fact that carriers have generated huge profits under this model for years.
I may get to buy an iPhone for what seems like $200, instead of, say $600, but in exchange I pay for that difference over the course of a two-year contract.
I can't just buy a subsidized phone, unlock it, sell it and collect a cool profit. If I unload the phone, I'm still obligated to either continue paying through the end of my contract or to cough up a sizable early-termination fee.
But that's not what any of this is about.
This is about carriers keeping people on their networks and squeezing the aftermarket for phone sales. In other words: It's about enormously profitable companies using the legal system to make more money still — at the expense of consumers.
James Temple is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist.
Twitter: @jtemple


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Yesterday's teachers' strikes – the biggest since the 80s – affected 11,114 schools. More than 2 million pupils missed classes as teachers walked out, alongside civil servants and public sector workers. So what did everyone make of it?
The Guardian's Michael White reported that it was a textbook lesson in orderly protest from the teachers:
Obviously Miss and Sir couldn't risk being seen by their pupils on the TV news dropping bus tickets or paper tissues, as well as baring their knees in the hot weather.
As pension forecasts cast doubt on the need for reform, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said:
"Teachers are dedicated to the children and young people whom they teach. But they cannot stand back and see their pensions attacked when all the evidence shows that they are affordable and sustainable and that their costs are falling."
Michael Gove, who said he was "disappointed" in teachers for taking action, was dubbed a scoundrel.
Here's the roundup of the day in pictures. And this is what you had to say.
Parent kev01 said:
I have had a day off work becuase of the strike, which means I have childcare duties. Nevertheless, I have no sympathy with people that think that teaching is nothing more than childcare. The strike has made me think a little bit more about their situation. I realise this is not the same for everyone, some will simply think of the childcare they have missed out on.
Teacher LondonMix said:
All these people who think that teaching is easy, that we have huge holidays, doss about and don't work particularly hard are having a laugh. It's a lot easier to criticise than try and research and understand the reality I guess.
mreagle said:
Far more people in my area are on strike than ever before, even those who normally sit on the fence, and while I don't think the government will do anything about their questionably 'democratic' policy, I'm pleased that people are at least making a stand for a change.
But the strikers drew fierce criticism as well as support. OReally said:
Public sector workers have been hugely spoiled for years. Unsackable, unlimited sick pay, generous pensions and teachers only have to work for 35 weeks per year. If they don't like it why not just quit and get a proper job?
On the rights and wrongs of striking, PaganEyes said:
Apparently it's OK to close all the schools and cause "ordinary" people problems with their childcare arrangements if it's a Royal Wedding. But it's not OK to support those "evil" teachers who educate our children, or those "lazy" firemen who save our lives, or those workshy NHS nurses who attend to you when you're ill.
amoamasamat added:
Teachers could have gone out on strike last term so they could disrupt preparations for GCSE and A levels. But they did not.
And Monchberter wondered:
What's more disruptive for parents and children? A few days of civil action, or a lifetime of a substandard education?
On the issue at hand – pensions – Violator said:
The reality is my pension contributions are to be increased, so the can be sourced to pay off a budget deficit i had no part in creating.
BobbyDIn63 said:
It's absolutely inequitable that the private sector has poor pension provision, but it's not the fault of the public sector, it's the fault of the corporate elite who are shafting them and us all.
Finally, this from autocord:
I doubt many of those who criticise teachers would survive long in those classrooms.
The Guardian's reporters rounded up the harsh words and high spirits around the country, from Merthyr Tydfil to Heathrow. And Martin Kettle warns that the strikes could become the coalition's Iraq moment.
Education news from the Guardian
Universities mull radical proposals to go private. Two unnamed specialist institutions, both members of the Russell Group, may opt out of the state system and forgo all funding, as experts predict the emergence of a "super league" of British universities.
Patrick Butler reports on the impact of housing benefit changes to London families and schools:
500 primary school age children, or roughly one in six currently living in one ward alone, Maida Vale, may have to move out of the borough. Some 4,000 children in all may have to leave. Secondary schools in the borough could see 5% of pupils disappear from their rolls.
Kooky Icelandic singer Bjork is to try her hand in the classroom. Her new project goes characteristically beyond the norm: she is planning a world tour of educational residencies to teach children about music and nature:
Growing up, she explained, "my rock star was David Attenborough".
Education news from around the web
Exam regulator Ofqual launches inquiry into this summer's exam paper errors, reports the BBC.
Five- and six-year olds are being taught in pupil referral units, reveals the TES.
Scotland must stand firm on its principle of free higher education, writes Joyce McMillan in the Scotsman.
Elsewhere, German universities are one by one scrapping tuition fees, reports the Economist.
And North Korea is closing its universities. Students have been told to set aside their studies for 10 months and work to help repair the flailing economy, reports Reuters.
From the Guardian higher education network
Today's live chat at 1pm is on how to succeed in academic publishing.
Post-doc blogger Sarah-Louise Quinnell is trying to decide which journals to publish in.
There's still time to have your say on the government's HE white paper.
Private view for teachers
The Saatchi gallery is holding a private view for teachers to see its exhibition The Shape of Things to Come: New Sculpture on Friday 1 July from 7-9pm. It'll include a free guided tour, exhibition guides and refreshments. Please email firstname.lastname@example.com to book, providing your name and school contact details.
Guardian Education Centre seminars for teachers
Insight into Journalism: investigative and features journalism
This seminar, part of our popular Insight into Journalism series, gives secondary school teachers and college tutors the chance to spend a day at the Guardian. You'll meet specialist journalists from the investigations team, find out from writers what makes a good features article and learn about commissioning, editing and interview techniques.
Time: 8 July, 9.15-4.30.
Cost: £72, including lunch and resources.
Education seminars from Guardian Professional
Making the most of media opportunities to enhance your school's profile
Whether it's sharing good news or handling a crisis, headteachers and school management teams need to be able to handle the media in all of its forms. This one-day seminar in association with the NAHT is essential for new and aspiring heads as well as established school leaders who wish to update their knowledge. It includes a session on social media.
20 September, London.
Find us on the Guardian website
All today's EducationGuardian stories
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
EducationGuardian resources
The Guardian University Guide 2011
The Guardian Postgraduate Guide 2011
The world's top 100 universities
Updating table of university fee announcements for 2012
From Guardian Professional
The Higher Education Network for university professionals
Free online classroom resources on the Teacher Network
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Already planning a huge round of layoffs in a bid to bring costs in line with its sales, BlackBerry Ltd. must confront another painful reality of its business: a big overhang of unsold devices.
Released this year, the company's new BlackBerry 10 smartphones were well received by critics but have sold poorly in many of BlackBerry's key markets – most notably, the United States. As a result, many devices the company has shipped to retail channels remain unsold.
The company is now in the midst of a strategic review that could lead to a sale of all or parts of the business. Analysts, however, assign little value to BlackBerry's handset business, and some expect the company will need to book a substantial writedown sooner or later as it takes the difficult steps to make itself a more appealing acquisition target.
The handset business is likely to be of little use to potential buyers for the company, analysts say.
As such, a move by BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins to write down inventory and slash staff could help streamline the company before any potential buyer made a formal offer.
"Apple and Microsoft don't need the handsets, so you would have to shut that down," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis. "It looks like Thorsten is going to do a lot of that work himself."
Mr. Gillis said BlackBerry may go ahead with writedowns when it reveals its quarterly earnings next week, or could wait another quarter so as to give itself more time to market them and try to gain traction from its newest phones – including the new flagship phone, the Z30, announced this week.
BlackBerry once ruled the smartphone market, but its market share has collapsed amid relentless competition. BlackBerry's sales plunged in the fiscal year ended March 2 as consumers flocked to iPhones and devices powered by Google's Android operating system.
It's not clear how large a writedown would be. BlackBerry reported total inventories of $887-million as of June 1. Analysts at Bank of Montreal have pegged the cost of shutting the handset unit at about $800-million. That cost would include items such as severance, product writedowns and the technical hurdles of extracting the handset business from BlackBerry's wider operations. BlackBerry didn't respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, major staff reductions loom. Sources close to BlackBerry this week told The Globe and Mail that the company is targeting job cuts of up to 5,000 employees, or close to 40 per cent of its global employee count of 12,000 people, between now and the end of its fiscal year in late February or early March, 2014. The cuts are expected to be broad-based, in terms of both functions and geography, although the Waterloo, Ont., area – where BlackBerry is based – is expected to take the biggest hit in sheer numbers. A BlackBerry spokeswoman this week refused to comment on what she called "rumours and speculation," but added that "organizational moves will continue to occur to ensure we have the right people in the right roles to drive new opportunities in mobile computing."
Analysts assign much of BlackBerry's current market value to its arsenal of patents and engineering talent.
Even if BlackBerry doesn't find a willing buyer, massive cuts to the hardware business would help BlackBerry transform into a much smaller, software-focused company, notes Frost & Sullivan director Ronald Gruia.
Even without BlackBerry's sales-related issues, the company faces several unrelated hurdles in getting a deal done. With a market capitalization of $5.5-billion, it is too large for most individual private equity firms (and even some competitors) to buy outright. Many of the companies that do have the cash to purchase BlackBerry also have little use for much of the company's business, since they tend to have their own handset operations.
After starting the year on an upward swing, BlackBerry's share price has given up all the gains made earlier in 2013. However the stock experienced a bump last month when the company said it was effectively putting itself up for sale. But if BlackBerry devices fail to gain traction with consumers, any buyer for the company may balk at its current valuation. That could make for a rare scenario – a "take-under," where a bidder manages to buy the company for less money, per share, than BlackBerry's current share price.
"Already you have a 20-per-cent premium baked into the stock since the news [of a strategic alternatives committee] hit," said Mr. Gillis, adding that a buyer may still have to spend more money in severance costs related to a shutdown of the handset business (should BlackBerry not pre-emptively do that). "People might be looking at this and saying that this is possibly a take-under."
As BlackBerry Ltd. prepares to release its latest quarterly earnings in a week, analysts are beginning to worry about the company's huge backlog of unsold inventory. Already, the value of BlackBerry's unsold tablets and smartphones hovers near the $1-billion mark. And thanks to customer uncertainty about the company's future, that number may climb even higher.
The value of unsold inventory at BlackBerry as of last June, a 47-per-cent increase from the previous quarter.
2.7 million
The number of new BlackBerry 10 phones shipped last quarter, less than 40 per cent of total BlackBerrys sold in the quarter.
Number of BlackBerry employees as of March of this year, up to 40 per cent of which could be cut in the coming months, according to a source close to the company.
Number of product writedowns the company has taken in the past two years.Report Typo/Error
Follow us on Twitter: @GlobeBusiness
- BlackBerry Ltd$12.770.00(0.00%)
- BlackBerry Ltd$10.130.00(0.00%)
- Updated July 20 4:00 PM EDT. Delayed by at least 15 minutes.


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Arizona native and Billboard country music artist Frank Ortega is coming home to perform a 21-and-older benefit concert in honor of the victims of the Yarnell fire. Ortega, born and raised in the Valley, will perform live at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale with all of the proceeds going to the 100 Club. The money will be placed in the "Survivor's Fund," which will support the 19 families of the fallen firefighters. Ortega will also be auctioning off a chance for an audience member to win a private concert with him in their home.
DETAILS >> 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Martini Ranch, 7295 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale. $10 pre-sale or $15 at the door. (480) 970-0500 or http://martiniranchaz.net


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Carney served as inspiration for many
The annual Miles of Smiles race in Plum serves as an inspiration for organizer Chris Cooley.
The 5K run/one-mile walk Sunday, a day after the death of Plum resident Sunny Carney, took on extra special meaning for Cooley of Plum.
"We had 80 runners walk up (register) the day of (the event)," Cooley said.
"We've never had that happen."
Cooley said the total number of participants – including runners, walkers and volunteers was about 450-500.
The Carney family was one of the beneficiaries of the fifth annual Miles of Smiles event at Boyce Park ski lodge.
The fundraiser, which began as Miles of Smiles for Sunny, was founded to help Carney pay for cancer treatments.
Alicia "Sunny" Jennings Carney of Plum died Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, after a 10-year fight with carcinoid cancer. She was 42.
Cooley said the event Sunday raised $7,500 for the Carney and the Nixon families, both of Plum, and the Croyle family of Murrysville. Lorri Nixon has leukemia. Kristin Croyle died in August from pancreatic cancer.
Cooley said he was particulary inspired by the young people — including Carney's sons who attended the event Sunday.
"What struck me most was the fortitude of the boys — Austen, Logan and Nolan," Cooley said.
Cooley also credited another group — Serving Other Souls (SOS) — a student-based service organization he founded in May 2012 with stepping up to help out during the race.
"The maturity of the Carney boys and the SOS kids gave me the greatest joy on that day," Cooley said.
Carney was diagnosed in 2004 with the rare endocrine disease, which spreads from organ to organ.
Relatives said she likely had suffered the first effects of the cancer more than a decade ago, when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She underwent three successful treatments in Switzerland to shrink tumors found in her liver, skull, spine, hips, legs shoulder, ovary and gallbladder.
Her illness got progressively worse over the summer. In the past few weeks, "she started preparing, getting her ducks in row so to speak, with a lot more strength than I would," said her husband, Mark Carney.
"She went out Christmas shopping and got the boys the things she wanted to get in case she wasn't able to be there," he said.
Carney was a stay-at-home mom who passionately pursued anything she could do with her children.
She was PTA president, made their Halloween costumes, took a cake-baking class so she could make their birthday cakes and involved them in her home-based wedding and family photographer business, her husband said.
"She did everything to the extreme in the positive sense," Mark Carney said.
She also inspired carcinoid cancer patients across the globe through her weblog and then her book "The 'Sunny' Side of Cancer."
She also spoke at numerous cancer events locally.
"She was an inspiration to everybody in our town," said family friend Lisa Lagnese of Plum.
"She is the strongest person I ever met in my life."
In a tribute, Mark Carney posted an account of his wife's final 24 hours on her blog Sunday.
"I know how you lived and fought ... you lived more in 42 years than most will do in twice that amount of time," he wrote.
In addition to her husband, Carney is survived by her children, Austen, Logan and Nolan; mother, Patricia Jennings; sisters Judy Phillips, Lynn Pesta and Sheila Fortes; and brothers Michael Jennings, James Jennings and Joseph Jennings.
She was preceded in death by her father, James Jennings.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Charles W. Trenz Funeral Home.
The family has asked that memorials be in the form of contributions to the Carney Family Fund, c/o S&T Bank, 2190 Hulton Road, Verona, PA 15147.
Karen Zapf is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-856-7400, ext. 8753, or email@example.com.


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The inspirational leadership of captain Stuart Vincent has been highlighted as a key factor in Ilkley Rugby Club's double-winning season.
Head of rugby Rhys Morgan is full of praise for the job the long-serving full back performed as the Dalesmen lifted the SSE Yorkshire Division One title and Yorkshire Shield.
And one of his first jobs in the coming weeks will be to encourage Vincent to remain in the lead role next season.
Morgan said: "I was really impressed with the way Vinny went about the job. He set a great example in training and on the field, as well as commanding great respect in the dressing room."He isn't a captain who shouts and bawls.
Vinny doesn't have a lot to say but what he says carries real meaning. It is a case of fewer words making more noise.
"We really saw the best of Vinny as a player and captain. The previous season had been a tough one for him as he missed a lot of games through injury.
"This time he was injury free and was able to produce performances and leadership of the highest quality."Vincent and injured back- row forward Iain McKenzie are the only two players at Stacks Field who have played in North One East for Ilkley.
The Dalesmen were relegated back to Yorkshire One after just one season, and the current squad were determined to earn the experienced pair another crack in the higher division.
Morgan said: "I hope that both players will want to carry on playing key roles for us. It is a decision each of them has to make, and I won't be putting them under pressure.
"I will outline my plans for the coming season and we will see how they feel about things. In Iain's case, his first priority is to recover from his knee reconstruction.
"It will be a good while before he is fit enough to train. If he decides he wants to play, I want him to play for us. He is a great player and it is a mark of the regard his colleagues hold him in that they wanted to win him the chance to play in North One East again."


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'Everything happens for a reason' Lucy Mecklenburgh and Louis Smith break their silence following split
The former TOWIE star and Olympic gymnast both take to social media after ending 14 month relationship
LOUIS Smith and Lucy Mecklenburgh have broken their silence since it was revealed that the couple have "split".
The TOWIE star and Olympic gymnast both took to social media following news that the pair ended their 14 month relationship.
The athlete took to Instagram to share a funny meme, where he replied to a fan who commented on his relationship with the brunette beauty.
"You don't deserve @lucymeck anyway she's beautiful and you both ovs wanted different things in life (sic)," one user wrote.
The gymnast replied to the fan, writing: "Can't agree with you more on everything you've said lol."
It comes after Lucy took to Instagram to share a cryptic quote after it emerged that the pair were no longer together.
The reality star shared the message, which reads: "Everything happens for a reason".
Lucy and Louis reportedly split after "wanting different things" from their relationship as the athlete prepares to compete in this years Olympic games in Brazil.
The couple, who recently celebrated their 1 year anniversary together, met while filming the BBC show Tumblr in August 2014.
The pair are said to have been "virtually inseparable" since they met as they holidayed in Thailand and New York over Christmas.


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Elizabeth Olsen: ELLE Styles Awards Beauty
After making an appearance at the 2013 BAFTAs, Elizabeth Olsen stepped onto the red carpet for the ELLE Style Awards on Monday (February 11).
The 23-year-old actress donned a darling blazer that covered up a funky grey dress while posing for the awaiting photographers.
While at the awards on Sunday (February 10), Miss Olsen confirmed her role in the upcoming "Godzilla" film.
Although it still awaits a production pickup, Liz explained that she is excited for the flick, adding, ""It's funny [because] someone earlier was saying 'Oh, that's so crazy you're doing something [like moving] from a serious drama to something as lighthearted as Godzilla.' Well, all I could say it's not lighthearted. It's kinda going back to its roots of the original Japanese film."