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Landmines still scar Angola seven years after peace
Red flags, painted sticks and pieces of plastic tape mark the danger areas along Angola's roads and rivers, where thousands of landmines still litter the country seven years after a civil war ended.
Angola, which spent 27 years fighting a bloody civil war, is the third-most mined country in the world after Afghanistan and Cambodia, according to the Landmine Monitor, which is part of the international campaign to ban landmines.
Despite huge efforts since 2002 to clear the explosives, about 240 square kilometres remain mined in patches across the country, putting nearly one-fifth of the population at risk.
"The major problems now are about population pressures. Landmines are becoming a socioeconomic problem," said Megan Latimer, of
de-mining charity Halo Trust.
Nearly half of Angola's population live in extreme rural poverty surviving by subsistence farming, but land is often cut off by the mines.
"People need land for farming," Latimer said. "And for those families returning to the countryside now the war is over, they're coming up against mines so they are unable to farm their land, unable to construct new houses, and unable to access water."
"Angolans are very aware of the dangers of mines but if a resource is being blocked and there is no alternative, they are going to enter anyway—even if it puts them at risk of an accident."
Until recently millions of mines were thought to litter Angola, but a the first national survey completed in 2007 found the number of explosives was much smaller, but spread around hundreds of communities home to a total of 2,4-million people.
No one knows exactly how many people have been killed or injured by landmines, because hospitals stopped keeping records on the accidents some years ago.
Last year anywhere from 14 to 47 people were killed, depending on which agency compiled the numbers, but the simple truth is no one really knows.
"A lot of victims never make it to the hospital in the first place," Latimer explained. "Angola is logistically a very difficult place to get around, and to reach hospitals it can take a week from some villages. So I think most just don't ever make it."
'It all depends on funding'
The Halo Trust's base is in Huambo—the province which saw some the heaviest fighting between the ruling MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) and rebel group Unita (The Union for Total Independence of Angola).
Their offices are a short walk across a field from the country's largest orthopaedic rehabilitation centre, one of the biggest in Africa.
Patients come to the clinic from all over the country for physiotherapy, made-to-measure crutches and wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs which are made in the onsite laboratories.
Previously run by the International Committee of the Red Cross but now managed by the Angolan Ministry of Health, the building is tatty and run-down, and lines of amputees of all ages wait quietly to be seen by the staff.
Head physiotherapist Armindo Jamba said 80% of his patients were landmine victims but the number decreases each year as people become wiser about the dangers.
"I hope that in seven or eight years we'll stop seeing mine victims here," he said.
Angolans waited for 27 years for their civil war to end and many wonder how long it will be before their country will free of mines so they can get on with their lives.
"It's hard to say exactly because there are so many factors but I reckon between eight and 15 years," Latimer said. "It all depends on funding and as you know we're in a global financial crisis right now."
According to the 2008 Landmine Monitor, international funding fell by 59% from $48-million in 2006 to just $19,8-million in 2007.
More than 75 countries are affected to some degree by landmines and unexploded ordnances and in the past few decades hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, injured or maimed by mines.
Brothers Franscico and Luciano are among Angola's statistics.
The boys, aged 15 and seven, from Bailundo, a town north of Huambo, were playing inside a rusty car wreck last September when and an old bomb exploded and tore off Franscico's arm and Luciano's leg.
Gently touching Luciano's stump, Jemba said: "We will give him a new leg, but in time, he's still growing so we have to wait." - AFP


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Minnewaska track results
The Minnewaska boys' and girls' track teams traveled to Benson last Thursday where the girls finished seventh and the boys ninth at the West Central South Conference meet.
Madi Sachs ran to the Lakers' only all-conference finish when she finished first in the 3,200-meter run. The top two finishers in each individual event earn all-conference recognition, along with the runners making up the first-place relay teams. Sachs was also a part of the 4x800-meter relay team that took second. Joining her on the team were Halle Christianson, Carena Zamora and Mariah Heieie. The group ran a season-best time of 10:06.77 in the event.
Christianson also had a big day individually with a third-place finish in the 400 with her time of 1:01.81. She then went on to claim sixth in the 800 with a time of 2:32.84.
Britta Lundblad led the Lakers in the jumps with a third-place leap of 4'8" in the high jump. She also finished eighth in the 100-meter hurdles.
Meggie DeJong tied a personal best in the high jump with a leap of 4'6" to earn seventh-place honors. Lisa Pasche had three top-10 finishes, getting third in the pole vault, sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and eighth in the 300-meter hurdles.
Katelyn Gaffaney and DeJong made the finals in the throwing events. Gaffaney claimed seventh in the shot put and discus, while DeJong finished ninth in the discus.
The Laker pole vaulters led the boys team on the day. Fernie Zamora vaulted 11'0" for a fourth-place finish, while Karl Wallin finished seventh with his vault of 11'0."
Lucas Oliviera had the highest finish for Minnewaska in the sprints. He ran the 100-meter dash in 11.9 for a fifth-place finish. Gage Sachs was the top finisher in the distance events, coming in seventh in the 3,200 with a time of 10:56.51. Tyler Paulzine rounded out the Lakers point scorers with a sixth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 43.76.

subset: commoncrawl


text: DIGIPASS as a Service is VASCO's cloud based authentication service which makes use of VASCO's proprietary authentication technology. ASP's can secure their entire infrastructure with DIGIPASS as a Service. Web application providers can focus on their core business while VASCO takes care of all aspects of securing their network and applications in a service model.


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"Federal law exists to avoid confusion. There would be marketplace chaos if states regulated whatever they wanted."
Related quotes
"Before we talk about re-regulating, we should be looking at the fact that we've really not allowed the marketplace to take hold."
"Outside of the major urban areas in this state, there is not a robust competitive marketplace from wireless, cable or municipal telephone utilities."
"This move is a great step for Nissan and our state and strengthens Tennessee's position in the global marketplace, ... Today's announcement underscores what we've known all along -- Tennessee is a great place to live and work."
"Pennsylvania's state-specific rule removes unfair economic barriers to preserve the marketplace for Pennsylvania's coal industry. It puts in place standards that are more protective of public health and the environment than the federal (mercury) rule."
"We find it increasingly troubling when state and local governments provide our competitors a head start in the marketplace by subsidizing the construction of their stores. We believe the success of a retail business is best decided in the marketplace, not the halls of the state capitol."


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I've Got A Guest Post on Ecstatic Days!
I've blogged about Jeff Vandermeer before. His City of Saints and Madmen didn't just blow me away — it helped me understand that 500 pages of insane twisted effulgence can be beautiful, touching, human.
Anyway, I've got a guest post on his blog! My entry is part of a promotion that Ann Vandermeer is doing for Weird Tales, whose helm she's recently taken. Ann accepted one of my stories for her magazine, proving, once again, that it really isn't possible to die from happiness, no matter how violently happy you might become.
Jeff and Ann were two of my instructors at Clarion, and the week I had with them was so transcendently amazing that I still haven't found a way to express it in words. There was one memorable ten minute period where Jeff sat me down and described, in more or less perfect detail, everything I wanted to do and be as a writer, all of my worries, needs, dreams, foibles, thoughts. It was like he was reading my mind, except he found stuff in there that I didn't even know about. It was one of the most stunning, illuminating moments of my life, and I don't think I'll ever forget it.
ps … Two of my fellow Clarionites, both fantastic writers, have guest posts on Ecstatic Days as well: Peter and Caleb. Check them out.


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" Brand: Memory Foam Warehouse / Type: Single Bed "
Perfect for any traditionally styled bedroom, the Jessica bed frame offers a simple design with vertical tube detailing on both the headboard and foot end. Each bed post is beautifully complimented by a crystal finial which offers the perfect accompaniment to the cream or pink finish. The sprung slatted base ensures the Jessica bed frame offers both a sturdy and supportive surface for your mattress.


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Plus Size Spike Layered Sheer Black Blouse
Show off your style with this sexy plus size layered sheer blouse top. This plus size top features spike studded shoulder straps. Layered and flowing plus size tank is perfect for a night out. Solid color lets you pair it with all your favorites. Great for plus size clubwear or any occasion! Get that model look! Limited in stock, get this while you can!
Item# 5296
Plus Size Clothing, Sexy Plus Size Tops, Plus Size Clothes, Sexy Plus Size Club Wear, Top, Tank, Studded, See Through, Layered, Flowing
Need help? Contact us now for fast service. Click Here


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In anticipation of tonight's Season 3 premiere, the cast of Happy Endings, not to mention a few staff members and special guests, did a live comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on the weekend. And the L.A. improv venue didn't just play host to the event promoting ABC's sitcom but also streamed it for viewers at home via their YouTube channel.
No Zachary Knighton (Dave) or Elisha Cuthbert (Alex), but the other four major players were present with Adam Pally (Max) and Casey Wilson (Penny) as co-emcees as well as participating in the sketches alongside Damon Wayons Jr. (Brad), Eliza Coupe (Jane) and the aforementioned guests. If you missed it on Saturday night, watch the full show here...
Overall it was a pretty funny show but I kind of felt bad for the guy in the audience who never got his chair back. Not really. Pally steals every scene he's in, just like he does on Happy Endings, and I couldn't but think how great he'd be hosting SNL. Think about it NBC. Coupe playing Claire Danes playing Temple Grandin playing Carrie Mathison was also hilarious as were Jackie Clarke and Gil Ozeri as the weird old couple who 'won' a chance to hang out with the cast. Happy Endings airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
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text:
Jennifer WilcoveLos Angeles, California, US
Jennifer Wilcove has a dynamic, versatile recording voice. With years of studio work, and a Masters of Music; Vocal Emphasis, Jennifer brings a quality and professionalism to all of her recording projects. Jennifer has worked with such corporate icons as EECI, MTV, Disneyland Theme Parks, Skylark Studios and Playstation Video Games on numerous occasions! If you want the best quality, the best turnaround time and the best price, contact Jennifer Wilcove immediately! I look forward to working with you soon! (Website hidden)
English, English (North American), English (British)
British, England - London (Cockney, Estuary, East End), French, North American, Russian
Special Skills
Audiobooks, Business, Cartoons, Documentaries, Educational, Internet, Jingles, Movie Trailers, Music, Podcasting, Radio, Telephone, Television, Videogames
10 years
Mac Book Pro- studio available upon request
Computer & Software
Audacity, Garage Band
Turnaround Time
24 hrs.
Payment Terms
Hire Jennifer as a voice actor. Payment is made through Voices.com SurePay, an escrow service that guarantees your work is done to your satisfaction. Send payment securely by Visa, Mastercard or PayPal through Voices.com then download your files from the website.
Watch a video to see how to make a payment
Next Steps
To contact Jennifer Wilcove about your project, request a quote today. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step. It's fast and easy.
Mark Alan Morris for Job #4467 Intercompany Exercise - IRISH ACCENT REQUIRED Great to work with, competitive rates.Aug 26, 2007


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The Food Safety Authority has warned consumers not to ingest frozen mussels that were on sale in Ireland after a number of people were taken ill.
The affected batch of Shellfish De La Mer Cooked Mussel Meats has been withdrawn by the company from sale in a number of stores, including Tesco and Dunnes Stores.
The product has been linked to a number of people contracting illnesses associated with Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.
The FSAI has warned people not to consume any affected batches they may have stored in their freezers.
A spokesperson said the authority was notified of the issue after a small number of people became ill and one was hospitalised.
Symptoms of Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, which can start within 30 minutes of consuming the product.
Complete recovery can take a few days.


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Katherine McLachlan is a senior in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois. She is majoring in Crop Sciences with a concentration in Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology and has a minor in Chemistry. She plans on graduating in May 2013.
She has done an internship as a Production Research Intern with Monsanto, and has two internships with Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. as a Crop Scout and as a Maize Product Development Intern. She also works in the Department of Crop Sciences working with Dr. David Walker, on Soybean Rust resistance and other soybean pathogens.
She is the current treasurer for her local SASES chapter, the Field and Furrow Agronomy Club, is a member of Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority, and a member of the Crop Sciences Ambassadors.
She plans on going to graduate school for Plant Breeding and Genetics. Her goal is to become a traditional plant breeder for a seed company working on increasing yields with less water and nutrients.


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Darton Soccer With Rare Opportunity
Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:41:13 GMT —
Darton College Soccer heads off to NJCAA National Championships with a unique opportunity- the possibility of both the men's and women's teams returning to Albany with championship hardware.
The number one seeded Cavaliers men's team heads West to Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday. The Cavaliers could be missing their top player, Diego Ramos, for at least a portion of the tournament.
However, Darton Head Coach Bart Sasnett has confidence in his freshman to step up to the task. In recent weeks, the younger portion of the team came through during the regional and divisional victories. No matter the rankings or injuries, the Cavs don't feel any pressure entering this tournament.
"We haven't talked much about the national tournament. We haven't talked much about the rankings. We've been loose, we do the same things we do every practice...we're ready to get out there. I can tell you that much," Sasnett said.
The Cavaliers women's team enters their national championship with an abundance of confidence. Darton has the shortest travel time of all the tournament teams to Melbourne, Florida, and has faced the top-seeded team in the tourney this season, Tyler Junior College.
The Cavs lost to TJC in the second game of the year, but played even with Tyler in the first half. Coach Ken Veilands believes his team is confident against any competition.
"We, as a team, knowâ|that we're capable of playing with anybody and 45 minutes of that game (against Tyler Junior College) was even. We've improved, and we're hitting on all cylinders right now," Veilands said.
"For the most part, we all look at it as go big or go home. We have nothing to lose; we've worked really hard to get here, so we don't want to leave with nothing less than first," sophomore Taylor Benton said.
Monroe Community College is a familiar opening round opponent for Veilands. Monroe defeated his 2005 Darton team for the national title. The men's team opens against Pima Community College on Thursday at 6:30 PM.


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So, I recently came across a collection of injected WADs and the message on the thread {http://www.wiiso.com/showthread.php?p=290622} says: "These WADs will only work if IOS53, IOS9 & IOS21 (the last two should already be on your Wii by default) is installed, otherwise a black screen will just load."
I think that I may have installed IOS53 in the past before, but I forget which ones I have installed. This brings me to my question. Firstly, is there anyway to see if I have it installed yet, should I try to install IOS53 and it turns out I already have it, will there be any consequences to my Wii?
Any help would be <b>greatly</b> appreciated.
best thing to do would be to get NUS Downloader, and install the latest version of whichever IOS files you need.


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3104 - 34 Ave. NW
Calgary AB T2L 2A3
Holy Communion is celebrated on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month, and on the alternate Wednesdays.
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is celebrated as scheduled with the Pastor.
Sermon May 24, 2015 - Vicar Eric (click here for video)


text:
Dragon Ball Xenoverse For PS4 - NTSC
Fierce battles of Goku and others will be reborn! For the first time ever, the Dragon Ball universe will be depicted onto the new generation systems and will fully benefit from the most powerful consoles ever created. DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE will bring all the frenzied battles between Goku and his most fierce enemies, such as Vegeta, Frieza, Cell and much more, with new gameplay design.
-New Generation Dragon Ball - Enjoy your favorite manga on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the first time ever! Also available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
-Improved Gameplay - Fast paced and powerful battles await to be discovered, including real-time transformation!
-Strong Immersion - Inspired from one of the most famous series ever created.
-New World Setup - A clock that once had stopped will start to tick again in an enigmatic and futuristic city!
-Original Battles - Take part in epic fights against ferocious enemies such as Vegeta, Frieza, Cell and much more.
-Dual Shock 4 Vibration
-1-10 players
Game Trailer:


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Dec 4, 2001
|Filing date
|May 20, 1999
|Priority date
|Aug 14, 1990
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Michael Rosenblum, William J. Kohr, Bharat Aggarwal
|Original Assignee
|The Research Development Foundation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (6), Non-Patent Citations (36), Referenced by (20), Classifications (17), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a reissue of Ser No. 08/254,662 filed Jun. 6, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,348 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/119,899 filed on Sep. 10, 1993, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/908,959 filed Jul. 6, 1992, abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/567,220, filed Aug. 14, 1990, now abandoned.
This invention relates to substantially purified gelonin, toxic fragments thereof, the DNA sequences encoding gelonin and use of the DNA for producing, by recombinant technology, gelonin, toxic fragments thereof and fusion proteins. More specifically, the invention relates to the primary amino acid sequence of gelonin, and of the DNA encoding said gelonin and the production of synthetic gelonin and toxic fragments thereof.
A major challenge for the design of a drug for treatment of any disease is specificity and efficacy. Various drugs available for the treatment of cancer suffer from problems of this nature. The concept of targeting toxic drugs selectively to certain tumors has been a subject of intense research in the last few years (Thorpe (1985) Biol Clin Applications 84:475-512; Moller ed. (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:1-215). Recently both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, lectins, lymphokines and hormones which recognize specific determinants on the surface of the tumor cell have been used as carriers to deliver toxic agents into the cell, where the latter can exert their cytotoxic potential (Blattler, et al. (1985) Biochemistry 24:1517-1524; Frankel, et al. (1985) J. Biol. Res. Modif. 4:437-446; Reimann, et al. (1988) J. Clin. Invest. 82:129-138; Schwartz and Vale (1988) Endocrinology 122:1695-1700; Scott, et al. (1987) J Natl. Cancer Inst. 79:1163-1172; Singh, et al. (1989) Biol. Chem. 264:3089-3095; Srinivasan, et al. (1985) FEBS Letters 192:113; Schwartz, et al. (1987) Endocrinology 121:1454-1460). Toxic moieties thus far investigated with these delivery agents include radionuclides (Ghose, et al. (1967) Br. Med. J. 1:90-96), cytotoxic drugs commonly employed in cancer chemotherapy (Thorp and Ross (1982) Immun. Rev, 62:119-157; Deweger, et al. (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:29-45; Arnon and Sela (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:5-27; Pimm, et al. (1982) Cancer Immun. Immunotherap, 12:125-134; Rowland and Axton (1985) Cancer Immun. Immunotherap. 19:1-7) and proteins derived from bacteria and plants such as diptheria or ricin (Jansen, et al. (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:185-216; Raso (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:93-117; Vitetta, et al. (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:159-183; Nelville and Youle (1982) Immun. Rev. 62:47-73; Thorpe, et al. (1981) Eur. J. Biochem. 116:447-454). A specific molecule is designed by replacing the nonspecific B chain with an antibody or a hormone.
Bacterial and plant toxins, such as diphtheria toxin (DT), Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxin A, abrin, ricin, mistletoe, modeccin, and Shigella toxin, are potent cytocidal agents due to their ability to disrupt a critical cellular function. For instance, DT and ricin inhibit cellular protein synthesis by inactivation of elongation factor-2 and inactivation of ribosomal 60s subunits, respectively (Bacterial Toxins and Cell Membranes, Eds. Jelajaszewicz and Wadstrom (1978) Academic Press, p. 291). These toxins are extremely potent because they are enzymes and act catalytically rather than stoichiometrically. The molecules of these toxins are composed of an enzymatically active polypeptide chain or fragment, commonly called "A" chain or fragment, linked to one or more polypeptide chains or fragments, commonly called "B" chains or fragments, that bind the molecule to the cell surface and enable the A chain to reach its site of action, e.g., the cytosol, and carry out its disruptive function. The act of gaining access to the cytosol is called variously "internalization", "intoxication", or "translocation". These protein toxins belong to a class bearing two chains referred to as A and B chains. The B chain has the ability to bind to almost all cells whereas the cytotoxic activity is exhibited by the A chain. It is believed that the A chain must be timely liberated from the B chain-frequently by reduction of a disulfide bond-in order to make the A chain functional. These natural toxins are generally not selective for a given cell or tissue type because their B chains recognize and bind to receptors that are present on a variety of cells.
The availability of a toxin molecule which is not cytotoxic to a variety of cells when administered alone has been limited. Utilizing certain naturally occurring single chain toxin molecules which do not themselves bind to cell surface receptors and, therefore, are not normally internalized by cells, has provided toxic molecules which are relatively non-toxic to most, if not all, cells when administered alone. Such naturally occurring single chain toxins known to date, include, but are not limited to, pokeweed antiviral protein (Ramakrishnan and Houston (1984) Cancer Res. 44:201-208), saponin (Thorpe, et al. (1985) J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 75:151-159), and gelonin (Stirpe, et al (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255:6947-6953). These proteins are nontoxic to cells in the free form, but can inhibit protein synthesis once they gain entry into the cell. However, the availability of these single chain toxins in substantially pure form is limited due to the fact that they must be purified from plant sources in which they occur in relatively low amounts and the reproducibility of the concentration of the toxin in the plants is dependent upon plant growth conditions and plant harvest conditions.
Gelonin is a single chain polypeptide isolated from seeds of a plant, Gelonium multiforum, having a molecular weight of approximately 28,000-30,000 kd. Gelonin is a basic glycoprotein with an approximate isoelectric point of 8.15 and contains mannose and glucosamine residues (Falasca, et al. (1982) Biochem J, 207:505-509). In contrast to other plant and bacterial toxins, this protein is not toxic to cells by itself, but when delivered to cells through a carrier, it damages the 60s ribosomal subunit. In vivo and in vitro biological data suggest that gelonin is equivalent or superior to other plant toxins. In fact, the results of a comparison of gelonin conjugates in vitro and in vivo with other A chain conjugates indicated that gelonin had similar potency, better selectivity, better tumor localization, and more significant therapeutic effects (Sivan, et al (1987) Cancer Res. 47:3169-3173). However, the availability of a reproducible, readily accessible supply of gelonin from natural sources is limited. In addition, the purification of gelonin from plant sources is difficult and the yield is very low.
Gelonin by itself has been shown to be abortifacient in mice and enhances antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (Yeung, et al (1988) Internatl. J. Peptide Protein Res. 31:265-268).
Several investigators have utilized gelonin as a cytotoxic agent chemically attached to monoclonal antibodies or to peptide hormone cellular targeting ligands. However, chemical modification of gelonin and cellular targeting moieties can reduce targeting efficiency and cytotoxic potential of gelonin itself. Furthermore, natural sources of gelonin are subject to variability in harvesting and plant growth which can affect gelonin cytotoxic activity. The ability to produce a synthetic gelonin toxin, chemically or utilizing recombinant technology, provides a plentiful, reproducible source of the toxin.
The present invention provides substantially pure gelonin having the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 1. The present invention also provides the DNA sequence for gelonin shown in FIG. 2. Utilization of the sequences of the present invention to produce substantially pure gelonin in plentiful amounts by recombinant technology provides abundant amounts of the toxin which were not heretofore available from natural sources.
FIG. 1 shows the amino acid sequence of gelonin.
FIG. 2 demonstrates the cDNA encoding for gelonin.
FIG. 3 demonstrates the homology of the gelonin amino acid sequence with the sequence of trichosanthin, Ricin A chain, Agglutinin precursor isolated from Castor bean and Abrin A chain.
FIG. 4 demonstrates the HPLC profile of CNBr fragments.
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C demonstrate the HPLC profile of (A) Lys-c, (B) Staphylococcus protease, and (C) Hydroxylamine digests of gelonin.
FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D , 6D and 6E demonstrate the hydrophobicity plots of gelonin (A), trichosanthin (B), abrin (C), ricin (D), and agglutinin precursor (E).
The term "substantially pure" when applied to the gelonin protein of the present invention means that the polypeptide is essentially free of other plant proteins normally associated with the gelonin in its natural state and exhibiting reproducible electrophoretic or chromatographic response, elution profiles, and toxic activity. The term "substantially pure" is not meant to exclude artificial or synthetic mixtures of the gelonin protein with other compounds.
Gelonin was purified from the seeds of the plant Gelonium multiforum by techniques known to those of skill in the art. The amino acid sequence was determined utilizing a modification of the Edman degradation method.
Samples of gelonin were applied to the reverse phase reaction chamber and subjected to Edman degradation. The N-terminal of gelonin was found to be heterogeneous (� of the molecules of the protein were apparently one amino acid shorter than the others). This heterogeneity made it difficult to sequence much more than 40 cycles. Therefore, in order to determine further amino acids in the sequence, enzymatic cleavage was performed.
Internal sequence of proteins is generally obtained by digesting or cutting up the large protein molecule into smaller pieces with a combination of enzymes and chemical cleavages. When native gelonin was exposed to various protolytic enzyzme digestions, it was found to be incompletely cleaved. This was found to be partly due to a disulfide bond in the N-terminal part of the molecule. Breaking of this bond by reduction and alkylation with iodoacetic acid yielded a fragment that was less soluble than the native material at the pH required for enzymatic digestion. A combination of digestion of native gelonin with trypsin, Lysine aminopeptidase (Lysc), staphylococcal protease (V8), and chymotrypsin yielded peptides mostly from the C-terminal portion of the molecule. This indicated that the N-terminal part of the molecule (from the N-terminal analysis to the Asp-Ala-Pro at residue 70) was not readily accessible by enzyme digestions.
Gelonin was cleaved with cyanogen bromide into 3 large peptides. Protein aliquots (0.2 mg/ml) were dissolved in 70% formic acid. A crystal of cyanogen bromide was added to the solution and the reaction allowed to proceed for at least 18 hours. The solution was then diluted with water and was applied to a small sequencing column. After sample application, a gradient of 1% to 10% n-propanol with 0.1% TFA was used to elute the protein fragments. The elution profile is shown on FIG. 4.
Enzymatic digestion of the whole protein or of CNBr fragments yeilded overlapping peptides. Enzymatic digestions with Lysyl endopeptidase in 0.1% SDS 100 mM Tris pH 8.0, Staphylococcus aureus protease in 0.1% SDS or trypsin in 0.1% Tween 20 were carried out. Gelonin contains one cysteine residue at position 49. Reduction and carboxymethylation yields a protein which recovers better on reverse phase HPLC and is more susceptible to enzymatic digestion. Therefore, most of the enzymatic digestions were carried out in 0.1% SDS or 0.1% Tween.
After the C-terminal 160 residues were aligned by a combination of CNBr digests and enzymatic cleavages, the remaining unknown sequence between residues 40 to 70 was determined by a combination of chemical modification of cysteine with iodoacetic acid and solubization of the alkylated protein with SDS. The RCM alkylated gelonin was then cleaved with excess Lysc enzyme at 37� C. for short periods of time (1-5 hr.). The HPLC elution profile is shown on FIG. 5A.
This method yielded a new sequence that had not been seen before. This new sequence showed the existence of an Asn-Gly combination. This combination of amino acids is cleaveable by a chemical method using hydroxylamine.
Hydroxylamine cleavage was carried out by adding 100 ug of gelonin to freshly prepared hydroxylamine (2M) in 0.2 M Tris (pH 9.0) with 2M NaCl, 1 mm EDTA and 10% ethanol. After incubation for 7 hours at room temperature, the entire reaction mixture was applied to a sequencing column. The column was then washed with 1% TFA in water and either eluted with an acetonitrile gradient or was sequenced directly as a mixture. This chemical cleavage produced a large hydrophobic peptide that contained about a 200 amino acid sequence which connected with the Asp-Ala-Pro at residue 70. The elution profile is shown on FIG. 5C.
The remaining, short section of overlapping sequence from between residues 40 to 50 was determined by digesting gelonin without alkylation by Lysc in SDS. This digested away most of the C-terminal part of the material. Then this mixture was digested again by chymotrypsin. The products of this digestion were then separated by HPLC. Sequence analysis of a large peptide revealed a sequence (SerThrLys) starting about 5 amino acids in from the N terminal end of the molecule. This was useful in that it removed the heterogeneous part of the molecule and allowed for a longer sequence run.
Gelonin protein comprises 258 amino acids, the sequence of which is demonstrated on FIG. 1. The amino acid sequence of gelonin was compared to other known sequences available in sequence data banks (Genbank, PIR, EMBL) to determine whether gelonin has any areas of homology with other proteins. Comparison of the gelonin amino acid sequence with other proteins having known amino acid sequences demonstrated that the gelonin sequence is unique. Homology of certain portions of the gelonin sequence to portions of other proteins was detected. For instance, gelonin demonstrates a 36.0% homology with alphatrichosanthin from Trichosanthin kirilowi, 33.8% homology with Abrin A chain from Indian Liquorice, 35.2% homology with agglutinin precursor from Castor bean, 33.7% homology with Ricin D, A chain from Castor bean and 27.3% homology with antiviral protein (MAP) from Mirabills jalapa. A summary of the degree of homology to these and other proteins is shown on FIG. 3.
Hydrophobicity plots shown on FIGS. 6A-6E demonstrate a similarity to hydrophobic regions of trichosanthin, Ricin and to other ribosomal inhibiting proteins.
A plot of the hydropathy of the gelonin structure shows a hydrophobic region in residues 35-80 and 150-180. These are areas in which substantial folding of the molecule probably occurs. This similar hydrophobic pattern is also observed for other toxins (see FIGS. 6A-6E) and may suggest that the active enzymatic center may be contained within these folded regions. Therefore, the active enzymatic site may not be found in a linear region of the molecule and these structures may need to be adequately folded to attain the proper enzymatic center.
Utilizing the cDNA of gelonin, recombinant gelonin can be produced. Mutations can be specifically introduced into the molecule in order to provide recombinant gelonin lacking carbohydrate groups which can misdirect gelonin-antibody conjugates. Recombinant gelonin molecules can be produced by site directed mutagenesis to have greater toxic activity than the native molecule, to be more effectively internalized once bound to the cell surface by a carrier such as a monoclonal antibody or a targeting ligand such as IL-2, EGF, IFN, etc., to resist lysosomal degradation and thus be more stable and longer acting as a toxic moiety.
Recombinant gelonin molecules can also be engineered as fusion products to contain other functional modalities to kill cells such as an enzymatic activity, TNF, IFN activity, a second toxic activity, such as diptheria toxin action (wherein said second activity was through a different biological pathway than gelonin), thus creating a "supertoxin" or a toxin with multifunctional actions.
Fusion proteins can be engineered with gelonin to carry drugs such as chemotherapeutic agents or isotopes for radioimaging or radiotherapy. Gelonin peptides may have application as abortofacient agents, immuno suppressive agents, anticancer agents and as antiviral agents (such as an anti-HIV agent).
The following examples provide a detailed description of the preparation, characterization, and amino acid sequence of gelonin. The experimental methods utilized are described in detail in the examples below. These examples are not intended to limit the invention in any manner.
Gelonin was isolated from the seeds of the plant Gelonium multiforum essentially according to the procedure as described (Stirpe, et al. (1980) J. Biol. Chem 255 6947-6953). Briefly, gelonin was extracted from the seeds by homogenization in buffered saline solution (pH 7.4). The supernatant was concentrated after dialysis against 5 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.5) and the gelonin further purified by ion exchange chromatography as described below. The purity of the gelonin toxin was assessed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacylamide gel electrophoreseis (SDS-Page). Gelonin toxin migrated as a single band with an approximate molecular weight of 29-30,000 daltons.
Gelonin toxin activity was measured as described in Example 2 by protein synthesis inhibition in a cell-free system.
Seeds of Gelonium multiforum were shelled and the nuts ground in a homogenizer with eight volumes of 0.14 M NaCl containing 5 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.4). The homogenate was left overnight at 4� C. with continuous stirring, cooled on ice and centrifuged at 35,000 times g for 20 minutes at 0� C. The supernatant was removed, dialyzed against 5 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.5) and concentrated using a pm10 filter. The sample was layered on a CM-52 ion-exchange column (20�1.5 cm) equilibrated with 5 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.5). Material which bound to the ion exchange resin was eluted with 400 ml of 0 to 0.3 M linear NaCl gradient at a rate of 25 ml hour at 4� C. Five ml fractions were collected. The fractions were monitored at 280 nm in a spectrophotometer. The gelonin eluted in about fractions 55-70 and was the last major elution peak. These fractions were pooled, dialyzed against 0.1 M NaCl in 0.1 M Na2HPO4 buffer (pH 7.4). The sample was then applied to a Cibacron blue sepharose column (24�2 cm) previously equilibrated with 0.1 M Na2HPO4/0.1 M NaCl buffer. The column was washed with 3 column volumes of buffer and eluted with a 400 ml linear salt gradient (from 0.1 M NaCl to 2 M NaCl). Elution of the bound material was monitored by Lowry assay of the column fractions. The fractions containing the single protein peak were pooled and dialyzed overnight at 4� C. against PBS. Gelonin toxin was purified to greater than 97% purity as estimated from silver stained PAGE. The purity and the molecular weight of each preparation was checked on high pressure liquid chromatography using a TSK 3000 gel permeation column with 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 and 15% sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-page). Gelonin migrated as a single band with an approximate molecular weight of 29-30,000 daltons.
The gelonin activity was monitored in a cell-free protein synthesis inhibition assay. The cell-free protein synthesis inhibition assay was performed by sequentially adding to 50 ul rabbit reticulocyte lysate, thawed immediately before use, mixing after each addition, the following components: 0.5 ml of 0.2 M Tris HCl (pH 7.8), 8.9 ml of ethylene glycol, and 0.25 ml of 1 M HCl).
Twenty microliters of a salt-amino acid-energy mixture (SAEM) consisting of: 0.375 M KCl, 10 mM Mg(CH3CO2)2, 15 mM glucose, 0.25-10 mM amino acids (excluding leucine), 5 mM ATP, 1 mM GTP, 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.6), 10 ul Creatinine phosphate-creatinine phosphokinase, 8 ul [14C] leucine (Amersham, 348 mCi/mmol), and adding 1.5 ul of solutions containing varying concentrations of the gelonin mixture. The mixture was incubated for 60 minutes at 30� C. 14C-leucine incorporation was monitored in an aliquot of the mixture by precipitating synthesized protein on glass fiber filters, washing in 10% TCA and acetone, and monitoring the radioactivity in a Beta-counter using Aquasol scintillation fluid. Utilizing this assay, purified gelonin had a specific activity of 4�109 U/mg protein. A unit of gelonin activity is the amount of gelonin protein which causes 50% inhibition of incorporation of [14C] leucine into protein in the cell free assay.
The gelonin amino acid sequence was determined by the Edman degradation method using an automated amino acid sequencer as described in European Patent Application No. EP-257735. Large peptides and unfragmented protein were applied to the reverse phase portion of the sequence reaction chamber. Unwanted buffer components were washed off with excess water. The protein or peptide sample was then sequenced by Edman chemistry and the extracted ATZ amino acid derivatives were converted to the PTH form by 25% TFA in H2O at 65� C. PTH samples were identified by reverse phase analytical separation on a Np 1090 column.
In order to obtain further amino acid sequence, the protein was digested with various proteolytic and chemical agents and then the peptides were purified by high performances liquid chromatography. Gelonin was found quite resistant to the exposure of trypsin (cleaves after arginine and lysine residues) and acetyl trypsin (cleaves only after lysine residue). The protein was found resistant to as much as 5% (w/w) of the enzyme. The resistance of gelonin to the proteolytic enzyme trypsin is not due to a lack of trypsin cleavage sites, since gelonin contains 21 lysine and 12 arginine residues. These results indicate that gelonin is perhaps a rigidly packed molecule which makes it inaccessible to proteolytic enzymes.
Since gelonin was found resistant to cleavage by proteolytic enzymes, chemical cleavage of the protein was examined.
Gelonin prepared as in Example 1 was dissolved in 70% formic acid. A crystal of cyanogen bromide was added to the solution. After at least 18 hours the solution was applied to either a small column (0.15 cm�5 cm) reverse phase (J. T. Baker, 15 cm C-1B bonded phase Cat II 7191-02) or analytical (4.6�100 mm) reverse phase column. A gradient elution of 1 to 70% n propanol with 1% TFA in water produced 5 peaks as shown on FIG. 6. Each of the peaks were sequenced and also used for further digestion by enzymes to piece together the entire sequence. Peak 1 was sequenced directly and gave a sequence starting with a Phe (F) that ran for 38 residues and ending with a Glu (E). This sequence was confirmed by mass spectroscopy and Lysc digestions of this isolated peptide. Peak 2 was sequenced directly and gave a sequence starting with a Val (V) that ran for 47 cy and was not interruptible after the Ala at cy 47. Peak 3 was sequenced and gave the same sequence as peak 2. SDS gels of peaks 2 and 3 as well as Lysc digestion of peaks 2 and 3 showed that peak 3 contained the C-terminal CNBr peptide as well. Subsequent trypsin digestion of gelonin produced a peptide that connected these two CNBr peptide sequences. This trypsin peptide when sequenced gave the sequence TSGANGMFSEAVELER. Peak 4 and 5 both gave the N-terminal sequence GLDT . . . . This was used for some digestion by Lysc, ⅛, to give peptides from its C-terminal end.
Samples of whole protein or CNBr fragments were digested with Lysyl endopeptidase (Wako Chemical Dallas, Tex.) in 0.1% SDS 100 mM Tris pH 8.0 or Staphylococcus aureus protease (Pierce) in 0.1% SDS or Trypsin (Sigma) in 0.1% Tween 20. Digestion mixtures were separated by HPLC and collected peptides were sequenced on the prototype sequence using gas-phase Edman sequencing methods.
A total of 258 amino acid residue sequences were obtained following analysis of the CNBr fragments obtained in Example 3. FIG. 1 shows the amino acid sequence of gelonin. Gelonin contains a total of approximately 258 amino acid residues. The DNA sequence was deduced from this amino acid sequence. The degenerate DNA sequence is shown on FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will recognize that fragments and derivatives of either the gelonin amino acid sequence or the DNA sequence coding for gelonin may inhibit cellular protein synthesis but not bind to a cell surface receptor.
The invention now being fully described, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth below.
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|Improved ricin molecules and ricin toxin conjugates
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|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Nov 13, 2000
|Nov 18, 2003
|Xoma Technology Ltd.
|Immunotoxins comprising ribosome-inactivating proteins
|Feb 12, 2002
|Aug 1, 2006
|Reasearch Development Foundation
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|Jul 17, 2002
|Sep 5, 2006
|Research Development Foundation
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|Nov 18, 2003
|Dec 26, 2006
|Research Development Foundation
|Immunotoxins comprising ribosome-inactivating proteins
|Apr 25, 2006
|Oct 23, 2007
|Research Development Foundation
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|May 1, 2006
|May 13, 2008
|Research Development Foundation
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|Sep 17, 2007
|Jun 22, 2010
|Research Development Foundation
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|Feb 29, 2008
|Jul 20, 2010
|Research Development Foundation
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|May 24, 2010
|May 17, 2011
|Research Development Foundation
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|May 26, 2010
|Oct 25, 2011
|Research Development Foundation
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|Apr 26, 2011
|Mar 20, 2012
|Research Development Foundation
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|Oct 25, 2011
|Sep 10, 2013
|Research Development Foundation
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|Apr 23, 2002
|Sep 4, 2003
|Xoma Technology Ltd.
|Fusion proteins and polynucleotides encoding gelonin sequences
|Nov 18, 2003
|Mar 10, 2005
|Xoma Technology Ltd.
|Immunotoxins comprising ribosome-inactivating proteins
|May 1, 2006
|Dec 14, 2006
|Rosenblum Michael G
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|Apr 25, 2006
|Feb 15, 2007
|Rosenblum Michael G
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|Sep 17, 2007
|Nov 27, 2008
|Rosenblum Michael G
|Modified Proteins, Designer Toxins, and Methods of Making Thereof
|Feb 29, 2008
|Jan 8, 2009
|Rosenblum Michael G
|Therapeutic Agents Comprising Pro-Apoptotic Proteins
|May 24, 2010
|Sep 30, 2010
|Rosenblum Michael G
|Modified proteins, designer toxins, and methods of making thereof
|May 26, 2010
|Jan 6, 2011
|Rosenblum Michael G
|Therapeutic agents comprising pro-apoptotic proteins
|U.S. Classification
|530/370, 536/23.6
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 2, 2003
|Certificate of correction
|Nov 22, 2004
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Nov 20, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|Nov 24, 2008
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed


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Facebook Search Engine: Another Way to Track You?
- September 24, 2012
- Living in Tech
- 0
Just before Apple announced the Phone 5, Mark Zuckerberg talked with Michael Arrington at TechCrunch Disrupt, and the most compelling thing they discussed was a Facebook search engine. Up until then, such a project was only a rumor. But from the tenor of their conversation, it seems that Facebook is well on its way to developing one.
We're basically doing 1 billion queries a day and we're not even trying. Facebook is pretty uniquely positioned to answer the questions people have. At some point we'll do it. We have a team working on it.
TechCrunch thinks it would be interesting to see whether or not Bing will be included in the new engine's equation. After all, Microsoft is a close partner and investor in Facebook and could give the social media pioneer access to the Bing API. At the same time, Facebook brings more than 1 billion users to the table, as well as their queries, statistics and so on.
To better understand the companies' relationship, remember that Bing currently returns results from Facebook, just like Google did in the past. The situation changed when Google+ was released and was favored in its results. Bing could also change when Microsoft decides to integrate its So.Cl into its search engine.
Unsettled Timing
The whole aggregated information concept is coming to a head. Recently, a number of Facebook users accused the company of tracking their online activity. Not long ago Business Insider described how Facebook tracks what users search, visit and read. There have also been complaints that the company mines private emails for consumer information.
Facebook has access to a huge amount of information about its users, and building a search engine to exploit it is the next logical step. If in a few months you log in and Facebook gives you tips based on what you searched the day before, try not to panic. Like it or not, it will become the new normal.
Information mining as "the new normal?" Yes or now? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Related Links
- Zuckerberg On Building A Search Engine [TechCrunch]
- This Is How Facebook Is Tracking Your Internet Activity [Business Insider]
If its free, you are the product not the customer.
Hehehehe and you all thought it was about you making contact with aunt ermma acros the country and getting to know Billy Joe Jim bob in the new back water town house up on cripple creek. If there was one truth I found on facebook, it was that there was no way I was going to turn over the keys to my closet to some greedy us corporation and let them sell my life for a profit. Folks anytime you have a product that produces nothing of a tangible physical product you get nothing but a mess. With no ROI!!!!


text:
Poop Power: Electricity generated from raw sewage
Raw sewage may become a new source of energy for the world. That's right—electricity from poop.
Photo Credit: David Ritter
By coating graphite anodes with gold nanoparticles, Oregon State University engineers have been able to extract 20 times more electricity in an electrochemical cell from raw sewage than in previous laboratory experiments. The electricity is generated when bacteria found in sewage form a film over the anode, and as they break down waste, electrons are emitted. The electrons flow as a current through the graphite towards a cathode outside of the cell.
"This is an important step toward our goal," Frank Chaplen, an associate professor of biological and ecological engineering at OSU told Science Daily. "We still need some improvements in design of the cathode chamber, and a better understanding of the interaction between different microbial species. But the new approach is clearly producing more electricity."
The researchers said gold was obviously not a cost-effective material, but expect to find increased electricity production levels in other nanoparticle metal coatings like iron. Further cost-saving measures would also need to be implemented for large-scale treatment and electricity generation.
While the technology wouldn't make a huge dent in electricity needs of the United States, it could make water waste treatment plants energy self-sufficient.
"If animal, food industry and domestic wastewaters were combined together, they could provide roughly 500 trillion BTUs of energy" said Penn State University environmental engineer Bruce Logan to Live Science. The United States uses about 100,000 trillion BTUs of energy every year.
Spending in the U.S alone costs up to $25 billion per year to treat about 33 billion gallons of wastewater, according to National Geographic. About 1.5 percent of electricity usage goes into the treatment of sewage. Hong Liu, an assistant professor of biological and ecological engineering at OSU, said the technology could significantly cut costs in the United States. She added that developing countries, where energy resources are limited and sewage goes untreated, could use the technology as an incentive to treat waste. But the technology could also be adapted to generate hydrogen gas for usage in hydrogen fuel cells in cars, according to the researchers. The team's research was recently published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
This article was written by Don Clyde and published originally by NewsDesk.org.
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Nanotech Coatings Produce 20 Times More Electricity from Sewage
Science Daily, July 22, 2010
Nanotech coverts sewage into electricity
EE Times, July 22, 2010
Device Uses Sewage Bacteria to Produce Electricity
National Geographic News, March 1, 2004
Powerful Ideas: Bacteria Clean Sewage and Create Electricity
Live Science, Aug. 31, 2009


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The Battle for the Hague - 1940
Dutch Army in 1940 heroically dealt Hitler's paratroopers huge blow.
by Brongers, Lt-Col. E.H
The story of the first great airborne landing operation in history. The plan conceived by Adolf Hitler to capture The Hague by surprise, was carried out as part of the Blitzkrieg offensive in Western Europe in May 1940. It became the only significant defeat the Germans suffered during their campaign. The otherwise very successful offensive, crowned by the surrender of France, overshadowed the setback and diminished Hitlers enthusiasm for this military innovation, slowing its development, an advantage for the Allies. The loss of the ground the troops and paratroopers at The Hague was large; yet, the holes blown in the ranks of the German air transport fleet were much more drastic. It has been suggested by Germans - that they never recovered from this blow. An invasion of England thus became an operation that was perceived as hazardous and difficult to carry out, while the plans to attack Gibraltar and Malta underwent important changes and were finally cancelled. The author was trained as an officer at the Royal Military Academy (K.M.A.) at Breda and later returned to teach strategy and military history at the institution. He wrote fourteen books on military history. A $42.95 value. NOW on sale.
Paperback, 255 pages, Illustrated, bibliography, maps, special import, limited supply.


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Daryn Alexus - GREEN LP
Posted August 20, 2014
Tags: Daryn Alexus , Free Downloads
Indie R&B buzzmaker Daryn Alexus has come together with The DJBooth to bring fans her latest digital full-length, GREEN.
In the works for the past year, the project is, according to the artist, "the first piece of authentic music [she has] created since she started back in 2011." Its title is inspired by a story by the author Edwidge Danticat. Included among its 13 original tracks is reader-approved lead single "Go Wild."
Alexus is the sole vocalist on the set (save for two rap contributions from Nick Astro), which is produced entirely by Chi-town beatsmith Dee Lilly.
Written by richard
Posted August 20, 2014
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Daryn Alexus - Go Wild
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text: President Barack Obama says the responsibility for what happened at the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, falls to him and to no one else. Republican rival Mitt Romney says the president's team either didn't know all the details, or didn't tell the truth, about the death of four Americans there immediately after the attacks. (Reuters)


text:
For a movie about American soldiers during World War II and considering its title, Gregory Hoblit's Hart's War is not actually a war film. There's very little actual "war" action, at least not enough to consider the film an "action" or even an "adventure" movie. Hart's War has elements of a murder mystery, a racial social tale, and a courtroom drama, but it's hard to focus on one thing, mostly because the movie itself doesn't focus on one thing, but instead tries to throw everything into the pot and hope for the best.
Hart's War stars Colin Farrell (American Outlaws) as Lt. Tom Hart, an educated Easterner in his 2nd year of law school when he joins up to fight the war, and ends up in the safest place possible — way in the back and far from the front lines. Hart's cushy job takes a turn for the worst when he's ambushed by Germans on the road and is captured. Days later, Hart and hundreds of other POWs arrive at a German prison in the German countryside that is under the command of Col. William McNamara (Bruce Willis), the highest-ranking American officer. McNamara takes an instant dislike to Hart and sends him to bunk with non-officers. Hart takes the punishment without argument because he knows why he's being punished.
The movie then shifts gears when two black American pilots who have been shot down arrive at the prison. Although the pilots are both officers, McNamara sends them to stay in the same non-officers barrack that Hart is residing. This causes friction, since many of the prisoners are racists, including Staff Sergeant Vic Bedford (Cole Hauser), who after getting one of the black pilots killed, is himself murdered. The surviving black pilot, Lt. Scott (Terrence Howard), is accused of the murder, and then there's a trial…
The same reason why it took so long to give the gist of Hart's War's main plot points is the same reason why the movie is so hard to place. Hart's War opens as a straight war film, with Hart in Belgium behind the fighting, and then moves to the prison camp, where a railroad station is attacked by American bombers and the blood, bullets, and squibs fly. Unfortunately, the attack on the train yard and Hart's ambush makes up most of the movie's action, and the rest of the film ceases to be a "war movie."
Hart's War's top billing goes to Bruce Willis, who turns in another fine performance as McNamara, a 4th generation West Point career military man who refuses to stop fighting the war even while in prison. McNamara butts heads with Col. Visser (Marcel Iures), his German counterpart, and the prison's commander. The two men respect each other, but there is a very fine line between respect and the desire to kill the other. In his later years, Willis has begun to realize that he can't play the dashing action hero anymore, so he's become the dashing older gentleman, and his grizzled and lined face sells the role with aplomb. The man really knows how to sell his characters.
Farrell, the "It" boy of a few years ago, has the unenviable task of playing a character that isn't entirely likeable. Not that Tom Hart is a bad guy, he's just gutless, which explains why he's so far from the front lines when the film started. The guy is an officer by title but he'd rather be in law school right now. Obligation and a sense of duty have made him join up, although as Hart notices himself, he's not even sure if he knows what either word means.
Early on, it's established that Hart gave very valuable information to the Germans during his interrogation. McNamara, the consummate officer and soldier, knows this right away after meeting Hart. You see, McNamara lasted for over a month in his interrogation, while Hart barely lasted 3 days. For the same reason that McNamara dislikes and has no respect for Hart, the audience could really care less if Hart survives the prison camp. This could be the fault of novelist John Katzenbach, whose book of the same title the movie is based on, or it could be that Farrell failed to impart upon us something about Hart's character that we're supposed to grapple onto as a reason to like him.
As it stands, I kept noticing Farrell's thick eyebrows instead of paying attention to his dialogue. Tom Hart, written and played by Farrell, is just not worthwhile to get to know or like.
Hart's War is not a war film, not an action film, or a particularly good murder mystery or even social drama for that matter. It's a mishmash of genres saved by its big budget and Hollywood shine. Unfortunately, the movie as a whole is nothing exceptional.
Gregory Hoblit (director) / John Katzenbach, Billy Ray, Terry George (screenplay)
CAST: Colin Farrell …. Lt. Thomas W. Hart
Bruce Willis …. Col. William A. McNamara
Marcel Iures …. Col. Werner Visser
Terrence Dashon Howard …. Lt. Lincoln A. Scott


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Rep. Jay McNamar: Education investments will benefit the economy in the future
As our students and teachers return for the start of a new school year, it's important to remember what an important role our schools play in our communities. One way or another, each one of us is impacted by our local schools. That's why, when I came to the Capitol for my first session as a legislator, I made education one of my top priorities.
It turns out, many other members agreed with me. As a result, we were able to pass an education bill that makes schools and teachers a top priority. In total, we invested over $725 million in new money to make sure our students of all ages get the education they need to succeed in the workforce.
At the early childhood level, Minnesota will now be providing scholarships to help low and middle income families send their children to high quality preschools and childcare centers. This will help them get ready for All Day Kindergarten, which we fully funded for the first time in our state's history.
When they're ready to move on to grades 1-12, they'll have smaller class sizes and more resources. After years of cuts, the 17 school districts in our area alone will see over $3 million in new funding over the next two years. That's a three percent increase over current funding.
If those students want to move on to a two- or four-year school, they'll be paying tuition that is frozen for the next two years because of over $250 million in new funding for Minnesota's public colleges and universities.
We made these investments because we know how important it is for our students to receive a good education. From preschool all the way up through college, education prepares our students to get good jobs and build a strong economy. It builds the kind of economy that benefits everyone in Minnesota.
But if we want Minnesota's economy to thrive tomorrow, we need to make investments in education today. That's why I'm so happy with the education bills we passed this year. Not only will students and teachers benefit from it this year, our economy will benefit for years to come.


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Top Performing Industries For December 18, 2012
At 10:30 am, the Dow surged 0.23% to 13,265.99, the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index moved up 0.32% to 1,434.93 and the NASDAQ composite index rose 0.59% to 3,028.28.
The industries that are driving the market today are:
Photographic Equipment & Supplies: This industry jumped 3.60% by 10:30 am. The top stock within the industry was Canon (NYSE: CAJ), which rose 3.7%. Canon U.S.A. launched sales of the new FPA-3030i5+ i-line stepper.
Music & Video Stores: This industry rose 2.68% by 10:30 am ET. The top performer in this industry was Hastings Entertainment (NASDAQ: HAST), which gained 8.5%. Hastings Entertainment's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $473.95 million.
Catalog & Mail Order Houses: This industry moved up 1.49% by 10:30 am, with dELiA*s (NASDAQ: DLIA) moving up 6.5% to gain the top spot. dELiA*s shares have dropped 12.30% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 15.23% in the same period.
Marketing Services: The industry gained 1.45% by 10:30 am. The top performer in this industry was Arbitron (NYSE: ARB), which gained 23.6%. Nielsen Holdings NV (NYSE: NLSN) announced its plans to buy Arbitron for $1.26 billion.
Posted-In: Top Performing IndustriesNews Intraday Update Markets Movers
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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EY today hosted the second annual Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards. EY's second annual integrated reporting survey (pdf, 3.3mb) has shown that a number of South African companies have made significant progress in addressing the challenges faced by integrated reporting, continue to innovate and are setting high standards in this area of reporting.
At the second Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards, companies that are emerging as leaders in this area were recognised, their achievements celebrated and emerging trends and best practices shared.
The companies included in this year's survey are the Top 100 JSE listed companies and the Top 10 state-owned companies in South Africa. The survey covered these companies' integrated reports released in the calendar year ending 31 December 2012 and was undertaken by an independent team of researchers from the College of Accounting at the University of Cape Town.
The Top 10 companies recognised at the Awards are:
The state-owned companies were adjudicated on the same basis as the JSE listed entities, however due to the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) were ranked separately.
Larissa Clark, Director Professional Practice Group - Accounting at EY, says, "The success of the inaugural Awards in 2012 confirmed the seriousness with which South African companies are taking integrated reporting. It is enriching how they have embraced the concept of connecting material, financial and sustainability information to produce a report that provides a complete picture of a company's standing."
Clark further adds, "This year we wanted to continue on this trajectory of showcasing the importance of integrated reporting, celebrating with those companies that are making strides as well as sharing best trends and practices from around the world to inspire others."
Prof Mark Graham, of the College of Accounting at the University of Cape Town commenting on the assessment of the survey says, "Overall, we were pleased to see that the majority of companies are making progress on the journey towards producing an integrated report that complies with the spirit of King III and the developing guidance that is being provided by the International Integrated Reporting Council. Although this reporting format is in a formative stage it is quite clear that companies that wish to improve their integrated report have some excellent local examples against which they can benchmark their own reports."
On the day, EY also hosted an integrated reporting workshop where professors Mark Graham and Alex Watson, two of the adjudicators of the Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards, provided an overview of the adjudication process as well as best practice and emerging trends identified.
Notes to the Editor
Each of the integrated reports of the companies has been separately marked by each of the three adjudicators from the College of Accounting at the University of Cape Town. The pre-agreed mark plan has been developed by the adjudicators in conjunction with EY's Professional Practice Department.
A further evaluation then resulted in the ten best integrated reports being identified from amongst those identified as excellent. Guidance on what should be included in the integrated report has been sought by reviewing the Discussion Paper "Towards Integrated Reporting – Communicating Value in the 21st Century" issued by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in September 2011. Cognisance has also been taken of responses to the September 2011 Discussion Paper that was issued by the IIRC in May 2012, the draft outline published in July 2012 and the Prototype Framework published in November 2012.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.
This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.
Following on from EY's successful integration in 2008 of 87 countries into one area from across Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), the firm has launched its Africa Business Center™ (ABC), which aims to enhance the effective and efficient links between its geographic reach and areas of expertise. The firm enjoys representation in 33 countries across Africa.
Web: www.ey.com/za


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Welcome to ExclusiveDesignz
The home of high quality hand crafted pens, each pen is truly a one-of-a-kind work of art. I hope you get as much pleasure from looking at my pens as I have gotten from making them. The pens are covered with a Polymer Clay that is cured, making them extremely durable. Each leaf, each flower, each butterfly, and other assorted images are individual pieces that are created and applied one slice at a time to make the finished product.Shipping Worldwide!! Estimated Shipping times to most countries between 6 - 10 working days.
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Every journey begins with a footstep . . . . (c) Hallmark Corp.
The Imperial City And The World
Every journey begins with a footstep . . . . (c) Hallmark Corp.
DFH Dave says
This scene is from "Sideways," one of the great grown-up buddy/road trip movies of all time; for those who haven't seen it, you're depriving yourselves if you don't rent it. Paul Giamatti's character, Miles, is a mess of a man whose most damning and redeeming quality is his love of fine wine, hence his comic refusal to drink any "fucking Merlot." What he ends up drinking a little further down the road provides one of the greatest excruciating movie laughs this side of "Meet the Fockers." Later he redeems himself with a speech on the wonders of pinot noir that causes the lovely Virginia Madsen's character to fall in love with him. And yes, I'd like to see Obama find the guts to stop triangulating us to death and take a fucking stand on something important. Spoiler alert: things turn out relatively well by the end of the movie. I'm not so sure the same will be said about Obama's presidency.


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Visvim reveals a couple of their latest F.I.L. exclusives. The Deckhand Jacket is seen with a grey sheep lining, while a Stole is offered in a checked pattern as well as a cashmere version (unpictured). Both of these items will be available Thursday October 22, 2009 at F.I.L., along with a gang of other Visvim apparel and denim releases.
A closer look at the Visvim F.I.L Exclusive Deckhand Jacket & Checked Stole after the jump.


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Hired to educate the 58 children of King Mongkut of Siam, English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens does something that women of the Victorian age simply never do: the young widow travels thousands of miles with her son to a land that is largely unknown to the Western world. She arrives in Siam knowing little of King Mongkut, apart from the fact that his people revere him as a god. She soon realizes that her prejudices about the "uncivilized" East are more than matched by the ruler's own preconceptions about the West - and particularly this impertinent English woman. But over time, Anna discovers that Mongkut is a true man of vision who is leading Siam to take its place among the nations of the modern world. And Mongkut recognizes that Anna has shined a light not only on him and his family, but also on Siam itself.
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My experience trying heroin
I have always been interested in altered states. There was a time at university when I decided it would be a good idea to experiment with the vast array of the accessible psycho-pharmacological agents which would not kill you with the first shot.
Students were experimenting with everything from mexican sage to pills, charlie, g, ket and even obscure psychedelics. The best drugs weren't necessarily Class A, but they were the ones we were warned about the most.
Heroin was the one substance you heard little about on the student drugs scene, however as anyone who has spent any time watching the streets with two eyes to see could attest, it was definitely around. As a young person growing up in the UK, I was always told that heroin would get you addicted on the first go, if not then certainly from the second try - you would then be likely to overdose and die, but not before you had hit rock bottom, selling your body and stealing from your close family and friends. Your veins would sink into your arms, you would lose all self respect and never have any hope of anything resembling a normal life. They say it even destroyed the once great kingdom of China. A couple of pills, joints, even the odd line of charlie was ok - but a single chug of Afghan poppy resin and you are doomed to always be a junkie. White middle class heroin hysteria had definitely overtaken the heroin chic of the early 90s.
But then again, I knew that taking cannabis wouldn't necessarily turn me into a schizophrenic or heroin addict. There was nothing about cannabis that made me want to take any other drug, since my first drink I have had a child like curiosity to experience other realms of consciousness. I had read in the papers that Switzerland actually prescribed heroin to addicts to stop them from stealing and to make sure they were injecting safely.
It sounded like it was actually working, while becoming a junkie wasn't something that exactly appealed to me. Still I knew I would like to try heroin once, smoked not injected, I knew that using needles increased the likelihood of a bad reaction from cutting agents, it was also a line I did not wish to cross. Despite it possibly being physically safer than shoving line after line of random salts up my nose every other weekend.
One evening, no different to any other I popped over to a mate's house with the expressed intention of taking ketamine. There had been none around in quite some time, my friend had called up every dealer he knew as well as as any other contacts he could get hold of. No luck yet. Standing in the kitchen was a slim shaggy looking man with long hair and a beard, I had never met him before, but on an acid trip I would definitely associate him with some sort of mystical carpenter. He was promising us the possibility of getting some ket through his contacts. I noticed some syringes and a spoon on the kitchen table, I knew what was going on but I've never been one to judge. After the syringe was prepared, he turned away from us all and injected it into his groin area. It was a combination of crack cocaine and heroin. The crack for the high and the heroin for the comedown. Jesus was speed balling. In the end we decided they weren't going to be able to find any ket, but we were going to try some crack and heroin instead.
I had tried cocaine before and understood it to be pretty much the same drug as crack, only the way crack is taken makes the experience more intense. I popped a chip of rock into a pipe we would use to smoke weed, not before placing some ash beneath it, heated the chip and then inhaled the vapour. It certainly tasted of cocaine, an earthy flavour that numbed the mouth with a tingly feeling. My pupils were instantly dilated and I felt like the best thing on the world. Crack is a fantastic drug, I would never recommend it though. After about a minute the feeling subsided and I returned to what felt like baseline. Best not take this too often I thought. From mediocrity to jubilant euphoria and back in a minute could never be a good thing. I could see why people would keep taking it.
Next came the heroin, I parted with a tenner for my own wrap of brown. It weighed in at about 0.1 grams. I gave our new mutual friend a bit for the trouble of going to pick up. He said it would just prevent him from coming down but he appreciated the gesture. I rolled up a piece of card, he placed the soft hash-like substance onto a piece of foil and heated it from beneath with a lighter, but not directly as that would burn the drug.
As the heroin heated up, it began to bubble and let of a sweet floral smell. That must be excess poppy resin I thought. I inhaled through the tube of card which I made earlier. Following the melting blob of resin slide up and down the piece of foil. I wondered why they call this chasing the dragon. Once the heroin was finished, I felt very relaxed, not quite the same way as with cannabis, my thoughts were a lot clearer and I had no desire to do anything I would do when high. Except eat, we put some pizzas in the oven and scoffed them down but not quite with the voraciousness as being really stoned. It definitely dulls the emotions and I can totally understand why someone with problems I have never experienced may choose to self medicate with this drug.
I then walked home and went to sleep. I woke up about 5 hours later with incredibly intense nausea and ran to the toilet to throw up. For the next hour I kept running back and forth from my bed. Eventually the nausea was gone and I just slept really well till the early afternoon. I am still not too sure if the vomiting was food poisoning caused by the pizza or withdrawal from heroin. It certainly is not an experience I would like to go through again.
Heroin was nothing special, l won't be visiting the opiates other than out of medical necessity.
My friend was continuously offered free wraps of brown and white by Jesus, eventually he started charging him. Fortunately ketamine came back and he stopped taking it. I tried crack a couple more times with him, giving myself the excuse that as I had done cocaine this wasn't so different. I eventually acknowledged that 10 pounds for ten minutes of pleasure was not a fair trade off. I'm quite happy sticking with cannabis.


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Nicole Richie in Halston at the Elton John Oscar viewing party.
Alexa Chung in Yves Saint Laurent at the Elle Style Awards in London.
Emma Watson in Hakaan, at the Elle Style Awards.
Marie-Ange Casta in Sonia Rykiel at the designer's fall show.
Caroline Sieber in Chanel at the house's recent dinner in Paris.


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Discriminating among Alternative Theories of the Multinational Enterprise
Recent theoretical developments have incorporated endogenous multinational firms into the general-equilibrium model of trade. One simple taxonomy separates the theory into "vertical" models, in which firms geographically separate activities by stages of production, and "horizontal" models, in which multiplant firms duplicate roughly the same activities in many countries. The authors nest a horizontal and a vertical model within a hybrid (unrestricted) "knowledge-capital model" and estimate the specifications with data on US foreign direct investment activity. In the nested econometric tests, the data sample cannot distinguish statistically between the unrestricted model and the restricted horizontal model, indicating that the latter captures virtually all of the determinants of FDI. The tests overwhelmingly reject the vertical model. Copyright 2002 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Volume (Year): 10 (2002)
Issue (Month): 4 (November)
Pages: 694-707
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References listed on IDEAS
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- Brainard, S Lael, 1997. "An Empirical Assessment of the Proximity-Concentration Trade-off between Multinational Sales and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(4), pages 520-544, September.
- James R. Markusen, 1995. "The Boundaries of Multinational Enterprises and the Theory of International Trade," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 169-189, Spring.
- David L. Carr & James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 2001.
"Estimating the Knowledge-Capital Model of the Multinational Enterprise,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 91(3), pages 693-708, June.
- David L. Carr & James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 1998. "Estimating the Knowledge-Capital Model of the Multinational Enterprise," NBER Working Papers 6773, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Markusen, James R. & Venables, Anthony J., 1998. "Multinational firms and the new trade theory," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 183-203, December.
- James R. Markusen & Anthony J. Venables, 1995. "Multinational Firms and The New Trade Theory," NBER Working Papers 5036, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Horstmann, Ignatius J & Markusen, James R, 1987. "Strategic Investments and the Development of Multinationals," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 28(1), pages 109-121, February.
- James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 2001. "Multinational Firms: Reconciling Theory and Evidence," NBER Chapters,in: Topics in Empirical International Economics: A Festschrift in Honor of Robert E. Lipsey, pages 71-98 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 1999. "Multinational Firms: Reconciling Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 7163, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- S. Lael Brainard, 1993. "An Empirical Assessment of the Factor Proportions Explanation of Multi-National Sales," NBER Working Papers 4583, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Ekholm, Karolina, 1998. "Headquarter Services and Revealed Factor Abundance," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(4), pages 545-553, November.
- Markusen, James R., 1984. "Multinationals, multi-plant economies, and the gains from trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3-4), pages 205-226, May.
- Karolina Ekholm,, "undated". "Factor Endowments and the Pattern of Affiliate Production by Multinational Enterprises," Discussion Papers 97/19, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
- Markusen, James R & Venables, Anthony J, 1997. "The Role of Multinational Firms in the Wage-Gap Debate," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(4), pages 435-451, November.
- Markusen, James R. & Venables, Anthony, 1996. "The role of multinational firms in the wage-gap debate," Discussion Papers, Series II 322, University of Konstanz, Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 178 "Internationalization of the Economy".
- Ignatius J. Horstmann & James R. Markusen, 1990. "Endogenous Market Structures in International Trade," NBER Working Papers 3283, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- James R. Markusen, 1997. "Trade versus Investment Liberalization," NBER Working Papers 6231, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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David Beckham's Favorite Piece of Clothing
Turns Out, David Beckham Loves Shoes Just as Much as We Do!
- The one piece of clothing David Beckham can't live without — GQ
- Teen retailers might be in (serious) trouble — The Cut
- Did you hear about the recent shake-ups at Hermès? — Vogue UK
- What was up with JC Penney's Super Bowl tweets? — Racked
- You can borrow Lady Mary Crawley's diamond wedding tiara — Telegraph
- What street style stars will wear this Fashion Week — Fashionista
- How Alexander Wang is dealing with the new show location — Style.com
- A hamburger that would make Ernest Hemingway proud — AnOther Mag
- The unfortunate state of fashion criticism — BoF
Image Source: Getty


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Granite (ˈɡrænɨt/) is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals (phenocrysts) are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic texture is sometimes known as a porphyry. Granites can be pink to gray in color, depending on their chemistry and mineralogy. By definition, granite is an igneous rock with at least 20% quartz by volume. Granite differs from granodiorite in that at least 35% of the feldspar in granite is alkali feldspar as opposed to plagioclase; it is the alkali feldspar that gives many granites a distinctive pink color. Outcrops of granite tend to form tors and rounded massifs. Granites sometimes occur in circular depressions surrounded by a range of hills, formed by the metamorphic aureole or hornfels. Granite is usually found in the continental plates of the Earth's crust.
Granite is nearly always massive (lacking internal structures), hard and tough, and therefore it has gained widespread use as a construction stone. The average density of granite is between 2.65[1] and 2.75 g/cm3, its compressive strength usually lies above 200 MPa, and its viscosity near STP is 3-6 • 1019 Pa·s.[2] Melting temperature is 1215 – 1260 °C.[3]
The word granite comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a crystalline rock.
Granitoid is a general, descriptive field term for light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rocks. Petrographic examination is required for identification of specific types of granitoids.
Granite has been extensively used as a dimension stone and as flooring tiles in public and commercial buildings and monuments. Aberdeen in Scotland, which is constructed principally from local granite, is known as "The Granite City". Because of its abundance, granite was commonly used to build foundations for homes in New England. The Granite Railway, America's first railroad, was built to haul granite from the quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts, to the Neponset River in the 1820s. With increasing amounts of acid rain in parts of the world, granite has begun to supplant marble as a monument material, since it is much more durable. Polished granite is also a popular choice for kitchen countertops due to its high durability and aesthetic qualities. In building and for countertops, the term "granite" is often applied to all igneous rocks with large crystals, and not specifically to those with a granitic composition.
Engineers have traditionally used polished granite surface plates to establish a plane of reference, since they are relatively impervious and inflexible. Sandblasted concrete with a heavy aggregate content has an appearance similar to rough granite, and is often used as a substitute when use of real granite is impractical. A most unusual use of granite was in the construction of the rails for the Haytor Granite Tramway, Devon, England, in 1820. Granite block is usually processed into slabs and after can be cut and shaped by a cutting center.
Other uses
Curling stones are traditionally fashioned of Ailsa Craig granite. The first stones were made in the 1750s, the original source being Ailsa Craig in Scotland. Because of the particular rarity of the granite, the best stones can cost as much as US$1,500. Between 60–70 percent of the stones used today are made from Ailsa Craig granite, although the island is now a wildlife reserve and is no longer used for quarrying.


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