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text:
Why are leaves green?
Moderator: BioTeam
Re: Why are leaves green?
Quinten. Thanks for that. I remember reading Goldsmiths theory back in the late 80's/early 90's (showing my age now ) and for me it conjured images of life trying to overcome the problem of light only being on a certain point of earth for limited hours of the day. I was of the opinion that the need to overcome this limitation was the driver for life developing motor functions.
I have to say I was less struck by his assertion of the halobacterium causing algae to be green, because algae would not have had heat issues, just light issues, and there would surely always be some opportunity to absorb blue and red light so they would have favoured black.
Also halobacterium would have more reason to be black, it couldn't store energy so would need to make use of all available energy and again, I don't see them having heat issues.
Why would they absorb blue AND red then?
Cis or trans? That's what matters.
in desending wavelength absorbtion, Carotenoids, Chlorophyll b and Chlorophyll a are the major light aborbing pigments in the plant and form part of the light absorbing complex.
In this complex energy is absorbed by all pigments, but not all pigments have the capasity for photosynthesis. This meens that lots of non-photosynthesizing pigments surround a active photo-center.
Energy is caried over from one pigment to another by inductive resonance till it reaches the photo-center. For this to happen there needs to be a decline in energy levels from example Carotenoids to Chlorophyll b and Chlorophyll a. This funnels the energy to the reaction center where it drives photosynthesis.
If there was a pigment that absorbed green light the gradient of energy between pigments would by less and energy could travel back to Carotenoids or travel lateraly away from the reacion center.
More than this the plants ability to adjust to high light intensities by synthesis of antosianin would be destroyed. As antosianin absorbs green light reducing green light scattering.
As a side note, shade plants do absorb green light by use of their long intercelluler spaces deflecting green light till some of the enery is lost and it can be absorbed.
If we forget about photosythesis for the moment we can look at light senceing molecules such as Phototropin (Blue light), Chryptochrome (Blue and UV-A) and Fitochrome (Red and far Red). Resposible for Phototropism, photomorfogenesis, circadian rhythm, sensitivity to IAA and stomata opening/closeing.
The functioning of these molecules depend on the large gap between red and blue light, if green light was absorbed it would influance the activities of these molecules and plant responses.
Don't forget that any wavelength above 680nm can not be used to drive photosinthesis, as the photosistems work at 680nm or 700nm.
Blue, yellow and green light reduces their energy levels in the plant by floresence and chemical heat dissipation to be able to drive photosynthesis. If to much energy must be dissipated reactive oxigen radicals can form which damages DNA and RNA as well as lots of other prosseses in the plant.
It is logical then that plants do not wish for green light to be absorbed
Six pages of discussion and I didn't spot one alternative solution: the light of our sun has not always conformed to its current radiation spectrum.
If our skies were purple, ie high red/ blue (+ UV) then not only did plants benefit.
The eyes of humans, animals and birds are mainly peak sensitive in the 550nm range (green light). So eyes are naturally adapted to give a more equal energy spread, taking advantage of what was (is) most plentiful.
Re: Why are leaves green?
I think Nature appears contradictory, actually!
1) Why be inefficient and provide our eyes with too much sensitivity in the Green zone?
2) Why do plant leaves reflect the highest energy part of the current sun's spectrum?
3) UV is not particularly abundant, and yet birds, reptiles and insects are fitted with UV sensors?
4) Plants make big use of UV to attract insects, why not use a higher energy colour?
Marinz says
Thanks for supporting my theory - obviously Nature took advantage of the time when Blue and Red were the most abundant wavelengths in the sky. And it still works, even in our yellow sun era.
Re: Why are leaves green?
so leaves are really "clear"? please email me at [e-mail address] im very interested thanx
Last edited by JackBean on Tue Sep 27, 2011 5:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: e-mail removed to prevent spam on your mail
Re: Why are leaves green?
I think I have read/seen a very interesting answer to this.
Firstly, we have to understand endosymbiotoc theory: the organelles responsible for photosynthesis of plants, chloroplasts are captured cyanobacteria: cyanobacteria/chloroplasts are green.
Cyanobateria evolved a long time ago, but they were not the first photosynthetic organisms.
Purple bacteria existed already, they absorb green light and reflect blue and red(that's why they are purple). They don't use H2O to create O2, they use different elements, most commonly H2S to create S. They do not like oxygen and die is exposed to too much of it.
The early earth had an atmosphere without oxygen: purple bacteria were free to roam whereever they wanted (now they are kindof rare) and dominated the seas.
Purple bacteria evolved to use the most abundant photons (yellow-green), they had(have) the solution that was optimal... cyanobacteria evolved later, in a world dominated by purple bacteria... the cyanobacteria had to live from the light 'left over': the blue and green. This was optimal for them because the green light was not available (purple bacteria used it all). And that's why they developed pigments that absorb blue and red light. After cyanobacteria appeared, their color was fixed in evolution, in the same way as other solutions that made sense once but no longer do are fixed (air and food in same opening is a bad solution, but lungfishes evolved lungs by 'swallowing' air...today it works, so no change): today green leaves get the job done, so why change it (even if it could be better). After cyanobacteria changed the atmosphere (without them (in ocean and in plants) there would be no oxygen in the air) purple bacteria lost their dominating status...
Purple bacteria are older than cyanobacteria according to molecular geneticist, and there are papers that claim the chemical markers of purple bacteria are widespread in ancient sediments. This is not generally accepted (yet), though.
The problem with this argument is that today, the position is reversed: purple (sulphur) bacteria live in deeper, oxygenstarved water, where they live from the light that is not absorbed by the green organisms higher in the watercolumn.
So all in all I am not sure that this is true, reading more about it as we speak, but it sounds rather convincing to me.
The heat argument doesnt make sense to me: why are pinetrees in siberia not black? We don't see color differences in plants between hot and cool places. If heat was so important, tropical plants should have different colors than arctic plants.
The argument that there's more than enough light so it is not limiting makes no sense either: plants have lots of tricks to grow tall and block the light of competitors, and many seedlings in the forest don't make it for lack of light. Every photon is precious in the struggle for life.
The scattering/sharing argument is just not the way biology works. Evolution creates very selfish beings. I don't think ants or humans are an exception, actually... communism failed to work for the reasons of selfish evolutionary biology (but that's another discussion).
The argument of other-spectrum sun is interesting, but at first makes no sense either: if the sun used to be bluer, why do plants also use red light... if the sun used to be redder, why do they use blue?
BUT if the yellow-green light was filtered away by gasses in atmosphere... that's close to the purple bacteria argument... the atmosphere used to be different as well, perhaps back then yellow-green light was absorbed by atmosphere before it reached the ground (purple skies). hmmm, should read on what was composition of atmosphere...
After all, it might also be chemical restrictions:
the water-oxygen reaction is taken for a reason: oxygen is a far better electron receptor than atoms used by alternative photosynthetic organisms: more energy is released using oxygen than when using sulphur or any other possibility. Perhaps there simply is no pigment possible that uses oxygen and green light. This is not very satisfing and convincing to me, though.
So after all, I think the case for purple bacteria world domination is pretty good.
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text:
For those familiar with the ins-and-outs of trademark law, navigating a hall of mirrors can be an appropriate metaphor. For one self-described "amazing" company applying for a trademark, navigating the halls of the USPTO turned out to be anything but simple.
In late February, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) affirmed the USPTO's denial of a trademark for the descriptive phrase 4D to Amazing Mazes, owner and operator of a theme-park type attraction in San Antonio that bills itself as begin on "the cutting edge of mirror maze design." (Someone enjoyed writing that. I certainly did!)
4D is by now commonly accepted short-hand for four-dimensional. Most frequently, it's evoked in the context of the multiple dimensions theorized by today's particle physicists, themselves traders in the world of amazement who describe things like string theory, the Higgs boson, and parallel universes.
Amazing Mazes had applied to register 4D for "entertainment services in the nature of an amusement park attraction, namely, a themed area featuring mirror labyrinths with rotating mirrors therein." Amazing Mazes entertainment involves a self-guided walk through a mirrored maze, though without any special effects such as water sprays, odors, shaking or sounds.
The USPTO's examiner rejected the application, finding that 4D was either merely descriptive of those services or alternatively, that it was deceptively misdescriptive for those services. In a decision that itself seems not quite what it appears, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board upheld the refusal not on one of these grounds, but on both.
Many readers will know that the USPTO refuses to register marks that it believes are merely descriptive: that is, if it immediately conveys knowledge of a quality, feature, function, or characteristic of the services with which it is used. Evidence that a term is merely descriptive may be obtained from any source, including dictionaries, newspapers or surveys.
Amazing Mazes argued that the mark it applied for was suggestive, not merely descriptive, because 4D was a "clever reference to an alternate reality or parallel universe." But in denying Amazing Mazes' appeal, the Board held that using the descriptor 4D was akin to saying "additional special effects" without reference to any particular special effect.
Interestingly, the Board appeared to give great weight to Amazing Mazes' own use of 4D, quoting how its mazes include an "amusing 4D moving mirror maze experience." The TTAB felt that this strongly supported the examiner's contention that the mark was descriptive.
The Board also clarified a point that many applicants miss when arguing whether a proposed trademark is merely descriptive. A trademark does not have to tell a prospective consumer what the goods or services are. Instead, the issue is whether someone who knows what those goods or services are will understand the mark to convey information about them.
This is a key distinction. Often, clients tell me they want to apply for a descriptive sounding mark, and when I reply that I am concerned the mark will be refused as merely descriptive, they counter, "But just by reading the mark, you will not know what the goods are."
That is not the test. The test is whether, if the viewer knows what the goods or services are, the mark tells that viewer something about those goods or services. This might seem a minor distinction, but it is the crux of most descriptiveness refusals. Thus, in the case of Amazing Mazes' 4D denial, the TTAB held that the term 4D would be understood by consumers that know they are going into a maze that the maze will include some additional special effect.
The second interesting point about this decision is that in addition to denying Amazing Mazes' application on the basis of its mark being merely descriptive, the Board also denied it on the basis of its mark being deceptively misdescriptive. It seems logically inconsistent for a mark to be both: either one's mark is descriptive or it is deceptively misdescriptive.
How so both? Perhaps because of parallel universes! The TTAB began its discussion of this ground by explaining that the Lanham Act prohibits registration of trademarks that are deceptively misdescriptive of the services to which they are applied. A mark is considered deceptively misdescriptive if: (1) the mark misdescribes a quality, feature, function or characteristic of the services with which it is used; and (2) consumers would be likely to believe the misrepresentation. At the outset, the Board's opinion explains that for a mark to misdescribe services that mark must be merely descriptive of a significant aspect of the services which the services could plausibly possess but in fact do not.
Applying the law to the facts of this case, the TTAB goes down an intriguing path, explaining that the term 4D is a term of art in the entertainment field and requires special effects such as water sprays, odors, shaking or sounds, but that it does not encompass what Amazing Mazes provides, namely, rotating mirrors or special effects lighting. As such, the Board held that consumers encountering Amazing Mazes' 4D mark will expect its mazes to include tactile or odor-generating functionalities and will be disappointed because Amazing Mazes' mazes do not have those. (Not incidentally, Amazing Mazes believes that adding those types of effects could cause liability issues.)
But does not the argument that customers will expect some combination of small or tactile functionalities rest on the very same reasoning on which Amazing Mazes' argued that its mark was not merely descriptive? Again, the reader is reminded we're in a hall of mirrors, and not everything is as it appears.
Or maybe quantum mechanics is the better metaphor: one opinion in two places at the same time? The TTAB sought to solve this logic maze by turning to the second prong of the deceptively misdescriptive test: namely, what consumers expect. The Board explains what it believes the typical consumer would expect, namely, that consumers are likely to believe that Amazing Mazes' services will include some combination of small or other tactile functionalities and as such, Amazing Mazes' mark will disappoint consumers when those things are not present. In effect, the Board uses the hypothetical consumer to find its way out of what appears to be a pretty tricky logical conundrum. In what some might view as logical sleight of hand, the Board has balanced these parallel arguments — in the same small space — or in a parallel universe.


text:
Richard Stroup
Tue, 06/01/2010
"Saving the Wilderness" explained how the managers of the Rainey Preserve used market relationships to enhance private land management and how they and similar managers could, if allowed, improve the management of government land, too.
Jane Shaw, Richard Stroup, Donald Leal, Bruce Yandle, Terry Anderson
Sun, 12/01/1996
PERC scholars respond to a journalist's critiques of free market environmentalism.
Richard Stroup
Wed, 03/01/1995
The conflict between the fact of scarcity and the apparent ability of the Fish and Wildlife Service to disregard limits is the underlying problem with the Act. Until that conflict is resolved, the ESA will not work effectively to save species.
Richard Stroup, Jane Shaw
Fri, 05/15/1992
This essay is excerpted from Rational Readings on Environmental Concerns, Jay H.
Jane Shaw, Richard Stroup
Sat, 12/01/1990
Economic growth offers the potential for environmental improvement.
Richard Stroup
Richard L. Stroup
Richard Stroup
More Books by PERC Authors and Editors:
Richard Stroup
More Books by PERC Authors and Editors:
Richard Stroup
More Books by PERC Authors and Editors:
Richard Stroup,
Orange County RegisterOctober 12, 1999Fear Bigger Governments,Not Bigger Populations By Richard L. Stroup and Matthew Brown


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text:
Colorado-based company TracBeam LLC is suing tech giant Apple Inc. over patent infringement. In the lawsuit, TracBeam claims Apple is making 'unauthorized use' of location based services in iOS and OS X as well as with Apple's 'Find My Phone' service which lets users find their device when it's been lost.
According to the UK-based publication, The Register, TracBeam has a history of litigation, and has also sued Google and Ericsson over location technology. It has been awarded several patents related to wireless location technology used in both consumer and businesses related technology.
In this case, TracBeam is seeking money and an injunction preventing the sale of infringing devices. The patents in the filing against Apple are U.S. patents 7,298,327, 7,525,484, 7,764,231 and 8,032,153. The case is being argued in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas.
Related Stories:
Apple, Samsung partial truce shows that even strong disputes often can be settled
IP protection: What are trademarks, service marks and logos?
Apple settles class action lawsuit over e-book price fixing
TracBeam's complaint alleges that Apple is infringing four of its patents covering using base station signals to estimate the location of mobile phones. While TracBeam has made these claims against Apple, some say the company is a non-practicing Patent Assertion Entity, filing baseless legal actions in the hopes of a settlement. According to DailyDigest.com, in 2011, a study shows that patent trolls cost tech companies $29 billion while another study last year showed that Apple was the most targeted firm by patent trolls.
Given TracBeam's lawsuits against other major companies, many speculate that the company also holds the dubious distinction of being a patent troll.
Late last year, Congress passed the Innovation Act which was aimed at curtailing baseless lawsuits by patent holders. The legislation was supported by major large technology companies.


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The history behind Marshall pool
Costs that the Janesville School District charges for the city's lap swim program at Marshall Middle School have led to a city budget proposal that would drop the evening half of the morning-evening swimming program. Those who enjoy the program are not happy.
In recent days, this debate splashed onto Tim Bremel's "Your Talk Show" on WCLO, where discussions apparently included a suggestion that the pool shouldn't have been built because voters rejected it in a school building referendum.
The school board's later approval of the pool soured many voters, some of whom will never forget that.
Tom Wolfe heard about the WCLO discussion and sent an email to Bremel that Wolfe also shared with me. Wolfe was a first-term member of the school board back then and shared his recollections of what transpired and how the pool wound up included in the project.
As Wolfe explained, a referendum went to voters for financing the building, an auditorium and a pool in three separate questions. Wolfe wrote that the referendum law requires voter approval of borrowing for such projects, not whether the projects themselves have merit.
Wolfe realizes it might sound like semantics, but voters didn't reject the pool but only the ability to borrow for it.
Administrators then gave the school board scenarios for how the pool might be built without borrowing for it. The discussions, Wolfe pointed out in his email, were on the agenda and open to the public, and the board voted 7-2 in favor of building a pool.
As I recall, equity was one reason the board approved the pool as part of the school construction project. After all, Edison and Franklin middle schools have pools, so it seemed reasonable that a new Marshall get one, as well.
"Sometimes facts get in the way," Wolfe concluded in his email, "but this is how the 'turned down' pool came to be."
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.


text:
Packers injury crisis deepens
CINCINNATI—Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has not been fired up in any way about his team's bye coming in Week 4, but he might want to reconsider what it means to have a week of rest right now.
Following a trend in two of the last three seasons, the Packers are fighting an epidemic of injuries, several of which cost them dearly in their 34-30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
The Packers came into the game missing two starters—safety Morgan Burnett (hamstring) and running back Eddie Lacy (concussion)—and a key backup—cornerback Casey Hayward (hamstring)—and ended up losing two starters and a key backup during the game.
Tight end Jermichael Finley left the game in the first quarter after suffering a scary hit to his head from safety George Iloka; linebacker Clay Matthews left in the second quarter after pulling a hamstring muscle; and running back James Starks left just before halftime with a knee sprain.
Finley's absence could have played a part in the lousy day the passing offense had, especially given his hot start to the season. Matthews was definitely missed after forcing two fumbles, one of which safety M.D. Jennings returned for the Packers' first touchdown.
Starks, who had filled in for Lacy a week ago and gained 132 yards on the ground, had 55 when he went out with the knee sprain.
"I've never had the bye after the third week," McCarthy said. "I can't remember a bye this early. We'd all like to play next week. But the schedule is set. We have a process we'll stick to. We're 1-2. That's where we're at."
McCarthy said that while Lacy was listed at having a 50 percent chance of playing against the Bengals, he was not able to pass all the concussion tests needed to clear him. Despite knowing it Saturday and also that fullback John Kuhn (hamstring) would not play, McCarthy went into the game with just two backs.
It came back to bite him on the final series when he had to use receiver Jeremy Ross as a running back, although Ross mostly lined up in the slot. He was prepared to be a third-down protector if needed.
Finley's day appeared over the minute he tried to walk back to the sideline. He clearly was foggy and had to sit down before getting there. Anytime a concussion is suspected, it's all but certain the player won't return under the NFL's new head injury guidelines.
"It hurt me," fellow tight end Andrew Quarless said of seeing Finley get hit. "I don't ever want to see one of my brothers like that. He got up a little wobbly. I think it was definitely helmet-to-helmet. But the NFL, they'll figure that out."
Asked how he thought Finley seemed as time wore on, Quarless said OK.
"He didn't seem too concussed," he said. "I saw Lacy the other week and there was a big difference. Lacy was pretty concussed. J-Mike seemed pretty together."
Finley would have been featured in the game, McCarthy said. Quarless wound up with three catches for 21 yards and Ryan Taylor added two for 11.
Matthews left the game with a hamstring pull, which has been his trouble since joining the team in 2009. He has missed 16 games since his rookie season and sat out four with a left hamstring pull last year, the longest stretch of regular-season time he has missed in his career.
How badly Matthews pulled the muscle this time isn't known, but he'll have close to two weeks to heal before the Packers return to the field against Detroit on Oct. 6
With Matthews out, defensive coordinator Dom Capers used Mike Neal mostly to fill the void with rookie Andy Mulumba also receiving some snaps. Matthews had two tackles, a sack and the two forced fumbles before leaving.
The running back situation probably won't be as dire as it was at the end of the game, when Starks and rookie Johnathan Franklin (ankle) were both out. It's very likely Lacy will be ready to return after the bye and Franklin returned to the game for a couple of plays at the end and appeared to be OK afterward.
"We have a week off and we have to get some guys healthy," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "We have to get Morgan back, John if we can, Jermichael hopefully will be back. And James and Eddie, hopefully, they will be back.
"We have some injuries. We need to get guys back and see what we can do at full strength."


text: Money is tight these days, so if you're in need of tires for your car, van, or motorcycle, consider buying used ones. You can get a good bargain on parts for your car by doing a little research. It's helpful to be familiar with some auto terms. Check your local business directory to find dealers in your area. You can also conduct an online search for warehouses in your town that might offer bulk discounts at wholesale prices. Make sure you know the make and manufacture of your automobile.


text:
A broad-based definition of multicultural education as a process of comprehensive school reform challenges educators to rethink traditional practices by addressing issues of bias, prejudice and discrimination that have resulted in educational inequities. Educational equity requires not just the provision of equal access to resources and learning opportunities, but also an equity of outcomes in which a much broader range of students experience the high academic achievement that leads to workplace and personal success and satisfaction (Nieto 1996). Multicultural education must permeate all aspects of curriculum, instruction and staff development if we are to achieve the goals set forth in the Regulations.
All curriculum and instructional support materials must reflect the contributions and perspectives of the cultural groups in America in a nonstereotypic manner. Students must be given opportunities to recognize that what might seem reasonable, relevant and important from one cultural perspective may be irrational, irrelevant, and unimportant from another cultural frame of reference. This requires an expansion of curriculum that not only examines knowledge, concepts, and information from multiple perspectives, but that reflects students' interests and experiential backgrounds (Banks, 1995).
Teachers must use a wide repertoire of instructional approaches and techniques to ensure equal access to learning. The recognition that culturally different students may prefer to learn in environments and through the presentation of content that differs from traditional pedagogy must be understood and accepted by all teaching staff. The literature is replete with best instructional practices for facilitating academic achievement. Often cited practices include attention to learning styles, cooperative learning, flexible grouping, and communication of high expectations (Grant and Sleeter, 1989).
Change in usual teaching practices will require ongoing high quality staff development that includes a wide variety of professional growth promoting processes. Teachers and administrators need opportunities to reflect critically on their teaching practices and to construct new beliefs and knowledge about students, instruction, and curriculum. Change in practice must be accepted as a routine effect in a continuous improvement model.
Connections with parents and the community at large will facilitate attainment of the goals of multicultural education. School staff and parents must forge productive partnerships that promote the academic, social, and emotional development of children.
The United States and Maryland have always been multicultural societies that reflect great ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity. Because of its statewide diversity, Maryland has been called "America in Miniature." Currently, 30% of students in the United States are ethnic minorities. In Maryland, one in ten Marylanders is foreign-born, and Maryland's public schools educate a student population that is 42% ethnic minority (35% African American, 3% Hispanic, 4% Asian, .5% Native American). Over 100 nations and 130 languages and dialects are represented in Maryland schools. Also reflecting diversity, 12% of Maryland students have disabilities requiring special education services, and more than 13% are living at the poverty level.
Socially, our society still reflects racial, cultural, economic, and ethnic divisiveness. There has been an increase in recent years of anti-immigrant sentiment and reported incidents of hate- violence based on diversity factors. In response to this, President Clinton in 1997 established a National Initiative on Race" to address these issues. Noted educator Dr. Geneva Gay has stated:
Despite the pluralism of United States society, most people live in relatively isolated enclaves, away from others who are racially, socially, and culturally different. Individuals from the same ethnic groups live in close proximity to one another, creating largely single race or ethnic group geographic clusters. The population tends to be separated along economic lines, so that members of the middle upper and lower social classes do not interact with one another on egalitarian levels.... This absence of close and significant interactions across ethnic, social, and cultural lines may reinforce stereotypes and cause individuals to be suspicious and distrustful - even fearful - of those who are different. Multicultural education is needed to help reverse these trends and attitudes by teaching youth about culturally dfferent groups and by providing opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to learn, live, and work together. (Gay, 1994)
Despite the pluralism of United States society, most people live in relatively isolated enclaves, away from others who are racially, socially, and culturally different. Individuals from the same ethnic groups live in close proximity to one another, creating largely single race or ethnic group geographic clusters. The population tends to be separated along economic lines, so that members of the middle upper and lower social classes do not interact with one another on egalitarian levels.... This absence of close and significant interactions across ethnic, social, and cultural lines may reinforce stereotypes and cause individuals to be suspicious and distrustful - even fearful - of those who are different. Multicultural education is needed to help reverse these trends and attitudes by teaching youth about culturally dfferent groups and by providing opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to learn, live, and work together. (Gay, 1994)
In spite of federal, state, and local laws, discrimination and disparities still exist in our institutions. This is evident in areas such as employment, health care, and educational achievement based on race, gender, ethnicity, and disability. Education That Is Multicultural, as it helps youth to celebrate diversity and use positive social action strategies to improve our institutions, can assist our nation in reducing disparities and in implementing both the letter and spirit of our laws.
The need for multicultural education is also evident in light of the increased pluralism in our nation and in the context of the growing global interdependence of nations.
The increasing ethnic diversity of the United States population makes multicultural education for all students imperative, particularly if education is to fulfill its basic functions by being personally meaningful, socially relevant, culturally accurate, and educationally sound. (Banks, 1994)
Increased global interdependence means that U.S. citizens must know how to interact in different ways and under different circumstances with unfamiliar people at home and abroad. Successful interactions and relationships require the use of knowledge, attitudes, and skills about cultural diversity within a global context. (Bennett, 1990)
The increasing ethnic diversity of the United States population makes multicultural education for all students imperative, particularly if education is to fulfill its basic functions by being personally meaningful, socially relevant, culturally accurate, and educationally sound. (Banks, 1994)
Increased global interdependence means that U.S. citizens must know how to interact in different ways and under different circumstances with unfamiliar people at home and abroad. Successful interactions and relationships require the use of knowledge, attitudes, and skills about cultural diversity within a global context. (Bennett, 1990)
Education that is multicultural ig a vaIuable tool for enabling students to learn and succeed in our diverse state, nation, and "global village." It can promote positive and effective interactions as our young people grow academically and socially and prepare to be productive citizens in their families, communities, and workplaces. Education That Is Multicultural should be an important component of the national and state education goals to promote lifelong learning as we continue to strive to build a more just and equitable society.
The role of cultural diversity in public education must be considered in the effort to prepare students for the future. Success of an educational system is reflected not only in the attainment of high test scores, but is also reflected in the ability of graduates to earn livable wages and contribute positively to their families, communities, and democracy. In Maryland, Education That Is Multicultural includes race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, region, religion, language, age and disability. Our national and state data reflect different educational success rates for students. These results are impacted by cultural bias and inequity of resources.
Often, the combinations of diversity variables intensify the disparities of educational success. For example, in the United States in 1993, 46% of all African American children and 41% of all Latino children lived with families with incomes below the poverty level. The combination of race and economic barriers makes educational success more challenging for minority students who live in poverty.
The cultural competency of teachers and other important educational players is a key issue in student success. While the student population in the United States is becoming increasingly racially and linguistically diverse, our teacher population is increasingly homogenous based on race, economics, language, and gender. More frequently than not, entrants to the field of education are white, monolingual females who are from lower middle-class backgrounds. Cultural bias impacts teacher effectiveness with culturally diverse students. Faulty expectations can be based on any one or combination of diversity variables.
Evidence is clear that student achievement is detrimented by culturally hostile learning environments. For example, a 1990 study documented eight forms of racism that impact the school success of students of color. These are:
1. Hostile or insensitive acts2. Bias in the use of harsh sanctions3. Bias in giving attention to students4. Bias in the selection of curriculum materials5. Inequality in amount of instruction6. Bias in attitudes toward students7. Failure to hire racial minority teachers and other school personnel at all levels8. Denial of racist actions
1. Hostile or insensitive acts2. Bias in the use of harsh sanctions3. Bias in giving attention to students4. Bias in the selection of curriculum materials5. Inequality in amount of instruction6. Bias in attitudes toward students7. Failure to hire racial minority teachers and other school personnel at all levels8. Denial of racist actions
In addition, the American Association of University Women report, Hostile Hallways, raised national awareness of students' experiences with sexual harassment and its detrimental impact on student achievement.
Throughout the nation, local schools have responded in a variety of ways to address cultural diversity in education. From the food served in the school caferteria to tasks on the state assessments, everything that happens in schools has a cultural context. Local school system reforms have addressed instruction, curriculum, professional development and family involvement as vehicles to ensure an anti-bias, multicultural approach to education.
Current research, extensively referenced in the Banks and Banks edited Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education, confirms the urgency and complexity of multicultural diversity issues in teaching and learning. Students across the state, as well as throughout the country, are not achieving to standard, and the greatest gaps in achievement rest with students of color.
A number of variables have contributed to these achievement trends. In recent years, we have embraced an increasingly diversified student population. This has emerged along with a less diverse trend among our teacher population. A number of instructional strategies have been identified as being effective with culturally diverse students, such as cooperative learning, GESA, attention to learning styles, high expectations and tapping higher order thinking skills. The essential on-going trend, however, rests in the commitment and accountability to ensure that all of our students equitably achieve at high levels of performance. Considering the multicultural context of this situation, we are called to address what form this commitment and accountability must take.
In order to more effectively address this challenge, we must identify and recognize through competent practice other factors that contribute to student achievement which have not been given sufficient attention. Culture is the sum total of lived experience, a socialized means of survival that any group of people acquire in response to their lived environment. Teaching and learning are a core activity in our lived experience. Thus culture and the teaching and learning process are integral aspects one to the other. Given the inherent influence and presence of culture within leamers and teachers, within the core curriculum, and within modes of instructional delivery, culture is gradually emerging into recognition as a strong variable in educational practice. It stands to reason that we are challenged to draw out the cultural components that are pertinent to academic achievement.
Our orientation has been to achieve mastery in our grade-level curricular disciplines, and to pass it along to our students such that they can demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills as measured by standardized test; such as mastery taught, mastery leamed, mastery measured, student achievement. As noted in our discussion above, we have been largely unsuccessful with our culturally diverse student population not withstanding the use of progressive instructional strategies. The culture diversity variable and its many subcomponents have been marginalized in our approaches to attaining equitable student achievement. This marginalization is analogous to the marginalization that called for the development of Education That Is Multicultural Regulations.
Demographics have undergone considerable transformation, while the core of our approach to teaching and learning has been only marginally transformed. An article entitled "Constructivism and Multicultural Education" written by Carla Matheson and Russell Young, professors of Teacher Education and Policy Studies in Language and Cross Cultural Education in the College of Education at San Diego State University (Multicultural Education, Summer 1995) provides us with viable guidelines to cause the transformation needed to attain student achievement among students of diverse cultural backgrounds. If we consider the notion of Education That Is Multicultural as a critical bridge to achievement, we can see how Matheson and Russell provide us with several useful guidelines to be integrated into our teaching strategies to learner's level of self-awareness and self-concept.
The authors assert, "New information moves through a cognitive filter of pre- existing personal thoughts, beliefs, and experiences which affect perceptions, interpretations" ..... which can either facilitate or impede knowledge and skill acquisition.
The authors assert, "New information moves through a cognitive filter of pre- existing personal thoughts, beliefs, and experiences which affect perceptions, interpretations" ..... which can either facilitate or impede knowledge and skill acquisition.
Further, James Banks has delineated in his comprehensive Dimensions of Multicultural Education framework the notion that personal/cultural knowledge is the filter through which persons teach and learn. Achievement in teaching and learning occurs in a social context which requires an integration of affective and cognitive function. He states in Multicultural Education Development, Dimensions, and Challenges, (Phi Delta Kappan, September 1993) that cultural conflict occurs in the classroom because the personal cultural knowledge of teachers and students are inconsistent with one another. Needless to say, where there is cultural conflict, learning remains all in the margin. This accumulates into gaps in the teaching/learning process, which in turn results in gaps in student achievement. The raw truth of this statement leads us to understand that as teachers, we must be taught not only to master the knowledge and skills that are pertinent to our grade-level subject matter, but we must be taught how to identify, recognize, master, and engage the cultural parts of ourselves and our students that are pertinent to the culture of teaching and learning needed to ensure that the instructional message sent is the instructional message received.
These factors have not been given sufficient attention given the integral nature of the multicultural reality characteristic of the educational process today. These components must be within ourselves as teachers, and must be incorporated at the center of day to day inculcated classroom practice. The knowledge and skills to accomplish this mode of mastery must be initiated and established throughout teacher training and staff development in every grade and discipline. To be effective in contributing significantly to student achievement, it is essential that these factors not be incorporated as separate, but within each content area and instructional delivery mechanism.
Our teachers' and learners' demographics have undergone cultural/multicultural transformation. If our students are to achieve from our efforts to teach them, then our teaching and learning process must undergo cultural/multicultural transformation as well.
Perhaps cultural diversity impacts assessment more than any other facet of instruction. One's cultural value system shapes one's view of self, relationship with others, nature, time, action, society, and logic itself. The manner in which students acquire and process information is deeply rooted in culture; hence, educators must better understand, respect, and adapt to these cultural variations and preferences, particularly in this enlightened age of "authentic assessment." If the teacher rightfully attempts to hit the student where she or he lives, the teacher will then consider a variety of foci in determining the best response mode for assessment. For example, does the teacher allow, and encourage the student to focus on the past, present, and future? Does the teacher allow the student to view concepts spiritually as well as materialistically, intuitively as well as factually, cooperatively as well as competitively? Or does the teacher look for the "right" answer, based in large part on the "dominant" culture's world view?
The medium of expression also plays out here. The recognition of intelligence as being much more than one's logical/linguistic blend brings to light the notion of "intellectual diversity," a.k.a. the multiple intelligences. The question "How are you smart?" rather than "How smart are you?" opens pathways of instruction and assessment that have lied dormant for the better part of the 20th century. Howard Gardner's research into the capacities of the human brain have shattered the view of intelligence as something that can be measured with a single pencil and paper instrument, particularly a conventional I.Q. test. One's ability to solve problems and fashion products that are culturally relevant in ways that involve the hands and the heart, the body and the emotions, have reshaped our view of what it means to be "smart." Educators must therefore allow for a variety of responses that enable students to test their understanding in ways that are culturally relevant to them. This of course does not mean that students should only work in their strongly developed intelligence areas; rather, students should be given a diversity of response modes that enable them to develop strength in all areas: verbal-linguistic; logical- mathematical; visual-spatial; bodily-kinesthetic, musical-rhythmic, intrapersonal and interpersonal.
In addition to sociological and perceptual "learning styles" being validated and utilized in assessment, conceptual styles also must be accounted for. "Field dependent" learners, for example, generally will not respond to traditional, linear lines of thought, needing to process concepts, issues, problems, themes, and so forth on a more holistic, circular basis. Relationship- building must therefore be allowed to take root. Perhaps a constructiveness approach, wherein students' prior knowledge and experiences govern the manner in which a concept is taught and assessed, works best with these students. Connecting learning to the student's "environmental" life and concerns would serve as the catalyst here.
In short, sensitivity and responsiveness to students' diverse learning styles best informs instruction and assessment. By better understanding, respecting, and using diversity toward the end of academic excellence, educators are turning what unfortunately has been a cliche into something quite functional: equity and excellence for all students.
Affirming Diversity: The Socio-Political Context of Multicultural Education, Second Edition, Sonia Nieto, Longman Publishers, New York, NY, 1996
Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice, James A. Banks, ed., Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 1990
The Condition of Education, Vol. 1: Elementary and Secondary, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C., 1992
"Constructivism and Multicultural Education", Journal of Multicultural Education, Summer, 1995
Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education, James A. Banks and Cherry McGee Banks, eds., MacMillian Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1995
Maryland Public Education Fact Book: 1996, Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore, 1996
Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives, James A. Banks and C.A. Banks, Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 1993
A Synthesis of Scholarship in Multicultural Education: A Monograph, Geneva Gay, NCREL Education Monograph Series, Seattle, 1994
Turning on Learning: Five Approaches for Multicultural Teaching Plans for Race, Class, Gender, and Disability, Carl A. Grant and Christine E. Sleeter, MacMillian Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1989
The State ofAmerica's Children: 1995, Children's Defense Fund, Washington, D.C., 1995
America`s Teachers: Profile of a Profession 1993-1994, National Center for Education Statistics, 1997
"Schools Find Teachers in Short Supply: A Report of NEA and AACTE Findings," USA Today, August 8, 1996
"Racial/Ethnic Harassment: What Reseach Reveals," Martha Adler; in Equity Coalition for Race, Gender and National Origin Newsletter, Volume IV, Number 1, Spring 1996
Hostile Hallways: The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America `s Schools, American Association of University Women, Washington, D.C., 1993


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According to the World Bank, China now boasts a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $9.24 trillion, which is second only to the $16.8 trillion GDP of the United States. And while China's annual economic growth has slowed from double digits to 7.4 percent, that rate is far better than the -2.9 percent growth (i.e. decline) of the U.S. for the first quarter of 2014. It is therefore no wonder that more and more U.S. companies are seeking to tap into China's burgeoning market and its enormous customer base of 1.357 billion people.
There are, of course, many different means for expanding one's business into China, and finding the best option requires a thorough risk-reward analysis. For some American businesses, the best course may simply be to enter into a contract for the export, sale, or manufacture of goods, but other U.S. companies are choosing to actually move their operations into China — perhaps by opening a wholly foreign owned enterprise (WFOE), or by forming a joint venture.
Contracts between U.S. and Chinese firms are largely governed by international commercial law, which encompasses a myriad of conventions and trade agreements promulgated by such bodies as the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, business conducted within China will be governed by China's local and national laws, particularly the Chinese Civil Code. Therefore, it is vital that U.S. businesses seek guidance from counsel with expertise in both international and Chinese commercial law before attempting to open a facility in China.
Business owners must also do their own homework, for despite China's rapid economic growth, making a profit in in this highly competitive market is far from guaranteed. By following the suggestions below, however, American enterprises will be well-prepared for the challenge of expanding operations into Asia's "Central Kingdom."
6 keys to success in China
Key #1: Learn to speak a little conversational Chinese.
Learning important phrases and terms in Mandarin — China's national language — can go a long way toward facilitating communication and making a good impression. In many ways, Chinese is an easy language to speak, and one may be surprised to discover how much can be learned in a short time. Learning to read and write Chinese, however, can take years, so one should begin by focusing on studying basic, conversational Mandarin.
Key #2: Read a little about Chinese history and philosophy.
By reading such classics as Sun Tzu's Art of War, the Three Kingdoms, or the writings of Laozi, Mencius or Confucius, one can glean valuable insights. These works continue to have a great influence on Chinese thought — particularly regarding the concepts of duty and respect. For a masterful look at Chinese history and its impact on today's society, read The Search for Modern China, by Yale historian Jonathan Spence.
Key #3: Build "Guanxi."
In China, forming a business relationship requires first developing "Guanxi." This word is difficult to translate directly as there is no real equivalent in English, but it includes such meanings as "connections," "networking," "influence," and "good reputation." In short, building a strong relationship is a prerequisite to forming a strong agreement. It can even be argued that understanding "guanxi" is just as important as understanding the Chinese Civil Code when it comes to making a contract in China.
Key #4: Be quick and agile, but also be patient!
The business environment in China is prone to unexpected and dramatic changes. American companies may suddenly be confronted with new regulations and new market competitors with little forewarning. American companies must therefore be alert and quick to adjust. At the same time, patience is required as it may take many months for business relationships to produce fruit. One must be prepared to hold out for the long haul because attempting to make a quick buck by taking shortcuts can lead to very bad deals.
Key #5: When it comes to social etiquette, don't sweat the small stuff.
The internet is filled with tips on proper Chinese etiquette, and many people have agonized over the possibility of blowing a major deal by making a minor social misstep. Unfortunately, much of the advice on the web is out of date, or is only true in certain regions. Generally speaking, Chinese businesspeople are modern and pragmatic, and they do not expect westerners to know all there is to know about Chinese culture. Some traditions, however, are still very important, and efforts should be made to avoid the following faux pas:
- Don't cause someone to lose face. The concept of face – "mianzi" – is still taken very seriously in China, so one should avoid doing something that shows disrespect or causes embarrassment. Therefore, one should be very cautious about correcting or admonishing one's Chinese counterpart in public. One gives face by showing respect. This includes greeting someone with a slight bow and a handshake, and by using two hands to give and accept business cards.
- Don't show up empty handed. Bringing a nice gift to a prearranged meeting, especially at someone's home, is an excellent opportunity to give face to one's host. However, some gifts are to be avoided because they may have negative connotations; for example, clocks or towels should not be given because such things are associated with funerals. One should also avoid giving sharp objects — such as knives or scissors — as these objects can symbolize a desire to sever a relationship.
- Don't take an initial refusal as a final answer. An offer to give something to someone, or perhaps to pay the bill for dinner, may need to be made several times. One's Chinese counterpart may refuse to accept, at least at first, in order to ensure that the offer is sincere. This initial refusal provides an opportunity for the offeror to save face should they not really be willing and able to fulfill the offer.
- Don't refuse a toast. Two of the first words many Americans learn in China is "gan bei," a phrase spoken during toasts that means "cheers," or more literally, "empty the cup." A long dinner may include many such toasts, and this can easily lead to inebriation and poor decision making. One should therefore be careful to only drink small amounts at a time; however, this may be easier said than done in a roomful of people pressuring one to "empty the cup." If one does not drink alcohol, the best option may be keep a cup of tea in one's hands, as toasts should never be declined.
Key #6: Help is available.
On-the-ground support is available for American companies that do not have the time or desire to learn all of the complexities and nuances involved in conducting business within China. There are U.S.-based law firms that specialize in international and Chinese commercial law, and the attorneys at these firms may come from China, or they may have spent years studying the Chinese language and developing local connections. Having an attorney with this level of skill and experience alongside during business negotiations is like having an ace in the hole.


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GC Appointments
Beats Electronics, the audio equipment company founded by rapper Dr. Dre, hired Rafferty Jackson as its first general counsel. Jackson most recently was vice president and general counsel of VF Outdoor Inc., where she represented clients such as The North Face, JanSport and Vans. She also has served as general counsel of Ubiquity Software Corp. and associate general counsel of Macromedia Inc.
Kenya Mann Faulkner is now general counsel and vice president for legal affairs at the University of Cincinnati. Faulkner comes to the university after serving for more than two years as Pennsylvania's inspector general. Her prior work experience also includes stints as a Pennsylvania senior deputy attorney general and an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Hair care and spa products manufacturer Farouk Systems appointed Jason Rumsey general counsel. Rumsey has 12 years of experience in corporate and litigation practice, most recently as a partner at DaCorsi, Placencio & Rumsey.
Carolyn Owen was named senior vice president of corporate affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary of Farm Credit Bank of Texas, a wholesale funding bank. Owen has worked at the company for 30 years, most recently serving as vice president and deputy general counsel.
Workforce solutions company Kelly Services Inc. named Peter Quigley senior vice president and general counsel. Quigley most recently was senior vice president and general manager of Kelly's global client account group, and previously served as the company's associate general counsel. His prior work experience also includes stints at Lucent Technologies and AT&T.
Jeffrey Petrash is now vice president and general counsel of the National Propane Gas Association. Petrash joins the trade group from the American Gas Association, where he served as senior managing counsel from 2000 to 2011. He has consulted for his new employers since last fall.
Other In-House Career Moves
Susan Lanigan, executive vice president and general counsel of Dollar General Corp., will retire from her post later this year. Lanigan came to the company in 2002 as vice president and general counsel and has held her current title since 2005. She previously was general counsel of Zale Corp. and an in-house attorney at Turner Broadcasting.
Boris Bershteyn will step down as general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) later this month. He has held the role since July 2011, after previously serving as deputy general counsel for the agency from 2009 to 2010. He also is acting head of OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Before entering the public sector, Bershteyn was a litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.


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For Padres and Dodgers, it's a tale of two thumbs
Injured stars Headley, Ramirez at different stages of injury rehab
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Chase Headley strode out of the batting cage on the field at Petco Park with a big smile on his face hours before Wednesday night's game against the Dodgers. And that couldn't have been better news for the Padres.
"I feel like I'm in baseball mode, not rehab mode," he said. "And that's good."
The San Diego third baseman has been recuperating from a fractured left thumb he sustained sliding into second base during a Cactus League game on March 17. Just barely more than three weeks since the injury, Headley could be heading out for a Minor League rehab as soon as this weekend, manager Bud Black told MLB.com after the batting session.
"We need this guy back," said Black, stating the obvious. "If he continues to make progress, he should be able to go out in four or five days, by this weekend, or Monday the latest."
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are still watching the slow progress of shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who tore ligaments in his right thumb diving for a grounder on March 19 in San Francisco during the game in which his Dominican team defeated Puerto Rico to win the World Baseball Classic.
Ramirez underwent surgery, and even though he said on Tuesday that he's a few weeks ahead of schedule, his hand is still in a cast. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly believes it's going to take every bit of the eight-week prognosis from the date of the injury before he returns. Headley, meanwhile, was supposed to be out four to six weeks, and barring any setbacks, is on schedule.
"I know he wants to come back quick and wants to get out there," Mattingly said of Ramirez, who is throwing, despite the cast, and staying in shape. "But usually those kinds of injuries are always healed within the time frame. There's a reason why they say eight weeks, because it usually takes that long."
Call it the tale of two thumbs, but they are actually much different appendages and situations. The Dodgers, with a payroll of $230 million and a lineup chocked with All-Stars, can afford to wait until a healthy Ramirez gets back in tip-top shape. The Padres are treading water without Headley, and to a lesser extent, catcher Yasmani Grandal, who is currently serving a 50-game drug suspension and is not eligible to return until May 28.
Headley, 28, had a breakout season for the Padres in 2012. He led the National League with 115 RBIs and the team with 31 homers. He batted .286 and won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards.
While the Yankees can play .500 ball with $84.1 million worth of players on the disabled list in Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson, the Padres' payroll is going to top out at $70 million this year, said one team executive. They can ill afford to lose anybody, particularly a young switch-hitter of Headley's credentials.
Three of the four Yankees could return around May 1. A-Rod is still hoping to be back at some point later in the season from left hip surgery.
The Padres need Headley yesterday, but even after hitting from both sides of the plate against live pitching on Wednesday for the first time in more than three weeks, he said he just isn't ready.
"No, no," he said. "I've got to do some other things to get the confidence, to get the feel back. They're not holding me back. We're on the same page. Everyone wants me to be back: the coaching staff, the training staff. But we also don't want to do something stupid and re-injure it or put the team at a disadvantage when I'm not ready to play. Today is the first day I hit on the field, so I wouldn't be ready. But I don't think we're a long ways off."
Headley had X-rays on the thumb on Monday. And though the image showed it hasn't completely healed or even calcified, the fracture is heading in the right direction. Meanwhile, the Padres went into action on Wednesday with losses in five of their first seven games. Despite scoring nine runs on Tuesday in a home-opening victory over the Dodgers, the Padres are 12th in the 15-team NL with a .224 batting average, 11th with 23 runs scored and 13th with just three homers.
In contrast, NL West rivals Colorado and Arizona are both near the top of the league, with 15 homers and 12, respectively. The Dodgers have won four of their first seven games with Ramirez on the rack. No wonder Black is so eager to get Headley back.
Because Headley had just started to hit his stride as a star player, the injury couldn't have come at a more inopportune time for the club.
"I was excited to get started this year," Headley said. "I learned a lot of things last year and progressed in ways I hadn't in my career. So this has been frustrating for me, absolutely. When you're hurt and you're not playing, it's not what you hoped for. But it's part of the game. You have to deal with it. I'll do my best to get out there as soon as I can."
For his part, Headley said that date is still a question mark. He wants to keep his departure for rehab close to the vest, adding he figured he would need four to seven games in the Minors to get his timing back. Black, though, is counting the days.
Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow@boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Education effort arises from tragedy
DARIEN--At 14 months old, Daxton James Borchardt had that irresistible combination of a sly grin and a rebel's haircut: a thick center strip of hair that sometimes spiked upright.
On the website www.daxtonsfriends.com, Jeff Borchardt remembers, "People would often ask us if we cut his hair that way. We always said, 'Nooo. We don't cut our (baby's) hair like a Mohawk.' His hair was like that because when he slept, he would turn his head back and forth and rub it off."
Borchardt said his son loved the balloon aisle at the local Wal-Mart, Mickey Mouse cartoons on television and "anything with wheels." There were also multiple trips to Petsmart, where Dax ogled fish, birds and kittens---his favorite.
But while he was at a babysitter's home in the town of Walworth almost one year ago—March 6, 2013—Daxton was fatally mauled by the sitter's two pit bulls.
The attack was horrific: Walworth County sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene described seeing shreds of clothing and blood everywhere, and Daxton's limp body looking like a ripped rag doll.
Borchardt, an area disc jockey, is determined to transform the heartbreaking tragedy into a lifesaving experience for other families with an organization called Daxton's Friends for Canine Education and Awareness.
A launch party and fundraising event for Daxton's Friends is planned from 7-10 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 31st St., Oak Brook, Ill.
"We're really looking to engage with the public, share with them our mission of advocacy and awareness," said Sam Madan, vice chair for the organization.
In an interview with Walworth County Today, Borchardt said he's looking to create a resource of sorts for potential dog owners—particularly for those with kids—focusing on public safety and animal welfare.
The website offers information for those considering a dog, such as choosing a breed that will match an owner's lifestyle, suggestions of where to buy animals, and even a list of potentially dangerous breeds.�
A list of "founding friends" of the group on its website includes animal safety advocates from across the country—many of whom personally experienced a dog attack.
"(O)ne of our goals is to help spread awareness of canine-related safety as it pertains to public welfare, with the obvious objective of protecting children, families, and pets from dangerous situations and the potential injuries and fatalities that may result from lack of proper care and education,� Borchardt wrote in an email response to questions.
He and his wife have raised a mixed breed of Chihuahua/rat terriers for 15 years. A dog pictured on the group's logo died last summer, he said.
Hearing of past dog attacks spurred his mission. Too often pet owners have little or no knowledge of what can happen when a dog's temperament or personality doesn't match with its owner's home life, he said.
"Many people are not aware of the potential dangers involved with improper care and handling of their canine family members. Based on living situations, familial status, and types of breeds, different forms of care, education, and skills are needed to ensure a happy and healthy life for your dog and your family," he said.
Holding the launch Daxton's Friends on the one-year anniversary of his son's death is a poignant touch for Borchardt.
"We hope people will celebrate Daxton's life, too," he said.


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Durable hardwood table is perfect for all kinds of creative activities. Included paper roll holder hangs under the table and feeds paper through to the tabletop. Chalkboard tabletop surface features paper cutter, three recessed cup holes, three cups, and printed canvas storage bag. Easy to assemble. Table is 52.5 in. wide x 18.75 in. tall x 27.75 in. deep. Each of the two benches measures 32 in. wide x 10.75 in. tall x 11.5 in. deep. 18 in. paper roll. Suitable for ages 3 and up.
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Richard J. Holbrook, Janesville, WI (1969-2014)
May 8, 1969 - January 10, 2014
Richard J. Holbrook, age 44, of Janesville, died unexpectedly at his home on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014, from health complications. He was born in Janesville, on May 8, 1969, the son of Ralph L. and Margaret M. (Dugan) Holbrook. Richard graduated from Parker High School in 1987, and UW-Eau Claire with a Business Degree. Richard worked for the last six years at Frito Lay in Beloit. A very spiritual, big hearted, and outgoing person, Richard was always willing to lend a helping hand to others. Richard's family was very important to him and he always looked forward to being with them. He enjoyed being the adult "clown" and jokester with his many nieces and nephews, whom he was very proud of. Richard loved hunting, playing video games and the outdoors along with his dog and faithful companion, Brandy.
Richard is survived by his parents, Ralph and Margaret of Janesville; brothers: Ryan (Heather) Holbrook of Janesville, Michael (Patricia) Holbrook of Omro, WI, and Ralph (Candace) Holbrook, Jr. of North Branch, MN; and many nieces and nephews, whom loved him dearly. He is further survived by very close and dear friends: Mike and Amy Belden and their family of Eau Claire, WI; several aunts, uncles, other relatives and dear friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday,
Jan. 16, 2014, at ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH, 315 Cherry St., with Fr. James Kuhn officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will be on Thursday morning from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass at the CHURCH.
Richard will be dearly missed by all of his family and friends.
"To believe in Him is to trust Jesus as the one who can forgive you. That whoever believes in Him shall not perish"
Fly high Richard, we love you.
Whitcomb- Lynch Funeral Home & Cremation Services
21 S. Austin Road, Janesville, WI (608) 752-2444


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What Were 2011's Biggest Setbacks? What Are Your Hopes for 2012?
December 1, 2011
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STB microservices are a set of workhorse tools for maintaining scientific digital image repositories. The tools implement photo renumbering, metadata harvesting (OAI-PMH), use of GLite for very large batch processing, Web-based high-resolution viewers, processing, long-term preservation, and more.
dmap2gcode is a depth map image cutting program. A depth map is a greyscale image in which the darkness or lightness of each pixel corresponds to the depth (or height) of the object at each point. dmap2gcode supports various cutter geometries (flat, ball nose, and v-bit), two types of cut entry (straight and arc), a full set of roughing options, and various other settings, all controlled through a graphical user interface. The g-code output from dmap2gcode is compatible with LinuxCNC and Mach3.
image saver is a PHP class which can open an uploaded file image in either JPEG, PNG, or GIF format and resize it to a given width and height. Either the width or height can be set to auto, so it gets adjusted to keep the original image proportion based on the value set for the other dimension. The processed image can be saved to a new file in a given target directory using the JPEG format. The compression quality of the saved image is configurable.
Urban Lightscape is a photo filter for exposure correction, localized brightness adjustments, dodging and burning, and the introduction of synthetic lighting to a photo. A simple "double-click-and-drag" paradigm is used to place control points on a photo, and clever edge detection localises and interpolates lightness adjustments around and between these points. Results are rapid, with additional controls for more subtle refinements.


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Two Janesville high school students expelled for drugs, alcohol
JANESVILLE —Two Janesville high school students have been expelled, one for being under the influence of alcohol at school and the other for being under the influence of marijuana and possessing a prescription drug with the intent to deliver on school grounds.
The Janesville School Board voted this week to confirm the expulsions.
Both students may apply for early reinstatement. One student may apply at the beginning of the 2016 school year. The other will be allowed to apply in December 2016.
Both must meet conditions including obtaining mental health and substance abuse evaluation, providing confirmation that they have received insight into their behavior, submitting to searches, complying with juvenile justice plans, maintaining satisfactory class participation and assignment grades and regularly attending class with absences and tardies monitored.
The two expulsions bring to 14 the total for the 2013-14 school year, compared with five expulsions at this time last year.


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Efficient and reliable
Dec 4, 2017
Fast responding. Professional and well organized staff. Reliable servis for reasonable price. Clean cars, friendly drivers. All at high level. See you next time!
Excellent Service Again
Dec 3, 2017
Great all round experience - Safe, reliable, & punctual on the 2 occasions I have used this firm - Very professional and helpful. I booked the car online for a fixed rate & was charged the agreed amount. No hidden extras & driver took me quickly & safely to exactly the right location by shortest route. I would definitely recommend this firm to other s visiting Istanbul.
Effiecent friendly and reliable
Dec 3, 2017
Superb airport to hotel and return clean vehicle , excellent Cost reasonable no hassle at all , safe and comfortable.
Perfect service
Dec 1, 2017
The service was great as we landed on istanbul, there was a guy waiting for us and guided us to the taxi outside. I like the cars nice cars comfortable the drivers are nice and the service was top as they are very accurate with time and on the day of departure i requested an early pickup wat was not a problem at all. Fast responding and fast service with good quality and also good price.
Dec 1, 2017
Safe and very smart drivers they know how to run away from Istanbul traffic which its a disaster everything is excellent and very good car and clean
safe taxi istanbul
Nov 27, 2017
We (my 15 yr old son and I) went by taxi from Istanbul airport (SAW) to the center of Istanbul. We were pick-up at the exact time and brought safe and quick to the city. The driver was very helpful to us. We booked the taxi by internet for a fixed price I would advice safe airport transfer to everyone (better and cheaper; no sudden hidden costs...) The car was also very comfortable.
Best Limousine Service Istanbul Airport.
Nov 27, 2017
This was my fourth trip to Istanbul and every time I have used this limousine service for pick up and drop off. Very private, only the people that you mentioned in your booking and the price is by the trip, not the number of passengers. This limousine is exclusively yours. Cost is about 45 to 50 euros for two ways. I know there may be cheaper fares available but you don't want to be dropped off at an intersection. This service is door to door. There is a reminder sent on the previous day of travel too. Pay after each drop off. No pre payments required. Keep up the good work.
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Nov 24, 2017
It was good experience with safe transport very professional and helpful, just arrived in time and took the quickest rout and drived safely
Reliable & professional
Nov 23, 2017
I have tried other transportation companies and was delighted that safe airport transfer were very liable, always exactly on time, reasonably priced, very professional in communication and friendly in service, I would defiantly use them again in my upcoming travels.
Super Service
Nov 23, 2017
In Istanbul angekommen, hat man schon auf uns gewartet. Die Autos waren sehr sauber und in super Zustand, der Fahrer sehr freundlich.
What Do We Offer?
- in our cars
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Transfer from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott
AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott Address and Phone Number
AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott Address:
Visnezade Mahallesi, Suleyman Seba Caddesi No 75, Besiktas, Istanbul 34357, Turkey
AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott Phone Number:
Visnezade Mahallesi, Suleyman Seba Caddesi No 75, Besiktas, Istanbul 34357, Turkey
AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott Phone Number:
We provide safe and comfortable transfer from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport to AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott or from AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Istanbul Airports transfers provided by Safe Airport Transfer are unlike any typical Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport taxi or shuttle services. Using a taxi service, it is highly possible that you will find the taxi unclean, uncomfortable, unsafe and with expensive prices. Our operational philosophy is to provide safe and comfortable transfer without having any hidden costs. We do not charge any additional payment due to flight delay or traffic congestion. It is also diffucult and exhausting to get to AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott by metro, by airport shuttles or by any other public transportations. Using our services will make your stay comfortable and will guarantee your piece of mind.
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Book your private transfer now and leave the rest to us...
Transfer Prices from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott
One Way up to 4 persons
50 €
One Way up to 8 persons
65 €
One Way up to 13 persons
80 €
One Way up to 27 persons
155 €
From Other Ports to AC Hotel Istanbul Macka by Marriott


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Death notices for Oct. 5, 2013
Monyieene J. Bjoin, 82, Janesville, died Friday at St. Mary's Janesville Hospital, Janesville. Arrangements are pending at the SchneiderApfel Schneider & Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, Janesville.
Laurie Ann Hoague, 51, Eau Claire, formerly of Janesville, died Sept. 19 at home. Private services were held. Henke-Clarson Funeral Home, Janesville, assisted the family.
James G. Howe, 65, Springfield, died Friday at the Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Mt. Zion Christian Church, Lake Geneva. Steinke Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Lake Geneva, are assisting the family.
Jesse Messerchmidt, 97, Darien, died Friday at home. Arrangements are pending at the Betzer Funeral Home, Delavan.
Charles T. Sanford, 91, Janesville, died Friday at Rock Haven Nursing Home, Janesville. Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at All Saints Anglican Catholic Church, Janesville. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Schneider Apfel Schneider & Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, Janesville.
Charles E. Sutherland, 97, Brodhead, died Friday at Collinwood Elderly Care Home, Brodhead. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, at the Congregational United Church of Christ, Brodhead. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of services at the church.� Newcomer Funeral Home, Monroe, is assisting the family.
Royal D. White, 79, Janesville, died Thursday, at Golden Living Center, Fort Atkinson. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. with military honors at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Schneider Apfel Schneider & Schneider Funeral Home & Crematory, Janesville.


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Jimmy Fallon Kicks Off 'The Tonight Show' With Will Smith, Tina Fey, Seth Rogen and Tons of Special Guests
Last night, Jimmy Fallon officially ushered in a new era of 'The Tonight Show' and, besides a move to New York City, already made the show his own. Can you imagine Jay Leno ever doing The Humpty Dance in a "The Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing"?
In addition to billed guests Will Smith and U2 (whose appearance included a rooftop performance with the Rutgers University marching band), Fallon's first 'Tonight Show' also saw special guests including Tina Fey, Robert De Niro, Seth Rogen, Stephen Colbert, Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian, who oddly became the only person ever to appear on the last episode of one host's 'Tonight Show' and the first episode of the next host's.
In addition to the aforementioned "Evolution of Hip-Hop Dance" bit with Will Smith (that, of course, included Jimmy and Will doing The Carlton from 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'), an extended bit during the opening including Jimmy settling a bet with all the people who said he would never host 'The Tonight Show.' One-by-one celebrities came to the stage to pay up, including Stephen Colbert who dumped a bucket of pennies on Fallon's head and said, "Welcome to 11:30, b—-."
All-in-all, it was a solid show for Fallon and a pretty good introduction to the 'Tonight Show' audience what the Jimmy Fallon era will be about (the opening is directed by Spike Lee, for example): namely, younger. The Jay Leno era skewed much older and NBC would like to catch up to the Jimmy Kimmel audience, a younger, web-savvy audience. The question is whether NBC will have the patience to wait. They infamously bailed on Conan O'Brien after he debuted a well-received, younger 'Tonight Show.' Can Jimmy Fallon weather the storm?
Watch these videos from last night's premiere episode and let us know what you think.


text: A trip to the lake or a mountain vacation can be made more memorable by staying in a rustic cottage. Different resort facilities provide a wide range of cottage or cabin accommodations, from luxury retreats to rustic log homes. Many travelers prefer to stay in an individual cottage instead of a hotel. Often, these types of accommodations are quieter, offer more amenities, and are preferable for families with children. Here are some terms to keep in mind when booking your next getaway.


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Despite warnings, Whitewater church let sex offender work with children
WHITEWATER—After a middle-aged man named Dennis Rintala started showing up to services at the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church in 2005, Pastor Thomas Fuller got a call.
Recounting the story to Whitewater police years later, Fuller said the call was from Rintala's former pastor in his home state of Michigan, warning Fuller that Rintala had been convicted there of "sexual misconduct with a teenage boy," according to a detective's report.
In 2010, a Whitewater police sergeant said she told Fuller that Rintala was a convicted sex offender after police got reports that he was approaching young boys near the church.
Despite these warnings, Rintala was allowed to regularly work and spend time with children he met through the church—often driving children unsupervised to events or to evangelizing around Whitewater, according to police reports and interviews with former members.
Although Fuller was informed of Rintala's status as a registered sex offender and said he told church leadership and some families, parents from some church families told The Gazette they were never warned about Rintala.
"We had no clue," said one mother, whose family included three sons and who asked to remain anonymous. "We didn't find out until it happened again."
From the winter of 2011 through the summer of 2012, Rintala sexually assaulted two young boys, both of whom he met through the church, according to court documents.
On Dec. 10, 2012, Rintala pleaded guilty in Jefferson County Court to one count of repeated sexual assault of a child.
In the year since then, two other men from the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church also have pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting children, court records show.
Amanda Rasmussen, a Waterford woman whose family spent years in the independent fundamental Baptist church's tightly knit, insular community, said she finds the number of offenders disturbing.
"There's no concern for the children," Rasmussen said. "I'm sick of hearing about all of the victims that come out of that church."
Fuller, who has been Kettle Moraine Baptist's pastor since 2004, declined an interview request but responded to questions via email.
Fuller said the Michigan pastor didn't give an accurate account of Rintala's crime, and Fuller said he didn't find out the truth until it was too late.
"We didn't know back in those days what we know now," Fuller said. "No one did."
Still, Rasmussen blames Fuller for allowing a convicted sex offender to have unsupervised time with children.
"If you want to call him pastor—which would be a shepherd of the flock—you're shepherding your flock, you're caring for their safety," Rasmussen said. "And (Fuller) doesn't care for the safety of the most vulnerable of the flock."
Rintala's 2003 conviction in Houghton County, Mich., was for fourth-degree sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor.
According to a Whitewater detective's account of a conversation with a Houghton County deputy, Rintala admitted to fondling a 16-year-old boy "on numerous occasions over many years."
He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to two years probation and was required to register as a sex offender, which he did.
A couple of years later, Rintala started attending services at the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church.
Soon after that, Rintala's former pastor gave what Fuller now calls a "woefully wrong report" of Rintala's past.
The pastor told Fuller that Rintala was convicted of a sex offense, but recounted a crime that was far less severe than what actually happened—essentially, that Rintala and a boy engaged in inappropriate behavior but that he didn't touch the boy, Fuller told The Gazette.
Though Fuller says he was misled, his recounting of the story still acknowledges he knew Rintala had been convicted of a sex offense that involved a teen boy.
When he got the call, Fuller said, he passed the message along to some parents from the church "as we had reason to believe it was warranted," he wrote in an email.
Fuller didn't tell everyone, however. Three former church families say they were never informed about Rintala's prior sex offense even as some of their children spent time with him.
"The fact that Pastor Fuller never mentioned anything about it is kind of disturbing," said a father from another church family, who also asked to stay anonymous.
The father said he wasn't aware of Rintala's 2003 conviction until a Gazette reporter called to ask him about it this fall.
Rather than tell all the parents, Fuller said he considered a variety of factors to determine who found out.
"We were trying to weigh both liability and appropriateness in the context of the information we had," Fuller wrote.
Meanwhile, Rintala was spending unsupervised time with children from the church, often going out on "soul-winning" trips with kids in his truck or a church van, according to police reports.
Whitewater police interviewed Rintala in August 2010 after he had started talking with two young boys at Hillside Cemetery and their mother thought he was suspicious.
Rintala told police he would go out in the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church's van to hand out religious flyers, "specifically to juvenile males," according to a police report.
That prompted Sgt. Tina Winger to call the church and a Baptist youth camp called Camp Joy where Rintala worked "to inform them of Rintala's status as a sex offender," she wrote.
Though Rintala would go out to distribute flyers, Fuller said, if he spent time with children doing that "he would have done so under parental discretion and with parental permission."
"He would not be in one-on-one situations with young men in those settings," Fuller wrote.
But Sam Rasmussen, Amanda's teenage son, recalled times when he and other boys went with Rintala on outreach trips unsupervised and other occasions when he and Rintala went alone.
Rasmussen wasn't aware her son was spending time alone with Rintala and said Fuller never told her Rintala was a convicted sex offender.
"As long as I was at that church, (Fuller) did not ever say that," Rasmussen said.
Her family left in 2009. Fuller's emails indicate he knew Rintala's status years before then.
Rintala's time with children wasn't limited to those outreach trips, according to police reports, and he ultimately assaulted two boys he met through the church.
In December of 2011, Rintala fondled a young boy in the front seat of a car as he drove the boy and other children home from a baseball game.
And for months in the spring and summer of 2012, Rintala repeatedly sexually assaulted another boy, who he often went out canvassing with for the church.
The assaults happened at Rintala's home, the boy's home and, on some occasions, sitting in a car in the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church's parking lot, police said.
Church leaders eventually found out about the assaults and quickly pressured Rintala to turn himself in, records show.
Prosecutors in Jefferson and Walworth counties charged him with three felony sex offenses, and earlier this year judges in those counties sentenced him to a total of 20 years in prison.
Rintala was arrested in August of 2012—a month after another man from Kettle Moraine Baptist Church was charged with fondling a young girl and a few months before a third was arrested for assaulting children.
Matthew Vander Pluym, 19, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of first-degree child sexual assault for touching a pre-teen girl he knew, court records show. A judge gave him a stayed jail sentence and five years probation.
Between 2011 and 2012, 18-year-old Samuel Shelton had sexual relationships with four girls, all of them younger than 13, police said.
Shelton told authorities he assaulted the fourth girl "about two times a week" at the Kettle Moraine Baptist Academy, a small religious elementary, middle and high school run out of the church.
He pleaded guilty in September to one count of repeated sexual assault of a child and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in February.
Police said Shelton also assaulted girls at his home, located at the same Baptist youth camp where Rintala worked: Camp Joy.
Camp Joy isn't under the same organization as the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church, but the camp on the northeast shore of Whitewater Lake lists the church as one of its 36 "Association Churches" in Wisconsin and Illinois.
It's also part of the same world of independent fundamental Baptist churches, Rasmussen said.
Former members of IFB churches have started a number of blogs and online forums to criticize the churches, which they say are highly conservative and breeding grounds for abuse.
The Kettle Moraine Baptist Church and its academy are the kinds of places where wearing a necklace or having pop music on your iPod will get kids disciplined by leadership, Rasmussen and her sons said.
On its website, the Kettle Moraine Baptist Church says a goal of its academy is to, "build Scriptural convictions that will stand under the destructive influence of modern culture."
To Rasmussen, the lack of action to keep Rintala away from children and the two other cases that have come out of the church recently show a culture with misplaced priorities.
For that, she blames the pastor.
"Fuller is far too busy measuring the hemlines of skirts on women than dealing with a sex offender," Rasmussen said.
In Rintala's case, Fuller said the church can "learn from this and do better." But he blamed authorities in Michigan for only convicting Rintala of a misdemeanor sex offense, and later not giving an accurate picture of his history.
"We would definitely do some things different," he wrote, "and we are very grieved that any shortcoming may have given an occasion for this horrible crime."


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Modern embedded solutions for graphical interfaces
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User habits and data structures have changed significantly not only in the consumer sector, but also in the applications of the embedded segment: the market demands innovative and intuitive user interfaces with multi-touch information transmission that is increasingly based on high quality (3D) graphics and visualization. Naturally, these developments affect the required processing capacity. Despite having to process more data in less time, modern embedded applications must be more compact, use less power and be more cost effective. This has opened a gap in the market which cannot be filled by conventional x86 architectures alone. Computer-on-Modules (COMs), such as the conga-TFS COM Express basic module from congatec are designed to fill this gap.
Traditional approaches are not enough
In the past, measures such as increasing the clock rate or adding more x86 cores solved most of the performance problems that arose. However, when it comes to efficient processing of massive parallel data streams, such as what is needed in industrial automation and medical imaging applications, these measures do not help. The reason is that x86 processors are designed for multifunctional performance with serial processing.
When it comes to processing large amounts of data in parallel with the same algorithms, for example when applying an image filter to each pixel of an image, their scalar and serial structure are a disadvantage. This is where the advantage of GPUs becomes evident. Over time, GPUs have developed into powerful, programmable vector processors with up to several hundreds of identical cores. This makes them highly scalable and provides an excellent platform for demanding parallel tasks using GPGPU (general purpose GPU) calculations.
Together we are strong
What could be more advantageous is to combine the performance of both the CPU and the GPU, thereby creating an extremely powerful processor that can handle virtually all tasks. AMD has done just that with the introduction of the Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). It is called APU because it integrates a CPU and a discrete-class programmable GPU onto a single silicon die. This way it becomes possible to efficiently process scalar workloads on x86 cores and vector workloads on the GPU thereby achieving better overall performance and greater power savings.
Accelerated processing units
AMD introduced the first APU with the launch of its Embedded G-Series platform. It is designed for compact, low-power devices and is used, for example, across congatecs extremely compact Qseven module range. In June of 2012, AMD unveiled the Embedded R-Series platform, a processor platform specifically aimed at mid-range to high-performance systems. Like the AMD G-Series platform, the AMD R-Series platform is a space-saving 2-chip solution consisting of an APU and an appropriate controller hub that runs all other peripheral connections see figure 1.
Figure 1: The AMD Embedded G-Series APU and controller hub at a glance
The new AMD Embedded R-Series APUs come in eight different performance classes with dual and quad core processors and a range of AMD Radeon graphics units from the 7000 family. They are scalable from 17 to 35 Watts TDP for the top-of-the-range model AMD R-464L APU and seamlessly extend the performance of the AMD G-Series APUs.