text:
The only RTLS Technology with guaranteed location accuracy - enterprise, room and bay!
Awarepoint's patented solution uses a ZigBee®-based 802.15.4 standard to deliver the fastest, least disruptive RTLS in the industry - a 100% wireless, self-healing mesh network that assures consistent location accuracy. Awarepoint delivers the healthcare industry's only cloud-based Real-time Location System (RTLS) on a single platform of integrated software, technology and managed services. The aware360°Suite enables predictive workflows to improve asset management and patient flow across the enterprise—allowing administrators and care providers to advance the quality, efficiency, experience and economics of care. Dedicated exclusively to healthcare, Awarepoint offers the experience and proven solutions that power the largest healthcare RTLS deployments in the world.
RTLS Solutions Designed for Healthcare
The aware360°Suite intelligently automates and streamlines asset management, capacity management, patient tracking, caregiver coordination and ED and OR workflows. The suite spans the entire hospital enterprise, leveraging an intelligent inventory control tracking system, patient tracking software and RFID and RTLS tag location and movement to follow, report on and proactively improve asset, staff and patient flow. The suite is comprised of the following applications…
Advanced hospital asset tracking and management
awareAssets ensures robust hospital asset tracking and resource management. This comprehensive RTLS solution tracks, maps and reports the location and status of mobile assets and rentals in real time, allowing clinicians and administrators to improve asset management and utilization, decrease capital and rental expenditures, reduce equipment loss, manage regulatory compliance for temperature and humidity monitoring, and streamline preventive maintenance and recall compliance.
- $3-7 in hard ROI for every dollar spent on hospital asset tracking and management
- Reduction in preventive maintenance burden by aligning asset inventory to meet actual demand
- Reduction in equipment search times by 80%, with nearly 100% availability
- 80-90% utilization of owned assets through RTLS and RFID tracking and PAR-level equipment management
Temperature and Humidity monitoring
The awareAssets temperature and humidity monitoring module tracks and records ambient room humidity, and the temperature of refrigerators, freezers and warmers across the organization—eliminating manual logging of temperatures and humidity levels, and centralizing documentation to provide enterprise-wide data access.
The wireless temperature and humidity monitoring system immediately notifies personnel about out-of-range conditions to expedite resolution, yielding better performance management and documentation compliance.
Patient throughput and hand-off communication for surgical care
awareSurgical improves OR patient flow and asset management by helping perioperative staff visualize the location and status of patients, clinicians and equipment throughout the department in real time, intelligently orchestrating workflow to streamline communication, care coordination and patient throughput.
- Add 1-2 additional OR cases per day
- Reduce bed turnover times 25-50%
- Reduce patient wait times by 50%
- Reduce OR case calls by 80%
- Improve patient and family satisfaction
- Improve staff and physician satisfaction
Caregiver efficiency and patient satisfaction for the emergency department
awareED enhances emergency department workflow and patient flow via a tracking engine and advanced workflow rules that measure location, movement and interaction among patients, staff and medical equipment. Caregivers can anticipate and manage their workflow, and streamline movement of patients through the emergency department.
- Reduce patient wait times 50%
- Reduce ED visit time 25-50%
- Reduce bed turnover times 25-50%
- Reduce the number of patients that leave without being seen 25-50%
- Improve patient and family satisfaction
- Improve staff and physician satisfaction
Capacity management and quality care for inpatient settings
awarePatientCare helps organizations achieve quality improvement in healthcare delivery by applying a tracking engine and workflow rules to the inpatient setting, improving compliance with CMS-based standards of care, expediting order execution and care transitions, shortening length of stay and providing more capacity for additional patients without an increase in staffing.
- Reduce in patient length of stay 1-3 hours
- Reduce bed turnover time 40-50%
- Improve compliance with quality measures and time-based care milestones
- Improve timeliness of order execution
- Streamline clinical workflow to increase clinician time at the bedside
- Log clinician time at the bedside to truly understand workload and acuity
- Improve patient and family satisfaction
- Track infectious disease exposure outbreaks
Hand hygiene compliance monitoring
awareHandHygiene uses location tracking devices to monitor staff compliance with soap-and-water or gel-based hand hygiene in relation to patient encounters and food handling.
- Improve hand hygiene compliance 30-60%
- Reduce incidence of hospital-acquired infections and limit the resulting treatment costs
- Elevate performance on a key metric that demonstratesquality improvement in healthcare
Outcomes-based implementation services
Awarepoint conducts an up-front impact analysis that identifies and quantifies process improvement goals, including desired outcomes , to ensure optimization of both clinical and financial outcomes. Lean-process and Six Sigma experts help clients create the system according to industry best practices and each hospital's unique needs.
Awarepoint provides a single point of accountability for support and maintenance of the RTLS technology, eliminating burden on hospital staff. Services include:
- 24/7 Technical Support Line
- Quarterly on-site service visits
- Network health and verification
- Quarterly business reviews


text:
Academic Resources
Inquiries: Alicia Pieper, M.A.
email@example.com | 330-244-3371
Professional Phase
Family Life Education
Family Life Education
The Family Life Education concentration prepares graduates to develop and implement family life programs in a variety of education and human service settings. Graduates are eligible to apply to be Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE), a credential granted by the National Council on Family Relations.
Students must declare a pre-major in human development and family studies until they have earned minimum 2.50 GPA in the requirements outlined below, with minimum 3.00 GPA in the three HDFS courses. The purpose of the pre-major in human development and family studies requirement is to ensure that majors have adequate preparation necessary to successfully complete upper-division human development and family studies courses, including a senior-level practicum (HDFS 44092), which provides students with professional training in the field of human/social services.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
See also: Curriculum & Instruction Journals | Gifted Education Journals | Gifted Education Web Sites | Government Documents for Education | Online Reference Sources for Education
Education Full Text brings you comprehensive coverage of an international range of English-language periodicals, monographs and yearbooks. With full text of articles, with indexing cover to cover, from hundreds of journals coverage includes about 79 journals (37 with full text) not covered by ERICs CIJE. Previous vendor was Wilson.
ERIC is most complete index to articles and reports on educational topics.
ERIC is available from several database vendors. UCF students are advised to use ERIC in EBSCOhost, which provides many links to full text and allows users to search multiple education databases simultaneously. Users who are not UCF students are advised to use ERIC from DOE because no login is required.
Indexing and full text of to U.S. dissertations and thesis. Search by author, title, school, year, and discipline. Full text available for most dissertations granted from 1997 forward. From 1980 forward, citations include a 350-word abstract. Citations for master's theses from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts.
Citation Indexes for finding articles that cite a given author or citation.
Catalog of library collections from the U.S. and around the world.
The world's most comprehensive bibliography, with 36 million records for books and material in 370 languages and covering information from 4,000 years of knowledge.
Full text of news and legal sources, as well as company and industry data. See the LexisNexis Academic Research Guide for tips and information.
Limited coverage of business and health administration news. Sources include newspapers, wire services, magazines, SEC filings, law cases, state and federal codes, law review journals, and reference works.
Indexing and full text of articles for array of scholarly and popular topics.
Provides full text for over 4,600 scholarly journals, including nearly 3,900 peer-reviewed titles. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 8,500 journals. This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study including: computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more.
Ethnic NewsWatch is an interdisciplinary, bilingual (English and Spanish) and comprehensive full text database of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press.
GenderWatch is a full text database of unique and diverse publications that focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas.
A current awareness service which draws on a wide range of international sources in order to serve the information needs of those throughout the world, concerned with multicultural education
PAIS International database from CSA contains references to more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more.
Provides a highly specialized collection of hundreds of full text journals, designed for professional educators.
Collects, screens, and identifies studies of the effectiveness of educational interventions. By DOE.
Covers scholarly literature in all aspects of psychology and related fields.
Materials are selected from more than 1,300 journals published in 50 countries and 28 languages.
Covers hundreds of core periodicals in the fields of anthropology, economics, geography, law and criminology, political science, social work, sociology, and international relations. Previous vendor was Wilson.
Covers the literature of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences, with abstracts of journal articles, book reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers.
Last Updated February 18, 2015


text:
A biosensor includes a substrate member with a pattern of active areas of receptive material and a pattern of blocking material layers. The receptive material and blocking material are attached to the substrate member with a photo-reactive crosslinking agent activated in a masking process. The receptive material is specific for an analyte of interest.
1. A method of making a biosensor, comprising the steps of:
applying a photo-reactive crosslinking agent directly to a surface of a substrate member;
forming one of a receptive material layer and a blocking material layer over the crosslinking agent;
placing a mask over the substrate member, the mask having a configuration so as to shield at least one underlying area of the substrate member while exposing at least one adjacent area, and irradiating the substrate member and mask combination with an energy source sufficient to activate the crosslinking agent in the areas exposed by the mask, the activated crosslinking agent crosslinking with the respective receptive material or blocking material in the exposed areas;
cleaning the unreacted receptive material or blocking material from the shielded areas of the substrate member after removal of the mask;
forming a layer of the respective other of the blocking material and receptive material over the surface of the substrate member, and irradiating the substrate member with the energy source so as to activate the remaining crosslinking agent in the previously shielded areas, the activated crosslinking agent crosslinking with the respective blocking material or receptive material; and
wherein a resulting pattern of active receptive material areas and blocking material areas are defined according to the pattern of shielded and exposed areas of the mask.
2. The method as in
3. The method as in
4. The method as in
5. The method as in
6. The method as in
7. The method as in
8. The method as in
9. The method as in
10. The method as in
11. The method as in
12. The method as in
The present application claim priority to and is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/139,025 filed on May 3, 2002 of Cohen, et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 7,771,922, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates generally to the field of detecting analytes in a medium, and more particularly to a process for preparing analyte-specific diagnostic sensors to indicate the presence of the analyte in a medium in, for example, a diffraction/holography format.
There are many systems and devices available for detecting a wide variety of analytes in various media. Many of the prior systems and devices are, however, relatively expensive and require a trained technician to perform the test. A need has been recognized in the art for biosensor systems that are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and capable of reliable and sensitive detection of analytes. Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,922,550; 6,060,256; and 6,221,579 B1.
Various advances have been made in the industry for producing biosensors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,131 to Kumar, et al., describes a device that includes a polymer substrate having a metal coating. An analyte specific receptor layer is stamped onto the coated substrate. A diffraction pattern is generated when an analyte binds to the device. A visualization device, such as a spectrometer, is then used to determine the presence of the diffraction pattern. A drawback to this type of device is, however, the fact that the diffraction pattern is not discernible by the naked eye and, thus, a complex visualization device is needed to view the diffraction pattern. Also, the device is generally not able to detect smaller analytes that do not produce a noticeable diffraction pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,830 to Bogart, et al., describes a device that includes a substrate which has an optically active surface exhibiting a first color in response to light impinging thereon. This first color is defined as a spectral distribution of the emanating light. The substrate also exhibits a second color which is different from the first color. The second color is exhibited in response to the same light when the analyte is present on the surface. The change from one color to another can be measured either by use of an instrument, or by the naked eye. A drawback with the device is, however, the relatively high cost of the device and problems associated with controlling the various layers that are placed on the wafer substrate.
Contact printing techniques have been explored for producing biosensors having a self-assembling monolayer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,550 describes a biosensor having a metalized film upon which is printed (contact printed) a specific predetermined pattern of an analyte-specific receptor. The receptor materials are bound to the self-assembling monolayer and are specific for a particular analyte or class of analytes. Attachment of a target analyte that is capable of scattering light to select areas of the metalized plastic film upon which the receptor is printed causes diffraction of transmitted and/or reflected light. A diffraction image is produced that can be easily seen with the eye or, optionally, with a sensing device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,256 describes a similar device having a metalized film upon which is printed a specific predetermined pattern of analyte-specific receptor. The '256 patent is not limited to self-assembling monolayers, but teaches that any receptor which can be chemically coupled to a surface can be used. The invention of the '256 patent uses methods of contact printing of patterned monolayers utilizing derivatives of binders for microorganisms. One example of such a derivative is a thiol. The desired binding agent can be thiolated antibodies or antibody fragments, proteins, nucleic acids, sugars, carbohydrates, or any other functionality capable of binding an analyte. The derivatives are chemically bonded to metal surfaces such as metalized polymer films, for example via a thiol.
A potential issue of the contact printing techniques described above for producing diffraction-based biosensors is the possibility of contamination from the print surface (i.e., stamp) during the printing process. Also, there is the possibility of uneven application or inking of the substances due to pressure and contact variations inherent in the process, as well as surface energy variations.
The present invention relates to a biosensor system that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, is capable of reliable and sensitive detection of analytes, and avoids possible drawbacks of conventional microcontact printing techniques.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
The present invention provides a relatively inexpensive yet sensitive biosensor device, a method for producing such biosensor devices, and a method for detecting analytes of interest present in a medium.
The biosensor includes a substrate upon which a layer containing a bifunctional crosslinking agent is applied in a light protected environment generally uniformly over an entire surface of the substrate member. This agent has a molecular make-up such that one side of the molecule reacts with and forms a relatively strong bond with the substrate member. The other end of the agent has a photo-reactive group such that, in the presence of or after exposure to an irradiating energy source of sufficient amplitude and frequency, the agent cross-links with any other molecules in close proximity. Examples of such bifunctional crosslinking agents include SANPAH (N-Succinimidyl 2-[p-azido-salicylamido]ethyl-1,3′-dithiiopropionate); SAND (Sulfosuccinimidyl 2-[m-azido-o-nitro-benzamido]ethyl-1,3′-dithiopropionate); and ANB-NOS (N-5-Azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide).
The substrate may be any one of a wide variety of suitable materials, including plastics, metal coated plastics and glass, functionalized plastics and glass, silicon wafers, foils, glass, etc. Desirably, the substrate is flexible, such as a polymeric film, in order to facilitate the manufacturing process.
The crosslinking agent layer is desirably applied in a light-protected environment by any number of known techniques, including dipping, spraying, rolling, spin coating and any other technique wherein the layer can be applied generally uniformly over the entire test surface of the substrate. The invention also includes contact printing methods of applying the photo-reactive crosslinking agent layer.
In one embodiment, a layer containing a receptive material (e.g., biomolecules) is then applied over the photo-reactive crosslinking agent, desirably in a light protected environment. The receptive material is selected so as to have a particular affinity for an analyte of interest. The receptive material layer may be applied by any number of known techniques, including dipping, spraying, rolling, spin coating and any other technique wherein the layer can be applied generally uniformly over the entire test surface of the substrate. The invention also includes contact printing methods of applying the receptive material layer, as long as such methods are conducted in a manner to prevent inconsistent inking and contamination from contact during the initial coating process.
A mask having a pattern of exposed and shielded areas is placed over the substrate. The mask may include any desired pattern of protected or shielded areas and exposed areas (e.g., transparent or translucent areas, as well as holes or openings in the mask structure). The exposed areas of the mask will correspond to a pattern of active receptive material areas (biomolecules) and the shielded areas of the mask will define a pattern of inactive blocking material areas. The mask and substrate combination is then irradiated with an energy source sufficient to activate the crosslinking agent such that the photo-reactive groups crosslink or attach to the biomolecules in the exposed areas of the mask and thus "secure" the biomolecules relative to the substrate in the exposed areas.
In a light protected environment, the mask is removed and the unattached biomolecules that were underlying the shielded areas of the mask are removed from the substrate member by, for example, a washing or rinsing procedure. The crosslinked biomolecules remain attached to the substrate member in a pattern corresponding to the exposed areas of the mask.
In one embodiment, desirably in a light protected environment, a material containing molecules different than the biomolecules selected for the analyte of interest is applied to the substrate member. These "different" molecules will serve, in essence, to fill in or block the regions on the substrate between the active receptive material areas and may be, for example, biomolecules that specifically do not have an affinity for the analyte of interest. In general, any type of blocking molecule may be used for this purpose.
The substrate member is then exposed again to the energy source for a sufficient time to activate the photo-reactive groups of the crosslinking agent. The blocking molecules become crosslinked or attached to the substrate member in a pattern corresponding to the originally shielded areas of the mask.
The substrate member is finally washed or rinsed to remove any remaining unattached blocking molecules. A patterned monolayer of defined areas of active biomolecules for an analyte of interest interposed between areas of blocking molecules remains on the substrate.
In an alternative embodiment, the blocking material may be first applied to the crosslinking agent and exposed through a mask. The receptive material would then be applied after the masking process. Thus, in this embodiment, the pattern of active receptive material areas corresponds to the shielded areas of the mask, and the pattern of inactive blocking material areas corresponds to the exposed areas of the mask.
It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular pattern defined by the mask. Virtually any number and combination of exposed shapes or openings are possible. In one particular embodiment, the pattern is defined by about 10 micron diameter pixels at a spacing of about 5 microns over the test surface of the substrate.
The photo-reactive crosslinking agent is irradiated with an energy source selected particularly for activating the specific type of photo-reactive agent. The invention is not limited to any particular energy source. For example, the energy source may be a light source, e.g., an ultraviolet (UV) light source, an electron beam, a radiation source, etc. Care should be taken such that the exposure is sufficient for activating the crosslinking agent, but does not destroy or break down the receptive material or does not damage the underlying substrate member. Upon subsequent exposure of the biosensor to a medium containing an analyte of interest, the analyte binds to the biomolecules in the active areas. The biosensor will then diffract transmitted light in a diffraction pattern corresponding to the active areas. The diffraction pattern may be visible to the naked eye or, optionally, viewed with a sensing device.
In the case where an analyte does not scatter visible light because the analyte is too small or does not have an appreciable refractive index difference compared to the surrounding medium, a diffraction-enhancing element, such as polymer microparticles, may be used. These micorparticles are coated with a binder or receptive material that also specifically binds to the analyte. Upon subsequent coupling of the analyte to both the patterned biomolecules in the receptive material layer as well as the microparticles, a diffraction image is produced which can be easily seen with the eye or, optionally, with a sensing device.
By "diffraction" it is meant the phenomenon, observed when waves are obstructed by obstacles, of the disturbance spreading beyond the limits of the geometrical shadow of the object. The effect is marked when the size of the object is of the same order as the wavelength of the waves. In the present invention, the obstacles are analytes (with or without or attached microparticles) and the waves are light waves.
In another embodiment of the present invention, nutrients or receptors for a specific class of microorganisms can be incorporated as the receptive material in the active areas. In this way, very low concentrations of microorganisms can be detected by first contacting the biosensor of the present invention with the nutrients incorporated therein and then incubating the biosensor under conditions appropriate for the growth of the bound microorganism. The microorganism is allowed to grow until there are enough organisms to form a diffraction pattern.
The present invention provides a low-cost, disposable biosensor that can be mass produced. The biosensors of the present invention can be produced as a single test for detecting an analyte or it can be formatted as a multiple test device. The uses for the biosensors of the present invention include, but are not limited to, detection of chemical or biological contamination in garments, such as diapers, the detection of contamination by microorganisms in prepacked foods such as meats, fruit juices or other beverages, and the use of the biosensors of the present invention in health diagnostic applications such as diagnostic kits for the detection of proteins, hormones, antigens, nucleic acids, microorganisms, and blood constituents. It should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to any particular use or application.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to particular embodiments thereof. The embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features described or illustrated as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations as come within the scope and spirit of the invention.
The present invention features improved biosensing devices, and methods for using such biosensing devices, for detecting and quantifying the presence or amount of an analyte of interest within a medium. The analytes that can be detected by the present invention include, but are not limited to, microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses, proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules. The biosensing devices according to the invention are relatively inexpensive and have advantages over conventional micro-contact printed biosensors.
The present invention comprises, in broad terms, a process of defining an active pattern of analyte-specific receptive material on a substrate surface by photo-masking the substrate. A layer containing a photo-reactive crosslinking agent is first applied to a surface of the substrate member. The molecular structure of the crosslinking agent is such that one functional group or side thereof reacts with or attaches to the surface of the substrate member. Another functional group or side of the crosslinking agent is photoactivatable such that, in the presence of the correct amplitude and frequency of electromagnetic radiation, the group will cross-link with other molecules in close proximity. Specifically, the photo-reactive crosslinking agent may be any one of a number of substances, including SANPAH (N-Succinimidyl 2-[p-azido-salicylamido]ethyl-1,3′-dithiiopropionate); SAND (Sulfosuccinimidyl 2-[m-azido-o-nitro-benzamido]ethyl-1,3′-dithiopropionate); and ANB-NOS (N-5-Azido-2-nitrobenzoyloxysuccinimide).
A generally uniform coating of the receptive material or the blocking material is then applied to the substrate surface over the crosslinking agent layer. A mask is placed over the substrate, and the mask and substrate combination is irradiated with an energy source specifically selected to activate the photo-reactive group of the crosslinking agent. In its basic form, the "mask" serves to shield at least one area or section of the substrate member from the irradiating energy source and to expose at least one adjacent section to the energy source. For example, the mask may be a generally transparent or translucent blank (e.g., a strip of material) having any pattern of shielded regions printed or otherwise defined thereon. The exposed unshielded regions of the mask correspond to the exposed areas of the substrate member. Alternatively, the mask may simply be a single object placed upon the substrate. The area under the object would be shielded and thus define an active area of the receptive material, and the area around the object would be exposed to the energy source and thus define an area of inactive receptive material. Alternatively, the object may have any pattern of openings defined therethrough corresponding to the exposed areas.
As mentioned, the energy source is selected so that the reactive group of the exposed crosslinking agent is activated and thus attaches or crosslinks with the overlying material (the receptive material or blocking material). The photo-reactive agent in the regions shielded by the mask remains "unactivated." Thus, upon removal of the mask, a pattern of either active receptive material or blocking material is defined on the substrate member corresponding to the pattern of the exposed areas of the mask. It should be understood that "pattern" includes as few as one active area and one inactive area.
The receptive material or blocking material that was under the shielded areas of the mask (and thus not crosslinked with the crosslinking agent) is removed from the substrate in any suitable cleansing process, such as rinsing the substrate with water or a buffer solution.
A generally uniform layer of the respective other material is then applied to the substrate member. For example, if the receptive material was applied to the substrate before the masking process, the blocking material is subsequently applied. Likewise, if the blocking material was first applied, the receptive material is subsequently applied. The substrate member is then exposed to the energy source a second time so as to activate the remaining crosslinking agent in the areas of the substrate member that were shielded by the mask in the masking process. Exposure is sufficient to activate the agent without damaging or deactivating the receptive material (if the receptive material was applied first). During or after exposure to the energy source, the remaining crosslinking agent is activated and, thus, a pattern of the other material (blocking material or receptive material) is defined on substrate member corresponding to the pattern of the shielded areas of the mask. Any remaining un-linked material is then cleaned from the substrate member in an appropriate cleaning process, e.g., a rinsing step.
Upon subsequent exposure of the biosensor to a medium containing the analyte of interest, such analyte will bind to the biomolecules in the active receptive material areas. The analyte results in diffraction of transmitted and/or reflected light in a visible diffraction pattern corresponding to the active receptive material areas. As discussed in greater detail below, an enhancer may be used for enhancing diffraction from extremely small analytes.
The analytes that are contemplated as being detected using the present invention include, but are not limited to, bacteria; yeasts; fungi; viruses; rheumatoid factor; antibodies, including, but not limited to IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE antibodies; carcinoembryonic antigen; streptococcus Group A antigen; viral antigens; antigens associated with autoimmune disease; PSA (prostate specific antigen) and CRP (C-reactive protein) antigens; allergens; tumor antigens; streptococcus Group B antigen; HIV I or HIV II antigen; or host response (antibodies) to these and other viruses; antigens specific to RSV or host response (antibodies) to the virus; antigen; enzyme; hormone; polysaccharide; protein; lipid; carbohydrate; drug or nucleic acid; Salmonella species; Candida species, including, but not limited to Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis; Neisseria meningitides groups A, B, C, Y and W sub 135, Streptococcus pneumoniae; E. coli; Haemophilus influenza type A/B; an antigen derived from microorganisms; a hapten; a drug of abuse; a therapeutic drug; an environmental agent; and antigens specific to Hepatitis. In broad terms, the "analyte of interest" may be thought of as any agent whose presence or absence from a biological sample is indicative of a particular health state or condition.
It is also contemplated that nutrients for a specific class of microorganism can be incorporated into the receptive material layer. In this way, very low concentrations of microorganisms can be detected by exposing the biosensor of the present invention with the nutrients incorporated therein to the suspect medium and then incubating the biosensor under conditions appropriate for the growth of the bound microorganism. The microorganisms are allowed to grow until there are enough organisms to form a diffraction pattern. Of course, in some cases, the microorganism is present or can multiply enough to form a diffraction pattern without the presence of a nutrient in the active receptive material areas.
The receptive material is characterized by an ability to specifically bind the analyte or analytes of interest. The variety of materials that can be used as receptive material is limited only by the types of material which will combine selectively (with respect to any chosen sample) with a secondary partner. Subclasses of materials which fall in the overall class of receptive materials include toxins, antibodies, antibody fragments, antigens, hormone receptors, parasites, cells, haptens, metabolites, allergens, nucleic acids, nuclear materials, autoantibodies, blood proteins, cellular debris, enzymes, tissue proteins, enzyme substrates, coenzymes, neuron transmitters, viruses, viral particles, microorganisms, proteins, polysaccharides, chelators, drugs, aptamers, peptides, and any other member of a specific binding pair. This list only incorporates some of the many different materials that can be coated onto the substrate surface to produce a thin film assay system. Whatever the selected analyte of interest is, the receptive material is designed to bind specifically with the analyte of interest.
The blocking material may be any material that specifically does not bind the analyte of interest. The blocking material may be a passive material, such as milk proteins such as beta casein, albumin such as bovine serum albumin, and other proteins that do not recognize the target analyte; polymers such as polyvinyl pyrolidone, polyethylene glycol, and/or polyvinyl alcohol; surfactants (e.g., Pluronics), carbohydrates, antibodies, DNA, PNA, ubiquitin, and streptavidin. In other embodiments, the blocking material may be a receptive material that binds only with analytes different from the analyte of interest.
The matrix or medium containing the analyte of interest may be a liquid, a solid, or a gas, and can include a bodily fluid such as mucous, saliva, urine, fecal material, tissue, marrow, cerebral spinal fluid, serum, plasma, whole blood, sputum, buffered solutions, extracted solutions, semen, vaginal secretions, pericardial, gastric, peritoneal, pleural, or other washes and the like. The analyte of interest may be an antigen, an antibody, an enzyme, a DNA fragment, an intact gene, a RNA fragment, a small molecule, a metal, a toxin, an environmental agent, a nucleic acid, a cytoplasm component, pili or flagella component, protein, polysaccharide, drug, or any other material. For example, receptive material for bacteria may specifically bind a surface membrane component, protein or lipid, a polysaccharide, a nucleic acid, or an enzyme. The analyte which is specific to the bacteria may be a polysaccharide, an enzyme, a nucleic acid, a membrane component, or an antibody produced by the host in response to the bacteria. The presence or absence of the analyte may indicate an infectious disease (bacterial or viral), cancer or other metabolic disorder or condition. The presence or absence of the analyte may be an indication of food poisoning or other toxic exposure. The analyte may indicate drug abuse or may monitor levels of therapeutic agents.
One of the most commonly encountered assay protocols for which this technology can be utilized is an immunoassay. However, the general considerations apply to nucleic acid probes, enzyme/substrate, and other ligand/receptor assay formats. For immunoassays, an antibody may serve as the receptive material or it may be the analyte of interest. The receptive material, for example an antibody or an antigen, should form a stable, reactive layer on the substrate surface of the test device. If an antigen is to be detected and an antibody is the receptive material, the antibody must be specific to the antigen of interest; and the antibody (receptive material) must bind the antigen (analyte) with sufficient avidity that the antigen is retained at the test surface. In some cases, the analyte may not simply bind the receptive material, but may cause a detectable modification of the receptive material to occur. This interaction could cause an increase in mass at the test surface, a decrease in the amount of receptive material on the test surface, or a change in refractive index. An example of the latter is the interaction of a degradative enzyme or material with a specific, immobilized substrate. In this case, one would see a diffraction pattern before interaction with the analyte of interest, but the diffraction pattern would disappear if the analyte were present. The specific mechanism through which binding, hybridization, or interaction of the analyte with the receptive material occurs is not important to this invention, but may impact the reaction conditions used in the final assay protocol.
In addition to producing a simple diffraction image, patterns of analytes can be such as to allow for the development of a holographic sensing image and/or a change in visible color. Thus, the appearance of a hologram or a change in an existing hologram will indicate a positive response. The pattern made by the diffraction of the transmitted light can be any shape including, but not limited to, the transformation of a pattern from one pattern to another upon binding of the analyte to the receptive material. In particularly preferred embodiments, the diffraction pattern becomes discernible in less than one hour after contact of the analyte with the biosensing device of the present invention.
The diffraction grating which produces the diffraction of light upon interaction with the analyte must have a minimum periodicity of about Į the wavelength and a refractive index different from that of the surrounding medium. Very small analytes, such as viruses or molecules, can be detected indirectly by using a larger, "diffraction-enhancing element," such as a micro-particle, that is specific for the small analyte. One embodiment in which the small analyte can be detected comprises coating the enhancing particle, such as a latex bead or polystyrene bead, with a receptive material, such as an antibody, that specifically binds to the analyte of interest. Particles that can be used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, glass, cellulose, synthetic polymers or plastics, latex, polystyrene, polycarbonate, proteins, bacterial or fungal cells, silica, cellulose acetate, carbon, and the like. The particles are desirably spherical in shape, but the structural and spatial configuration of the particles is not critical to the present invention. For instance, the particles could be slivers, ellipsoids, cubes, random shape and the like. A desirable particle size ranges from a diameter of approximately 0.1 micron to 50 microns, desirably between approximately 0.1 micron and 2.0 microns. The composition of the particle is not critical to the present invention.
Desirably, the receptive material layer on the substrate will specifically bind to an epitope on the analyte that is different from the epitope used in the binding to the enhancing particle. Thus, for detecting a small analyte in a medium, the medium is first exposed to the latex particles having the virus-specific receptive material thereon. The small analytes of interest in the medium will bind to the latex particles. Then, the latex particles are optionally washed and exposed to the biosensor film with the pattern of active receptive material areas containing the virus-specific antibodies. The antibodies then bind to the viral particles on the latex bead thereby immobilizing the latex beads in the same pattern as the active areas on the film. Because the bound latex beads will cause diffraction of the visible light, a diffraction pattern is formed, indicating the presence of the viral particle in the liquid. Other combinations using diffraction enhancing particles are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,579 incorporated herein for all purposes.
Any one of a wide variety of materials may serve as the substrate to which the receptive material and blocking material are applied. Such materials are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, the substrate may be formed of any one of a number of suitable plastics, metal coated plastics and glass, functionalized plastics and glass, silicon wafers, glass, foils, etc. Rather than requiring a rigid substrate for the photopatterning process described herein, it has been found that thermoplastic films are quite suitable. Such films include, but are not limited to, polymers such as: polyethylene-terephthalate (MYLAR«), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate copolymer, cellophane, cellulosic polymers such as ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose propionate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose triacetate, polyethylene, polyethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ionomers (ethylene polymers) polyethylene-nylon copolymers, polypropylene, methyl pentene polymers, polyvinyl fluoride, and aromatic polysulfones. Preferably, the plastic film has an optical transparency of greater than 80 percent. Other suitable thermoplastics and suppliers may be found, for example, in reference works such as the Modern Plastics Encyclopedia (McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., New York 1923-1996).
In one embodiment of the invention, the thermoplastic film may have a metal coating. The film with metal coating thereon may have an optical transparency of between approximately 5 percent and 95 percent. A more desired optical transparency for the thermoplastic film used in the present invention is between approximately 20 percent and 80 percent. In a desired embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic film has at least an approximately 80 percent optical transparency, and the thickness of the metal coating is such as to maintain an optical transparency greater than about 20 percent, so that diffraction patterns can be produced by either reflected or transmitted light. This corresponds to a metal coating thickness of about 20 nanometers. However, in other embodiments of the invention, the metal thickness may be between approximately 1 nanometer and 1000 nanometers.
The preferred metal for deposition on the film is gold. However, silver, aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, zirconium, platinum, nickel, and titanium, as well as oxides of these metals, may be used. Chromium oxide can be used to make metalized layers.
The receptive material and blocking material may be applied to the substrate over the photo-reactive crosslinking agent by any conventional method. The material is applied so that it generally uniformly covers an entire (for example, upper) surface of the substrate. Non-contact methods for applying the materials may be desired so as to eliminate the possibility of contamination by contact during application. Suitable application methods include, but are not limited to, dipping, spraying, rolling, spin coating, and any other technique wherein the receptive material layer can be applied generally uniformly over the entire test surface of the substrate. Simple physisorption can occur on many materials, such as polystyrene, glass, nylon, metals, polycarbonate, or other materials well known to those skilled in the art. One particular embodiment of immobilizing the analyte-specific receptive material layer involves molecular attachment, such as that possible between thiol or disulfide-containing compounds and gold. Typically, a gold coating of about 5 to about 2000 nanometers thick is supported on a silicon wafer, glass, or polymer film (such as a MYLAR« film). The analyte-specific receptor attaches to the gold surface upon exposure of a solution of the receptive material.
Although not preferred, the invention also includes contact printing methods of applying the materials. The technique selected should minimize the amount of receptive material required for coating a large number of test surfaces and maintain the stability/functionality of the receptive material during application. The technique should also apply or adhere the receptive material to the substrate in a uniform and reproducible fashion.
It is also contemplated that the receptive material layer may be formed on the substrate as a self-assembling monolayers of alkanethiolates, carboxylic acids, hydroxamic acids, and phosphonic acids on metalized thermoplastic films. The self-assembling monolayers have receptive material bound thereto. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,550 for a more detailed description of such self-assembling monolayers and methods for producing the monolayers. The '550 patent is incorporated herein in its entirety for all purposes.
The mask may be formed of any suitable material that shields the underlying portion of the substrate from the irradiating energy source. A material that has proven useful for defining patterns of active and inactive receptive material regions on a gold-plated MYLAR« film coated with an antibody solution is a transparent or translucent polymer film (such as MYLAR«) having a pattern of shielded regions printed thereon. This type of mask is useful for light sources (irradiating energy source) with a wavelength to greater than or equal to about 330 nanometers. For light sources having a wavelength below about 330 nanometers, a quartz or fused silica mask having chrome or other metal plated blocked regions defined thereon may be used. It may be desired to select a hole pattern and size so as to maximize the visible diffraction contrast between the active and inactive regions. It has been found suitable if the active regions are defined as generally circular with a diameter of about 10 microns and spaced from each other by about 5 microns.
Any suitable energy source may be selected for irradiating the mask and substrate combination. An energy source is selected particularly for activating the specific type of photo-reactive crosslinking agent. The energy source may be, for example, a light source, e.g., an ultraviolet (UV) light source, an electron beam, a radiation source, etc. In one particular embodiment, the photo-reactive crosslinking agent is SANPAH and the activating energy source is a UV light source. The sensor is exposed to the light source for a period of time sufficient for the photo-reactive group of the crosslinking agent to be activated and thus link or bind with either the receptive material or blocking material. It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular type of light or activating energy source or exposure times. The type of light (e.g., wavelength) and exposure times may vary depending on the particular type of photo-reactive crosslinking agent. Other suitable energy sources may include tuned lasers, electron beams, various types of radiation beams including gamma and X-ray sources, various intensities and wavelengths of light including light beams of sufficient magnitude at the microwave and below wavelengths, etc. Care should be taken that the energy source does not damage (e.g., melt) the underlying substrate or mask.
Step A represents the photo-reactive crosslinking agent 2 applied to a substrate member 4. Excess agent may be rinsed or washed from the substrate.
Step B represents the receptive material (biomolecules) layer 6 applied to the substrate member 4 over the crosslinking agent 2.
Step C depicts the mask 8 disposed over the substrate member 4. The mask 8 includes exposed or open regions 10 and shielded regions 12 defined thereon.
Step D represents the mask 8 and substrate member 4 combination being irradiated with an energy source 14. It can be seen that the areas of the substrate member 4 underlying the shielded regions 12 of the mask 8 are protected from the energy source 14. The photo-reactive groups of the crosslinking agent 2 exposed to the energy source 14 through the open regions 10 of the mask 8 are activated by the energy source 14 and link with the biomolecules 6 in the exposed areas. The crosslinking agent 2 underlying the shielded regions 12 of the mask 8 is not exposed to the energy source and is thus unactivated. The biomolecules 6 in these regions are thus not linked or attached with the agent 2 and are removed in a subsequent cleaning (i.e., rinsing) step.
Step E represents the biosensor after the masking process and removal of the unreacted receptive material.
Step F represents the biosensor after a layer of blocking material 16 has been applied to the substrate member 4. The FIGURE depicts the blocking material as separate molecules dispersed between the attached biomolecules 6. However, it should be appreciated that this is for illustrative purposes only. The blocking material would likely be applied as a uniform coating over the entire substrate member.
Step G represents the substrate member being irradiated the second time with the energy source 14 to activate the remaining crosslinking agent 2 in the areas previously shielded by the mask 8. The photo-reactive groups of the crosslinking agent 2 are activated and link with or attach the blocking molecules 16.
Step H represents the biosensor in its final form after cleaning or rinsing of any excess blocking material 16. The biosensor includes a pattern of active areas of the receptive material 6 corresponding to the exposed areas of the mask 8, and a pattern of areas of the blocking material 16 corresponding to the shielded areas of the mask 8.
The biosensors according to the invention have a wide range of uses in any number of fields. The uses for the biosensors of the present invention include, but are not limited to, detection of chemical or biological contamination in garments, such as diapers, generally the detection of contamination by microorganisms in prepacked foods such as meats, fruit juices or other beverages, and the use of the biosensors of the present invention in health diagnostic applications such as diagnostic kits for the detection of proteins, hormones, antigens, nucleic acids, DNA, microorganisms, and blood constituents. The present invention can also be used on contact lenses, eyeglasses, window panes, pharmaceutical vials, solvent containers, water bottles, band-aids, wipes, and the like to detect contamination. In one embodiment, the present invention is contemplated in a dipstick form in which the patterned substrate is mounted at the end of the dipstick. In use the dipstick is dipped into the liquid in which the suspected analyte may be present and allowed to remain for several minutes. The dipstick is then removed and then, either a light is projected through the substrate or the substrate is observed with a light reflected from the substrate. If a diffraction pattern is observed, then the analyte is present in the liquid.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a multiple analyte test is constructed on the same support. A strip may be provided with several patterned substrate sections. Each section has a different receptive material that is different for different analytes. It can be seen that the present invention can be formatted in any array with a variety of patterned substrates thereby allowing the user of the biosensor device of the present invention to detect the presence of multiple analytes in a medium using a single test.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the biosensor can be attached to an adhesively backed sticker or decal which can then be placed on a hard surface or container wall. The biosensor can be placed on the inside surface of a container such as a food package or a glass vial. The biosensor can then be visualized to determine whether there is microbial contamination.
It should be understood that the present invention includes various other embodiments, modifications, and equivalents to the examples of the invention described herein which, after reading the description of the invention, may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Legal Events
Original Image


text:
UIC Virtual Tour
Until you get a chance to experience the University of Illinois at Chicago in person, these virtual tours can introduce you to key areas on campus.
Get a glimpse of important facilities such as Student Center East, the Richard J. Daley main library, state-of-the-art recreation facility, residence halls and classrooms, and more. It's just a taste of what you can expect when you schedule your campus visit.
Select from our Interactive Map, or learn more about the history of UIC's architecture by visiting the Historic Netsch Campus video tour or pictorial tour.
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Meet Priya, a self-declared foodie who attended UIC for both undergraduate and graduate school. Find out how she utilized the research opportunities at UIC to get into the healthcare sector.
- African American Academic Network
- African American Cultural Center
- Asian American Resource and Cultural Center
- Disability Resource Center
- Gender and Sexuality Center
- Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services Center (LARES)
- Latino Cultural Center
- Native American Support Program
- TRIO – Academic Support Program
- Women's Leadership and Resource Center
© Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


text:
Results 1 to 10 of 17
VoiDH: Teh Forum Edition #3
Style: Wrestling, BJJ n00b--
I exhaled and my shoulders bounced, you win. But it still feels like you aren't listening...
Make it more animated.
Inorporate timing, don't beat dead horses, and take advantage of the fact that you have a comic.
Stronger punchlines.
Timing and surprise.
Surprise, less predictability.
Use a more appropriate format.
So far, this one and the super bowl/UFC 81 were the best. I'd like to see these get better, and I'm looking forward to these being funny. Maybe even bookmark worthy. Do you read a lot of webcomics? Right now, it feels like you're ditching any sort of format and doing whatever you feel like (frame-wise). Read some webcomics, pay attention to the format.
I want to see these become funny.
Style: bjj/(not enough)MT--Originally Posted by WorldWarCheese
Superbad is the ****... learn from it Kai
Here to kick your ass.
- Join Date
- Jul 2007
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 3,758
Posted On:
2/25/2008 10:10pm


text:
Obama Treating Women Like Breeding Animals
An article earlier this year in Politico speculated that this presidential election may be the first one ever to be decided by women. The Obama campaign understands this, and has trotted out a series of ditzy female celebrities to declare their support for Obama because he is for "women's rights." Eva Longoria, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Ashley Judd, Scarlett Johansson and others have come out publicly with statements within the past few weeks. Longoria spoke at the Democratic National Convention, and has said, "There is an attack on women's health care and President Obama's policies are the only ones that are going to move the agenda for women's rights…..I find such a champion in President Obama — which is why I passionately support him — specifically because I'm a woman." But what exactly does this mean?
Women have essentially achieved equality in American society, they have the right to vote, they can obtain virtually any job a man can hold, and studies show that women receive salaries equal to men when factors like experience are taken into consideration. There is essentially nothing left to achieve in the area of "women's rights" in the U.S. So Obama has championed the made up "women's rights" of abortions and birth control.
Abortion and birth control are highly controversial issues, with women divided over their use and funding. Consequently, it cannot be said that they equate to "women's rights," which all women have traditionally supported. Additionally, with all of the free women's clinics around the country, it is ludicrous to claim that access to abortions and birth control is a problem. You can't drive a couple of miles without seeing a women's clinic.
By obsessing over a problem that does not exist, it is apparent that Obama is tricking women and distracting them from real issues. The primary issue Obama is concerned about for women is also society's primary concern about feral cats and wild animals: preventing them from breeding. Instead of being concerned about women's education, brains, safety, children, or other issues, Obama has fooled women – particularly ditzy celebrities — into thinking that stopping them from breeding is their most important issue.
Using vapid celebrities who don't really understand politics to blindly repeat Obama's rhetoric is insulting to intelligent women and frankly embarrassing. They might as well be saying, "I am supporting Obama because he realizes the most important issue for women is stopping us from breeding."
There is a gender gap in the presidential race, with women favoring Obama over Mitt Romney. Obama has cleverly come up with a phrase to attack Romney and the Republicans who do not agree that breeding prevention should be the number one issue for women, "The Republicans' War on Women." Romney closed the gap from 18 points down to three points after the presidential debate. Perhaps women are beginning to understand that Obama is treating women as single-issue voters only interested in breeding prevention.
Observing Romney's wonderful wife Ann, does anyone really believe for a minute that Romney is a sexist who wants to turn back "women's rights?" Contrast the classy Ann Romney with Michelle Obama, who does not appear to care about any woman except herself. She brazenly wears clothing from the most expensive designers, gowns that most women will never be able to afford, landing her a spot on People Magazine's "10 Best-Dressed Women." After Obama was elected president, she took sixteen lavish vacations within three years around the world, something else most women cannot afford. Judicial Watch analyzed the vacations and found they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. White House sources report that she spent $10 million on vacations in just one year. Some of this money was spent on expensive massages and alcohol. Few Americans have the money for even one vacation a year in the current dismal economy. Ann Romney spoke up earlier this year and said the Romneys would not be taking as many vacations as the Obamas if her husband becomes president.
All of Michelle Obama's expensive designer gowns cannot give her class. She brazenly declared on Good Morning America, "I've got a loud mouth." She apparently isn't concerned about teaching her daughters to be classy women either. She looks up to the singer Beyonce as a role model for her daughters. Beyonce is known for her scantily-clad performances and dirty lyrics, which include a song entitled "Nasty Girl."
Hopefully, women voters will see through Obama's low view of women. Women are not playthings to be used by deceitful politicians for their own purposes. We all love wild animals and feral cats, but there are far more important issues to be considered this election than breeding prevention.
Also see...
This dad punches the crap out of two girls attacking his daughter. Tell me you wouldn't do the same if a pack of thugs were beating on your child. I...Read More
Rachel Alexander
Rachel Alexander is a Senior Editor at The Stream and Editor of Intellectual Conservative. She writes for Townhall, the Selous Foundation for Public Policy Research, the Christian Post, weekend news items for Right Wing News and occasionally for the UK Guardian. She is a recovering attorney and former gun magazine editor. In 2011-2014, she was listed as one of the 50 Best Conservative Columnists by Right Wing News.
Related Articles
Was "The Private Sector is Doing Fine" Really a Gaffe?
When obama uttered the words "the private sector is doing fine" speculation ran rampant, declarations occurred and questions abounded. Obedient
Prime Time Slime: Larry King Says Sarah Palin Should Pose for Playboy
I know. I had forgotten that show was still on the air, too. Well, I suppose even Michael Moore needs
Obama Camp Says If Mitt Gives Them 5 Years Of Tax Returns, They Won't Ask For More
Sure, they wouldn't (Washington Post) Barack Obama's re-election campaign kept up pressure against Republican rival Mitt Romney on two fronts


text:
The Marriott TownePlace Suites, a new extended stay hotel in Aiken, opened for business on Tuesday.
Approved in 2011 by Aiken City Council, ground was broken for the construction of the new hotel on Monterey Drive off Whiskey Road last summer.
According to Neel Shah, owner of NMR Hospitality which manages this new hotel, they're excited to open the new hotel, which has a host of amenities that will make its customers feel right at home. NMR Hospitality also manages the Clarion Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Hotel Aiken and the Springhill Suites in North Charleston.
The hotel includes 85 large studio rooms with a small cooking area, complimentary breakfast, a market pantry to purchase snacks or other necessities, a fitness room, a guest patio complete with a grill and an outdoor pool. Laundry will be washed on site for free.
Complimentary access to both Gold's Gym and Achieve Fitness will also be offered to visitors.
Tom Shepherd, the general manager for the new hotel, said extended stay hotels are typically for those who need a room for five or more nights. He added that with the higher gas or airline ticket prices due to the economy, extended hotels can help travelers save money because they have the ability to cook meals in their rooms.
Shepherd pointed out a map on the wall located at the entrance to the hotel. Local restaurants and stores are pinpointed on the map and a chalkboard situated beside it will be used to inform visitors of events happening during their stay.
Shepherd said he wants to make sure that visitors have a chance to get the full experience of the community while they're in Aiken.
"We want them to check in, stay for a while and integrate into the community, and we think Aiken is great for that because of everything thing Aiken offers," Shepherd said.
He also plans to integrate his employees into the community by encouraging them to volunteer with nonprofits in the area.
The new hotel created about 15 jobs and Shepherd said his staff is trained and ready to ensure that their customers have a pleasant experience.
With SRS several miles down the road and a construction boom bringing in workers who need a place to stay, Shepherd feels the hotel will do great in Aiken because there was already a demand for this particular market, he said.
The Marriott TownePlace Suites is located at 1008 Monterey Drive and can be reached by calling 803-641-7373.
Amy Banton is the city beat reporter and has been with the Aiken Standard since May 2010. She is a native of Rustburg, Va., and a graduate of Randolph Macon Woman's College.
Notice about comments:
Aiken Standard is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point.
We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.


text:
Insurance extensionMarch 15,2014Pause a moment to consider the plight of the long-term unemployed, our fellow citizens who for one reason or another have encountered failure after failure in their attempts to find a job, any job.
Some smug Americans offer flaccid advice to these unfortunate people: Get a job, they say, as if all it takes is a bit of determination.
Those who propose such a simplistic solution have probably never been out of work for any length of time and therefore may have never experienced the deep and humiliating frustration suffered by the genuinely jobless.
Try to imagine how such a person, having applied for job after job only to hear youre too old or youre over-qualified or some other such discouraging words, only to hear our nations political leaders dismiss them as lazy or too easily satisfied with accepting federal handouts.
Well, this week there finally was an encouraging development on Capitol Hill as Senate negotiators reached agreement on a plan to extend federal jobless benefits and even make them retroactive so that the two million Americans whose federal aid was cut off months ago would be appropriately reimbursed.
And heres the best part: The senators who came up with this plan were five Republicans and five Democrats. This was bipartisan politics at its best.
Well, maybe yes, maybe no. Lets see what happens when the Senates bill is taken up in the House of Representatives, that unwieldy and increasingly embarrassing political institution that must make some Americans consider the possible benefits of a single-chamber Congress (a concept that seems to work reasonably well in Nebraskas unicameral state legislature).
House Speaker John A. Boehner, perhaps ominously, offered no immediate comment on the prospects of the Senates initiative when it reaches the House.
Maybe he didnt need to, because in the past Boehner has always opposed proposals such as extending unemployment benefits because his argument has always been that any additional costs must be offset by spending cuts of equal magnitude. On this bill, there is indeed a plan to do just that, so perhaps Boehner will come around, provided his other political calculations favor the bill.
The renewed benefits would cost approximately $10 billion no small sum but that would be offset by extending fees on goods coming through U.S. Customs and a modification in the way corporations contribute to pensions, the senators explained.
Some of Boehners Republican colleagues in the Senate set the tone that could prevail in the House if only the diehard partisans, who so often appear more determined to undermine their political rivals and advance their own re-election chances than to enact fair and decent legislation, would finally acknowledge the genuine needs of the nations unemployed.
Im pleased that weve reached an agreement that will get a sufficient number of Republican votes, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who headed the Republican support for the measure, stated.
The bill would restart a key aid program for long-term unemployed workers whose jobless benefits went beyond state limits, which are about 26 weeks with some variation for each state.
The proposed legislation would sensibly require more job training for long-term jobless workers if they are to continue receiving insurance benefits.
Also, benefits would end for laid-off workers whose gross income the previous year topped $1 million. Strangely, there are some in that category.
For too long the victims of our nations recent economic woes have paid a disproportionate price for reasons that seldom were related to the quality of their work. Its time for the House to remedy this injustice.MORE IN CommentaryOn Friday, the government of Puerto Rico announced that it was about to miss a bond payment. Full StoryThe first Republican presidential primary debate is Thursday, and the leading candidate is almost... Full StoryIran and the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States plus Germany) have now... Full Story
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day 1739, 'Richard Palmer' identified in prison at York Castle as the notorious outlaw DICK TURPIN; IN 1836, Battle of the Alamo begins near San Antonio de Bexar, Texas; 1896, the Tootsie Roll invented by LEO HIRSCHFELD.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1472, Orkney, Shetland islands put up as collateral by Norway to Scotland in lieu of dowry for MARGARET OF DENMARK on her marriage with JAMES III, king of Scotland; 1962, JOHN GLENN first American to orbit Earth.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: City mayoral candidates debate campaign issues; Hartford, Conn., woman still missing; Neal Goswami reports attempts to legislate suicide; local woman loses 100 pounds through TOPS program.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1878, JOHN TUNSTALL murdered near Lincoln, New Mexico, by the outlaw JESSE EVANS; in 1930, ELM FARM OLLIE first cow to fly in aircraft, first to be milked airborne; 1955, nuke test WASP; '79, snow in Sahara.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: Rutland Herald News Editor Alan J. Keays and staff writer Gordon Dritschilo discuss stories planned for the February 18, 2015, edition of the newspaper: Winter budgets maxed, legal marijuana, Springfield bank job, USPS slowdown
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1249 AD, ANDRE of LONGJUMEAU is dispatched by LOUIS IX of France to meet the KHAGAN, ruler of the Mongol Empire; in 1804, during 1st Barbary War, STEPHEN DECATUR scuttles the pirate-held USS Philadelphia in Tripoli.


text:
The new Touch-n-Sense™ technology means the Easy Reader goes to work on contact with any Wagner 4.0 Smart Sensor. On contact, the Easy Reader will turn on, take the reading and can be immediately removed from the test hole.Read More
The new Touch-n-Sense™ technology means the Easy Reader goes to work on contact with any Wagner 4.0 Smart Sensor. On contact, the Easy Reader will turn on, take the reading and can be immediately removed from the test hole.Read More
Connected to Rapid RH™ Smart Sensors, the state-of-the-art IEEE 802.15.4 technology transmitters send a sensor's relative humidity and temperature data to a receiver plugged directly into an onsite computer or network.Read More
In a newly released webinar, Howard Kanare of the Portland Cement Association's laboratory presents breakthrough scientific data that seriously challenges what we have believed regarding traditional methods for moisture testing of concrete slabs.Read More
The importance of the 40% depth requirement (for a slab drying from one side; 20% if from two sides) for determining a slab's internal relative humidity was clearly shown in mid-90's work done by Dr. Göran Hedenblad at the Technical University of Lund in Sweden.Read More
Now Available: Wagner's Concrete pH Test Kit. Wagner's pH kit contains: 2 oz. bottle of DISTILLED water and a choice of either 5 or 25 pH test strips for under $10.00.Read More
Portland Cement Association has published the second edition of "Concrete Floors and Moisture" 164pp, 2008 by Howard Kanare.Read More
A major change is taking place in the way that the floor covering industry measures moisture in concrete floors. This change affects concrete floor contractors, general contractors, construction managers, owners, architects, and floor covering installers.Read More
Wagner Electronics is offering a free moisture meter upon completion of certification classes at the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).Read More
Enter Wagner Electronics' Rapid RH™, an evolution in moisture-sensing technology, and the winner of the Attendees' Choice Award for the Most Innovative Product at this year's World of Concrete. Rapid RH™ is an all-in-one probe that combines a moisture sensor, power supply and display into a single, low-cost device that is inserted directly into the concrete floor slab.Read More
This rugged, low-cost instrument allows general contractors, inspectors and flooring professionals to quickly get accurate floor moisture and temperature readings. The Rapid RH™ eliminates guesswork, messy testing methods, is disposable and can be left in the testing area. The Rapid RH™ fits level with the concrete, preventing damage to the probe.Read More


text: His come from behind win on Sunday did show that Hendo may have slowed down. And he was never a "fast" fighter to begin with. But his striking IQ still makes him dangerous, one of the best short right hooks I'd ever seen off of a break or scramble. That being said, he will not be able to use TRT for future fights. Is it wise for him to continue if he's not going to be able to be 100 percent healthy when he trains and fights? I know many think that his levels are "normal" for someone his age without the TRT, and if they are too low for some reason then that's just "too bad". So should he risk his legacy and fight without his treatment? I think he'll continue, but I'd like to see him be honest with himself if he notices that training isn't going well, and walk away.


text:
Friday, November 1, 2013
Summerville Community Orchestra trumpet player Dean Glace has owned 10-15 trumpets in his lifetime.
Little things about each instrument would prompt him to make the swap, things that don't bother him anymore. He now owns five and appreciates the small changes in sound each weathered instrument supplies.
Glace is also one of just two members left of the constant turnover his beloved orchestra experiences.
"It's amazing how many people have played (with the SCO)," he said. "It makes me want to practice more and make sure my sound is the way it should be. When we bring in others you work even harder."
Glace would know what it is like to have to step up his practice regimen. That is what he had to do six years ago when he suffered a heart attack.
"Going forward I'm just hoping I can continue playing. After (the heart attack) I couldn't play for a month and it was hard," he said.
What made his transition back easier was CSO flautist Jenny Bekker, his oldest daughter.
"I enjoy playing with her," he said. "It's a lot of fun and she'll give me criticism which is fine because she's a good musician."
He and his wife Mary have another daughter, Laura, that teaches English in Thailand. Family is an important piece of Glace's life and has been since he was a child growing up in Pilot Mountain, N.C.
"My twin brother and I would go outside on the porch and play our trumpets. People could hear us all the way down the mountain and at school the next day they'd say 'Y'all sounded good last night,'" he said with a long laugh.
A 7-year-old Glace picked up the trumpet after his father, a pianist and violinist, purchased one at a pawnshop. The twins and their father learned the instrument together.
Their school started the band when he was in the third grade and he continued playing in concert and marching band in high school in nearby Elkin, N.C.
He then enrolled at North Carolina State University where he played symphonic, marching, brass, orchestra and big band at the school.
He alternately spent time in the Navy for four years before earning his bachelor of science in electrical engineering.
After graduating he worked with radio transmitters in Rochester, N.Y., avionics in Florida and space and naval warfare in Virginia. Glace, his wife and two daughters moved down to Summerville in 1996.
"Right when I moved here I talked to (CSO violinist) Allen Hendricks and began playing at the Singing Christmas Tree and I've done that for 17 years," he said. "Then I overheard (Summerville) was starting an orchestra so I attended the meeting and we've come all this way now."
In addition to playing in the Singing Christmas Tree and SCO, he continues to perform at weddings, brass quintets, the College of Charleston orchestra and serves as the music librarian for the SCO.
"It's something that I did back at NC State that they asked me to do here," he said. "I copy music, put folders together, make sure they have all the parts and I do about 7,000 copies per season."
Glace retired from his job in 2006 and has continued to perform music and serve as the librarian since then.
He maintains his practice schedule and recanted the phrase "The only way to get to Carnegie Hall is the practice, practice, practice." The 67-year-old has a motivation for his musical career going forward.
"As long as I can keep playing, I'm going to play."
The Journal Scene is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Journal Scene.
If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.
© 2015 The Journal Scene an Evening Post Industries company. All Rights Reserved.
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Parental Consent Form.


text:
Unruly aggregates data from third parties to track the volume of shares and views a video obtains across the social web. On rare occasions, this data can be inaccurate.
It appears that this video is currently experiencing a data discrepancy, so please use these metrics with caution while our development team investigates.


text:
Nearly 225 community volunteers helped to turn Monday's Relay For Life Aiken Golf Classic into the largest fundraising effort in the tournament's seven-year history.
The group's goal was to raise at least $42,000, a benchmark cleared this year according to Keeley Scott, local Relay for Life Board member.
"We're set up to make that much or even better this year," she said Monday afternoon as the tournament ended. "We've still got money coming in, so it has definitely been a success."
Golfers took to the links at the Reserve Course and Hollow Creek Course at Woodside Plantation for the event, hoping to make eagles and birdies, but also raise money for a worthy cause.
According to Jack St. Clair, an event co-organizer, the tournament was held in memory of Dennis Bartholomew, one of the original co-organizers of the event, and all those lost and loved over the years.
Bartholomew was serving as the Relay For Life coordinator and was planning the first golf tournament when he died of cancer seven years ago.
Relay For Life Community Manager Lisa Glass said the event is particularly gratifying because of all the community help and support.
"Everyone just has a wonderful time," she said. "We know that 65 percent of cancers are actually preventable. By having fundraisers like this, we want to get to 100 percent,"
She noted that the Aiken Relay For Life's team is ranked third in the state for their overall fundraising efforts.
"We hold that up as an example of the wonderful things that can be done by playing golf and having a good time, but also doing some very good work."
Relay For Life is actually the largest voluntary nonprofit organization in the world, she added.
"We fund all of our own research," she explained. "We've made so many wonderful gains, and we just need to keep the momentum and keep up the awareness."
Liz Stewart, a local businesswoman and the guest speaker at Monday's event, said her fight with cancer was aided by experimental research, which is funded through organizations such as Relay For Life.
"It's a good idea to let people know that while they've had a good time here, there's a higher purpose as well."
The event's presenting sponsors this year were URS and Anchor Health & Rehab of Aiken.
Jimmy Angelos, president of URS Professional Solutions, said it's important to remember that cancer impacts so many people in the community.
"It's touched all of our lives. It's a good cause, plus people come out here and have a good time."
Notice about comments:
Aiken Standard is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point.
We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.


text:
Find the perfect hotel in Wathena using our hotel guide provided below. Find discounted hotel accommodations in or close to Wathena, KS for your business or personal leisure travel. Explore the most favored Wathena Kansas hotel/motel rooms. Review the Wathena hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the Wathena hotels.The Wathena center is approximately 5 miles from Civic Center Park and 16 miles from Evah C Cray Historical Home.
Wathena Hotels & Accommodations
Next 20 Wathena Hotels > [1 - 20 of 50]
Next: See My Wathena Hotels with Pricing >


text:
Like so many others, Michael Schiavello has learned that dependability and availability aren't among Nick Diaz's strong suits.
The veteran broadcaster took to Twitter on Monday night to scold the recent UFC title challenger for skipping a taping of his "The Voice Versus" interview series.
As he wrote: "@nickdiaz209 has no showed The Voice Versus. Nick you have let your fans down again... And me a big fan in particular. Unprofessional mate."
Over the weekend Schiavello confirmed Diaz was scheduled as a guest, and he said was flying to the fighter's hometown of Stockton, Calif., to tape the show, which airs on AXS TV. The show previously has drawn many notables from the MMA and entertainment industries, including Dana White, Alistair Overeem, Steven Austin, George Foreman and Steven Seagal.


text:
Laced Up Blazer
Style # 216282
With lightweight stretchy fabric, cool laced-up detail and collarless design make this bebe blazer an edgy way to polish up your look. Try it with a pair of skinny jeans and a bodysuit.
- 65% cotton, 29% nylon, 6% spandex
- Center back to hem: 22" (56 cm)
- Spandex lining
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size 6
Rated 5 out of 5�by 1 reviewer.
Rated 5 out of 5�by Vi1977 So loved it! I bought this blazer online and is so beautiful, and the material too. I was so worried that it won't fit me, but the size fit me perfectly. I wear size XS, and it was the right size. I definitely recommend it!! December 24, 2013
1-1 of 1


text:
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Trip to New York and a Food Blog Award
As all of my wonderful friends and readers know, I was off to New York for almost two weeks, but as only a few of you know, I didn't go on vacation; I went to visit and help out my dear and sadly ailing brother. A truly bittersweet trip. I thank all of you for the friendship and well wishes you have sent to me, it was truly felt. And I thank all of you for popping in and checking up to see if I had returned. I am back home and back blogging. I have so much catching up to do!
A run down of my trip :
BITTER : Seeing my brother, once so incredibly strong and healthy, so active and multi-talented, stricken down by this unforgiving, unrelenting disease, his world reduced to his immediate surroundings and the comfort and limited activities that it can offer.
SWEET : Having been able to spend two weeks with him, laughing with him at jokes on tv, old photos and silly observances. Knowing that I helped him as best I could in such a short time, organizing, explaining, communicating to others on his behalf, showing him my love and support.
BITTER : Being away from home and family. Coming home to a mountain of ironing and a basically empty fridge, having had my delicates washed on not-so delicate (though it was sweet of them to try), ten days or so away from my blog, having to make up time on house-hunting, waking this morning to a sink-full of last night's dishes, pots and pans, finding that my baking shelf in the pantry was rearranged, everything shoved somewhere else so I had to scavenge through all the shelves looking for each item.
SWEET, BUT OH-SO SWEET : Being back in my husband's arms, Marty excited to see me and my waking this morning to the usual routine of him running to my bedside and showing his enthusiasm, the boys pleased with the meager gifts I could manage to bring back from New York for them, Simon asking me to bake a banana bread and Clem showing me his incredible, fantastic grade on his second Interior Architecture project, knowing all of my men actually got along for almost two weeks in my absence!
Coming home to a fabulous Daube de Boeuf aux Carottes (Beef with Carrots Stew) made by my favorite Frenchman and oh-so-fab cook JP. Very sweet, indeed!
AND THE CHERRY ON THE TOP : Sam of My Carolina Kitchen surprising me with the Fabulous Food Blog Award! What a wonderful, wonderful surprise! And little did Sam know, but it came at the perfect time, just when I needed something to make me smile and feel so appreciated!
The first rule of this award is to pass the Fabulous Food Blog award on to five fellow bloggers who I believe deserve this distinction. I follow many wonderful blogs, but the five I have chosen are special. These are each amazing, fun to read and inspiring (inspiring me to cook!) food blogs that I turn to almost daily. And Kate, Antonella, Kevin, Maryann and Rania are bloggers whom I have come to consider real friends now; I so love to visit their blogs and I am thrilled whenever I see that they have popped over to visit mine.
1. Kate in the Kitchen
2. Croce e Delizia
3. Closet Cooking
4. Finding la Dolce Vita
5. Yumeezy
These five blogs are invited to pass along the "Fabulous Food Blog Award." The rules aren't mine, they came with the award. You must pass it on to five other Fabulous Bloggers in a post. You may find their email addresses on their Profile page or, if not available, post as a "Comment" to their latest post.
You must include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them. You must list five of your "Fabulous Addictions" in the post.
You must copy and paste these rules in the post.
Right click the award icon and save to your computer; then post with your own awards. To my way of thinking, this is a nice tribute and it widens the reading audience.
Along with passing the award along, the rules say you must list five of your "Fabulous Addictions." Here are mine :
1. Food (how obvious is that?) - whether "fine dining", local fare, street food or homemade
2. Books (cookbooks mostly but police and murder mysteries as well)
3. Really fine, usually Italian, leather shoes and handbags
4. Baking (I am truly addicted)
5. Computer – sadly, I have become addicted to Mudflats, Facebook and food blogs as well as the writing of and preparation of my own blog
Now, that is as close as I get to putting together a list of addictions.
I leave you here with a great big "I AM BACK" and an extra thank you and a great big virtual hug to Sam of My Carolina Kitchen for giving me this much appreciated award!
18 comments:
- swedishclare said...
And oh, dear Jamie, we are so glad you are back!
- March 23, 2009 at 7:57 AM
- scraps said...
A very nice post, thanks for helping me feel so blessed. Congrats on your award!
- March 23, 2009 at 8:23 AM
- cooknkate said...
I missed you and OMG!!!! You gave me an award! Talk about a sweet homecoming!
Thanks so much, and you would get it right back if it didn't come from you. I love your posts, your life perspective and your food. I could happily co-exist in a kitchen with you any day.
- March 23, 2009 at 8:27 AM
- Culinary Wannabe said...
I'm glad you had some "sweet" highlights of your trip - I'm sure it was emotionally taxing seeing your brother. My prayers are certainly with you and him. I also hope you were able to enjoy nyc a bit! We've had some interesting changes in weather lately, from spring warmth, to freezing cold again. Congrats on your award!!
- March 23, 2009 at 9:16 AM
- Aeroentropy said...
Good to see you back, Jamie - still looking for you on the other side when you're ready.
Big ((hug)) to you!
- March 23, 2009 at 9:43 AM
- Maryann said...
Very nice to see you back. I wish your brother every comfort.
The award is beautiful and I feel so honored to receive it from you. Thanks so much. I will display it proudly :)
- March 23, 2009 at 10:52 AM
- Alex said...
Welcome back, Jamie!
Sorry (and glad) about your bittersweet trip.... but congrats on the award!
- March 23, 2009 at 11:54 AM
- asiangrrl said...
Jamie, oh, how I've missed you, our chats, and your blogging. I am glad you got to spend time with your brother, even if there was bitter mixed in with the sweet. Welcome back to the 'real' world of the intertubes. Glad to have you back.
- March 23, 2009 at 12:30 PM
- Kevin said...
Congrats on the award! Thanks for the award!
- March 23, 2009 at 3:55 PM
- My Carolina Kitchen said...
Jamie, I'm so glad you are home. We've missed you. You and your brother are in our thoughts and prayers. It's wonderful that you got to spend some time with him.
I'm so glad I could bring a bit of happiness your way. Your blog is truly fabulous and you deserve every award.
I too am addicted to really good shoes. I miss my days working at Saks Fifth Avenue where I got a discount. Those were the days.
Really enjoyed this beautiful post. Welcome home.
- March 23, 2009 at 5:03 PM
- Jamie said...
Thanks to all for the congratulations and the welcome backs. I am always so touched and thrilled when you stop by my blog!
- March 24, 2009 at 1:43 AM
Welcome back Jamie - you've been missed.
What is it with men and laundry ? They just seem incapable of reading washing instructions.....
Congratulations on your award
- March 24, 2009 at 4:31 AM
Glad to have you back Jamie...you were missed!
- March 24, 2009 at 4:32 AM
- Antonella said...
Jamie, thanks! I am very happy to receive from you the "Fabulous Food Blog Award"!
I hope that your brother fells better now.
- March 24, 2009 at 9:30 AM
- Sophie said...
Congrats on your 1st winning award, Jamie!! I am glad that you commented on my foodblog so that I can discover your wonderful foodblog!! Thanks!!!
- March 25, 2009 at 3:36 AM
- W. Va. Fur and Root said...
Oh Sweet Jamie!
What experiences you've had lately. I'm so sorry seeing the reality of your brother's illness was heartbreaking, but in the days and years to come this last visit will take on a sweetness fully qualifying it for Life's a Feast status.
Congratulations on the award - I knew it was only a matter of time before the awards started.
Welcome home.
- March 25, 2009 at 5:33 AM
- Jamie said...
Thank you dear Connie! I haven't yet bumped into you over at the Flats, so it is nice to see you here! And thank you for the heartfelt sentiments. I missed all of you very much.
- March 25, 2009 at 6:36 AM
- ~Carole said...
My goodness, what a bittersweet trip. I can't imagine how hard it must've been for you, especially considering how you remember your brother in the past.
Best wishes your way.
- March 27, 2009 at 7:04 AM


text:
Children who are approximately 5 – 12 years old will attend the JOY Ministry class with the Children's Ministry. The class is in Courtyard Building 2 - C110. Classes are offered at 9:15 and 10:50 a.m. which will allow you, as parents, to attend both a Worship Service and an Adult Small Group. Children will experience a variety of activities including a Bible story, art center, music time, and group games. They will also attend the opening session of Kidz Connection (Children's Church) in the chapel to participate in the worship aspect of that service during the 9:15 session.
I know the plans I have for you says the Lord... plans to give you a hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11


text:
fiscal cliff
Key House Democrat talks fiscal cliff
Interview by
Dec 10, 2012
Lawmakers in Washington continue to work towards a deal on the fiscal cliff before the end of the year. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, says House Democrats' opinions shouldn't be ignored.
Senator Kent Conrad on the fiscal cliff
Interview by
Dec 10, 2012
The chair of the Senate Budget Committee explains why he thinks we'll reach a fiscal cliff deal before the end of 2012.
Senator Debbie Stabenow on fiscal cliff burden and next steps
Interview by
Dec 7, 2012
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) calls for the extension of middle class tax cuts, compromise, and Republican budget specifics to avoid the fiscal cliff.
Advice for investors ahead of the fiscal cliff
Interview with
Dec 7, 2012
A lot of investors are on edge about what's going to happen with the fiscal cliff. Economics correspondent Chris Farrell says take a deep breath and don't make any rash decisions.
Test yourself in the Fiscal Cliff Time Machine quiz
Dec 6, 2012
We've noticed that what Washington is saying this year about the fiscal cliff, sounds a whole lot like what people were saying last year about the debt limit. So can you guess which quote is from this year?
Sen. Baucus says 'no choice' but to avoid the fiscal cliff
Interview by
Dec 6, 2012
Sen. Max Baucus chairs the Senate Finance Committee, and he says Congress will come to some kind of deal on the fiscal cliff -- though more negotiations could happen after the end of the year.
On fiscal cliff, Americans say leave me out of this
Interview with
Dec 6, 2012
With just about three weeks left until Congress runs up against its fiscal cliff deadline, how is the public viewing the debate?
Europe struggles to prepare for the U.S. fiscal cliff
Interview with
Dec 5, 2012
If the U.S. falls off the fiscal cliff at the end of the year, countries across the pond could also suffer the effects.
Poll respondents tricked by Panetta-Burns plan
Dec 4, 2012
Twenty-five percent of respondents to Public Policy Polling's new survey said they had heard of a deficit reduction plan that doesn't actually exist.
Fiscal cliff nears for baseball players, too
Interview by
Dec 3, 2012
The curious case of BJ Upton, baseball and the fiscal cliff.


text:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the future of the American economy depends on immigrants.
Speaking Friday to religious conservatives, Bush said that immigrants are particularly important to help create more taxpayers to fund the safety net for the large, retiring baby boomer generation.
"Immigrants create far more businesses than native-born Americans over the last 20 years," he said, adding that immigrants also have more "intact families."
"Immigrants are more fertile, and they love families," he said.
Bush, brother of President George W. Bush, is thought to be weighing a presidential bid. He is among several potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual conference in Washington.
As Congress debates changing the nation's immigration laws, many conservatives are reluctant to support a new system that grants so-called "amnesty" to millions of immigrants in the country illegally. Before being granted legal status, Bush said, they should pay a fine, learn English and be blocked from receiving welfare benefits.
He said the nation must allow more immigrants "to pursue their dreams in our country with a vengeance to create more opportunities for all of us."
"If we don't do it, we will be in decline," he told evangelical Christian activists.
"They bring a younger population," Bush continued. "Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity."
Notice about comments:
Aiken Standard is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point.
We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.