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AROUND OAKLAND FOR NOV. 22: Application process open for Rochester school board trustee; Toys for Tots Charity Drive planned; Holiday market set for Dec. 7-9
Application process open for school board trustee
Trustee Gerald Moore resigned from the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education this week. Applications for a trustee to replace him until the next election Dec. 31 2014 are being accepted. They can be found www.rochester.k12.mi.us or at the superintendent's office, 501 W. University, Rochester. At 6 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 27, an informal overview of the roles and responsibilities of board members will be offered. Applications must be turned in no later than 3 p.m. Nov. 30. At 7 p.m. Dec. 3 all applicants will be interviewed at an open meeting. The public can meet the candidates beforehand, from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Finalists' interviews will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 5. The trustee selected will be sworn in at 7 p.m. Dec. 10.
-- Staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray
Waterford Toys for Tots Charity Drive planned
The Harley Owners Group of Waterford (WHOG) and ABC Harley-Davidson of Waterford Township are hosting the annual campaign to support the U.S. Marine Corp's Toys for Tots Program. ABC Harley is now collecting unwrapped, new toys and monetary donations at the dealership.
The Waterford Toys for Tots Charity Drive is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 to Dec. 2 at ABC Harley-Davidson, 4405 Highland Road, Waterford Township. The two-day event features family activities, light food and beverages and pictures with Santa.
The annual event which started in 1995, has collected $987,742 total through the years. Volunteers hope the upcoming drive will help them surpass the $1 million mark. Donations are tax deductible and 100 percent goes towards the Toys for Tots program. For more information, visit abcharleydavidson.com or call 248-674-3175.
Holiday market set for Dec. 7-9
Handcrafters Tinsel & Treasures Holiday Market is Friday to Sunday, Dec. 7 to 9 at the Northville Community Senior Center, 303 W. Main St., Northville. Admission is $3 per person, 12 and under are admitted free. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The fair features more than 75 hand-selected, juried artists and fine crafters from the Midwest showcasing their one-of-a-kind pieces of work. From glass design, gourmet foods, jewelry, original fashions, home décor, authors and much more everyone is bound to leave with hands full of great finds.
The event offers an environment full of creators with the ability to transcend traditional ideas into creative, one-of-a-kind pieces. Food will be available to purchase from Edwards Café & Caterer of Northville.
-- Staff writer Kathy Blake


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subset: commoncrawl


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Dramatic declines in commercial real estate soured GDP growth in the first quarter, leading to speculation that the Federal Reserve will delay raising interest rates. Analysts are growing increasingly confident that the Fed will delay its rate hike, with a new report by Goldman Sachs calling for the next hike to be delayed until December.
"The low market-implied odds, softer data, and uncertainty about the monetary transmission mechanism lead us to believe that a June hike is now rather unlikely," said economist Daan Struyven in the note to clients. "In fact, it would be a unique outcome in modern Fed history," he added.
The tone echoes a previous prediction by economists at BlackRock, a large asset management firm specializing in bonds, who said last week that it is possible that the Federal Reserve will not hike rates at all for the duration of 2016.
Goldman Sachs economist Zach Pandl agrees on the Fed's delay, although he remains uncertain about the timing. "Uncertainty about the monetary transmission mechanism will probably remain high for the time being," Pandl wrote. "Largely for this reason, we are revising our near-term forecasts for the funds rate, and see two fewer hikes through the end of 2017 than we did previously."
Weak Real Estate
Part of the turn in Federal Reserve policy is a result of the weakness in first quarter GDP growth, which rose just 0.5% despite expectations of significantly higher growth.
The weak growth was due in part to a decline in commercial real estate, with non-residential structure investment falling at a 10.7% annual rate in the first quarter. That was largely driven by weak investment in petroleum and natural gas exploration, which fell 68% on a year-over-year basis.
Some sectors, however, saw investment growth. Lodging rose in the first quarter as hotel occupancy remains near an all-time high.
Residential investment was also strong, with single-family structure spending up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis and with home improvement spending up 11.8% year-over-year.
Rate Expectations
With uneven growth and uncertainty about energy prices and its impact on commercial real estate, several economists are still concerned that total 2016 GDP growth will remain low, even as inflation ticks upward.
Part of the concern has to do squarely with weak job growth and renewed pessimism that job gains will remain weak despite rising wages, as compensation rose above the rate of inflation in April, but job gains were far below the level required to sustain America's growing population.
Writing on the jobs numbers, economists at Bank of America noted that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise rates in the short term. "To be clear, the jobs report was not the sole factor for the revision to our call for the Fed. It was simply the last of a string of softer indicators that has prompted us to change our forecast," the company's economists said in a note to clients.


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Etude des cinétiques de repliement de fragments d'anticorps constitués d'un seul domaine, VHH
Barumandzadeh, Roya
Doctoral thesis (2013)Detailed reference viewed: 46 (14 ULiège)
Folding mechanism of single domain antibody fragments (VHHs) and influence of the internal disulphide bridge on their stability and folding pathway.
Barumandzadeh, Roya
Poster (2009, February)Detailed reference viewed: 28 (3 ULiège)
Relationship between propeptide pH unfolding and inhibitory ability during ProDer p 1 activation mechanism
Chevigné, Andy ; Barumandzadeh, Roya ; et al
in Journal of Molecular Biology (2007), 374(1), 170-185
The major allergen Der p1 of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is a papain-like cysteine protease (CA1) produced as an inactive precursor and associated with allergic diseases. The ... [more ▼]
The major allergen Der p1 of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is a papain-like cysteine protease (CA1) produced as an inactive precursor and associated with allergic diseases. The propeptide of Der p I exhibits a specific fold that makes it unique in the CA1 propeptide family. In this study, we investigated the activation steps involved in the maturation of the recombinant protease Der p 1 expressed in Pichia pastoris and the interaction of the full-length and truncated soluble propepticles with their parent enzyme in terms of activity inhibition and BIAcore interaction analysis. According to our results, the activation of protease Der p 1 is a multistep mechanism that is characterized by at least two intermediates. The propeptide strongly inhibits unglycosylated and glycosylated recombinant Der p 1 (K-D = 7 nM) at neutral pH. This inhibition is pH dependent. It decreases from pH 7 to pH 4 and can be related to conformational changes of the propepticle characterized by an increase of its flexibility and formation of a molten globule state. Our results indicate that activation of the zymogen at pH 4 is a compromise between activity preservation and propeptide unfolding. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 107 (27 ULiège)
Interactions of apomyoglobin with membranes: Mechanisms and effects on heme uptake
; ; et al
in Protein Science: A Publication of the Protein Society (2007)Detailed reference viewed: 22 (3 ULiège)


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Pink Bullets Digital Edition is now available to purchase. All customers that purchased a print edition have been emailed a free copy of the digital edition this evening.
If anyone would like to purchase a copy it is available here:
Thanks everyone!
p.s: Sorry for two threads in one sub-forum!


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Wozniacki opens with win at Family Circle
Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki opened with a strong showing at the Family Circle on Wednesday, crushing Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1, 6-1 for her sixth straight victory.sports Updated: Apr 04, 2013, 08:46 IST
Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki opened with a strong showing at the Family Circle on Wednesday, crushing Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1, 6-1 for her sixth straight victory here.
Wozniacki only entered the tournament Saturday when a scheduled trip to Haiti with boyfriend Rory McIlroy was postponed. The 2011 Family Circle champion showed little rust from her last-minute decision to play. She broke Soler-Espinosa twice to win the final five games of the opening set.
Wozniacki continued to use her big serves - she took a 3-1 lead in the second set with an ace - to keep Soler-Espinosa on the defensive and wrapped up the match in 59 minutes.
"I felt like I really served well and returned well today," she said. "I'm pleased with that."
The Dane had reached the finals of the Indian Wells tournament, but was knocked out of her last event, Sony Open in Key Biscayne, in the round of 32. She acknowledged it's generally hard to transition smoothly from the faster hardcourt surfaces to the clay at the Family Circle's Billie Jean King Court.
Venus Williams, who won this tournament in 2004, opened with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory over 19-year-old Monica Puig of Puerto Rico.
Past champion Samantha Stosur, ranked ninth in the world, opened play with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Marina Erakovic. Jelena Jankovic moved into the round of with a three-set win over French qualifier Caroline Garcia.
Williams' younger sister, Serena, began play at the Family Circle on Tuesday with a straight set victory. Serena is the tournament's defending champion who's coming off a win last week at the Sony Open over Maria Sharapova.
Wozniacki's hopeful she can flash the form she had here two years ago - she dropped only two sets in five matches in capturing the championship - and keep her Family Circle winning streak going against all opponents.
"I'm pretty pleased about the tennis today and how things turned out," she said. "I thought I had some power in my serves and I thought I put in a lot of my first serves."
Others advancing were No. 6 seed Lucie Safarova, No. 10 seed Julia Goerges and American qualifier Mallory Burdette, who defeated 2009 Family Circle champ Sabine Lisicki.
Burdette's prize for moving on? A matchup with Serena Williams, seeking her 12th straight match win here after winning the Family Circle crown the two times she's played.
Venus Williams fought through a second-set lull to rally past Puig in their first-ever meeting. Williams withdrew from the Sony Open with a bad back and said it was difficult to feel 100 percent less than two weeks later.
"It's hard to be all the way prepared, but at that point, it's about being mentally tough," Venus Williams said. "It's good to start off with a win."
Wozniacki was off-kilter at first, winning her serve at deuce to start the match, then netting a backhand as Soler-Espinosa won the following game. But Wozniacki found her stride and took the next seven games, a stretch when Soler-Espinosa didn't win more than two points in any game. Soler-Espinosa, of Spain, pushed a forehand into the net on match point to end things.
No matter how things end at the Family Circle, Wozniacki is off to Augusta National next week to cheer on McIlroy at the Masters. She says it's generally more nerve-racking to watch McIlroy than when she's on the court playing because she has no control of the outcome on the golf course.
"But I generally think it's worse to watch (golf) on TV because you're just sitting there and have no clue" of McIlroy's emotions or mindset, she said. "At home, it's like, 'OK, just make the putt.'"


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Performances play to Dec. 29 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre. Opening night is Nov. 23.
The Grinch — with book and lyrics by Timothy Mason and music by Mel Marvin — is directed by James Vásquez. The original production of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was conceived and directed by Jack O'Brien. The show has additional lyrics by Theodor S. Geisel, additional music by Albert Hague and original choreography by John DeLuca.
Alternating in the role of Cindy-Lou Who are Caitlin McAuliffe (repeating her work from last year) of Poway, CA, and Lilith Freund of University City, CA. The cast also includes Steve Gunderson (Off-Broadway's Forever Plaid), returning as Old Max for his 10th appearance in The Grinch at the Globe; Jason Edward Cook (Off-Broadway's With Glee) as Young Max; plus Geno Carr (Papa Who), Kelsey Venter (Mama Who), Phil Johnson (Grandpa Who), Amanda Naughton (Grandma Who), Annie Buckley and Kaitlyn O'Leary (Annie Who), Sydney Rose Horowitz and Madison Pyle (Betty-Lou Who), Dylan Nalbandian and Jordi Bertran (Boo Who) and Aaron Acosta and Liam James Brandt (Danny Who) with Luke Babbitt, Ava Marie Bunn, Jacob Caltrider, Nancy Snow Carr, Kevin Davison, Sophia Dimmick, Randall Dodge, Katrina Heil, Brooke Henderson, Kyle J. Jackson, Gabi Leibowitz, Alison Grace Norwood, Carly Nykanen, Allison Spratt Pearce, Avalon Robbins and Maxine Sutton (Ensemble).
This season's production has musical direction by Charlie Reuter, additional choreography by Bob Richard and restaged choreography by James Vásquez. The Grinch creative team also includes John Lee Beatty (scenic design), Robert Morgan (costume design), Pat Collins (lighting design), Paul Peterson (sound design), Anita Ruth (orchestrator), Joshua Rosenblum (vocal arrangements and incidental music), David Krane (dance music arranger) and Leila Knox (stage manager).
For tickets and information, visit TheOldGlobe.org. *
The Old Globe will offer an autism-friendly performance of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Dec. 15 at 10:30 AM. Following in the footsteps of successful autism-friendly performances of The Lion King and Mary Poppins on Broadway, The Grinch will be performed "in a friendly and supportive environment for children on the autism spectrum and their families."
Slight adjustments will be made to the production including fewer loud noises and flashing lights that may be challenging for some audience members. Additional features will also help make the experience safer and more enjoyable for children with autism and other sensitivity issues, including a pre-show visit to the Globe to familiarize children with the theatre; an online social story available to view and print at home that will outline in words and pictures the experience of a visit to the Globe; a quiet area in the lobby of the theatre; and on-site volunteers to assist families as needed.
Theatre Development Fund's (TDF) Autism Theatre Initiative serves as an advisor for The Old Globe's autism-friendly Grinch performance.
Read the Playbill magazine feature about Broadway's autism-friendly performances.


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FIREWORKS VIDEO MAGAZINE #2, APRIL, 1993 DVD. Another field trip! We visit Fire Art Corp., an importer and display company. We interview their shellmaker and he shows us great details of how he operates. Then we blow up an HDPE mortar to prove what happens when a shell detonates inside the pipe. See this CLOSEUP! We test fire a line of base items, then test a firing box and some electric matches. There's another segment on NFPA and what it means to fireworks, and another great segment on collectibles. And much more. This video gives you an inside look at a display company - what is it like to work and operate, plus MUCH MORE!
0:13.23 Show & Tell (t-shirts)
0:14.25 Collectibles by Dennis Manochio
0:22.20 Testing of Philippine crackers and other items
0:25.41 Night Lights (glasses)
0:27.06 Plastic lance holders from England
0:20.12 Air-operated nailer that shoots nails into Rattan for lancework
0:29.35 PyroPower's caseformers
0:31.45 Delcor's Blue Beast and testing
0:34.44 Tom DeWille's new electric matches (OXRAL) & testing
0:36.03 Mighty-Mite mortars & testing
0:40.42 Purposely flower-potting a 3" star shell
0:40.56 Detonating a 3" salute with explanation
0:46.07 Regulatory Matters by Charles P. Weeth
0:52.15 JOP commercial (Journal of Pyrotechnics)
0:52.49 News Update
0:57.36 Mike Francisco interview from Fire Art
1:09.06 Sea World introduction and interview with Marty Steinke
1:16.21 Sea World's Christmas display
1:21.44 Good-bye & credits
1:25.14 A great display from Rozzi Fireworks
1:40.12 Ends


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|Article Index
|UNRIC Library Newsletter - August 2011
|New information material
|New titles
|All Pages
New Websites within the UN System
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (A/66/1)
English, French & Spanish: http://undocs.org/A/66/1
German: http://www.un.org/Depts/german/gs/a-66-1.pdf
The Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization to the 66th session of the General Assembly is now available. In introducing the report the Secretary-General notes that: "We are living in a time of global transition. Future generations are likely to describe this period as a pivotal juncture in world history when the status quo was irrevocably weakened and the contours of a new world began to emerge."
The annex of report includes "Millennium Development Goals, targets and indicators, 2011: statistical tables".
2011 High Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, General Assembly, United Nations, New York, 19-20 September 2011
English: http://www.un.org/en/ga/ncdmeeting2011/
French: http://www.un.org/fr/ga/ncdmeeting2011/
Spanish: http://www.un.org/es/ga/ncdmeeting2011/
The four main non-communicable diseases - cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes - kill three in five people worldwide, and cause great socioeconomic harm within all countries, particularly developing nations. The decision by the United Nations General Assembly to convene a High-Level Meeting on NCDs on 19-20 September 2011 presents a unique opportunity for the international community to take action against the epidemic, save millions of lives and enhance development initiatives.
News Focus: Horn of Africa crisis
English: http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=145&Body=Horn+of+Africa&Body1=
French: http://www.un.org/apps/newsFr/infocusRelF.asp?infocusID=99&Body=Corne&Body1=Afrique
How to Find a UN Document Using a UN Document Symbol
English: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/training/tutorials/symbol.htm
French: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/dhlf/training/tutorials/symbol.htm
The UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library has developed a tutorial on the classic "Official Document System of the United Nations (ODS)", another on the Google interphase ODS and one on UNBISnet.
Hitting the Ground Running: Workshop for Newly Elected Members of the Security Council (UN Pulse)
Security Council Concept Note: Peacekeeping – taking stock and preparing for the future
English & French: http://undocs.org/S/2011/496
The Security Council President for the month of August, India, has prepared a concept note for an open debate on United Nations peacekeeping operations on 26 August 2011.
Security Council Presidential Statement on Syria (3 August 2011) - Historical background (UN Pulse)
United Nations Peacekeeping Operations – Fact Sheet: 30 June 2011 (DPI/1634/Rev.122, July 2011)
English: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/documents/bnote010101.pdf
French: http://www.un.org/fr/peacekeeping/documents/bnotepkf.pdf
Food and Ecological Security: Identifying synergy and trade-offs (UNEP Policy Series, Issue No. 4, June 2011)
The Policy brief discusses the impacts of accelerated food production on ecosystems and ecosystem services, the trends in ecosystem services especially from cultivated ecosystems, how the twin objectives of food and ecological security can be aligned, and the related policy implications.
Global Afghan Opium Trade: A Threat Assessment (UNODC)
Afghanistan remains by far the largest source of the global illicit trade in opium and heroin, which generated some US$ 68 billion in 2009. 16.5 million people annually abuse opiates worldwide. Heroin takes the bulk of the market with 12 - 13 million people consuming 375 tons of heroin per year.
Global Development Horizons 2011 — Multipolarity: The New Global Economy (World Bank)
The first edition of a new World Bank flagship report, Global Development Horizons 2011, focuses on three major international economic trends: the shift in the balance of global growth from developed to emerging economies, the rise of emerging-market firms as a force in global business, and the evolution of the international monetary system toward a multicurrency regime.
Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality (WHO)
This fourth edition of the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality builds on over 50 years of guidance by WHO on drinking-water quality, which has formed an authoritative basis for the setting of national regulations and standards for water safety in support of public health.
Promoting Gender Equality: An Equity-Focused Approach To Programming (UNICEF)
UNICEF has launched a series of operational guidance documents designed to help its staff and partners promote gender equality through UNICEF-supported programming globally. The two-page briefs are available on the following topics: Young child survival and development, Basic education and gender equality, HIV/AIDS and children, Child protection, Policy advocacy and partnerships for children's rights, Humanitarian action
Securing the Future Today: Synthesis of Strategic Information on HIV and Young People (UNFPA)
In 2009 young people accounted for 41% of all new HIV infections among adults with 3 000 young people becoming newly infected with HIV each day. The report highlights that young people are a key resource to reverse the global AIDS epidemic and lead the response in decades to come. But it stresses that the legal and policy barriers that prevent young people from accessing HIV services must be addressed, and young people should be engaged more effectively in the response.
Spain: Quality jobs for a new economy (ILO)
English: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/country_s.pdf
Spanish: http://www.ilo.org/public/spanish/bureau/inst/download/country_ss.pdf
Despite encouraging signs that the Spanish economy has begun to emerge from the crisis, a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) examines a range of economic, employment and labour market policies that could consolidate an as yet fragile recovery and start to reduce unemployment. The new report by the ILO's International Institute for Labour Studies also calls for a plan of action to ensure that "no youth is left behind", while avoiding further wage cuts and pushing for financial reforms that allow sustainable enterprises more access to credit. The report is part of a series on Studies on Growth with Equity and says the economy is beginning to show signs of a slow recovery.
Story-based Inquiry: a manual for investigative journalists (UNESCO)
English & French: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/story-based-inquiry-a-manual-for-investigative-journalists/
This manual provides a guide to basic methods and techniques of investigative journalism, and it consciously fills a gap in the literature of the profession. The publication focuses on the hypothesis-based inquiry approach, which takes the basic assumption that a story is only a hypothesis until verified. The methods and skills applying to every step of the investigative process, from conception to research, writing, quality control and dissemination, have been thoroughly analyzed and are well illustrated by case studies in each chapter.
2010 Report on Human Rights in Iraq
A UN report into the human rights situation in Iraq over the course of 2010 has warned that armed violence and "silent" human rights violations continue to affect large sectors of the population. The report, released on 8 August 2011 by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), studies a range of human rights issues, including the impact of armed conflict and violence on civilians, detention and the rule of law, and protection of the rights of specific groups. The report also covers the state of political rights in the country, including freedom of assembly and expression. It noted that while there was improvement in some areas, many challenges remain.
At Home or in a Home – Formal care and adoption of children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (UNICEF)
The report documents the trends in formal care and adoption of children in the 22 countries that constitute the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This report is based on data provided by national statistical offices from twenty countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS), collected through the UNICEF regional monitoring project, MONEE, and also using research undertaken in the region.
Commentary to the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
This commentary is a 100-page downloadable document which maps out the rights provided for in the UN Declaration on human rights defenders, based mostly on information received and reports produced by the two Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani (2000-2008) and Margaret Sekaggya (since 2008), during the past eleven years.
Forgotten Europeans - Forgotten Rights: the human rights of persons placed in institutions (OHCHR)
This report highlights one of the most significant human rights challenges in Europe today, namely that many children, persons with disabilities and older persons continue to be placed in long-stay residential institutional care, often for life. It's intended to inform and encourage debate on the issues and how the areas of concern should be addressed.
Humanitarian Action for Children: Building Resilience - Mid-Year Review, 2011 (UNICEF)
Widespread and varied humanitarian crises have affected millions of women and children. With over half a million severely malnourished children at risk of imminent death, the food security crisis in the Horn of Africa has raised alarms across the world.
Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (WHO / War Trauma Foundation / World Vision International)
The United Nations health agency and its partners have launched a guide to help fieldworkers provide vital psychological support to people affected by humanitarian emergencies. Produced jointly by WHO, the War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, the guide reflects the emerging science and international consensus on how to provide basic support to people in the immediate aftermath of extremely stressful events. The guide gives simple, practical guidance for supporting people in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities.
Web Portal for Horn of Africa Emergency (UNHCR)
UNHCR launched on 19 August a new website providing detailed and regularly updated information from the agency and its operational partners on the refugee and displacement emergency in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa. The new site provides a comprehensive information-sharing portal for all of the refugee agency's operational partners involved in bringing relief to millions of people affected by insecurity, drought and famine throughout the Horn of Africa region.
New information material
Single copies of the following titles can be ordered via e-mail: [email protected]
2011-2012 Progress of the World's Women: In Pursuit of Justice
UN Women. New York. 2011. 164 p.
Online version: http://progress.unwomen.org/pdfs/EN-Report-Progress.pdf
Affiche: « Prix des denrées alimentaires - de la crise à la stabilité »
16 octobre 2011 - Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. FAO.
Online version: http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/fr/
Bulletin on action by the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations relevant to the question of Palestine, January 2011, Volume XXXIV, Bulletin No. 1.
United Nations. Division for Palestinian Rights. 11 p.
Online version: http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/2103A28F4B692EE2852578B10070FBB3
Boletín sobre las actividades del sistema de las Naciones Unidas y las organizaciones intergubernamentales relacionadas con la cuestión de Palestina, Enero de 2011, Volumen XXXIV, Boletín núm. 1.
Naciones Unidas. División de los Derechos de los Palestinos. 13 p.
Online version: http://unispal.un.org/pdfs/11-37765s.pdf
Bulletin sur les mesures prises par les organismes des Nations Unies et les organisations intergouvernementales concernant la question de Palestine, septembre 2010, Volume XXXIII, Bulletin n° 9.
Nations Unies. Division des droits des Palestiniens. 29 p.
Online version: http://unispal.un.org/pdfs/11-22042f.pdf
Bulletin sur les mesures prises par les organismes des Nations Unies et les organisations intergouvernementales concernant la question de Palestine, août 2010, Volume XXXIII, Bulletin n° 8.
Nations Unies. Division des droits des Palestiniens. 31 p.
Online version: http://unispal.un.org/pdfs/11-30743f.pdf
UN Chronicle. Volume XLVIII, Number 2, 2011. 39 p.
"Pursuing Peace, Commemorating Dag Hammarskjöld"
Online version: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/home/archive/issues2011/pid/17811
UN Police Magazine: Sustainable Peace through Justice and Security.
United Nations. 7th edition, July 2011. 36 p.
Online version: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/publications/unpolmag/unpolmag_07.pdf
United Nations Publications: July - December 2011 Catalogue.
Online version: http://issuu.com/unpublications/docs/unp_catalogue_2011
added to the library collection in August
0 Geneva Publications
Multilateralization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: The First Practical Steps / Yury Yudin.
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2011. xi, 99 p. (UNIDIR/2011/2)
Sales No. GV.E.11.0.1. ISBN 978-92-054953-0.
Online version: http://www.unidir.org/pdf/ouvrages/pdf-1-978-92-9045-200-3-en.pdf
II.D Trade, Finance and Commerce
World Investment Report 2011: Non-equity modes of international production and development.
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2011. xxiii, 226 p. (UNCTAD/WIR/2011)
Sales No. E.11.II.D.2. ISBN 978-92-1-112828-4.
Online version: http://www.unctad-docs.org/files/UNCTAD-WIR2011-Full-en.pdf
World Investment Report 2011: Non-equity modes of international production and development; Overview.
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2011. x, 30 p. (UNCTAD/WIR/2011 (Overview))
Online version: http://www.unctad-docs.org/files/UNCTAD-WIR2011-Full-en.pdf
II.E Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution 2010 – Part A: Ozone and Particulate Matter.
(Air Pollution Studies No. 17)
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2010. xxv, 278 p. (ECE/EB.AIR/100)
Sales No. E.11.II.E.7. ISBN 978-92-1-117043-6.
Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution 2010 – Part B: Mercury.
(Air Pollution Studies No. 18)
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2010. xvii, 192 p. (ECE/EB.AIR/101)
Sales No. E.11.II.E.8. ISBN 978-92-1-117044-3.
Online version: http://live.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/lrtap/Publications/11-22145-Part-B.pdf
Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution 2010 – Part C: Persistent Organic Pollutants.
(Air Pollution Studies No. 19)
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2010. xix, 236 p. (ECE/EB.AIR/102)
Sales No. E.11.II.E.9. ISBN 978-92-1-117045-0.
Online version: http://live.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/lrtap/Publications/11-22162-Part-C.pdf
Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution 2010 – Part D: Answers to Policy-Relevant Science Questions. (Air Pollution Studies No. 20)
United Nations. New York and Geneva. 2010. ix, 46 p. (ECE/EB.AIR/103)
Sales No. E.11.II.E.10. ISBN 978-92-1-117047-4.
Online version: http://live.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/lrtap/Publications/11-22136-Part-D.pdf
III.B United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP in Action – Annual Report 2010/2011: People centred Development; Empowered lives, resilient nations.
UNDP. New York. May 2011. 40 p.
Online version: http://www.undp.org/annualreport2011/index.html
Le PNUD en action – Rapport Annuel 2010/2011: Un développement axé sur les gens
PNUD. New York. Mai 2011. 40 p.
Online version: http://www.undp.org/annualreport2011/downloads/undp_AR_2010-2011_FRENCH.pdf
III.T International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/WTO)
Forum du commerce international, numéro 1, 2011. 39 p.
"Innovation, technologie et développement du commerce"
International Trade Forum, Issue 1, 2011. 38 p.
"Innovation, Technology & Trade Development"
II.H United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UNFPA Rapport Annuel 2010
UNFPA. New York. 2011. 36 p. ISBN 978-0-89714-984-6.
IV Social Questions
2011-2012 Progress of the World's Women: In Pursuit of Justice
UN Women. New York. 2011. 164 p.
Online version: http://progress.unwomen.org/pdfs/EN-Report-Progress.pdf
XIII Demography
World Fertility Policies 2011.
United Nations. New York. 2011. Wall chart. (ST/ESA/SER.A/303)
Sales No. E.11.XIII.5. ISBN 978-92-1-151481-0.
Online version: http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldfertilitypolicies2011/wfpolicies2011.html
XVII International Statistics
Monthly Bulletin of Statistics / Bulletin mensuel de statistique: Issue No. 1080, Vol. LXV, No. 6, June 2011 / Edition n° 1080, Vol. LXV, n° 6, juin 2011.
United Nations/Nations Unies. New York. 2011. xii, 337 p. (ST/ESA/STAT/SER.Q/462)
Online version: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs
World Health Organization (WHO)
Bulletin of the World Health Organization: Volume 89, Number 8, August 2011, p. 545-620
Online version: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/8/en/
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2011: Warning about the dangers of tobacco
World Health Organization. Geneva. 2011. 152 p. plus CD-ROM.
Online version: http://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/2011/en/index.html
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Perform (Cha)
Like Craft, Knowledge, and Profession, Perform is actually a number of separate skills.
You could have several Perform skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
Each of the nine categories of the Perform skill includes a variety of methods, instruments, or techniques, a small list of which is provided for each category below.
- Act (comedy, drama, mime)
- Comedy (buffoonery, limericks, joke-telling)
- Dance (ballet, waltz, jig)
- Keyboard instruments (harpsichord, piano, pipe organ)
- Oratory (epic, ode, storytelling)
- Percussion instruments (bells, chimes, drums, gong)
- String instruments (fiddle, harp, lute, mandolin)
- Wind instruments (flute, pan pipes, recorder, shawm, trumpet)
- Sing (ballad, chant, melody)
You can impress audiences with your talent and skill.
|Perform DC
|Routine performance. Trying to earn money by playing in public is essentially begging. You can earn 1d10 cp/day.
|Enjoyable performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d10 sp/day.
|Great performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d10 sp/day. In time, you may be invited to join a professional troupe and may develop a regional reputation.
|Memorable performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 1d6 gp/day. In time, you may come to the attention of noble patrons and develop a national reputation.
|Extraordinary performance. In a prosperous city, you can earn 3d6 gp/day. In time, you may draw attention from distant potential patrons, or even from extraplanar beings.
A masterwork musical instrument gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Perform checks that involve its use.
See also: epic usages of Perform.
Varies. Trying to earn money by playing in public requires anywhere from an evening's work to a full day's performance. The bard's special Perform-based abilities are described in that class's description.
Try Again
Yes. Retries are allowed, but they don't negate previous failures, and an audience that has been unimpressed in the past is likely to be prejudiced against future performances. (Increase the DC by 2 for each previous failure.)
A bard must have at least 3 ranks in a Perform skill to inspire courage in his allies, or to use his countersong or his fascinate ability. A bard needs 6 ranks in a Perform skill to inspire competence, 9 ranks to use his suggestion ability, 12 ranks to inspire greatness, 15 ranks to use his song of freedom ability, 18 ranks to inspire heroics, and 21 ranks to use his mass suggestion ability. See Bardic Music in the bard class description.
In addition to using the Perform skill, you can entertain people with sleight of hand, tumbling, tightrope walking, and spells (especially illusions).
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Team:METU-BIN Ankara/Project
From 2011.igem.org
While the interest to the field of synthetic biology is uprising, iGEM and Parts Registry is getting more important for researchers interested working in the field of synthetic biology. As the number of attendees and teams to iGEM competition increases each year, number of BioBricks submitted to the Parts Registry are increasing too. As we all know, Parts Registry is an inimitable library for synthetic biologists. Although it is an important source of information and tool for biologists, the parts are not organized very well. Therefore, while constructing devices, synthetic biologists usually faces following difficulties at the pre-experimental stage:
- Searching through the Parts
- Deciding if the parts needed are already in the database or not
- Deciding which BioBrick will work effectively with which
- Finding the most accurate combination between the parts
- Constructing the most effectively working devices
Figuring out all these answers is time consuming and takes too much effort. Our main goal as 2011 METU-BIN iGEM Software team was to provide a web based tool that helps synthetic biologists at the pre-experimental step to search the Part Registry with input and output keywords and to design their genetic constructs using the biobricks provided in the 2011 distribution of DNA constructs.
M4B: Mining for Biobricks is developed to aid synthetic biologist. Our software proposes a method which can be utilized in pre-experimental step as a supporter data mining tool. Following the user defined input and output parameters, M4B lists all possible composite devices and ranks them according to the novel scoring matrix developed by METU-BIN.
Main goal of our 2011 project is to provide a web based tool that helps synthetic biologists at the pre-experimental step to design their genetic constructs according to their input and output parameters.
- A network of all bioparts in 2011 distribution will be generated, which describes the functional relations between the subatomic bioparts.
- A search algorithm will be developed to reveal all possible device combinations for the user defined input and output within bioparts of 2011 distribution.
- Visualization tools will be applied for graphical representation of the results.
- A web-based user interface will be provided for the developed software.
M4B is developed using Java Web Technologies. Web programming enables user- and PC-friendly products. Users do not need to install any program on their PC, and so they do not need to waste PC resources for programs. A web application can easily be reached using a simple web-browser from any PC and from anywhere in the world . It is the most important property of M4B.
In detail, we have used Java Applet to serve M4B on the net. And to store data of M4B, we have used an instance of MySQL database. We've created tables for all XML files of PartsRegistry. For example, they contain part info, deep subparts and specific subparts info, scars info, etc. In addition we've added a few more tables to implement algorithm. They are for interaction relations between parts, scores of main parts, scores of edges, etc.
For the implementation of M4B, a huge biobrick network is constructed using information in the PartsRegistry database. With information of interactions between edges, we are creating a part network. It is a hashtable of hashtables. By the use of hashtables, we can easily find the input part on network to start searching. All useful information about a part is stored in a type of Part. It has following fields.
- partID
- partType
- promoterType
- output
- terminator
- nextParts
After constructing the network, we are making a search for the list of all possible composite devices beginning with given input and output parameters. To traverse whole graph, we are using a famous graph traversal algorithm, DFS (Depth First Search). In DFS, it is making a search on one way until the leaf node, then if it cannot find it goes back to last disjoint point and goes on searching until next leaf node.
Using the quick access property of hashtable we are finding the input part on network. If the given input is found on the graph once, we go over all the descendant nodes until finding the expected output. While searching an output node, all nodes traversed are being recorded. When the output is found, the recorded path is added to the "results list". Else, it is discarded until the last disjoint point, and a new path is searched continuing from that point. After all possible paths are found, the list of paths is shown on the GUI.
One can also search for the devices starting with a constitutive promoter. To do this, user shouldn't enter the input parameter. By this empty input information, algorithm looks for constitutive promoters to start as an input point. "$" sign is used as symbolic input for constitutive promoters.
When we are searching for the expected output, we may find different outputs. If that output continues with a Promoter as an Input, it means that we are starting to add the parts of next device. A composite part can have more than one device. So we've added an input field to specify the maximum device count of results. User can change the number of device count using this field.
Let's talk about visualization of the graph. If user selects an input from the list, it parses all parts from selected device and looks for it is type from network. Then, it creates a node of that type. We are using icons of Parts Registry for the types of parts. And we are using yFiles for visualization.
If user selects a node in the graph, it queries the information about that part from tables created using XML files of Parts Registry.
Quick search when typing the input name is the user friendly property of M4B. No need for a "Find" button.
The other feature of the program is printing the results. Most of users wants to save their results. It enables saving.
Extraction of Relations of Bioparts and Construction of Relational Database
Parts Registry contains various types of biobricks and connections in between parts. In our software, we aimed to develop an algorithm which goes over the devices and finds connections between biobricks to present users all possible constructed devices. However, it was very difficult to go over biobricks and find the relations in not very well organized Parts Registry. For that reason, we have decided to form a "Part Connections Database" by examining all the bilateral relations between biobricks which will be used by our program, M4B. By this way, the complex information in Parts Registry will be simplified and our algorithm will work faster and more effectively.
The biology group focused on all of the four 384 well plates of 2011 distribution and extracted information between connections and devices in a standard way. This information is stored into a relational database and enables queries from remote computer programs.
Our software group developed a toolbox to help biology group in storing the part relations into the new database of connections between biobricks. Using this tool, we were able to minimize the possibility of mistakes while entering bilateral relations manually. More importantly, this organized the database entries in a standardized way, according to the requirements of Mining for BioBricks to run the searching algorithm easily.Figure 1: The toolbox which was used while building the "Part Connections Database" by our biology group. Figure 2: A screen shot from our "relational database"
As there are various types of biobricks in the Parts Registry, we set up rules to organize the "relational database" in an appropriate way.
The most important rule is "A constructed device formed by combination of promoter-ribosome binding site-gene-terminator, respectively, is the minimal functional device."
This is the major rule, because without these 4 major biobrick types, a device cannot work. In addition to this, without knowing the description of "basic device" it is impossible for us to present accurate results to users. Although Parts Registry contains various types of biobricks, in our database there are 4 basic biobricks which are promoters, ribosome binding sites, genes, and terminators. This helped us to simplify the complex information in the Parts Registry in our initial attempt of mining.
In addition to 4 basic biobrick types, there are inputs and outputs which are our software's parameters. Inputs are chosen according to promoters. Both activators and inhibitors of promoters were listed in our database. Main source of activators and inhibitors was the information from the Parts Registry. The reason of listing inhibitors was to filter out constructed devices which do not produce the required outputs. When a constructed device is formed by multiple devices, although the input activates first device's promoter, it may inhibit other promoters of following devices. Outputs were chosen according to the genes, the product they synthesize. Although, most of the time, input and output information was extracted from Parts Registry, sometimes external sources were used as well because of the uninformative part descriptions at Parts Registry. External sources such as NCBI, PubMed and wiki of the team who submitted the biobrick to iGEM were used.
Constitutive promoters are entered without any input, but especially their "constitutiveness" is recorded as a property in our relations database.
In our software, after constructing a device by combining biobricks to construct multiple devices, combination between devices is formed according to this rule: "Output of the first gene will be the input of the following promoter(s)"
According to this rule, first promoter will be activated by given Input and the product of first gene will be used as activator of the following promoters. By activation of the promoters, genes will synthesize the output. By this way, the constructed complex is expected to work effectively.
In Parts Registry, there are composite parts, translation units, generators, reporters, inverters, intermediate devices, and signaling devices. As Parts Registry 2011 distribution was being examined in detail, to simplify these parts, their connection information was simplified to promoter-ribosome binding site-gene-terminator relation by our biological knowledge. This rule is explained with details as seen below:
- Reporters
The biobricks which synthesize fluorescent proteins are classified as "reporters" as they give out light to report something. We accepted these parts as "genes" because they are synthesizing proteins.
- Translational Units
Combination of ribosome binding site and gene is classified as "translational units". We accepted this as two biobricks rather than one. Therefore the bilateral relation between ribosome binding site and gene was entered in our database.
- Inverters
Inverters were challenging parts; they are formed from more than 2 biobricks. Rather than accepting this as one biobrick, we accepted this part as a combination of four biobricks. Therefore, we entered bilateral relations between each biobricks as ribosome binding site-gene, gene-terminator, and terminator- promoter. We also entered gene-output and input-promoter connections.
- Composites
- Genereators
- Signalling Devices
- Intermediate Devices
Composite parts, generators, signaling devices, and intermediate devices were also challenging parts like inverters. They don't have a specific rule about how many and which types of biobricks they consist of. However, we accepted them as complex subdevices and entered bilateral relation between each connected biobricks.
In METU-BIN 2011 project, our main priority was to focus on (minimal) Functional devices. Therefore we named DNAs, RNAs, and Tags as "accessories" because they are not vital for a device to work. However, we know that using these accessories during construction helps devices work more effectively by adding some extra features. For that reason, it's in on future plan to form a database for these accessories and present them to our users in their query results.


text:
Jay Sicklick
Jay Sicklick has directed the Center's Medical-Legal Partnership Project since April 2000 where he has overseen the growth of the project from its beginnings as only the second program of its kind in the country - with one office at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center - to presently serving 90% of Hartford's needy children and families with offices at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Charter Oak Health Clinic, and Community Health Services, as well as providing consultation and referral services to patients of the Hospital of Central Connecticut. Prior to this appointment, Professor Sicklick was an assistant clinical professor of law at UConn Law where he taught lawyering skills, and social welfare law. He also was a senior staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society's Bronx Neighborhood Office for six years, as well as a private practitioner in Boston. He currently teaches courses in legal ethics and professional responsibility and serves as an assistant clinical professor at UConn's School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics.


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Nikon came late to the rugged compact camera party, but its first entry, the Coolpix AW100, arrived prepared to handle some fairly rough treatment. It's rated to be waterproof down to 33 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
Like all rugged cameras, it has limitations as to what it can actually survive, and Nikon is more upfront about that than most manufacturers.
To go along with its durability, there's a built-in GPS receiver for geotagging your photos, an electronic compass, and Action Control (which is very similar to Olympus' Tap Control), which lets you change settings by tapping the sides of the camera or shaking it.
The rest of the features and shooting options are similar to what you'd find on other higher-end Coolpix cameras, so all in all, it's a pretty good rugged compact. But, much like the AW100's ruggedness, the rest of the camera has some limitations, too, that might make you think twice about picking one up.
Picture quality
If you're considering a rugged compact to take diving, the Nikon Coolpix AW100 is probably not the one you want. While it's capable of taking some very good photos when you have plenty of light, its small maximum aperture requires you to use either higher ISOs or slow shutter speeds to get a shot with less light; for better or worse, the camera regularly goes with the latter.
Overall, the AW100's photos are best suited for prints up to 8x10 inches or Web use without a lot of enlarging or cropping. When viewed at 100 percent, there are visible artifacts and noise even at its lowest sensitivity of ISO 125. Subjects look soft, too (not unusual for rugged cameras), and could stand some post-shoot sharpening.
Nikon Coolpix AW100 sample picturesSee all photos
As you move up in sensitivity, photos get softer and softer, and color quality starts to deteriorate. At and above ISO 800, subjects look flat with muted colors. Basically, this camera's high-ISO photos aren't great and coupled with its slow lens, it's hard to recommend it for use in low light.
That said, if you're more of a snorkeler or pool denizen, or want a rugged camera for snow or offroad sports, it can take some very good photos. You can read more about picture quality in the slideshow above.
Movie quality is also decent, though again, the more light you have the better things will look. The AF assist lamp can be turned on and used to brighten close subjects. The zoom lens does work while recording; you won't hear it move necessarily, but you will hear the press and release of the zoom rocker. Also, if you turn on the continuous AF function, you may hear the camera focusing in your movie.
Shooting performance
In our lab tests, the AW100 was a pretty fast camera. It goes from off to first shot in less than a second and has a very low shutter lag of 0.2 second in bright lighting, which increases to 0.5 second in low light. Shot-to-shot times are a little more average, but still good at 1.6 seconds without flash and 1.9 seconds with. The camera's full-resolution continuous burst is capable of 7.1 frames per second, though it can only do it for three shots and takes several seconds before it's ready to shoot again.
The camera generally performed the same in anecdotal testing, however it did occasionally have problems focusing. Several times during testing I was greeted with an "Initializing lens. Cannot focus." error that basically locked down the camera until it recovered. Also, when shooting in macro mode from time to time, the camera would say it was focused on my subject, but actually wouldn't be.
Design and features
The AW100 certainly looks the part of a rugged point-and-shoot, but it's not overdone. You can tell it's different, but it doesn't stick out. Aside from the large knob on the right side and the long button on the left (more on those in a bit), all the controls are pretty typical of what you'd find on Nikon's other Coolpix models. However, the buttons are small and tightly spaced, which can result in some accidental presses. Also, the buttons feel very spongy and were occasionally unresponsive, likely because of the waterproofing below them. The body is kind of slippery, too, especially when wet, and there's nothing really to grip on to.
On the right side of the camera is a single door protecting the battery, card slot, Mini-HDMI port, and Micro-USB port. Having everything under one door limits access points for water and the door has a nice big seal on it as well as a lock that requires you to push in a button while turning a knob, so it's fairly secure. I say fairly because if you for some reason forget to turn the knob all the way till you hear the button click, the door can be closed but not locked.
Another sticking point for me is that the battery is charged with an external adapter. Normally, this doesn't bother me, but for a rugged camera to require an outlet and charger is silly. If it charged over USB you'd have other options for refilling your battery. If you're considering the AW100 for a trip where you won't have an outlet for awhile, you'll want to bring an extra battery or two.


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I admit, this gift guide is a bit schizophrenic, in that I'll be covering both fun presents for kids and art-related car gifts. But, in my defense, I have a two-year old kid who loves cars and a BA in Art History, so this was kind of going to happen no matter what.
Like almost everything, the web has opened up access to many artists who do custom car-related work— you're no longer limited to paintings of rusted-out Model As by barns that seems to breed at the suburban craft fairs I remember as a kid. Artistic tastes vary dramatically from person to person, so you'll probably have a better idea of what your intended giftee likes, and my guess is you can find it.
For kids stuff, the good news is shopping for car-related kid toys is almost always fun, because gearheads generally have some part of them that never grew up, and the hardest part may be not buying extra car toys for yourself. There's so many good options out there, but I'll be sticking a few go-to ideas in Kinja for you to evaluate, judge, scorn, whatever.
Art and cars go together quite well, and there's some great artists out there doing car-related work. I'll be putting some picks in the comments, but please feel free to add your own— and if you're a car-themed artist, please, now's the time to self-promote!


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Volkswagen Type 1
65 years (1938-2003)
The Beetle was built in Germany from 1938 through 1980, which would have put it in second place on our list, behind the Mini but just in front of the 2CV. However, production in Brazil (1950-1996) and Mexico (1955-2003) gives the little Ferdinand Porsche-designed ass-engine air-cooler a whopping 22-year-edge over the Mini.
Morris Oxford / Hindustan Ambassador
55 years (1954-present)
The case could be made that the previous generation of the Oxford, which debuted in 1948, was similar enough to the '54 that the Oxford/Ambassador deserves 61 years instead of 55. However, the Amby is still being made! That means the much-beloved little Indian car has a shot at catching the Beetle. Engines have come and gone (the '09 Amby has Isuzu power), but the essential Oxford-ness of the car remains.
Austin Mini
43 years (1957-2000)
An Old Mini with airbags? Yes, the car that started the front-wheel-drive/hatchback revolution managed to stay relevant into the current century. Park one of these next to one of those BMW-built imitators and you'll see what a small car really looks like!
Citroën 2CV
41 years (1949-1990)
How much power does a car really need? Ask a Citroën engineer in the late 40s and he'd tell you: nine horsepower! Later models had nearly four times that, with 33 horses being the max from the factory. Of course, some had a little more than that when they went racing. Nearly four million were made.
Fiat 128 / Zastava Skala / Nasr 128 / SEAT 128
40 years (1969-present)
How many versions of the groundbreaking front-driver 128 are out there? Why, even Enzo Ferrari drove one! In addition to being a huge hit in Europe, where it was built until 1985, Zastava continues to build 128s (branded as the Zastava 55) to this day; as of last year, you could still get an Egyptian-made Nasr 128.
Austin FX4
39 years (1958-1997)
We can't include the Checker Marathon in this list without also including the most iconic of the old London Black Cabs. The FX4 was built by different manufacturers over the years and went through quite a few engines, but it remained essentially the same vehicle. Two Austins in the Top Ten!
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Fiat 1100 / Premier Padmini
38 years (1962-2000)
Clearly, the key to getting your car built for a few extra decades is to make Indian buyers love it. As the Fiat 1100, this car was done in Italy by 1969, but India's Premier Automobiles Limited kept on making the 1100 (badged as the Padmini) until 2000.
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Hillman Hunter / Iran Khodro Paykan
37 years (1967-2004)
Hey, Rootes Group machinery survived into the 21st century! The Paykan got Peugeot power eventually, but it remained a Hillman at heart. Paykan production equipment was sold to a Sudanese company a few years back, though we've had no news so far of any gleaming new Paykans being built there. Wait a couple of decades and we may see the Paykan hang in there to beat the Beetle's longevity record!
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Peugeot 504
37 years (1968-2005)
The 504 was built for 15 years in France, then continued production in Argentina until 1999. Africans still loved the 504 after that, with production continuing in Kenya (2004) and Nigeria (2005). Don't be shocked if someone starts building the 504 once again.
Renault 12 / Dacia 1300
37 years (1969-2006)
The 12 was yet another Renault success story, with production on five continents and millions sold. The last Renault-branded 12 was built in Turkey in 1999, but Romanian automaker Dacia made the 12-clone Dacia 1300/1310 until just a few years ago.
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Fiat 131 / SEAT 131 / Tofaş Murat 131
35 years (1974-present)
Also known as the Brava and Mirafiori, the 131 had ten years of Italian production, then lived on in Spain, Turkey, and now Ethiopia.
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Volkswagen Golf Mk1
35 years (1974-present)
Yes, you can still buy the first version of the biggest-selling VW car since the air-cooled Beetle! South Africans love the Mk1 Golf so much that they've been making them since 1974.
Renault 4
33 years (1961-1994)
Usually, a Renault made for more than 30 years indicates that some Warsaw Pact nation built it under license for a couple of decades past the point of relevance in the home market. Not so with the 4! Intended as competition for the hugely successful Citroën 2CV, the Renault 4 outlived its rival by four years.
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Moskvitch 408/412
33 years (1964-1997)
You'll have to pick up the definitive guide to Soviet cars to get the whole Moskvitch 408 story, but here's one fun fact: when the hard-currency-strapped Soviet Union started importing Moskvitches to the UK, the price tag for this fairly substantial car was £22 less than the tiny Mini. Including cars made by the Izhevsk Mechanical Works, the 408/412 stayed in production until the late 1990s.
Ford Falcon (first generation)
31 years (1960-1991)
Imagine going to a Ford dealership and having a choice between a new Sierra XR4i and a new '62 Falcon. That's how it went down in Argentina, where facelifted but still recognizable first-generation Falcons were made until 1991. You could even get a diesel Falcon! We're just disappointed that Ford Of Argentina didn't keep building the '69 Fairlane fastback into the 1990s.
Peugeot 404
31 years (1960-1991)
Kenyan production kept the 404 (car of choice for Ho Chi Minh) going for extra decades.
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Fiat 124 / VAZ-2101 Lada / SEAT 124 / Tofaş Murat 124 / Premier 118NE
31 years (1966-1984, 1986-2001)
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Renault 5 / SAIPA Sepand
30 years (1972-2000)
We North Americans knew the 5 as the Le Car; we missed out on the goofy European 5 ads but we did get some cheezy ones of our own. European production halted in 1996, when the last Slovenian 5 left the assembly line, but Iranian carmaker SAIPA made the 5 (badged as the Sepand) until 2000.
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Vauxhall Victor FE / Hindustan Contessa
30 years (1972-2002)
We could probably stretch the ancestry of the Contessa back another couple of generations of Vauxhall Victors, but 30 years is pretty good. Do the owners of Contessas, with their early-70s British styling, look down on the Ambassador drivers stuck with 40s British design?
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Fiat 126 / Polski Fiat 126p
28 years (1972-2000)
The original Italian-built 126 made it to 1980, but fortunate Polish buyers could get the Polski Fiat version for another 20 years.
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Zastava Koral / Yugo
28 years (1980-2008)
Is this car really a Fiat 128? We think the Koral (aka Yugo) differs enough from its progenitor, and has sufficient history of its own, to merit its own entry in our all-time survivors' list.
Volkswagen Passat Mk2 / Santana
28 years (1981-present)
Is the Mk2 Passat close enough to the Mk1 to move the start date back to 1973? We say it's not. As long as the Chinese keep building Santanas, however, the second-gen Passat will keep moving up in the ranks.
Alfa Romeo Spider
27 years (1966-1993)
Will Alfa freaks be proud that this design stayed in front-line service for so long, or splutter about the changes that "modernized" their car over the years?
GAZ-3102 Volga
27 years (1982-present)
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VAZ-2107 / Lada Riva
27 years (1982-present)
We'll be seeing one of these at the 24 Hours Of LeMons next month!
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In an interesting editorial about WordPress and wordpress.com, Ken Yarmosh of Techosight makes a great observation.
WordPress.com is going to bring a superb open source blogging platform to a much larger public audience but it will offer only a taste of what is possible. And that is why my hypothesis is that WordPress.com will actually be a gateway to WordPress. If there is any strategy behind WordPress.com, that may be it. Proud developers like Matt simply want users throughout the world to play with their software. More importantly, he wants them to help make it better.
I really believe that once people get a taste of what a WordPressMU driven site like wordpress.com can do, and they have the time and experise to move "out and up", they will head straight for WordPress.org, the independently run WordPress, so they can tweak and fiddle around.


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Home » e-Catalog
In the Europe U.S., one of the leading warning equipment suppliers, the most effective and innovative visual and audible warning equipment maker for commercial vehicles, has selected YARTON as their truck warning light quality OEM manufacturer in order to meet their strict light requirements. YARTON, the leading electric alarm horn manufacturer, has again obtained the Europe U.S. warning light market with its solid reputation.
A 46-year of horn making experience allowed YARTON to design and fabricate stainless steel horns with ABYC A23 certification. ABYC A23 is a series of safety standards to prevent boat accidents; test reports are provided to prove marine horn's quality. Stainless steel was to prevent rust and every electric marine horn was tested using 100 hours salt spray testing equipment to prove its performance in rust resistance. A special technique was implemented to enforce boat horn's loudness and one of the processes was operated by hand to ensure its solidness.
YARTON ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. is Taiwan supplier and manufacturer in Auto Horns Warning Equipment Manufacturing Industry, Warning Equipment Industry, LED Warning Lights Manufacturing Industry. YARTON has been offering our customers high quality Beacons, Directional LEDs, Worklamps, Backup Alarms, Reversing Alarms, Forward Horns, Warning Lights, Safety Light, LED Lights, Smart Alarm, Roto LED, Solar LED. since 1974. With both advanced technology and 46 years experience, YARTON always make sure to meet each customer's demand.
Sales Dept.
189, Yongke South Road, Yongkang, Tainan 71041, Taiwan R.O.C


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Adult online dating site
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|System: Wii, PS2
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: Sonic Team
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: SEGA
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: Jan. 8, 2008
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1-4
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Everyone
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
For the most part, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity represents an improvement in the Sonic Riders series. They got rid of the air meter and the frustrating pit stops, the annoying announcer, and the double-tap in order to grind. Those were major disappointments in the previous title, and I'm glad the developers took the critics as constructive and made the necessary changes. It's too bad the game comes with new flaws because it would have been perfectly fun otherwise.
The game looks just like Sonic Riders: not better, not worse. It seems to make sense for the PlayStation 2 version because it's a last-generation console. However, just average graphics on the Wii is not acceptable these days. They've showed us what's possible, and SEGA has two perfect examples of what can be done, even if they're not quite there yet; Sonic and the Secret Rings and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams displayed beautiful graphics. Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity should be envious. Sure, it's colorful and cool-looking, but it needs to be smooth and full of detail. The textures are tough to swallow, especially in stages like Botanical Kingdom or Gigan Rocks that contain more natural elements. Other tracks are full of futuristic, colorful, and inspiring architectural elements, and they look okay. I still think much more could have been done, and hopefully they'll realize that eventually and apply that point of view to future games. The characters are cute and look sharp, especially compared to everything else. I love their vibrant colors, inventive looks, and gear. With 18 of them you're sure to find a favorite, and you'll get to choose it in normal, grand prix, and survival mode, just not in story mode.
There are several gameplay modes you can play with other three friends: Normal Race includes Free Race and Time Attack; Survival Mode has three modalities: Survival Relay (gear is used as the baton), Survival Ball (shot and score: use gravity control), and Survival Battle (slam foes with gravity action). Some of these modes, like Survival Ball, are not easy or fun to play. The modes that are just based on racing are the best the game has to offer, and even though there's a learning curve you'll eventually understand what to do and time it right. I have to say the tutorials in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity don't help. They are bad and may cause people to lose interest in the game; everything is explained with text and not an actual demonstration, and failing in the tutorial never leads to a better explanation - it just makes the character repeat the same "Gotta try harder!" kind of comment. Wonderfully frustrating, isn't it? At least you can leave the Tips turned on, which shows the controller motion you should do or button you should press on the screen so you know what you could do to gain speed.
Being able to play against your friends is one of the best things this game has going for it. Playing against the omnipotent A.I. is a rather frustrating experience, and only unlocking new gear, movies, game modes, and characters will entice you enough to continue playing. However, playing against your friends brings the game to a whole new level. Now your skills are measured against theirs, and those who utilize the power-ups like they're supposed to will succeed. How much more fun it is to engage in furious competition against friends and to be able to show off your mad skills!
The Wii version also supports Wi-Fi connection - Great! Unfortunately, it's not what you might expect: you can download high-scores, and you can race against a "ghost" competitor. The ghost isn't someone playing against you at the same time; it's just a replay of someone's attempt in that same stage. Every time you obtain a new personal high score in a stage, the ghost data is saved and your ghost might eventually appear in someone else's race. You can even choose to race against a ghost of the same character, similar, faster or much faster speed. In any case, it's not real online competition, and it's just a gimmick that not many of you will appreciate.
The soundtrack is similar to that of Sonic Riders and even the F-Zero franchise. It sounds like one of those European techno discos full of neon lights. It's actually an appropriate rhythm for the fast-paced gameplay of the game - it provokes a need for speed. You can listen to all the tunes in the extras section too, which is nice. The voice over is better for some of the characters than others. I personally think characters like Tails could sound a bit more masculine... but you know what cartoons sound like, right? We all know that Bart Simpson's voice actor is indeed an actress, so I bet there's a woman behind Tails' voice as well! In any case, it's all pretty good overall and I enjoyed the sharp sound effects of the game.
All in all, the game is good. It's a new and improved Sonic Riders with plenty of new tracks and characters to enjoy. It's a must-have for Sonic fans and a "might-enjoy" for aces of the racing genre, especially for those who like F-Zero and Wipeout. If you're not sure you'll like it, give it a rental or wait until the price drops. And remember: I'm not responsible for your frustration! - All I can say is: Have Fun!
Maria Montoro
CCC Site Director
Game Features:
- Gravity Control: With a push of a button, you change the law of gravity and alter courses by turning walls into new tracks filled with shortcuts and alternative pathways.
- Gravity Dive: This gravity-defying dive creates the ultimate speed boost, hurtling objects from the path and allowing you to grind on objects and cars that are floating in the air. Hapless competitors are left far behind.


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Ideas & Resources for Preschool & Pre-K Teachers Learning Activities & Printables for Kids
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present: Giovanna, Ilaria, Simone (massagist), Anna, Susanna, Ida
Anna is the new shop manager...she is really motivated, please let her know if you have ideas for the shop...its getting better and better!
what we discussed:
A new logo should be designed that can be used for the signs, flyers etc. etc.
important: readible and simple!
AP Abbey to ask Isla if she wants to do it...but anyones input welcome!
Anna made a design for pieces of blackboard that could be hanged on the railings on the outside of the churchdoor.
This will be more obvious for people passing by and can easily be hanged on and off.
AP anna to build, paint+hang them up
AP sign above the shop door to be repainted
a new laminated sign on blackboard would be great. It should be very clear but give an idea about what we are selling and also attract people who maybe wouldn't usually hang out in the cafe.
AP Susanna to make a design in collaboration with Anna. Keep in mind that there is a free corner for a Massage poster.
Signs inside the cafe
really important.
AP Anna to make a big bold bright sign in the Cafe, possibly on the mural wall left to the cafe door and to hang up T-Shirts (bright colours, best designs --probably forest screen-printed--) in the Front Room (very high and with sign for the Shop).
AP to be changed. Ken started but job unfinished...as soon as possible!
need to be painted
AP Ida to paint outside door
AP Matias to paint Shop door
AP retouch entrance, doors etc. every couple of months
AP design new posters and flyers when Logo is done
for now give old flyers to Ilaria
AP Ilaria to put information on the website
AP Ida to give her photos, description, contacts etc.
AP Anna and Abbey to redecorate, taking more advantage of the height of the room
AP Anna and Ida to source more artists - internet, WASPS, flyering...
is going well! Letter from Alex explaining what they are doing and what needs to be done by the volunteers in order to have a good cooperation has been read out and is now in the shop. Remember, dont let anyone go into the massage corner and be respectful...
AP Alex and Simone to get Shop training so that they can sell things, just in the case there is no volunteer and they want to keep the shop open.
-be on time (half pas twelve)
-clean the entrance (sweep and mop if necessary)
-get people from the kitchen to do the recycling before 1-
AP Ida to speak to KMs about this.
AP Anna to promote volunteering in the Shop inside the Cafe
- preferably among kitchen volunteers that we already know+trust -
shop meeting - minutes
Working group and other such Forest meeting minutes
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"There has never been a President with policies so simultaneously bullish and bearish as Donald Trump! He is stepping on the economy's accelerator and brakes at the same time. … Trump is making a very big bet on supply-side economics. The idea is that tax cuts will boost growth by boosting productivity, so inflation should remain subdued. That could work as long as growth isn't weighed down by rising interest rates. If inflation does come back, then the latest supply-side experiment will end very badly indeed."
– Economist and market strategist Ed Yardeni in a note to clients this week. Yardeni expects inflation to stay in check, but warns that deficits may be starting to weigh on the bond market — and notes that many on Wall Street now expect rates on 10-year Treasuries to rise to 4 percent. For more of Yardeni's analysis on Trump's bullish and bearish signals, click here.


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On Making American Vermouth: Riding Mule-Back, Shaving Your Tongue, and 'The Worst Tasting Ever'
Those who produce any kind of spirit generally want to show off their creation—to have X Bourbon or Y Gin listed prominently in a cocktail description, or on a spirits menu. But vermouth?
"Even in cocktail bars, you can't put vermouth on a menu," says Neil Kopplin of Imbue Vermouth. "You can call it a fortified wine, you can call a vermouth-heavy cocktail a 'reverse martini,' you can go by brand name. You can call it a 'bittersweet aperitif.' But saying 'vermouth' will still sink a cocktail."
Few spirits are so stigmatized, especially in our cocktail-adventurous age. Vermouth's problem is that it's something drinkers think they know, even if they have pretty limited experience. "People think of it as 'martini vermouth' or 'Manhattan vermouth' and that's about it," said Andrew Quady. "And most drinkers here just have a dusty bottle of something that's been in the back of their liquor cabinet for 5 years. Of course it tastes terrible."
At Tales of the Cocktail, four vermouth makers—Andrew Quady (Vya), Carl Sutton (Sutton Cellars), Neil Kopplin (Imbue), and Jackson Cannon (the Boston bar and restaurant Eastern Standard), in discussion with Paul Clarke—came together to discuss their love for vermouth, why they've dedicated so much time to making it, and what they've discovered along the way.
Why Vermouth?
What drew several panelists to making vermouth was their experience behind bars and familiarity with its elements. Vermouth comes from a base of wine, brandy, and steeped botanicals—ingredients well-known to anyone behind a cocktail bar. "It's kind of like batching a huge cocktail," says Kopplin. "Balancing those elements, the herbal, the fruity, the alcohol —it's very much what we already do."
What's more, there's "little competition," says Quady—"it's such a new American industry." And it's easy to improve upon the vermouth many drinkers know. "You can tell by how cheap it is—and most mainstream vermouth really is cheap—that the base wines it's made from must be cheap, too. So there's room for improvement there. Vermouth should have some sort of wine character."
To be sold under a certain liquor category, spirits often have to follow strict criteria. Bourbon, for example? It has to be aged in charred new oak (and meet a number of other regulations). But vermouth? According to American federal regulations, it's simply "a type of aperitif wine compounded from grape wine, having the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to vermouth." Sounds a bit circular—vermouth is a wine-based aperitif that is, well, something like vermouth?
That's a lot of room in a definition, and those who produce vermouth see that as a huge plus. There's space to experiment and innovate. The vermouth we tasted ranged from sweetly floral, to sharply aromatic, to rich and warming with notes of cloves and cinnamon. Some are based on Chardonnay, others on Pinot Gris or a rosé. Some are intended to drink alone, others to complement spirits; but in this new-to-America category, there's space for all of it. "We're cowboys in America," said Kopplin. "We don't want rules keeping us back."
Diverse Blends of Botanicals
Given that "anything goes" mentality, the panelists differed hugely in their formulations and approaches. "Vermouth has aspects that are fruity, floral, and herbal," said Carl Sutton; "I wanted to express the first two." Andrew Quady, in his drier style, took the opposite approach: "I want an aromatherapy experience—an afternoon in the mountains."
And Quady means afternoon in the mountains in the most literal sense. "I didn't quite know what I wanted at first, so I would just get on my mule and roam around the Sierra Nevadas, looking for plants I didn't know and collecting them." *
* A pause in the seminar at this moment—really? Yes, a mule. "I think the awesomeness level of this seminar just bumped up a notch," laughed moderator Paul Clarke.
And with the freedom to incorporate unorthodox elements comes the freedom to dispense with traditional ones—like wormwood (in German, Wermut, for which vermouth is actually named)—that don't necessarily appeal. Vermouth started out as a medicinal drink, so botanicals were originally intended to cover up the deeply bitter taste of wormwood. Several panelists found that they couldn't quite stomach it; as Kopplin put it: "It was horrible. God-awful. It's hard to get past it. You just have to, like, shave your tongue and move on. It's just the deepest darkest bitter down and down and down."
Trial and Error
It took plenty of tasting for the panelists to come to these decisions—because you can't know how an herb or other element will express itself in context until you try it. "You end up making some of the most God-awful extractions. The thing is, you end up having to taste all these." Jackson Cannon concurred, calling the time he sampled his various extractions "one of the most brutal tastings I've ever done."
With such lax regulatory restrictions, the only real question for vermouth makers is how far they're willing to go. "I researched more than 60 different botanicals before I ended up settling on less than 10," said Kopplin. "It wasn't a short process."
Sense of Place and Terroir
What seemed most to excite many of the panelists—in particular, the West Coast ones—was the ability to produce a vermouth that spoke to a sense of place. "Since vermouth involves wine, and brandy, and herbs," said Kopplin, "there's such an opportunity to express a sense of place." In his case, that means Willamette Valley Pinot Gris as the base, fortified with Oregon brandy that's actually distilled from the same wine.
In Sutton's case, he wanted something that spoke to his sense of California. "Usually when people hear California-style in the context of wines and spirits, that means too big and overdone, but I mean it in the sense of fresh and seasonal."
Encouraging Freshness
In keeping with that goal, Sutton aims to get his vermouth into the hands of customers within three weeks of bottling—"I don't want it hanging out in a warehouse somewhere." Jackson Cannon, making vermouth in Boston, believes freshness is a huge selling point at his bars: "As soon as people see that it's not just coming from an old bottle, and see the clarity, that's when they're willing to try it. We might not have a lab, or a winery... or a mule... but seeing that freshness gets people interested."
Room to Grow
It's in getting customers interested that all the panelists felt was their most exciting opportunity. "The thing about vermouth is that it's all about stimulating the palate, all about having something to sip slowly," says Kopplin. "And that's still a very European concept. Over here, it's usually about pounding three $5 margaritas in the 90 minutes before happy hour ends." And even in the wine and beer side of things, that's often true. "There's an I can do whatever I want, high-proof ballistic mentality that's hard to let go of. Vermouth isn't about getting drunk as quickly. It's the opposite."
But these American vermouth-makers saw this as a welcome challenge. "I think bars are such a natural way of introducing drinkers to the idea of vermouth," said Cannon. "The what's-that curiosity that comes with seeing something made at the bar —it really brings the barriers down."
And they were quick to remind us that American vermouth is still in its very early days. "In the States, this industry is 10 years old. In Europe, more like 230."
"We've come a long way pretty quickly."
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text: Home > Business Failure to raise US debt ceiling may be 'catastrophic' - Lagarde Reuters Posted at Jan 18 2013 09:58 AM | Updated as of Jan 18 2013 05:59 PM Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WASHINGTON - Nations around the globe need to press forward with fiscal and reform promises, especially in the United States and Europe, to reduce the uncertainties shackling growth, the head of the IMF said on Thursday, warning that the global economy barely dodged a bullet last year. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the euro zone debt crisis and U.S. "fiscal cliff" could have brought growth screeching to a halt, an outcome only avoided by decisions often taken at the last minute. In particular, she urged the United States to raise its borrowing limit and pressed Europe to follow through with commitments to tackle its debt crisis, which in some countries means more fiscal consolidation. "Clearly, the collapse has been avoided in many corners of the world," Lagarde told reporters even as she expressed concern policymaker resolve could weaken just because there is a "bit" of recovery in sight and financial stresses have eased. "It's important to follow through on policies to put uncertainty to rest," she said. "There is still a lot of work to be done." In her first news conference of 2013, Lagarde focused on political battles over the budget in the United States and the risks the euro zone's debt crisis still presents. That focus is not new but Lagarde made clear she worried that complacency could set in. In an interview with Reuters Insider television, Lagarde warned that a fight in the United States over raising the nation's $16.4 trillion borrowing limit could be "catastrophic" for the global economy if it is not raised in time. "I very, very strongly hope that all parties, all views will converge in the national interest of the U.S. economy and in the international interest of the global economy," she said. "To imagine that the U.S. economy would be in default, would not honor the payments that it owes, is just unthinkable." The United States bumped into the debt ceiling on New Year's eve and has been employing special measures to meet its financial obligations. The Treasury Department said those steps could be exhausted by mid-February, raising the specter of a default. Republicans want to use the need to raise the debt ceiling as leverage to exact deep spending cuts. The White House has said it will not negotiate. A standoff over the budget at the end of last year nearly pushed the United States, the world's largest economy, over the $600 billion fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts that economists said would tank the economy. But last minute action by the Congress softened the blow, one of the policy steps Lagarde alluded to in her news conference. ECB MAY NEED TO EASE FURTHER In Europe, she said, progress had been made last year to tackle the debt crisis. Unfinished business included the need to press forward with plans for a banking union. She also said that while a financial firewall against the debt crisis had been erected, it had not yet made "operational," a reference to a European Central Bank program to buy bonds from debt-laden euro zone countries that seek a rescue. Further, she said the ECB needed to keep monetary policy easy and perhaps try to lower borrowing costs further to help struggling member states. "Continued, if not further monetary easing, will be appropriate in order to sustain demand," Lagarde said. The euro zone is still struggling with the debt crisis, with the currency bloc lurching into recession last year for the second time since 2009. Last year, rising borrowing costs had put Spain and Italy in the crosshairs, but the ECB's promise of support has helped calm worries in financial markets. She said confidence had even returned in Greece, the epicenter of the crisis. Still, she warned it could be a year before international lenders can judge whether Athens is delivering on austerity and reform commitments made under a joint European Union/IMF bailout. Emerging economies were faring better, Lagarde said, but she warned policymakers in those countries should be on the lookout for damaging spillovers from advanced economies. She urged developing countries to replenish their fiscal safety nets, which were depleted as countries fought off the effects of the global financial crisis and euro zone turmoil. Lagarde urged countries to complete unfinished financial regulation reforms, first prompted by the global financial crisis, and to resist push back by powerful industry groups working against the completion of changes. "We recognize there has been progress but the process has been very time consuming and continues to contribute to uncertainty," Lagarde said. "We sense a sign of waning commitment. There is still momentum but it is probably not as crucial as it was and we regret it." Share Facebook Share on Twitter LinkedIn Business,Top Stories,IMF,Christine Lagarde Read More: IMF Christine Lagarde


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|Urban, Joseph
|Shea Donohue, P
Submitted to: Journal of Immunology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2002
Publication Date: 10/15/2002
Citation: Madden, K., Whitman, L., Sullivan, C., Gause, W., Donaldson, D., Urban Jr, J.F., Katona, I., Finkelman, F., Shea Donohue, P.T. 2002. Role of stat6 and mast cells in il4-and il-13-induced alterations in murine intestinal epithelial cell function. Journal of Immunology. 169:4417-4432 (2002)
Interpretive Summary: Intestinal worm parasites infect over one billion people worldwide and cause significant economic losses in livestock. They can interfere with intestinal function by changing nutrient metabolism and require activation of the immune system to eliminate the infection. A detailed examination of the mechanism of intestinal secretion and absorption during infection with worms can provide information on vaccines to control infection and agents that restore normal digestion in the gut. Two particular agents that have similar function on intestinal cells were examined in detail. These included interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13. These molecules were shown to affect intestinal cell resistance (a measure of cell permeability), secretion and absorption of simple sugars. Both agents decreased resistance, sugar absorption, and secretion of small molecules into the gut. However, responses to certain natural intestinal agents that regulate the level of intestinal secretion were directly affected by IL-13 but indirectly by IL-4. These results suggest that the interaction of these two agents are complex and often require other cells and stimulants to effectively regulate intestinal metabolism and the elimination of worm infection. Because these agents are also a normal feature of allergy, the information on their function in the intestine could provide ways of controlling food allergies that often complicate the eating habits of millions of people worldwide.
Technical Abstract: Gastrointestinal nematode infections generally invoke a type 2 cytokine response, characterized by the production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13. Among these cytokines, IL-4 and IL-13 exhibit a functional overlap that can be explained by sharing of a common receptor or receptor component (IL-4Ra. Binding of IL-4 by either the type 1 or type 2 IL-4R, or of IL-13 by the type 2 IL-4R, initiates Jak-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of the IL-4Ra chain and the transcription factor, Stat6. In the present study we investigated (1) whether IL-13 has effects on intestinal epithelial cells similar to those observed with IL-4, and (2) whether the effects of IL-4 and IL-13 depend on Stat6 signaling and/or mast cells. BALB/c,Stat6-/-, and mast cell-deficient W/Wv mice or their +/+ littermates were treated with a long-lasting formulation of recombinant mouse IL-4 (IL-4C) or with IL-13 for seven days. Segments of jejunum were mounted in Ussing chambers to measure mucosal permeability, chloride secretion in response to PGE2, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), or acetylcholine, and Na+-linked glucose absorption. IL-4C and IL-13 increased mucosal permeability, decreased glucose absorption, and decreased chloride secretion in response to 5-HT. These effects were dependent on Stat6 signaling. Responses to PGE2 and histamine, which were dependent on mast cells and Stat6, were enhanced by IL-4C, but not by IL-13. The effects of IL-4 and IL-13 on intestinal epithelial cell function may play a critical role in host protection.


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Two years ago on Rays Index we presented you a picture of a Red Sox fan that tried to run on to the field at The Trop. He never made it past the top of the dugout before he had a taser pressed firmly to his neck.
Stay Classy Red Sox Nation [Rays Index]