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Protein kinase Bα (PKBα) is a key regulator of metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. We have explored the role of PKBα in adipogenesis using wild-type and PKBα-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and show that lack of PKBα prevents MEF differentiation into adipocytes. Expression of ectopic PKBα in PKBα-deficient cells restores adipogenesis. We identified 80 genes whose expression was upregulated in wild-type MEFs during adipogenesis but whose expression was significantly reduced in PKBα-deficient MEFs under the same conditions. Significantly, the regulator of adipogenesis Krüppel-like transcription factor 15 gene expression was downregulated in PKBα-deficient MEFs but could be restored by expressing an active PKBα in the deficient cells. The level of lipocalin 2, renin 1 and receptor-activity-modifying protein 3 genes expressed by adipose cells was also decreased in PKBα-deficient MEFs, and are inhibited by LY294002 treatment during early adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. The results underscore an essential role for PKBα in the transcriptional program required for adipogenesis.
Adipogenesis is a complex process with multiple steps including growth arrest, clonal expansion, withdrawal from the cell cycle and terminal differentiation (Gregoire et al., 1998; Rosen et al., 2000). In parallel, adipose conversion is accompanied by temporally regulated expression of numerous genes. Some of these genes encode transcription factors, such as members of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). These are key regulators of this transcriptional program and promote the expression of most genes characterising fat cells, such as the adipocyte-specific fatty-acid-binding protein aP2 (Spiegelman et al., 1993).
Evidence has accumulated that insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signalling pathways play a significant role in adipogenesis. Both are essential inducers of adipocyte differentiation (Smith et al., 1988). Insulin receptor-deficient mice display underdeveloped adipose tissue (Cinti et al., 1998) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from these mutants fail to differentiate into adipocytes (Nakae et al., 2003). Furthermore, a double-knockout deficiency of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 results in failure of the adipocyte developmental program (Miki et al., 2001). Finally, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity transiently increases during conversion of preadipocytes into adipocytes (Sakaue et al., 1998), and the presence of PI 3-kinase inhibitors completely blocks the differentiation process (Tomiyama et al., 1995; Christoffersen et al., 1998; Xia and Serrero, 1999), indicating that the PI 3-kinase pathway is also involved in adipogenesis.
The protein kinase B (PKB, also named Akt) is a downstream target of PI 3-kinase and plays a critical role in many cellular processes stimulated by insulin and growth factors (Brazil and Hemmings, 2001; Lawlor and Alessi, 2001; Whiteman et al., 2002). The three members of the PKB family, PKBα (Akt1), PKBβ (Akt2), and PKBγ (Akt3), are encoded by distinct genes but share a similar structural organisation (Datta et al., 1999; Scheid and Woodgett, 2001; Hill and Hemmings, 2002). It remains a matter of debate whether these isoforms have specific or redundant functions in vivo. This issue was addressed recently by disruption of different PKB genes in mice (Yang et al., 2004). PKBβ-deficient mice exhibit insulin resistance and a diabetes-like syndrome (Cho et al., 2001a; Garofalo et al., 2003). Depending on the genetic background, PKBβ-knockout mice are also characterised by moderate growth deficiency as well as age-dependent decrease in adipose tissue mass (Garofalo et al., 2003). However, MEFs derived from these mutants are not significantly different to wild-type MEFs in their ability to differentiate into adipocytes (Peng et al., 2003). Unlike PKBβ-deficient mice, PKBα-knockout mice have normal glucose homeostasis but display deficient placental development, which results in growth retardation and enhanced neonatal morbidity (Chen et al., 2001; Cho et al., 2001b; Yang et al., 2003). Subcutaneous fat is also moderately reduced in the absence of PKBα, implicating this isoform in adipogenesis (Yang et al., 2003). Finally, the major characteristic of PKBγ-knockout mice is reduction in brain size (Easton et al., 2005; Tschopp et al., 2005). The phenotypic differences between these PKB-knockout mice suggest that PKB isoforms participate jointly in the regulation of some cellular processes, such as growth, but also exert specific roles in vivo, for example in glucose metabolism.
Previous studies have suggested a role for PKB in adipogenesis, because expression of a constitutively activated form of PKB in 3T3-L1 pre-adipose cells caused spontaneous differentiation into adipocytes (Kohn et al., 1996; Magun et al., 1996). In the current study, we investigated the role of the α isoform of PKB in adipose differentiation. We show that MEFs derived from PKBα-deficient mice fail to differentiate into adipocytes in vitro and identified target genes regulated by PKBα during the early steps of adipocyte conversion.
Defective adipogenesis in the absence of PKBα
To investigate the role of PKBα in adipocyte differentiation, MEFs were derived from wild-type and PKBα–/– embryos from the same litter and thus have an identical genetic background. They were induced to differentiate into adipocytes in vitro using a standard adipogenic induction cocktail of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone and insulin, followed by addition of insulin every 2 days (see Materials and Methods for details). After 8 days of differentiation, Oil Red O staining was performed to monitor intracellular lipid accumulation. Wild-type MEFs cultured in the presence of differentiating agents accumulated fat droplets but no obvious lipid accumulation was observed in PKBα–/– MEFs (Fig. 1A). This failure to support lipid storage in PKBα–/– MEFs persisted for at least 16 days following induction of differentiation (data not shown). As the adipogenic process is characterised by expression of specific adipocyte markers such as PPARγ and aP2, we analysed expression of these two transcripts in both cell types by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Whereas treatment of wild-type MEFs with adipogenic inducers led to the induction of Pparg and aP2 mRNA, no change in mRNA levels for either marker was detected in the absence of PKBα (Fig. 1B).
The three PKB isoforms (α, β, γ) are expressed in wild-type MEFs (Peng et al., 2003). Western blot analysis using isoform-specific antibodies was performed to determine the expression profile of the three isoforms during differentiation in wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs. The data presented in Fig. 2A confirm the absence of PKBα protein in PKBα–/– MEFs and also showed that the amounts of PKBβ and γ were not significantly different in PKBα–/– and wild-type MEFs, precluding any compensatory upregulation of PKBβ and/or γ in the absence of the α isoform. In addition, the activation status of PKB was monitored during adipose conversion using phospho-specific PKB antibodies that recognise the two crucial phosphorylation sites of PKB present in all three isoforms: Thr308 (in PKBα) in the activation loop of the kinase domain and Ser473 (in PKBα) in the hydrophobic motif (Alessi et al., 1996; Meier et al., 1997; Brodbeck et al., 1999). PKB activity increased during differentiation of wild-type MEFs whereas this activity is reduced in the absence of PKBα expression (Fig. 2B). Taken together, these results show that the PKBα isoform is necessary for the adipogenic differentiation of MEFs.
Ectopic expression of PKBα restores adipogenesis in PKBα–/– MEFs
To examine whether the impairment of adipocyte differentiation observed in PKBα–/– MEFs is specifically due to the absence of PKBα, the cells were infected with a retrovirus expressing HA-PKBα (Fig. 3A). Ectopic expression of PKBα in PKBα–/– MEFs resulted in a marked increase in intracellular lipid accumulation after 15 days of differentiation as shown by Oil Red O staining (Fig. 3B). Moreover, PKBα–/– MEFs expressing a constitutively active form of PKBα (m/p-HA-PKBα) were able to spontaneously differentiate into adipocytes in the absence of adipogenic treatment (data not shown). Finally, retroviral introduction of PKBα promoted Pparg and aP2 gene expression during the adipose conversion process (Fig. 3C).
Gene expression profiles after adipogenic treatment of wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs
To identify genes regulated by PKBα during the early stages of adipogenesis, total RNA was extracted from wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs at 2 days postconfluence (time 0) and 2, 6, 24, 48 hours after induction of differentiation. Transcript levels were determined by microarray with MOE430A Affymetrix gene chips, which detect 22,690 distinct mouse genes and ESTs. Adipogenesis is characterised by the expression of key regulator genes, such as members of the C/EBP family. Yeh and collaborators found that mRNA levels of the transcription factors C/EBPδ and C/EBPβ were transiently induced during adipose conversion of 3T3-L1 cells (Yeh et al., 1995). In our microarray experiment, we also observed a transient increase in mRNA levels for both C/EBPδ and C/EBPβ 2 hours after adipogenic treatment of wild-type MEFs, validating the microarray results (data not shown). Similar induction of these two genes was also observed with PKBα–/– MEFs, indicating that PKBα is not necessary for the expression of C/EBPδ and C/EBPβ (data not shown). To identify genes whose expression during the first steps of adipocyte differentiation is PKBα-dependent, we first selected genes that displayed an at least twofold change relative to time 0 of wild-type MEFs in at least one of the time points and a significant difference (P<0.05) in a one-way ANOVA. Only genes expressed at similar levels at time 0 in wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs were further analysed. Of the 1103 genes satisfying these criteria, only those showing at least a twofold difference in expression between wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs in at least one time point were selected. This yielded 80 genes that were significantly upregulated during the differentiation of wild-type MEFs but did not respond in the absence of PKBα. The genes were classified into ten clusters based upon the temporal expression profiles of adipogenic induction of wild-type MEFs (Table 1). Of these, 24 genes were strongly upregulated after 2 hours and then declined rapidly (clusters 1, 2) or declined slowly (cluster 3) to the basal levels, or showed a plateau at 6 hours before reduction of expression (cluster 4) (Fig. 4). Twenty-three genes increased after 6 hours and then declined to basal values (cluster 5) or maintained a moderate or high level of expression (clusters 6, 7) (Fig. 4). Clusters 8 and 9 comprise genes whose expression progressively increased in wild-type MEFs following induction of differentiation. Expression profiles of cluster 8 were not modified in the absence of PKBα, whereas expression of genes in cluster 9 was enhanced in PKBα–/– MEFs after 24 hours of adipogenic treatment and then declined to basal values (Fig. 4). Cluster 10 includes all otherwise unclassified genes. To validate the microarray results, the expression profiles of some genes with a marked difference between wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR (data not shown). The results obtained by this method were similar to the microarrays.
PKBα is required for Krüppel-like factor 15 (Klf15) expression during adipose differentiation of MEFs
In the microarray experiment, the gene encoding transcription factor KLF15 was induced by the adipogenic cocktail in wild-type MEFs but was only basally expressed in PKBα–/– MEFs (Fig. 5A). It was recently demonstrated that KLF15 increases during adipose conversion of 3T3-L1 cells and plays an important role in this process (Gray et al., 2002; Mori et al., 2005). We further analysed the expression pattern of Klf15 in wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs by semi-quantitative RT-PCR after 0, 1, 2, 5 and 8 days of adipose differentiation. As expected, treatment of wild-type MEFs with the adipogenic cocktail resulted in the rapid induction and maintenance of Klf15 mRNA throughout the 8 days of differentiation. In contrast with PKBα–/– MEFs, this transcription factor is only modestly expressed with a transient and delayed induction after 2 days which could be due to the other PKB isoforms on Klf15 expression (Fig. 5B). We also observed that after 24 hours of adipogenic treatment, retroviral-mediated PKBα expression in PKBα–/– MEFs reversed decreased expression of Klf15 (Fig. 5C). To further investigate regulation of Klf15 by PKBα, we assessed Klf15 expression in PKBα–/– MEFs expressing a constitutively active form of PKBα (Fig. 5D). In these cells, Klf15 mRNA was markedly induced 3 days postconfluence compared with control vector-infected cells (Fig. 5E). The increase in Klf15 gene expression was accompanied by an augmentation of Pparg expression (Fig. 5E). These data thus suggest that PKBα is involved in the regulation of Klf15, itself a key regulator in the transcription factor network controlling adipogenesis.
Decreased expression levels of Lcn2, Ramp3, Ren1 and Klf15 by inhibition of PI 3-kinase in 3T3-L1 cells
Of the 80 genes identified by microarray analysis, several genes, such as lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), receptor-activity-modifying protein 3 (Ramp3) and renin 1 (Ren1), were robustly expressed in wild-type MEFs after adipogenic treatment but did not respond in the mutant MEFs (Fig. 6A,B). Using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, we further studied the expression profile of these genes during the first steps of adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells, which is the most widely used model for investigating mechanisms of adipogenesis in vitro (Green and Meuth, 1974). Transcript levels of Lcn2, Ramp3 and Ren1 increased after a few hours in the presence of the adipogenic cocktail, with a pattern similar to that observed in wild-type MEFs (Fig. 6D). Addition of LY294002, an inhibitor of PI 3-kinase that leads to a decrease in PKB activity (Fig. 6C), reduced the mRNA levels of these three genes (Fig. 6D), as well as the mRNA level of Klf15 (Fig. 6E). Taken together, the results indicate that the expression of Lcn2, Ramp3, Ren1 and Klf15 is dependent on PI 3-kinase and PKB and these genes are good candidates to be involved in the early stages of adipogenesis.
In this study, we have demonstrated that the α isoform of PKB plays a crucial role in the process of MEF differentiation into adipocytes. We have shown that adipose conversion is impaired in the absence of PKBα, whereas ectopic expression of PKBα in PKBα-deficient cells leads to accumulation of lipid droplets and expression of adipocyte-specific genes, such as Pparg and aP2. We did not observe any upregulation of PKBβ and PKBγ compensating for the absence of PKBα in PKBα–/– MEFs. Thus, PKBα is the major isoform of PKB involved in adipocyte differentiation of MEFs.
Furthermore, we have identified several genes whose expression is significantly upregulated during the early steps of adipocyte differentiation in wild-type MEFs compared with PKBα–/– MEFs. These include the transcription factor KLF15, which was recently identified as an essential regulator of adipogenesis. We have shown that PKBα–/– MEFs overexpressing a wild-type PKBα or a constitutively active membrane-targeted PKBα exhibit increased levels of Klf15. Changes in expression of genes such as Lcn2, Ramp3 and Ren1 have been demonstrated in wild-type MEFs as well as 3T3-L1 cells after the initiation of adipocyte conversion. In addition, inhibition of PKB activity in the presence of LY294002 leads to decreased levels of these three genes as well as Klf15 in 3T3-L1 cells. These data suggest the involvement of the PI 3-kinase/PKB pathway in the regulation of Klf15, Lcn2, Ramp3 and Ren1 expression during the early phase of adipocyte differentiation.
It was reported recently that mice deficient for both PKBα and PKBβ display dwarfism and die immediately after birth (Peng et al., 2003). The mutant mice exhibit severe developmental defects in adipose tissue as well as in bone, skin and muscle. Moreover, MEFs derived from these double-knockout mice are unable to differentiate into adipocytes or to express high levels of PPARγ. The PKBα/PKBβ-deficient MEFs partially recover adipocyte differentiation after infection with retrovirus expressing PPARγ (Peng et al., 2003). Here, we have demonstrated that MEFs devoid of the PKBα isoform display defective adipocyte differentiation and that reintroduction of PKBα into these cells can restore lipid accumulation and expression of Pparg and aP2. Interestingly, the ability of PKBβ–/– MEFs to differentiate into adipocytes is not significantly different to that of wild-type MEFs (Peng et al., 2003). Thus, it is likely that PKBα is the major PKB isoform involved in adipogenesis in MEFs. Using small double-strand RNA interference, Xu and Liao have also observed that a decrease in PKBα in 3T3-L1 cells prevents adipocyte differentiation (Xu and Liao, 2004). This indicates that PKBα involvement in adipogenesis is not restricted to our cell models.
The Krüppel-like family of transcription factors play important regulatory roles in cellular proliferation, development and differentiation. We have demonstrated that Klf15 is upregulated during the first steps of adipocyte differentiation of wild-type MEFs but not in the absence of PKBα. Several studies have shown recently that members of the KLF family are essential for adipogenesis. KLF2 decreases rapidly upon adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells and has been described as a negative regulator of adipogenesis through inhibition of Pparg (Banerjee et al., 2003). By contrast, KLF5 was shown to be required for adipocyte conversion of 3T3-L1 cells (Oishi et al., 2005). KLF15 is highly expressed in adipose tissue and also during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes (Gray et al., 2002). It was demonstrated recently by RNA interference and expression of a dominant-negative mutant of KLF15 that this transcription factor acts in adipogenesis through the regulation of Pparg gene expression (Mori et al., 2005). In this report, we have also shown that Klf15, as well as Pparg, are enhanced in the absence of hormonal stimulation in PKBα–/– MEFs overexpressing active PKBα, which can spontaneously differentiate into adipocytes. It was shown previously that PKB affects Pparg gene expression, at least in part, through the Forkhead transcription factor FOXO1 (Peng et al., 2003). Our findings now suggest that the effect of PKBα on Pparg expression is also achieved through KLF15. Further work is now required to determine the mechanism of how PKBα can upregulate Klf15 gene expression.
The results presented here also show a strong and transient induction of Ramp3 transcripts within 48 hours after induction of adipogenesis. The single transmembrane domain protein Ramp3, which is expressed in rat fat tissue (Nagae et al., 2000), is an accessory protein for the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and is involved in trafficking and folding (Morfis et al., 2003). Several studies have shown that Ramp3, associated with calcitonin-receptor-like receptor, can act as a receptor for adrenomedullin, but it appears that Ramp3 may also regulate other receptors. Interestingly, it was reported recently that expression and secretion of adrenomedullin are more obvious in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes than in adipocytes (Li et al., 2003). These observations are consistent with evidence presented here that Ramp3 is a good candidate to be involved in the first hours of adipocyte differentiation.
Renin is the rate-limiting protease of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) involved in the production of angiotensin II. The RAS is widely known for its essential role in blood pressure regulation. It has been reported recently that all the main components of this system are also expressed in adipose tissue (Engeli et al., 2000; Ailhaud et al., 2002) but the involvement of the RAS in adipogenesis is not yet clearly established. Angiotensin II may be a potent inhibitor of adipose conversion (Schling and Loffler, 2001) or it may indirectly stimulate adipocyte differentiation (Saint-Marc et al., 2001). In this study, we found that induction of adipose conversion rapidly leads to an increase in Ren1 gene transcript in both wild-type MEFs and 3T3-L1 cells, whereas Ren1 mRNA is almost undetectable in PKBα–/– MEFs or in the presence of an inhibitor of PI 3-kinase. These results suggest that the PI 3-kinase/PKB pathway regulates Ren1 expression and underscore a possible role for the RAS in the process of adipogenesis.
Lcn2, a member of the lipocalin family of small secreted proteins, has also been shown in this study to be strongly upregulated during the early stages of adipose differentiation. Lipocalins bind small hydrophobic molecules and specific cell surface receptors and form macromolecular complexes (Flower, 1996). Interestingly, it was shown by a proteomic approach that the Lcn2 protein is secreted by 3T3-L1 adipocytes (Kratchmarovat et al., 2002). Furthermore, Lcn2 gene expression was found by microarray analysis to increase more than fivefold at 24 hours, 4 and 7 days after initiation of adipocyte conversion of 3T3-L1 cells (Jessen and Stevens, 2002). Here, we have demonstrated that the Lcn2 transcript is induced very quickly, from 6 hours after induction of adipose differentiation, and that the absence of PKBα or addition of a PI 3-kinase inhibitor prevents increase of Lcn2 mRNA. Thus, it seems clear that Lcn2 is regulated through a PI 3-kinase/PKB pathway during adipogenesis, but its precise role remains to be determined.
In conclusion, we have demonstrated that PKBα is necessary to trigger adipocyte differentiation of MEFs and have identified potential target genes affected by PKBα during the early phase of adipogenesis. The mechanism of regulation of these candidates by PKBα and their contributions to the adipocyte differentiation pathway await further investigation.
Materials and Methods
Cell culture and adipocyte differentiation
Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were generated from 13.5-day-old embryos obtained from heterozygous PKBα mice intercrosses (Yang et al., 2003). Briefly, after dissection of head and visceral organs for genotyping, embryos were minced and trypsinised for 30 minutes at 37°C. Embryonic fibroblasts were then plated and maintained in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM) with 10% foetal calf serum (FCS) (Life Technologies), 100 U/ml penicillin and 100 μg/ml streptomycin at 37°C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2. Genotype analysis was performed to determine cells carrying an homozygous null mutation for PKBα (Yang et al., 2003). All experiments were performed with wild-type and PKBα–/– MEFs between 15-20 passages. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were maintained in DMEM containing 10% FCS. For adipocyte differentiation, 2-day-postconfluent cells (day 0) were treated with DMEM supplemented with 10% FCS, 8 μg/ml biotin, 4 μg/ml pantothenate, 0.5 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, 1 μM dexamethasone and 10 μg/ml insulin for 2 days (all from Sigma). Medium was renewed every 2 days with DMEM containing 10% FCS, 8 μg/ml biotin, 4 μg/ml pantothenate and 10 μg/ml insulin until cells were used. LY294002 (Calbiochem) was prepared in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and added at a final concentration of 50 μM in the medium 20 minutes before, and every 12 hours, after addition of the adipose cocktail. To visualise lipid accumulation, cells were stained with Oil Red O (Ramirez-Zacarias et al., 1992). Briefly, cells were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), fixed with 3.7% formaldehyde solution for 1 hour and stained with Oil Red O for 1 hour using a 60:40 (v/v) dilution in water of a 0.5% stock solution (in isopropanol). Cells were then washed twice with PBS and twice with water.
Retrovirus construction, production and infection
The retroviral vectors expressing hemagglutinin-PKBα (HA-PKBα) or (m/p)-HA-PKBα (constitutively active membrane-targeted form of PKBα) were constructed by subcloning the BglII-EcoRI fragment from the pECE-HA-PKBα or pECE-(m/p)-HA-PKBα vectors (Andjelkovic et al., 1997) into the pBABEpuro vector. BOSC retrovirus packaging cells were cultured in DMEM with 10% FCS. To produce the retroviruses, BOSC cells were transiently transfected with 15 μg of the retroviral vector, HA-PKBα or (m/p)-HA-PKBα constructs by the calcium phosphate method. Forty-eight hours after transfection, viral supernatants were harvested, filtered through a 0.45 μm membrane and applied to MEFs in 10 cm dishes with 5 μg/ml polybrene (Sigma). A second infection of MEFs was performed after 8-12 hours. Twenty-four hours after infection with retrovirus, cells were selected with 3-5 μg/ml puromycin (Sigma) for 6-8 days and resistant clones were expanded.
Microarray analysis
Total RNA was extracted from cells using TRIzol (Invitrogen) according to the manufacturer's instructions. RNA was quantified by spectrometry and the quality confirmed by gel electrophoresis. cDNA was synthesised from 10 μg total RNA using the SuperScript cDNA system (Invitrogen) and used to generate biotin-labelled cRNA with the Enzo BioArray High Yield RNA transcript labelling kit (Enzo Diagnostics, USA). After fragmentation, 10 μg cRNA was hybridised with the mouse MOE430A GeneChips™ (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, USA) following the protocol recommended by Affymetrix. Genechips were then scanned in an Affymetrix 2500 scanner and gene expression analysed using the GeneSpring Software 7 (Silicon Genetics). Only genes with an expression value greater than 100 in at least one condition were further examined. Genes were then selected for an at least twofold change relative to the control condition (time 0 of wild-type MEFs) in at least one condition and the data submitted to one-way ANOVA (A value of P<0.05 was considered significant). The resulting gene data were finally subjected to a Benjamini and Hochberg false-discovery rate multiple-testing correction and a Tukey Post-hoc test.
Total RNA was extracted as above and 1-2 μg reverse-transcribed into cDNA using the avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase (Promega) and oligo-dT primer. PCR amplification was performed in 25 μl containing 1-2 μl of cDNA and 1.25 U Taq DNA polymerase (Eppendorf). The oligonucleotides used in PCR analysis were as follows: Pparg, 5′-GGAAAGACAACGGACAAATCA-3′ (sense) and 5′-ATCCTTGGCCCTCTGAGATG-3′ (antisense) (325 bp) (Croissandeau et al., 2002); aP2, 5′-GGAACCTGGAAGCTTGTCTCC-3′ (sense) and 5′-ACCAGCTTGTCACCATCTCG-3′ (antisense) (325 bp) (Hansen et al., 2001); β-actin, 5′-ATGGATGACGATATCGCTGCGCTG-3′ (sense) and 5′-CTAGAAGCACTTGCGGTGCACGAT-3′ (antisense) (1127 bp) (NM_007393); Klf15, 5′-CCCAATGCCGCCAAACCTAT-3′ (sense) and GAGGTGGCTGCTCTTGGTGTACATC (antisense) (161 bp) (Teshigawara et al., 2005); Ramp3, 5′-GGATGAAGTACTCATCCCACTG-3′ (sense) and 5′-GAATCGTGACAGATCACAGAG-3′ (antisense) (665 bp) (NM_019511); Ren1, 5′-CCTCACCAACTACCTGAATAC-3′ (sense) and 5′-CACAGCCTTCTTCACATAGCA-3′ (antisense) (622 bp) (NM_031192); Lcn2, 5′-CGATGTACAGCACCATCTATGAG-3′ (sense) and 5′-CTCTCTGGCAACAGGAAAGATG-3′ (antisense) (490 bp) (X14607). β-actin was used as an internal standard. PCR reaction mixtures were denatured at 94°C for 2 minutes and cDNA templates amplified as followed: 20-30 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 1 minute, annealing at 60-65°C for 1 minute, and extension at 72°C for 1 minute. At the end of the cycling, the samples were incubated at 72°C for 7 minutes. The amplified DNA products were visualised on 1-2% agarose gels and photographed under ultraviolet light.
Western blot analysis
Cells were solubilised in lysis buffer containing 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 1% Nonidet P-40, 1 mM benzamidine, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 2 μM microcystin-LR (Alexis), 1 mM sodium pyrophosphate, 10 mM NaF and 0.1 mM sodium orthopervanadate. Lysates were centrifuged at 15,000 g for 10 minutes at 4°C and protein concentration determined using the Bradford reagent (Bio-Rad) with BSA as standard. Protein extracts were separated by 7.5% or 10% SDS-PAGE and transferred onto Immobilon P membranes (Millipore) by electroblotting. After blocking with 5% milk-TBST (50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, and 0.1% Tween 20), membranes were incubated with rabbit polyclonal antibodies against isoforms of PKB (Yang et al., 2003), phospho-PKB (Ser473 or Thr308) (Cell Signaling Technologies) or with mouse monoclonal antibodies against pan-actin (NeoMarkers) or 12CA5 HA. Blots were then washed with TBST, incubated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-rabbit or anti-mouse secondary antibodies and detected using enhanced chemiluminescence reagents (Amersham Biosciences).
The authors thank E. Oakeley and H. Angliker for microarray analysis, and D. Hynx for help with the mice. The Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research is part of the Novartis Research Foundation.
- Accepted November 14, 2005.
- © The Company of Biologists Limited 2006


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Friday's disappointing US non-farm payrolls data showed no jobs were created in the US in August, sending stocks sharply lower as fears over a recession intensified. One economist believes the data is not "inconsistent" with recession but says only a significant drop in retail sales and consumption could take the US back into recession.
"Consumer spending is the mainstay of U.S. domestic demand. It would be hard to envisage the U.S. economy contracting, if private consumption were still growing healthily," Stephen Lewis, chief economist at Monument Securities, said on Monday.
Noting the strength of the July consumption data which showed spending rising by 0.8 percent Lewis said much of the growth was down to a rebound in demand for durable goods and is worried that spending could peak this month.
"If recent trends in non-durables and services spending persist, private consumption overall could plateau in August and September. Only if households' aggregate spending turns decisively lower will there be incontrovertible evidence of recession ," said Lewis.
The U.S. jobs data was clearly disappointing and not "inconsistent with the onset of recession," according to Lewis who believes there is strength in other areas of the economy that do not point to a downswing.
"The Federal Reserve's measure of industrial production rose in each of the three months up to July. This contrasts with the immediate pre-recession performance of this index in 2007, when output never regained the peak it had reached in September of that year," said Lewis.
That figure could have been distorted by supply disruptions stemming from the Japanese tsunami disaster, according to Lewis, who noted the fall in the Philadelphia Fed survey for business sentiment.
"The swing from positive to negative in the business conditions index between February and August this year was the sharpest six-month deterioration since the survey's inception in 1969," he said in a research note.
"Since 1969, there has been no occasion when this index has been as weak as August's -30.7 that was not accompanied by recession," said Lewis.

subset: commoncrawl


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Electrical Engg. Students visit – Chibro Hydro Electric Power Plant
The students of Electrical engineering visited Chibro Electric Power Plant. This power plant is run under the run-of-river scheme with an underground Power Station. It was the first underground Power Station in the North India and was commissioned in the year 1975. The Power Station draws water from Ichari dam located on the river Tons, one of the major tributary of river Yamuna. Chibro Power Station has four turbine 60MW each which is manufactured by BHEL. Chibro Power Station has 240 MW total installed capacity.
The students learnt about this unique engineering marvel and the challenges it had to face in carrying out tunneling in the Himalayan Thrust Zones, due to varied rock structure and strength that throws up unexpected challenges in the tunneling effort.It was a great learning experience for them to see Chibro Power Station using the Francis turbines of 84,000 HP output, housed in a rock cavern with the major challenge of maintaining fresh air and safety measures due to constraint of space.


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Soon we'll hear the pitter-patter of little feet!! (or, rather, little paws!) Vivi's litter was confirmed by ultrasound last week, setting up an expected whelping date in about five weeks! We are excited about this pairing of Vivian and Marsi, one that produces puppies with a lovely array of coat colors and playful, outgoing personalities!
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When conventional wisdom fails…
Frankly, most of the decisions we make every single day are built on assumptions or faith and not facts or reality. None of us have the time and energy to find these answers, instead we go with the wisdom passed down to us from family or experts. The advice we receive can be accurate, but many times the information we gather can be misleading or downright wrong.
Freakonomics is a very interesting book that exposes how our world really works. It looks beyond the supposedly tried and true. The authors dig deep into the numbers to not only expose our miscalculations but show us that truth can be much stranger than fiction.
The authors keep you interested with apparently asinine questions that lead to somewhat unbelievable answers. Anyone who likes to see how things really work, this is the book for you.


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Charleston, S.C., is a charmer of a city, from historic sites and antiques to coastal pleasures
Who could have imagined that the city where the Civil War began would one day greet all Americans as welcome visitors?
A trip to Charleston, South Carolina, is a journey into a vibrant modern city that embraces its deep historical legacy and maintains its distinct Southern architectural charm.
Indeed, if there's a war between the states these days, it's for the attention of the American traveler, vacationer and retiree. No less than Travel & Leisure magazine recently ranked Charleston as the No. 4 best American city for an extended visit (after heavy-hitters New York, San Francisco and Chicago). Meanwhile, Conde Nast Traveler places Charleston at No. 5 on its list of "Top Ten Places to Travel" in the United States.
And why not? The Charleston area is home to the famed Spoleto arts and cultural festival, as well as the site of some of the South's most exciting golfing, coastal beach-combing, shopping and dining.
"We have a tremendous number of people from Ohio coming here," observes Diane Beck, a Realtor for Luxury Land and Homes who has lived in the area for a decade. "It's a phenomenon. You drive into a grocery store, and every second or third car in the parking lot has Ohio plates."
Beck credits the coastal location and golf courses for drawing such Buckeye interest, but also notes the fact it's a one-day drive from Cincinnati, making it an easy commute for both tourists and owners of second homes. "We have fabulous beaches, fine dining and restaurants, tremendous arts with the symphony, ballet and all. It's just a tremendous city that offers a laid-back, Lowcountry lifestyle."
On April 12, 1861, provisional Confederate forces opened fire on the Union garrison at Fort Sumter, the opening engagement in the Civil War (ironically, the attack injured no soldiers on either side).
Today, Fort Sumter is a national park and a linchpin in Charleston's tourism industry. But the famed fort isn't all. The entire city is practically steeped in history (the original settlement was named Charles Towne in 1670 for King Charles II).
"We joke around here that if isn't at least three centuries old, it's modern," says Chris Kollinghoff, a transplanted Ohioan. (The rows and rows of antique shops in the city center certainly attest to this.)
Historic homes abound. You can tour the Edmondston-Alston House on Charleston's High Battery; residents have included Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. Drayton Hall is America's oldest preserved plantation house (circa 1738), and the Aiken-Rhett House is one of the most intact structures to survive from antebellum Charleston.
Consider taking a ferry from downtown to the Fort Sumter National Monument, where the National Park Service has assembled one of the most complete collections of 19th-century seacoast artillery to be found in the country.
Not surprisingly, generations of Charleston residents have a military background. Charleston was once home to the country's third largest U.S. Naval base and the largest submarine base. The U.S. Air Force's 437th Air Wing remains here, and the city's military legacy is found everywhere.
The public can visit The Citadel and tour the Citadel Museum, which portrays the history of the Military College of South Carolina.
Or they can visit the American Military Museum, which includes exhibits on Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam as well as reaching back to both World Wars, Civil War and the American Revolution. Located on Aquarium Wharf, the museum features memorabilia including uniforms and insignias of such notables as Gen. George Patton and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
And the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is also worth a gander. The centerpiece at Patriots Point is the aircraft carrier Yorktown, but the battle group also includes a destroyer, the Laffey, the Coast Guard cutter Ingham and the submarine Clamagore.
Of course, there's history of a different sort here. More than two centuries ago, Charleston became the home to America's first golf course and country club. In 1786, the South Carolina Golf Club and Harleston Green were established.
Now, the legacy lives on with such wonders as the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a past Ryder Cup host and the site of this year's 68th annual Senior PGA Championship in May. Another notable is the Rivertowne Country Club, hosting the LPGA tour in May on its first-ever Charleston stop.
Or choose from Coosaw Creek Golf Course, Patriots Point Links on Charleston Harbor, and many more.
Once you've exhausted your golfing options, turn to the sun 'n' sand. At such locations as Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms, beach communities and vacation rentals await you.
How's the weather down here? Summers are generally hot and humid. This is the Deep South, after all. Expect frequent afternoon thunder showers. More moderate weather is featured in the spring and autumn months. Winters are cool and damp, but freezing temperatures and snow are unlikely.
For shopping, head first to downtown's King Street and its wealth of shopfronts and unique stores. "You'll find more antique stores along King than any other single street in America, I swear it," says Kollinghoff, who moved here with her family in 1994.
Make time, too, for a stop at Citadel Mall with its 100 specialty shops and five — count 'em — five department stores.
Then there's the great seafood as well as some of the South's most enterprising eateries. "My favorites are a pair of restaurants named with numbers, Circa 1886 and 82 Queen," notes Kollinghoff.
At Circa 1886, look for unique twists on Southern cuisine (try the Carolina Flounder stuffed with lobster mousse, or the Carolina Crab Cake Souffle with pineapple relish and mango puree). At 82 Queen in the French Quarter, the fare is Lowcountry cuisine. Such staples as okra and grits share the menu with She Crab Soup, Lowcountry Jambalaya (shrimp and crawfish teamed with Andouille red rice), and Charleston Bouillabaise, a savory saffron broth of mussels, clams, oysters and jumbo shrimp.
Also on any shellfish lover's short list is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company & Market, featuring p'™ boys, Dixie ribs and shrimp in every conceivable form, from Cajun to Mexican. One popular entree, "Boat Trash," is a melee of slipper lobster, mahi mahi and deep-fried shrimp dusted with Cajun spices.
Any visit to Charleston should take into account that, during the months of May and June, the city is immersed in the cultural festival that is Spoleto. It's a terrific time to take in the region, if you are interested in world-class opera, theater, jazz and classical music. However, if you're not, you are well advised to visit Charleston during any other time, when there's less peak traffic and you aren't paying a higher toll at hotels and enduring longer lines at attractions and restaurants.
One major such attraction is The South Carolina Aquarium, located on the aptly named Aquarium Wharf and showcasing a diverse menagerie of moray eels, sharks, river otters and turtles.
Other must-sees include the Charleston Museum, an institution that was founded in 1773 and lays claim to being the nation's first museum, and the City Marina, where luxurious yachts cavort with sailboats, motorboats and more.
Finish off your visit by hiring one of the many charter boats that offer some of the finest gulfstream fishing on the Atlantic coast.
"Tell 'em Forrest Gump sent you," chirps Kollinghoff.
to view the digital magazine


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Re: Personal loan rejection on credit score?BizinSoCal Feb 23, 2009 6:52 PM (in response to massagefever)Hi Massagefever,
I suggest you seperate your personal finances from your business finances. You can do this by incorporating your business. You can Google "Incorporating in South Carolina" to find a website that can help you with the process. Then, go to Dun and Bradstreets website (http://www.dnb.com/) and get a D-U-N-S number. Then, check out their program called Creditbuilder. It can help you build business credit (DNB rating is like a FICO score for businesses).
To find out more about the program, visit their website: http://www.dnb.com/SBCS_Collateral/Brochure/CreditBuilder.htm
You can also contact them if you have any questions. Here is my contact information there:
Carina Fletcher
eUpdate SMB Credit
Good luck and post updates on your progress.
Best regards,
Re: Personal loan rejection on credit score?afraz622 Feb 26, 2009 3:44 PM (in response to massagefever)Hey, if you need help with your credit I work with Payment Shareholders and we sell legitimate primary and business tradelines at a competative price we also provide credit sweeps and various credit building packages.
If you are interested in any of my services or need more information please contact me at email@example.com
Re: Personal loan rejection on credit score?bmt2008 Feb 27, 2009 12:36 AM (in response to massagefever)The only hit you will get to your score is having the inquiry - even if you get rejected. One hit usually costs a few points and will stay on your credit report for up to 2 years (the longer that time passes the less impact it has). Now, if you bunch inquiries together, the credit bureaus know that people shop and will usually consider bunches (several - usually up to three inquiries - within 10 days or two weeks) as a single pull (inquiry).
Just some thoughts
Re: Personal loan rejection on credit score?Lighthouse24 Feb 27, 2009 3:35 PM (in response to bmt2008)bmt2008, my post above says it was made at 5:29 a.m., but I submitted it at about 4:00 p.m. the day before (so yours wasn't there yet) and it went into the "must be reviewed by moderators" queue. So now it appears that I'm saying you failed to address the question, but I was actually referring to the previous two posts (the only ones I saw at the time). Your answer hit the mark, of course. I just wanted to clarify that.
Re: Personal loan rejection on credit score?Lighthouse24 Feb 27, 2009 5:29 AM (in response to massagefever)I'm not sure that the previous posts really answered the question you asked . . .
Every loan application or "inquiry" has the potential to reduce your credit score. According to Fair Isaacs (the company that produces the FICO score used by most lenders), one "inquiry" will generally result in a 5 point reduction in a FICO score. If your credit history is relatively short, or involves only a few accounts, a single inquiry could have an even greater impact. So it is best to keep the number of inquiries small (although they do allow for multiple inquiries when you are obviously "shopping" for the best rate on an auto or home mortgage loan).
Bottom line, just applying for a loan could potentially reduce your credit score. If you apply and are turned down, however, I think it is unlikely that the rejection would lower your score still further (because if your score was truly "really good" and your application was turned down, it would likely be because you haven't lived in the same place or held the same jobs for long enough -- not because of factors that go into the FICO calculation).
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Go to original post
Reply to original post
My husband and I have a really good credit score. I have been in business as a massage therapist for one year. I figure most banks are not going to be eager to loan money to a massage therapist. So if we get that rejection, how bad does that hurt our score?


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1.0.1 · Tabago166
Aug 26, 2018 (2 years ago)
1.0.1 · Tabago166
Aug 26, 2018 (2 years ago)
Sweet Camera beauty makeup photo stickers editor,beauty selfies photo collages
|1.0.1 (2)
|Aug 26, 2018 (2 years ago)
|Apps, Photography
Free 100+ emoji camera stickers for beauty selfies.
- Kinds of cute emoticons sticker! Abs, Tattoo, Beard, Dog, Cat motion stickers~ Find the suitable photo sticker for you.
- Sweet Camera beauty makeup photo stickers editor, including hairstyle, necklace, earrings camera stickers and man's beard.
- Each camera stickers can be easily resized and moved using multi-touch!
Choose photos from your gallery—or use the built-in Photo Booth to snap spur-of-the-moment shots—and instantly see them laid out in a cool collage. Pick the layout you like best, then edit it to make it your own.
Create photo collages with a variety of choices for layout, background, and spacing.
• Balance out color in one easy click with Auto Fix.
• Layer multiple photos and blend them together to get a unique look, using Double Exposure.
• Stylize your image to look like a pencil drawing, an ink sketch, a poster, and more.
• Make your selfies beautiful with simple tools to remove blemishes and red-eyes or to whiten your teeth.
- Focus on one color with Color Splash or add impact with Focal Blur.
- Choose from a pool of effect packs to give your image the look and feel you want.
- Adjust the mood of the photo with overlays – amplify the tone, cool it down, or add surreal shades.
- Mask your picture with captions or overlay it with text. Choose from a variety of fonts.
Layout's smooth, intuitive process gives you complete creative control. Tap to mirror, flip or replace images, hold and drag to swap them, pinch to zoom in or out, or pull the handles to resize. You're the editor, so get creative with the way you stitch things together—you can tell a story, show off an outfit or just splice, dice and change the look of your regular photos to convey a mood or theme.
- Instantly light up your camera selfie or photo with slide controls for face filter, whiten, clarity, contrast, temperature, sharpen.
- Selfie in any occasion with Silent Mode of Beauty Camera.
- Sweet Camera supports front-facing & outer-facing camera.
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Download the best app for editing photos and making cards and photo grids for the any occasion 🍁 . Choose from hundreds of photo grid layouts and sizes, exclusive stickers, background patterns and textures, and draw on your collages with "Doodle"!
S Collage Photo Editor reorganizes your photo into awesome collages just with one touch. Combine your favorite photos with various collage frames and creative collage templates. Every week, our design team add more stylish collage templates to help you create the customized collages and share your life moments to friends.
Everyone has a story to tell, be it grand adventures or the little moments that make up each day. At Flipagram, we celebrate them all. Become the director of your life's best moments with just a few taps of your smartphone. With Flipa 's easy to use editing tools gram, awesome filters and effects, and access to today's best music, you can be creating and sharing videos in no time.
Unlock your creativity with Pixlr - the free photo editor! Capture any moment and make it beautiful with over 2 million combinations of free effects, overlays, and filters. Once you're done,
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- Choose from a wide kinds of photo grid & photo collage templates!
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People of different gender and age have different nutritional requirements. Women, given their physiological needs, should take a diet that suffices their daily nutritional requirements.
The calorie intake of each person varies with age, gender, height, weight and physical activity. Women generally need fewer calories than men as the body makeup is different. Men have more muscle mass, are taller and weigh more than women hence, they require more calories.
Nutritional Requirements for Women
Women have specific nutritional requirements which are important especially during significant times such as pregnancy and menopause.
- A diet for women should be rich in calcium and vitamin D to reduce her risk of osteoporosis and boost good bone health.
- A woman needs around 1000 to 1200 mg of calcium every day
- Deficiency of iron can result in anemia which can hamper immunity and general health. Women are prone to iron deficiency due to loss of blood during monthly menstrual cycles
- Menopausal women are at a greater risk of cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart ailments which needs the 'right' kind of fat which is omega-3 fatty acids. It promotes good cholesterol while also working as an anticoagulant which means it prevents clotting of blood
- Protein is important for energy, growth and repair but excess of protein leads to loss of calcium in the urine; women need to balance their intake of protein
- Women should have sufficient intake of fiber from natural sources rather than its supplements, fiber is good for digestive as well as heart health
Women who are athletes or are in physically demanding jobs need to have higher calorie intake with increased intake of proteins for retaining and building lean body mass.
Also read: Fitness Plan for Women
Dietary Requirements for Ageing Women
As you age, your metabolism rate slows down as well as physical activity reduces, therefore your calorie intake should appropriately reduce unless you are physically very active. Even if a woman is ageing, it is important to maintain a good intake of proteins, vitamins and minerals to prevent age related degenerations such as loss of bone density, eyesight problems, loss of lean body mass and for overall good health.
To prevent inflammation and oxidative damage it is important to stock up on sources of antioxidants found in certain fruits and vegetables.
Also read: How to Gain Weight in 7 Days to Get Rid of the Skinny You
The same diet as during your adulthood will not work anymore and would need to be tailored as per your age and physical activity.
- At least five or more servings of variety of fruits and vegetables: Colourful and variety of fruits and vegetables are storehouses of essential vitamins, minerals and not to forget antioxidants. They will help in slowing down the body's oxidation process and will delay ageing while reducing risks of degenerative diseases
- Add as many colours as you can as it means more vitamins and better nutrition
- Opt for steamed vegetables rather than fried preparations
- Fruits and vegetables contain plenty of phytochemicals that boost good health
- Having fruits rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits and tomatoes reduce your risk of coronary heart disease
- At least two to three servings of calcium sources: Calcium sources such as milk (you may opt for toned milk), cheese and yogurt as osteoporosis is a looming health risk for women. Insufficient intake of calcium can prove detrimental to bone health.
Read more articles on Diet and Fitness.
For more related articles, download OnlymyHealth app.
All possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers' discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.


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I am NOT kidding you when I tell you that Wilderness at the Smokies is seriously one of my most favorite places on Earth! My family and I used to go for New Years Weekend, but the past two Summers we have taken advantage of the warm weather and stay for a long weekend with my Grandmother. She's not crazy about the beach these days, so this is a perfect spot for her to find shade and stay entertained by the kiddos. Continue reading "Wilderness at the Smokies"
Tag: Travel
My Birthday Surprise
There is one thing I know for sure. That is, life is NOT perfect. Have you ever played a question game and asked something like, "Describe your perfect day." You answer with some far-fetched idea that is usually not ever realistically going to happen. With that being said, I feel like someone needs to pinch me, because for once in my life I feel like my husband accomplished the impossible. He created for me the PERFECT day. Continue reading "My Birthday Surprise"
Catching Up in Colorado
Joshua and I took a belated Anniversary trip (along with Adler) to Pueblo, Colorado this year. We got to catch up with his brother, Luke and his girlfriend, Haley (who happens to be a life-long friend of mine). They were fabulous tour guides, and we got to see some amazing things! If you are planning to visit Colorado any time soon, I am going to post all of the MUST SEE places to visit while you are there! The best part, all but one attraction was FREE!
For more visitors information for Garden of the Gods, click here!
# T.W.O: BISHOPS CASTLE- Located in the San Isabel National Forest (About an hour drive from Pueblo).
This place was amazing! The castle was hand built, and is still being worked on! You can hike to the tip top on winding metal stairs! You have to be a bit of a thrill seeker for this one. It is probably one of the most daring things we have done (and we did it with an 8 month old). You get to feel like you are exploring a secret all on your own. No tour guides, and you get to go wherever you are brave enough to venture to. This was an excursion to remember. Here is the link to the official website.
#T.H.R.E.E.: The Royal Gorge Bridge- Located near Canon City
This is the only attraction we had to pay for! Your admission includes a ridge across the gorge in gondolas! You can also pay extra to zip line, which we opted out of. The gondolas are about the same thing, you are just enclosed! You can find out more at their website here.


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November 26th - Posted By Teddy 'Roo
The Wednesday of Foot Locker's Week of Greatness is a big one to get you ready for Thanksgiving with two big releases in the "Safari" Foamposites and the Nike Air Penny V "Lil' Penny." Though the Penny Vs are a new addition to Penny Hardaway's signature line, this release will reach to the past for inspiration. Lil' Penny was Penny's sidekick and main endorser in the campaigns used for the signature line from Nike from 1994 – 1998. Voiced by the hilarious comedian, Chris Rock, Lil' Penny always had hard hitting jokes to go along with support for his full sized counterpart. He also appeared next to Tyra Banks is multiple Air Penny commercials. You can check out some of the best of Lil' Penny below. The shoe inspired by the "knee high" celebrity is an eye popping one. Atomic red dominates the shoe while white and black contrast the bright hue of the upper around the shoe. Lil' Penny's number "1/2" appears on the tongue in place of Penny Hardaway's brand logo and a silhouette of Lil' Penny is featured on the shoe's heel under two of his most famous catch phrases on the heel tab – "Livin Large" and "Knee High."
The Nike Air Penny V "Lil' Penny" will release on Wednesday, November 27 at Foot Locker, House of Hoops by Foot Locker, and online at Footlocker.com for $165. Check the Launch Locator to see which stores will have this release.
BasketballHouse of HoopsReleases & LaunchesWeek of Greatness


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ARTERE Ecommerce is looking for new talent.
ARTERE e-commerce is looking for new employees interested in the sector of e-commerce
As part of our development, we are currently seeking:
As part of our projects for our clients, you intervene as Java/J2EE Expert.
Then in the medium term as Architect or Project manager if you wish, On Object technologies such as Java & J2EE and SOA.
You lead ambitious projects to develop the Internet channel of our customers
According to the mission, you will be responsible for:
As part of our missions in e-commerce strategy, you include all e-commerce issues to which the company could face :
The support on the definition of the ecommerce strategy and its implementation
the restructuring of the client's ecommerce website according to a multichannel and multidevice solution
The optimization of the ecommerce activity by improving the customer path, traffic generation and communication tools.
Depending onyour profileyouwill be workingonour projectswithin the company orto supportone of ourconsultantson amission ataprestigiousclient.You will discoverthe worldofbusinessande-commerce.
Allour internshiparepre-employmentinternship.
If you have athesis ofgraduationto make,pleasesubmit yourtopic,we will behappy tosee ifit can becarried out as partof one of ourmissions
If your profile does not match the offers listed, please send us an unsolicited application, we are always looking for new talent.
Our corporate culture is based on seven values: Honesty / Boldness / Trust / Freedom / Solidarity / Simplicity / FunLearn More ››


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France's foreign minister says world powers should brace for a possible war with Iran over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
In an interview broadcast Sunday on French radio and television, Bernard Kouchner said negotiations to resolve the nuclear standoff with Tehran are the top priority.
But, Kouchner said, in his own words, "We must prepare for the worst, and the worst is war."
He stressed that he does not believe war is imminent.
Kouchner also said his nation and Germany are discussing the possibility of additional sanctions against Iran. He added that France has advised its large companies against doing business with Tehran.
In an interview broadcast of Iranian television Sunday, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his nation will not abandon its uranium enrichment program. That process can lead to the making of nuclear weapons.
And, last week, Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Iran will not stop sensitive nuclear work - as the U.N. Security Council has demanded.
Western nations allege that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.
The U.S. and its allies want the U.N. Security Council to impose a third set of sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop uranium enrichment.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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Follow Up on the Best Sellers List
On January 13, I wrote about the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's 100 best-selling Christian books of 2016. In case you missed it, I found the list a little discouraging and very telling. Apparently, some people on the ole Facebook did not love my thoughts. For the record, I wasn't trying to take shots at the books on the list per se, but to respond to the list as a whole. But to be fair, I can see where my comments could be construed as an attack (especially if you count coloring books as books). Well I figure if I'm gonna take a shot at 'em, I might as well do it head-on. So I've decided to read the top 10 books on the list and write a short reaction.
Before I get started next week with The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines, I thought I would introduce the series today and explain what I'm trying to do.
First, I'm not going to provide full reviews. A "real" review gives detailed literary criticism based on analysis of a book's content, style, and merit. My goal with these blog posts is to react to the book on a much lower level and then make a recommendation. Please don't look for sophisticated critique of the book; instead, I'll tell you what I liked, what I didn't like, whether I'd recommend it, and I'll offer my perspective on why it's popular.
Second, I'm sticking with the theme from the original post: namely, the list says more about evangelicals than it does about the individual books/authors. While I'll offer my opinion about each book, I'll also offer an opinion of why the book is so high on the list and what I think that says about readers. WARNING: this part of each post will probably be the most offensive. The list is a mirror and I'm going to bring the reflection into focus to make you think about what we're all reading.
Third, I welcome dialogue. My posts won't be infallible and some clarification along the way will help all of us. There's one line in the original post that I would re-write if I were posting it today, but unfortunately, that's the way it goes. While I could update the page, the "Internets" has it now and I'll try to do better next time. But judging by some of the responses I don't know that it would matter because I'm pretty sure some people didn't quite understand what I was trying to say. For the sake of clarity with these posts, let's use the comment section below to chat about them.
Fourth and finally, I've never been big on coloring sheets, but I promise to complete a page out of the adult coloring book. I'm dreading it already, but in the name of research… I'll persevere.


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PRESS RELEASE – Though the 2017 Saint Lucia Carnival season has ended, one former Party Monarch has been reined in by Climax, for his infectious personality and high spirits.
Renowned island wide for his energetic bursts, fun persona and his prowess on the mic, Climax is proud to announce Ezra Augustin as their official Brand Ambassador.
Speaking on the ambassadorship, Fern Wilson, Junior Brand Manager for Climax said, "We are thrilled to have Ezra, the fun machine, as our brand ambassador. He embodies, exhibits & personifies the core values of the Climax Brand: activity, Vivaciousness, fun, energy."
"Climax is an Herbal Energy Drink with a unique taste & a delicious contrast of smooth, sparkling refreshment, and a strong yet sweet experience. It gives an energy boost that keeps you going for hours. Ezra, we would like to think, exhibits that same energy Climax is known for."
She continued, "He always presents his ideal self, his spontaneous nature & connects with his fans with ease; he embodies the characteristics of a good man."
Attaining the Party Monarch Crown in 2014 with Bacchanal Rampage, Ezra has proven himself to be a versatile, consistent artist, with an immense sense of pride and loyalty to his country. With his fun-loving persona, Ezra, as the Brand Ambassador of Climax, is a natural fit.
"We are proud to announce this partnership today, August 7th, his birthday, and we are very confident that Ezra will represent the brand well." Wilson concluded. Climax and Ezra both promise to keep the party going and invite Saint Lucians to join us online at https://www.facebook.com/ClimaxSaintLucia/ for more information on this exciting partnership.


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Final Essay: Accounting 206
Final Essay: Managerial Accounting versus Financial Accounting
Heather Spencer
Acc 206
Instructor Lisa Foley
May 17, 2010
In this essay I will discuss what management accounting is and what the sources of data are. I will also divulge the differences in these accounting methods. In my learning of accounting principles, I have learned that there is a difference between financial accounting and managerial accounting. The main difference between the two is that managerial mainly focuses on the business itself and is really a significant role in the business being able to withstand the market and current economy. This type of accounting is mostly hands on and financial accounting focuses more on the reviewing of the financial statements to an external source (not a part of the business or company.) A company that provides stocks and bonds and is public business (where anyone can see how they are doing) such as Chase bank, and JP Morgan and this keeps a company honest in its work.
Making a good ethical decisions in business require facts and truth. Not subjectivity and half-truths. The difference between these two different types of accounting is that, when doing managerial accounting its main emphasis is on the future predictions of the company.
Managers direct people to do certain tasks, such as taking out the garbage, or doing the dishes, the job is being delegated to the employees and they fulfill the requirements and get paid. Sometimes depending on the job and position you are in with the company, the benefits and or consequences of failing at a task depend greatly on the profession. For the military, the consequences of failing a mission could mean life or death. The decision is based on a moment's notice and is taught early on that the first...


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Suspect sent to jail in nurse murder case
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday remanded a suspect to prison in a trainee nurse murder case while a female suspect turned up as a witness after being released by police.
The police produced Mohammad Asif, who has been in custody on physical remand for the past one week, in court and sought extension in his remand.
However, the court sent him to prison on judicial remand till April 25 and asked the investigating officer (IO) to submit the investigation report till next hearing.
The police had also arrested a friend of the deceased, Somaiya, on April 8. She remained in police custody for around 10 days, but the IO released her for want of evidence against her under Section 497(2) of the criminal procedure code.
The police then produced her before the court as a prosecution witness to testify against the suspect. The magistrate recorded her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. She testified that she was a friend of the victim and they both were getting nursing training from a hospital.
She deposed that they both had friends who they used to meet at a café. She said the victim was annoyed with her friend Asif, the prime suspect in the murder case, because he was going to marry someone else. He took her away from the café on his motorbike on the day of the incident, the witness said.
According to the prosecution, the 22-year-old victim was allegedly strangled to death at a deserted place in Surjani Town on March 31 and her body was set ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence.
A case was lodged under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on a complaint of the father of the deceased.
Illegal weapon case
A man was sentenced to four years imprisonment in an illicit weapon case on Tuesday.
Mohammad Naveed was found guilty of carrying an unlicensed pistol in North Nazimabad last year.
The assistant additional district and sessions judge (central) Maqbool Ahmed Memon, who conducted the trial, also imposed a fine of Rs10,000 and in case of default the convict would have to undergo an additional three-month imprisonment.
The accused was booked under Section 23-A of the Sindh Arms Act 2013 at the Shahrah-i-Noorjehan police station. He was produced in custody and following the pronouncement of verdict, the court remanded him back to prison to serve out the sentence.
Family court
Sindh Minister for Women Development Rubina Qaimkhani on Tuesday was granted Khula (separation) from her husband.
The minster through her lawyer had filed an application in a family court seeking separation from her husband, Saadat Yasin, due to mental and physical abuse. In her application, she contended that she had been bearing all the expenses of their three children as their father had never spent a single penny on them. She added that she also wanted to give up the dowry and haq mehr .
At a previous hearing, the court issued a notice to the defendant with a direction to submit his comments.
When the matter came up for hearing before the judicial magistrate/family judge (south) Aliya Malik on Tuesday, the defendant was not present and his lawyer sought adjournment.
However, the minister informed the judge that she would not live with him any more. After recording the statement of the applicant and hearing the lawyer for the complainant, the court granted Khula to dissolve the marriage.


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The Bloom Box: either too good to be true or likely to change the world.
Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes interviewed K.R. Sridhar from Bloom Energy about their potentially world-changing Bloom Box — a small fuel cell that produces cheap electricity with zero emissions on demand and an on site. Sridhar envisions a Bloom Box providing electricity for homes all over the world — in just 5-10 years.
It sounds too good to be true, but Bloom Energy has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from top-tier investors. AND, the first version of the Bloom Box is already in use by Google (providing electricity for one of it's data centers) and Ebay (providing 15% of the electricity for it's massive campus and saving over $100,000 per year in energy costs).
This could really change the world. Check it out:


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To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, ROBERT W. GRAY, of Boston, county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corsets, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.
This invention in corsets relates to improvements in what are known as "shoulder-brace corsets," and has for its object such a construction thereof, as will be hereinafter described, whereby the corset is made more effective as a shoulder-brace, and whereby the breast portion or front of the corset is relieved from strain or pressure, tending to draw it in against the person or the natural breast. This result is obtained by, aud myinvention consists in, securing both ends of the shoulder-strap to the back section and uniting the back and front sections through the side section with a gap, slit, or space between the upper edges of the two, all as hereinafter specified a ml claimed.
Figure 1 represents in perspective one half of a corset containing my invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram of the back and side section.
The back A is stitched to the side section, B, of the front of the corset by the line of stitching a, there being between the arm-size c of the part A and the upper portion of the side section, B, an open space, d, or gap extended downwardly below the arm-size corner m of the back section, A, which permits the breast portion of the corset composed of the upper parts of B C D to swell outward to conform to the shape of the natural breast.
The shoulder-brace E, of usual shape, is connected with the top of the back A by the, usual elastic webbing e, while the webbing e2, connected with the front end of the strap, is engaded with the buckle g, attached to the back of the corset below the arm-size and at the rear of the slit or space d between the back and the side section, B. Attaching the front end of the shoulder-strap in this way, only to the back of the corset, enables the strap to be tightened or drawn to hold the shoulders back, firmly, and that without producing any strain upon the front or breast covering portion of the corset, which would tend to pull it in unduly toward the person or to the discomfort of the wearer of the corset.
In some instances I may desire to prevent the top of the front of the corset, or breast portion thereof, dropping too much, as it might do owing to the slit or opening d, and to this end I may connect the eyeleted portion h of the shoulder-strap with the eyelet eyelet eyelet i of the part B by a loop or ribbon or string l.
The font and breast portions may be shaped or stiffened in any usual manner common to corset.
I claim--
In a corset, the back section, A, and a shoulder-brace, E, having both its ends attached to the back section combined with the side section, B, having space d intervening between the back and side sections below the corner m of the said back section, as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
In testimony whereof I have. signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.


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The GHOLLYWOOD and the NOLLYWOOD movie industries are the most known African movie industry in both Ghana and Nigeria. Both African countries have become very diverse in their profession and now work and act together to produce movies.
For some time now, it has opened more opportunities for the up and coming African actors and actresses. They travel to each other's countries and produce quality and interesting movies. This collaboration has taken them further in business.
However, I think the African movie industries have come a long way, but we still have a lot to learn. Some of our African movie Producers need to understand that movie making is not all about the money. I mean, obviously, the bottom line of producing movies is about the money involved, the returns and revenues and all that. But then, that is not how the movies are going to sell. The movie industry is not a "buy and sell" sort of business. It is more about loving the art, what you can do and what you can actually portray at your best to the public, because the movie industry changes from time to time.
Once the producers understand that, then they can achieve what is expected in a movie in terms of quality pictures, good story lines, exceptional dialogues, classic sounds and all that makes movies sell.
Moreover, GHOLLYWOOD have learnt a lot from the NOLLYWOOD due to the diversity of the latter's story lines and excellent production. NOLLYWOOD have a high frequency touch" in their movies and also even in their music. It will be justifiably right to say Ghanaian Movie Industry has learnt a lot from the Nigerian Movie Industry.
NOLLYWOOD invests more time and money and their filming technique is superior to GHOLLYWOOD. That is not to say that the GHOLLYWOOD Industry is not making good movies, of course, they are also improving on their film techniques excellently and are producing better and classic movies now. The GHOLLYWOOD industry has improved successfully in their growth over the years.
Over the recent years however, there have been a maximum change in the appreciation of the Ghanaian movies in the industry.
Before that happened, some Ghanaians used to love more of the Nigerian movies than their own movies. The usual saying among some Ghanaians at that time was, "WE ALWAYS GET TO KNOW HOW THE STORY IS GOING TO END ONCE THE MOVIE BEGINS". That was quite sad because the Ghanaian producers, actors and actresses put in a lot of effort but felt they were not appreciated by the public.
Now, the industry has developed some growth and a rapid improvement in their production. The story lines have improved. The actors and actresses are now top rates. The settings, the dialogue and the picture quality have been upgraded. The Ghanaian movie actors and actresses are now being more appreciated more now than ever. They are being honoured with awards every year in Ghana. They have been recognized in Nigeria and other African countries, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is a great change and we are happy to see that vast improvement in the Ghanaian movie industry.
The Ghanaian Movie Industry has developed an obvious vast change which has opened a lot of opportunities for more people in the business. The actors have worked with several African countries like "Gambia" which is known as "The Smiling Coast of Africa", South Africa, Liberia, Tanzania, Malawi and many other countries as well.
Overall, African movies have become more diverse over the years but we still have a long way to go and a lot to learn from the "HOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY".
HOLLYWOOD movie producers use every trick in the book to make the best movies. They are very particular about their scripts, the settings and even how the actors and actresses portray their characters in the movies. The producers put more emphasis on how classic the movie is supposed to look like in terms of picture quality, creativity and of course, they also invest tons of money for advertisements.
Unlike the African movies, HOLLYWOOD movies seldom ran beyond the standard of 90 minutes. They don't necessarily make long stories with unnecessary plots. African movies have been known to run like television series with some movies having 5 parts with each part running as long as two and half hours, making one story almost 12 hours long. Editing I believe is some of African movies' deficiency. Most people do not have the time to sit through 12 hour movies, so the directors must emphasize on crisp scripts and refrain from these marathon movies. Wholly speaking, African movies are getting better and some of our actors have already impacted HOLLYWOOD.
Our biggest dream is to reach our highest aim in the African movie industry in order to even get into collaboration with the HOLLYWOOD movie industry, as we progress our growth in the movie industry.
I believe that is one of the biggest dreams of every African actor and actress!
By Afia Serwaah/GhanaGist.Com


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IPL T20 - Cricket, Glamour and many more
IPL 2016 proved itself last year. In order to start this idea BBCI has taken the support from cricket boards of various countries, so that they permit their players to play in the IPL Cricket League. They are being paid heavy sums for doing so.
T20 has given a new intending to cricket. Cricket started with check matches and went till day and now, its new format is twenty20. With the victory in Twenty20 World Cup Cricket Event in South Africa, this format has become India's beloved game. After seeing a lot praise, BCCI has tried and given it a new dimension in India with IPL T20.
Auctions of the players and the state teams have attracted plenty of giant business houses, bollywood stars and millionaires from all around the globe. These giant names that are paying definitely do make a difference in the game.
In India, people think about cricket as a faith than a sport. This passion for the game has written the success story of this format and league. This league has not given only cricket but plenty of entertainment also through Bollywood stars, cheerleaders, music, etc.
In this league there's eight teams representing various regions of India and these teams are combined with international cricket stars and domestic players. They play matches in the twenty20 format against each other. Every team will be playing matches against another team and the highest winners will be playing semifinals. The semifinal winners will then play the finale of the game. This gives the lot of action to the cricket lovers all around the globe.
IPL 2016 schedule is a league which gives a chance to the domestic players to improve their game and learn from their seniors. In this, every team has to play only 20overs. This is shortest kind of cricket which has given tallest of height to cricket.


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- This event has passed.
Rock the Waterfront
August 12, 2017 @ 7:00 pm - 10:30 pmFree
Rock the Waterfront (2015 Nominee- Interlake Tourism Event of the Year)
When: Saturday August 12th 7 PM – 10:30 PM
Where: Selkirk Waterfront
What: Live music on the banks of the historic Red River FEATURING Tributes to Jon Bon Jovi and Creedence Clearwater Revival!
- Open Air Venue
- Live Entertainment
- Great views everywhere
- Event goes rain or shine
- Food Vendors on site
- Bring a lawn chair


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The Lavazza Glass Collection Cappuccino Cup and Saucer are ideal for work, home and events. Both are made of clear glass, and the 6 oz cup features the iconic blue Lavazza label.
*Cup and saucer sold as a set.
**Box contains 6 glass gups and 6 saucers
It's no accident that Lavazza is Italy's favorite coffee. Four generations of the Lavazza family have dedicated over 120 years to finding the best blends of coffee beans from all over the world to provide you the authentic Italian experience.


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I won't mumble my opinion of Android anymore — *ahem* dead on the vine *ahem* — but that won't stop folks from creating software for it. TuneWiki is an iPhone-esque media player for Android (it's already out on iPhone homebrew). It adds Karaoke-style lyric readouts to your songs, which is nice.
Right now it works in the emulator but the video above gives you a look at what it may look like in the future.


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- Super soft and comfortable tri-blend material will make this shirt your new favorite!
- Slim structure for a modern silhouette - we suggest ordering a size up if you prefer a baggier fit.
- Laundered fabric to avoid shrinkage after washing.
- Machine wash cold with like colors.
Additional Info
- Cotton/Polyester/Rayon
- Machine wash cold inside out with like colors and tumble dry low.
Shipping info
Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
Availability: Ships anywhere in the United States
Processing Time: Allow 15-20 business days for your order to ship.
Deadline: White House
Nicole Wallace delivers up-to-the-minute political developments to viewers. She also leads conversations with Washington insiders and well-sourced journalists.
More gifts from Deadline: White House
Visit MSNBC.com for more information about Deadline: White House


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OK computer? Digital Public Archaeologies in Practice
So videoing has for the most part taken up most of my blogging time these days. I hope to get back to writing original content soon but until then …
From the 2014 TAG conference here is the OK computer? Digital Public Archaeologies in Practice session:
Session organisers: Seren Griffiths (Manchester Metropolitan University), Lorna Richardson (University College London), Chiara Bonacchi (University College London, UK) and Gabriel Moshenka (University College London)
Community or public archaeology has often emphasised communities defined by an attachment to place, often defined by the archaeological site (cf. Simpson 2008); increasingly digital technologies allow a breakdown of this privileging of physical place and the concept of 'community' (cf. Waterton 2005; 2010), to connect geographically disparate populations. Digital public archaeology projects have emphasised crowd-sourcing, engagment, dissemination, and publicity using blogs, social media, webfeeds and so on (e.g. Richardson 2012; Bonacchi et al. 2012). As well as the challenges and opportunities relevant to other public archaeology projects, work which includes a significant digital public archaeology component has a series of more specific concerns. Increasingly the need for archaeologists to engage thoughtfully with digitally technologies has been recognised by a number of organisations (Archaeological Data Service 2010; Heritage Lottery Fund 2012; Institute of Archaeologists 2012), and greater numbers of projects are defined by their predominantly digital work. As a result there are implications both for local site-specific practice by people working as archaeologists where we are "…progressively transforming a ''world of scarcity'' into one of ''saturation'', where space is no more an issue…" (Bonacchi 2012); the wider political context in which people interested in heritage operate (Richardson 2012); and how different interest groups including intelligent and critical consumers work in the historic environment "…without any professional or academic input whatsoever…" (Moshenka 2008).
As with other aspects of public archaeology, projects can include both 'bottom up' and 'top down' approaches (cf. Tully 2007; Moshenka 2008; Belford 2011) to engagement with aspects of the archaeological record. There are also webfora and projects which include the co-production of resources by interest groups who might define themselves not as archaeologists, but who have a strong interest in the historic environment (neopagans, historical re-enactors, and metal detectorists for example). This session will discuss aspects of digital public archaeology, including the challenges and opportunities offered by social media and webfora, ways of encountering and engaging with digital communities; the role of explicitly 'digital public archaeology' projects, how these communities are constructed and maintained; how a range of authoritative voices use the internet (cf. Hodder 2008; Faulkner 2000; Grima 2002); wider issues in terms of sustainability and management (cf. Moshenka et al. 2011); and how they interface with more traditional aspects of archaeological practices.
The ACCORD Project (Archaeology- Community Co-Design and Co-production of Research Data)
Mhairi Maxwell (ACCORD RA, Digital Design Studio, GSA), Stuart Jeffrey (ACCORD PI, Digital Design Studio, GSA), Alex Hale (ACCORD Co-I, RCAHMS), Sian Jones (ACCORD Co-I, the University of Manchester), Cara Jones (ACCORD partner, Archaeology Scotland)
The ACCORD project explores the opportunities and implications of digital visualisation technologies for community engagement and research. Our ethos is co-production and in partnership with communities, together we create three-dimensional models of heritage sites and objects. It has been said that we are all archaeologists now! (Shanks 2014), which leads to the question of why has this not yet rung true in the world of 3D modelling and 3D printing, despite the accessibility and ubiquity of many of these technologies? These techniques have remained firmly in the domain of specialists and expert forms of knowledge and/or professional priorities govern their usage. Expressions of community-based social value are rarely addressed through their application. ACCORD seeks to address this through the co-design and co-production (with the support of visualisation technologists, researchers and practitioners in community engagement) of a permanently archived and open-access research asset which integrates co-produced digital models, user generated contextual data and statements of social value. This paper will first address the barriers to community co-production of 3D visualisations and records; for example the language used and user-interface design can often be off-putting, know-how is not innate to those unfamiliar with digital platforms, and copyrights of the results are not well understood. We will then, however, go on to present the broad range of opportunities that co-production can offer; for the enhancement of community enskillment, ownership and sense of belonging.
Funded by the AHRC, ACCORD is a 15 month partnership between the Digital Design Studio at the Glasgow School of Art, Archaeology Scotland, the University of Manchester and the RCAHMS. ACCORD is one of eleven projects across the UK to be awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council's Digital Transformations in Community Research CoProduction programme and is a partnership between the Glasgow School of Art, Archaeology Scotland, University of Manchester and the RCAHMS. For more info email Mhairi Maxwell (RA on the ACCORD project): email@example.com
Paranoid Android? The future of archaeological research in the collaborative and digital economy
Brendon Wilkins and Lisa Westcott Wilkins-
Numerous community archaeology projects are undertaken every year in the UK on a wide range of sites by a variety of public, private and third sector organisations. Building on this provision, a new social, digital and collaborative economy is also emerging, creating an access step-change that has made it radically easier for communities to form. The emerging field of digital public archaeology has struggled to adequately theorise these new developments, assuming that all community archaeology projects can be simplified into one of two overarching methodological orientations: 'top down' or 'bottom up.' In the former, projects can be conceived as a stage-managed collaboration between expert and public, with the expert retaining control over design, fieldwork and analysis. In the latter, the agenda is set according to the needs of communities themselves, with the expert relinquishing control of the process into the hands of non-professionals.
Drawing on our 'Digital Dig Team' innovation, in this paper we will consider new approaches that enable archaeologists to co-fund, co-design, co-deliver and co-create value with their respective communities – innovations that make no sense in terms of top down or bottom up, and demand a rethink of community-based models that rely on economic theory. The digital and collaborative economy is more akin to an ecological system, where socially embedded technologies (often bracketed under the term 'citizen science') present archaeologists with a multitude of opportunities to do things radically differently; they open new vistas for archaeological knowledge creation, ultimately realising the value of research through a truly social method.
The Greatest Digital Public Archaeology Tool… that we never use.
Doug Rocks-Macqueen-
It was on a Monday in 2001, the 15th of January, when one of the greatest tools for digital public engagement in Archaeology was launched, Wikipedia. The term 'great tool' is a bold one but the first half of this paper will lay out how Wikipedia lives up to such a term through:
- Reach
- Funding
- Digital best practices
- Principle of co-creation
Yet, more than a decade later we archaeologists barely utilise this tool. The second half of this paper looks at how we can encourage and maximise use of Wikipedia by archaeologists and those interested in Archaeology. Some of the ideas presented include:
- WikiClub
- Wiki Loves Archaeology style competition
- Integration into the curriculum
- Wikipedia as part of commercial archaeology
Scaling the archaeological digital data mountain
Emily La Trobe-Bateman and Sian James-
With the majority of archaeological records in the UK being created in digital formats, there is widespread expectation that access to them should be open and user-friendly. For development-related archaeological work this expectation is embedded in the term 'preservation by record'. Where academic work is supported by research and funding bodies, open source and linked data standards are required, along with the need to include costs for long-term data management. Despite this there is insufficient clarity across the discipline over digital data standards, including metadata standards. The mechanisms for ensuring access to information are poorly developed, and too little consideration is given to the responsibility of meeting the costs of long-term digital storage. Set in a context where there are scarce resources, specialist expertise in Knowledge Organisation is unevenly distributed, and the current reward structure within the discipline is based on individual authorship, how can the importance of archaeological digital data in the public sphere be secured?
This paper will discuss the way these issues have been negotiated as part of a recent collaborative project between the University of Bangor and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust (GAT). The project, Visualising the Archaeology of Gwynedd, sought to develop a way of managing and sustaining archaeological digital data held by partners based in north-west Wales. An online image-library has been created, incorporating large collections of analogue and born-digital photographs and other digital visual data, held by GAT, the University and the Snowdonia National Park Authority. The participation of volunteers in the digitisation process, including the creation of metadata, has been vital to its success, helping to shape the project and create a model for sustainable data management.
Digital heritage interpretation and engagement
Richard Lewis-
Among other outcomes, the archaeology sector aims to engage a wider audience with archaeological data. Increasingly, digital technology is used within the heritage industry to interpret sites, following a global trend towards increased digitisation. Rising sales of portable digital technology and members of social media websites have created a new audience for engagement with issues from politics to humanitarian causes. Accordingly, heritage smartphone apps and social media pages are becoming commonplace. These developments raise concerns regarding how digital technology engages the public. To measure this, several factors must be considered, including the nature of digital engagement strategies, their appropriateness within their settings and effectiveness in achieving their aims. This allows for modification of engagement strategies to better suit the intended audience. This talk examines various digital heritage interpretation techniques for promoting interaction with the public. Based on the studies conducted during my MA dissertation, I will highlight the issues raised through an intensive desk-based analysis of digital heritage interpretation techniques. For example, top-down versus grass-roots methodologies, the utilisation of social media and some concerns raised by so-called 'techno-dystopians' are considered. The points raised here will be analysed in conjunction with a central case study of the Stonehenge Audio Tour app, by English Heritage. Forming the basis for my dissertation research, this study compares site visitors with online social media respondents to understand to what extent the public utilise available digital interpretation tools. The conclusions will examine why digital engagement appears to be low, and what can be done to combat this.
Heritage Together: The Crowd-Sourcing of Digital Photographic Data for 3D Modelling
Ben Edwards and Seren Griffiths-
This paper will explore the results and methodology of the AHRC Connected Communities funded 'Heritage Together' project, a collaboration between Bangor, Aberystwyth and Manchester Metropolitan universities. The project, which is currently entering its final phase, is a crowd-sourced photogrammetric recording project focused on the megalithic monuments of north-west Wales and Anglesey. Members of the public join the project through the web portal, upload photographs of standing stones, burial monuments and other features, and the 3D models are automatically produced. The resulting textured models and the raw data are available open-access to members of the public and academics for their own unlimited use. Whilst the results of the photogrammetry are interesting in their own right, especially to prehistorians and surveyors, this paper will focus on the design and maintenance of the public element of the project, and the challenges and successes experienced in engaging people with digital archaeology.