text:
We develop novel scientific devices and methods for applications in biomolecular physics, biological chemistry, and molecular medicine. To this end, we currently focus on using DNA as a programmable construction material for building nanometer-scale scientific devices with atomically precise features. We also customize proteins and create and study hybrid DNA-protein complexes. 3D transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and single molecule methods such as optical trapping and fluorescence microscopy are among our routine analysis tools. A few words on biomolecular nanotechnology and its benefits can be found here. Below we outline in more detail our current research directions. Did you check our published results?
Protein Structure
By folding into intriguing molecular shapes, proteins are able to carry out all kind of wondrous functions in our cells. We seek to develop novel methods for the structural analysis of protein molecules. Our approach is two-fold: we aim to construct DNA-based alignment cages for 3D transmission electron microscopy to facilitate bottleneck steps such as cryogenic vitrification, image processing, and structural refinement. We also aim to establish a solution-based protein triangulation method based on multiple two-point distance measurements carried out with a high-throughput protein mutant expression system.
Protein Dynamics
Life in a cell is dynamic: proteins zig-zag around, manufacture new molecules, chew up others, transport cargo, and read what's new on the daily DNA digest. Proteins are nanotechnological masterpieces brought upon by evolution with a missing user's manual. Watching a protein in action provides valuable clues into how it actually works. We seek to build custom-made nanometer-scale devices such as pliers or calipers using scaffolded DNA origami and attach these devices to target proteins in order to monitor and influence their dynamic behaviour in reconstituted in-vitro systems. Conformational heterogeneity will be assessed by transmission electron microscopy and/or in real-time using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. Ideally, this will go hand in hand with our efforts in developing novel methods for structural analysis of proteins. Our target-of-the-moment are DNA binding proteins that are involved in transcriptional regulation.
DNA Materials Science
DNA is a consistent suprise: with super-flexibility (1), negative twist-stretch coupling (2) and extreme extensibility (3), DNA has fascinating mechanical properties that are relevant for a range of biological processes such as transcriptional regulation or genomic packaging but also for people like us who use DNA for engineering. We seek a better understanding of the materials properties of DNA by studying in detail the mechanical strength of the sequence-dependent base-stacking interaction and by studying the propensity of target DNA sequences to bend. Custom 3D DNA origami shapes in conjunction with single-molecule manipulation methods offer a rich playground for addressing these questions.
DNA and Protein Engineering
Molecular self-assembly with DNA is the current workhorse of our research efforts. Our method of choice is 'scaffolded DNA origami' and we are striving towards improving this method in order to engineer higher quality devices with more sophisticated functionalities. Robotic automation to enable higher-throughput manufacturing as well as development of software for computer-aided engineering are on our to-do-list. Previously, we have also done some tiny steps towards using proteins as building material and we plan to expand more into protein design in the future.


text:
Gartner Names CSC a Leader in Communications Outsourcing and Professional Services
Gartner Names CSC a Leader in Communications Outsourcing and Professional Services
FALLS CHURCH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CSC (NYS: CSC) announced today that Gartner has named it a leader in its "Magic Quadrant for Communications Outsourcing and Professional Services" report for the third consecutive year.
The report examined 21 providers of IT and process services for corporate networks and communications systems worldwide, evaluating providers of managed services, outsourcing services and project-based services.
"Being positioned in the Leaders Quadrant is indicative of our continued commitment to delivering innovative solutions for our customers," said Gary Budzinski, executive vice president and general manager, Global Infrastructure Services. "Our ability to utilize cloud-based services, flexibility in contracts, program management expertise and dedicated resources are key to helping organizations realize the potential of emerging communications technology."
According to the Gartner report, "the key value propositions that end users cite most often for entering COPS relationships with third-party vendors are: program management, flexibility in contracts related to engagement and consumption models, attaining targeted cost-benefits and improved operational and technology performance." The report also states, "Increasingly, Gartner is seeing COPS deals that leverage third-party multisourcing service integrators (MSIs) to manage work streams, ensure execution and measure value."
The December 20, 2012 report, "Magic Quadrant for Communications Outsourcing and Professional Services," was authored by Gartner analysts Eric Goodness and Christine Tenneson.
About the Gartner Magic Quadrant
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The Magic Quadrant graphic was published by Gartner, Inc., as part of a larger research note and should be evaluated in the context of the entire report.
About CSC
For more information, please visit CSC's company profile.
Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for CSC.
Marcel Goldstein
Corporate Public Relations
KEYWORDS: United States North America Virginia
The article Gartner Names CSC a Leader in Communications Outsourcing and Professional Services originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fluorescence light microscopy allows multicolor visualization of cellular components with high specificity, but its utility has until recently been constrained by the intrinsic limit of spatial resolution. We applied three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) to circumvent this limit and to study the mammalian nucleus. By simultaneously imaging chromatin, nuclear lamina, and the nuclear pore complex (NPC), we observed several features that escape detection by conventional microscopy. We could resolve single NPCs that colocalized with channels in the lamin network and peripheral heterochromatin. We could differentially localize distinct NPC components and detect double-layered invaginations of the nuclear envelope in prophase as previously seen only by electron microscopy. Multicolor 3D-SIM opens new and facile possibilities to analyze subcellular structures beyond the diffraction limit of the emitted light.
Light microscopy is a key technology in modern cell biology and, in combination with immunofluorescence, fluorescent protein fusions, or in situ hybridization, allows the specific localization of nearly all cellular components. A fundamental limitation of optical microscopy is its low resolution relative to the scale of subcellular structures. This limitation occurs because light traveling through a lens cannot be focused to a point but only to an Airy disk (1) with a diameter of about half the wavelength of the emitted light (2, 3). Because the wavelengths of visible light range from 400 to 700 nm, objects closer than 200 to 350 nm apart cannot be resolved but appear merged into one.
Improving resolution beyond the 200-nm diffraction limit while retaining the advantages of light microscopy and the specificity of molecular imaging has been a long-standing goal. Here, we present results demonstrating that this goal can be achieved with the use of a microscope system that implements three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) (4) in an easy-to-use system that makes no extra demands on experimental procedures. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) resolves objects beyond the diffraction limit by illuminating with multiple interfering beams of light (5). The emitted light then contains higher-resolution image information, encoded by a shift in reciprocal (Fourier, or frequency) space into observable modulations of the image, in a manner similar to the formation of Moiré patterns (fig. S1). This extra information can be decoded to reconstruct fine details, resulting in an image with twice the resolution of a conventional image taken on the same microscope (Fig. 1 and fig. S2). The 3D-SIM method extends previous 2D SIM methods by using three beams of interfering light, which generate a pattern along the axial (z) direction as well as the lateral (x and y) directions. We implemented 3D-SIM in a custom-built microscope designed for ease of use so that slides prepared for conventional microscopes can be imaged without any further treatment, and operation of the microscope is similar to any modern commercial system. Although several subdiffraction-resolution optical microscopy methods have been developed in the past decade (6–8) and have been used to address specific biological questions (9, 10), they still present limitations, such as the restriction of the resolution enhancement to either the lateral or the axial direction or to the near or evanescent field, limited multicolor and 3D sectioning abilities, and the requirement of unusual dyes. 3D-SIM is currently the only subdiffraction-resolution imaging technique that allows detection of three (and potentially more) wavelengths in the same sample, using standard fluorescent dyes, with 3D optical sectioning and enhancement of resolution in both lateral (x and y) and axial (z) directions.
We used 3D-SIM to probe higher-order chromatin structure and the relative localization of nuclear pores, the nuclear lamina, and chromatin at the nuclear periphery in mammalian tissue culture cells (11). The vertebrate nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a ∼120 MD protein complex (12) that mediates communication and selective exchange between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. The relation between chromatin, the NPC, and other components of the nuclear envelope, such as the nuclear lamina, has been extensively studied (13, 14). Electron microscopy (EM) has been instrumental in determining the fine structure of the NPC (12, 15–17), but it cannot provide a global 3D view of the entire nucleus with specific labeling of the molecular components. 3D-SIM can bridge this technology gap and shed light on the nuclear periphery.
We first tested the ability of 3D-SIM to resolve the fine structure of interphase chromatin in three-dimensionally preserved formaldehyde-fixed mouse C2C12 myoblast cells stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). For comparison we recorded a reference image stack with conventional wide-field epifluorescence microscopy and applied constrained iterative deconvolution (18) to reduce out-of-focus blur (Fig. 2). In the 3D-SIM image, chromatin shows a more evidently fibrous substructure, and a brighter rim of heterochromatin staining is visible near the nuclear envelope as observed by EM. These chromatindense regions are surrounded by chromatin-poor regions, consistent with the interchromatin compartment observed by combined fluorescence and electron microscopic studies (19).
Unexpectedly, in 3D-SIM images of the nuclear periphery, we observed thousands of well-defined holes in DAPI staining, which could not be observed in the corresponding wide-field epifluorescence images (Fig. 2B). The size, number, and position of these holes suggested that they represented the exclusion of DNA from NPCs. To test this hypothesis and the potential of 3D-SIM for simultaneous multicolor 3D imaging of various nuclear structures, we co-immunostained these cells with NPC-specific antibodies and antibodies against lamin B. For comparison we recorded 3D image stacks of cells from the same sample with state-of-the-art confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and applied deconvolution (Fig. 3, A and B). The intermediate filament protein lamin B is a major component of the nuclear lamina that lines and stabilizes the nuclear envelope (20). The NPC antibodies used here (referred to as αNPC) are directed against the FG-repeat domain common to several nuclear pore proteins and mainly detect Nup62, Nup214, and Nup358, which are located in the center and at the cytoplasmic side of the NPC (21) with a minor signal from Nup153. In lateral cross sections of 3D-SIM image stacks, we consistently observed the peripheral heterochromatin rim outlined by a fine heterogeneous layer of the nuclear lamina and nuclear pore signals further above the lamina. This clear triple-layered organization was not resolvable with CLSM (Fig. 3A). For comparison, we also used a monoclonal antibody specific for Nup153, which is located on the nucleoplasmic side of the NPC (21) and obtained a pore signal in the same plane as the lamin B signal, demonstrating the potential of 3D-SIM to resolve subtle differences of epitope locations within the NPC (Fig. 3C). In apical cross sections, we found that NPC foci strictly localize within DAPI voids (Fig. 3B and movie S1). With very few exceptions, every DAPI void contained a focus of NPC staining and vice versa, suggesting that most if not all NPCs exclude chromatin from their immediate vicinity.
We calculated the density of NPC foci in 3D-SIM and confocal images (Fig. 3 and fig. S3) by using automatic detection with identical criteria. The 3D-SIM image showed an average (±SD) of 5.6 ± 3.3 foci per μm2, whereas only 2.8 ± 1.1 foci per μm2 were detected in the confocal image. By comparison, 12 ± 1.8 NPCs per μm2 have been observed in mouse liver nuclei by freeze-fracture EM (22). Although the numbers cannot be directly compared because of cell type and cell cycle–dependent variations (23), they still indicate that 3D-SIM detects and resolves most NPCs and outperforms CLSM.
Although the discrete chromatin voids at NPCs are not visible in confocal or standard wide-field images, the intensity of DAPI staining should still show fluctuations that anticorrelate with NPC foci. We also reasoned that, even though the lamina does not show a striking one-to-one exclusion from NPCs under any of our methods, it should still be anticorrelated with the NPCs. To pursue these questions, we examined the average environment of an NPC focus in our images (fig. S4). Sub-images were cropped from the data set centered on the peak intensities of NPC foci, which were automatically detected in 3D. Intensity profiles through the center of each sub-image show a drop in intensity in DAPI staining, centered on the NPC focus, in all confocal and 3D-SIM images. A similar drop in intensity of the lamin signal is seen only in the case of 3D-SIM. In composites of the sub-images, a central hole can be seen in the DAPI channel. This indicates that the expected intensity fluctuations are present in all cases. The composite lamina image recorded by 3D-SIM also shows a hole, which was not detected by confocal microscopy. The width of the NPC signal was determined from intensity profiles by measuring the full width at half maximum. With CLSM this width was ∼200 nm (192 ± 17 and 192 ± 11 nm before and after deconvolution, respectively), which essentially reflects the point spread function (PSF) of CLSM. In contrast, the measured width of NPC signal recorded with 3D-SIM was 120 ± 3 nm, which is in good agreement with EM measurements (15).
Many of the nuclei we imaged contained invaginations of the nuclear envelope that are especially prominent near the centrosome during prophase. These invaginations have been shown by EM studies to be tubular extensions of both nuclear envelopes (24), but because their width is generally smaller than the diffraction limit they appear as a single line by conventional microscopy. We investigated these nuclear invaginations in prophase nuclei by CLSM and 3D-SIM (Fig. 4) and could resolve the bilaminar structure of these invagination only with 3D-SIM (movie S2). This detailed substructure of nuclear invaginations has so far only been detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (fig. S5). We also quantified the width of the lamin B signal in interphase nuclei in lateral and axial directions by fitting Gaussian curves to the measured intensities. Because the thickness of the lamina is in the range of 20 to 50 nm, the obtained values should reflect the resolution limit of either of the applied methods. With 3D-SIM we determined a width of threads in the lamin network with an upper limit of 98 ± 12 nm laterally and 299 ± 22 nm axially, whereas confocal images showed more than twofold higher values (243 ± 30 nm laterally and 736 ± 225 nm axially). Subsequent deconvolution of CLSM data/images did not improve the lateral (231 ± 28 nm) but did improve the axial (418 ± 26 nm) resolution, which is mostly due to an increased signal-to-noise ratio by removing out-of-focus blur and suppression of background (2). This 3D imaging of complex biological structures demonstrates about twofold enhanced resolution of 3D-SIM over conventional fluorescence imaging techniques in lateral and axial directions.
Many cellular structures and macromolecular complexes, including the nuclear envelope and its pores, fall just below the diffraction limit of conventional light microscopy, preventing quantitative analysis. In doubling the resolution of conventional microscopy in three dimensions, 3D-SIM was able to resolve individual nuclear pores, detect and measure the exclusion of chromatin and the nuclear lamina from nuclear pores, and accurately image invaginations of the nuclear envelope caused by the formation of the mitotic spindle. We have demonstrated both an increase in quantitative precision of measurement and the detection of novel cytological features, by imaging to a resolution approaching 100 nm. Although this level of resolution is less than that afforded by other techniques such as stimulated emission depletion (STED), photoactivated localization (PALM), or stochastic optical reconstruction (STORM) microscopy (25–29), 3D-SIM is currently the only subdiffraction-resolution imaging technique that can produce multicolor 3D images of whole cells with enhancement of resolution in both lateral and axial directions. Notably, these results were obtained with standard cytological methods, without the need for unconventional fluorescent dyes or coverslips, and on a microscope platform designed to be no more difficult to use than a conventional commercial microscope. The possibility of using 3D-SIM with well-established standard labeling techniques and to simultaneously locate different molecules or structures in the 3D cellular context opens interesting new perspectives for molecular cell biology.
Supporting Online Material
Materials and Methods
Figs. S1 to S6
References and Notes
Movies S1 and S2


text:
So...I shot a gun for the first time in my life yesterday. And you know what? I liked it! How did I get to be this age and never shoot a gun of any kind? Especially growing up on a farm. Everyone assumed that at some point someone else had taken me shooting. Sam finally did.
It's not that I wasn't exposed to guns. My dad used to take me with him when he would go out and shoot varmints. Oh, and never in my life have I heard any member of my family utter the word varmint, but it seemed appropriate in the situation. I used to strap on my cowboy holster, make sure I had my plastic, orange-capped gun at the ready, and wear my boots.
My mom once killed a rabid raccoon that was down at the stream while she was standing on the porch. We were all playing outside and her maternal, protective, spidey-sense told her that the raccoon was posing a danger to her babies.
She got that sucker in one shot, we like to reenact the scene from The Ghost and the Darkeness with Val Kilmer and Micheal Douglas.
One shot! She has made the night safe again, with one shot!
Such a great movie. Such a great memory, my mom is Annie Oakley...to me if to no one else.
Me...not so much. I know I hit the target once out of three times with a handgun...I know this since someone tells me I did. I certainly didn't hear it hit. No one tells you that, by the way. No one says "oh yeah, after you fire it you will hear NOTHING for about 10 seconds." It might have been nice to know that in advance. I'm just sayin.
Still, I thought it was fun.
My youngest sister shot it too...I tried to tell her that she wouldn't be able to hear right away, but I had trouble conveying that to her. She didn't like it I think. She fired it and her knees buckled, she turned around and stared at us as if we had betrayed her.
We then got out a different gun, a 45 caliber handgun...and no, I don't know what that means. When I was ready to try shooting it...it just clicked. That right there is anticlimax. I let my breath out in a whoosh. I was expecting a big bang and a kick...but all I got was a click.
So I tried it again....
At this point my stomach was at my ankles. I handed it back to Sam. I couldn't take the pressure anymore. I folded. I am ashamed.
Okay, I'm not really ashamed.


text:
Jello Biafra Quotes
30 Jello Biafra quotes:
"I'm down with both direct action and electoral action. We need both."
"This is my home. Home is where the disease is. As long as I stay in America, I'll never run out of subjects for songs."
"I didn't really start writing music or lyrics or turning them into songs until I went to San Francisco."
"All of these reissues were not authorized by me, I do not endorse them, the live album was put out without my permission, and I've not seen a dime at this point, either."
"Don't hate the media, become the media."
"Especially in local elections, because hardly anybody pays attention to those - but it's really important who's mayor and who's on the city council, county commissioners, sheriffs, district attorney, and of course the school board."
"I got involved because I wanted to help inspire more people to get off their butts and register and vote - not just in this election, but in every other election from now on, you know?"
"I realized later on that a lot of times I'd go back to Colorado to hide from all the mayhem in San Francisco so I could get songs written."
"I went through a big Alice Cooper phase, which was probably a major influence on my writing style later, especially after Plastic Surgery Disasters."
"I'm totally down with insurrection in the street. I've had a great time with that over the years. Insurrection in the voting booth is the other part of the equation."
"If you love god, burn a church."
"Let me start by saying, I'm utterly disgusted with the former members of the Dead Kennedys."
"Respecting other people's cultures is well and good, but I draw the line at where some branches of Islam, what they do to women. It's indefensible."
"So basically the understanding on these so-called reissues is that they were done behind my back, without my permission, and the band informed me that I would no longer be paid on them at all."
"That's the way both they and I travel sometimes. Pick road at random, and when it's time to pull over, you pull over and hope you can find a place to crash."
"The jury had down right contempt for punk rock grass roots ethics."
"The last true punk band to get a major label contract was The Dickies."
"The Sonics I found later and that was pretty important."
"Then as I got older, I always gravitated towards the hard stuff, Born To Be Wild, then Black Sabbath."
"There's sort of an open offer to work with a guy in Los Angeles who does big band and orchestra arrangements who was at least an acquaintance to Les Baxter before he passed away."


text:
Korea Brings the World a Whole New Bag of Chips
Hynix Semiconductor, long known as the world's second-largest semiconductor chipmaker, has come up with the densest multi-chip package available to consumers. Complete with 24 stacks of NAND flash memory, the big guns at this Korean company are skipping with glee all the way to the bank thanks to their latest and greatest product release.
Working as a multi-functioner in mobile devices, its light weight and high amount of storage capabilities will make the NCP king of the technology jungle worldwide.
Development started in May and the company's released statement on Sept 5th made for an impressive timeline as well as an already exciting technology breakthrough.
In a world where people place as much importance on their camera, cell phone, blackberry, and laptops as they do their oxygen supply, there is surely a demand for the MCP technology. Korea once again leads the way in making ourlives faster, more convenient and ideally simple with its small & mighty data storage solution - perfect in a world getting smaller every single day.
via the Korea HeraldTamara Warta Asian Innovations InventorSpot.com


text:
I moved to Florentin, Tel Aviv on February 20th, 2017. It has been nearly two weeks since I left everything and everyone I knew back home in America and it only took 1 day for me to find a dog-friendly cafe across the street with superb free WiFi, great coffee, cheap beer, and chatty baristas who already have my coffee order (coffee eem chalav skedeem — espresso with almond milk!) ready for me in the morning and are offering me a bartending gig.
In the past 2 weeks I have done several sightseeing excursions, including an overnight trip down South to Eilat where I sat in the middle of desert sand dunes alone with my thoughts for 30 minutes, spent the night at a kibbutz, hiked in the Red Canyon, and snorkeled in the warm waters of the Red Sea. And while this trip along with the other programmed events included in my participation in a Masa-sponsored internship program have been awe-inspiring and informative, they are not the main reason why I am so happy to have done this crazy thing.
The best part about moving to Tel Aviv is the undeniable feeling of being at home in a country and city that could not be more unfamiliar and more familiar at the same exact time. Nothing about this place is anything like the small coastal town in Florida I grew up in, nor does it resemble New York City in any way, shape or form. But for some reason, the language, the people, the energy, the food, and the graffiti all come together in such a perfectly familiar way. So much so that I feel like I was always meant to live here. For example: I have been spending every day for the past week in intensive Ulpan (Hebrew immersion) and even though the Hebrew language sounds and looks nothing like English, hearing it and speaking it and writing it just feels right. When my teacher asked why I wanted to learn, I immediately responded that it was because I felt Hebrew was the language I was meant to know. Even being left-handed, as silly as it sounds, allows me to write in Hebrew better than I do in English. While I had struggled to learn French for nearly 8 years, within 1 week of Ulpan I am already very comfortable speaking and reading Hebrew.
I also very much identify with the spirit of the Israeli people. Everyone here is so direct. People say what they mean, and do what they want. It's that simple. You never need to wonder whether someone actually wants to see you, or if they really do like you. And while this way of interacting might come off harsh, I respect the directness and appreciate the clarity (coming from a place like New York City, I definitely do not miss people being fake or flaking out on plans). I wasn't surprised to love the Israeli culture or the people who live here — I have been fortunate to visit Israel several times throughout my life and have always managed to make friends (some I have already managed to see!). What I was surprised by was just how much I love the people participating in my program with me. In Tel Aviv, we have 13 participants (8 women and 5 men) from around the world (South Africa, Canada, England, America, and Australia) all interning in different fields ranging from consulting to journalism to social justice to science. While we all come from different places and are pursuing different career paths, we relate on a level that I have yet to experience at home. I think it takes a specific type of person to uproot their life completely to move to the Middle East for 5 months with a bunch of strangers.
So while I sit here at my neighborhood cafe with a Great Dane to my left and a Pug to my right, I can't help but feel immense gratitude for the opportunity to live in a country that, within 2 weeks, feels more like home than any other place I have ever been. I am so excited to begin my work at Tel Aviv University on Sunday (which is the first day of the week in Israel) and to see how research and academia differ in Israel compared to the states. Based on my initial meeting with my PI, I think I will feel just as at home in his lab as I do in my neighborhood of Florentin. And while I begin this journey knowing that it must come to an end so that I can begin my doctoral work stateside, I already know that making Aliyah (moving to Israel permanently) for postdoctoral work is on the table. I'm curious to see how my experiences over the next 5 months influence that initial feeling. Stay tuned!


text:
Newcomer Information
Learn about Surrey's programs and activities available to new immigrants to Canada.
Welcome to Surrey!
Moving to a new city or country is an exciting opportunity and full of challenges. The City of Surrey offers many services, programs and activities to help you get settled into your new life in a new country and a new city.
Settlement Services in Recreation Centres
We can help answer questions about finding a place to live, jobs, schools, child care, health care, getting around, programs at Recreation Centres and more!
2019 Settlement Services Schedule
Find out about the times, locations and languages offered in 2019, noting the following updates:
- There are no Punjabi/Hindi/Urdu shifts happening at Newton Recreation Centre.
- There are no Arabic or Spanish shifts happening at Cloverdale Recreation Centre.
- Spanish shifts have been added to the South Surrey Recreation Centre on Fridays from 1:30-5:30pm.
- Chinese shifts at Fleetwood Community Centre are Tuesdays 2:00-6:00pm.
Surrey Local Immigration Partnership offers a services map where you can find local services, such as refugee services, employment and education support, and health and nutrition services.
The City of Surrey believes in providing equal opportunities for all. Our programs and services ensure accessibility and inclusion are considered in order to inspire participation, create social connections, and foster lifelong learning. Learn more about accessible programs and services in Surrey.
Language Services
Translation services are available at City Hall in more than 170 languages
The Society of Translators and Interpreters of BC provides a listing of translators and services in many languages, and MOSAIC Interpretation & Translation Services offers a fee-for-service service in more than 70 languages.
English Conversation Program
The English Conversation Program is a free program where you can practice your English in a comfortable environment while you:
- Learn about Canadian culture
- Meet others from around the world
- Share your experiences
The program focuses on conversation, so you must have some knowledge of English in order to register.
Classes are offered in the fall, winter and spring all over Surrey.
Call 604-502-6325 for more information.
Community Services
Learn about free or low-cost services, such as job centres and housing and mental health resources.
EmpowerMe is a free energy conservation program that largely assists Canadian immigrants. If you own a home in the City of Surrey, visit the EmpowerMe website for more details.
Empower Me is a joint initiative of Quality Program Services, FortisBC, Township of Langley, the City of Vancouver, the City of Surrey, VanCity, and Kambo Green Solutions.
Surrey has more than 125 free public schools for children under 18. The City is also home to Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University campuses, as well as many colleges and places for continuing education.
With a growing economy, Surrey is a great place to find a job or start a business. Also consider applying to work for the City of Surrey, voted one of BC's top employers.


text:
Watch Google's Exhilarating, Sky-Diving Project Glass Demo [VIDEO]
Fans of Google's Project Glass got a good look at the sci-fi technology in action at Google I/O on Wednesday.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin took the stage at the conference for a live demo of Project Glass. Brin was able to talk to a group of skydivers in real-time using the special Google glasses. The skydivers broadcast their jump from just above the Moscone Center in San Francisco via a live Google+ Hangout — and for the audience at home.
Seeing the Google Project Glass video streaming technology in action was nothing short of breathtaking. As promised, users get to "see" exactly what the wearer of the objects can see — in this case a breathtaking glimpse of the San Francisco skyline.
If the aerial jump wasn't enough, Brin sent Project-Glass equipped BMX riders to pick up the jumpers, showcasing a first-person view of scaling walls and doing flips off the side of the building.
The demo went off without a hitch. Google I/O is still being broadcast live, but we'll embed a video of the demo as soon as it is available.


text:
The Hong Kong High Court has rejected an attempt by the board of a company to prevent an extraordinary general meeting requisitioned by disgruntled shareholders seeking to replace a number of board members.
In China Investment Fund Company Ltd v Guang Sheng Investment Group Ltd and Ors, the High Court refused the application by China Investment Fund Company Ltd (CIF) for injunctive relief and found no basis to prevent the democratic processes of the company from taking their course. The full text of the decision can be found here.
This decision serves as a useful reminder that courts will generally not intervene to prevent shareholders from freely exercising their rights. The only circumstances in which the courts will intervene are in instances of fraud, minority oppression or extreme irrationality.
Prior to the requisitioning of CIF's board, a series of events transpired relating to the alleged misappropriation of a bill of exchange belonging to the company.
The bill of exchange, with a face value of RMB 30 million (and an expected value of RMB 25.5 million at maturity) was purchased by a subsidiary of CIF for around RMB 24 million. Mr Yao Yuan, a director of CIF, recommended the investment and acted as intermediary on the sale. In October 2015, CIF sought to make an early redemption of the bill. Acting on arrangements made by Mr Yao, the company secretary exchanged the bill for three bills of exchange each with a face value of RMB 10 million, with the same drawer, bank and beneficiary. Several members of CIF's board then became concerned about the authenticity of the replacement bills. Upon confronting Mr Yuan, he confessed to taking the money obtained from the original RMB 30 million bill. On 16 December 2015, the board of CIF reported the incident to the police, suspended Mr Yuan and two directors related to him, and commenced an internal investigation.
As a result of these events, the defendants, a group of CIF shareholders, requisitioned the board to call an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) for the purposes of considering 12 ordinary resolutions that collectively would:
- remove three executive directors;
- remove all four non-executive directors;
- remove all directors that had been appointed between the date of the requisition and the EGM; and
- appoint replacement executive and non-executive directors.
Thereafter, CIF brought an action seeking a declaration that none of the proposed resolutions were valid or could be moved at any general meeting, and took out a summons for an interlocutory injunction to prevent the EGM and the resolutions from being moved.
The Court refused the application for an interim injunction, as it was not satisfied that CIF had sufficiently good prospects of success in its action.
As a starting point, the Court noted that, the injunction would effectively dispose of the entire action. If an injunction were granted preventing the defendants' proposed EGM until the trial of the action, as there would be no trial prior to the next AGM, the EGM would be rendered purely academic. Accordingly, the Court proceeded on the basis that it was appropriate to apply a higher standard than the usual 'serious issues to be tried' standard to the determination of the injunction application.
The Court observed that members are not fiduciaries of a company; and that members, in the exercise of their voting rights, do not need to act in accordance with any fiduciary obligations.
Accordingly, the operative principle which the Court had to consider is that there should be:
"[S]eldom interfer[ence] with the way in which resolutions are to be proposed by members or are to be voted upon by them at properly convened general meetings."
Exceptions to this general rule include where a proposed course of conduct would be unfairly prejudicial to, the interests of certain members or where the proposed conduct would breach a shareholders agreement. However, no exceptional circumstances were present in this case.
The applicant sought to argue that the EGM would interfere with preparations for the AGM and that it would hinder the investigations of a committee set up by the board to investigate the incident. The Court found that, as a matter of principle and fact, these were not legitimate reasons to prevent the requisitioned EGM. In particular, the Court relied on the following reasons:
- as a matter of principle, "operational inconvenience" is not a ground for preventing a shareholder action;
- the defendants were not seeking the removal of all the existing directors;
- by their motions the defendants merely proposed resolutions. As the Court observed:
"the very point of an EGM is to see whether they have the support of the majority of the members. It is the members who own shares in the Company, and they are generally the most appropriate persons to decide what is best for themselves"; and
- in any event and notwithstanding the above, as a matter of fact the defendants only held about 5.9% of CIF, and accordingly could not dictate the outcome of the EGM.
The cases relied upon by CIF in support of its case for injunctive relief were all extreme cases in which a majority of shareholders were practicing a fraud on the minority shareholders or which would result in the destruction of economic value of other shareholders' shares for no rational reason. These cases were illustrative of circumstances in which a court would intervene, and made patently clear why the proposed injunction should be refused.
Take away points
In short, the courts have adopted an unsympathetic attitude to a company seeking to restrict or prevent a shareholder from exercising their rights. Rather, the courts have consistently interpreted shareholder rights broadly. Unless a company can demonstrate exceptional circumstances such as fraud, minority shareholder oppression or extreme irrationality, the courts will respect the democratic processes in favour of shareholders provided for at law and in the relevant company instruments. This decision should provide comfort to Hong Kong based shareholders seeking to exercise their right to call a general meeting and, where necessary, attempt to bypass or replace the board of directors.
For further information please contact Gareth Thomas, Dominic Geiser, Priya Aswani or your usual Herbert Smith Freehills contact.


text:
Need a little help choosing the right paper for the job? When it comes to making a good impression, choosing the right paper can make all the difference. Use guidelines will help you pick the best type for your project.
• Something to print
• Correct weight
• Brightness rating
Step 1: Consider your printing needs
Consider what you're using the paper for, and what kind of printer you have. Do you mostly print personal e-mails and web pages, or are you preparing materials for clients on an inkjet or laser printer? Do you print heavy-coverage documents, like signs and flyers? Do you do double-sided printing? All these factors play a role in choosing the right paper to match your needs.
Step 2: Understand paper weight
Choose the right paper weight, or thickness. At 20 pounds, standard paper is an economical choice that's perfect for everyday printing and copying. Mid-weight – 22 to 24 pounds – provides crisper images and less show-through, making it ideal for customer-facing documents and double-sided printing. Go with a heavy stock for sturdy signs and flyers, and when you want the most vivid color and a flawless finish.
Step 3: Consider brightness
Consider the paper's brightness rating: The brighter the paper, the crisper your letters and images appear – especially with color or monochrome pictures. For the biggest wow factor, go with a rating of 98 or 100.
Step 4: Be green
Help protect the environment by choosing recycled paper – the quality is just as high as the non-recycled stuff. For the most environmentally friendly option, look for the FSC logo; The Forest Stewardship Council certifies that the pulp used to make the paper came from responsibly managed forests.
Step 5: Order the correct amount
Order the correct amount of paper by knowing the terminology. A "ream" has 500 sheets, and there are 10 reams in a case. And consider buying by the case: You'll save money, and you'll never have to worry about running out
Want to master Microsoft Excel and take your work-from-home job prospects to the next level? Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to-Z Microsoft Excel Training Bundle from the new Gadget Hacks Shop and get lifetime access to more than 40 hours of Basic to Advanced instruction on functions, formula, tools, and more.


text:
Javier Torres Diaz ( Male ) was 38 years old at the time of the arrest. Javier Torres Diaz was arrested on 2020-10-15 12:00:00. The arrest was made by SHERIFF .
Below you can find more information about the charges of Javier Torres Diaz (if available).
This official record of Javier Torres Diaz is redistributed by FindMugshots.com and is protected by publishing, constitutional and other legal rights. The official record was collected from local law enforcement agencies of California. Not all of outcomes of this arrest report are known or final.
Not the Javier Torres Diaz you were searching for? Use the search bar above to find the correct record or view all results for Javier Diaz in All States.


text:
The fit of this Fruit of the Loom Charcoal Polo Shirt is perfect for a woman who prefers a looser fit whilst working. With fused placket and two self-coloured buttons, this makes a great alternative to the more fitted female polos.
If you require any more information about this product, or on our delivery and return policies, please consult our FAQs.


text:
You can post a photo of Colt.
Lost to gun violence on March 30, 2016 in Anderson County, South Carolina.
Photo sources:
News sources:
The people with the most candles in the past 24 hours are featured on our homepage.
Ask your friends to light a candle or come back tomorrow to light another candle for Colt.
You can add to Colt's profile:
Other nearby fatal shootings:


text:
Digiarty Software updated WinX MediaTrans for version 3.2 in the past few days, hitting another symbolic milestone with the implementation of user-definable photo album management. The up-and-comer iPhone file transfer software has successfully broadened reach to more iOS 9 and iOS 10 users who are in need of adding photos from PC, or creating, editing and deleting photo albums for Apple iPhone and iPad. Software available at: https://www.winxdvd.com/mediatrans/With the full spread of 128G iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, there are increasing demands for importing the old photos having computer backup into the new devices, without worrying about the storage. The developer makes it more open-ended to access the personal photo directory, read the content created by third-party apps, sync photos between iOS and Windows devices, and customize picture albums on iPhone or iPad.To date, WinX MediaTrans has edged into the unique iPhone-targeted photo assistant that has a seamless support for sending JPG, JPEG, PNG, Gif, BMP and TIFF photo files from computers to iDevices. Transferring to iPhone/iPad the photos existing on a computer or hard drive is prone to error. "Nearly all similar apps have critical defects when dealing with photo management operation: most say no way to photo adding and deleting; few that advertizes such competency will actually crash or cause serious data lost after syncing. But WinX MediaTrans is absolutely mature and smooth," commented by Joe Hanks, a user of this the revamped version. To take every step forward is never an armchair strategy for the development team of Digiarty, an efficient and experienced multimedia solution provider. Just within the short October, the team has finished two meaningful updates upon the iPhone iPad manager:Build Date: Oct.17, 2016, Version Number: 3.1* Added:- Music grouping feature by album in "Music Manager".- The function icons into the original interface after running this program, helping users know better about the software before using.* Improved:The access to register, set and view "About" information even when the device is not plugged in.Build Date: Oct.31, 2016, Version Number: 3.2* Added:- New photo managing features to add photos from PC to iDevice, delete photos, and create/delete photo album on iDevice.- The UI language of French.* Fixed:- The forced termination bug when syncing files, which is raised by a few users.Jack Han, CEO of Digiarty Software, says that most of their competitors lay emphasis on overall mobile data backup, but they are here forging a unique iPhone file mate with style, practicability and personality.Pricing and AvailabilityWinX MediaTrans 3.2 (Windows based) is turning into a more complete two-way media file and e-book transfer and management tool for every iDevice user. The full version sells for $29.95, $35.95 and $65.95, respectively, serving different PC numbers. Alternatively, an after-Halloween giveaway is available for free at:https://www.winxdvd.com/giveaway/iphone-ios-manager.htm
Due to extra work required to remove the press-releases we have started charging $1.99 for press release removal.
Your press release will be removed in 24 hours, once the payment has been received.


text:
A day in my life vlog
A writer gives you a peek at her summer antics in her latest day in life vlog
A Day in the Life series Fiction Frenzy TV funny vlog: In Season 2 episode 30, author Anne-Rae Vasquez (http://anne-raevasquez.com) takes us into a day in the life behind the scenes of her summer. She spent time at the lake, the beach, baked and ate lots of great food with her family and friends.
Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/user/fictionfrenzytv?sub_confirmation=1
Tip: Vlogs are fun, anyone can do one, says Anne-Rae Vasquez. Do you like to vlog?
Watch our Fiction Frenzy TV authors and artists grapple with the day to day life as an author and artist. Enjoy some insightful info about the indie business and never before revealing confessions. Nail biting, riveting, dramatic and funny (well at least for the author vloggers!)
Laugh, cry, and learn. Fiction Frenzy TV is a fun VLog group of indie authors and artists. Subscribe now. You heard us. Subscribe. NOW.
Credits (also at the end of the video clip)
Author: Anne-Rae Vasquez
Video Editor: Anne-Rae Vasquez
DP: Jakob
Asst. DP: Adam
"Rainy Day Games" by Green Orbs (youtube.com)
"Dog Park" and "Dog & Pony Show" by Silent Partner cc attrib 3.0
""Meditation 2" by Audionautix cc attrib 4 (audionautix.com)
Content created for Fiction Frenzy TV http://www.fictionfrenzy.tv
Creator/Producer/Editor: Anne-Rae Vasquez
Executive Producer: AR Films
Digital effects by AR Films
Film & production equipment provided by:
Joseph Khalil, Digital Frenzy – http://DigitalFrenzy.ca
Anne-Rae Vasquez,vlog parody,Day in Life,quit my job,writers stress,funny video,sketch,parody,satire,shot on cell phone,filmed on phone,tv show,indie authors,fiction frenzy,tv,web series,anne-rae vasquez,books,amazon, funny vlog show,fun,authors,indie authors,read books,funny,vlog, vlogging,vlog, authors,entertaining,vlogging,filmmaking,special effects,filming with cell phone,samsung galaxy cell phone,iPhone,skit,sketch,comedy


text:
The holiday season officially kicks off for the women in Toronto's film and TV industry with the Crystal Awards, presented by Women in Film and Television Toronto. This ceremony this year took place Dec. 2 at the Arcadia Court in downtown Toronto, with a sold-out room in attendance to see industry luminaries such as Insight's Barbara Bowlby, CBC's Sally Catto and Bell Media's Corrie Coe be recognized for their career achievements.
Bowlby, who is president, COO and executive producer with Toronto-based Insight Productions, was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Business award. In an emotional acceptance speech, she thanked her father, "a dreamer and visionary," for showing her the business ropes, and teaching her "how to do win-win contracts."
In accepting her Creative Excellence award, Catto, GM, CBC English-language TV, described her journey from lawyer to literary agent and eventually into the business of TV, joking that she "wasn't always a fantastic lawyer." In an accompanying video, Heather Conway, CBC's EVP of English Services, said in promoting Catto to GM, she consistently heard from the industry that Catto was a "great choice" and that "Sally's notes are the ones you actually want." To which legendary Canadian actor Donald Sutherland chimed in (with the appropriate amount of drama): "Sally's notes are absorbed by your soul."
Also recognized was Corrie Coe, SVP independent production, Bell Media, who earned the mentorship award for her work developing new talent in the industry. As much as film and TV is a business, she noted, "it's a community first" and thus something that has to be nurtured.
And finally, Canadian TV dynamo Trina McQueen took the stage to receive her Special Jury Award of Distinction. The former head of CBC News, founding President of the Discovery Channel and president of CTV, now teaching in the Schuilch School of Business, accepted her award with a rallying cry to the industry. "We are defining ourselves too much as consumers," McQueen said. "We are seeing ourselves too much as economic units. We know that there is more to Canadians than points and loyalty cards…we need art and artists. Not everyone is an artist but it is the job of everyone in this room to enables and support artists."
Referencing the recent Let's Talk TV hearings, McQueen questioned the focus on stats and data over creativity. "Some people think our system should be completely disrupted – but I didn't hear much about art. We need a bit of crazy and we need good budgets."
Closing off the ceremony was actor Anne Dorval, who received the 2014 WIFT-T Crystal Award for International Achievement.
To view the thumbnails in full-size, click on each photo.


text:
Book Tee Times
Tee Times
Input Score
Below you will find great discount tee times for the Gleneagles Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. You may also view online tee times at other golf courses in the area of Illinois or other locations by using the search box. At Gleneagles Country Club, golfers tee off from the Black, White, Gold, Gold (L) Or Gold tees at a maximum distance of 6,302 yards from the Black tees.


text:
HBO's Big Love is a fascinating series (see a detailed recap of the current season at The House Next Door), in large part because the acting is so understated for a show with such a bizarre premise. The one aspect of the show that is the most difficult to accept is that a seemingly intelligent, self-confident, and "modern" woman like Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) would accept her husband's taking two more wives.
I don't think Barb is so modern, but I suspect that HBO and/or the producers are being cagy with her character. In last night's episode, she crashed a meeting of the Eagle Forum, founded by Phyllis Schlafly, and she seemed pretty comfortable with the group. I'm guessing that Barb, as well as Bill and Nicki, are strongly against abortion, gay rights, and the theory of evolution. In the context of the show, polygamy is as culturally conservative and as "pro-family" as you can get, and Barb's decision to follow "the principle" (albeit with recurring doubts) makes much more sense if you see her as a member of the religious right, complete with antipathy toward the government and disgust toward secular society.
I think Barb can be a right-wing Republican and still be a decent person with humane instincts (to a certain point, as is true of most of us). But HBO probably fears that conservative protagonists* would alienate its upscale, well-educated audience, so I doubt that Barb will be doing much political commentary.
*On The Sopranos, Carmela occasionally showed her Republican leanings -- defending George W. Bush in an exchange with daughter Meadow, for example -- but, of course, she was already a morally compromised character.


text:
Hear, Oh Israel,
The universe is one.
All humanity is one.
Shma Yisroel
Ha-olam echad!
Ha-enoshiut echad!
And you shall love your fellow humans
With all your heart
And all your soul,
And all your might!
These words inscribe on your heart
And on your doorposts.
Repeat them and teach them to your children
By day and by night.
Teach them to revere all life.
Holiday/Event: High Holidays
Share this Clip with your friends, family, community and social networks with just one click.
Copy and paste the URL of this clip to share or view.
Custom & Craft Jewish Rituals, Inc (EIN: 82-4765805) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt California public benefit corporation. Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Anyone you invite to collaborate with you will see everything posted to this service and will have full access to edit clips.


text: After studying the cello at the Besançon Conservatoire, Christine Plubeau was drawn by her interest in Baroque repertoire to study of the viola da gamba at the Strasburg Conservatoire and then with Wieland Kuijken at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. On her return to France she embarked on a career that has brought collaboration with ensembles such as the Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy and the Concert Spirituel, and with a series of distinguished singers and soloists. She has appeared at festivals throughout France and the rest of Europe, in the Lebanon and in Brazil, and has a number of critically acclaimed recordings to her credit. She is a Laureate of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation.


text:
Our Mission and History
Our Mission and History
Our Mission:
The mission of PAGE (Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education) is to provide information, collaboration, and networking to help meet the needs of gifted children at home and in school.
Our History:
PAGE was formed in the late 1980's as an alliance between educators and parents in Southeastern Wisconsin who sought to provide ongoing excellent educational services for gifted students, and to provide support and networking for their parents. Over the years, PAGE has sponsored a wide variety of activities to enhance the academic, intellectual, creative, visual and performing arts, and leadership talents of gifted students. Additionally, PAGE has supported the social and emotional needs of gifted children, and has helped parents and teachers understand and respond to those needs.


text:
Tatyana Stepanenko, MD
Dr. Stepanenko received her medical degree from Minsk State Medical University in Minsk, Belarus. She finished her surgery internship at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Florida and completed her residency program at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York where she also served as Chief Resident in the Department of Physical Medicine.
Dr. Stepanenko completed her fellowship program at the National Pain Institute in Winter Park, FL. She joined National Pain Institute in 2016.
Primary Specialty
Pain Management
Secondary Specialty
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Board Certifications
Board Eligible- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Undergraduate Education
Bachelor of Science
Minsk State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus
Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami Beach, Florida
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Languages Spoken
Belarusian, English, Russian and Ukrainian


text:
Trainee – PHP / FED / AI developer
Experience : Fresher
Job Role
- Write efficient, testable and reusable modules.
- Engage, coordinate and collaborate with other team members to complete complex product features.
- Should be able to improve, troubleshoot, test and maintain the core product. software and databases to ensure strong optimization and functionality.
- Should be able to contribute in all phases of the development cycle.
- To develop and deploy new features to facilitate related procedures and tools if necessary.
- Solve high priority customer issues and get fixes deployed with a fast turnaround time.
Desired Candidate Profile
- BE/ B.Tech/MCA degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field.
- Knowledge of web technologies including HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc.
- Knowledge of RDBMS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL Server or Oracle). Writing and optimizing complex queries.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Job Application
Let's partner and get to work
Our expertise helps businesses by aligning with their long-term vision and strategy.
We collaborate and become extension to succeed our clients.
Contact us and we'll have one of our technical advisor reach you.


text: As you may know, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As members of the church, we have a general conference 2 times a year (April and October). During this conference, the prophet, apostles, and other church leaders give 10 - 15-minute talks on different subjects. It is such... Continue Reading →


text:
The new version if iLife will include a new version of iPhoto with facial recognition called Faces, allowing you to select images based on the faces of the subjects. Another system, called Places, uses embedded GPS data to place your subjects on a map.
Facebook and Flickr compatibility an interesting addition to iPhoto which begs the question regarding Me.com popularity: folks don't want to pay for online sharing when it comes for free. New new version will also have updated slideshow templates.
iMovie is also getting a makeover. The new version allows you to make automated travel maps – import a set of geotagged photos and create a travelogue of your adventures. Auto image stabilization will reduce shaky-cam while offering high-precision editing of content. Video speed changes are finally back with slow-motion and fast-motion options part of the package.
The new GarageBand includes artist lessons, nine lessons from musical greats on guitar and piano. The lessons will cost $4.99. The new iLife will be available later this month.


text:
By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS
High blood pressure during pregnancy puts moms at a significant risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. But in a new study that looked back more than three decades, researchers found that a type of hypertension during pregnancy that causes only a temporary hike in blood pressure may be especially hazardous to the heart.
The study, released Monday in the journal Hypertension, analyzed the medical records of more than 1,000 women in Sydney, Australia, who had either normal blood pressure or high blood pressure during their pregnancies in the 1980s.
Women with any form of hypertension during pregnancy were nearly three times as likely to later develop chronic high blood pressure or kidney disease. They were also twice as likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke later in life.
The finding wasn't unexpected, given that previous research has already confirmed the link between long-term heart health and hypertension during pregnancy. But this new study dug deeper, comparing future cardiovascular disease risk between women with various types, degrees and treatments of high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Surprisingly, women with gestational hypertension were more likely to develop future hypertension and heart disease than women with preeclampsia—a pregnancy syndrome that can damage organs such as the liver and kidneys and is considered much more dangerous.
"The take-home message is that gestational hypertension is just as significant a predictor of future cardiovascular risk as preeclampsia," said Monique Chireau, M.D., an obstetrician and assistant professor at Duke University who was not involved in the study.
That means doctors should take gestational hypertension just as seriously as preeclampsia and consider obstetric history when assessing a woman's cardiovascular health, the study authors noted.
"Women who develop any of these [forms of hypertension], though, need to follow up with their primary care doctor," Chireau said. Other forms include chronic hypertension that existed before pregnancy and chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia, meaning women with preexisting high blood pressure who also develop preeclampsia.
But medical follow-ups are easier said than done, the obstetrician admitted.
"Most women are very good at being seen during pregnancy with their prenatal visits, but after that they often don't really engage much with the medical system. They're perceived as being healthy young women, and while they are raising their children, they're just too busy," Chireau said.
The study researchers also emphasized the importance of women following up with their doctors. "These women need life-long close monitoring of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease," they wrote.
Taking high blood pressure medication during pregnancy didn't make a difference in a woman's risk of future cardiovascular disease, according to the study. The length of time a woman had high blood pressure while pregnant also had no effect.
In the United States alone, high blood pressure affects 6 percent to 8 percent of pregnancies. So what can pregnant women do to reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure?
"That is the unanswered question," Chireau said.
She noted there is a body of research showing that aspirin can prevent preeclampsia in high-risk women, but there is considerable variation between studies regarding the appropriate dosage of aspirin and when to start it in pregnancy to reduce preeclampsia risk.
"So it's still not well understood how to prevent the development of high blood pressure while pregnant," Chireau said.
But, she added, perhaps the most important thing women can do is to be at a healthy weight when they get pregnant and avoid excess weight gain in pregnancy. Preconception counseling is also important so that moms-to-be can be screened for chronic hypertension, diabetes and other health problems before getting pregnant.
More proven and specific cardiovascular prevention strategies for moms remain to be determined.


text:
Shopping in some of the local boutiques while in Paris for Couture Fashion Week, British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was seen wearing a floral print Dior jumpsuit. The model, who was on the front row for the Atelier Versace show, teamed the jumpsuit with a black waist belt and lace-up white peep-toe ankle boots, adding silver sunglasses and loose hair to complete her chic off-duty ensemble.
Home Streetstyle Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Wears a Dior Floral Jumpsuit in Paris
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Wears a Dior Floral Jumpsuit in Paris
By tfrv 6.7.15
Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )


text:
4 Lies Business Owners Tell Themselves
This article is a reprint of Wise Bread's contribution to OPEN Forum from American Express -- where small business owners can get advice from experts and share tips with each other.
Running a business is exhilarating but challenging. Positive self-talk and the ability to envision great opportunities in difficult times are important to achieving success and emotional stability. But these actions and attitudes can interfere with being honest about your business.
In the past year or so, I have spoken with business owners and managers who have accidentally fooled themselves. Their stories may seem familiar to the situations you are experiencing. Face the facts. Don't delude yourself with these four common lies.
1. We don't have to worry about the competition because we have a unique product.
A CEO with many years of experience believed that a proprietary technology would assure sole-supplier status in a lucrative, narrow space. It didn't.
The harsh truth is that customers may not understand, need, or value the differences between your company's solutions and those of your competitors. Cheaper versions that fulfill similar functions are preferable. Plus, if you happen to introduce innovation successfully and capture market share, competitors will be quick to follow and imitate you.
Sure, show up with your great product line, engineered to perfection. But anticipate a battle for your customer's heart (and budget). Be relevant and useful to the customer in these ways:
- Pinpoint the functionality that customers need in each market segment (and integrate these functions into product design);
- Differentiate and package products in ways that are intuitive to use;
- Surround unique offerings with solid service.
2. We have air-tight procedures that drive our business operations.
A manager displayed pride in the integrity of her department's procedures. She referenced them often and seemed vigilant about compliance.
A closer look revealed a much different story. Yes, written procedures had been painstakingly developed and introduced years before. Today, though, the once-living document is dead, buried in a virtual file cabinet. Comparing actual practices with the digital artifact revealed that while a few procedures were followed, most were ignored.
The scary truth is that the effort that you or your staff expend in documenting, creating, and refining procedures does not necessarily result in specific activities happening the way you envisioned.
Establish a routine for syncing procedures with day-to-day activities:
- Let changes in the world and your business – new technologies, forms of social media, government legislation, geographic expansion, process improvements, for example – serve as triggers for procedural updates.
- Refer to procedure manuals when you are training new employees.
- Compare manuals and real-world duties on a regular basis, at least once per year; revise as needed.
3. When things return to normal, our business will start growing again.
A couple of years ago, a friend mentioned that his boss kept morale high by saying that the company was well-positioned for growth. Investments in retail space appeared solid, despite an overall slowing of shopper traffic. Updates to product mix were popular, even as the competition refreshed and expanded its lines. New hires seemed sharp, welcome additions to business segments that showed promise in terms of profitability. But expenses continued to outpace revenue. Months later, the business folded.
The sad truth is that getting ready to succeed is not the same as actually succeeding, no matter how well the foundation is laid. Even upticks in the economy won't boost profits to levels that sustain overloaded expense structure.
Be realistic and ready to make tough decisions:
- Be ruthless when evaluating revenue streams, cutting under-performing areas.
- Deal with problems now; situations will not improve through inaction even in great economic times.
- Realign resources rather than expanding staff, infrastructure, and technology investments.
- Get your finances in order, so that a slip in monthly performance doesn't cause the entire organization to collapse.
- Confirm that your business model is viable. If not, make radical changes rather than incremental tweaks to restore sales and profitability.
4. Our vendors will stand by us until our company decides to end the relationship.
A logistics director recalled the time that a long-time vendor abandoned his company. Though he was prepared for a challenging negotiation when the contract came up for renewal, he didn't anticipate the outcome. Discussions ended abruptly when the vendor refused to address service problems, a sign that the company had no intention of continuing the relationship.
The unfortunate truth is that vendors drop customers. Even a great rapport among buyers and sales representatives won't sustain poor alignment between products and pricing desired by customers and those offered by vendors.
Luckily, being caught off guard did not disrupt operations. He called in favors from other vendors and signed a deal with a niche provider within six months. However, the transition period was rocky. He vowed never to become overly reliant on a single vendor by taking these steps:
- Develop a succession plan for vendors, similar to a management succession plan.
- Do the groundwork for adding new vendors.
- Pay attention to changes in the marketplace, noting market segments that are becoming more attractive as well as those that are becoming less appealing.
Optimism is essential to success, but needs to be grounded in facts rather than fantasy.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


text: Olav Basoski (born 1968, Haarlem, Netherlands) is a Dutch DJ/remixer. In 2005, Basoski teamed up with the British dancehall artist Michie One to record "Waterman". A remake of "Bam Bam" (originally recorded by Sister Nancy), it became a hit in the United States at both clubs and radio, where it debuted at number 22 on Billboard's Hot Dance A… Leer Más