text:
If you find the same house plan (modifications included!) and package for less on another site, show us the URL and we'll give you the difference plus an additional 5% back.
We offer a one-time, 14-day exchange policy for unused, non-electronic plan packages in the event you aren't satisfied with your first selection.
Feel right at home as you walk into this stunning European luxury mansion. The 15' tall foyer opens to a family vestibule with a corner lounge perfect for reading your favorite books, and is covered by the curved stairs leading to the second level. Large decorative pillars define the elegant dining room, separating it from the family vestibule. Through the barrel vault off the family vestibule, is the family room with a corner fireplace and a built-in. In the kitchen is a free-standing island and a breakfast bar adding counter space to this gourmet kitchen, while having a view of the family and breakfast rooms. The spacious master suite boasts a lavish master bath complete with his and hers vanities, a large wardrobe, and separate shower and bathtub. A door from the wardrobe leads to the utility room, study and the one-car garage. A front family bedroom with large walk-in closet, private full bath, and veranda views, can be converted to an in-law suite. A two-car garage completes this level of this mansion house plan. The second floor houses three family bedrooms, all offering walk-in closets and private full bathrooms. They are accompanied with a bar, game room, media room that features an equipment closet, and a loggia for overlook views to below.


text:
The well-publicised growth in the number of people using foodbanks has served to establish food insecurity as a critical social policy issue facing the UK. Debates have considered whether this reported growth reflects genuine need, or whether data on the number of food parcels distributed by foodbanks capture an underlying problem that has only recently gained prominence. Answering this question is important to determine whether – and in what form – government should intervene. To date, despite a considerable body of research on UK food insecurity and foodbank use, the Government has issued no policy response.
The loudest proponents of a growth in food insecurity are the Trussell Trust, who are the UK's largest foodbank network and the only organisation to routinely monitor the distribution of emergency food parcels. Figure 1 shows that the number of food parcels distributed by the Trussell trust has risen progressively since 2008/09 and escalated from 2011/12 onwards. While unquestionably powerful, these data are however of limited use in estimating changes over time because the foodbank network has also expanded in recent years. We also know that contrary to what some MPs and commentators argue, people are reluctant to seek food aid, and report feelings of embarrassment and stigma at needing charity donations to provide their basic needs. This means that foodbank data will almost certainly underestimate the level of food insecurity in Britain. Helpfully, information from other sources are increasingly available to offer a broader and potentially more reliable insight into the topic. These data also have their limitations, but combining information on foodbank use and broader measures of food insecurity can offer a more reliable picture of the current UK situation than can be gleaned from a single source.
The growth of the Trussell Trust foodbank network does not mean that parallel growth in uptake of emergency food should be entirely discounted. Evidence submitted to the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Hunger in the UK testified that existing foodbanks have become busier, demonstrating that rising uptake cannot be attributed solely to increased supply. Another way that foodbank data do reliably point to rising need are reports linking policy changes to uptake of emergency food. Between 2010 and 2013, Trussell Trust foodbanks distributed more emergency food in areas that experienced larger welfare cuts and more benefit sanctions, and foodbank use is concentrated in highly disadvantaged areas. Likewise, a 2013 survey by the Citizens Advice Bureau found that 16 per cent of foodbank referrals were due to benefit sanctions. This is telling because sanctions – the withholding of benefit payments for a fixed period due to non-compliance by benefit recipients – also grew substantially in the wake of the 2012 welfare reform. Taken together, this evidence strongly suggests that government policies are being felt on the ground, and strengthens the evidence for growing food insecurity.
Survey data are able to provide a more inclusive insight into current experiences of food insecurity. The proportion of UK households who were unable to afford meat, chicken or fish every other day – an imperfect but widely used proxy measure of food insecurity – more than doubled from 3.6 per cent in 2007 to 8.8 per cent in 2011. This pattern is reinforced by the Breadline Britain survey, which reported a more modest rise on this measure, from 2 to 5 per cent between 1999 and 2012. Widespread difficulties are also revealed by a 2012 survey, which found that half of London school staff reported children not eating breakfast because their families could not afford it, and 61 per cent said they have given food to pupils at their own expense.
In our new briefing note, we combine data from a range of sources to gauge overall trends in food insecurity. Figure 2 shows that while measures of Trussell Trust food parcels and meals provided by FareShare grew more steeply than rises in food insecurity measured using survey data, all sources point to the same pattern of growth in food insecurity in contemporary Britain. It is however more difficult to identify the scale of this increase with any certainty. The absence of regular monitoring by government (a request that has been widely made but not – yet – implemented) means that we cannot be sure about the magnitude of the increase in food insecurity. While the proportion of people affected may sound quite small, taken together, all the available evidence points in the same direction – that food insecurity has been increasing in Britain.
You can read more in our new briefing note here: CSI 28: Food insecurity and foodbank use
Post by Elisabeth Garratt, 2nd November 2016.

subset: commoncrawl


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CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, vol.41, pp.480-490, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
Porous concrete incorporates a high percentage of meso-size air voids that makes its mechanical characteristics remarkably different from normal concrete. A research project was undertaken to design a special type of porous concrete, that fractures into small fragments when exposed to impact loading while having sufficient static strength, to be used in protective structures such as safety walls or storages for explosives. In the concretes designed, while a sufficient static strength was required, high porosity was essential to facilitate the formation of multiple cracks and the subsequent fracturing. Production of porous concretes having improved static compressive strengths was accomplished by modifying the mixture design and the compaction technique; while the design procedure was supported by macro and meso-scale mechanical testing, computed tomography, microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


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The purpose of this study was to establish a model of avian viral disease for antiviral drug discovery and development. A Chinese IBDV strain BC6/85 was inoculated into 5-week-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) male White Leghorn chicken and the clinicopathologic features of disease were compared with those reported before. Birds were monitored clinically and euthanized sequentially with collection of tissues. Tissues were examined by histopathology to observe microscopic lesions, by immunohistochemistry to detect viral protein, by electron microscope to observe ultrastructural changes of the plical epithelium of the bursa of Fabricius and by flow cytometry to detect apoptosis in bursal lymphocytes. Comparing of mean body weight gains and bursal weight indices between control group and virus inoculated groups, significant decreases are displayed. It was observed that the young chickens infected developed the typical histopathological changes of disease. The bursa of Fabricius revealed lesions characteristic of infectious bursal disease and virus particles identical to IBDV were found in the necrotic cells of the follicles. The mucosal surface of the bursal plica was erosion, ulceration and became smooth in the infected chicken groups. And the apoptotic cells were increased after 2 days of the virus inoculation. Morphologically, we clearly demonstrated that replication of IBDV in the bursa during the acute phase of infection and provided new information on the pathogenesis of IBDV.
Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) is an acute, highly contagious viral disease
of young chickens often known as Gumboro disease (Lasher
and Shane, 1994; Lukert and Saif, 2003). Infectious
Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) produces two distinctly different disease symptoms
namely the clinical form and the subclinical form in susceptible chickens depending
on age at infection. Clinical and subclinical infection with IBDV may cause
immunosuppression (Sharma et al., 2000;
Uddin and Hossain, 2006; Ahmed and Akhter, 2003).
The clinical form is mostly observed in chickens of 5-8 weeks of age with typical
lesions of IBD. The infectious disease causes considerable economic losses in
the poultry industry worldwide. IBDV has a tropism to actively dividing pre-B
lymphocytes, primarily in the bursa of Fabricius, but also in other organs of
the immune system. The etiological agent is a member of the genus Avibirnavirus
in the family Birnaviridae (Kibenge et al.,
1988; Muller et al., 2003), whose genome
consists of two double-stranded RNA segments designated A and B, which are enclosed
within a nonenveloped icosahedral capsid. The genome segment B (2.9 kb) encodes
VP1, the putative viral RNA polymerase. The larger segment A (3.2 kb) that contains
two partially overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) encodes viral proteins
VP2 (outer capsid), VP4 (protease), VP3 (inner capsid) and VP5 (non-structural
protein). Among them, VP2 protein contains important neutralizing antigenic
sites and elicits protective immune response and most of the Amino Acid (AA)
changes between antigenically different IBDVs are clustered in the hypervariable
region of VP2. Thus, this hypervariable region of VP2 is the obvious target
for the molecular techniques applied for IBDV detection and strain variation
studies. After infection IBDV multiplies rapidly in the B lymphocytes of the
bursa of Fabricius, leading to immunosuppression, increased susceptibility to
other diseases and reduced growth rate of surviving animals (Kibenge
et al., 1988; Becht and Muller, 1991). The
bursa is the principal reservoir of virus replication and peak virus titers
in the bursa can be detected between 3 to 5 days after IBDV infection. In the
bursae of chickens infected with IBDV, productive viral replication is often
associated with necrosis, apoptosis of lymphoid cells, inflammatory change,
atrophy and hemorrhages (Van den Berg, 2000; Kim
et al., 2000; Taylor et al., 2008).
Results of previous studies indicated a correlation between IBDV replication
and the proportion of apoptosis in bursal cells (Nieper
et al., 1999; Jungmann et al., 2001).
Remarkably, apoptotic cells were frequently located in the vicinity of antigen-expressing
cells (Tanimura and Sharma, 1998;
Jungmann et al., 2001; Taylor et al.,
2008). This suggests the involvement of apoptotic processes in the pathogenesis
of the disease. It is caspase dependent and activates caspases 3 and 9. Nuclear
factor kappa B (NF-κB) is also activated and is required for IBDV-induced
apoptosis during IBDV infection. The small, non-structural protein VP5 performs
the function of inhibiting apoptosis initiated by viral replication and prevents
infected cells from undergoing cell death before the virus finishes its life
cycle (Liu and Vakharia, 2006). In order to understand
the role of apoptosis in IBD and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms,
it is of importance to reliably detect and quantitate apoptotic cells (Schutte
et al., 1998). The kinetics of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV)
replication and induction of apoptosis were investigated in vitro and
in vivo. These data suggested that B cells may not be the sole target
for the virus; macrophages and possibly other cells may serve as host for IBDV
(Khatri et al., 2005). Extensive viral replication
was accompanied by an infiltration of T cells in the bursa after virus infection.
The results suggest that intrabursal T cells and T-cell-mediated responses may
be important in viral clearance and promoting recovery from infection (Kim
et al., 2000).
Although garlic was exalted throughout history, the quest to understand its
action began only relatively recently (Harris et al.,
2001). The main biological effects of garlic (Allium sativum)
are attributed to its characteristic organosulfur compounds (Miron
et al., 2000). The antimicrobial effects of aqueous garlic extracts
are well established but those of garlic oil are little known (Ross
et al., 2001). The purpose of the present study was to establish
a model for infectious viral diseases with focus on IBD, so as to well understand
the antiviral molecular mechanisms of garlic oil, providing a scientific evidence
for modern drug development of a traditional medicine.
Animals and viruses: 3-week-old specific-pathogen-free male White
Leghorn chickens were used from Merial Vital Laboratory Animal Technology CO.,
Ltd. (Beijing, China) (2008) and reared in CC•JH-1-type positive pressure
isolation units for the duration of the study. Birds for different experimental
groups were housed in separate isolation units. Feed and water were provided
ad libitum. A virulent strain of serotype 1 IBDV was purchased from China Institute
of Veterinary Drug Control (Beijing, China). BC6/85 (CVCC AV7) strain is a conventional
virulent type, which was shown to cause immunosuppression but little or no mortality.
At 35-day-old, chickens were inoculated in each experiment with 100 bursal infective
doses (BIDs/bird) of IBDV or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) by eye drop.
Experimental design: In a first series of experiments one group of animals (15 chickens) were inoculated and euthanatized at 2, 4, 8 days postinoculation (days p.i.); control birds (totally 9 birds, 3 birds once) received the vehicle alone and were also euthanatized at the same day. The bursa of Fabricius, thymus, spleen, Harderian gland, caecal tonsils and liver were examined at 2, 4, 8 days p.i. for histopathological lesions. Tissue sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin were subjected to image analysis to quantify cellular depletion in the follicles of the BF.
In a second series of experiments, a total of 130 3-week-old SPF chickens were allotted randomly to three groups: Control group (40 chickens), Group I (45 chickens) and Group II (45 chickens). Group II chickens were intraorally administered with garlic oil (10 mg per kg BW) prior to IBDV inoculation, once per day, five consecutive days. Six hours after administration of garlic oil, each chicken from Group I and Group II was inoculated intraocularly with 0.1 mL of inoculum containing 100 bursal infective doses of BC6/85, respectively and reared separately. Control group was left as the mock-inoculation group, only given sterilized physiological saline by eye drop. At 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15 and 18 days p.i., 3 chickens from each group were randomly selected and euthanatized for sample collection. Each bird was weighed and blood was drawn by heart or wing vein puncture at the times indicated. By the end of experiments, the bursa of Fabricius and spleen from killed birds (n = 19) were also weighed; and bursal and spleen weight indices were determined as follows:
All animal research was approved by China Agricultural University Animal Research Committee.
Histopathological examination: After establishing the IBD model of chicken, the animals were euthanatized for welfare reasons. For the detection of histopathological lesions, three chickens per group were examined at 2, 4 and 8 days postinoculation. Tissue samples were immediately collected, fixed in 10% phosphate-buffered formalin, dehydrated, embedded in paraplast embedding media X-tra (P3808, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA). Paraffin sections (5 μm) were de-waxed, routinely stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H and E, Sigma-Aldrich, USA), mounted with neutral balsam (Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China). Lesions were observed and photographed using an Olympus BX51 bright-field microscope (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Bursa lesion scores were determined and compared between groups.
Immunohistochemical detection of IBDV antigen in bursal sections: For
immunolabelling of viral antigen, three chickens per group were also examined
at 3, 6, 9, 15, 18 days postinoculation. A paraffin-embedded tissue slice of
each bursa was also used for immunohistochemistry staining as previously described
(Tanimura et al., 1995). Briefly, the sections
were deparaffinized and hydrated. The endogenous peroxidase in sections was
eliminated by 3% H2O2. Nonspecific reactions were blocked
by normal rabbit serum. Mouse anti-IBDV mAb was used as primary antibody. Samples
were then incubated overnight in a humidified chamber at 4°C with the primary
antibody against IBDV diluted 1:1000. Mouse anti-VP2 monoclonal antibody was
kindly provided by Dr Honglei Gao from Harbin Veterinary Research Institute,
the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China. Whereas a 1:100
dilution of rabbit anti-Mouse IgG (whole molecule)-Peroxidase (Sigma-Aldrich
Inc., Missouri, USA) was used as secondary antibody. Sections were then incubated
for 1 h with above secondary antibody. 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) substrate
was used to detect the viral antigen in tissue sections, which yielded brown-black
stain (Zhongshan Golden Bridge Biotechnology CO., Ltd, Beijing, China). This
was followed by a light hematoxylin counterstain, after which the sections were
washed in water, dehydrated and mounted with neutral balsam. The labeling procedure
for negative control sections was the same as described above except above the
primary antibody was substituted with PBS.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): The plicae of bursa of Fabricius were fixed overnight at 4°C with 2.5% glutaraldehyde in PBS, postfixed with 1% osmium tetroxide. After dehydration in a graded series of ethanol, samples were treated with isoamyl acetate overnight. Then specimens were dried in hexamethyl disilizane, sputter-coated with gold and examined and photographed with a Hitachi S-3400N Scanning Electron Microscope operated at 15 kV.
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM): The tissue samples (1 mm thick) of bursa of Fabricius at 3 and 6 days p.i. were fixed overnight at 4°C with 2.5% glutaraldehyde in PBS, gently rinsed in the 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.2), postfixed with 1% osmium tetroxide and rinsed thoroughly in the same buffer again. Subsequently they were dehydrated in a graded acetone series, embedded in SPURR resin after tissue processing and polymerized at 60°C for 2 days. Then ultrathin sections (70 nm) were prepared, stained with uranyl acetate and counterstained with lead citrate and examined under TEM (JEM-1230, Japan) operating at 80 KV and photographed.
Flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis in bursal lymphocytes: At 2, 5 and 10 days p.i., one pool containing 3 chickens per group were examined. Bursae were excised and single-cell suspensions of bursal tissues were separately prepared at the times indicated following IBDV infection. Briefly, the organs were overturned, the cells were gently scraped with a slide, suspended in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 2% FBS, filtered through 100-μm nylon mesh and centrifuged at 300 g for 5 min at 4°C. The cell pellet was resuspended in RPMI 1640 and separated in a discontinuous density gradient of culture medium and lymphocyte separation medium (Tianjin Haoyang Biological Manufactures CO., Ltd, Tianjin, China) and recentrifuged. The resulting cell pellet was resuspended in RPMI 1640 and the cell concentration was determined using a hemacytometer. To analyze cells for apoptosis the Annexin V-EGFP Apoptosis Detection Kit (KeyGEN, Nanjing, China) was employed and cell labeling was performed following the manufacturers instructions. The lymphocyte cell pellet was resuspended in 500 μL binding buffer. 1x106 cells were incubated with Annexin V-EGFP and Propidium Iodide (PI) at room temperature for 5 min. Positive cells stained were analyzed by EPICS ELITE (Coulter, America) and the software. Viable lymphocytes were gated on the basis of forward and side scatter characteristics and 10,000 events were analyzed for positive staining with EGFP and PI.
Statistical analysis: Statistical significance of differences among three groups in mean body weight gain and bursal weight index were calculated using Duncans multiple comparisons. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Data were expressed as Mean±SD. SAS V.8.02 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) was used to perform all calculations.
Clinical signs and gross pathological changes: The groups of chickens inoculated
with BC6/85 strain developed clinical symptoms including depression, anorexia,
ruffled feathers, whitish or watery diarrhea and prostration, starting approximately
at 4 days postinoculation. Indeed, the vIBDVs produce disease signs similar
to conventional type 1 infection, with the same incubation period (4 days),
but the acute phase is exacerbated and more generalized in the affected flock.
As shown in Fig. 1a and b, the inoculation
of chickens with BC6/85 strain caused reduced body weight gain in both the infected
chickens (Group I) and the infected chickens after administration (Group II)
as compared with the controls.
The body weight gain and bursal weight index of IBDV-exposed chickens were
significantly different (p<0.05) from mock-inoculation controls by the end
of experiments as indicated in Fig. 1. IBDV-exposed birds
showed macroscopical lesions such as ecchymotic hemorrhage in the thigh muscles
and the juncture of glandular and muscular stomach, branched hemorrhage in liver
and bursal atrophy (Fig. 2a-d).
Histopathological changes: Experimental infection of susceptible chickens
induced typical acute bursitis of various severity, and microscopic lesions
in thymus, spleen, caecal tonsils, Harderian gland and liver (no shown). Histopathological
changes were examined from all tissue sections after haematoxylin and eosin
staining. Figure 3a is the microscopical picture of the bursa
collected from the control bird. It revealed epithelial lining covering large
polyhedral bursal follicles. The bursal follicle contained normal population
of lymphoid cells in the cortex and medulla. Figure 3b revealed
multifocal follicular atrophy of bursa from IBDV-exposed bird and extensive
lymphoid damages and depletion of bursal follicles. The follicle was rounded,
the interfollicular space was widened. A few follicles also revealed cellular
debris in the medullary area. Besides the above histopathological changes, extensive
necrosis and numerous apoptotic bodies of the BF follicles, eosinophilic cystic
cavities in the medullary areas, the indistinct boundary between cortex and
medulla, mild or severe increase in interfollicular stromal tissue were observed
on Fig. 3c and d. But, Bursal follicles
in the control bird were intact (Fig. 3a).
Immunolabelling of viral antigen: Bursal tissue sections at 3, 6, 9,
15 and 18 days postinoculation were examined. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) demonstrated
abundant viral antigen in the BF at 3 and 6 days p.i. (Fig. 4a,
In contrast, less viral antigen was seen at 9 days p.i. (Fig.
4c); viral antigen could nearly not be viewed at 18 days p.i. (Fig.
4d). Many positive signals were shown in the cortical and medullary areas
of bursal follicles (Fig. 4a-c). Various
degrees of damage of the Follicle-Associated Epithelium (FAE) of the bursa of
Fabricius could be observed, this damages made some bursal follicles connect
directly with the bursal lumen and so many positive signals of viruses presented
in these sites (Fig. 4a).
SEM observations of surface structure of bursal plicae: The mucosal surface of the bursal plica viewed through a SEM was erosion, ulceration and became smooth. The erosion of the plica mucosa at 6 days p.i. (Fig. 5a) was more serious than that at 3 days p.i. (data not shown). The reticular fibers were exposed after exuviation of epithelial cells and other cells (Fig. 5b). The normal mucosa of the plica was uneven, with button-like protruding and infolding follicular apices (Fig. 5c). There were numerous long, irregular microvilli on the epithelial surface of bursal plica after magnification (Fig. 5d).
TEM examination: The sequential morphological events of the bursa of
Fabricius were examined by transmission electron microscope in SPF chickens
experimentally infected with BC6/85. At 3 days p.i., the bursal epithelium and
the underlying tunica propria could be observed; a few apoptotic stromal cells
and necrotic cells were noted; many vacuolated inclusions were showed in the
apoptotic cell (Fig. 6a, b). The striking
ordered pattern of viral particles with cellular debris in the cytoplasm of
a necrotic cell in the follicle could be seen, which is similar to the crystalline
structure of various viruses seen intracellularly (Fig. 6c),
the viral particle (virion) is spherical in shape, not surrounded by a membrane,
the outer surface of virus is rough and uneven. Whereas a mature lymphocyte
was not infected by IBDV, showing normal cytoplasmic organelles, for example,
three mitochondria and a few rough endoplasmic reticula in Fig.
6e and f. cristae of mitochondria could be clearly found
in higher magnification (Fig. 6f). At 6 days p.i., necrotic
cells and apoptotic cells could be viewed and a macrophage was also found (Fig.
Time course of endogenous activation of bursal lymphocyte apoptosis:
To quantitate the frequency of apoptotic cells, the lymphocyte cell suspensions
were incubated with EGFP-labeled annexin V and PI. Using this flow cytometric
technique, bursal lymphocyte apoptosis was examined after 2, 5 and 10 days of
postinoculation. Fig. 7 shows bivariate annexin V-EGFP/PI
analyses of such cell suspensions either not subjected to exposition (control,
Fig. 7a) or exposed for 2, 5, or 10 days (Fig.
7b-d). Apoptotic cells appeared in the annexin V+/PI-
fraction, whereas cells damaged by scraping appeared in the annexin V-/PI+ fraction.
The number of annexin V+/PI- cells increased with inoculation days, while
the number of annexin V+/PI+ cells was the most at 5 days postinoculation. The
latter fraction comprised the necrotic cells and the secondary necrotic cells,
i.e., apoptotic cells, which lost their membrane integrity. As depicted in Fig.
7, apoptotic cells can clearly be visualized in the bivariate annexin V-EGFP/PI
analysis. Undamaged cells remained negative for both parameters.
A Chinese IBDV strain BC6/85, a standard classic virulent IBDV strain, was
chosen as the challenge virus in our experiments. BC6/85 strain is widely used
in the evaluation of the efficacy of IBDV vaccines in China. In recent years,
several techniques have been useful for detecting and identifying IBDV, including
the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for amplifying
variable or hypervariable regions of VP2 gene and restriction fragment length
polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the amplified product (Gomes
et al., 2005). The nucleic acid was extracted directly from virus
particles in the vials by using the TRIzol Reagent in our experiments. This
was done to eliminate the possibility of causing genetic mutations in the viruses
that could occur with passage in a host (Jackwood and Sommer,
2002). RNA samples of BC6/85 strain were amplified using a modified version
of a random PCR protocol (Lin et al., 1993).
A 259-bp fragment and a 648-bp fragment in the VP2 and VP5 genes were amplified
by RT-PCR. BC6/85 strain was found to be different from others through multiple
nucleic acid or amino acid sequences alignment with the Genbank database.
BC6/85 strain was pathogenic for SPF White Leghorn chickens when applied by
the eye drop route. The clinical signs observed in IBDV-exposed chickens, macroscopic
lesions and histopathologic changes in the bursa, are in agreement with findings
by other authors (Sharma et al., 2000;
Banda et al., 2003). BC6/85 strain was characterized by the induction
of depression, anorexia, ruffled feathers, whitish or watery diarrhea, prostration
and little or no mortality.
In addition, the exposed birds exhibited a reduction in body weight gain along
with poor flock uniformity. The distinctive lesion was the presence of bursitis
with further bursal atrophy. Upon necropsy, varying degrees of hemorrhages could
be found in the thigh muscles and the juncture of glandular and muscular stomach,
along with classic changes to the bursa: atrophy and gelatinous coating. But
no hemorrhage could be found in pectoral muscles. Our experiment could not identify
the causal effect of this. Histologically, considering the character of the
infection and the affinity of the causative agent to immature precursors of
B lymphocytes particularly in bursa and to a lesser extent also in the thymus,
spleen, caecal tonsils and Harderian gland, the emphasis of our experiments
was put on the bursa serving as targets for the virus. The detectable changes
were atrophy of lymphoid follicles and depletion of lymphocyte of the bursa
of Fabricius. As the infection advanced, the lesions showed more severe changes.
Lymphocyte depletion with apoptosis and necrosis in lymphoid tissues became
more pronounced, as cystic cavities and necrotic cells were observed in the
follicular medulla and the structure of the follicles was dissolved, similar
to the lesions described in chickens by Sharma et al.
(1993). The combination of light microscopy and TEM showed that necrotic
and apoptotic cells were seen predominantly in the medulla of the follicles
in the early stages of viral infection, so we speculate that immature B lymphocytes
in the medulla are first infected by IBDV, then reticulum cells or others are
infected; Later, some cells in the cortex are infected. Whereas all mature lymphocytes
in the cortex and medulla seem not be infected, as shown in Fig.
6e, the mature lymphocyte and cytoplasmic organelles were normal. Furthermore,
the viruses may also replicate in other cells, immature B cells may not be the
sole target for the virus; macrophages, reticulum cells and possibly other cells
may serve as host for IBDV (Khatri et al., 2005).
Figure 6b shows many inclusions in the cytoplasm of the stromal
cell showing typical signs of apoptosis (margination of chromatin). These inclusions
may be formed by virus particles, cytoplasmic membrane and other cellular components
either when viruses replicate in host cells or after viruses are phagocytized
by phagocytes. The damage of the cells observed in the bursa of Fabricius at
6 days p.i. was more severe than those at 3 days p.i. (Fig. 6b,
d). In addition, probably there exists an inestimable possibility
that the viruses may replicate in stromal cells within the medulla of lymphoid
follicles, immature B lymphocytes may be affected simultaneously. As B lymphocyte
development and differentiation depend upon the endogenous microenvironment,
stromal cells may be involved in crucial interactions and close association
with developing B cells, the progressive loss of the bursal stromal component
could have resulted in the overall depletion of B cells. Therefore, we infer
that the bursal stroma does not have the capacity to support normal lymphocyte
development if bursal stromal cells are not available as a result of the stromal
cell damages caused by IBDV, eventually, leading to the destruction of the general
histologic structure of the bursa of Fabricius. Viral crystalline array in the
cytoplasm of a necrotic cell in the follicle under transmission electron microscope
was also observed (Fig. 6c).
Viral protein was detected by IHC in bursal tissues collected at 3, 6, 9 and 15d days postinoculation. Whereas viral protein could rarely be detected at 15 days p.i. (data not shown) and not nearly be found 18 days p.i. (Fig. 4d). The presence of viral antigen was confirmed by qualitative immunohistochemical analysis. A recent work of ours, using histopathological, immunohistochemical and SEM methods, clearly showed that the follicle-associated epithelial cells are affected by IBDV, while the surrounding epithelial cells do not show some visible signs of damages (Fig. 4a). After the viral antigen was positioned using immunohistochemistry, we noted that some follicles were directly connected with the bursal lumen as the Follicular Associated Epithelium (FAE) may be damaged. Therefore, we suspect that the erosion of the mucosal surface first occurred in these sites seriously damaged.
Because many authors having studied avian intraorbital glands (Ballantyne
and Fourman, 1967; Burns, 1976; Payne,
1994; Shirama et al., 1996; Dimitrov
and Nikiforov, 2005), report that the Harderian gland has a better developed
and branched blood supply that could be a favorable factor for the spreading
of the infectious agents in the organ, we speculate that IBDV may first reach
the Harderian gland after intraocular inoculation, then the virus gets to the
bursa of Fabricius and other organs via the blood stream. The virus may replicates
primarily in the lymphocytes and macrophages of the BF, is then released into
the blood stream, travels to other tissues or organs again, where replication
will occur. After the second round of viral replication, stromal cell and possibly
others cells in the bursa of Fabricius may be damaged, the necrosis and apoptosis
of cells will occur.
The Annexin V/PI flow cytometry assay was used to detect cells population in
viable, early apoptosis and late apoptosis (necrosis) stages. The cells were
stained with EGFP conjugated Annexin V and PI and they were subjected to flow
cytometry. Cells undergoing early and late apoptosis were detected by the emission
of the fluorescence from both EGFP and PI, respectively. Our data showed inoculation
with BC6/85 strain to SPF chickens results in apoptosis and necrosis of target
cells, detected at 2 days p.i., with a maximum apoptosis + necrosis being observed
at 5 days p.i., with a maximum apoptosis at 10 days postinoculation during the
experiments. These results are consistent with earlier research by
Kim et al. (2000), by 7 days p.i., the proportion of B cells in the
bursa of IBDV-exposed chickens had dropped to the lowest; the numbers of both
CD4+ and CD8+ T cells reached peak levels. We also noted that there was a minor
difference in time, when viable lymphocytes in the bursa of IBDV-exposed chickens
had dropped to the lowest. This may correlate with the virulence of IBDV, the
age of chicken. Exposure to IBDV resulted in infiltration of T cells into the
bursa and intrabursal T cells of IBDV-exposed chickens were activated. T cells
may be involved in antiviral immune responses. The results shed new light on
the importance of cell-mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of IBDV, a naturally
occurring immunosuppressive virus of chickens that causes a lytic infection
in B cells. Although T-cell immunity may be important for host defense in IBD,
the possibility cannot be excluded that IBDV-induced T cells may exacerbate
bursal lesions. Cytotoxic T cells may promote lysis of virus-exposed bursal
cells. Alternatively, an influx of proinflammatory cytokines may enhance tissue
destruction (Kim et al., 2000). Liu
and Vakharia (2006) demonstrated that IBDV-induced apoptosis is caspase
dependent and activates caspases 3 and 9. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)
is also activated and is required for IBDV-induced apoptosis.
Further studies are needed to identify the cells involved in the pathogenesis of IBDV and their functions and establish the exact role of viral proteins in pathogenesis and immunosuppression, notably by comparing them in strains with different virulence.
The authors would like to thank Dr. Qinfang Liu for his excellent technical assistance in our experiments and Dr. Honglei Gao for his generous present of monoclonal antibody.


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Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison out after refusing COVID-19 vaccine, per report
Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach/run game coordinator Rick Dennison is out of a job after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported Friday.
The team will promote assistant offensive coach Phil Rauscher to replace Dennison. Minnesota also hired Auburn special teams analyst Ben Steele as an assistant to fill out its coaching staff.
Dennison has been with the Vikings for the past two seasons and would be the first NFL assistant coach to lose his job for refusal to take the vaccine.
"The Vikings continue to hold discussions with offensive line coach Rick Dennison regarding the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols for training camp and preseason games," the team said in a statement. "At this time, coach Dennison does not have an exemption to the vaccination requirements."
New England Patriots co-offensive line coach Cole Popovich will not return to the team this season in a decision related to the COVID-19 and the NFL's guidelines, ESPN reported later on Friday.
Follow every game: Live NFL Scores
The NFL mandates that all Tier 1 staff get vaccinated. For those Tier 1 staff not vaccinated, they must get proof through medical or religious reasons to not get the vaccine.
Tier 1 staff are those in constant contact with players.
Dennison's split comes one day after the NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams saying the league would institute forfeits if a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players forced a game to be canceled during the regular season.


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If you haven't tuned in to Sir David Attenborough's new Netflix special A Life on Our Planet yet, navigate your way to Netflix immediately. Everyone's favourite nonagenarian's new documentary is out, and it is a hauntingly hopeful homage to our planet. No one captures the beauty of nature and the gravity of our impact on it, quite like the soothing timbre tones of Attenborough himself. It's both a sobering account of the changes he's witnessed over his lifetime and a good kick in the guts. If you need any more inspiration to start taking climate action, it's the place to start.
Not only content to peddle out a magnum opus of a documentary, but he's also been about town on the press circuit. One of my favourite pieces is an article he wrote in the Sun combing some seriously depressing facts with some nuggets of thought worthy of turning into an Instagram quote post. He writes:
"Humanity is at a crossroads. The natural world is under serious threat, and the consequences could be apocalyptic. We are already seeing the coral reefs dying, forests disappearing, the North Pole beginning to melt…People sometimes think of going green as giving things up. But the opposite is true – by going green we gain clean air, we gain healthier food, we gain more wildlife and green space, and we gain a safe, stable world."
You can read it here.
Continuing with his theme of a greener future being something to look forward to, Sir David has been by Prince William's side helping to launch the new 'Earthshot" prize. The prize encourages innovators to come up with novel ways to restore our planet over the next ten years. Dubbed "the most prestigious global environmental prize in history", it intends to refocus the narrative on hope and action. Prince William has released a TED talk to support it.
In case that's not enough Sir David for you, I have one more treat up my sleeve. He has recently recorded an interview on the new BBC podcast called What planet are we on...?. He couldn't be more optimistic about the solution being on the horizon and thinks we are almost at the point where the market will shift to incentivise more environmental choices. Plus, when asked whether it is up to individuals to change first to solve climate change, his response was: "I suspect so.". Very Co-Benefits-like indeed.


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Ailing Graham Nears End of Decades-Long Crusade
MONTREAT, N.C. -- After more than five decades spent preaching to 210 million people in 185 lands, the Rev. Billy Graham is marooned in his log house on a mountaintop ridge.
The evangelist shuffles with a walker down a small ramp into his living room. He has prostate cancer, hydrocephalus and the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and last year broke a hip and his pelvis. He says he leaves the mountain only three or four times a year and cannot even remember his last time down.
"When you get to be 86 years of age, as I am, all of the world is passing you by," he said, sitting on his front porch for a rare interview.
Nevertheless, Graham is now preparing to venture down the mountain to travel to New York City for another evangelistic crusade -- a three-day outdoor revival meeting beginning June 24 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.
"Maybe this will be the last crusade I'll ever hold," he said in a conversation on his porch of more than an hour, during which he reflected on his own mortality, his close attention to the funeral of Pope John Paul II, his son Franklin's comments that Islam is an "evil and wicked" religion ("Let's say, I didn't say it") and his regrets, including anti-Jewish comments he made 30 years ago to President Richard M. Nixon that were tape-recorded.
For the past half-century, Graham has been the central figure behind the dramatic postwar resurgence of evangelical Christianity in America. His crusades delivered new believers to churches nationwide; his embrace of mass media paved the way for a generation of evangelists; and his magazines, training programs and the retreat center he founded helped shape many of today's most prominent Christian leaders.
Now, at a time when other evangelical leaders plunge into political issues, Graham subtly has set himself apart, steadfastly refusing to talk about politics, the evangelical movement or any of the issues important to evangelical conservatives, from abortion to homosexuality to stem-cell research.
"I feel I have only a short time to go, and I have to leave that to the younger people," he said.
"I'm just going to preach the gospel and am not going to get off on all these hot-button issues," he said when politics was broached again later. "If I get on these other subjects, it divides the audience on an issue that is not the issue I'm promoting. I'm just promoting the gospel. And after they come to Christ, they hopefully come to a church where they will learn more about their responsibility in society."
Graham himself always courted politicians and powerful people, befriending every American president, Republican and Democrat alike, from Harry S. Truman on. The hallway leading to his bedroom is a gallery of the Grahams in younger days, posing with Queen Elizabeth, Richard Nixon and even President Kim Il Sung of North Korea.
The evangelist was particularly close with the Bush family. President Bush has said it was a talk with Graham that prompted him at age 40 to stop drinking and get serious about his Christian faith.
But Graham said that, while he counted many politicians among his friends, "I never endorsed but one politician that I know of, and that was the governor of Texas many years ago," he said, referring to John B. Connally, a close friend. "And I regret that, even though he got elected."
Graham also said he deeply regretted remarks he made that emerged three years ago, when 500 hours of audiotapes recorded surreptitiously in the Nixon White House were released by the National Archives. On a tape recorded in 1972, Graham agreed with Nixon's assertion that liberal Jews dominate the media.
"They're the ones putting out the pornographic stuff," Graham said on the tape, and added: "A lot of the Jews are great friends of mine; they swarm around me and are friendly to me because they know that I'm friendly with Israel. But they don't know how I really feel about what they are doing to this country. And I have no power, no way to handle them, but I would stand up if under proper circumstances."
When the tape was made public in 2002, Graham issued a written apology and met with Jewish leaders. In the interview he said, "I apologized to them. I said, `I need to come to you on hands and knees.' Because I didn't remember it, I still don't remember it, but it was there. I guess I was sort of caught up in the conversation somehow."
He added that Prime Minister Golda Meir of Israel had given him a Bible inscribed "To Billy Graham, a great friend of Israel," and that Yitzhak Rabin had been a "close friend." He said that while in New York, he plans to meet with Jewish leaders. "Everywhere I've gone since that episode, I've been welcomed extrawarm" by Jewish leaders, he said, "and I appreciate them forgiving me."
Although Graham moved and spoke slowly, his blue eyes were sharp. He wore a bright blue blazer that matched his eyes, and pressed blue jeans. He said that every day from about 11 a.m. on, he goes numb over most of his body and especially in his face. "I don't feel normal. It's a neurological thing," he said. "If I tell my hand to reach up, it's a delayed action between my brain and what happens."
His son Ned, who runs a missionary organization based in Sumner, Wash., now stays with his parents and helps care for them. Several assistants and nurses make the trek each day up the steep winding road, through two security gates to the top of the mountain. Recently a storm swept through, downing trees and leaving the home without electricity for several days. A backhoe was still digging out the damage, and a wall of dirt blocked the view from the front porch.
In 1995, Graham named another son, William Franklin Graham III, as president and CEO of his organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In 2002, Franklin Graham set off an international furor when he called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion."
Asked about his son's remarks, Billy Graham answered, "We had an understanding a long time ago: He speaks for himself." Pressed further, he responded, "Let's say, I didn't say it." Then he recounted how, while on a crusade in Fresno, Calif., soon after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, he asked to be taken directly from the airport to the local mosque to show support for the Muslims there.
Asked whether he agreed with those who anticipate a "clash of civilizations" between Christianity and Islam, he said, "I think the big conflict is with hunger and starvation and poverty."
Much of Graham's declining energy these days is devoted to preparing for the New York event. He chose New York in response to a request several years ago from more than a dozen New York City pastors, who came to his home and made a case that after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, New Yorkers were in need of a spiritual revival.
He added that he was also drawn to New York by "nostalgia" because of his fond memories of his crusade there in 1957 at Madison Square Garden, which catapulted his ministry to national prominence.
Graham said he recently wrote to Bill and Hillary Clinton to invite them to attend the crusade, but had not yet heard whether they will come. In preparation for the crusade, he subscribed to New York newspapers, combing them for anecdotes he can use when he preaches.
His voice is weak, but he rehearses it daily. "Like an opera singer," he said, demonstrating with a booming "Yes, yes, YES, LORD." His wife, Ruth, bedridden but sharp, likes to joke by responding from her recliner in the bedroom, "No, no, no."
Graham's last crusade was in Los Angeles in November. He speaks now from a podium designed to allow him to sit down while speaking. He has been invited to do another crusade in London, but said he will not decide until he could assess how it went in New York.
Mortality is on his mind. Of the pope's funeral, he said, "I watched every bit of it." Asked why, he said, "He was teaching us how to suffer, and he taught us how to die. I didn't agree with him on everything theologically, but as a person and as a man, he set a great example, and he was a wonderful personal friend to me."
Graham said that with each health setback, "I've rejoiced in all of it." The Lord, he said, was making it possible for him to relate to other suffering people.
The other night he said he caught an old clip of himself being interviewed on "Larry King Live." "I looked at myself -- it was only six or seven years ago, but I looked so vigorous," he said. "And I thought to myself how different things were to me then than they are now."


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Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Me and My Avatar in Poetry News
I'm tempted to sing 'Me and my Avatar' to the tune of 'Me and My Shadow' as I talk about Jilly. She has accompanied me through the 3D world doing all sorts of things I'd love to be doing in the real world, and while others use Second Life to live out their various fantasies (which I'll leave you to imagine), ours seem to have centred very single-mindedly around writing and writers. I've brought my two sons up on my own since my husband left 8 years ago, so doing all this around London would be tricky as they need me at home, and poets are generally broke so childcare isn't always an option.
For years I've thought how lovely it would be to be in a Poetry Society publication, and I've admired the poets whose work I've seen in there. More and more I'm seeing names of people I know personally, which feels very special. The last thing I thought would be that I'd see myself there, with my better half Jilly talking about the virtual Stanza we run for the Poetry Society. These Stanzas are usually run by members in real towns all over the UK and abroad so that local poets can get together and encourage and support each other. I found it hard to get out to them myself but really wanted to take part and the Second Life Stanza has let me do that. I hope it also helps others who can't get out of the house easily for various reasons, and the added bonus is that it lets poets from all over the world get together.
I think I shall just go and share this moment of enjoyment with Jilly, and if you're a poet or writer maybe you'll join us on Second Life. It was fun to see how they overlapped photos of me and Jilly on the inside back page where the Stanza Profile articles appear, and how Jilly's photo made it to the top of the front page without me of course! There's no stopping that girl.
4 comments:
Congratulations, Jilly! I'm not at all surprised to learn that you're one of the newsmakers in the Poetry Society, given all you do to support us writers in SL! But it's great to see!ReplyDelete
Alas Zerbino
It just goes to show they all love the wonderful quirky world of Second Life and this it has real value for writers.ReplyDelete
Adele/Jilly, I am one of those folk who may have been rather concerned about the fact that you were spending so much time online on various activities including SL. Well, I have to take it all back. You were dead right woman! And I do like your blog very much which I have only just now discovered. Beautifully written too ... which will come as no surprise to your readers.ReplyDelete
Eating Humble Pie in Dublin no less - less edible than Coddle!
And belated congratulations Adele and Jilly on making the Poetry Society ... not at all surprised though!ReplyDelete
Well Done!


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Event Management in Rails: Observers
All Rails developers use ActiveRecord callbacks. The use of these callbacks helps our models: validation, data manipulation, relational operations, automatic sending of emails…
When you start developing with Rails, all these operations I mentioned are normally done in the controller. However, as we begin to lighten our controllers we fatten up our models with more and more callbacks. This is a good thing but at times we end up with a load of callbacks in the model that have nothing to do with the model.
To extract all this disparate code which has nothing directly to do with the model, Rails gives us observers.
Inside Observers
In this post, we'll see how Rails observers work. For this it's necessary to know how they are used so, if you've never used them, you should take a look at the documentation
The Ruby Observable module
Ruby implements some common design patterns in its standard library. One such module is Observable.
The Observable module implements the Observer pattern, also known as Publish-Subscribe. In this pattern, an object (the publisher or source) informs a group of interested objects (the subscribers) when it's state changes. To accomplish this, we are given a series of methods to register subscribers and to notify them of state changes.
Let's see an example of the use of the Observable module:
require 'observer' class SystemMonitor include Observable def run last_free_space = nil loop do free_space = Disk.free_space puts "Free disk space: #{free_space}MB" if free_space != last_free_space changed notify_observers(free_space) last_free_space = free_space end sleep(60) end end end class DiskMainteinance def initialize(limit) @limit = limit end def update(free_space) if free_space < @limit puts "-- Cleaning temp files. #{free_space}MB free" end end end class AlertLowSpace def initialize(limit, email) @limit = limit @email = email end def update(free_space) if free_space < @limit puts "-- Notifying to #{@email}. #{free_space}MB free" end end end monitor = SystemMonitor.new monitor.add_observer(DiskMainteinance.new(700)) monitor.add_observer(AlertLowSpace.new(700, 'firstname.lastname@example.com')) monitor.add_observer(AlertLowSpace.new(600, 'email@example.com')) monitor.run
I think the example is pretty easy to follow, but it's best if I clarify some details
The Observable module defines a series of methods that you can look up in the module documentation. In our example we use three of these:
- changed(state=true): the state of the object has changed.
- notify_observers(*args): i f the state is true, invoke the update method of each subscriber with the same arguments.
- add_observer(observer): register a new subscriber.
Lets see an execution example of the previous script:
Free disk space: 1011MB Free disk space: 821MB Free disk space: 880MB Free disk space: 625MB -- Cleaning temp files. 625MB free -- Notifying to email@example.com. 625MB free Free disk space: 730MB Free disk space: 570MB -- Cleaning temp files. 570MB free -- Notifying to firstname.lastname@example.com. 570MB free -- Notifying to firstname.lastname@example.com. 570MB free Free disk space: 716MB Free disk space: 841MB Free disk space: 1016MB
ActiveRecord: Publisher and Subscriber
ActiveRecord has two classes involved in event management:
- ActiveRecord::Base: includes the Observable module and notifies the subscribers of al events to which callbacks can be associated
- ActiveRecord::Observer: the base class for all observers and defines the update method
When a model (i.e. a subclass of ActiveRecord::Base) changes its state it invokes, in addition to the callbacks in the class itself, the method notify_observers with the following arguments:
- The name of the event: before_validation, after_save, after_destroy…
- The ActiveRecord object
As we've seen, upon invoking notify_observers in the model, update is invoked on all the observers subscribed to the model. In the rails observers, the update method will invoke – if it is defined – the method of the class that has the name of the event notified and will pass as argument the object that has changed its state.
# Send observed_method(object) if the method exists. def update(observed_method, object) #:nodoc: send(observed_method, object) if respond_to?(observed_method) end
Initialisation of observers in Rails
Now we've seen how ActiveRecord::Base notifies observers of events. Nevertheless, we've not seen how observers subscribe (as I'm sure you know, via a call to the method add_observer in the module Observable).
When the rails observers call add_observer the constructor of ActiveRecord::Observer is run:
# Start observing the declared classes and their subclasses. def initialize Set.new(observed_classes + observed_subclasses).each { |klass| add_observer! klass } end
However, as the documentation states, to use observers, we don't instantiate objects but instead we configure them in the environment.rb file (config.activerecord.observers_). This is to delegate to Rails the responsibility for initialising the observers.
We're not going to look at when they're initialised, but instead how.
The ActiveRecord::Observer class follows the Singleton design pattern. This pattern guarantees that there will be at the most one instance of a class. To achieve this, the visibility of the constructor is changed to private and a method is defined which returns the single instance of the class.
This pattern is also included in the standard Ruby library in the Singleton module. This module changes the visibility of the constructor and defines the instance method.
Therefore, Rails uses the instance method to subscribe the observers to the corresponding models.
Knowing this…
Knowing these details about the implementation of the Publish-Subscribe pattern in ActiveRecord and their initialisation in Rails, we have the technical knowledge to develop our own observers.
We found it necessary to develop our own observers in order to have a single class that subscribes to various models but attending to different events depending on the model.
In the next post, we'll make the most of what we've explained here to look in detail at our observers.
Happy Hacking!
By Ernesto Jiménez
Saved in: Programming | 1 comment » | 3 March 2008


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© 2022 MJH Life Sciences™ and Urology Times. All rights reserved.
A catchy headline or photo will grab attention and result in positivepublic relationsHealth and wellness topics are hot, and the media is interested in newmedical technologies, surgical procedures, and diagnostic techniques, aswell as fascinating medical cases with human-interest angles. Never beforehave medical practices had more opportunities for positive media exposure.


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Now Family Friendly & Accepting Guests Of All Ages!
Breezewood Cove RV Park Facilities
You'll Love Our Rio Grande Valley RV Park Amenities
When you're RVing Near Harlingen & McAllen, TX, you'll love the large, level, "Big Rig" friendly, full hook-up sites at Breezewood Cove RV Park.
RV Park & Site Amenities
- Large, level RV sites
- "Big Rig" friendly park
- Full hook-ups (w/s/e)
- 50 amp electric service
- Concrete patios available
- Plenty of room for slide-outs
- Park Model sites, too!
- Satellite dish friendly park
- Wide, paved interior roads
- Perfect year-round climate
- Beautifully landscaped grounds
- On-site laundry room
Large grassy sites and palm trees
Concrete patios available at some sites


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- 1 How much does a Tesla 18 wheeler cost?
- 2 How much does the Tesla semi truck cost?
- 3 Is the Tesla semi worth it?
- 4 Does the Tesla semi come with a trailer?
- 5 Is the Tesla truck bulletproof?
- 6 How long do Tesla batteries last?
- 7 Can I buy a Tesla semi?
- 8 Does Tesla semi have a sleeper?
- 9 How fast can a Tesla Semi go?
- 10 What do truck drivers think of Tesla semi?
- 11 How far can a semi go on a full tank?
- 12 How heavy is the Tesla semi?
- 13 Is the Tesla truck out yet?
- 14 Are Tesla Cybertrucks on the road?
- 15 How much can the Tesla truck pull?
How much does a Tesla 18 wheeler cost?
Tesla said the price for its Semi will start at $150,000 for a model with a 300-mile range, and $180,000 for a 500-mile range.
How much does the Tesla semi truck cost?
Musk said there initially will be two day-cab models, a short-range version that will start at $150,000 and a midrange truck starting at $180,000. The typical Class 8 diesel day-cab starts at about $120,000. Tesla justified the electric Semi's initial expense with long-term savings – mainly in fuel costs.
Is the Tesla semi worth it?
The Tesla Semi is poised to be offered as a 300 and 500-mile range long-hauler. Ultimately, the Semi will offer vast savings compared to its diesel-powered counterparts. At 2 kWh per mile, for example, the 500-mile Semi will likely consume about $28 worth of electricity.
Does the Tesla semi come with a trailer?
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Semi would come standard with Tesla Autopilot that allows semi -autonomous driving on highways.
|Tesla Semi
|Class 8 heavy-duty truck
|Body style
|Tractor unit for semi – trailer
|Electric motors
Is the Tesla truck bulletproof?
The Tesla Cybertruck is claimed to be somewhat bulletproof (just the glass, according to Elon Musk), but is it really? Does Tesla's stainless steel truck stop bullets? Time to fire some rounds at its metal.
|Tesla Cybertruck
|Body Style
How long do Tesla batteries last?
Tesla, for example, guarantees its batteries for eight years or 240,000kms, whichever comes first, on the Model S and Model X, with the brand promising 70 per cent battery capacity retention over that period.
Can I buy a Tesla semi?
Tesla plans to offer the Tesla Semi with two options capable of over 300 and 500 miles of range on a single charge. They are expected to cost $150,000 and $180,000, respectively, but with an efficiency of less than 2 kWh per mile with a full load, the cost of operations is expected to be where Tesla Semi shines.
Does Tesla semi have a sleeper?
Following is a list of five modifications I noticed with the exterior design update of the latest Tesla Semi prototypes: Window expansion / Sleeper cabin: The most significant change I encountered in this prototype is the expansion of the 'window'.
How fast can a Tesla Semi go?
The quickest acceleration—from 0- 60 mph in 20 seconds, fully loaded. Instant traction control with four independent motors. Quickest up the grades.
What do truck drivers think of Tesla semi?
Although there is no broad survey conducted about what truckers think of the Tesla Semi and other automated self- driving cars, the general consensus seems to be that they are not worried for their jobs – yet.
How far can a semi go on a full tank?
6. How many miles can a semi truck go on one tank of gas? Semi trucks can go about 2,100 miles on a tank of diesel fuel (not usually gasoline), assuming tanks totaling 300 gallons and an average fuel efficiency of 7 miles per gallon.
How heavy is the Tesla semi?
Based on the energy density of currently available batteries, they will weigh 4.7 and 7.9 tons and cost $108K and $180k respectively. For the 500-mile variant, the truck weight will come out to about 15 tons — leaving 21 tons for cargo, which is about the same as a conventional truck.
Is the Tesla truck out yet?
At the original event, Cybertruck was scheduled to be released in late 2021 for the dual-motor AWD version. The single-motor versions will be released in late 2022.
Are Tesla Cybertrucks on the road?
Someone spotted a Cybertruck being driven on public roads close to Tesla's design headquarters. A Tesla Cybertruck appears to have been spotted on a public road even though the vehicles are not expected to enter production until 2021. The vehicle was most likely being driven by a staffer.
How much can the Tesla truck pull?
VERSATILE UTILITY. With the ability to pull near infinite mass and a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds, Cybertruck can perform in almost any extreme situation with ease.


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How do you Woosahhh?
Updated: Dec 6, 2018
There are times I used to slip into a slight depression and it was hard to get out of. Most days I'm solo dolo and I miss out on that human interaction. So don't feel no kinda way if I Facetime you, I just need to see a face! Either way I'm nonstop busy by myself or out working the field with little time for myself and to process things such as sadness, madness, or stress. It usually hits my Friday night and Saturday I low key freak out and anxiety sets in.
I always struggled with coping with disappointment well into my 20's. It hit a head when my grandmother died, for 6 months I never cried. But low and behold right in middle of my senior year of college it hit me, and I caved to the pressure.
I almost failed out of college, I was ready to drop out, my life was in complete and utter emotional shambles. For the sake of me not liking to write novels lets skip to 2018 where I now know how to accept pain, disappointments, and set backs. For starters, God is good (all the time), secondly I found personal strength and my inner G. This wasn't easy and hasn't happened over night, I'm still learning to be patient.
Since I'm on my transparent wave, I've decided to share all your responses to the question I asked on Instagram!
So here's the list YOU guys came up with!
1. My songwriting and studio sessions are my therapy and my passion.
2. Not sure if you're a big reader but I just read "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" by Mark Manson & I would def recommend it to you.
3. Take it all in - the gift & the curse of it, it's all apart of the process. Struggle makes the goal even sweeter once you get through it and still achieve it!
4. Workout, food, runs outside in the park are the best. Did I mention food? And sometimes just saying F it. And binging on Netflix shows.
5. Pure Barre and pizza doll!
6. Drink a healthy level of fuck it everyday with your water. Seriously, what I mean is when things are not going exactly how you want or maybe something is just wayyyyy off simply say fuck it and move on. I've learned that when I do this it helps me not waste time on something that just ain't clicking right and helps me focus on creating something that will. That something is just a small piece of the larger project.
7. Work out and Pray.
8. It's ALL a process I just remember that every step that I take AND every set back is still going to put me in the right direction if I have a positive outlook on it. BTW I drink like 6 bottles of water a day lmao so keep drinking water!
9. Wine. Lots of wine!
10. Cannabinoids!
11. I write. I keep a journal and when I'm sad I write. When I'm happy I write. When I'm angry I write and it really does help. I feel like talking to people, they'll listen and give you their opinions but sometimes that's not always best. When I write down the deepest feelings and talk to God It Helps me through a lot!
12. Simply put, count it ALL joy! Learning to find beauty in hardships and the struggle to better oneself changes the whole paradigm. All of what you described should result in growth and wisdom in some capacity - embrace the process, maintain your joy at all costs, and continue to vibrate higher!
13. Smoke weed. lol
14. It probably isn't the best solution, but I spend the majority of my free time alone. It really allows me the time to think and figure out what the next move is. Just being around people can sometimes stand in the way of that.
15. Girl life is skresssssful. I always feel like I have a million tabs open on a computer (but in my brain). I have to disconnect at times, meditate, just BE STILL. I heard exercising helps.
I'm so humbled by all the responses, even the illegal ones! More importantly, I hope that you guys can gain something insightful from someone else! Look this lil community I'm trying to create!
Let's Ball Out
Ray B.


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SAN DIEGO — There is a lot the Rays still have to sort out and decide on for the 2020 season.
And one possibility is putting Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough in the rotation as full-time starters and closing the door on using the opener on a scheduled basis.
"We certainly won't rule anything out on Dec. 10," manager Kevin Cash said. "They have done so well. They've challenged a lot of the thoughts. And they've benefited from it. They've also probably earned some opportunity to go out there and take the ball. We will just see what's best for the makeup of our club and how we're going to win the most games."
Assuming all are healthy, the top three spots in the rotation are set with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and veteran Charlie Morton, whose workload will be discussed after career-high 2019 usage.
"I think Yonny and Yarbs both have to be in that conversation," Cash said. "They've done special things for one- and two-year players, pitchers. They've been pretty remarkable for us."
Among other topics Cash discussed during his stint in the winter meetings interview room:
On giving catcher Mike Zunino another chance after his rough 2019: "We're betting on Z to bounce back. … You look at his offensive seasons in the past, he's certainly capable of bouncing back. There's not a guy in our clubhouse that can generate as much power as he can."
On the loss of Tommy Pham in trade to San Diego: "We're going to miss Tommy Pham. There's no denying that. When we acquired Tommy (on July 31, 2018), that was right about the time stuff started to change. We started to have a little bit more of a presence in the lineup and the box. Tommy was a big part of that."
On giving two-way player Brendan McKay more at-bats: "I think we owe it to Brendan, let's let him hit. There was a reason he was the best collegiate hitter in baseball the year he was drafted, and the little bit he has hit doesn't prove anything good or bad. Let's get him go get some reps and get ABs, and if we need him on the mound in the big leagues, we know we've got a really good big-league pitcher."
Strasburg stays with Nats
The accelerated and expensive pace of the offseason continued Monday with Stephen Strasburg agreeing to a — for now — record $245 million, seven-year deal to stay with the Nationals. Gerrit Cole, the top free-agent pitcher, is reportedly ready to act quickly as well, with the Yankees, Angels and Dodgers among the teams considered most active for what could surpass $300 million. … Among other chatter, the Red Sox are said to be trying to trade centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers joining the Reds and Phillies in pursuit of shortstop Didi Gregorius.
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Ranking of Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash in Craig Calcaterra's annual list of "Most Handsome Managers," up from 9 last year. Ex- Ray Rocco Baldelli, the Twins manager, was No. 1.
The Rays are among many teams that have expressed interest in Japanese outfielders Shogo Akiyama (a free agent) and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (who was posted and has to sign by Dec. 19). … Reps for former Rays standout Ben Zobrist say he's still deciding whether to play in 2020, probably "50-50" as of now, as his priority is a family situation following his split last year with his wife. … ESPN set its Sunday Night Baseball schedule for the first half of the season and other select dates, and the Rays are once again not included. Also missing: the World Series champ Nationals. Of the 16 dates announced, the Yankees and Red Sox appear five times each. … Rays GM Erik Neander said Monday afternoon that they were just getting started, meeting with teams and agents but "we're usually ready to act and more than happy to act quickly if it's there." … The Rays were presented with the Baseball America Organization of the Year award.


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Stephen Curry won his individual duel with Luka Doncic but the host Dallas Mavericks captured the team competition over the Golden State Warriors in a wild 134-132 victory Saturday night.
Curry bombed in 11 3-pointers en route to 57 points, but they weren't enough in Golden State's effort to complete a two-game sweep in Dallas. The Warriors won 147-116 on Thursday night.
Doncic countered with a season-best 42-point performance, including a clutch 3-pointer with 44.5 seconds remaining that opened a seven-point lead.
Curry responded with a 3-pointer with 39.3 seconds left and a three-point play 10.7 seconds later to get Golden State within 131-130, but Maxi Kleber clinched Dallas' second win in its last nine games with a 3-pointer for a four-point advantage with 6.3 seconds to go. Damion Lee's tip-in with seven-tenths of a second completed the scoring.
Sacramento Kings 119 – Denver Nuggets 114
Harrison Barnes scored 28 points as host Sacramento defeated short-handed Denver despite Nikola Jokic's career-high 50 points.
The Kings have won all three meetings this season against the Nuggets and continued their recent hot stretch, winning for the sixth time in their past seven games. Denver has lost three of its past four.
Jokic shot 20 of 33 from the field and carried the load for Denver, which was without Jamal Murray (averaging 19 points and 4.5 assists per game), who sat out with left-knee soreness. Murray has averaged 19 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Los Angeles Lakers 135 – Detroit Pistons 129 (2OT)
LeBron James had 33 points, 11 assists and four steals, and Los Angeles held off visiting Detroit in double overtime.
Anthony Davis scored 30 points, Dennis Schroder contributed 22 points and eight assists and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 14 points for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight.
Jerami Grant had 32 points and reserve guard Josh Jackson scored 25 of his 28 points in the second half but the Pistons lost their fourth in a row. Jackson finished with five 3-pointers. Delon Wright had 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, making all four of his 3-pointers, and 10 assists.
Chicago Bulls 118 – Orlando Magic 92
Zach LaVine scored 39 points and Denzel Valentine added a season-high 20 to boost visiting Chicago to a victory over Orlando and a split of the back-to-back at Amway Center.
The Bulls led by as many as 33 points in the third quarter, their largest advantage of the season, while holding an opponent under 100 points for the first time. Bulls rookie Patrick Williams added 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 17 points and eight rebounds. Starting in place of late scratch Evan Fournier (back spasms), Dwayne Bacon added 16 points, while Mo Bamba (14), Terrence Ross (13), Cole Anthony (11) and Frank Mason (10) followed in double figures.
New York Knicks 110 – Portland Trail Blazers 99
Elfrid Payton scored 22 points and RJ Barrett added 18 to lead host New York to a victory over visiting Portland.
Julius Randle (22 points, 11 rebounds) had a double-double, while Reggie Bullock scored 10 points and Alec Burks (16 points) and Immanuel Quickley (12 points) each got into double digits off the bench.
Damian Lillard had 29 points and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, while Robert Covington (13 points, 10 rebounds) and former Knicks player Enes Kanter (13 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles. Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points and Anfernee Simons added 12 points in the losing effort.
Philadelphia 76ers 124 – Brooklyn Nets 108
Joel Embiid had 33 points and nine rebounds to carry host Philadelphia past Brooklyn.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and 12 rebounds while Ben Simmons had 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. The Sixers improved to 13-0 this season with their starting five of Embiid, Simmons, Tobias Harris, Danny Green and Seth Curry.
The Nets were quite short-handed without Kevin Durant due to health and safety protocols and Kyrie Irving because of a sprained right index finger. James Harden led the Nets with 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while Landry Shamet added 22 points and Joe Harris had 14.
San Antonio Spurs 111 – Houston Rockets 106
DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 30 points and repeatedly delivered down the stretch of San Antonio's win over hot Houston.
DeRozan added eight rebounds and seven assists to his ledger. Five other Spurs scored in double figures.
Wall led the Rockets with 27 points and seven assists while DeMarcus Cousins posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Gordon (26 points) was one of three Houston reserves to score in double figures, with David Nwaba scoring 14 and Danuel House Jr. 12.
Atlanta Hawks 132 – Toronto Raptors 121
Trae Young returned to the Atlanta lineup to score 28 points and help the Hawks defeat Toronto to end their three-game losing streak.
The victory also halted Toronto's three game winning streak and stopped Atlanta's 10-game losing streak against the Raptors. The Hawks beat Toronto for the first time since March 10, 2017.
Young was back in the lineup after missing Thursday's game with a right thigh bruise. He was 14-for-14 at the line and had 13 assists. The Hawks scored only 91 points against Utah without Young.
Milwaukee Bucks 124 – Cleveland Cavaliers 99
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds to propel visiting Milwaukee to a victory over Cleveland.
Antetokounmpo added five assists on Saturday, one day after collecting 33 points and 12 rebounds in the Bucks' 123-105 victory over Cleveland.
Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton each had 20 points and Bryn Forbes made six 3-pointers to highlight his 18-point performance. The Bucks outscored the Cavaliers by a 65-45 margin in the second half to post their season high-tying fourth win in a row overall.
Oklahoma City Thunder 120 – Minnesota Timberwolves 118
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to help Oklahoma City to a win over visiting Minnesota.
The Thunder led by as many as 23 points in the first half but the Timberwolves led by as many as six points in the fourth quarter before Oklahoma City hit seven consecutive field goals — four of those by Gilgeous-Alexander — to take a 120-118 lead with 1:16 to go, capped by Darius Bazley's reverse layup.
Minnesota had a chance to tie or take the lead twice more, including on Naz Reid's drive in the closing seconds, but the Timberwolves couldn't finish it off and Oklahoma City picked up a split in the back-to-back series.
New Orleans Pelicans 118 – Memphis Grizzlies 109
Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Eric Bledsoe each scored more than 20 points as host New Orleans defeated Memphis Grizzlies.
Williamson scored 29, Ingram had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Bledsoe added 21 points and led a fourth-quarter surge as the Pelicans won their third straight, a first this season, and claimed their fifth victory in the last seven games. Lonzo Ball added 16 points.
The Pelicans, playing on a back-to-back after a 114-113 victory at Indiana on Friday, won the first meeting this season against the Grizzlies, who they swept in three meetings last season.
Jonas Valanciunas returned from a five-game absence after a bout with COVID-19 to score 23, Kyle Anderson added 21 and Ja Morant had 16 to lead the Grizzlies, who lost their third straight.
–Field Level Media


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Of course, COVID escaped from a Chinese virology lab. Duh. If the public understood just how recklessly they've behaved — endangering the entire world with their weird little experiments in poorly relegated labs in China — the money might dry up. As a former NSC official called Jamie Metzl put it, "If the pandemic started as part of a lab leak, it had the potential to do to virology what Three Mile Island and Chernobyl did to nuclear science." Can't have that. Got to keep the money flowing. So they lied about it. And then they intimidated anyone who told the truth.
Watch Tucker Carlson! He describes the relationships and events very well.


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Ah, what memories of missing memories this brings. Provoking concepts of both future and past. Then I return to the present, and just move on from one to the other. Nicely done, Foster. The chair is delightfully intriguing.
My pace suits someone my age and given an established weakness for distraction, the walk requires forty-five minutes. There's a time when it would've taken less but long-gone are youthful scoots down the sidewalk. These days, kids weave by with agility I never knew. They don't seem to mind a relic lumbering in their path, even one with a chair strapped to his back.
My mother always brightens when I enter her room, then allows a sallow nature to overtake the short-lived smile. It's as if she expected someone else and disappointment sets in when she sees it's only me. I sit next to her bed, which also serves as sofa and dinner table, and easily hide her hands within mine. Her bones are brittle so I'm careful, and her skin reminds me of late fall leaves. I massage her hands with lotion before moving on to her hair. She used to lick her fingers to smooth unruly patches of my hair and sometimes I do the same to her, though not often. Stylist is missing from my long list of endeavors, but by the time I finish she looks ready for the ball.
I tell stories of when we were all together. I confess to inventing a few, but mostly they're the same stories I've told before. Still, I tell them as if for the first time and she listens like she's hearing them for the first time; in a way, she is. Sometimes I get the smile that greeted me, but mostly she just nods. After lunch I make tea with water barely warm enough to steep. She sips with thin lips and the tea is gone within a few minutes. Things that once seemed to last longer now pass with a quickness never known before.
I kiss her forehead and say I'll be back in a few days. She has no concept of time, but I say it anyway. When I walk in, she'll smile like she knows me and for those few seconds, I believe she does, which makes the minutes that follow even more difficult. I strap the chair to my back retrace my steps toward home.
The walk back takes more than forty-five minutes because I'm tired and distractions aren't so easily overcome. Kids continue to overtake me, then one stops to ask what's with the chair. I'm not sure how to answer, though I know the answer: for many years this chair bore my weight. Now that it no longer can, I bear the weight of the chair. But I don't say that, such lessons are wasted unless learned firsthand. Instead I say at my age, one never knows when a rest might be needed and it's nice to have a place to sit just in case.
The answer satisfies him, but not me, and I'm left to wonder if I should've told the truth. Maybe one day.
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Ah, what memories of missing memories this brings. Provoking concepts of both future and past. Then I return to the present, and just move on from one to the other. Nicely done, Foster. The chair is delightfully intriguing.
I love the metaphor. Works beautifully.
We all too often must 'strap the chair.'*
Fine concept and writing.
*, Foster. Such a touching, insightful story. I always enjoy your occasional stories here.
The "chair" explains things.
Very poignant, well done: Images, characters, story-arc, symbols/metaphors.
A man with a chair strapped to his back! I think of Aeneas with Anchises on his back. I think of Falstaff with Hotspur on his back. But mostly I think of the characters in Beckett with their backpacks, carrying their bikes. Foster, this is outstanding work. So happy to have read it.
You should tell the truth. And so you do. I am, as ever, powerfully moved by your writing. *
I sent you all emails, but since so many things seem broken on this site, I'll say it here, too: Thank you for reading and commenting :)


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TRINITY College has topped the class in this year's NAPLAN test results.
The NAPLAN 2013 Outcomes Report found Trinity College, achieved above-scores in the national test.
NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy test taken by students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Trinity College achieved above-average results in 14 of 20 categories.
Trinity College principal Trish Hodgson said she was proud of the school's achievements.
"We have seen a very excellent result in this year's NAPLAN test," Ms Hodgson said.
"We are focused on teaching our students high order thinking skills in literacy and numeracy."
A NEW teaching method at Trinity College is partly behind the school's NAPLAN success this year.
College principal Trish Hodgson said teachers were helping students in years 2, 4, 6 and 8 fine tune their skills in preparation for the test.
"We have been teaching students the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy to prepare them for the test," Ms Hodgson said.
"And as a result we have done very well."
This year Trinity College students achieved above-average scores in 14 out of 20 testing categories, including reading, writing, spelling and numeracy.
The standardised tests are here to stay and we need to work with them.
A specialised learning support team, consisting of teachers and teacher aides, has also been introduced into the school this year.
The team is responsible for developing teaching strategies to improve student literacy and numeracy skills.
When asked whether NAPLAN was beneficial to student development, Ms Hodgson said the test had a place.
"The standardised tests are here to stay and we need to work with them," Ms Hodgson said.
"They are a point in time test and the student's result is based on how they perform on the day."
Trinity College Gladstone was one of the top performing schools on this year's NAPLAN test. Principal Trish Hodgson and year three students are proud of their achievements. Front: Tama Hodgson, 8, Nic Barton, 9. Back: Chloe Putland, 9, Trish Hodgson, Taylah Fergason, 9.
Number reflects above-average results for each of the 20 test categories.
- Trinity College: 14/20
- Yarwun State School: 12/20
- Builyan State School: 7/20
- St John the Baptist College: 6/20
- Benaraby State School: 4/20
- St Francis Catholic Primary School: 4/20
- Mount Larcom State School: 4/20
- Star of the Sea School: 4/20
- Gladstone Central State School: 2/20
- Boyne Island State School: 1/20
- Trinity College: 14/20
- St Stephens Lutheran College : 3/20
- Toolooa State High School: 0/20
- Chanel College: 0/20
- Gladstone State High School: 0/20
*NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy test taken by students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.


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Decorated veteran, Simon Creek Winery owner Lawrie dies
It was the day after her grandfather, retired Col. Thomas "Tim" Lawrie, 73, of Baileys Harbor, died, but his granddaughter, 19-year-old Ana Smith was at work at Simon Creek Winery.
"He wouldn't want me to sit around a mope," Smith said. "So that first day, I came back."
Lawrie developed and owned Simon Creek Winery near Jacksonport, spending his days on site, visiting with customers, friends and fellow veterans, and keeping an eye on the operation.
But on Saturday, Lawrie died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack at home, leaving a wife of 50 years, Barbara Jean, daughters Heather (Jim) Smith, Meredyth (Lance) Nelson, four grandchildren and step-grandchildren.
Lawrie was a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, having been awarded the Silver Star for "bravery above self" and the Purple Heart. He retired with the rank of colonel in 1991 after 26 years as an Army infantry Airborne soldier.
After his retirement from the military, he was part of an international power development firm, the Wing Group, and was a military consultant for NBC, MSNBC and Canadian Broadcast Corp., appearing on many network and local stations.
Born in Berlin, Wis., Lawrie graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1961 and returned to Door County to develop, own and operate Simon Creek.
Scott McFarlane, the head of the county's Veterans Services office, said he was well-acquainted with Lawrie, and the loss hit him hard. Both had careers in the military and served in combat roles, so they had plenty in common. "Talking to Tim, we'd swap war stories. He was real comfortable to talk to."
While they never served together, McFarlane got a sense of Lawrie's professionalism and command. "He was the type of leader you'd want to serve under — he'd do everything in his power to get you back home."
McFarlane said Lawrie was "a great guy, he could tell a joke, he was upbeat and funny." But he had his serious side, as well. McFarlane said he knew Lawrie was good at listening to other veterans, lending an ear about situations only fellow veterans could understand.
At one point, Lawrie and McFarlane compared notes about Desert Storm — Lawrie had helped with mission planning and McFarlane executed the plans. "We compared notes, all these years later" about how the mission had worked.
McFarlane said Lawrie was one of a kind. "We have 2,700 veterans in the county," he said. "But I can count on one hand the number of guys (as decorated as Lawrie).
"There's that quote: Old soldiers never die, they just fade away," McFarlane said. "But Tim didn't fade away. Look at all he did, after he served 26 years in the military."
On Sundays, Simon Creek Winery often hosts music in the afternoon, and Lawrie had a "special seat" where he'd watch, and occasionally participate in a song, said his granddaughter, Ana Smith.
On Sunday, that seat was empty, save for a flower and an honorary glass of wine, but the show went on. Some friends and family were on hand on the emotional afternoon, and were witness to an eagle circling overhead, "right above his chair," said Smith.
"It's really hard right now," she said. "We didn't think we'd lose him so soon."
Smith, who is going to college at St. Norbert College in De Pere this fall, said she wanted to be at the winery, where she worked with her grandfather. "I just wanted to be here. I feel he is here," she said, motioning to a chair where he would often sit and talk with customers and friends.
She said she was happy that Lawrie saw her graduate from Sevastopol this spring, and knew she was headed to college, with plans to major in biology.
And, even though she'll likely be in college, she hopes to fly to Virginia to see Lawrie interned in the Arlington National Cemetery.
"I just want to stay strong right now," she said.
Funeral services
See retired Col. Thomas Lawrie's full obituary on 7A.
Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay and from 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sturgeon Bay.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church.
He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.


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The Kershaw County Reading Council (KCRC) recently named Blaney Elementary School (BES) 2nd Grade teacher Kayla Beckham and North Central High School (NCHS) English teacher Lana Broughton the 2018-19 Kershaw County Reading Teachers of the Year. Doby's Mill Elementary (DME) Principal Allison Hepfner earned the award for Kershaw County Reading Administrator of the Year. Each school in the district nominated a Reading Teacher of the Year who submitted an application and display board to be critiqued by external judges.
KCRC honors three


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Help Families affected by Harvey
Hello, all. The Brown Berets de TejAztlan who are a community rights organziton who work for and with the community, are hoping to get all who are interested in helping to donate. We're hoping this campaign is successful and whatever it may recieve we will be thankful for. Those who benefit will be as many as we can help who WERE and still ARE affected by Hurricane Harvey. Some are left homeless and have lost all belongings. Some are in need of food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene products, and so much more. We're wanting to help those we know in our neighborhood and afar. Whoever we can. Especially families with young children and babies. Physically we cannot move right now because of the floods, but once it subsides we're ready to hit the ground and help our community out. This is a start and the beginning of our help along with yours. ANYTHING HELPS and would mean so so much to those in need. From the bottom of our hearts, thanks and please send healing vibes to the City of Houston and all affected. Thank you and God Bless.
Gabriella Ann
Houston, TX


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