text:
See What Happens in Clarksville TN
Buyers want to know the next steps after the seller has accepted the offer. New buyers especially need to know what to expect. They have no idea and don't want to ask dumb questions.
If buying using cash and no financing, the period from contract to closing could be very short, just a few days. If financing is needed, it may take several weeks. The sales contract serves as a roadmap to the closing with the steps spelled out.
All sales need a home inspection regardless if the buyer is getting a loan or not. Don't cut corners and eliminate this step.
- if getting financing the buyer should contact the lender and complete the loan application process. Loan officers and lenders in Clarksville TN collect an application fee upfront to cover the cost of the appraisal and out of pocket expenses. The lender's processing fee and other costs are collected at the closing.
- The lender must verify assets, income, credit history and bank statements of the buyer for the last couple of years and may even ask for past tax returns.
- Schedule your home inspection. Our contracts have an inspection clause and you do not want to leave this out. Inspections can be done in 7 to 15 days of the accepted contract date. Inspections such as termite, HVAC, septic, lead base paint, home inspection, structural and any others inspections deemed necessary.
- Structural issues and repairs issues must be negotiated between the buyer and the seller. Even selling as is can give the buyer reason to terminate the contract if the repairs are too severe. As your buyer's agent I will help with this negotiation.
- A buyer may accept as is, compromise with seller or cancel the sale if the inspection clause has been completed at the time of the offer.
- The lender orders the appraisal. This is a third party assessment of the value of the property by a licensed appraiser. An appraiser compares the sale property to other sold similar properties to establish market value. The property must stand as good collateral for the loan. The appraiser works for the lender and the buyer will receive a copy of the appraisal.
- Processing continues on the loan. Buyers should provide all requested information that is the lender needs. if may seem intrusive but it is necessary to validate whether the buyer will be a good credit risk. Buyers must not make large purchases or open new accounts during this loan processing period. Wait until after the loan closes. Large deposits to accounts or change jobs also can cause problems and be cause for loan denial.
- The buyer contacts a home owners insurance company and gets the binder to the lender for the closing. Buyers take steps to contact utility companies to arrange for the switch of utilities on the day of closing.
- A final walk through is done before closing to verify repairs were doone or the property is in the same or better condition as of the day of contract. d.
- A closing time is set and arrangements are made by the buyer for closing funds to be wired to the title company or closing company. Most Clarksville TN title companies or closing atttorneys do not want to accept cashiers checks over $5000. They do not want personal checks or cash either.
- The final Closing Disclosure is sent 3 days prior to the closing for the buyer to sign that that it has been received and accepted. As a buyer's agent I review the closing statements also and answer any questions that might arise. A closing time and place is set.
- I attend the closing with the buyers. Buyers are to bring an photo id. At the closing is when the house keys are given to the buyer. I still recommend to the buyers that they have the locks changed on their new home, just in case.
Buyer Wants to Know What Happens After the Contract is Accepted.
For Clarksville TN real estate, contact The Real Debbie Reynolds at 931-320-6730.
2130 Wilma Rudolph Blvd.
Clarksville, TN 37040
When you need Real Estate services in Clarksville TN
it would be my pleasure to assist you!
Debbie Reynolds
"The Real Debbie Reynolds"
Check out all Clarksville TN Real Estate on My Website
931-771-9070 Office | 931-320-6730 Cell


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Mystery of County Limerick man's disappearance in Australia
Paddy Moriarty, believed to be from Abbeyfeale, but now missing in Australia
THE name of Paddy Moriarty has been on everybody's lips in Abbeyfeale since reports emerged at the weekend that police in Australia are treating his disappearance as suspicious.
But so far, nobody has managed to trace the family identity of the 70-year-old man who is believed to be from Abbeyfeale and to have left Ireland for Australia when he was 19. Meanwhile the mystery of his disappearance continues to baffle police.
Paddy Moriarty has been missing since December 16 last when he vanished from the remote village of Larrimah in Australia's Northern Territory. Larrimah is 400km from Darwin and has a population of 10.
Local police are now saying they are watching "persons of interest" in relation to the case. They were alerted to Mr Moriarty's disappearance when he failed to turn up as usual at his local bar, The Pink Panther, the only one within 80 kilometres.
The pub owner, Barry Sharpe, tried to locate Mr Moriarty but could not find him or his dog at home and further searches, including at the local dump, have since been conducted, with no outcome.
A man of tidy habits who was a stickler for routine, Paddy apparently left behind his wallet and, significant in that part of the world, his signature bush hat. He had even, it seems, crossed off that day's date on his calendar, His quad-bike and pick-up truck were parked up and his bank and social security accounts have not been accessed.
Paddy's dog Kellie, a constant companion who rode around with her owner on the quad-bike, has vanished with him. With no physical evidence to work with and no known witnesses, the case remains open. According to the guarded statements issued by detectives at the Northern Territory major crimes unit, there are no suspects though there are several persons of interest. They have been unable to locate any relatives.
"He's got no relatives in Australia so I think he's been done in, I really do," Mr Sharpe told a local news outlet, while a local friend Bill Hodgetts also suspects foul play, saying Paddy is "definitely not" alive.
According to Kylie Stevenson, a journalist and writer from Darwin who got to know Moriarty and the other locals in the year before he disappeared, Larrimah is a place of rural eccentricity where people dress human-sized termite mounds in T-shirts. It straddles the Stuart Highway, a mostly straight road that stretches nearly 3,000km through central Australia, bisecting the continent from north to south.
Ms Stevenson described it as a place of rural eccentricity where people dress human-sized termite mounds in T-shirts.
"Everybody seems friendly, but a lot of things about this town put me on edge: signs of imminent death and decay are all around. This place and its people are falling apart," she wrote. The remaining residents are "people who mostly hate each other", she observed.
However, she said Paddy "stood out as always friendly and up for a chat at the bar".

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Industrial clocks
The numeric displays of the DR-119, DR-129 and DR-189 series are easy-to-use and reliable clocks. The display shows the current time in the HH:MM format. The device can be configured for the digits to be switched on and off at the times determined by the user; digit brightness is also adjustable. The models are offered with digits on one or two faces.
The display has an integrated high-precision clock. Optionally, it can be synchronized periodically with another time system that provides it with the standard time.
One of its main features is the digit size.
- DR-119 with 100 mm digits and a reading distance of 50 m
- DR-129 with 250 mm digits and a reading distance of 120 m
- DR-189 with 180 mm digits and a reading distance of 90 m
These devices deliver the following functionalities:
- fast and easy configuration and maintenance thanks to the web server integrated in the NE model (Ethernet) displays;
- acquisition of a standard time through the synchronization options with an SNTP time server, with the time signal from a GPS satellite or another Lartet clock.;
- the devices connected to the display are activated by relays, following administrator-defined parameters.
Synchronization with the GPS signal is accessible all over the world thanks to the network of 24 satellites that send the GPS message integrated in the time signal.
The Lartet clock receives the UTC message (GMT time) and calculates local time according to the time zone entered by the user. It also detects summer/winter time changes automatically.
An antenna attached to a magnet is supplied with the clock. This magnet should be installed near the outside, on a window or under a thin roof.
The time signal is received every second. The precision of the GPS signal is ± 1ms.
SNTP is the acronym of Simple Network Time Protocol. It is a time synchronization protocol. It is based on a server that contains the standard time so that any clocks that wish to acquire the time periodically and automatically may connect to it. This server containing the standard time may be located in different sites:
- in the company's own network – all programs that require the exact time (presence control systems, industrial automation, etc.) synchronize their time with the server's time; often, the time server located in the corporate network is synchronized with a public SNTP server;
- on the internet – on the internet there are many servers managed by public organisations with which any time device can be synchronized.
Lartet clocks admit both possibilities.
A Lartet clock can provide the standard time to other Lartet clocks through the RS-485 connection. This feature allows the company to have a clock with its time synchronized to an external standard (SMTP or GPS) while it also provides this standard time to other clocks in the facility.
The DN-119 AND DN-189 models have the High Brightness option to guarantee good contrast with direct outdoor light.
The larger models (DN-129) are designed to be used outdoors, and the LEDs are always High-Brightness.
Degree of protection suited to the industrial environment:
- IP41 – all models;
- IP54 – optional in the DN-129 models;
- IP65 – optional in the DN-109, DN-119 and DN-189 models.
Displays with a relay-based output option can generate control signals and activate other devices. Relay activation can be programmed for it to act above or below the defined activation level.
The relay function makes it possible to use the 'Flash' parameter so that the display digits will flash if any of the relays are activated.
Power supply 100-230 V, 50/60 Hz.
Optional at 24 V DC.
All models can have digits on 1 or 2 faces. This characteristic does not change the display's external dimensions.
|Number of digits
|Width (mm)
Digits height 100 mm / Display height 177 mm / Depth 120 mm
|Number of digits
|Width (mm)
Digits height 250 mm / Display height 366 mm / Depth 120 mm
|Number of digits
|Width (mm)
Digits height 180 mm / Display height 251 mm / Depth 120 mm
Device anchoring options:
- hung, recommended for double-sided displays;
- bolted with 2 or 4 anchoring points, depending on sizes.
The devices are supplied with the necessary mounting accessories.
Operating temperature: -20 °C to 60 °C.
Storage temperature: -30 °C to 70 °C.
Humidity: 5-95% RH
Black aluminium lacquer housing with anti-reflective methacrylate front piece.
Option of stainless steel housing for pharmaceutical/food industry or for marine environments.
Standard digit colour: RED.


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28 Day Shoujo Challenge: Day 9
Herro, consistent poster here. If you missed any of my previous days, click here to read them! So today we talk about worst Shoujo anime, this is a hard one […]
Herro, consistent poster here. If you missed any of my previous days, click here to read them! So today we talk about worst Shoujo anime, this is a hard one […]
This couple is cute I swear!
So… It's already Day 7….
I saw this coming from a mile away…
Kiss Kiss FALL IN LOVE
Hi hi. I'm back to writing more of this stuff. Sorry I didn't write anything yesterday, work was hectic and I am tired. But now that I am back, let's […]
I like Shoujo
Hi hi, I'm back for another post. A little shout out to Keiko. She started the 28 Days Shoujo Challenge (which is so suitable for the month of Febuary, I […]
Still lonely here.
OH look, a post.
Manga and Comics Reviews
The sea... is everything.
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Anime and otaku stuff here. Art sometimes too!
Sharing my love for kawaii things, otome games, animes & mangas!!


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1. Purpose of this cookie policy
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This Policy does not however govern the use of the website, nor the privacy terms on this website. To learn more about our terms of use, please consult terms of use; for more information about how we process your personal data on this website, please click on privacy policy.
2. What are cookies?
Cookies are a small text files that are placed on the browser or hard drive of your computer (or similar device) by websites that you visit. Cookies are typically used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the particular website.
3. What cookies do we use and why?
Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. Cookies are used to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website, and allow us to improve our website.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Strictly necessary cookies - These are cookies that are essential for the operation of our website. These cookies remember information you have entered on forms when you navigate to different pages during a web browser session, identify you as being logged in to our website, etc.
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At Wednesday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that President Trump responded "no" to taking questions in a press conference earlier that day — not to the question of whether he believes Russia is still targeting U.S. elections.
Why it matters: When asked whether Trump does believe that Russia is an ongoing threat to the U.S.'s election security, Sanders said, "[h]e does believe they would target U.S. elections again" adding, "certainly, we believe that the threat still exists." When pressed on why Trump has seemingly reversed his position on this issue twice this week, Sanders said that she was "interpreting" the president not "reversing" his position.


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If you are looking for the ULTIMATE guide for Twitter marketing Malaysia, this-is-it. I decided to publish this post about Twitter marketing in Malaysia because it struck my mind.
Small businesses in Malaysia are always focusing on Facebook and while it is pretty good, some businesses still struggle to get results from Facebook marketing. Instead of rechecking on their strategy and platform selection, they pumped more money into Facebook with the hopes of turning the tide. Ended up, more marketing funds are burned.
What they (you) are missing out is probably Twitter. So, what is Twitter marketing?
Twitter is the go-to social platform for real-time and guerrilla marketers. With large, distributed conversations happening on every corner of the network, you need to know who to follow and why. That starts here.
Twitter is not dying — at least, not yet. It is still one of the most popular platform used in many parts of the world, including Malaysia. Here's the stats (credits to Social Bakers):
Amazing stats and enormous opportunities, don't you think?
Twitter Marketing Malaysia — Where To Start?
The most important about Twitter marketing in Malaysia is the usability. Twitter is still one of the most used social media platform in Malaysia (after Facebook).
Twitter is used mainly by politicians and the younger generations.
Now that with the facts above, it is clear that Twitter marketing is right for you if your targeted audience are from the younger generation.
How to start Twitter marketing in Malaysia?
Create a Twitter profile/account
This is pretty straightforward. Head over to Twitter.com and create a free account there.
Complete the Twitter profile
Upload profile photo, background photo and of course, the bio column. When filling up the bio column, you can use hashtags to widen your reach.
Publish your first tweet
Upload profile photo, background photo and of course, the bio column. When filling up the bio column, you can use hashtags to widen your reach. Currently, Twitter allows 280 characters limit on each tweet.
Consider Twitter ads
Twitter advertising works very similar to Facebook ads. You need to select the type of ads, audience the ads will be shown, budget and the duration of the campaign.
Analyze the results
The last step is to analyze the results after the campaign had run for a given time. Typically, I recommend you to allow the campaign to run at least 7 days before stopping or stepping up on the Twitter marketing campaign.
Summary: Are you ready to start Twitter marketing?
I hope you find this Twitter marketing Malaysia useful and tell what you think in the comments.
Need help? Chat with us using the live chat module available on the screen now!


text:
PCT mile 2338.? (Day 3)
Hiking Washington State's PCT
Chinook Pass to 2292.4-White Pass
27.7 hiking miles going SOBO
I am awake and it is still night. I sit up and pull my sleeping bag around me. A cold wind moves through the trees, over the bumpy meadow to push it's way through the door of our tent. I watch as pale light punches a hole in the dark sky, painting it bigger with pink, orange, and finally blue. The sun will be here soon. I lie back down as Bugles and Roots are still asleep but think I should get up soon. My eyes close and I almost fall asleep again but a rumble of noise growing louder concerns me. I quickly sit up again.
The ground rumbles now and Bugles and Roots are awake. We are living Lion King. A herd of deer burst into the air, flying towards us. We are either going to live or die here because there is no time to pack up and move. We watch in wonder as the herd parts in perfect order, deer running on both sides of our tent. They let us be. My eyes lock in spirit with soft-brown eyes of one who is closest as she flies by. I will never forget. They are gone and we stay, knowing we have been given a gift of nature's way.
It occurs to me that there might be a reason the deer are stampeding and I think maybe it is because a bear or cougar is chasing behind. Again I think we may live or die but if that is so, I am not afraid. Bugles, Roots and I talk about what we have just seen and than we watch the sun as it climbs up to light the day's new morning.
It is time to get breakfast, pack up our camp and get going. Bugles is having a hard time doing so as he is stuck in an OCD loop of having to repeat a sequence of questions in which we must answer in the exact way that he wants us to. Tic-Toc, than time stops as we wait for him to move through the OCD moment but he does not. I am mad because Bugles's OCD has us all at a complete standstill. Instead of making the breakfast I had planned, I make sure Bugles and Roots have plenty of snacks to eat along the way, stashed in the side pockets of their backpacks. My first mistake of the day, I will learn later not to refuse to make breakfast ever again.
It is a beautiful morning that hints that it will turn into a hot day. The sky is without clouds and when the trail we hike breaks away from the trees, Mt. Rainier, covered in snow, is standing tall beside us. Roots and I are wary of mosquitos and wear our rain jackets and have head nets ready when the mosquitoes appear. Roots refuses to take off her head net no matter what but I can't stand to wear it and push it up and off my face whenever I think the mosquitos are gone. Bugles's long sleeve shirt, jacket and net are flying everywhere but near his body as he refuses to wear any of it since he is getting hot.
We hike down the side of one mountain into a valley with a lake that overlooks layers of blue mountains to the south. I say to Roots that we just have to climb the "one more that is closest" and we will be in White Pass. I will find out much later how wrong I am but for now, we hike endless ups and downs for the rest of the day.
It is mid-morning and we reach a river. I look for an easy crossing such as a bridge or a shallow area but do not look hard enough. Shoes off, I tie them to my backpack and help Bugles and Roots to do the same. The water is ice-cold, deep to mid-calve, maybe higher, and moving fast. I step carefully using my trekking poles to help guide the way. On the other side, I turn around to talk Bugles through. Roots refuses to put her feet in the water and looks for another way instead. From the other side, and a little ways upstream, three hikers appear out of nowhere and appear to float mid-air, across the river. I now notice a big tree that I had not see before, that has fallen over the river and acts as their bridge. It is not visible from the side we have come from, but easy to find for those hiking north. Mistake number two for the day, and a dangerous one, I had not taken the time to look for a safer way to cross. I call out to Roots to let her know about the tree-bridge and when she gets to it, she straddles her legs over each side and scoots on her butt all the way over.
Before the three hikers melt away north into the forest, one of them calls out to let us know that the mosquitoes are really bad a mile or more down the trail and continue to be so on into White Pass. He lets us know of a good water source with advise to make sure and fill up. "You are not going to want to stop after the water," he says. I do not pay close enough attention to where he mentions the source is and end up never being able to find it. I also do not take the time to make sure our water supply is full before hiking away from the river. Mistake number three and four and never ones I want to make again.
The temperature soars as the day turns into afternoon. "It must be close to 100 degrees," I mumble to myself. Sweat drips off my face. Our water is running lower than I like and we need to stop for lunch. But when we do so at a small lake that we have to scooch and weave off-trail to get to, the mosquitoes swarm to land on us. Roots is crying and I am close to doing so as well. The bites sting and burn, it feels like maybe we are in Hell. I scramble to get my pack back on, Bugles and Roots do not care about lunch anymore, and all we want is to get as far away from the mosquitoes as is humanly possible.
I imagine skin peeling off as blisters burn two of my toes. Roots is having a hard time dealing with her mosquito bites. Bugles casually mentions that his legs hurt and that he is getting stung also. It isn't until much later that we discover he is head to toe in red-welted mosquito bites. We are hot and thirsty, and come across a fork in the trail in which we do not know the right way to go. Back and forth on the two different trails several times before we decide on the correct way using our Guthooks App. We hike some more. Thirsty again, we drink out of the water Roots is carrying in the Sawyer Squeeze, our water filter. I insist she drinks as well but she refuses saying she isn't going to drink dirty water. I ask her what she means only to find out that the filter isn't on the Squeeze and that she had watched without saying a word while Bugles and I unknowingly, drank the unfiltered and undoubtably, dirty water.
We are still about five never-ending miles from White Pass and our water supply is almost gone. With no other choice we stop in the muck of a lake that is more like a marshy mud-pond. The mosquitoes land on us by the thousands, and it is miserable but we must filter water. Done, we hike on with Bugles loudly proclaiming over-and-over that we are, "lost in the middle of nowhere." A thru-hiker passes us going the other way, hears Bugles and asks if we need help. I tell myself that I will never run out of water again.
Through thick trees with no view, we hike down one last mountainside. I recognize where we are as we have hiked this section of the trail before. It is longer than I remember and Roots yells that she never wants to hike again. Bugles's voice is echoing off the trees as he loudly dialogues to himself and is surprised when someone calls out his name from far below us. "DAD, is that YOU?" Bugles "bugles" in surprise and I see a glimpse of the Man in Charge as he races his mountain bike on an invisible trail through tangled branches and thick, green undergrowth before disappearing somewhere into the forest.
I think it takes us forever to get to the trailhead and gravel road that leads to the Summit Inn where we are staying for the night. I want to stop into the store first for something cold to drink or maybe even a coffee, so we dump our packs on the log bench outside next to several other backpacks lined there. I walk inside and to the left, is a small corner with a table or two and some chairs. In the strange way that is the trail, the hiker from Switzerland, the one that I had asked to look for and who had found my sunglasses two days ago, sits there. "Hey," I call out, rather lamely, "you've got my glasses…," He digs them out of his pocket and gives them to me. I wish the hiker well on his last miles to Canada and than hobble out the door to meet up with the Man in Charge and the rest of the Support Crew who, taking their job very seriously, have been busy swimming the whole afternoon in the pool at the Inn.
Hiker hunger rules and Bugles, Roots and I eat through a pizza, bag of chips, gatorade and a carton of ice-cream. It does not matter that we usually eat much healthier. The Man in Charge asks if I have plans to continue hiking in the morning. I do not have an answer. Roots is done, Bugles is torn up by mosquitoes and my body feels like I have recently been hit by a truck. I see a group of thru-hikers setting up camp on a flat piece of ground on the inn's property and I am envious of the ease in which they move after months of being on the trail.
I wake up to see the same thru-hikers cooking bacon, drinking coffee, as they break down their camp. My spirit is ready to be back on the trail with or without Roots who had quit the night before. But I have done nothing to prepare our packs. My food supplies are unorganized, our clothes dirty. I attempt several times to get our backpacks in order as the Man in Charge looks on, a serious expression on his face.
"You are not ready," he says, watching me struggle to organize our gear. "You came in here beat last night and you've made some big mistakes. It's going to be record temperatures out there again. I think you need need to rethink what you are doing."
Tears spill from my eyes, I do not say a word. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this summer is a dream fast coming to an end. We load up the hiking gear in silence. I climb into the truck trying not to cry but doing so anyhow, disappointment in my failure, overwhelming. I look over at the spot where the group of thru-hikers had camped but they are gone now, having left without a trace. They hike on the trail that I love and I wish that Bugles, Roots and I are out there hiking as well. But I know that the Man in Charge is right. I am not ready and to go back out on the trail when unprepared is unwise, even potentially dangerous. It is time to go home…


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Filipino Horoscopes
Pen and ink, 2016.
These are a set of stickers inspired by a couple posters I created for Oberlin's Filipino American Student Association. For two of FASA's annual banquets, I decided to feature animals distinct to the Philippines: the bangus and the karabaw:
Much later on, a friend repurposed one of these illustrations and posted it to Facebook with the caption, "me as a real taurus." This made me think of what other Philippine imagery could be used for the remaining horoscope signs.
Some of these translations were more literal than others (e.g. kambing as Capricorn, or alimango as Cancer). With others, I had fun reinterpreting the traditional horoscope signs. Aquarius became a buko, because coconuts are nature's "water bearers". There are no lions in the Philippines, but the bearded boar has somewhat of a mane. Lastly, Gemini became a pair of pan de sal (bread rolls) – an homage to a Philippine pan de sal brand called "Kambal" (twins).


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Viridor issues gas canister appeal ahead of barbecue season
03rd May 2018
As the UK gets ready to dust off its barbecues in the hope of sunny weather, Viridor is writing to the more than 200 local authority sites it services across the UK reminding them of the dangers gas canisters present.
Viridor's Head of Recycling Assets (WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Tom Liddell said that it was that time of year – when barbecues were being prepared for summer and old cylinders were being replaced and disposed of.
"This really forms part of Viridor's overarching public message, urging everyone to put the Right Stuff in the Right Bin.
"When it comes to the incorrect disposal of these gas canisters, however, not only does this impact on the safety of our staff but it undermines recycling efforts and can seriously affect the recycling infrastructure in place in the UK for waste electrical equipment."
He said this was why Viridor was also planning to visit the waste disposal authorities it works with over the summer months to increase awareness around gas canisters.
On a daily basis, Viridor extracts the smaller camping gas bottles from incoming WEEE with this totalling around 500 canisters each year. The company also receives more than 25 full, large gas barbecue gas bottles each year – these with the potential to cause significant damage.
Tom said: "Cylinders which have contained or still contain flammable and/or explosive liquids and gases are a huge risk to our operations during the processing of WEEE.
"We wanted to write to our customers to highlight the issue. We strive to ensure the safety of our operations and staff and so we are asking customers to raise this issue with their staff and do all that they can to ensure that thorough checks are undertaken at WEEE collection facilities. This is to ensure that any such items are removed and disposed of correctly before the WEEE leaves the facility."
Tom added that some people may inadvertently dispose of such items without knowing the potential consequences.
"For example, a cylinder could be placed inside another item of WEEE to optimise space in their vehicle and for ease of transport. We want to raise awareness to ensure cylinders are not forgotten.
"We are asking sites to be particularly vigilant about the correct disposal of propane and butane bottles, along with fire extinguishers."
For further information please contact:


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Core Statements
Core Values
We value our relationships with operators, sellers, intermediaries, professionals and other investors more than any one transaction. With our values placed on integrity above all others, we make the pledge that any information shared with us will remain within the four walls of our office. Whether we transact on a specific opportunity or not, we will never jeopardize our relationship with the people we work with to pursue an acquisition opportunity.
To Sellers
We value the culture you have nurtured among you, your residents and your staff at your facility, and will go to great lengths to maintain confidentiality so as not to jeopardize what you have worked so hard to build. We will always work quickly and quietly while pursuing an acquisition – never calling or stepping foot on your property without approval.
To Operators
We greatly appreciate the opportunity to potentially work with you towards a successful closing, but respect the fact that you have many options when it comes to financing. We are therefore completely comfortable with the fact that any opportunity you bring to us is just that – your opportunity – and you should therefore feel completely at will to work with whomever you believe best fits your long term strategic goals whether it is us or someone else. We are confident we can add value to your company, but want to make sure we are moving towards a mutually beneficial relationship.


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Princess Beatrice has had a ruling by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) made in her favour, after she complained that photos published by MailOnline breached her privacy. In the ruling, IPSO said that the photos were "gratuitous and invasive."
The photos were taken of Princess Beatrice in June this year on a boat off the coast of Monaco, and showed the Princess removing clothing to reveal her bikini, swimming in the sea, applying sun screen to her boyfriend, and showering on the boat's deck. The website's headline made reference to the Princess's "very skimpy bikini" while also commenting on her enjoying "another day off."
Although MailOnline argued that the boat was close enough to the shore to be visible to onlookers, Princess Beatrice argued that the photos had been "taken surreptitiously" while she was taking a "private holiday." She further argued that the article's commentary of her appearance made the article all the more intrusive.
IPSO did not accept the website's argument that the Princess did not have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" given the boat's anchoring just 200m from the shore, and ruled that it had breached Clause 2 of the Editor's Code of Practice, which relates to privacy.
In its ruling, which marks the fifth complaint against MailOnline to be upheld by the regulator IPSO said: "The taking and publishing of these photographs of the complainant, wearing a bikini, which the committee noted placed a gratuitous and invasive focus on parts of the complainant's body which would not ordinarily be subject to public scrutiny, represented a serious intrusion into the complainant's privacy."
The ruling comes just days after Prince Harry launched an unprecedented attack on the media in the wake of revelations about his new relationship with actress girlfriend Meghan Markle. In a statement issued by Kensington Palace on behalf of the Prince, a spokesperson said Price Harry had "never been comfortable" with the level of public interest in his private life and dismissed defence of the press' treatment of him and those around him as being "all part of the game."
IPSO replaced the Press Complaint's Commission (PCC) as the independent press watchdog in 2014 after the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British Press. Following the disbanding of the PCC, which Daily Mail Editor Paul Dacre was a member of, then Prime Minister David Cameron said the PCC had "failed."


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A delicious twist on classic comfort-food using Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup, turkey and instant mashed potatoes.
Recipe Yields:
NOTE: Use your professional judgement when resizing recipes. Seasoning, cooking times, etc, may require adjustment.
Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
1.75 L, 1.3 1.36 L cans
62 fl oz, 1.3 48 oz cans
|375 mL
|1 1/2 cups
|Ground turkey
|2.5 kg
|5.5 lbs
|Black pepper, ground,
|23 mL
|1 1/2 tbsp
|Onion powder
|15 mL
|1 tbsp
|Poultry seasoning
|15 mL
|1 tbsp
|Mixed vegetables, frozen, thawed
|12 cups
|Mashed potato flakes, instant, dry, prepared
|11 cups
|Cheese, cheddar, shredded
|375 mL
|1 1/2 cups
|1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Mix the condensed soup and water together in a large bowl.
|3. Season the ground turkey with the black pepper, onion powder, and poultry seasoning.
|4. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the soup mixture and stir to coat. Transfer the turkey mixture into 2 (2"deep) steam table pans.
|5. Spread the potato mixture over the turkey mixture in the steam table pans.
|6. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until the turkey mixture is hot and bubbling
CCP: Heat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) or higher for 15 seconds.
CCP: Hold hot at 140°F (60°C) or higher for service.
To serve: Cut each pan 6 x 4 (24 pieces/pan)


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In our first episode of Kubecast we interview the legendary Kelsey Hightower. In this interview Kelsey talks about the concept of NoOps, what kubernetes in production should look like, and why the kubernetes API is such a key piece in the automation process. We talked with Kelsey about the kubernetes book that he's writing and all the different workshops, conferences and different events he's doing or planning to do to evangelise about kubernetes. The interview was recorded during the ContainerSched conference, so the audio is not great. We would like to apologise in advance. Send feedback via twitter at @kubecast or by email to hello at kubecast.com
Kelsey Hightower has worn every hat possible throughout his career in tech, and enjoys leadership roles focused on making things happen and shipping software. Kelsey is a strong open source advocate focused on building simple tools that make people smile. When he is not slinging Go code, you can catch him giving technical workshops covering everything from programming to system administration.


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Type I IFNs induce differentiation of dendritic cells (DCs) with potent Ag-presenting capacity, termed IFN-α DCs, that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. In this study, we found that IFN-α DCs exhibit enhanced migration across the extracellular matrix (ECM) in response to chemokines CCL3 and CCL5 that recruit DCs to inflammatory sites, but not the lymphoid-homing chemokine CCL21. IFN-α DCs expressed elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which mediated increased migration across ECM. Unexpectedly, MMP-9 and its cell surface receptors CD11b and CD44 were required for enhanced CCL5-induced chemotaxis even in the absence of a matrix barrier. MMP-9, CD11b, and CD44 selectively modulated CCL5-dependent activation of JNK that was required for enhanced chemotactic responses. These results establish the migratory phenotype of IFN-α DCs and identify an important role for costimulation of chemotactic responses by synergistic activation of JNK. Thus, cell motility is regulated by integrating signaling inputs from chemokine receptors and molecules such as MMP-9, CD11b, and CD44 that also mediate cell interactions with inflammatory factors and ECM.
Type I IFNs (IFN-α/IFN-β/IFN-ω) are pleiotropic cytokines with antiviral and immunoregulatory properties (1, 2). Type I IFNs augment innate immune responses by inducing an antiviral state and activating NK cells, and promote the transition from innate to acquired immunity by enhancing the differentiation and maturation of DCs. Type I IFNs drive acquired immune responses by promoting Th1 responses and enhancing B cell class switching, differentiation into plasma cells, Ab production, and immunological memory (3). Type I IFNs have been implicated in the development of autoimmunity and in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)3 (4), a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by elevated IFN production and loss of B and T cell tolerance that leads to autoantibody production. Mechanisms by which type I IFNs promote autoimmunity are not fully understood, but one attractive possibility is that type I IFNs promote maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) into cells termed IFN-α DCs. IFN-α DCs contribute to normal immune responses and to mouse lupus (5, 6, 7, 8, 9), have been observed in human SLE (10), and exhibit enhanced Ag uptake, cytokine production, and an increased capacity to activate T cells (4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). The effects of IFNs on additional DC functions have not been thoroughly investigated.
A key DC function is migration to sites where they carry out effector functions such as Ag presentation and inflammatory cytokine production (16). Emigration of DCs from tissues to lymph nodes, where they can either activate or tolerize T cells, has been extensively studied. Activation of immature DCs in peripheral tissues by infectious or inflammatory factors results in functional maturation that includes induction of costimulatory molecules and the lymphoid homing chemokine receptor CCR7. CCR7 mediates migration of mature DCs via lymphatics to lymph nodes in response to the chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 (16). In addition to migration to lymph nodes, immature DCs and DC precursors circulate in the blood and can be recruited to the spleen and peripheral tissues (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23). This recruitment into peripheral tissues maintains DC homeostasis, and influx of DCs/DC precursors maintains DC numbers at inflammatory sites, where DCs can produce cytokines, capture Ags, and activate T cells locally or after migration to draining lymph nodes. Immature DCs and DC precursors do not express CCR7 and instead are recruited to sites of inflammation by inflammatory chemokines such as CCL3 (MIP-1α), CCL4 (MIP-1β), and CCL5 (RANTES) that signal via CCR1 and CCR5 (24, 25). Although DC numbers in the blood are typically low, they can be markedly increased in autoimmune diseases. For example, numbers of CCL5-responsive DCs are elevated in the NZB/W model of SLE (26), and in the BXSB SLE model, DCs comprise 15% of peripheral blood cells (27). Emigration of these blood DCs into kidneys, where they secrete inflammatory cytokines and capture (auto)antigens, contributes to lupus nephritis (27). Inflammatory DCs present in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are also thought to arise at least in part from precursors that migrate into the joint synovium (28).
Migratory cells like DCs move along concentration gradients of chemokines that stimulate cells via seven-transmembrane, G protein-coupled chemokine receptors. The pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive Gαi protein that regulates calcium influx is a key mediator of chemokine receptor function, and several signaling molecules activated downstream of chemokine receptors, including Pyk2, PI3Kγ, and MAPKs (ERKs, JNK, and p38), are important for cell motility (29, 30). In addition, interaction of cells with extracellular matrix (ECM) is important for migration across basement membranes and through tissues (31). Interaction of DCs with ECM is mediated by two classes of molecules, adhesion receptors and proteases. Adhesion receptors, such as integrins and the hyaluronan receptor CD44, mediate direct contact of cells with ECM components that provide a scaffold for cell movement through tissues, and also can induce additional signals that regulate cell motility. Proteases are widely believed to facilitate movement of cells through basement membranes and tissues by degrading ECM components. In addition, proteases can promote migration by activation of enzymatic cascades that effectively degrade ECM, and can regulate chemotaxis by cleaving chemokines (32). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been shown to play a key role in DC migration in vivo and in migration through Matrigel, a model basement membrane, in vitro (33, 34, 35, 36, 37).
We were interested in defining mechanisms by which IFN-α could potentiate DC function and thereby contribute to enhanced immune responses and potentially to autoimmunity. In this study, we found that IFN-α DCs exhibit enhanced chemotaxis, and that enhanced migration of IFN-α DCs was mediated by MMP-9. Surprisingly, MMP-9 enhanced DC chemotaxis even in the absence of ECM by a mechanism that involved regulation of chemokine receptor signaling and function. These results identify a new mechanism for regulating DC migration that may be operative in immune responses characterized by high type I IFN or MMP-9 expression, including the human autoimmune diseases SLE and rheumatoid arthritis (38, 39, 40, 41).
Materials and Methods
Reagents and Abs
473), phospho-p38 (Thr180/Tyr182), phospho-ERK (Thr202/Tyr204), and phospho-JNK (Thr183/Tyr185) Abs were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology. α-Tubulin mAb was obtained from Sigma-Aldrich.
Human DC culture
Human monocyte-derived DCs were generated as described previously (42+ monocytes (>97% pure, as verified by flow cytometry) were obtained from PBMC immediately after isolation by positive selection with anti-CD14 magnetic beads, as recommended by the manufacturer (Miltenyi Biotec). A total of 106/ml of CD14+
Murine bone marrow-derived DC (BM-DC) culture
Mice were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory, including MMP-9-deficient and matched control mice (FVB/NJ), and CD11b-deficient and matched control mice (C57BL/6J). Animal experiments were approved by the Hospital for Special Surgery Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. BM-derived DCs were cultured as described (43) with minor modifications. Femurs and tibiae of 6- to 8-wk-old male mice were isolated from the surrounding muscle tissue. The intact bones were left in 70% ethanol for 5 min and then flushed with medium to obtain bone marrow cells. Cells were passed through a cell strainer (70-μm pore size; BD Biosciences) after vigorous pipetting and cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 100 U/ml penicillin and streptomycin, 2 mM l-glutamine, 50 μM 2-ME, 10% heat-inactivated FCS (HyClone), 10 ng/ml recombinant murine (rm) GM-CSF, and 10 ng/ml rmIL-4 (PeproTech). Cytokines were replenished on days 3 and 6 of culture, and after 7 days of culture nonadherent cells were used for analysis.
In vitro migration assay
Cell migration was quantified in duplicate using 24-well Transwell inserts (6.5 mm) with polycarbonate filters (5-μm pore size; Corning Costar). The upper side of filters was coated with growth factor-reduced Matrigel (BD Biosciences) diluted in HBSS (50 μg/filter). DCs (0.5 × 106 in 100 μl of serum-free medium) were added to the upper chamber of the insert. The lower chamber contained 500 μl of serum-free medium with or without chemokine. The plates were incubated at 37°C in 5% CO2 for 4 h and cells that had migrated into the lower chamber were counted using flow cytometry with a fluorescent counting bead internal standard in each tube (Bangs Laboratories); 10,000 singlet beads were acquired in each sample.
Total cell extracts were obtained as described (44). Cell extracts corresponding to 3.3 × 105 cells were fractionated by 10% SDS-PAGE gel, transferred to polyvinylidene fluoride membranes (Millipore), and incubated with specific Abs; ECL was used for detection.
Gelatin zymography and MMP-9 ELISA
DCs were cultured in serum-free medium, supernatants were collected, and membrane proteins were extracted using a Native Membrane Protein Extraction kit (Calbiochem). Supernatant and membrane extracts were concentrated using Microcon centrifugal filters (Millipore) and proteins derived from 2 × 106 cells were loaded onto 10% SDS-PAGE gels containing 2 mg/ml gelatin (Sigma-Aldrich). Following electrophoresis, gels were washed twice with 2.5% Triton X-100 for 30 min and incubated in developing buffer overnight at 37°C. The gels were then stained with 0.5% Coomassie blue and destained before imaging. MMP-9 levels were measured using ELISA kits Biotrak RPN 2614 and RPN 2634 (Amersham Biosciences) that detect pro-MMP-9 and active MMP-9, respectively.
Flow cytometry and calcium flux
Cells were analyzed using flow cytometry as described previously (45). Analysis was done using a FACSCalibur flow cytometer with CellQuest software (BD Biosciences). Ca2+ flux was measured using Fluo-3 AM (Molecular Probes). DCs were loaded with 5 μM Fluo-3 AM for 30 min at 37°C. Cells were then washed twice with HBSS and diluted in prewarmed complete medium before FACSCalibur analysis. The fluorescence of resting cells was measured for 30 s to obtain a baseline, and then CCL5 was added and data was acquired for another 3 min. The results were analyzed using FCSPress 1.4 software (〈www.FCSPress.com〉).
Gene expression analysis
4647) using iQ SYBR-Green Supermix and the iCycler iQ thermal cycler (Bio-Rad). Relative expression was normalized relative to levels of GAPDH or β-actin. The generation of only the correct size amplification products was confirmed using agarose gel electrophoresis. Oligonucleotide primers were as follows: GAPDH, 5′-GTGAAGGTCGGAGTCAAC-3′ and 5′-TGGAATTTGCCATGGGTG-3′; β-actin, 5′-GGATGCAGAAGGAGATCACTG-3′ and 5′-CGATCCACACGGAGTACTTG-3′; CCR1, 5′-GTGCCAGAAGGTGAACGAGAGG-3′ and 5′-TCCAACCAGGCCAATGACAAATAC-3′; CCR5, 5′-TTCTCTTCTGGGCTCCCTACAACA-3′ and 5′-CAGCAGTGCGTCATCCCAAGAG-3′. MMP-9, 5′-TGCCCGGACCAAGGATACAGT-3′ and 5′-AGGCCGTGGCTCAGGTTCAGG-3′; CCR7 5′-TCCCACAGACTCAAATGCTC-3′ and 5′-TTCCTCACCAAGCCAAGAAG-3′.
Increased migration of IFN-α DCs mediated by CCR5 and CCR1
We wished to investigate the effects of IFN-α on the phenotype of human myeloid DCs. Similar to the approaches taken in previous reports (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), IFN-α DCs were generated from human CD14+ monocytes by culturing cells for 5 days with IFN-α and GM-CSF. Control monocyte-derived DCs were obtained using the well-established approach of culture with IL-4 and GM-CSF (16). The cell surface phenotype of DCs was verified using flow cytometry. As expected, control DCs were CD14 negative and expressed low levels of the activation markers and costimulatory molecules CD25, CD40, CD80, CD86, and HLA-DR that increased with maturation after addition of LPS (Fig. 1⇓, top panels, and Table I⇓). Consistent with previous reports (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), IFN-α DCs expressed higher levels of CD40, CD80, CD86, and HLA-DR relative to control DCs before LPS stimulation (Fig. 1⇓). This partially mature phenotype of IFN-α DCs in the absence of any additional maturation stimuli likely explains the enhanced Ag-presenting capacity of these cells, as previously reported (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and confirmed in our laboratory (data not shown).
We then investigated whether IFN-α enhanced additional DC functions that could contribute to immune responses. IFN-α DCs did not produce increased amounts of inflammatory cytokines after exposure to a variety of activation and maturation stimuli (data not shown). The effect of IFN-α on DC migratory ability was then assessed using a Transwell system in which the membrane separating the upper and lower chambers was coated with Matrigel. This is a standard system for assessing DC migration in which the Matrigel serves as a model basement membrane. This experimental system assesses the capacity of DCs to respond to chemotactic stimuli added to the lower chamber and to traverse ECM. We measured migration of DCs in response to CCL5/RANTES, a chemokine that mediates migration of DCs into inflammatory sites and activates the chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5 (24, 25, 48). Substantially greater numbers of IFN-α DCs than control DCs migrated from the upper chamber (to which cells were added) across the Matrigel barrier and into the lower chamber (to which CCL5 had been added) (Fig. 2⇓A). This enhanced chemotaxis of IFN-α DCs to CCL5 was reproduced with DCs from 12 different blood donors and was statistically significant (p < 0.001, paired Student t test). The additional CCR1/CCR5 ligand CCL3/MIP-1α also induced IFN-α DC chemotaxis (Fig. 2⇓B). In contrast, CCL2, CCL11, CCL20, CCL21 (ligand for CCR7), and CXCL10 did not induce chemotaxis (Fig. 2⇓B), which is consistent with previous reports (24, 49). The lack of chemotactic response of IFN-α DCs to CCL21 could be explained by low CCR7 expression, comparable to that expressed by immature control DCs (Fig. 2⇓C). CCR7 expression increased comparably on control and IFN-α DCs after maturation with LPS (Fig. 2⇓C), and LPS-matured control and IFN-α DCs had a robust chemotactic response to CCL21 (data not shown). Low CCR7 expression by IFN-α DCs before further maturation with LPS suggests that IFN-α DCs have different migratory properties compared with DCs matured with activating stimuli such as TLR ligands. Overall, the results demonstrate enhanced migration of IFN-α DCs in response to inflammatory chemokines previously shown to recruit DCs to inflammatory sites.
We then investigated whether increased migration of IFN-α DCs in response to CCR1/CCR3/CCR5 ligands could be explained, at least in part, by increased expression of these receptors. IFN-α induced expression of CCR1 and CCR5 mRNA (Fig. 3⇓A) and cell surface expression of CCR1 and CCR5 proteins (Fig. 3⇓B); although induction of cell surface CCR5 expression was modest it was reproducible. CCR2 cell surface expression was not detected on either control or IFN-α DCs (Fig. 3⇓B), consistent with the lack of a chemotactic response to CCL2 (Fig. 2⇑B). The CCL5 receptor CCR3 was not expressed on DCs (Fig. 3⇓B). These results suggested that chemotaxis of IFN-α DCs in response to CCL5 was mediated by CCR1 and/or CCR5. Because chemokine receptors are not always functional (50), we wished to determine the relative roles of CCR1 and CCR5 in mediating CCL5 responses of IFN-α DCs. We blocked CCR5 function using a CCR5 Ab and desensitized CCR1 responses by using the CCR1-specific ligand CCL23/MIP-3 to down-regulate CCR1, but not CCR5, cell surface expression (Fig. 3⇓C). The CCR5-blocking Ab suppressed CCL5-induced IFN-α DC migration by ∼60%, whereas down-regulation of CCR1 had a more modest effect (Fig. 3⇓D). The combination of anti-CCR5 and CCR1 desensitization was additive and nearly completely blocked CCL5-induced migration of IFN-α DCs (Fig. 3⇓D). Overall, these results demonstrate a role for CCR5 and CCR1 in mediating CCL5-induced migration of IFN-α DCs. Modestly increased expression of these receptors may contribute to enhanced chemotaxis, but is unlikely to explain the dramatically increased chemotaxis of IFN-α DCs. In addition, the results reveal that the IFN-α DC phenotype combines partial maturation (and thus enhanced APC function) with a migratory pattern similar to that of immature DCs, thereby suggesting a mechanism for enhanced recruitment of highly functional DCs into inflammatory sites.
MMP-9 expression is elevated in IFN-α DCs and promotes migration
To identify additional factors important for IFN-α DC migration through ECM, we used microarray analysis. These experiments confirmed increased expression of multiple canonical IFN-inducible genes in IFN-α DCs relative to control DCs, including genes whose expression was also elevated in blood cells of SLE patients (51, 52, 53) (data not shown). A small number of genes involved in cell migration were expressed at elevated levels in IFN-α DCs (Table II⇓). Most striking was the increased expression of MMP-9, a metalloprotease with gelatinase function that degrades many ECM molecules, including collagen and laminin. MMP-9 has been implicated in cell migration, including DC migration, and in invasion of tissues by tumor cells (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 54). The major known mechanism of MMP-9 action in cell migration is digestion of ECM, although MMP-9 mobilizes stem cells by cleaving cell surface Kit ligand (55) and can thus potentially regulate migration by cleaving cell surface receptors or their ligands. We chose to further investigate the role of MMP-9 in migration of IFN-α DCs.
First, we confirmed the dramatic increase in MMP-9 expression in IFN-α DCs in additional blood donors using real-time quantitative PCR to measure MMP-9 mRNA (Fig. 4⇓A) and ELISA to measure soluble MMP-9 in culture supernatants (Fig. 4⇓B, left panel). We then used zymography to measure MMP-9 enzymatic function. Zymography detected higher levels of pro-MMP-9 in IFN-α DC culture supernatants (Fig. 4⇓B, upper right panel, that represents a short exposure). Longer exposure of the zymogram revealed enzymatic activity of the shorter active form of MMP-9 in culture supernatants of IFN-α DCs, but not control DCs (Fig. 4⇓B, lower right panel). MMP-9 protein was also detected in culture supernatants obtained from the 4-h chemotaxis assays (data not shown). MMP-9 can bind to cell surface receptors, and a role for cell surface-bound MMP-9 in migration has been described (56, 57). Zymography performed with cell membrane preparations revealed pro-MMP-9 and active MMP-9 enzymatic activity in membranes of IFN-α DCs, but not control DCs (Fig. 4⇓C, left panel). In addition, ELISA specific for active MMP-9 detected higher levels of cell-associated active MMP-9 in IFN-α DCs relative to very low levels (0.05 ng/ml) in control DCs (Fig. 4⇓C, right panel). Taken together, these results demonstrate increased MMP-9 expression and activity in IFN-α DCs.
Next, we determined the effects of blocking MMP-9 function on IFN-α DC migration using three different approaches. A neutralizing Ab specific for MMP-9 nearly completely suppressed CCL5-induced IFN-α DC migration through Matrigel (Fig. 4⇑D). In addition, migration also blocked by TIMP-1, a protein that binds to and inactivates the catalytic function of several MMPs including MMP-9, and by TAPI-1 and TAPI-2, peptide inhibitors of MMPs (Fig. 4⇑D, left panel, and data not shown). Migration of control DCs was minimally suppressed by inhibiting MMP-9 (Fig. 4⇑D, right panel; mean inhibition by anti-MMP-9 was <20% and was not statistically significant). These results suggest that increased expression of MMP-9 in IFN-α DCs contributes to their increased migration. We wished to use DCs from MMP-9-deficient mice to confirm the role of MMP-9 in migration. Murine bone marrow-derived and splenic DCs expressed a more mature phenotype than did human control monocyte-derived DCs, expressed MMP-9, and were responsive to the CCR7 ligand CCL19, but not to CCL5 (data not shown). This pattern of responsiveness is consistent with a previous report (37). Deficiency of MMP-9 resulted in decreased CCL19-induced DC migration (Fig. 4⇑E), confirming a role for MMP-9 in DC migration as previously reported (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 58). The results, taken together, support a role for increased expression and proteolytic activity of MMP-9 in the enhanced migration of IFN-α DCs.
MMP-9 increases DC chemotaxis even in the absence of ECM
We wished to investigate the mechanism by which MMP-9 increases IFN-α DC migration, and to address the notion that MMP-9 facilitates migration by proteolytic digestion of ECM. We first tested the prediction that MMP-9-mediated enhancement of migration would no longer be apparent in the absence of an ECM barrier to migration. We conducted chemotaxis assays using the same Transwell system, but in the absence of Matrigel. Similar to migration across Matrigel (Fig. 2⇑), chemotaxis of IFN-α DCs in response to CCL5 was increased relative to control DCs in the absence of Matrigel (Fig. 5⇓A). Surprisingly, blocking MMP-9 with neutralizing Abs or TIMP-1 strongly suppressed CCL5-induced IFN-α DC chemotaxis even in the absence of an ECM barrier (Fig. 5⇓B, left panel). In addition, basal motility of IFN-α DCs (in the absence of exogenous CCL5) was diminished by anti-MMP-9 Ab and TIMP-1 (Fig. 5⇓B, middle panel). This finding prompted us to examine the regulation of basal motility, and we found that basal motility was strongly inhibited by blocking endogenous CCL5 produced by IFN-α DCs and by blocking CCR5, comparable to inhibition achieved using PTX, an inhibitor of G protein signaling (Fig. 5⇓B, right panel). We conclude that MMP-9 regulates CCL5-mediated IFN-α DC motility and chemotaxis independently of ECM. The dependence of DC chemotaxis on MMP-9 even in the absence of ECM was confirmed using MMP-9-deficient DCs (Fig. 5⇓C).
MMP-9 regulates chemokine receptor signaling and function
MMPs have been shown to cleave cytokines, chemokines, and cell surface proteins, and to activate cell surface receptors by proteolytic cleavage (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65). However, cleavage products of CCL5 or CCR5 were not detected in IFN-α DCs by immunoblotting analysis, and purified active MMP-9 did not cleave CCL5 (data not shown). We then considered the possibility that MMP-9 regulated CCR1/CCR5 signaling, possibly by acting on a different receptor or a coreceptor. The seven transmembrane chemokine receptors such as CCR1 and CCR5 signal via the receptor-coupled G protein Gαi. These receptors activate a rapid and transient calcium flux and downstream signaling molecules, including PI3Kγ and Akt, MAPKs (ERKs, JNK, p38), and Pyk2; some of these molecules can also be activated by parallel chemokine receptor-induced signaling pathways not dependent on Gαi (29, 30, 66). PI3Kγ, JNK, and p38 are key mediators of migratory responses to chemokine stimulation, although their targets and mechanisms of action have not been fully clarified (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73). Consistent with the literature, CCL5 induced a rapid and transient calcium flux in DCs (Fig. 6⇓). There was a trend toward a higher peak level of intracellular calcium in IFN-α DCs (Fig. 6⇓), but this was not consistently observed among different donors (data not shown). Anti-MMP-9 and TIMP-1 did not inhibit the CCL5-induced calcium flux (Fig. 6⇓). In contrast, the CCL5-induced calcium flux was essentially completely inhibited by PTX, an inhibitor of Gαi. These results indicate that MMP-9 does not regulate Gαi-dependent calcium signaling downstream of CCR1/5.
Chemokine receptors can also activate signaling pathways independently of Gαi (29, 30, 66), and we further analyzed the effects of blocking MMP-9 on CCL5-induced signaling. CCL5 rapidly and transiently activated Akt (downstream of PI3K), p38, ERK, and JNK in IFN-α DCs (Fig. 7⇓A). We then used specific inhibitors to determine which of these kinases were important in IFN-α DC chemotactic responses to CCL5. Inhibition of Akt and JNK, but not MEK-ERK or p38, strongly suppressed CCL5-induced migration of IFN-α DCs (Fig. 7⇓B, left panel). Consistent with the key role of endogenous CCL5 in basal IFN-α DC motility (Fig. 5⇑B), inhibition of Akt and JNK also suppressed basal IFN-α DC motility (Fig. 7⇓B, right panel). Interestingly, inhibition of JNK suppressed migration as potently as did inhibition of Gαi using PTX (Fig. 7⇓B), indicating a key nonredundant role for JNK in IFN-α DC chemotaxis.
We then assessed the effects of blocking MMP-9 on CCL5-induced signaling in IFN-α DCs. Both MMP-9 Abs and TIMP-1 suppressed CCL5-induced activation of JNK but did not affect activation of Akt or p38 (Fig. 7⇑C, left panel, and data not shown). In contrast, inhibition of the receptor-proximal Gαi protein using PTX suppressed CCL5-induced activation of JNK, p38, ERK, and Akt (Fig. 7⇑C and data not shown). The role of MMP-9 in modulating chemokine receptor-dependent activation of JNK, but not Akt, was confirmed using DCs from MMP-9-deficient mice (Fig. 7⇑C, right panel). These results, together with the results showing inhibition of calcium fluxes by PTX but not anti-MMP-9 (Fig. 6⇑), indicate that: 1) CCL5 activation of calcium fluxes and Akt is dependent on Gαi signaling but not on MMP-9; and 2) CCL5 activation of JNK is dependent on both Gαi and MMP-9. Thus, MMP-9 selectively regulates activation of the JNK-signaling pathway downstream of chemokine receptors and MMP-9 activity is required for full activation of JNK and chemotaxis.
MMP-9 was present in culture supernatants and also associated with IFN-α DC membranes (Fig. 4⇑). Cell surface tethering of MMP-9 plays a key role in migration (56, 57, 74, 75) by focusing its enzymatic activity on adjacent substrates. IFN-α DCs express at least two receptors that bind MMP-9: the CD11b/CD11αM subunit of the αMβ2 integrin, and CD44, a receptor for hyaluronan. We tested the role of CD11b and CD44 in mediating CCL5-induced IFN-α DC chemotaxis. CD11b Abs suppressed CCL5-induced IFN-α DC migration, and Abs directed against the MMP-9-binding site (I domain) on CD11b were more effective (Fig. 8⇓A, left panel). Abs against CD44 also suppressed IFN-α DC chemotaxis (Fig. 8⇓A, right panel). Consistent with a role for CD11b in mediating MMP-9 regulation of chemotaxis, diminished DC chemotaxis in the absence of Matrigel was observed using CD11b-deficient DCs (Fig. 8⇓B). Concomitant with inhibition of migration (Fig. 8⇓A), CD11b and CD44 Abs suppressed CCL5-induced JNK activation (Fig. 8⇓C, left panel). Diminished chemokine-induced JNK activation was also observed in CD11b-deficient DCs (Fig. 8⇓C, right panel). These results implicate CD11b and CD44 in mediating CCL5-induced chemotaxis in an experimental system lacking ECM ligands for these receptors. The concordant regulation of CCR1/5 function and JNK activation by MMP-9 and CD11b and CD44 suggests that receptor complexes containing MMP-9 and CD11b/CD44 function to costimulate JNK activation by chemokine receptors. However, a role for soluble MMP-9 and for CD11b/CD44 other than binding MMP-9 has not been excluded.
IFN-α DCs have been implicated in enhancing humoral immunity, cross-priming of CD8+ T cells, and the pathogenesis of SLE. There is great interest in understanding mechanisms by which IFN-α DCs contribute to SLE pathogenesis and previous work has focused on augmented APC function and promotion of plasma cell differentiation (4). In this study, we found that IFN-α DCs exhibit enhanced chemotaxis to the inflammatory chemokines CCL3 and CCL5, but do not respond to a variety of other chemokines, including the CCR7 ligand CCL21 that recruits mature DCs to secondary lymphoid tissue. This migratory phenotype suggests a mechanism that allows recruitment of DCs with the high APC function exhibited by IFN-α DCs to inflammatory sites instead of to lymph nodes or spleen. Such recruited IFN-α DCs can contribute to inflammation by producing cytokines and presenting (auto)antigens locally, or after further maturation and subsequent migration to draining lymph nodes. CCL5-responsive DCs are present at elevated levels in the peripheral blood in the lupus mouse (26), and their recruitment to inflammatory sites where CCL3 and CCL5 are expressed, such as the kidney, offers a possible explanation for the infiltration of these tissues by DCs (A. Davidson, unpublished observations). The migratory properties of circulating DCs from active lupus patients that express elevated type I IFN levels will be investigated in future work. Enhanced responsiveness to inflammatory chemokines may also modulate DC trafficking during viral infections characterized by high IFN levels.
Another key finding of this study is that MMP-9 regulates chemokine receptor signal transduction and thereby modulates the amplitude of chemotactic responses and DC migration. Costimulation of CCR signaling by a MMP-9-dependent pathway extends our understanding of the regulation of CCR signaling and identifies a new way by which MMP-9 regulates DC migration. MMPs, and proteases in general, have been previously implicated in the regulation of cell migration by mechanisms that involve degradation of ECM, thus facilitating migration through tissues. MMPs also cleave cell surface receptors or their ligands, thereby promoting migration by releasing or activating ligands for receptors that regulate cell motility, or suppressing migration by inactivating chemokines (76). Serine proteases of the thrombin family have been long-appreciated to directly activate receptors, termed protease-activated receptors (PARs), by proteolytic cleavage (77). Similar to chemokine receptors, PARs are seven transmembrane receptors that activate G proteins and signaling pathways important in cell migration. A recent landmark study found that MMP-1 proteolytically activates PAR1 and thereby promotes tumor cell migration (65). This previous report (65) established the paradigm that MMPs can directly activate signal transduction by proteolytic cleavage of cell surface receptors, although such a function has not been described for MMP-9.
Experiments using MMP-9-deficient mice have clearly implicated MMP-9 in the migration of lymphocytes and DCs in vivo, and in modulation of stem cell mobilization, delayed type hypersensitivity, and the course of experimental allergic encephalitis (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 55). Mechanisms by which MMP-9 promotes migration that have been previously identified include release of cell surface Kit ligand (55), cleavage and activation of latent TGFβ by cell surface-localized MMP-9 (62), and degradation of ECM. We now provide evidence supporting a new mechanism whereby MMP-9 promotes IFN-α DC migration by enhancing chemokine receptor signaling. MMP-9 regulated CCR1/5 signaling in a selective manner, as MMP-9 expression and catalytic function were required for CCL5-induced activation of JNK, but not Akt or p38. Thus, JNK appears to be located at a nodal point that integrates signals emanating from chemokine receptors and a MMP-9-dependent pathway (Fig. 9⇓). This is reminiscent of costimulation of T cells, where JNK integrates signals from the T cell Ag receptor and CD28 and mediates synergistic activation of T cells by these receptors (78).
MMP-9 is tethered to the cell surface by its receptors CD11b and CD44, and there is accumulating evidence that binding of proteases to cell surface receptors and incorporation into multireceptor complexes regulates protease function (56, 57, 76). Localization of MMP-9 to the cell surface allows directed focusing of MMP-9 activity on ECM degradation and is required for MMP-9-dependent cleavage of TGF-β. CCL5-induced chemotaxis was suppressed by Abs against CD11b and CD44, including an Ab that binds to the MMP-9-binding site on CD11b (Fig. 8⇑A). These results support a model whereby binding of MMP-9 to the surface of IFN-α DCs promotes its activation and/or facilitates cleavage of a substrate that is important for costimulating the JNK pathway (Fig. 9⇑). It is possible that soluble MMP-9, which is present in greater concentrations in culture supernatants, contributes to activation of this pathway (Fig. 9⇑). The most obvious substrate for MMP-9 would be either CCR1/5 or their ligands, but, consistent with the literature (32), we have not detected cleavage of these molecules in IFN-α DC supernatants or extracts, or by active MMP-9 in vitro (Y. Hu, unpublished data). Future work will determine whether cell MMP-9 costimulates CCR signaling by activating a receptor ligand (similar to TGFβ) (62) or a signaling receptor (similar to activation of PAR1 by MMP-1) (65).
Overall, the data lead us to propose a model for MMP-9 regulation of CCR1/5 signaling that is illustrated in Fig. 9⇑. In this model, cleavage of an MMP-9 substrate generates a signal leading to the activation of JNK. The interaction of MMP-9 with the relevant substrate can be facilitated by binding of MMP-9 to its cell surface receptors CD11b and CD44. CD11b and CD44 can also potentially signal independently of MMP-9 (Fig. 9⇑, dotted line), but there are no known ligands for these receptors, other than MMP-9, in our experimental system. This MMP-9-mediated signal is insufficient to strongly activate JNK, but is required for synergistic activation of JNK together with chemokine receptors. This MMP-9-mediated signal may also contribute to basal JNK activity (Y. Hu, unpublished observation). A chemokine receptor signal alone is also insufficient to strongly activate JNK (and potentially other, as yet unidentified, pathways important for migration) and thus only relatively weakly activates migration. Simultaneous activation of chemokine receptors and the MMP-9-dependent pathway leads to strong activation of JNK together with activation of other chemokine receptor-dependent pathways important for migration (such as Akt) and results in enhanced migration. A recent report has described a similar function for the serine protease cathepsin G, which binds to neutrophils via an as yet unidentified receptor and regulates the signaling and function of integrins without directly cleaving the integrins or their ligands (79). Thus, proteases exhibit the unexpected role of regulating signal transduction by receptors important in cell migration.
Chemokine receptor signaling is subject to complex negative regulation that limits receptor function and thus fine tunes cell migration and controls localization of cells in response to chemokine gradients. Well-established mechanisms of negative regulation include down-modulation of cell surface chemokine receptor expression, desensitization mediated by phosphorylation, and induction of regulator of G protein signaling proteins (80). More recently, it has been demonstrated that chemokine receptors can be uncoupled from chemotactic responses by treatment with LPS + IL-10 (50) and that chemokine receptor signaling is negatively regulated by the Src family kinase Hck and Fgr via PIR-B inhibitory receptors and Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase 1 (81). Understanding of the positive regulation of chemokine receptor signaling is less developed and is limited to induction of chemokine receptor expression by cytokines and amplification of chemokine receptor calcium signaling by CD38-dependent generation of cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (82). We have discovered that CCR1/5 signaling is also augmented by MMP-9 by a mechanism that involves costimulation of CCR-dependent signal transduction. The dependence of chemokine receptors on a costimulatory signal helps explain the well-known dissociation between chemokine receptor expression and function (83), and suggests that chemokine receptor function is subject to broader and more complex regulation than previously appreciated. For example, CCR signaling and function will be modulated by stimuli that regulate the expression and activation of MMP-9, CD11b, and CD44.
In summary, our results demonstrate costimulation of CCR1/5 signaling and downstream chemotaxis by MMP-9, CD11b, and CD44, molecules whose established functions are to mediate attachment to and focal degradation of ECM during cell migration. Signals from CCRs and adhesion receptors/MMP-9 are integrated at the level of JNK activation to determine the amplitude of the chemotactic response. Chemokine receptors and adhesion receptors/MMP-9 have been previously appreciated to control, respectively, motility and interactions with ECM. This study supports a model whereby adhesion receptors and MMP-9 also regulate the amplitude of DC responses to chemokines and thereby regulate cell motility in addition to mediating interactions with ECM.
We thank Drs. C. Blobel, X. Hu, and T. Lu for critical review of the manuscript. We thank Dr. William Muller for his suggestion that MMP-9 may function in cell migration independent of cleavage of ECM. We also thank Dr. Joel Pardee for his continuing support.
The authors have no financial conflict of interest.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
↵1 This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (to L.B.I.) and was conducted in a facility constructed with support from Research Facilities Improvement Program Grant Number C06-RR12538-01 from the National Center for Research Resources, NIH.
↵2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Lionel B. Ivashkiv at the current address: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021. E-mail address: IvashkivL{at}HSS.edu
↵3 Abbreviations used in this paper: SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; DC, dendritic cell; MMP-9, matrix metalloproteinase-9; ECM, extracellular matrix; PTX, pertussis toxin; BM-DC, bone marrow-derived DC; PAR, protease-activated receptor; rm, recombinant murine; TAPI, INF-α protease inhibitor.
- Received September 8, 2005.
- Accepted March 2, 2006.
- Copyright © 2006 by The American Association of Immunologists


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Chasey - Trap Engineer, Tennessee Wraith Chasers
Chasey was born and raised in an historic area of Tennessee. He has served as a volunteer firefighter, county EMA operative, and an EMS first responder. His curiosity about the paranormal is fuelled by an unexplainable event he witnessed while with his ill mother several years ago, and he's been looking for answers ever since. Chasey is extremely tech savvy and very knowledgeable in relative physics and applied science, making him the Wraith Chasers' go-to guy for building new equipment used in investigations. The new experiences he encounters while investigating are the drive that keeps him going. He takes a very skeptical approach but is curious to learn about the factors that surround our mortality and what truly waits for us at the end.


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By purchasing your own food and cooking it at home instead of ordering takeout or going to a restaurant, you can save thousands of dollars in debt relief a year while also getting healthier. However, part of the process is also shopping smart when at the grocery store. Grocery stores are gunning for profits just as much as restaurants. in order to really save money to help pay off your credit card debts, you need to attack grocery shopping with a plan.
Finding Debt Relief at the Grocery Store
When you get to the grocery store, the best thing you can do is to know exactly what you want to buy. If you create a list before you go, you are less likely to spend money on things you don't need. Besides obvious staples, I try to only buy what is on sale or marked down using a flyer, the website or other coupon apps. Planning ahead of time also lets me choose the right grocery store by comparing the flyers and making sure I'm getting the most products for my money.
Meal Planning and Debt Relief
Meal planning may sound time consuming, but it really only takes a few minutes out of your day before you go to the store. It's also another way to get some debt relief from your grocery shopping. Think about the week ahead and what meals you need to cook at home. Go through the flyer and circle items of interest. Then, you can apply those sale items to whatever meals you need.
For example, if deli meat is on sale, you can purchase it for easy lunches through the week. Buy one get one free packages of chicken breasts allows you to stock up on chicken at essentially 50 percent off, taking care of the main protein for several dinners. Marked down vegetables and fruit allow you to assemble healthy yet affordable salads and sides. The planning also makes cooking dinner that much easier, because you don't need to make decisions on the fly.
To make things easier, I keep a dry-erase board on the fridge. After I get home from my grocery shopping trips, I'll write out a week's worth of dinners that I've planned. That way, I always remember what I purchased and what I have planned. Writing down each meal keeps me from straying from the debt relief plan and giving in to takeout or restaurant food.
By planning ahead of time and making a strategy before grocery shopping, you'll save yourself significant amounts of money each week, and avoid the hassle of opening the fridge and thinking "Hmm… what should I make for dinner tonight?" Every dollar saved is one that you can put towards your credit card debt, or put into savings.


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Discover a selection of 4 tea miniatures from Pure Indulgence Collection, created by Palais des Thés. Pure Indulgences are the final product of a long process of development combining high-quality tea with a single natural ingredient.
This set contains 4 miniatures of 30 g of the following flavoured teas:
- Lemon – Pure Indulgence: fresh and invigorating combination of black tea and lemon
- Icy Mint – Pure Indulgence: a refreshing pleasure of green tea enhanced by the Mint
- Orange Blossom – Pure Indulgence: a sweet and fresh green tea enhanced by the Orange Blossom
- Pear – Pure Indulgence: the freshness of a beautiful Chinese green tea combined with the sweet flavor of Pear
The perfect selection to discover Palais des Thés recipes! Useful and playful, the miniatures, packaged in a colorful small box, are opened like a drawer!
Each small box describes the tea and offers tasting tips.
Loose, whole-leaf tea.


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A gem of a film based loosely on the life of the Witchfinder General, one Matthew Hopkins, a lawyer turned witch-hunter during the tumultuous upheaval of Cromwell's revolution. Hopkins roved from village to village exploiting the superstitious for good coin by inflicting cruel witch-finding tests upon anyone suspected of being a witch. So basically anyone kind of weird. Or anyone people just didn't like.
In the role of Hopkins is the inimitable Vincent Price. Now, this film gave him his 75th role, and by this point Price had understandably been coasting through his horror roles like a sleeping Cthulu through the epochs, but two things now awakened him:
1. The shock of having a director like Michael Reeves, who had wanted Donald Pleasence in the role and was furious over the studio's insistence on Price. Reeves refused to speak directly to him the first day, and when Price fell from his horse, reportedly didn't even check to see if the man was alright.
2. The level of the crew's competency was something Price hadn't expected. Everyone on set was dead-serious about making a good film, and the majority of the cast seemed to be delivering the kind of performances he could actually work with.
These two things sobered Price, and later, he conceded that his own performance in the film was probably the best of his horror career. His Witchfinder General possesses a quiet belligerence made more menacing by an aloof, emotional disconnection. That disconnection doesn't seem lazy, though. It seems carefully set, and most of it comes off through his enigmatic stares.
The level of torture and violence that initially got this film banned in places, by today's standards, manages to be bloody without being gory, and fiercely uncomfortable instead of indulgent. The watershed Bonnie and Clyde was released just a year earlier, and the kind of screen violence that was emerging held a new potency. Witchfinder General could actually be considered England's Bonnie and Clyde, as both pushed the boundaries and ended off on a violent down-note. Reeves ended WG with an improvised and unnerving final sequence that will ring in my memory for some time.
So: A fluid and stylish revenge tale with Price back in action. Check it out.


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On the occasion of International Women's Day, we are happy to share stories of three colleagues working in our IT & Technology department. Meet Viji, Jagoda and Ewa!
Viji Bisht
Business Continuity Manager, Global Security Services
After graduating from the technical university, Viji started her career working for a technology support organization in India. Since she was the first line of support for third parties, the role involved interacting with individuals from across the globe and solving their technical issues.
After few years, she got the opportunity to start working for Hewitt Associates in Gurgaon, India and this is where the actual journey started. She spent initial few years providing technical support to internal colleagues and building good relations within the organization. This internal networking helped her to move into business continuity profile which was a bit different and more challenging than what she had been doing thus far. But then the experience gained in the previous roles helped greatly.
Viji says
"I was lucky enough to get the right guidance and good mentors in the early stages in this role. It helped me to successfully pursue my career in this domain and grow here as well."
A couple of years back, when her husband, who also works for Aon, got an opportunity in Aon in Krakow, they trusted Aon and decided to move to Poland. Aon fully supported them while moving to Krakow. She says:
"First few months were less stressful than expected as Aon helped us a lot with some arrangements needed to settle down in Krakow comfortably".
Working at Krakow office, Viji is managing the Business Continuity Program for critical Business Units in Krakow and other EMEA countries. In her current role, she helps the business units in developing plans to deal with any major disruptions, like floods, supply failures, outages, etc.
She says:
"One of the best parts of this role is interacting with the leadership teams from different aspects of the business and preparing the teams to manage any crisis. This provides an opportunity to learn about the organization more and network more efficiently."
Some of the things which Viji likes about Aon is getting a better work life balance, timely guidance from seniors and ample opportunities to learn and grow.
Jagoda Wojcik
Oracle Database Administrator, TRACC (Technology Restoration and Availability Control Centre)
Jagoda joined Aon only 4 months ago and when asked about her experience so far, she says that
"it's completely different than what I imagined an IT job in a corporate world would be."
She is positively surprised about how rewarding and interesting her job is and how welcoming and supportive everyone in her team was to her.
Even though Jagoda describes herself as more a computer person than a people person, she really enjoys work amongst her colleagues from TRACC (Technology Restoration and Availability Control Centre) team, in which they manage availability, health and performance of Aon's production infrastructure. In her team, Jagoda is a Technology Advanced Support Administrator, responsible for a quick incident resolution, root cause analysis and managing configuration of Oracle Database production environments.
Although she does not have a significant IT experience with only over 2 years working in the field, in her career she has been providing proactive event management, service and technology support for global retailers, travel and airlines companies, and even banks.
One of her favourite things about being a database administrator at Aon is how much variety its environments provide, since she finds here not only popular, reliable designs, but also innovative and pioneering solutions. With so many opportunities it's quite difficult for her to get bored, which is one of the things that make this career ideal for her.
Jagoda admits that her job can get stressful when someone depends on her to immediately fix something or find a solution to a problem. She comments:
"My way of dealing with stressful situations is to be confident in my skills and to remember advice I was once given: that it is OK to ask for help. This gives me some peace of mind and so far has always allowed me to resolve the issue I was presented with".
Ewa Szulik-Stach
Jr IT Project Manager, Business Technology Solutions
When you ask Ewa what is the most interesting in her role, she would definitely say that as a project manager you will never get bored. Literally speaking, you will never have "a typical day with 10:00 a.m. break for coffee". At Aon we deliver various IT projects and work with people, both technical and non-technical, from different countries and in various time zones. She admits that delivering IT projects in such international environment is very challenging. But that's what makes project management so interesting here.
Ewa started her adventure at Aon almost 10 years ago. She started as a Project Office Analyst, then moved to a Finance Analyst role and has finally ended up delivering IT projects in Business Technology Solutions team. Ewa says:
"Aon is definitely a great place to work since it offers many opportunities, flexible working hours and remote work. What is more, Aon fully supported me when I was on the maternity leaves and enabled smooth return to a project manager role".
She admits that as a full-time working mom of two, such supportive corporate environment makes her life much easier.
90 percent of a project manager's time is spent communicating. Managing projects, she needs to effectively convey vision, ideas, goals, and issues—as well as produce reports and presentations, among other things. She believes that being a great communicator is a one of the key skills every project manager should have.
One more thing, when delivering IT projects it is really important to never lose your good sense of humour. That is often needed when things get tense and the workload seems impossible! In a project manager role tough times happen pretty often.


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With Scilly's dramatic spring tides comes a phenomenal opportunity to host a very special mini pop-up festival on a long, skinny sandbar between Tresco and Bryher that's usually under five metres of water. So, roll up your trouser legs and enjoy this totally unique Scillonian Low Tide Experience before the flood tide once again steals it away. There are gin and prosecco bars, Island Fish and Tresco beef feast, live music and entertainment. An experience not to be missed (Cash only on the sand bar!).
Event Dates & Times
|20th September (20 Sept 2020)


text: Banking Industry Resources | Illinois Bankers Association Home › Create New User Account New User Account | Illinois Bankers Association Create New User Account Please complete this form to create your new user account - all of these fields are required. Your name, e-mail address, and choice of user name and password are enough for us to create an account and allow you to sign in next time. Once you have signed into the site, you will be able to open your profile page and provide the additional information necessary to build a full user profile. Please also select an easily remembered secret answer. If you forget your password in the future, you will be able to use the prompted answer as a backup way of signing in.We recommend the password to follow these criteria: at least length = 10, numeric characters = 1, upper case characters = 1. Create User First Name Middle Name Last Name Email Please confirm e-mail address Password Please confirm password Questions and Company Secret Question What is the name of your favorite pet? What is your mothers maiden name? What high school did you graduate from? What is your favorite color? What is your favorite sport? What city were you born in? What is your favorite movie? Secret Answer Please confirm secret answer Company Name Identify My Organization Address(es) Primary (Mail Address) Actions Captcha Before creating your account we need to verify that you are a real person. To confirm that you are really seeing this screen please type the characters you see in this image into the box below it: If you can't read the characters click here to generate a new image {1} ##LOC[OK]## {1} ##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]## {1} ##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]## Actions Forgot User Name or Password