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Wednesday, January 14. 2009
Coming soon . . . Airport 2: the Rematch
Well, it looks like my cheers of victory are a little premature. While UNC Chancellor Thorp issued a statement saying the university would not pursue an airport in rural Orange County, he didn't close the door to eventually starting the process again. He said he would not support the repeal of the legislation that gave the university the power to form an airport authority. Everyone is saying that the "process" was flawed, but nobody has backed down from the assertion that the university still needs an airport.
Ok, let me get this straight. The legislation that started this mess explicitly states that in order to create an airport authority, the Board of Governors must "'find that the authority is essential to support the missions of The University of North Carolina" and that "the sole purpose of the authority is to resite Horace Williams Airport." And Chancellor Thorp has already stated what's going to happen to Horace Williams: "While we will keep Horace Williams Airport as long as we can, to realize the full potential of Carolina North, we must close the airport. When that happens, we will still need an airport. It's essential to our AHEC program. But we have an acceptable option – RDU."
That sounds like a pretty tight case. Thorp has said RDU is an "acceptable" replacement for Horace Williams. If there is an "acceptable" replacement for Horace Williams, how could the BOG consider building a new airport "essential"? At ten times the cost, I might add?
I have a few questions I wish local journalists would extract from the University:
[1-16-09 Update: I found in another article on the Thorp's announcement that some AHEC doctors had testified before the legislature that the closing of Horace Williams would "cost them valuable clinic time." So someone did step forward . . . which I suppose is good, though I would still want to grill them if the airport question is reopened. I was told by a well-informed faculty member at UNC that it was most unlikely that an airport would be pursued again during Thorp's tenure as Chancellor, so that probably buys us at least five or ten years.]
Posted by Georg Buehler in Chapel Hill at 11:43 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
Friday, January 9. 2009
Airport goes down in flames
As some of you probably know, the University of North Carolina was in the process of trying to establish an airport in rural Orange County . . . and the most likely sites were within two miles of my house. The airport was ostensibly to serve the university's AHEC program for flying doctors to underserved rural areas, but was actually a stealthy attempt of wealthy owners of private planes to have their own convenient airport for coming to Carolina sports events.
I am so happy to say, "was in the process," in the past tense. Today UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp held a press conference to announce that UNC would call off the creation of an airport authority, and instead relocate its AHEC program from Horace Williams Airport to RDU instead.
Phew. That was close.
So what made Thorp change his mind? His official statements were fairly opaque, referencing "a great deal of distrust . . . of the process by which [the airport authority] came to be" and that "it's in the best interest of the University and our community not to form the authority." But I can guess to some other factors:
Whatever the reason, Chancellor Thorp, my family and I extend our heartfelt thanks to you.
Posted by Georg Buehler in Chapel Hill at 15:25 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
Saturday, December 13. 2008
Why Politics Sucks, and How
(continued from yesterday)
So, the Board of Orange County Commissioners, using a supposedly fair process, decides to haul the county's trash eleven miles back and forth across two-lane roads just to get it packed up and hauled off. And they're packing it up next to Chapel Hill's drinking water supply. How did we arrive at such a bad decision?
Well, the commissioners were pretty candid about it, when pressed. "Everyone agrees that, were technical considerations the only factor, the Eubanks Road dump site would be the best place to put the waste transfer station," said Commissioner Mike Nelson towards the end of the meeting. "But we also agreed, as a community, that we didn't want to go in that direction." What he was referring to, cautiously, was the fact that community organizers in the Rogers neighborhood adjoining the Eubanks Road dump had pilloried the commissioners for years with accusations of "environmental racism," as the predominantly black neighborhood dealt with the consequences of having to live next to trash. Rather than endure the political pressure of being the oppressive bad guys, the commissioners decided to look for another site.
"Where a site like this belongs is near the interstates," said Commissioner Barry Jacobs. "But Hillsborough immediately threatened to annex anything we tried to put close to them. And believe me, that's not an idle threat."
Ah. Now I see. I started out thinking that this was a fair, objective process that just happened to have landed a trash site near my home. Here I was thinking about what's fair, and what's right. But then I find out that the objectively best possible options were taken off the table from the start – either by individual interests who made the loudest noise, or the brute application of political power, public interest be damned. I'm starting to feel like a schmuck for even thinking about fairness. "Ok, if that's the way this game is played, fine: not in my backyard, dammit." Time to scream and yell, time to call in the lawyers. Did I say democracy was people talking out their issues? Democracy is the art of defending your selfish interests while appearing to serve the good of the whole.
Am I more cynical now? No, not really. I still believe our system is the best, in spite of really sucking. After all the acrimony and impassioned pleas in the public hearing, it's important to remember that everybody went home. There were no fights, no arrests. In other parts of the world, the county office would probably be on fire by now, and people like me would be in jail, or shot by police, or disappeared in the night. Power politics sucks . . . but the alternatives are tyranny, or anarchy, or usually both.
Posted by Georg Buehler in Chapel Hill at 08:59 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)
Thursday, December 11. 2008
First-hand local politics
Tonight I went to a meeting of the Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC), since one of my neighbors urged me to attend since they were voting on the waste transfer station. If you've never experienced local politics like this, I would encourage you to do so; it will open your eyes to the nature of politics.
A little background:
Orange County's landfill on Eubanks Road is running out of room. By 2011, the landfill will be out of space and the county's daily 170 tons of trash will have to go someplace else. County officials eventually settled on building a waste transfer station: a place where garbage is packed up, put on to big trucks, and hauled off to someplace else with more land than money. A waste transfer station is not as bad as a dump, but it still means an awful lot of garbage is going to be sitting around nearby (and potentially contaminating ground water), and lots of trucks will be coming and going.
So, the county has been going through a long, drawn-out process of figuring out where to put this waste transfer station. After a number of false starts (something I'll talk about later) the final site the commissions were set to approve was about three miles from where I live. So, I had a personal interest in this particular meeting.
What it was like:
There's a room -- not a very big room, maybe large enough to seat 80 people -- where the commissioners conduct their meetings. The six commissioners (one was absent) sat in an elevated panel, with microphones and name plates in front of them. Not that different from the sort of C-SPAN segments you see for Senate hearings. To either side of the commissioners were a couple broad tables, where the county management staff sat: a clerk who recorded the proceedings, a county manager who seemed to be running the docket, and a lawyer who provided counsel when needed. Some big computer projection screens were up front as well, so staff or visiting parties could present information. A gallery of chairs was set out for the public, and a podium sat in the middle of the chairs from which individuals could address the commissioners.
You could pretty much tell who was who by the way they dressed. The commissioners, being local politicians, had a mostly business-casual look to them: shirts and khakis, some with ties and some without, maybe a tweedy jacket here and there. The staff, being professional bureaucrats, wore the uniform of government: suits that were anything but casual but still managed to look cheap. The lawyers (and no matter what the commissioners were discussing, there was always a lawyer or two involved) wore dark silk suits, which did look expensive and seemed to gleam menacingly. The public -- well, they looked like you and me, mostly: people in jeans, loafers, raincoats, workboots. Everyone in the public gallery looked unhappy and bored -- because, I soon learned, nobody comes to a county commissioners meeting without cause to be unhappy, and anyone who sit through such a meeting is doomed to be bored out their skulls.
The proceedings went something like this:
It went like that from 7:00 pm . . . to 8:00 pm . . . to 9:00 pm . . . to 10:00 pm. Finally, at about a quarter past 10 pm, the waste transfer station issue was brought to the floor.
Local politics, evidently, is an endurance game. I'm glad I came early and got a seat. Half the people there couldn't even sit down the whole time. (to be continued)
Posted by Georg Buehler in Chapel Hill at 11:56 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
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You want power numbers from your third baseman. It's a position that is loaded with players with 30+ home runs. There are even a few with .300 batting average and major power. If you get the right player at third base, you could be in a nice position to win your fantasy baseball league.
Will Miguel Cabrera contend for another Triple Crown?
My 3rd base fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me firstname.lastname@example.com.
1. Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers – This was a no-brainer. He's the #2 overall best fantasy baseball player right behind Mike Trout. I expect another MVP-caliber season from him.
2. Adrian Beltre – Texas Rangers – Beltre is one the most consistent players in baseball. He consistently hits 30+/100/.305+ hitter, year after year. I'm interested how his numbers will improve with Prince Fielder hitting around him. There isn't much more room to improve, but he should see better pitches.
3. David Wright – New York Mets – Wright is the only third baseman with above average numbers with double-digit steals. Getting the steals from the third base position is a huge bonus. Sure you have guys with better power numbers, but Wright helps you in every category.
4. Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays – I never thought Longoria would ever get 600+ at-bats again. He would always miss a few weeks with a random injury. He was healthy last season and hit all his career averages. He's now 28 years old and I expect a big year from him. An uptick in homers and RBI would not surprise me.
5. Josh Donaldson – Oakland A's – No one had Donaldson as a top 10 third baseman going into last season. Hell, I would be surprised if anyone had him in their top 20 third baseman rankings. He spent five seasons in the minors between two organizations and switched from catcher to third base. He is a regression candidate since it's hard for a player to duplicate the kind of numbers Donaldson put up in 2013. I still expect a 25/90/.280 season from him.
6. Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals – I drafted Zimmerman in the mid-rounds last season. He had a few nagging injuries fantasy owners were worried about and he dropped a few rounds. He's averaged around 130 games per season and there's no worry that he shouldn't meet or exceed that total. He's a safe bet to match last year's numbers.
7. Pedro Alvarez – Pittsburgh Pirates – Alvarez is a streaky player and he takes it to the extremes. He will play horrible for a few weeks, like he did at the beginning of the season, but then hit 10 homers in two weeks. His end of the year numbers will be very good, but you have to stick with him during the bad weeks. He could be a guy to target when he struggles during the season. You could trade for him and buy low.
8. Manny Machado – Baltimore Orioles – I love Machado. He won't be ready for Opening Day, but he should be ready mid-April. I was fortunate to own him in nearly every fantasy league last year. He is a stud and a must-own in dynasty leagues. I expect him to be an All-Star for many years.
9. Matt Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals – I ranked Carpenter this high due to his multiple position eligibility (2B & 3B). He's solid and will score 110+ runs, bat near .300, hit double-digit home runs and drive in 75+ RBI.
10. Kyle Seager – Seattle Mariners – Seager came onto the scene late in 2012. People had high expectations for him in 2013. They were too high. I expect him to repeat the same numbers he had last season. You could see a few more homers and a better average.
11. Pablo Sandoval – San Francisco Giants – I'm always high on Sandoval. He's in a contract year and lost some weight this offseason. I love power hitters in contract years. His numbers will improve and I expect numbers similar to his 2011 season. He may not hit .315, but 25 homers is a possibility.
12. Aramis Ramirez – Milwaukee Brewers – Ramirez had a knee injury that derailed his season. He turns 36 this season, so drafting him is a bit risky. His days of hitting 30+ homers in a season are over, but 24/90/.290 is still very good.
13. Brett Lawrie – Toronto Blue Jays – Lawrie's hype before the 2012 season was insane. He didn't live up to that and now he is a player fantasy owners may try to avoid. His batting average has dropped each season and his power hasn't been there. He has struggled through some nagging injuries. The term 'post-hype sleeper' is being thrown around and I agree.
14. Martin Prado – Arizona Diamondbacks – If Prado didn't have 2B/3B/OF eligibility, he would be ranked lower. His versatility is worth a few spot. He's solid and will help you in most categories, but he's not elite in any specific category.
15. Chase Headley – San Diego Padres – Headley is another feast or famine player. He'll have a great month followed by a really bad month. He had an off-year and could drop a few rounds. His end of the year numbers will be good, but you have to stick with him for the long haul.
16. Will Middlebrooks – Boston Red Sox – Is this the year Middlebrooks puts together a full season? Yes. He doesn't have to worry about losing his job (Xander Bogaerts is now the everyday shortstop). I love his power, but worry about his batting average. He strikes out quite a bit. He has yet to peak and believe he takes a step closer this season.
17. Xander Bogaerts – Boston Red Sox – He starts out the season with only 3B eligibility, but will gain shortstop eligibility early in the season. I could be talked into ranking him higher than Middlebrooks because his versatility, runs and batting average, but he only has 44 regular season at-bats. I think he would be a fantastic backup third baseman or even a starting shortstop (when he becomes eligible).
18. Todd Frazier – Cincinnati Reds – Frazier couldn't repeat his 2012 numbers, but it was expected. He had a high BABIP, so last season's numbers are a better indication of what kind of season he could have this year. He'll hit around 20 homers, but a .250 average is where he'll end the season.
19. Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – I like Arenado a lot, but he's not a starting third baseman in standard leagues. He does play in Colorado, so maybe he will outperform expectations. I wouldn't reach for him, but if he falls in this area, you should draft him.
20. Chris Johnson – Atlanta Braves – Johnson is a difficult player to rank. He does bat for average (although I think last year's average is a big inflated), but he doesn't help you much in any other category. He does have double-digit power and will drive in 60-70 RBI. He is a solid player, but not 'sexy'.
21. David Freese – Los Angeles Angels – The sky was the limit for Freese the last two years. His 2011 World Series MVP hype propelled him into a top 10 preseason rankings. His numbers regressed across the board so much that the Cardinals traded him for Peter Bourjos. His numbers could bounce back a bit, but I don't expect another All-Star level season.
22. Trevor Plouffe – Minnesota Twins – If you want power and can take a batting average hit, Plouffe would be a nice pick. He's a nice corner infield flex option.
23. Matt Dominguez – Houston Astros – His production in the Majors was a surprise. He didn't put up great numbers in the minors. His ceiling is 21/80/.250 and his final numbers should be near it.
24. Mike Moustakas – Kansas City Royals – Moustakas could be stuck in a platoon with Danny Valencia. He has been a disappointment so far and hasn't lived up to his #2 overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft. I would be surprised if he gets 500 at-bats this season.
25. Juan Uribe – Los Angeles Dodgers – Uribe had a decent year in 2013, but I worry he won't match those numbers. In 2011 and 2012, he barely averaged .200 in 432 at-bats. I expect a 10/50/.245 season from him this season.
26. Cody Asche – Philadelphia Phillies – The one thing Asche has going for him is that he should start the season as the everyday third baseman in Philly. When you're only competition is Maikel Franco (a natural first baseman), I'm not worried about him early in the season. Franco should start the season in the minors and is a better long-term option than Asche. He should get 400 at-bats and hit double-digit homers.
27. Juan Francisco – Milwaukee Brewers – He will be stuck in a platoon with Lyle Overbay at first base. He has 3B eligibility, but shouldn't see time there with Aramis Ramirez and Mark Reynolds. Francisco should get around 400 at-bats and hit near 20 homers. He is a nice matchup play.
28. Jose Iglesias – Detroit Tigers – He's a defensive-minded player, but somehow managed to hit .300 in 350 at-bats last season. His BABIP was crazy high, so his average should drop considerably. He won't help you in any category except stolen bases and that total may only be around 12.
29. Lonnie Chisenhall – Cleveland Indians – I had high hopes for Chisenhall when he was in Triple-A. I actually saw him play a handful of times in Columbus. He's a risk in every category except home runs (he should have around a dozen of those). There has been talk of having Carlos Santana play some at third. If that happens, he may only get 300 at-bats.
30. Mark Reynolds – Milwaukee Brewers – Ramirez is the everyday third baseman, but he's 36. Injuries tend to linger at that age. Reynolds may only get 250-300 at-bats, but will still hit around 20 homers. He's a huge batting average risk, but if you're in an NL-only league, he's worth drafting.
31. Matt Davidson – Chicago White Sox
32. Mike Olt – Chicago Cubs
33. Conor Gillaspie – White Sox
34. Mike Aviles – Cleveland Indians
35. Eric Chavez – Arizona Diamondbacks
36. Alberto Callaspo – Oakland A's
37. Maicer Izturis – Toronto Blue Jays
38. Jeff Keppinger – White Sox
39. Luis Valbuena – Chicago Cubs
40. Kris Bryant – Chicago Cubs
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Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of 'America's White Boy' and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN's 'SportsNation', Sports Illustrated's Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.

subset: commoncrawl


text: There are several methods of birth control. Your doctor can help you pick out which method will work best for you. The pill is a popular contraceptive, there is also a shot that you can take that will work the same as the pill. If you do not want to take medications, condoms are a way to prevent pregnancy, but they are not always effective.


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Ever since the NHL instituted the shootout rule to settle ties, it has become a fan favorite around the league. There are plenty of shooters in the game who can pull you out of your seat with a slick move. There are fewer still who can do it and hit the back of the net with consistency. The New York Islanders have one of those guys in their lineup, and his name is Frans Nielsen. During his seven-year career in the NHL, Nielsen has established himself as a talented center who can make plays, set his teammates up for goals and kill penalties. But one of Nielsen's greater strengths is in the shootout, where he has one of the best marks of any skater since the rule was put into effect in 2006-07.
Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of guys in the league who have good numbers in shootouts. You have guys like Pavel Datsyuk, Zach Parise, Jonathan Towes, Patrick Sharp and James Neal who have had great numbers in one-on-one competition. Datsyuk and Parise can beat a goalie with fancy moves and make him look foolish, which is nothing new for those two guys really. The thing is, though, they aren't near the top in career accuracy in shootouts. The distinction of being the best marksmen in the shootout belongs to the Islanders' Nielsen, who is the only one active player with 20 or more shootout attempts and has cashed in on more than half of them. In his career, Nielsen has scored on 25 of his 45 tries, which comes out to a 55.6 percent success rate.
Sure the other shooters in the league have more tricks up their sleeves for the shootout, but Nielsen is more deadly with his shots than anybody. Hell, most of the time, he succeeds in the shootout with the same move. Nielsen's trademark move is a backhand deke, in which he fakes to the forehand, then goes backhand and roofs the puck over a sprawled out netminder. More often than not, the deke works, but sometimes he does miss, either high over the net or it gets blocked. Sure, the move works, but there is more Nielsen has started to throw at netminders. He's started mixing up his repertoire by using a quick-release wrister as well. At times goalies are expecting the backhand, which leaves the five hole open for Nielsen to snap a wrist shot through for a goal.
With these types of skills, it makes Nielsen an almost automatic choice for the Islanders' coaching staff when it comes time to pick their shootout lineup. This has an impact on opposing teams as well. The opposition knows that if they go to a shootout with the Islanders, they are going to have to contend with Nielsen, and that's never been an easy thing to do. With the consistency of his scoring rate and the intimidation factor of having to face him, it makes Nielsen one of, if not the best, shootout men in the entire league.
Matthew Solomon covers the New York Islanders, NFL and MLB for Rant Sports! You can follow me on Twitter!


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The Royal Albert Hall, is officially cool. The recent Coolbrands recognition is mostly due to their wonderful lineup and diverse offer to new audiences. However I didn't need a poll to tell me the Royal Albert Hall is cool, though it's nice to be validated – I just knew it was. As a Creative Director I think visually, and directing the redesign of their identity is a badge of honour I'll wear with pride for life. But can our design work be described as cool? What is cool design?
Cool is mutable. Cool is not obvious and it's not show-off. Cool blows your mind. Cool is ephemeral and fleeting like the animated gifs in your Instagram feed. It is legendary, surrounded by an aura of myth and perception. Cool is damn hard to pin down.
Cool can be acquired through association. Nike does this very well through the halo effect of the global sport stars it endorses. Think of Michael Jordan and his Air Jordan shoe, or the tennis powerhouse Serena Williams with her extravagant outfits on the court… all available for you to buy so you can be just like your hero(ine).
Being cool is different to being fashionable – and even the great fashion houses struggle. Fashion brands go through aesthetic transitions and change their direction with fresh creative to try and achieve cool. A case in point is Gucci's recent appointment of Alessandro Michele to the design helm. According to fashion bible Vogue, Gucci is now 'where it's at' with Michele having created a stampede for certain it Gucci items – kangaroo fur-lined loafers anyone? Sales for the brand have also grown for the first time in years.
Cool design epitomises a time and sub-culture. Those who are old or lucky enough will have seen it in the work of Neville Brody and his art direction of cult magazine The Face in the 1980s ,with its bold typography and tactile graphics. Or in David Carson's grungy, experimental graphic design that personified Gen X's 'I don't give a shit' attitude in the 1990s. I worked part-time at a magazine store then and would grab each new copy of Ray Gun magazine as it came in. I never read a single article but would just look at and love every page. I'd never seen anything like it and to me, that was cool.
The minimal and pure design of Dieter Rams' Braun products follows his strict design principles, one of which is 'as little design as possible'. There is no denying Braun products' cool factor, as they're a source of inspiration for Sir Jonathan Ive, who just so happens to be the lead designer for official No. 1 cool brand Apple. Flip the coin though, and the rule of 'less is more' doesn't quite work when I think of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust creation, who dazzled us with his maximalist space suits and kabuki stylings.
But what I believe makes cool really cool is when it becomes legendary: a timeless classic. This can only be done by surviving trends and fads; it is best achieved with confidence and an absolute belief in oneself that comes from authenticity, of sticking to your guns. The New York logo design by Milton Glaser in 1977 to promote tourism in NYC is a great example. It is bold and doesn't muck around with decoration – yet has emotion and humanity with its bright red heart. Of his first sketch of the design Glaser said, "I felt excited. My design had a sense of inevitability. The form and the content were united in a way that could not be taken apart." That sketch now sits in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and may be perhaps the most imitated logo in the world. It is a timeless classic, remaining mostly unchanged over the decades – as well as being a nice little revenue earner for the city. I haven't met a single person who doesn't like it and those who own the T-shirt treasure it (yes, I own one). This logo didn't set out to be cool, because that is most uncool – coolness was bestowed upon it through the love it has gained over time to become a legend.
Never deliberately set out to be cool: that just doesn't feel authentic.
Back to the Royal Albert Hall. When designing the identity we aimed to create something that was true to its heritage and to the purpose that Prince Albert instilled in the Hall nearly 150 years ago. We wanted something timeless, real and authentic. Is it cool? Only time will tell and in the meantime I'm sticking to my guns.


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Samsung bundles free Watch Dogs 2 with select SSDs and curved monitors
We're a few weeks out from the release of Watch Dogs 2, and if you've had your eye on it, you might like to know that Samsung has launched new hardware bundles that include a free copy of the game. These bundles feature a range of Samsung solid-state drives and some of the company's newer curved gaming monitors. So, if you've been in the market for some new PC hardware, you might want to give these bundles a look.


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Charitable Legacy Lives On
Mickey Weiss, everybody's favorite mensch and philanthropist, diedmore than a year ago, but his good works go on.
His most lasting monument is the Charitable Distribution Facility,which he and his wife Edna established 10 years ago. Since then, theFacility has routed millions of pounds of fresh fruits andvegetables, previously wasted at wholesale food markets, to thehungry and needy.
Among his collaborators were Prof. Peter Clarke and researchscientist Susan H. Evans of the USC School of Medicine, who are nowco-directors of a project called From the Wholesaler to the Hungry.
Building on Mickey's original concept, their project, involvingfood banks, grocery chains, food recovery programs and trainingsessions, has now spread to 52 American cities and is growing at therate of 10-12 additional cities each year.
The USC team was in Washington, D.C. recently, leading a workshopon their project at the National Summit on Food Recovery andGleaning.
They were also on hand for a special ceremony, accepting aposthumous award to Mickey, presented by Secretary of Agriculture DanGlickman on behalf of the American people. — Tom Tugend,Contributing Editor
Accepting a citation for Micky Weiss on left are: School ofMedicine Professor, Susan H. Evans, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture DanGlickman and Schoolf of Medicine Research Scientist, Peter Clarke.Evans and Clarke are co-directors of From the Wholesaler to theHungry.
Top; The founders of From the Wholesalerto the Hungry (Micky Weiss, Peter Clarke and Susan Evans) gather atthe pioneering facility in Los Angeles. With them is a nun from abattered women'a shelter who chooses produce for her facility.


text: The Martin County Executive Committee will promote Republican ideals and principles. We will do this by recruiting qualified candidates for public office who best represent the views of the Party and by working to elect all Republican nominees. We will develop a grassroots organization that will motivate the electorate to vote, maintain a strong volunteer base and raise the funds to build a sound financial foundation.


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Buena Vista Social Club comes back to say a last goodbye
Produced during the success of 1997's Buena Vista Social Club album, Wim Wenders' documentary offered both fans and newcomers the joy of seeing brilliant elderly musicians rescued from obscurity.
For most Americans, the record/film was both an introduction to a genre they hardly knew and a direct encounter with its progenitors.
Two decades later, Lucy Walker's Buena Vista Social Club: Adios offers a very different kind of experience; "a fond farewell" supporters would say, "milking the last penny out of the brand", cynics would snort. The truth is somewhere in the middle for this muddled outing.
Though it offers new biographical tidbits about its charismatic stars, they are few that justify the storyline returning to the screen. With years of copycats digging up everyone from Pakistani classical musicians to retired Motown session men for one last big concert, making this format much less of a sure thing than it once was.
LatinAmerican Post | Manuela Pulido
Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto


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Age‐related effects of the vascular wall have been associated with several hemodynamic dysfunctions, including medial vascular calcification. Vascular aging has been traditionally addressed using proliferative senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in vitro, which induces osteoblastic transition and favors calcification in vitro. In this work, we have analyzed the relationship between organismal aging and proliferative senescence by comparing the proliferative aging of VSMC obtained from young, mature, and old rats (2‐, 12‐, and 24‐month cell lines [CL], respectively). VSMC proliferated to more than 100 cumulative population doublings (CPD) without evidence of proliferative senescence, most likely as a consequence of telomerase induction. The apoptosis rate increased with CPD in all three CL, but the oxidation status of the cells was not modified. The magnitude of all gene expression changes caused by CPD was higher than the magnitude of the changes caused by donor age: the expressions of VSMC markers α‐actin and SM22α decreased, while the expressions of transcription factors Msx2 and Runx2 and of bone morphogenetic protein‐2 increased. Treatment of the cells with 2 mmol/L Pi revealed that the intensity of the effect of CPD on calcium deposition was greater than the effect of donor age. In conclusion, the proliferative lifespan of VSMC magnifies the effect of donor age on the osteoblastic transition of VSMC, therefore suggesting that in vivo vascular aging changes can be less dramatic than what is shown by in vitro aging.
Aging is a multifactorial, degenerative process that affects all animal species, and it is disclosed when individuals are protected from environmental hazards such as predation, accidents, starvation, or disease. The immediate consequence of this protection is increased survival, which according to the disposable soma theory (Kirkwood 1977) causes the progressive depletion (i.e., aging) of species specific, functional, metabolic, and repair reserves when the reproductive age is exceeded. At a cellular scale, aging affects both postmitotic and proliferative cells, with different consequences. In proliferative cells, senescence refers to the irreversible arrest of cell division in vitro when the Hayflick limit is reached after a progressive slowing down of cell division (Hayflick 1965). While senescence is optimistically interpreted as an oncosuppressive mechanism, antagonistic pleiotropy also reveals the negative consequences of senescence in organismal aging: the progressive loss of proliferative capacity is also accompanied, at the postreproductive age, by the genomic instability of cells, telomere shortening, epigenetic changes, and phenotype alterations such as secretory transformation (Campisi 2013; López‐Otín et al. 2013).
Since the discovery of senescent cells in vivo (Dimri et al. 1995), the accumulation of these cells in tissues has been associated with many age‐related degenerative processes (Neves et al. 2015). With respect to vascular biology, the implication of endothelial and smooth muscle cell senescence in atherosclerosis and vascular calcification (VC) has been intensely debated over the last decade (Minamino et al. 2002; Burton et al. 2009). Our present work focuses on the effect of senescence on VC. This ectopic calcium deposition can affect either the intima (prior to atheroma) or the media layer of arteries. Medial VC is frequently found in chronic kidney disease (CKD) that occurs with hyperphosphatemia and uremic "toxins," but the prevalence is highest in diabetes, in addition to aging (Lanzer et al. 2014). Contrary to the physiological calcification of bones, the mineralization of arteries causes harmful effects derived from hardening of the wall, such as hypertension, stiffening, accelerated pulse, deficient peripheral perfusion, left ventricular overload and dysfunction, etc. (Lanzer et al. 2014). Deposits of calcium phosphates are mainly found on elastin fibers, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are known to partially transdifferentiate in bone‐forming cells that express osteogenes, such as Runx2, Msx2, Bmp2, tissue‐nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), etc. (Chen et al. 2006). However, the pathogenesis of VC is not a common route in all instances. In the case of CKD, for example, uremic toxins seem to be a key causative factor in the transdifferentiation of VSMC, because among other effects, they increase TNAP expression (Chen et al. 2006). Calcium phosphates are most likely nucleated on elastic fibers and on VSMC and are endocytosed, causing cell death (Ewence et al. 2008), which creates additional nucleation sites and calcium deposition. Other suggested mechanisms that are involved in VC include autophagia (Dai et al. 2013), exosome secretion (Kapustin et al. 2015), oxidative stress (Byon et al. 2008), etc. During aging, however, VC mainly occurs in the absence of uremic toxins or hyperphosphatemia, but it contributes to the high morbidity and fragility of the elderly (Dao et al. 2005). VSMC senescence and telomere shortening have been associated with an increased severity of atherosclerosis (Matthews et al. 2006). When VSMC senescence is forced in vitro, the consequent phenotype predisposes the cells to calcification, with the expression of several genes that are necessary for osteoblast function, inflammation, and tissue remodeling, as determined by microarray screening and quantitative PCR (Nakano‐Kurimoto et al. 2009; Burton et al. 2010). In addition, nuclear lamina dysfunction has also been described in senescent VSMC (Ragnauth et al. 2010). These cells accumulate the precursor prelamin A, thereby causing mitosis disruption and DNA damage, which also increases VC through the secretion of pro‐osteogenic factors (Liu et al. 2013).
While most studies on VSMC have been performed in vitro, senescence markers such as β‐galactosidase and p16 expression have also been observed in vivo in aged rats (Yang et al. 2007). This information therefore suggests that the senescence‐associated transdifferentiation of VSMC in vivo could be a major pathogenetic mechanism of VC in the elderly. Given that the proliferative potential (and therefore the in vitro senescence) of VSMC is also dependent upon the age of the human donor (Ruiz‐Torres et al. 1999), in this work, we aimed to compare the chronological (in vivo) and proliferative (in vitro) aging of the cells and the likely effects on VC predisposition. Considering that the experimental culture conditions can affect the aging of cells very differently than what occurs during slow aging in vivo, our objective was to learn if the phenotypic changes that are observed during senescence in vitro and that predispose to ectopic VC are also observed during the aging of cells in vivo. To do this, we obtained primary cultures from 2‐, 12‐, and 24‐month‐old rats, and we studied the conservation of the smooth muscle contractile phenotype at different cumulative population doublings (CPD). Simultaneously, we analyzed the expression of a putative calcification phenotype along the culture life of the three cell lines (CL), and the findings were correlated with a molecular characterization of senescence in vitro and of proliferative lifespan. The final conclusion is that the phenotypic changes observed during proliferative aging in vitro are similar to the changes observed in vivo, but they are of a greater magnitude and are exaggerated by the experimental conditions in vitro.
Primary cultures and animals
Vascular smooth muscle cells were obtained by collagenase I digestion from the aortas of male Wistar rats (Janvier SAS, Saint‐Berthevin, France) of 2, 12, and 24 months of age, with eight rats per age group, as published (Chamley et al. 1977). All studies on animals were conducted in accordance with the European legislation and were previously approved by the Ethical Committee of the University of Zaragoza. Rats were kept with free access to food and water, and after deep anesthesia with pentobarbital, the aortas were obtained and immediately processed. VSMC were grown in minimum essential medium (MEM) with 10% fetal calf serum, glutamine, and antibiotics. For the various assays, when the cells reached 90% confluence, they were made quiescent with 0.2% FCS‐containing medium, unless otherwise specified. All culture reagents were from Gibco (Paisley, UK).
Cell culture growth assay
The analysis of the growth and multiplication of the three VSMC cultures began after 17 divisions once the primary cultures had been initiated. For every passage, the cells were trypsinized, counted, and inoculated in a new flask at 1 × 104 cells/cm2. The population doubling increase was calculated as explained (Cristofalo et al. 2000), using the formula NH/NI = 2X, where X is the CPD (calculated as X = {log10[NH] − log10[NI]}/log10[2]), NI is the cell inoculum number, and NH is the VSMC harvest number.
Gene expression analysis
Gene‐specific RNA abundance was analyzed by real‐time PCR in a LightCycler 1.5 using a LightCycler FastStart Master SYBR Green I kit (all from Roche, Mannheim, Germany). We used the ΔΔCT method of relative quantification included in the Lightcycle software, with a calibrator cDNA retrotranscribed from a combination of RNAs from aortic smooth muscle cells of 2‐, 12‐, and 24‐month‐old rats. Two endogenous reference genes were used: glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) for highly expressed genes such as smooth muscle markers, and acidic ribosomal protein (ARP) for moderately expressed genes, such as newly expressed bone‐related RNAs. The primers used, sense (S) and antisense (AS), were the following:
Runx2: S, CTGCCGAGCTACGAAATGCC; AS, GGCCACTTGGGGAGGATTTG.
Msx2: S, ACCGAAGGGCTAAGGCAAAA; AS, CGCTGTATATGGATGCCGCT.
Sm22α: S, CAGACTGTTGACCTCTTTGAAG; AS, TCTTATGCTCCTGGGCTTTC.
To determine the changes in protein abundance, immunoblots were performed as described in the same references (Martín‐Pardillos et al. 2013, 2014) using a Trans‐Blot Turbo Transfer System, and detection was performed using a VersaDoc MP 4000 System (both from Bio‐Rad, Hercules, CA), after lysing the VSMC in RIPA buffer (50 mmol/L Tris pH 7.5, 150 mmol/L NaCl, 0.1% SDS, 0.5% deoxycholate, 1% Triton X‐100, and a protease inhibitor cocktail, Sigma‐Aldrich, St Louis, MO). Protein was quantified using a BCA kit (Pierce BCA Protein Assay; Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL). In some cases, information was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy, using an Axiovert 200M fluorescent microscope equipped with Apotome (Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany), also as reported (Martín‐Pardillos et al. 2013). In this case, the exposure time was automatically adjusted to the maximal expression sample, and this time was fixed for the remaining exposures of the same antibody. The commercial antibodies used were the following: a mouse monoclonal antibody for α‐actin (cat. A5228 from Sigma‐Aldrich); mouse monoclonal antibodies anti‐p21 for immunoblot (cat. sc‐6246 from Santacruz, Heidelberg, Germany) and for immunofluorescence (cat. P1484, from Sigma, St. Louis, MO); a goat polyclonal anti‐SM22α (cat. sc‐18513; Santacruz); a mouse monoclonal anti‐β‐actin antibody (cat. A1978; Sigma); and a rabbit anti‐phospho‐p38 (cat. P1491; Sigma).
Senescence characterization
Senescence was quantified by the activity of senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA β‐gal) at pH 6, as described (Itahana et al. 2013; Martín‐Pardillos et al. 2013), using 5‐bromo‐4‐chloro‐3‐indolyl‐β‐d‐galactopyranoside (Sigma), after fixing the cells with paraformaldehyde.
Telomerase activity was determined by a fluorescence‐based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) using a TRAPEZE XL Telomerase Detection Kit (Millipore International, Inc., Darmstadt, Germany). Fluorescence was quantified using a DTX 880 Multimode plate reader (Beckman Coulter, Fullerton, CA).
Calcification experiments
For calcification in vitro, quiescent VSMC in MEM were incubated with 2 mmol/L Pi for 10 days. Pi was diluted from a stock of 100 mmol/L KH2PO4/K2HPO4, pH 7.4. To visualize calcium deposits, cultures were stained with 0.5% alizarin red (pH 4.1–4.3) for 15 min. Calcium was quantified colorimetrically using a Calcium Assay kit (Abnoba, Taipei City, Taiwan), after overnight solubilization of calcium with 0.6 N HCl at 4°C.
Apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling assay, using a CLICK‐IT TUNEL Alexa Fluor Imaging Assay (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR), and visualized in an Axiovert 200M fluorescent microscope.
Prism 5.0 software (GraphPad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA) was used for statistics, data representation, and linear regressions. Significant differences were determined using a one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey's multiple comparison post test. Asterisks indicate significant differences when ANOVA P‐values are <0.05 and the Tukey's test indicates significant differences in means.
Proliferation characteristics
Vascular smooth muscle cells were obtained from the aortas of 2‐, 12‐, and 24‐month‐old rats, which originated from the three CL of the study, namely 2CL, 12CL, and 24CL. After 17 CPD of culture stabilization, VSMC growth was characterized, with analyses performed at 17, 40, 70, and 90 CPD for all three cultures. The growth characteristics are summarized in Figure 1, which shows that after 100 CPD and over 230 days in culture, the cells kept dividing, with no signs of division arrest for any of the three cultures. The relationship between CPD and days of culture were similar in all three cultures, with a pooled slope of 0.42 CPD per day (Fig. 1A). Nevertheless, 2CL accumulated more cells than the 12CL and 24CL cultures, with a slope of 2.18 × 106 cells per CPD, compared to 1.45 × 106 and 1.28 × 106 cells/CPD for 12CL and 24CL, respectively (Fig. 1B). The differences between these slopes were extremely significant (F = 368.13, P < 0.0001). When we compared the divisions per day to the CPD, the differences in the slopes were very significant and followed the same trend 2CL > 12CL > 24CL (P = 0.00126; Fig. 1C), meaning a progressive slowing down of cell division according to the donor age. Finally and surprisingly, when we compared cell density (cells per cm2) to the CPD, in all three CL, the density increased with the CPD at a rate of 1300 cells per CPD, given that the slopes were statistically similar (Fig. 1D). The 2CL slope was parallel, but it started at a higher density.
Phase contrast microscopy (Fig. 1E) revealed that the morphology of the cells changed to a longer, fibroblast‐like morphology with the proliferative age (from 17 to 90 CPD), but it was apparently similar in all three donor ages. The cell number increased with the CPD, as shown in Figure 1D, and the cells progressively acquired a fibroblast‐like morphology, especially after 70 CPD.
Expression of VSMC markers
We also wanted to know if the smooth muscle cell phenotype was maintained during the cultures. The contractile phenotype of VSMC was determined by analyzing the expression of the differentiation markers α‐actin and SM22α in the three CL, as a function of both the proliferative and the chronological ages. Figure 2 shows the effect of donor (chronological) age by comparing the expression of both VSMC markers (plus β‐actin as a control) in 2CL, 12CL, and 24CL within each CPD group, and it shows the quantitative densitometry of the bands for 17 and 90 CPD. The abundance of both markers was slightly, but significantly lower according to the donor age in all three CL. The expression of α‐actin in 12CL and 24CL was 0.8 and 0.7 times less, respectively, when compared to 2CL at 17 CPD. SM22α, however, was only lower in 24CL (0.7 times less compared to 2CL). The difference of the expression in 12CL and 24CL with respect to 2CL increased dramatically with the CPD, such that the expression of α‐actin in 12CL at 90 CPD was 0.2 times less that of 2CL, and it was hardly visible in 24CL. A similar pattern was observed for the abundance of SM22α protein and RNA. These changes in protein expression were confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy (Fig. 2B).
Changes in α‐actin and SM22α expressions as a function of the proliferative age of the three CL are compiled in Figure 3. The results confirm that the expression of both VSMC markers diminished considerably as the CPD increased, and it even disappeared at 90 CPD of 12CL and 24CL. These findings were also confirmed by microscopy (data not shown).
Senescence of VSMC
Although the cells did not arrest due to proliferation even after 100 CPD, we checked for the presence of senescence markers, such as β‐galactosidase and telomerase activity. For senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activity, the corresponding staining was done using VSMC from 2CL, 12CL, and 24CL, measured at 17, 30, 70, and 90 CPD. The representative images are shown in Figure 4A, thus showing the mean number of cells per microscopy field at 100×. The cells from 2‐ and 12‐month‐old rats only showed a clear increase in staining at 90 CPD. The cells from 24‐month‐old rats, however, also showed a minimal, but evident increase at 70 CPD.
The effects of donor age and proliferation did not have significant effects on telomerase activity. These results are summarized in Figure 4B, which shows that in all three CL the total telomere product was similar, with a trend of decreasing activity as the CPD increased, but the changes were not statistically different.
The effect of CPD and donor age on the apoptosis rate of VSMC was studied by conducting a TUNEL assay and an analysis of caspase‐3 activity (Fig. 5). Fluorescent TUNEL revealed that apoptotic cells increased with both CPD and rat age within each CPD, which was confirmed by counting the apoptotic cells in four different centered fields of each experimental condition (donor age and CPD). The apoptosis increase was biochemically confirmed by measuring caspase‐3 activity (Fig. 5B), but in this case, the increase was only observed in VSMC from 24‐month‐old rats, compared to the VSMC from 2‐month‐old rats. The increase in caspase‐3 activity was also observed with respect to CPD, especially at 70 and 90 CPD in 2CL and 24CL.
p21Cip1 (cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor 1) expression and its accumulation with CPD were analyzed by western blot because this expression is related to apoptosis and senescence (cell cycle arrest). p21 expression at early CPD (17 and 30 CPD) increased with the age of the animal, while at 70 and 90 CPD, p21 expression nearly disappeared in the VSMC from 12‐ and 24‐month‐old animals (Fig. 5C). When the expression of p21 was correlated with CPD, p21 expression increased with CPD in 12CL and 24CL, even if the cells did not stop dividing (Fig. 5D).
Oxidative stress
Aging‐related oxidative stress was analyzed in the three CL as a function of donor age and proliferative lifespan. First, we analyzed the expression of phospho‐p38, a MAP kinase activated by several cell stresses, including the oxidation increase that occurs in aging (Ragnauth et al. 2010; Gutiérrez‐Uzquiza et al. 2012). Figure 6 shows that the expression of stress‐response protein phospho‐p38 did not significantly change with the CPD in any of the three CL (A) or as a function of donor age (B). To confirm that the absence of cell stress evidence also meant the absence of oxidative damage accumulation, the protein carbonyl content was also analyzed, thereby revealing no changes in the oxidative status of the cells, either as a function of donor age or proliferative age (Fig. 6C).
Osteogene expression
RNA was obtained from the cells of 2CL, 12CL, and 24CL maintained in regular MEM and at the same CPD as above. The basal expressions of the Msx2, Runx2, and Bmp2 osteogene RNAs were analyzed by real‐time PCR. The results are summarized in Figure 7. The effect of donor age on osteogene expression is shown for 17 and 90 CPD. It was found that the Msx2 and Runx2 expressions were similar in the three CL at 17 CPD, but these expressions considerably increased with age at 90 CPD. Bmp2 abundance, however, increased considerably in 24CL at all CPDs.
An analysis of relative expression as a function of CPD revealed that all Msx2 and Runx2 expressions increased with the CPD, while Bmp2 showed a dramatic increase at an advanced CPD (Fig. 7B). The increase was similar in all three CL.
Finally, the RNA expression of a major anticalcifying protein, MGP, was also analyzed in the same samples, revealing a decrease in expression as donor age and proliferative age increased in all three CL. Figure 7C shows the expression of MGP as a function of CPD for the three donor ages.
Response to 2 mmol/L Pi treatment
Vascular smooth muscle cells from the three CL and four CPDs were incubated in MEM with 2 mmol/L Pi for 10 days to study the response of the cells to a classical calcification medium. Staining with alizarin red revealed that calcium deposition increased with the CPD, but the donor age variable had no effect on the deposited calcium at any CPD (Fig. 8A). These data were confirmed with alizarin red staining (Fig. 8B).
Medial VC is extremely common in the elderly (Blumenthal et al. 1944). However, while the hemodynamic complications are similar to those that affect renal patients, the outcomes are usually less severe (Roosens et al. 2012), as evidenced by the fact that MVC is usually accidentally described in the elderly population when diagnosing other disorders. During the last decade, many studies have addressed several aspects of arterial smooth muscle cell aging, and they show a correlation between VSMC senescence and age‐related arterial dysfunctions. This correlation has been made based on the assumption that proliferative aging (in vitro) is similar to cell aging in vivo (Hayflick 1965; Campisi 2013). Studies have revealed, for example, that human VSMC aged in vitro showed an increase in the expression of senescence markers such as p16 and p21 and an increase in senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activity, as well as an increase in the abundance of several bone‐related genes such as alkaline phosphatase, Runx2, or collagen I, in addition to a reduction in MGP expression (Nakano‐Kurimoto et al. 2009). Bmp2 and Msx2 expressions were not modified by replicative senescence, and osterix was somewhat less. A concurrent study, which also analyzed the human senescent VSMC gene expression profile using the microarray approach, expanded the analysis to inflammation and tissue remodeling genes (Burton et al. 2010). The study found overexpression of Bmp2 in senescent cells and the inhibition of MGP and osteoprotegerin, among other genes. Nevertheless, gene expression changes do not occur exclusively with senescence, and VSMC cultures dramatically change the expressed genome according to the proliferative activity and confluence (Absher et al. 1989; Shanahan et al. 1993), thereby making it more difficult to compare in vivo and in vitro VSMC phenotypes.
In this work, we have used primary cultures of rat VSMC, because laboratory rats, like humans, show increasing medial VC with age (Roosens et al. 2012). We have studied the age‐related changes of VSMC regarding the two age concepts: proliferative aging (in vitro) and chronological aging (in vivo). To do so, we established three CL of VSMC obtained from groups of rats that were 2‐, 12‐, and 24‐months‐old, which led to longitudinal and transversal studies. First, we summarized the culture growth characteristics of the three CL (Fig. 1), with the remarkable finding that no signs of proliferative aging or senescence were observed, even after 100 CPD. Only a reduction in the total number of cells was observed in 12CL and 24CL (Fig. 1B), as well as a progressive reduction in the cell divisions per day according to the CPD (Fig. 1C), compared to 2CL. The limited effects on rat VSMC proliferation are not common to all species, for example, human VSMC show a reduced cell division rate as donor age increases (Bierman 1978; Ruiz‐Torres et al. 1999). The absence of cell senescence was corroborated by staining for β‐galactosidase activity (with the exception of a slight increase at 90 CPD in VSMC from 24‐month‐old rats) and a constant telomerase rate, which agrees with previous findings that report telomerase induction during rat VSMC proliferation (Fig. 4) (Minamino and Kourembanas 2001). In addition, the absence of apparent oxidative stress (Fig. 6) also agrees with the absence of senescence because oxidative stress is a known cause of the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype, DNA damage and growth arrest, and telomere shortening (Campisi 2013). We used p38 activation as a marker of several stresses, even though this MAK kinase has been traditionally used as evidence of oxidative damage (Ragnauth et al. 2010; Gutiérrez‐Uzquiza et al. 2012). The absence of phospho‐p38 overexpression, therefore suggests that not only was oxidative stress not present in the cells, but also no other mechanisms of stress and stimuli that could activate this MAP kinase (osmostress, ultraviolet light, heat shock, cytokines, etc.) were significantly affecting the cultures (de Nadal et al. 2011). Rather than senescence, we observed a clearly increasing rate of VSMC apoptosis as the CPD increased (Fig. 5). A TUNEL assay revealed that, in addition to the effect of CPD in vitro, apoptosis also increased with donor age. However, this effect is only clearly observed at early CPD because at 70 and 90 CPD, the VSMC from 2CL showed the highest apoptosis rate. While the findings were less evident when caspase‐3 activity was determined, this assay corroborated the trend of an increasing apoptotic rate with the increase in both proliferative and donor aging.
Given that the VSMC phenotype changes easily from the synthetic (proliferating) to the contractile states (Absher et al. 1989; Shanahan et al. 1993) in vitro, which also seems to occur in vivo under certain circumstances, we studied the expression of the VSMC phenotype during the proliferative life in the three CL. The analyses of the expression of aortic smooth muscle markers, such as α‐actin and SM22α, revealed a significant effect by donor age, which was observed as early as 17 CPD and was maximal at 90 CPD (Fig. 2). The effect of proliferative aging was similar, but stronger than the effect of chronological aging (Fig. 3), and the effect increased as donor age increased. Consequently, at the same time as this apparent dedifferentiation, we also studied the conversion of VSMC into an osteoblastic phenotype by measuring the RNA expression of the Msx2, Runx2, and Bmp2 osteogenes (Fig. 7). Our results agreed with previous reports (Nakano‐Kurimoto et al. 2009; Burton et al. 2010) and showed evidence of osteoblastic transdifferentiation with the progression of the proliferative life in all three CL. The effect of donor age was, however, much more limited. At early CPD, only Bmp2 clearly increased in 24CL, but at late CPD, all three osteogenes increased strongly in 12CL and 24CL, compared to 2CL. Conversely, the expression of the anticalcifying protein MGP decreased with both donor age and proliferative age.
Finally, even if the incubation of VSMC at a high Pi concentration is a very limited model of calcification in vitro, with biological and chemical artifacts (Hortells, Sosa, Millan, and Sorribas, manuscript under review), the use of this protocol with the three CL and four CPDs has provided findings that are consistent with the gene expression results: calcium deposition is not affected by donor age, but CPD has a moderate effect when VSMC are incubated with 2 mmol/L Pi in MEM for 10 days (Fig. 8).
We must stress that this study was limited to a comparison of the effects of donor age with the effects of proliferation age, wherefore all the experiments were limited to in vitro conditions. If a comparison is made directly between the phenotypic changes observed in vitro and the chronological aging of arteries in vivo, the magnitude of the observed differences would be greater. The reason is because the existence of arteries without contractile VSMC (i.e., cells without smooth muscle markers such as α‐actin or Sm22α, as observed at 90 CPD, Fig. 3) has not been observed in the elderly, and in fact, this transdifferentiation would not be compatible with life. Based on these relevant differences, the critical steps and conditions of the method of VSMC aging in vitro should be analyzed in detail. During a study of VSMC aging in vitro, there are two critical steps that affect the VSMC phenotype and survival selection: (1) the isolation of cells from the artery, followed by the establishment of a culture, and (2) the culture conditions and techniques during proliferative aging. First, the isolation of VSMC by the collagenase digestion of arteries and seeding is a very aggressive method of cell selection. This selection occurs mostly according to the state of health of the cells and also partly according to the cell type. Moreover, the fact that fibroblasts could express α‐actin upon isolation and culture is an indication of possible cell contamination (e.g., Masur et al. 1996). During proliferation, either after the first seeding or after every trypsinization, the VSMC phenotype changes dramatically from the contractile to the proliferating phenotype (Shanahan et al. 1993; Shanahan and Weissberg 1998; Liu et al. 2015). After several passages and population doublings, this plasticity is reduced in favor of cells with a fibroblast‐like morphology, which can be observed in Figure 1E and which is corroborated by the dedifferentiation shown in Figures 2 and 3 (Absher et al. 1989). The apparent changes in gene expression during a long‐term culture can be caused by clonal selections during trypsinizations and forced proliferation if the clones exhibit different growth rates, but they can also be caused by the composition of the culture media, the plastic support, the CO2 atmosphere, culture manipulations, pH fluctuations, etc. All of these stressing factors that do not occur in vivo can be affecting the type of cells that survive in a culture during passages and divisions, and therefore the relationship with the aging process in vivo is questionable.
In conclusion, our findings reveal that, in vitro, rat VSMC do not exhibit classical cell division arrest or senescence (most likely because telomerase is induced) or an increasingly oxidative steady state, which is a hallmark of aging. We have also observed the previously reported partial osteoblastic transition of VSMC that occurs during the proliferative lifespan. However, given that senescence in vitro does not take place and that no other characteristics of aging were observed in the CL, special caution should be observed when using the proliferative lifespan of VSMC as a model of aging in vivo, as explained above. For example, despite osteoblastic transition in vitro, this transition has not been observed, or only minimally, as a function of donor age. The same can be said about maintenance of the contractile phenotype, for which CPD has a stronger effect than donor age.
We do not know the point up to which the proliferative lifespan of VSMC represents aging in vivo, but at a minimum, the effects on osteoblastic transdifferentiation are exaggerated in comparison to aging in vivo, and some hallmarks of aging, such as oxidation product accumulation, are not observed, despite the continuous elimination of defective cells during proliferation. Therefore, any conclusion achieved using this in vitro model of aging should be corroborated using arteries of old animals.
Conflict of Interest
None declared.
Funding Information
This study was supported by research grants SAF2012‐33898 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and the Consolidated B42 grant from the Government of Aragon and the European Social Fund, both to VS. A predoctoral fellowship from the Government of Aragon (Spain), B008/09, was given to AMP.
- Manuscript Received: August 19, 2015.
- Manuscript Revised: October 6, 2015.
- Manuscript Accepted: October 21, 2015.
- © 2015 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Subby Hubby – College Sister Part 5: Strap-onWednesday, June 8th, 2016
Niaomi is not done with her brother. She needs to fuck him properly with her new strap-on lust and make him her bitch. He moans and whines but she does not care. Her only care is to jam her cock in and out of his tight virgin hole as he wails. He cannot believe what a dominant bitch his sister turned into… Read More


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Flipper Celebrate 30 Years of Punk with New Albums and Tour
by David Chiu
If it had not been for the imminent demise of CBGB, the reunion of Flipper may have never happened. For 10 years, the influential San Francisco-based punk band was pretty much inactive, when it got a call in 2005 from the legendary New York City rock club's owner Hilly Kristal (who passed away in 2007).
"He informed me that CB was being evicted," drummer Steve DePace tells Spinner, "and they were mounting some benefit concerts to try to fight the eviction. They picked and chose different bands to invite to come out and play. So that was the impetus for us getting back together again. And we did and kind of carried on."
Flipper, whose founding members include DePace, bassist/singer Bruce Loose and guitarist Ted Falconi, are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. The band is releasing not one but two records simultaneously on May 19. One of them, 'Love,' is the group's first new studio album in 16 years; the other release, 'Fight,' is a live record.
'Love' features contributions from former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who joined Flipper in 2006 to become the third musician to handle the duties of original bassist/singer Will Shatter, who died in 1987. Work on the album happened at Novoselic's place and was produced by Jack Endino, whose credits included Nirvana's first album, 'Bleach.' "We've always been able to maintain that Flipper sound somehow," says DePace. "It's so interesting that different bass players can come to the band … and it still sounds like Flipper."
It was announced recently that Novoselic departed from Flipper over his concern about touring. In his place now is Rachel Thoele, formerly of the band Frightwig. "My opinion is that [Krist] just sort of realized that going away for long periods of time wasn't something he wanted to do anymore," says DePace. "The tour grind can wear you out and could be pretty tough."
As part of the San Francisco punk rock scene, the band developed its audience by playing at The Sound of Music, a transvestite strip club that would turn into a punk venue on the weekends. Afterward, Flipper started performing at famed punk club the Mabuhay Gardens. "We had a homecoming show at the Mabuhay," says DePace. "There was a line around the block. The first time that they fed us dinner was like a big deal. 'Wow, we have arrived: They're feeding us.'"
Flipper developed a reputation as, in DePace's words, "the band you love to hate." He continues, "The hardcore kids really loved the mayhem at a Flipper show, but didn't necessarily love the songs. But yet a Flipper show was always fun. It was always mad, crazy and out of control, and the vibe was always great."
The band is most famous for 1982's 'Sex Bomb,' a nearly eight-minute rocker with Shatter singing several times the song's single lyric: "Sex bomb baby, yeah!" DePace recalls a time when a Boston radio station invited listeners to submit their own versions of the song. "They got so many submissions," he says, "that what started as an idea to do a two-hour show ended up being a weekend marathon.
"['Sex Bomb'] was the 'Stairway to Heaven' of our generation," DePace continues. "That was the song that so many kids learned how to play. I read a story about Nirvana having played that song at a house party when they were first starting out. It really did have an impact."
Among many notables, producer Rick Rubin and Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery are apparently admirers of Flipper, and R.E.M. have recorded a version of 'Sex Bomb.' "All I can say is that we stood out amongst the crowd," says DePace. "And I guess that's a good lesson for anybody…not to try to fit in, and not to try to sound like every other band."
As of now, Flipper are scheduled to perform several dates in Australia and New Zealand in June, followed by some Warped Tour appearances in California. DePace says he has thought a lot about the band's 30th anniversary: "It's like, 'Here we are. Let's get out and play, and go do things we haven't' done before.'"
We can only imagine what that means.


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Many years ago I wrote a poem called "Unprotected Poetry". Little did I know at the time that this not-so-simple, not so little poem would create such controversy. For over ten years "Unprotected Poetry" has assaulted the senses of readers and listeners all looking to see or hear between the lines. That this most sensual poem could be about censorship was not always understood but the concept was readily appreciated.
Bookwire is a mobile app for your iPhone that gives you the ability to scan a barcode
or enter ISBN, access book records and add titles to wish lists.


text:
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Thieves stole a dismantled aluminium greenhouse from outside a home in Seaford on Wednesday (July 17) afternoon.
The offenders took the scrap metal from a driveway in Deal Avenue between midday and 6pm, loaded it into a van and drove off.
Sergeant Stuart Mullins said: "I urge all residents to be on their guard against this sort of theft.
"Those responsible usually cruise around housing estates in vans and lorries looking for any metal they can see.
"Please don't leave any metal in your front gardens or on your drives and if you see any suspicious vehicles or people call us straight away.
"Don't forget the town is a no cold-calling zone and we want to deter all door to door activity."
Anyone with information about the Deal Avenue incident should call 101 quoting serial 1313 of 17 July or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


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By Shannon Selin
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE was a voracious reader. He had a personal librarian, he always travelled with books, and he took a great interest in constructing the ultimate portable library to accompany him on his military campaigns. Napoleon's taste in books was primarily classical. He had some lifelong favourite authors, including Plutarch, Homer and Ossian. But what else did he like to read?
Napoleon's love of books
According to his classmate (and later secretary) Louis Bourrienne, Napoleon read avidly from an early age. Whenever they had free time at the military school at Brienne:
[Napoleon] would run to the library, where he read with great eagerness books of history, particularly Polybius and Plutarch. He also especially liked Arrian, but had little taste for Quintus Curtius. (1)
At the École Militaire in Paris and as a young artillery officer, Napoleon continued to read classical scholars, as well as more recent French and Italian authors. He also read a number of English works in translation. An idea of his favourites might be judged by what he chose to bring with him during a leave of absence in Corsica in 1786-87. His brother Joseph recounts,
[Napoleon] was then a passionate admirer of Jean-Jacques [Rousseau]; … a fan of the masterpieces of Corneille, Racine and Voltaire. He brought the works of Plutarch, Plato, Cicero, Cornelius Nepos, Livy and Tacitus, translated into French; and those of Montaigne, Montesquieu and Raynal. All of these works filled a trunk larger than the one that contained his toiletries. I don't deny that he also had the poems of Ossian, but I do deny that he preferred them to Homer. (2)
Napoleon soon parted ways with Rousseau, but his admiration for Ossian continued throughout his life. (He even reads Ossian in my novel Napoleon in America).
Ossian's cycle of epic poems was published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson beginning in 1760. Though Macpherson claimed the material originated from ancient Gaelic sources, many – including Samuel Johnson – criticized the work as a forgery, written by Macpherson himself.
When Napoleon learned, on St. Helena, that the wife of British Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm hailed from Scotland, he asked her if she knew Ossian's poems.
[Napoleon] said he admired them very much, particularly Darthula, and inquired if the controversy about their authenticity was decided; and whether Macpherson had really written them. He laughed on her replying with quickness, that Macpherson was not capable of writing them. She said the Highland Society had done everything possible to investigate and had proved their authenticity beyond a doubt…. She said [the poems] had been more admired on the Continent than in England. He exclaimed with energy: 'It was I, – I made them the fashion. I have been even accused of having my head filled with Ossian's clouds.' (3)
Napoleon's librarians and libraries
Napoleon's appetite for reading books continued as he rose in power. In 1798, about to depart on the Egyptian campaign, he gave Bourrienne a list of books he wanted in his camp library. These included works in Sciences and Arts (e.g., Treatise on Fortifications), Geography and Travels (e.g., Cook's Voyages), History (e.g., Thucydides, Frederick II), Poetry (e.g., Ossian, Tasso, Ariosto), Novels (e.g., Voltaire, Héloïse, Werther and 40 volumes of "English novels"), and Politics and Morals (the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, etc.). (4)
In 1800, Napoleon appointed Louis Ripault, an antiquarian who was a member of the Egyptian expedition, as his personal librarian. When Ripault proved to be too liberal, he was replaced in 1804 by an elderly Italian historian, Carlo Denina, author of The History of the Revolutions of Italy, which Napoleon had read as a student. In 1807, Denina was succeeded by the librarian Antoine-Alexandre Barbier.
Napoleon expected his librarian to be on call at all hours to read to him, to report on new books, to find sources of information on particular subjects, and to summarize content. Dissatisfied with the camp libraries formed for his use, in July 1808 Napoleon dictated from Bayonne instructions for Barbier to create a purpose-built travelling library.
The Emperor wants a portative library of thousand volumes in 12mo., printed in good type, without margin, and composed as nearly as possible of 40 volumes on religion, 40 of epics, 40 of plays, 60 of poetry, 100 of novels, 60 of history, the remainder, to make up the 1,000, of historical memoirs.
The religious works are to be the Old and New Testament, the Koran, a selection from the works of the Fathers of the Church, works respecting the Arians, Calvinists, a Mythology, &c.
The epics are to be Homer, Lucan, Tasso, Telemachus, the Henriade, &c. (5)
Among the novels were to be the masterpieces of Fielding, Richardson and Le Sage.
For the 1809 campaign against Austria, Barbier prepared a substantial library, arranged in a series of large mahogany cases, which could be opened up into instant bookshelves (the cases were later exchanged for leather ones, considered more durable). Dissatisfied that some books had to be omitted because of their bulk, Napoleon in June 1809 sent instructions from Vienna for Barbier to compose an even larger travelling library of historical works, in even smaller size.
His Majesty would wish the volumes of such a library to reach three thousand. This collection…should be divided into five or six parts: 1. Chronology and Universal History; 2. Ancient History by original writers, and Ancient History by modern writers; 3. History of the Lower Empire by original writers, and History of the Lower Empire by modern writers; 4. General and Particular History, like Voltaire's Essays, etc.; 5. Modern History of the States of Europe, of France, Italy, etc. When these three thousand volumes of History are finished, they will be followed by three thousand more of Natural History, of Voyages, of Literature, etc. (6)
Barbier estimated the work would take six years to complete and would cost between 5.4 and 6.5 million francs. The project was never carried out. Meanwhile, the existing library was improved from time to time. For example, from Vitebsk during the Russian campaign in August 1812, Barbier was told,
The Emperor desires to have some amusing books. If there be any new novels which are good, or older ones which he does not know, or memoirs of light reading, you will do well to send them, for we have leisure moments here which are difficult to fill up. (7)
During the retreat from Moscow, a number of boxes of books from Napoleon's travelling library were burned by the French.
Napoleon reading books in exile
During his exile on Elba in 1814, Napoleon maintained a library of "a considerable number of volumes." He allowed no one to enter the room, which also served as an office, except his secretary and the floor polisher. (8)
In late June 1815, after the defeat at Waterloo, when Napoleon was at Malmaison contemplating escape to the United States, he instructed General Henri Bertrand to write to Barbier for "works upon America," a report on everything published on the subject of his campaigns, "and in addition, several works on the United States." The library was to be consigned to an American firm, "who will have it transported to America from Havre." (9)
Napoleon did not make it to America. Instead, he gave himself up to the British, who banished him to St. Helena. On seeing an Englishman reading Milton's Paradise Lost on board the Northumberland, the ship that conveyed him to exile, Napoleon reportedly said,
Your British Homer lacks taste, harmony, warmth, naturalness. Read again the poet of Achilles. Devour Ossian. Those are the poets who lift up the soul, and give to man a colossal greatness. (10)
Napoleon had plenty of time to read on St. Helena, and he developed a large library there. He brought with him on the Northumberland "six small mahogany cases containing what was called a field library, provided by M. Barbier, the Emperor's librarian. These crates consisted of good works, and were of great assistance in fighting the boredom of such a lengthy crossing." (11)
This was supplemented by the arrival, in June 1816, of the bulk of Napoleon's library. Emmanuel de Las Cases reports:
The Emperor sent for me about three o'clock. He was in the topographical cabinet, surrounded by all the persons of his suite, who were engaged in unpacking some boxes of books which had arrived by the Newcastle. The Emperor himself helped to unpack, and seemed to be highly amused with the occupation. (12)
More books were brought by visitors, or sent to Napoleon by sympathizers, including England's Lady Holland. One of the gifts, the three-volume Life of Marlborough by William Coxe, resulted in the dismissal of British orderly officer Engelbert Lutyens, as described in my post "General Bonaparte vs. Emperor Napoleon."
It was customary in the evenings for Napoleon to read out loud to his companions, or for one of them to read to him. His librarian on St. Helena, the valet Louis Étienne Saint-Denis, writes:
The Emperor was infinitely fond of reading. The Greek and Roman historians were often in his hands, especially Plutarch. … He often read Rollin. The history of the Middle Ages, modern history, and particular histories occupied him only casually. The only religious book which he had was the Bible. He liked to read over in it the chapters which he had heard read in the ruins of the ancient cities of Syria.
Every time that he read Homer it was with a new admiration.
Corneille, Racine, Voltaire, often had one or two acts of their pieces read aloud.
He also took pleasure in reading some parts of Voltaire's Essai sur les moeurs et l'esprit des nations, as well as some articles from the Dictionnaire Philosophique of the same author. Novels helped him to relax and broke the seriousness of his habitual occupations. Gil Blas, Don Quixote and a small number of others would be read by him.
It was only by chance that he took up a scientific work; books of this sort were only occasional. (13)
It was while he was on St. Helena that Napoleon read his brother Lucien's Charlemagne:
What ability; what time and labour; thrown away! Twenty thousand verses – some few of them good verses – but the whole colourless, aimless, and resultless. (14)
By 1821, when Napoleon died, his library consisted of 1,814 volumes, 1,226 of which had been shipped from England. (15) In his will, Napoleon directed Saint-Denis to take care of "four hundred volumes, selected from those in my library of which I have been accustomed to use the most" and to convey them to his son, the King of Rome (Napoleon II), when he reached the age of 16. Napoleon's companions took what they liked from the rest of his books. The remainder were purchased by the bookseller Bossange and Co., which organized an auction by Sotheby's in London on July 23, 1823.
The catalogue listed 123 items, 10 of which were letters signed by Napoleon. A few volumes were given to members of Napoleon's family. When General Bertrand died, all but about a dozen of the volumes belonging to his estate were sold for scrap. Even if you don't understand French, you will be able to decipher some of the titles remaining, as well as those listed in the auction catalogue, in La Bibliothèque de Napoléon à Sainte Hélène by Victor Advielle (Paris, 1894).
For more about Napoleon's book reading habits, see the three-part article on "Napoleon the Reader" by Ira Grossman on the Napoleon Series: "The Early Years"; "The Imperial Years"; "The Final Years".
Shannon Selin is the Canadian-based author of Napoleon in America, which imagines what might have happened if Bonaparte had escaped from St. Helena in 1821 and wound up in the United States. She blogs about Napoleonic and 19th century history at shannonselin.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShannonSelin.
If you enjoyed these Napoleon Bonaparte facts, you might also enjoy…
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
10 Things Napoleon Never Said
10 Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes in Context
What did Napoleon look like?
Napoleon in Alternate History
1. Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, Mémoires de M. de Bourrienne sur Napoléon, le Directoire, le Consulat, l'Empire et la Restauration, Vol. I (Paris, 1829), p. 33
2. Du Casse, ed., Mémoires et Correspondance Politique et Militaire du Roi Joseph, Vol. I (Paris, 1855), pp. 32-33.
3. Clementina E. Malcolm, A Diary of St. Helena (1816, 1817): the Journal of Lady Malcolm, edited by Sir Arthur Wilson (London, 1899), pp. 24-25.
4. Bourrienne, Mémoires, Vol. II, pp. 49-50. Constituted by French general and scholar Louis Caffarelli du Falga with the help of the economist Jean-Baptiste Say, the Egyptian campaign library consisted of about 320 volumes, over half of them historical.
5. Bingham, ed., A Selection from the Letters and Despatches of the First Napoleon, Vol. II (London, 1884), p. 400.
6. "Book Collectors," Lippincott's Magazine of Literature, Science and Education, Vol. VII (Philadelphia, 1871), pp. 310-311.
7. A Selection from the Letters and Despatches of the First Napoleon, Vol. III, p. 167.
8. Louis Étienne Saint-Denis, Napoleon from the Tuileries to St. Helena, translated by Frank Hunter Potter (New York and London, 1922), p. 75.
9. A Selection from the Letters and Despatches of the First Napoleon, Vol. III, p. 412.
10. Edward Edwards, Libraries and Founders of Libraries (London, 1865), p. 139.
11. Louis-Joseph Marchand, In Napoleon's Shadow (San Francisco, 1998), p. 333. It's not clear what the books consisted of. Marchand refers to Napoleon taking notes on Lacratelle, a French historian and journalist.
12. Emmanuel-August-Dieudonné de Las Cases, Mémorial de Sainte Hélène: Journal of the Private Life and Conversations of the Emperor Napoleon at Saint Helena (London, 1823), Vol. II, p. 275.
13. Napoleon from the Tuileries to St. Helena, pp. 188-190.
14. Libraries and Founders of Libraries, p. 139.
15. In Napoleon's Shadow, p. 333.


text: Banff National Park in Banff, Alberta, Canada, is home to a film festival, and is a popular tourist destination year round. Whistler, BC, Canada, is a popular tourist town as well. Now you can find out all about the towns from your mobile phone thanks to a pair of dot mobi sites, banff.mobi and whistler.mobi. […] Read more »


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Through Schools Wikipedia, SOS Children's Villages has brought learning to children around the world. SOS Children helps more than 2 million people across 133 countries around the world. There are many ways to help with SOS Childrens Villages.


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This week was just busy at the front end, and my allergies kicked in big time at the tail-end. I am feeling rundown and tired, which means it's time for a total overhaul of my running plan for the spring. More on that to come in a separate post.
Sunday: 5 at 11:09 for my 31st birthday! I ran with my friend, Mary, and got to see her adorable 7-month-old girl.
Monday: Rest. Too much to do.
Tuesday: 15 mins elliptical + Strength.
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 4 at 10:58.
Friday: Rest.
Saturday: Rest
Weekly mileage: 9


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Penalties urged for Anglo-Welsh green crimes
Companies and individuals breaking environmental laws should be served anti-social behaviour orders, the Anglo-Welsh environment agency said last Thursday. So-called "Asbos" have become well known in Britain since their introduction in 1999 but have only been used once in the context of environmental crime. In its latest annual review of industry environmental performance the agency reports record low serious pollution incidents in 2004, record levels of waste recovery and falling sulphur dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. See press release and Confederation of British industry reaction.
The full text of this article is only available to subscribers and free trialists. To login,please enter your email address and subscriber access code below.


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It's clear that we value creativity – from our wines to our artist communities. And we know creative people are always coming up with new events and social gatherings. So, if you have an event that you would like to share with others, please register here.
Also – we are eager to make your vision come true for your group. Whether it be your family, co-workers or even a high school reunion, our Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce and the Bed and Breakfast Association of Historic Augusta work together to make your dream a reality.
Please contact us and let us know how we can best create the right food, lodging and other experiences you would like to have.


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About Group
added in the last 7 days
Group Description
This is a support group for people exploring the practice of voluntary simplicity with the intent of increasing joy and meaning while reducing their personal environmental impact. List members are at all stages on the path; some are just starting out and others could have lived with Gandhi. The common bond is a desire to walk more lightly on the planet, to embrace a more egalitarian use of earth's resources worldwide, and to create space within us and within our society for joy and choices. Group conversation should be viewed as a barn-raising for ideas with all opinions equally valid. List members like to constructively question conventional wisdom and other members' opinions; however, personal attacks and challenges that demean other members or their worldviews are unwelcome.
Group Information
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- Voluntary Simplicity
- Jan 7, 2002
- English
Group Settings
- This is a public group.
- Attachments are not permitted.
- Members cannot hide email address.
- Listed in Yahoo Groups directory.
- Membership does not require approval.
- Messages are not moderated.
- All members can post messages.


text:
When you use Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2015 Update 2 in one of the following languages, the Build feature may not work:
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Japanese
- Korean
Invalid object other than ':' or '}' has been passed.
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
- If you are not the TFS team project collection administrator, make sure that you have been added as an agent pool administrator. For more information, see Agent pools.
- Download and extract the compressed (.zip) file from here.
- On one of your TFS Application Tiers, open a PowerShell console, and then change the current location to the directory where you extracted the .zip file in step 2.
For example, run CD C:\TFS_2015_Update_2_Task_Updates.
- To verify that your execution policy allows for the execution of installation scripts, run the following command line:
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process -Force
- From a TFS Application Tier, run the installation script against your TFS collection, as follows:
\Install-TaskUpdate.ps1 -CollectionUrl http://myserver:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
Article ID: 3157964 - Last Review: May 3, 2016 - Revision: 1
Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2015


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Heart Information Center
7 Effects of Smoking on the Cardiovascular System
Cigarette smoking is considered to be the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases and deaths. Smoking causes circulatory diseases, heart attacks and strokes in people. 7 effects of smoking on the cardiovascular system includes atherosclerosis, low blood oxygen, coronary heart disease, blood clots, stroke, Buerger's Disease, and peripheral artery disease.
Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a condition where the patient experiences sudden deterioration of the signs and symptoms of an existing heart failure. These include dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), swelling in feet or legs and fatigue. Acute decompensated heart failure is a common and a serious cause for acute respiratory distress. Know the causes, symptoms, treatment, surgery and diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure.
Most common symptom of an Afib or Atrial Fibrillation is severe dyspnea at rest or with exertion. Afib or Atrial Fibrillation occurs episodically and come and go. Know its causes, symptoms and treatment.
Aortic stenosis may be congenital, but generally it matures in later life. Children suffering from aortic stenosis may have other conditions since birth. Asymptomatic patients, even with critical aortic stenosis, have an excellent projection for survival, with an expected death rate of less than 1% per year.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy or ARVC
There is no cure for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or ARVC but the treatments are focussed towards managing and reducing the symptoms of ARVC. Learn about its treatment, prognosis, coping, complications, and going back to work after arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or ARVC.
Atherosclerosis or Arteriosclerosis
Although Atherosclerosis or Arteriosclerosis is a cardiac condition it can also affect other parts of the body as well. Atherosclerosis or Arteriosclerosis is treatable and definitely preventable if proper precautions are taken.
Atrial Tachycardia is form of arrhythmia in which the electrical impulses to the heart comes from an abnormal site rather than from the SA node which is the site from where electrical impulses to the heart are generated normally.
Bifascicular Block is a potentially serious medical condition and may cause a variety of complications especially if the affected individual has other cardiac problems as well as it may result in cardiac arrest. Know the causes, symptoms, treatment for bifascicular block.
Bundle branch block is a medical condition that creates an obstruction or delay in the pathway of electric impulses that travel to make the heartbeat. There aren't any specific treatments for this medical condition however several underlying condition which causes bundle branch blocks can be treated such as heart diseases.There could be many reasons that could lead to bundle branch block however it may differ depending which side of the right or left bundle branch is damaged.
Bypass Surgery Recovery Period & What to Expect After Bypass Surgery
Bypass surgery recovery period depends on individual's prior health condition and age and everyone recovers from bypass surgery in their own speed and it generally takes time. One will be able to sit on a chair just after a day, able to walk more or less after 3 days & walk on the stairs after a week. The bypass surgery recovery period in general is inside twelve weeks of time. Know what is bypass surgery, its recovery period and what to expect after a bypass surgery.
Can Running Cause Heart Attack?
Exercise and running increases the life expectancy but over exercise or repeated long distance running without knowing underlying heart condition can be detrimental to the function of the heart, thus running can cause heart attack.
Can You Have Symptoms of a Heart Attack for Days?
It is possible to notice unobtrusive heart attack symptoms months before an actual attack. But for an obtrusive heart attack the symptoms appear very quickly. The duration of heart attack also varies. One minute they are alive and standing. The following minute they grip their chest with a sickening dread, and in around 10 seconds that they may drop dead, never to rise up again.
Cardiac Arrhythmia And The Ablation Therapy
Treatment of Arrhythmia via The Cardiac Ablation Therapy involves several steps and performed in short period of time or may prolong for 3 to 6 hours. Know the Success Rate, Side Effects.
The root cause of Cardiac Asthma is mechanical heart failure, which is a potentially serious condition if not treated appropriately at the right time. Know what is cardiac asthma, its causes, symptoms, signs, treatment and risk factors.
Cardiomyopathy - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Cardiomyopathy is a condition which makes it harder for the heart to pump and supply blood to the other parts of the body. Know its causes, symptoms, treatment.


text: I did a search and found that the topic of pre-qualifying customers on the phone (or otherwise) may not been covered since '02. I was wondering for any of the members still here since that time, or any other members, have you since re-worked your qualification questions or tactics. I know the basic questions still most likely apply: 1. How did you hear about us? 2. What sparked your interest in .....? 3. Have you worked with a landscape/hardascape/maintenance/irrigation/ lighting business before? 4. How long have you lived in your house? 5. Have you made a decision on a budget for this project? Anyone add a question they didn't think about in the beginning, or maybe change the delivery based on successes or failures? Any one question that you think is a must?