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Story highlights
- Two Forsyth County, North Carolina, residents objected to board meeting prayers
- The Supreme Court lets a lower court ruling in their favor stand
- The high court also let stand rulings favoring students who posted online
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a North Carolina county that had regularly opened its public meetings with Christian prayers.
The church-state dispute is a victory for two Forsyth County residents who brought suit against the Board of Commissioners. Janet Joyner and Constance Lynn Blackmon were represented in their court challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
"When government meetings are opened regularly with Christian prayer, it sends the unmistakable message that non-Christians are second-class citizens in their own community," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, who heads Americans United, a Washington-based group. "The Constitution clearly forbids government to play favorites when it comes to religion."
Court records show that 26 of 33 invocations given at the council meetings in 2007 and 2008 contained references to Jesus Christ, the Trinity, or other Christian symbols or names. Clergy members from the community often delivered the sectarian invocations. The county seat is Winston-Salem, one the largest cities in the state.
A federal appeals court last year found the prayers to be an unconstitutional violation of the Constitution's Establishment Clause, which forbids any government endorsement of one religion over another.
The case is Forsyth County, N.C., v. Joyner (11-546).
The high court also turned aside a pair of student speech cases involving off-campus activity in the digital age. Both appeals involved school suspensions of students who engaged in cyberattacks using their home computers.
In one appeal from northeastern Pennsylvania, the justices let stand a lower-court ruling in favor of an eighth-grade girl who created a fake MySpace profile of her male principal, who was described as a "hairy sex addict" and a "pervert." Attached was a real photo of James McGonigle of Blue Mountain Middle School near Allentown.
Court records show the posting was widely circulated at the school among students and faculty, and the principal eventually suspended the girl for 10 days. Her parents, Steven and Terry Snyder, then sued and were represented by the ACLU, which called the posting a "juvenile humor" parody.
A federal appeals court concluded that the posting caused no substantial disruption at the school, and that officials lacked authority "to punish students for off-campus speech."
That same court also ruled in favor of a Pittsburgh-area high school student who also created a mock MySpace profile of his principal, who was labeled as a drug user, "whore," and "big fag."
But a separate appeals court had given a West Virginia school district a legal victory after a high school senior was punished for creating what officials called a targeted "hate website." Kara Kowalski had organized a MySpace discussion group involving about a 100 classmates, suggesting a fellow student was a "slut" who had contracted herpes. Kowalski sued after she was cited for violating the county school policy on bullying and harassment.
Free speech advocates and national school coalitions separately urged the high court to intervene and resolve the conflicting rulings, but the justices gave no reason for their decision to stay out, at least in these disputes.
"Now is the time for the Supreme Court to resolve the question of whether and to what extent school districts have the authority to discipline students for off-campus speech," said Francisco Negron Jr., of the National School Boards Association. "As technology blurs the lines between on-campus and off-campus speech, school districts need clear guidance to be able to effectively address extreme off-campus speech that interferes with a safe and orderly learning environment."
In the famous "Tinker" case from 1969, the Supreme Court ruled two Iowa high school students could continue wearing anti-Vietnam War armbands. The high court established an important precedent, saying students do not "shed their constitutional rights when they enter the schoolhouse door." But school administrators do retain the authority to restrict any activity that would cause a "substantial disruption" of the school's educational mission.
The current cases are Blue Mountain School District v. J.S. (11-502); and Kowalski v. Berkeley County Schools (11-461).


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Why Monday?
The Science behind Monday
The key to health behavior change is to create healthy habits that can be sustained over time. A growing body of evidence suggests that healthy thinking and behavior is synchronized to the week, with Monday being the day people are most "open to buy" health. Monday can thus be a powerful leverage point in public health promotions to help people stay on track with their health goals.
Research summary
Monday has a special significance in our culture as the beginning of the week, which influences our mood and health outcomes
The 7-day week and the meaning we associate with the days of the week is a social construct, and not based on biological or planetary cycles. Yet a range of negative health outcomes, such as heart attacks and strokes, happen more frequently on Mondays as people transition back to the structured routine of the week.[i]
While 20% of people report that Monday is "a day to dread", many people see Monday positively. They view it as an opportunity for a "fresh start" (35%) and a day to "get my act together" (20%).[ii]
There's a surge in healthy contemplations and actions on Monday.
People are more likely to either start diets, exercise regimens, quit smoking or schedule doctor's appointments on Monday than on other days of the week.[ii], [vi]
People call tobacco quit lines more on Mondays than other days.[vii], [viii]
An analysis of health-related Google searches from 2004-2012 showed a consistent pattern of spikes at the beginning of the week. This pattern was also seen in tobacco-related searches in 6 different languages.[iii], [iv], [v]
Engaging in healthy behaviors on Monday helps people sustain healthy behavior throughout the week.
Dieters have greater long term success if they use Monday as a "reset" day to get back on track. Most dieters indulge and gain some weight back over the weekend. Research shows people that get back on track with their weight loss regimens at the beginning of the week are better able to maintain progress over time.[ix]
People report that starting the week off with exercise, healthy eating, good stress management, and a positive attitude keeps them on track throughout the week.[ii]
Taking small steps that build over time can help people sustain healthy behavior
Periodic, frequent messages have the potential to improve a range of health behaviors.i
69% of people say that taking small steps rather than doing everything at once makes it easier to achieve their health goals.ii
Monday provides a social context for change because people are together as they return to the structured routine of work and school.
36% of people say it's easier to achieve their health goals if they join with family, friends and co-workers.ii
[i] Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future. (2010). Healthy Monday: Two literature reviews. Baltimore, MD: Fry, J. & Neff, R.
[ii] Data Decisions Group, 2017. 1,000 online survey respondents.
[iii] Ayers, J.W., Althouse, B.M., Johnson, M.J., Cohen, J.E. (2014). What's the Healthiest Day? Circaseptan (weekly) Rhythms in Healthy Considerations. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47, 73-76.
[iv] Ayers, J.W., Althouse, B.M., Johnson, M.J., Cohen J.E. (2014). Circaseptan (Weekly) Rhythms in Smoking Cessation Considerations. JAMA Intern Med, 174, 146-148.
[v] Dai, H., Milkman, K.L., & Riis, J. (2013). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60, 1-20.
[vi] Unpublished data gathered from NY-based gyms and the Johns Hopkins recreation center.
[vii] Erbas, B., Bui, Q., Huggins, R., Harper, T., & White, V. (2006). Investigating the relation between placement of Quit antismoking advertisements and number of calls to Quitline: A semiparametric modelling approach. J Epidemiol Community Health, 60, 180-182.
[viii] Johnson, M.J. (2011). Weekly patterns in usage of tobacco quit lines. Presented at the 2011 North American Quitline Consortium.
[ix] Orsama, A., Mattila, E., Ermes, M., van Gils, M., Wansink, B., & Korhonen, I. (2014). Weight rhythms: Weight increases during weekends and decreases during weekdays. Obesity Facts, 7, 36-47

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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b.Each playground will be installed for test before finally coating to assure quality.
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Welcome to our website! Please feel free to send us your questions by asking us, we will contact you and provide you with the services as soon as possible. Please write in English.


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Peter Gay Reflects on the Holocaust
On June 23, 1999, noted cultural historian Peter Gay, Emeritus Sterling Professor of History at Yale University and director of the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, gave the 1999 Monna and Otto Weinmann annual lecture at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
The annual lecture series focuses on Holocaust survivors who came to the United States and their families. In his lecture, "Moritz Frolich-Morris Gay: A German Refugee in the United States," Gay focused on the difficulties of Jewish emigration from Nazi Germany through the prism of his own family's experience. Gay discussed his father's painful decision to leave home and his extended family, the bureaucratic difficulties of securing an exit visa from Germany, the long wait in Cuba to secure a U.S. immigration visa, and the shock of a new language and culture. By way of this poignant account, he raised historical questions about the emigration experience. Gay declared that more research on the emigration experience was needed, particularly as it relates to women, who, he suggested, played a key role in adjusting to life in the new world. The lecture was followed by a brief reception.
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Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, Scribe fans. It's been an amazing year. Four YA novels and a short story published, and I've learned tons about the business. A huge thanks to all those who have read and helped spread the word about my books this past year. There is no way I could have done all of this without you. I'm truly grateful and humbled by the generosity of my writing community. You guys rock!
I just came off a two day Free promo for Heaven is for Heroes and On Thin Ice. Sales for both books had trickled to a slow drip over the last six months and I thought a run in the KDP Select program might breathe new life into my visibility through the holidays. As with all of my promotional efforts, it's pretty much of an experiment each and every time since what works one day in publishing may not work the next.
In hind site, my biggest mistake was that I didn't plan far enough ahead to garner a spot in any of the paid advertising sites like Pixel of Ink, E-reader News Today, Kindle Nation Daily, or one of the newer sites Book Bub, a site that I've heard is getting some impressive attention. Some of these sites take one to six months to get an ad, and some cost as much as $200 for a one day advertisement. Pricey, but usually worth it to reach the 10,000+ mark for downloads in a two day period. The consensus seems to be that two days is the charm, as downloads usually drop by day three and if you haven't hit the top 100 list on Amazon, you're not likely to beyond day three. The idea is that if you can get enough volume of downloads, it will affect your rankings and set you up for a nice bump in sales once the book goes back into the paid store. At least that's how it used to work.
Amazon appears to be fond of changing the rules on us Indies as soon as we figure out how to make the system work for us. I'm sure you've heard or read about incidents of things like reviews disappearing arbitrarily, algorithms changing to favor traditionally published and higher priced books, and the shifty way they manipulate the rankings after a free promo. In other words, it's beginning to feel like the cards are stacked against us.
For example, in March I did a two day FREE promo for Savage Cinderella. Granted, I was part of a group of 19 authors giving our books away and cross-promoting the event, clearly able to reach many more readers than going solo, but I had 28,000 downloads, made it into the Amazon top 100, and had an uptick in sales for about three weeks after the promotion, selling about 800 books that month. This week's promotion didn't do nearly as well, but I didn't expect it to given I hadn't advertised ahead of time and didn't have the cross-promotion benefits. I did get several new twitter followers and a few new FB "likes" out of the deal and my books are in the hands of a few thousand new readers—always a good thing! Hopefully, it will translate to some postiive reviews.
Here are my results:
Heaven is for Heroes:
2,868 US downloads, 96 (UK), 25 (de), 3(Fr.), 1 (es.), 4 (It.), 1 (Jap), and 7 (Ca.)
Amazon Bestseller Rankings:
#130 Free Kindle store
#8 Kindle store>e-books>teens
#32 kindle store>e-books>fiction>genre fiction>romance contemporary
On Thin Ice:
825 US Downloads, 114 (UK), 22 (de), 2 (Ca.)
#453 in Kindle store
#14 Kindle store>Kindle books>teen>romance
Not bad numbers overall, considering there were no paid ads and I basically depended on Twitter and Facebook for advertising. I listed the books on half a dozen Facebook pages that allowed for promotion of free books, focusing on YA sites. I belong to several writers loops and had lots of help spreading the word (THANK YOU Wana Minions, CTRWA buddies, Authors Network and the WG2E Street team folks.)
I had low expectations of this promotion since it was a last minute decision and I scrambled to pull it together. I'll see over the next week whether sales are given a boost, but I'm not anticipating that since the rankings dropped back to the pre-promo numbers as soon as I came off of FREE. It used to take a few days for this to happen, but Amazon's new practices seem to expedite this process, making it that much harder for authors to take advantage of short term boosts in rankings. I was hoping I'd stay in the visible top 100 to catch those new Kindle owners after Christmas, but I'm thinking that's not going to happen either. They'll likely be loading up on the FREE books going up next week, the zillion .99 cent books that will be available over the next month, and the lucky ducks sitting on the Top 100 list that most people find as soon as they fire up their Kindles.
One interesting note is the number of downloads of Heaven is for Heroes verses On Thin Ice. On Thin Ice has been my best seller for several months, selling twice as many in the UK as here in the US, and outselling my other titles three to one. Since the only thing I did to change the game was to change my cover for Heaven is for Heroes, I'm wondering if that might be what gave the book a boost.
My favorite takeaway from this promotion is seeing downloads in Italy, Japan, and Canada, new markets previously untapped for me. Very exciting!
I hope Santa was good to you all and that whatever you're doing today, you'll find some downtime to escape into a good book. Merry Christmas everyone!
Any questions? Thoughts? Ideas?


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Mastitis is a common infection among breastfeeding women. The infection causes the breast to become tender, red, and hot. The woman also experiences flu-like symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Breast infections can occur when the milk ducts become plugged or when the nipples become cracked. In rare cases, the connective tissues of the breast may become infected.
An inflamed, painfully tender breast combined with flu-like symptoms may indicate that a nursing mother has mastitis. Frequent feeding or pumping from the affected breast can help, as can rest and drinking lots of fluids.
Mastitis usually affects only one breast, and is treatable with antibiotics. Women with mastitis are encouraged to continue to breastfeed, or to pump the milk from both breasts, to prevent the breasts from becoming abscessed. Mastitis is not dangerous to the infant, since the milk is not infected.
Delores C. S. James
Worthington-Roberts, Bonnie, S., and Rodwell Williams, Sue (1993). Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation, 6th edition. Madison, WI: Brown & Benchmark.
Internet Resources
Tilson, Bonnie. "Mastitis." Available from <http://www.lalecheleague.org>


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Watchuseek Blog
Monday, June 4, 2012
The man who haunted himself: The Daniel Strom Agonium Collection
Daniel, son of well-known watchmaker Armin Strom, has embraced the current skull/Twilight obsession in a series of Gothic skull inspired watches he calls the Agonium Collection. If it all seems a bit passe, in fairness the Memento Mori watch has been on the market for two years. The accompanying press release is full of the usual uber-hype, but that said, the Agonium Collection is an interesting and quality one.
Memento Mori, Carpe Diem
Translated as 'Remember death, seize the day'. The sculpting and engraving work is excellent. The "Memento Mori, Carpe Diem" watch case is highly detailed and covered with many a Gothic skull and fine engraving of a distinctly Victorian flavour. Even the crown is a skull head, and one wonders how easy it will be to actually use. The watch is available in your choice of precious metal including sterling silver, gold, platinum, and palladium. The dial comes in black or bone white and features polished steel hands and Roman numerals (no skulls), and the look is finished with a black alligator hornback strap with a matching metal buckle.
As for the dial, apparently it borrows from two world-renowned clocks: Big Ben in London and the Zytglogge in Bern. A trio of hands counts time: hours, minutes and seconds.
The watch is powered by a self winding ETA 2824 movement, the watch features an anti-glare double curved sapphire crystal, and is water-resistant to 50m. Prices start at $8,272 for sterling silver and go up to a blood curdling $57,896 for platinum.
Strom Draco
Again, the scariest thing about these novelty watches is the price. They are strictly in the spoilt goth teenager ball park. You can shell out €23,000 for an 18k red gold model of this watch as well. In the Draco collection Daniel Strom turns to the mythical dragon for inspiration. Once again the design of the watch, the choice of numerals and engraving all point to heavy Gothic influence. Both pieces are available in limited editions, whichever metal you choose, although you can specify your own custom made option.
Draco is intended above all as a metaphor. It is a symbolic jewel first, a timepiece second. The sculptured case protects the more delicate one that surrounds the movement, an ETA 2824 calibre. The bone white or black dial with a craquelure effect completes the picture, protected by a curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Time flows from twelve Arabic numerals, swept by polished hands.
Strom Headquarters
Even Strom Headquarters where the watches are designed looks suitably spooky. You certainly wouldn't want to do overtime in this place on your own.
Automatic, ETA 2824 calibre
Hours, minutes and seconds
Solid sterling silver, 18K gold, palladium or platinum, finished by hand. Inner case in stainless steel. Curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Crown in the shape of a royal crown. Water-resistant to 50m / 5 ATM
Bone white or black. Arabic numerals, gold-tones, white or black polished steel hands.
Black horn-back alligator with skull buckle in solid sterling silver, gold, palladium or platinum
Sterling silver: Limited to 88 pieces
Price: 8300 Euros
Sterling silver with crown and buckle in 18K red gold: Limited to 88 pieces
Price: 9 000 Euros
18K red gold Draco: Limited to 44 pieces
Price: 23 000 Euros
Platinum: Limited to 12 pieces
Price: Adjusted to the day's price
Posted by Michael West at 9:54 AM No comments: Links to this post
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| 8.4°C Belfast
The UK economy continues to recover at a "rapid pace" despite growth in the dominant services sector slipping to a seven-month low last month.
The headline reading of 58.3 in the closely watched Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in below expectations but was still well ahead of the level of 50 that separates growth from contraction.
With record rainfall likely to have impacted on last month's result, business optimism about future prospects stood at its highest in four years.
This led companies to maintain their recent recruitment drives, with overall employment levels rising for the thirteenth month in a row, the survey said.
The latest report means overall growth in the sector, which represents three-quarters of the economy and has led the UK out of recession, has fallen for three months in a row. It stood at 58.8 in December.
Markit chief economist Chris Williamson said it was important to remember that growth had been exceptionally strong in previous months.
He said: "The service sector saw another month of strong growth in January, suggesting that the UK economy continues to recover at a rapid pace."
Mr Williamson added that accompanying readings from the manufacturing and construction sectors pointed to another strong quarter for GDP.
The UK expanded by 0.7% in the final quarter of the year, with economists currently predicting an annual improvement of up to 3% for 2014.


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Marcia Muller
Marcia Muller
A native of the Detroit area, Marcia Muller grew up in a house full of books and self-published three copies of her first novel at age 12, a tale about her dog complete with primitive illustrations. The "reviews" were generally positive.
Her literary aspirations were put on hold, however, in her third year at the University of Michigan, when her creative writing instructor told her she would never be a writer because she had nothing to say. Instead she turned to journalism, earning a master's degree, but various editors for whom she freelanced noticed her unfortunate tendency to embellish the facts in order to make the pieces more interesting.
In the early 1970s, having moved to California, Muller found herself unemployable and began experimenting with mystery novels, because they were what she liked to read. After three manuscripts and five years of rejection, EDWIN OF THE IRON SHOES, the first novel featuring San Francisco private investigator Sharon McCone, was published by David McKay Company, who then cancelled their mystery list. Four more years passed before St. Martin's Press accepted the second McCone novel, ASK THE CARDS A QUESTION.
In the ensuing 30-some years, Muller has authored over 35 novels --- three of them in collaboration with husband Bill Pronzini --- seven short-story collections, and numerous nonfiction articles. Together she and Pronzini have edited a dozen anthologies and a nonfiction book on the mystery genre. In 2005 Muller was named a Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America, the organization's highest award. Pronzini was named Grand Master in 2008, making them the only living couple to share the award (the other being Margaret Millar and Ross Macdonald). The Mulzinis, as friends call them, live in Sonoma County, California, in yet another house full of books.
Marcia Muller
- Website: marciamuller.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarciaMullerAuthor?rf=113362985340588


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|Trusted Extensions Configuration and Administration Oracle Solaris 11 Information Library
Part I Initial Configuration of Trusted Extensions
1. Security Planning for Trusted Extensions
2. Configuration Roadmap for Trusted Extensions
3. Adding the Trusted Extensions Feature to Oracle Solaris (Tasks)
4. Configuring Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
5. Configuring LDAP for Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
Part II Administration of Trusted Extensions
6. Trusted Extensions Administration Concepts
7. Trusted Extensions Administration Tools
8. Security Requirements on a Trusted Extensions System (Overview)
9. Performing Common Tasks in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
10. Users, Rights, and Roles in Trusted Extensions (Overview)
11. Managing Users, Rights, and Roles in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
12. Remote Administration in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
13. Managing Zones in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
14. Managing and Mounting Files in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
15. Trusted Networking (Overview)
Trusted Extensions Data Packets
Trusted Network Communications
Network Commands in Trusted Extensions
Network Configuration Databases in Trusted Extensions
Trusted Network Security Attributes
Network Security Attributes in Trusted Extensions
Host Type and Template Name in Security Templates
Default Label in Security Templates
Domain of Interpretation in Security Templates
Label Range in Security Templates
Auxiliary Labels in Security Templates
Trusted Network Fallback Mechanism
Overview of Routing in Trusted Extensions
Routing Table Entries in Trusted Extensions
Trusted Extensions Accreditation Checks
Destination Accreditation Checks
Administration of Routing in Trusted Extensions
Choosing Routers in Trusted Extensions
Gateways in Trusted Extensions
Routing Commands in Trusted Extensions
Administration of Labeled IPsec
Labels for IPsec-Protected Exchanges
Label Extensions for IPsec Security Associations
Labels and Accreditation in Tunnel Mode IPsec
Confidentiality and Integrity Protections With Label Extensions
16. Managing Networks in Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
17. Trusted Extensions and LDAP (Overview)
18. Multilevel Mail in Trusted Extensions (Overview)
19. Managing Labeled Printing (Tasks)
20. Devices in Trusted Extensions (Overview)
21. Managing Devices for Trusted Extensions (Tasks)
22. Trusted Extensions Auditing (Overview)
23. Software Management in Trusted Extensions (Reference)
Creating and Managing a Security Policy
Site Security Policy and Trusted Extensions
Computer Security Recommendations
Physical Security Recommendations
Personnel Security Recommendations
Additional Security References
B. Configuration Checklist for Trusted Extensions
Checklist for Configuring Trusted Extensions
C. Quick Reference to Trusted Extensions Administration
Administrative Interfaces in Trusted Extensions
Oracle Solaris Interfaces Extended by Trusted Extensions
Tighter Security Defaults in Trusted Extensions
Limited Options in Trusted Extensions
D. List of Trusted Extensions Man Pages
Trusted Extensions Man Pages in Alphabetical Order
Oracle Solaris Man Pages That Are Modified by Trusted Extensions
Trusted Extensions systems can protect labeled network packets with IPsec. The IPsec packets can be sent with explicit or implicit Trusted Extensions labels. Labels are sent explicitly by using CIPSO IP options and implicitly by using labeled IPsec security associations (SAs). Additionally, IPsec encrypted packets with different implicit labels can be tunneled across an unlabeled network.
For general IPsec concepts and configuration procedures, see Part III, IP Security, in Oracle Solaris Administration: IP Services. For Trusted Extensions modifications to IPsec procedures, see Configuring Labeled IPsec (Task Map).
All communications on Trusted Extensions systems, including IPsec-protected communications, must satisfy security label accreditation checks. The checks are described in Trusted Extensions Accreditation Checks.
The labels on IPsec packets from an application in a labeled zone that must pass these checks are the inner label, the wire label, and the key management label:
Application security label – The label of the zone in which the application resides.
Inner label – The label of the unencrypted message data before IPsec AH or ESP headers have been applied. This label can be different from the application security label when the SO_MAC_EXEMPT socket option (MAC-exempt) or multilevel port (MLP) features are being used. When selecting security associations (SAs) and IKE rules that are constrained by labels, IPsec and IKE use this inner label.
By default, the inner label is the same as the application security label. Typically, applications at both ends have the same label. However, for MAC-exempt or MLP communication, this condition might not be true. IPsec configuration settings can define how the inner label is conveyed across the network, that is, they can define the wire label. IPsec configuration settings cannot define the value of the inner label.
Wire label – The label of the encrypted message data after IPsec AH or ESP headers have been applied. Depending on the IKE and IPsec configuration files, the wire label might be different from the inner label.
Key management label – All IKE negotiations between two nodes are controlled at a single label, regardless of the label of application messages that trigger the negotiations. The label of IKE negotiations is defined in the /etc/inet/ike/config file on a per-IKE rule basis.
IPsec label extensions are used on Trusted Extensions systems to associate a label with the traffic that is carried inside a security association (SA). By default, IPsec does not use label extensions and therefore ignores labels. All traffic between two systems flows through a single SA, regardless of the Trusted Extensions label.
Label extensions enable you to do the following:
Configure a different IPsec SA for use with each Trusted Extensions label. This configuration effectively provides an additional mechanism for conveying the label of traffic that travels between two multilevel systems.
Specify an on-the-wire label for IPsec encrypted message text that is different from the unencrypted form of the text. This configuration supports the transmission of encrypted confidential data through a less secure network.
Suppress the use of CIPSO IP options in IP packets. This configuration enables labeled traffic to traverse CIPSO-unaware or CIPSO-hostile networks.
You can specify whether to use label extensions automatically through IKE as described in Label Extensions for IKE, or manually through the ipseckey command. For details on the label extensions features, see the ipseckey(1M) man page.
When using label extensions, SA selection for outbound traffic includes the inner sensitivity label as part of the match. The security label of inbound traffic is defined by the security label of received packet's SA.
IKE on Trusted Extensions systems supports the negotiation of labels for SAs with label-aware peers. You can control this mechanism by using the following keywords in the /etc/inet/ike/config file:
label_aware – Enables the in.iked daemon's use of Trusted Extensions label interfaces and the negotiation of labels with peers.
single_label – Indicates that the peer does not support the negotiation of labels for SAs.
multi_label – Indicates that the peer supports the negotiation of labels for SAs. IKE creates a new SA for each additional label that IKE encounters in the traffic between two nodes.
wire_label inner – Causes the in.iked daemon to create labeled SAs where the wire label is the same as the inner label. The key management label is ADMIN_LOW when the daemon is negotiating with cipso peers. The key management label is the peer's default label when the daemon is negotiating with unlabeled peers. Normal Trusted Extensions rules are followed for inclusion of the CIPSO IP options in transmitted packets.
wire_label label – Causes the in.iked daemon to create labeled SAs where the wire label is set to label, regardless of the value of the inner label. The in.iked daemon performs key management negotiations at the specified label. Normal Trusted Extensions rules are followed for inclusion of CIPSO IP options in transmitted packets.
wire_label none label – Causes behavior similar to wire_label label, except that CIPSO IP options are suppressed on transmitted IKE packets and data packets under the SA.
For more information, see the ike.config(4) man page.
When application data packets are protected by IPsec in tunnel mode, the packets contain multiple IP headers.
The IKE protocol's IP header contains the same source and destination address pair as the application data packet's outer IP header.
Trusted Extensions uses the inner IP header addresses for inner label accreditation checks. Trusted Extensions performs wire and key management label checks by using the outer IP header addresses. For information about the accreditation checks, see Trusted Extensions Accreditation Checks.
The following table explains how IPsec confidentiality and integrity protections apply to the security label with various configurations of label extensions.
Note - You cannot use IPsec AH integrity protections to protect the CIPSO IP option if CIPSO-aware routers might strip or add the CIPSO IP option as a message travels through the network. Any modification to the CIPSO IP option will invalidate the message and cause a packet that is protected by AH to be dropped at the destination.


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10 June 2013 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Cadila Healthcare gears up to launch its new chemical entity, Lipaglyn to be used for treating diabetic dyslipidemeia in India
Singapore: Days after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Cadila Healthcare's new chemical entity, Lipaglyn, for launch in India, the company announced its plans for the year 2020. Cadila Healthcare said in a press statement late last week that Lipaglyn is used for treating a type of diabetes called diabetic dyslipidemeia and the Indian drug controller has given nod to the drug.
Chairman and MD of Zydus Cadilla, Mr Pankaj R Patel, said that, "Lipaglyn provides patients suffering from diabetic dyslipidemia the option for once-daily oral therapy that has a beneficial effect on both lipid parameters as well as glycemic control."
The company said that it had spent $250 million in developing Lipaglyn that took nearly 12 years to fructify. Cadila will now be spending about $150-200 million to launch the drug in overseas markets in the course of the next 3-5 years. "It has always been our dream to take a molecule right from concept stage to its launch. Today we have realised this dream," Mr Patel added.
Diabetic dyslipidemeia is a condition where a person is diabetic and has elevated levels of total cholesterol. The company expects the drug to clock over $1 billion sales a year, when it will be sold globally and the firm expects to launch the drug in the third quarter of this fiscal.
The company further added that it expects atleast two molecules out of the 20 currently under discovery research programmes to become successful by 2020. The company is currently working in the areas of metabolic disorders, oncology and inflammatory disorders and said that it currently spends over seven percent of its turnover on research programmes.


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Hale Honu
As I was exploring the rocky shoreline of west of Maui I found the most amazing cave I have ever seen. A large cavity formed perfectly into the rocky shoreline, which was filled with a bale of green sea turtles. The opening of the cave lined up perfectly with the sun. At sunset a soft orange glow filled the inside of the cave, reflecting a warm light on the wet shells of the turtles. And just as the sun was about to fall below the horizon, a pair turtles decided to make their way back to the ocean. A perfect moment captured in time.
Driving the road to Hana is definitely a journey that is worth taking. There many beautiful sights to discover, like this bamboo forest hike leading to a huge waterfall.
Lone Kiawe
Along the beautiful drive of Maui's Pali Highway, kiawe trees fill stretch of the coastal road. I've driven past this lone kiawe tree many times with out a second thought. One day during high tide I notice this tree on my way to Lahaina, it looked as if it was growing straight out of the Pacific Ocean. I went back for several weeks during high tide to photography this three. It is a very simple shot, however it took many attempts before I got a picture that I liked.
The Magic of Maui
Pa'ako Beach, is affectionately known by locals as Secret Beach for the fact that it is hidden between two large homes in Makena, Maui. Thanks to its picturesque landscape, Pa'ako Beach has become a favorite location for beach goers and a popular place for wedding ceremonies. On any given day this tiny cove is filled with people. It was to my surprise when I arrived near sunset that I was the only one there. What was even more amazing was the breathtaking sunset that unfolded before my eyes. Having the entire beach to myself, I seized the opportunity to do a panoramic picture capturing the full beauty of Pa'ako Beach uninterrupted.
Molten Dream
At the time of this picture in 2014 the lava had stopped flowing into the ocean on the island of Hawaii, there was only surface lava flowing through the forest. To get to the flow required a long and difficult hike through a muddy rain forest. The grueling hike required much fortitude as we battled wind, rain and thick mud to get to our destination. During the late hours of night the sky finally cleared and we had our chance to photograph the molten lava under a full moon. This is an up close and personal shot of the lava making its way downhill while clouds stream through the night sky.
1st Place Winner at 2014 Maui Photo Salon
2014 International Photography Award Honorable Mention
The King's Sunset
Sunset on the shores of Makena, Maui
Wai Kai
Fresh river water cascades into the an ocean pathway to the sea. I named this image "Wai Kai", which is Hawaiian for fresh water and salt water.
Best in Show winner at 2013 Photo Maui Juried Exhibition
2014 International Photography Award Honorable Mention
Front Street Lahaina
A warm sunset reflects off of the gentle shore break, as palm trees sway gently with the trade winds. Front Street, Lahaina.
New Aina
Waves collide with molten streams of Lava on Hawaii Island.
Land That Time Forgot
As I neared the bottom of a steep muddy trail leading to the base of Wailua Falls a thunderous roar of the waterfall filled the air. The gigantic waterfall forces water down a 115 feet drop creating a thick misty breeze circulating through on the base of the falls. It's hard to believe that Hawaiian men would jump from the top of the falls to prove their manhood. If you look closely at this picture you will see the man standing at the top of the fall just to the left between the trees. I normally don't include people in my photography but I thought this would give some perspective on the size of Wailua Falls.
House of the Sun
I made the trek to Haleakala National Park with the intention of hiking into the crater and photographing the rugged landscape. As I started my decent into the crater a thick layer of fog rolled in, derailing my plans. I quickly turned around and hiked out, I made it out with just enough time to hike to the summit of the mountain for the sunset. Sometimes things don't go as planned, but in this instance it worked out great. I was able to capture an amazing sunset at the pinnacle of Maui.
Garden of Enchantment
A warm burst of sunlight breaks through the outstretched branches of Japanese Maple Tree on a cool Autumn morning.
Cascades of Kauai
Out of all of the pictures I have taken to date, this image is the most difficult location I have ever shot. It is not just because of its remote geographic location on the island of Kauai but also because of the bad weather conditions I was faced with, the unfamiliar territory, the short time constraints to shoot, and the weird noises coming from the bushes as I hiked in the dark to catch this sunrise shot. Kauai Hawaii at sunrise.
1st Place Winner in the Professional Division at the 2013 Photo Maui Juried Exhibition
1st Place Winner in the Open Division at the 2013 Photo Salon Contest
2014 International Photography Award Honorable Mention
A Kihei Dream
A glowing sunset on the dreamy shores of Kihei Maui.
Royal Kaanapali
Sunset at Maui's famous Kaanapali Beach.
The South Course
A few years ago Makena Golf Course closed its South Course, keeping only a few holes maintained for aesthetic purposes. Hole #15 on the South Course is lucky one of the holes still being maintained by Makena Golf. The view from this hole is absolutely amazing, it is one of the most beautiful holes in the world.
The Windward Coast of Oahu is just a short drive away from the busy streets of Honolulu, but the scenery is worlds apart. The sheer cliffs of the Ko'olau Mountain Range provided a perfect backdrop for this amazing sunrise.
Rainbow Grove
The morning sun lights a pathway through a grove of Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. These trees have a unique multi-hued bark that streaks up and down the entire length.
Pathway to Paradise
This trail truly leads to you to paradise. Venture to the end and you will reach one of the most beautiful waterfall on Maui.


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Bots are complicated. They're made to process repetitive actions autonomously and can be fairly easy to build, but they aren't always working on the side of good. Here's what you need to know.
Each year, EContent magazine compiles a list of the 100 companies that matter most in the digital content industry.
Voting is now closed. We'll announce the results of the first-ever EContent 100 list chosen by the people!
Lin Pophal
Jan 11, 2013
Gartner has predicted that, by 2015, "big data" will generate 4.4 million jobs globally. The bad news? Only one-third of those jobs will be filled. Why? There is a shortage of skilled analysts to do the work.
The concept of "big data" entails collecting, structuring and using data effectively. Generally, says Bob Richardson, senior director, strategic insights, for Control Group, an innovation strategy firm based in New York, the skills needed by organizations related to big data include:
It is the second skill-statistical programming/analysis-that tends to get the most focus and companies are eager to find competent "data scientists." But, he notes: "There is a well-documented shortage of data scientists and there will continue to be for the near future."
Puneet Mehta is co-founder and CEO of MyCityWay, a mobile application powered by BMWi Ventures, based in New York. "Every subject has various sources of information, colored in various shades of opinion, just a mouse-click or finger-swipe away," says Mehta. The core skill needed to manage all of this data, he says, is: "Knowing exactly where to cast your net into this ocean of data, then throwing away much of what you catch and looking only at a small portion to make sense out of it."
Doing this effectively requires a combination of technology and people.
The old aphorism "garbage in, garbage out" is still applicable. It is not so much who is managing the data, as it is how the data is being managed.
"We think there is a powerful way that an organization can begin using data without hiring a data scientist," says Richardson. How? By making sure the database is structured to deliver useful data and developing engaging, easy-to-use design visualizes that provide real-time data across the organization. Doing that, he says, will allow organizations to "outsource difficult data problems on an as-needed basis."
A shortage of skilled staff demands strategic and technology-driven solutions, says Andres Reiner, CEO of PROS, a big data software company with world headquarters in Houston. "With a lack of professionals qualified or interested in big data jobs, company networks will have to fight fire with fire-using the same technology that created the data to overcome the challenge of organizing it into something meaningful.
"Customized platforms that analyze data sets and apply appropriate algorithms to kick out sales quotes, inventory predictions, etc., will become key tools for all members of the company."
Technology can be great, but people are still an integral part of the mix. When it comes to big data, learning to use people effectively can pay big dividends.
A high demand, and a shortage of talent, will require new perspectives about how to get the work done, say the experts.
First, data analysts' time must be protected and used for analysis work-not routine tasks that could be performed by others. "Given the shortage of available data science resources, it's critical that the data scientists that you do have are used as effectively as possible," says David Smith, VP of marketing and community for Revolution Analytics, a software and services firm headquartered in Palo Alto. "The worst thing you can do with such a valuable resource is to have them spend most of their time responding to ad-hoc requests whose outputs-like a report or spreadsheet-will only ever be used once."
Much of data analysts' time is spent collecting, correcting and recollecting data, notes Kevin Lyons, SVP analytics, with eXelate, a provider of data-driven solutions for advertisers and agencies based in New York. "Making sure that the analyst's time is spent on tasks which require an analyst will alleviate some of the constraints," he says.
In addition, other employees will need to be trained on data skills, if demand continues as predicted, says Mehta: "It does not matter if you are in sales or business development or any other high-touch job-making data-driven decisions and using the tools to facilitate that would be a standard part of any job."
"I think big data will become a job requirement for regular businesspeople, who will have to adapt and learn to extract value from data," agrees Matt Fates, with Ascent Venture Partners in Boston. "I think business schools will increasingly incorporate data-crunching and statistics courses into the curriculum-more so than they do now," he says.
Michele Chambers, chief strategy officer with Revolution Analytics says in an environment where talent is at a premium, there must be ways to leverage that constrained talent pool. She adds, "There will be traditional approaches-applications, productivity tools, outsourcing-but there will also be new business models. You see the early indicators of this in open source and crowd sourcing of big data analytics." Necessity, she points out, is the mother of invention.
(Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.)


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U.S. Women's Update - Dec. 8
Bill Kauffman
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: email@example.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 8, 2009) – The current U.S. Women's National Team Weekly update released on Dec. 8 includes briefs on U.S. players competing overseas, player information, Volley-Tweets, trivia questions and much more.
For the complete PDF version including a complete list of players training at the team's facility at American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Volley-Tweets, the U.S. international transfer list, 2009 season stats and other fan interaction sections, click here.
TRIVIA QUESTIONS: 1. For what organization did U.S. Women's National Team Assistant Coach/Technical Coordinator Jamie Morrison intern for in its public relations office? 2. Which current U.S. Women's National Team player earned Best Attacker at the 2005 FIVB Women's Junior World Championship? Which U.S. Women's National Team player was honored as the 2002 AVCA Division I National Freshman of the Year? Answers can be found on page three in the full PDF version (click here) of the current U.S. Women's National Team Weekly update.
U.S. WOMEN NEARING END OF FALL TRAINING SESSION: The U.S. Women's National Team has 17 players taking part in the fall training session and continue to show improvements as they are being put to the test by U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) and his coaching staff. The session started on Oct. 12 and will go through December at the team's training headquarters – the American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Calif. Training sessions, generally starting at 9:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, are open to the public at no cost. On Fridays, the team has weights and either an indoor or beach training session. Middle blockers training include Jen Joines Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.), Tracy Stalls (Denver), Alexis Crimes (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Mekana Barnes (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Cheryl Weaver (Washington, D.C.). The outside hitter group includes Angie Pressey (Lake Mary, Fla.), Julie Rubenstein (Camarillo, Calif.) and Katie Kimmich (Lakeside, Calif.), who previously played for Team USA as Katie Wilkins. Setters in the fall training session are Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.), Nellie Spicer (Barrington, Ill.) and Bryn Kehoe (North Bend, Ohio). Heather Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif.) and Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) are taking training reps at opposite during the fall training period. The libero position has Stacy Sykora (Burleson, Texas), Jessica Fine (Tarzana, Calif.), Holly Benson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jaimi Gregory (Westminster, Calif.) working out at American Sports Centers. McCutcheon is hopeful the current training group will expand during the second phase of the off-season training period starting in mid-January with the addition of current collegiate seniors.
TOM, ASYSTEL VOLLEY NOVARA: Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah), a three-time Olympian and member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Games silver medal roster, is competing for Asystel Volley Novara in the Italian Serie A professional league this winter. Novara picked up two five-set victories this past week in two separate events. Novara opened CEV Indesit Champions League play with a 25-17, 25-27, 25-20, 18-25, 15-10 victory over Russia's Zarechie Odintsovo on Dec. 3. Tom notched 23 points in the victory as she collected 21 kills on 46 attempts and two blocks. Novara attempts to go 2-0 in Champions League first-round pool play on Dec. 10 against Romania's Metal Galati. The Champions League pool play is a home-and-home round robin format among the four teams in each pool. Novara returned to the court on Dec. 6 in Italian Serie A League competition and needed to overcome a 2-1 deficit to defeat 25-17, 19-25, 19-25, 29-27, 15-11 Yamamay Busto Arsizio. Tom charted a match-high 30 points in the victory as she pocketed 22 kills on 55 attempts, a match-high six blocks and two aces. Further, she had a 74 percent positive service reception. The victory evened Novara's record to 4-4 on the season with 10 points for ninth place. Novara's next Italian Serie A match is on Dec. 13 against Perugia, which is one point ahead in the standings and tied for sixth place.
BERG PUSHING ITALIAN TEAM: Lindsey Berg (Honolulu), a setter on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team which won the silver medal in Beijing, is playing for MC-Carnaghi Villa Cortese of the Italian Serie A professional league this winter. Cortese came through with a big win on Dec. 6 as it defeated Scavolini Pesaro 25-22, 14-25, 26-24, 19-25, 15-12 to improve to 6-2 on the season. Berg set Cortese to a 40 percent kill ratio for the match while adding a block as her only individual point. Cortese won despite its 35 hitting errors and Pesaro in system most of the match as it had a 52 excellent reception percent (71 positive percent). The victory enabled Cortese to move into third place with 17 points, just one point out of a tie for first place. Cortese faces Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi, one of the two teams tied for first place, on Dec. 13 in another big test of the early Italian Serie A schedule. To follow Berg throughout the season, check out her blog at http://lindseyberg.blogspot.com/.
BOWN, JESI ON TOP OF ITALIAN LEAGUE: Heather Bown (Yorba Linda,Calif.), a three-time Olympian with the U.S. Women's National Team, is competing for Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi in the Italian Serie A professional league. Over the past weekend, Jesi entered its Dec. 3 match against second-place Foppapedretti Bergamo as the top team in the Italian Serie A standings. Bown scored 12 kills on 23 attempts with just one error for a .478 hitting efficiency and 52 kill percent. However, Bergamo topped Jesi 26-24, 25-20, 25-22 to bring both teams into a tie for first place with 18 points. Jesi, which lost for the first time this season in eight contests, returns to the court against third-place MC-Carnaghi Villa Cortese on Dec. 13.
RICHARDS HELPING OMICHKA TO RUSSIAN LEAD: Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah), an outside hitter and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, is playing in the Russia Super League for a third year in a row – this time with Omichka in Omsk. On Dec. 5, Richards helped her team to a hard-fought 26-28, 25-15, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10 victory over Universitet-Tekhnolog. Richards produced 16 points in the victory with 13 kills on 38 attempts and three aces. She added a 28 service receptions with a 64 percent positive and 39 percent excellent on reception. Omichka takes on Dinamo Krasnodar on Dec. 12 in its next Russia Super League match.
NNAMANI, GLASS PACING PROSTEJOV IN CZECH REPUBLIC: Ogonna Nnamani (Bloomington, Ill.) and Kim Glass (Lancaster, Pa.) continue to lead their Czech Republic professional team Prostejov to an 11-0 start. Prostejov defeated second-place Sokol Frydek Mistek 25-21, 22-25, 25-11, 25-17 on Dec. 5. Nnamani scored a team-high 20 points with 17 kills on 34 attacks, two blocks and an ace. Glass chipped in 11 points with eight kills and three aces. Up next for Prostejov in the Czech Republic league is SCM-CVS-JYK on Dec. 13. The Champions League pool play is a home-and-home round robin format among the four teams in each pool. Earlier in the week, Prostejov lost to Turkey's Fenerbahce Acibadem 25-18, 25-11, 25-21 on Dec. 3 to start CEV Indesit Champions league competition. Nnamani was credited with 10 points in the loss, while Glass added five points. Prostejov takes on Poland's Aluprof Bielsko-Biala on Dec. 9 in its second match of Pool C Champions League play.
BARBOZA STARTS PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.), an outside hitter with the U.S. Women's National Team and alternate on both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games rosters, helped her Japan V-League professional team Toray to a split of matches this past weekend. On Dec. 5, Barboza came off the bench in the second set and started in the third set as she tallied eight kills on 14 errorless attempts in a 25-21, 25-21, 25-15 victory over Pioneer. Barboza scored 15 kills on 36 attempts with only two errors in a starting role against NEC, but the effort came up short as NEC came back from a two-set deficit to win 15-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-11. Toray, now 2-2 on the season and in third place in the eight-team Japan V-League, faces Toyota on Dec. 12 and Denso on Dec. 13 at Shiga, Japan.
METCALF GEARING UP FOR BRAZIL START: Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa), a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Games roster, is in Brazil getting ready for the start of the Brazilian Superliga. Metcalf is playing for Usiminia/Minas in 2009-2010. Her squad starts league action on Dec. 10 against Macae Sports, followed by a Dec. 12 match against Unilever. Metcalf was the leading scorer for the U.S. Women's National Team this summer with 301 points in 79 sets played. Last year, Metcalf was a key member of Eczacibasi Zentiva in the Turkish professional league which finished as the runner-up in the postseason tournament.
DAVIS, HARMOTTO WITH LANG PING: Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.), the libero on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that won the silver medal, and Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) are playing for Guangdong Hengda in the Chinese Professional League under the direction of "Jenny" Lang Ping, who served as head coach for Team USA at the 2008 Olympic Games. The squad moved to 3-0 on the young season as it swept Yun Nan. Although statistics for the match are unavailable, Davis reported that both she and Harmotto played well in the victory. The squad plays its first home match of the season on Dec. 12.
NATIONAL TEAM AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: Join Mizuno and USA Volleyball for a free autograph session on Saturday, Dec. 12, with the nation's best volleyball players – members of both the U.S. Women's and Men's National Teams. The autograph session takes place at the Team Sports Superstore located inside the American Sports Centers (1500 S. Anaheim, Blvd., Anaheim, Calif. 92805) from noon to 1 p.m. The first 250 autograph seekers will receive a free Mizuno gift (limit one per person). This event is co-presented by Mizuno, USA Volleyball, Southern California Volleyball Association, American Sports Centers and Team Sports Superstore. The SCVA will be hosting its Boys' Classic Tournament during the weekend of Dec. 12 at the American Sports Centers, the training headquarters for both the U.S. Women's and Men's National Volleyball Teams.
U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM OPEN TRYOUTS: USA Volleyball will hold its annual open tryouts for the U.S. Women's National Team and Associated Training Programs Feb. 19-21, 2010, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. Hugh McCutcheon, the U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach, will lead the evaluation process for the tryout. The online tryout registration, which must be completed by Jan. 14, 2010, can be found by clicking here. Upon confirmation of registration, tryout participants will receive and must complete additional USOTC forms to be fully enrolled in the tryout. As part of the tryout, athletes will compete for spots on the U.S. Women's Volleyball National Team program and the U.S. Women's Senior A2 teams. The U.S. Women's National Team program is open to athletes who have concluded their college eligibility and who wish to train full-time. This program could begin as early as February 2010, or when an athlete's scholastic or professional club season has concluded. Athletes who will have remaining collegiate eligibility may still participate in the program with participation beginning May 2010 or when their scholastic calendar ends. For the full press release, click here.
McCUTCHEON AMONG SPEAKERS AT HP COACHES' CLINIC: Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) will serve as one of the featured speakers at USA Volleyball's Seventh Annual High Performance Coaches' Clinic held Jan. 21-23, 2010, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The clinic theme is "Getting Up to Speed for London" in reference to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. The 2010 USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches' Clinic costs $425 for United States citizens and $520 for non-United States citizens. The clinic cost includes instruction, material and room and board at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. In conjunction with the USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches' Clinic, the USAV Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP) will have additional CAP Level II on Jan. 20-21 and CAP Level III on Jan. 21-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The clinic is open to the first 100 coaches who complete the registration process, which can be started by clicking here.
AH MOW-SANTOS PART OF CLINIC: Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (Honolulu), a three-time U.S. Olympian and part of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, will be part of clinic coaching girls ages 9-18. She along with three-time AVCA All-American Tanya Fuamatu are hosting Advanced Girls' Setters and Hitters Sessions from Dec. 2-30. For additional information, contact Melissa Lum at firstname.lastname@example.com or click here.
TRIVIA ANSWERS: 1. San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL); 2. Alexis Crimes; 3. Kim Glass


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New Delhi (PTI): The controversial Land Acquisition Bill was on Thursday cleared by Union Cabinet, making mandatory the consent of 80 per cent of people whose land is taken for private projects.
In the case of Public-Private Partnership projects, the bill makes mandatory obtaining of consent of 70 per cent of the people whose land will be for acquired. The bill was given the go-ahead at the Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Manmonan Singh. The bill was finalised by the Rural Development Ministry incorporating the suggestion of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi who had asked the government to take the consent from 80 percent land owners for purchase of land for the purpose of setting up industries and PPP projects.
Sources had said that Gandhi was not in favour of the Group of Ministers' proposal that the consent of two-thirds of "land losers" (from whom land would be purchased) was enough for acquiring land for industries and PPP projects. The GoM had suggested that the consent clause be kept at 67 per cent for PPP projects and private projects.
The government had constituted the GoM after some ministers voiced strong reservations against certain provisions of the bill at the Cabinet meeting. Minister of State for Rural Development Lalchand Kataria had on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that the government intends to introduce the official amendments to the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 in the Lok Sabha in the winter session. Kataria had also told the reporters that the bill has a
provision for return of the unutilised land. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 had no provision for return of the unutilised land.


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Whew! I'm home from Quilt Market and am finally settled back into my routine. It was an amazing trip, and really solidified a lot of things in my mind about my work, and how I want to grow as a maker/designer. All in all, it was an amazing experience, and went far better than I could ever have even imagined. I saw old friends, made new ones, and am really grateful that I was able to attend market. Here is the first of at least a few posts of my trip.
On Wednesday I attended "Schoolhouse" which is a series of 15 and 30 minute lectures given by designers, authors, etc., on their new projects. It's one of my favorite parts of market because you have the chance to learn a lot of new information about a wide variety of projects.
Above is the schoolhouse by Cheryl Arkinson and Amada Jean Nyberg about their new book, Sunday Morning Quilts. It's a gorgeous book full of amazing quilts made mostly with scraps, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.
Next up was Tula Pink's schoolhouse. Her book is another that is on my wish list!
And next was Valori Wells. I'm a big fan of Valori's work and her new line of fabric, Cocoon, is one of my favorites. She and her mother, Jean Wells, also own the Stitchin Post in Sisters, Oregon, and she's a wealth of information about pattern design. She gave me some great advice on how to move from pdf to print patterns, and I thank her immensely for so openly sharing her experience with me.
Val is also hosting a summer full of inspirational projects on her blog, through an eight week course called Simply Summer, and it starts next week. Be sure to check it out for all sorts of great projects with to keep you creating all summer long.
Denyse Schmidt. Amazing. I was most looking forward to her schoolhouse, since I'm a huge fan of her work and I really respect and admire her as a designer. She has a new line of fabric called Chicopee coming out this fall, which has a 70s Americana vibe, and it includes both quilting cottons and an ultra-fine-wale corduroy which feels like heaven. It's gorgeous.
And her quilts, from her new book Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration, were simply stunning. The Mariner's Compass, above,
and the Tobacco Leaf quilt were some of my favorites.
I also had the opportunity to take a closer look at some of them after her schoolhouse was finished. Seriously incredible.
Next up was Amy Butler. Amy is simply amazing and it's always so exciting to hear what she is working on because she never disappoints. Her new fabric line is called Cameo and it's a stunner, full of gorgeous color and the wonderful designs that Amy is so well known for. And she's also working on an online publication, Blossom, that she is producing. The first issue is due this summer and it will be published twice a year, available free through her website.
It was great to finally meet Elizabeth Hartman in person. She's such a talented quilter and her schoolhouse focused on her second book, Modern Patchwork: 12 Quilts to Take You Beyond the Basics.
Next up was Shea Henderson of Empty Bobbin Sewing. Shea has a full line of sewing and quilting patterns. Shea was also my roomate for most of my time in Kansas City, so it was great to be able to spend so much time with her.
And last, but certainly not last, was Patricia Bravo and Art Gallery Fabrics. Pat's fabrics are always so beautiful, and her new collection, Summerlove, is no different.
I was also excited to hear Bari J talk about her first line of fabric with Art Gallery, called LillyBelle. I truly believe this is Bari's best work yet and I can't wait to get some of her fabrics. They are stunning.
As I was leaving the convention center, I walked past the line of people waiting for Sample Spree, which is a shopping frenzy. This was my third market, and I've never been to Sample Spree. It just seems too crazy for me!
This was our hotel at night, and I spent some time in the lounge there, catching up with old friends and meeting and getting to know some new ones as well.
There's John Adams of QuiltDad.
And Angela Walters and Scott Hansen. It was so great to spend time with them all!
And that was just the first day of Market! I've got a lot more to share with you, and I'll do that over the next few days as well.


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A Progress Report
Although there has been some progress in the war on cancer initiated by President Nixon in 1971, the gains have been very limited.
In 1971, President Nixon and Congress declared war on cancer. Since then, the U.S. federal government has spent well over $105 billion on the effort (Kolata 2009b). What have we gained from that huge investment? David Nathan, a well-known professor and administrator, falsely states in his book The Cancer Treatment Revolution (2007) that we have made substantial progress. He also greatly overestimates the potential of the newer so-called "smart drugs." Researchers Psyrri and De Vita (2008) also claim important progress. They cherry-pick the cancers with which there has been some progress and do not discuss the significant failures. Moreover, they only discuss the last decade rather than a more balanced view of 1950 or 1975 to the present.
On the other hand, Gina Kolata pointed out in The New York Times that the cancer death rate, adjusted for the size and age of the population, has decreased by only 5 percent since 1950 (Kolata 2009a). She argues that there has been very little overall progress in the war on cancer.
In this section, I will focus on adult cancers, since child cancer makes up less than 1 percent of all cancer diagnosed. I will then place the facts in proper perspective after an overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment (especially with smart drugs) of adult cancer in the United States.
The Cancer Facts
Figure 1 shows the ten biggest killers in the United States in 2006. Cancer (23 percent) has almost caught up with heart disease. Figure 2 shows the death rates from cancer in men and women (adjusted for the size and age of the population) since 1975; the cancer death rates have declined in men but not in women. The decline in men is largely due to fewer lung cancer deaths in men due to less smoking (see figure 3). However, there were about 200,000 more deaths from cancer in 2006 than 1975 because of the substantial increase in the U.S. population.
These summary statistics show that the war on cancer has not gone well. This is in marked contrast to death rates from stroke and cardiovascular disease (adjusted for the age and size of the population), which have fallen by 74 percent and 64 percent, respectively, from 1950 through 2006; and by 60 percent and 52 percent, respectively, from 1975 through 2006 (Kolata 2009a).
Methodological Issues
To understand the issues, we must describe a few statistical traps and define our terms (see table 1). For example, there are several types of detection bias. First, if one discovers a malignant tumor very early and starts therapy immediately, even if the therapy is worthless, it will appear that the patient lives longer than a second patient (with an identical tumor) treated with another worthless drug if the cancer in the second patient was detected later. Second, detection bias can also occur with small tumors, especially of the breast and prostate, that would not harm the patient if left untreated but can lead to unnecessary and sometimes mutilating therapy. Another type is publication bias, whereby positive studies (especially those funded by the pharmaceutical industry) tend to be published while negative studies do not.
What is cancer? Cancer is a large group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells locally, regionally, and/or distantly (metastatically) (American Cancer Society 2009). A carcinoma (cancer) in situ is a small cancer that has not invaded the local tissue. Some cancers grow very slowly, and the patient may survive for ten years or more with minimal treatment. Other cancers (e.g., lung and pancreas) grow quickly and, even today, kill more than half of the patients in less than one year (see table 2) (American Cancer Society 2009). The therapy for cancer is generally surgery, if possible, and/or chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy aims to kill the cancer cells, but most chemotherapeutic drugs are nonspecific and also kill sensitive normal cells, especially in the intestine and bone marrow. Radiation therapy is also nonspecific. In chemotherapy and radiation therapy, a partial response is defined as shrinkage of the tumor in each dimension by 50 percent; a complete response means no detectable tumor, but this does not necessarily mean a "cure." Many complete responses are only transitory. Median survival is the length of time in which one-half of the patients in a cohort die.
What Do We Know about Cancer?
The "causes" of cancer are shown in table 3 (American Cancer Society 2009), though there is still much we don't know. For example, we do not know exactly how smoking causes cancer; in most cases, we do not know how "acquired" mutations cause cancer. In some cancers, there are more than five hundred identifiable genetic abnormalities—no one knows which one(s), if any, is "causative" (Downing 2009). The importance of epigenetic changes is currently speculative. It is quite possible that there is a completely unknown causal mechanism in many cancers.
The diagnosis of cancer today is relatively straightforward with imaging techniques (x-ray, CAT, MRI, PET) and biopsies that are subjected to routine histology, electron microscopy, and immunological techniques.
Cancer Therapy
To have a reasonable discussion of cancer therapy, we need to agree on the objectives of therapy (Fojo and Grady 2009), as shown in table 4. Everyone agrees that meaningful prolongation of life is a high priority. The treatment should also improve the quality of life. But, as is well known, many chemotherapeutic and radiation regimens cause mild to devastating—even fatal—side effects. Nathan (2007) compares conventional chemotherapy to "carpet-bombing," an extreme but realistic metaphor. Finally, the results of a cost-benefit analysis must be reasonable (Fojo and Grady 2009). (In some cases, justifiably and importantly, chemotherapy and/or radiation and/or other drugs are used as palliative measures exclusively to counter symptoms from the disease [e.g., pleural effusions in the chest cavity or bone pain] or from the treatments [e.g., vomiting, mucositis, low white blood counts, heart failure, nerve damage, diarrhea, and/or inflammation of the bladder]). In the final analysis, what counts are the criteria in table 4. Partial or even complete remissions, unless they prolong life and/or improve the overall quality of life at a reasonable cost, are scientifically interesting but of little use to the patient.
Currently there are a few metastatic cancers that can rarely be cured with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, and unfortunately these cures make up a very small percentage of the whole cancer problem. These cancers include testicular cancer, choriocarcinoma, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, and rare cases of breast and ovarian cancer. A few cancers can be made into chronic diseases that require daily treatment, e.g., chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Returning to table 2, lung cancer, the most common cancer, is a devastating disease; if the surgeon cannot totally remove it, the diagnosis is grim. In fact, about 60 percent of lung cancer patients are dead within one year of diagnosis with the best available therapy, and only 15 percent survive five years.
There has been some progress in the death rate from colorectal cancer (figures 4 and 5), especially in women. This is mainly due to earlier diagnosis and surgical therapy.
Cancer of the breast is often a slow cancer and has a five- to ten-year median survival rate with just surgical therapy. As can be seen in figure 5, there has been a modest decline in death rates from breast cancer since 1975. It is worth noting that currently, if the breast cancer is metastatic, five-year survival is only 27 percent (American Cancer Society 2009). However, breast cancer presents a serious dilemma. Early detection of invasive breast cancer by screening is good; however, about 62,000 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are also discovered every year (American Cancer Society 2009). In greater than 50 percent of these women, especially older women, these lesions will not progress and do not need treatment. Unfortunately, the American Cancer Society (2009) recommends all patients with DCIS undergo therapy—generally breast surgery. Thus, more than thirty thousand patents annually are unnecessarily treated (Evans et al. 2009). We need to figure out which DCIS are harmless in order to avoid unnecessary treatment. I feel that breast cancer screening has a very small benefit if any at all (Esserman et al. 2009).
Pancreatic cancer is devastating (see table 2 and figures 4 and 5), and little progress has been made against it since 1975. Pancreatic cancer is very challenging because the tumors are surrounded by dense fibrous connective tissue with few blood vessels (Olson and Hanahan 2009). Because of this, it is difficult to deliver drugs to pancreatic tumors. Moreover, this explains in part why chemotherapy is so ineffective for pancreatic cancer (see table 2).
Prostate cancer mortality has declined slightly since 1975 with an unexplained increase in the mid-1990s (see figure 4). But prostate cancer therapy also presents a serious quandary. At autopsy, approximately 30 percent (or more) of men have cancer foci in their prostate glands, yet only 1 to 2 percent of men die of prostate cancer. Thus less than 10 percent of prostate cancer patients require treatment. This presents a serious dilemma: whom should the physician treat? Moreover, recently, two large studies of prostate cancer screening with prostate specific antigen (PSA) have seriously questioned the utility of screening. In one study, the investigators had to screen over a thousand men before they saved one life. This led to about fifty "false positive" patients who often underwent surgery and/or radiation therapy unnecessarily (Schröder et al. 2009). The second study, conducted in the United States, was negative (Andriole et al. 2009), i.e., no lives were saved due to the screening, but many of the screening-positive patients with prostate cancer were treated. Welch and Albertson (2009) and Brawley (2009) estimate that more than a million men in the U.S. have been unnecessarily treated for prostate cancer between 1986 and 2005, due to over-diagnostic PSA screening tests. In the end, screening for prostate cancer will not be useful until methods are developed to determine which prostate cancers detected by screening will harm the patient (Welch and Albertson 2009; Brawley 2009). Many men—especially elderly ones—with a histological diagnosis of prostate cancer elect "watchful waiting" with no therapy, a rational strategy (Esserman et al. 2009).
There are many other things we do not understand about cancer—even on a phenomenological level. For example, in the United States, the incidence and death rates from cancer of the stomach have fallen dramatically since 1930 (see figures 4 and 5). The reason for this is unknown but may be due to changes in food preservation; it is not due to treatment.
Smart Drugs
David Nathan (2007) extols the virtues and potential of the new "smart drugs." Smart drugs are defined as drugs that focus on a particular vulnerability of the cancer; they are not generalized but rather specific toxins. But the Journal of the American Medical Association (Health Agencies Update 2009) reports that 90 percent of the drugs or biologics approved by the FDA in the past four years for cancer (many of them smart drugs) cost more than $20,000 for twelve weeks of therapy, and many offer a survival benefit of only two months or less (Fojo and Grady 2009). Let us take bevacizumab (Avastin), the ninth largest selling drug in America ($4.8 billion in 2008), costing about $8,000 per month per patient (Keim 2008). Bevacizumab, a putative smart drug, is an intravenous man-made antibody that blocks the action of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEFG). It sometimes works because tumors (and normal tissues) release VEFG to facilitate small blood vessel in-growth into the tumor. These small blood vessels "nourish" the tumor (or normal tissue). The idea is to "starve" the growing tumor with once or twice monthly intravenous injections of bevacizumab.
The FDA has approved bevacizumab for the cancers listed in table 5 (Physicians Desk Reference [PDR] 2009; Health Agencies Update 2009). Since the median survival of colorectal cancer is eighteen months, bevacizumab therapy would cost about $144,000 (in such a patient) for four months prolongation of survival (Keim 2008). In the other cancers in table 4, there is no prolongation of survival. Moreover, bevacizumab can have terrible side effects, including gastrointestinal perforations, serious bleeding, severe hypertension, clot formation, and delayed wound healing (PDR 2009). By the criteria in table 4, bevacizumab is at best a marginal drug. It only slightly prolongs life, demonstrable only in colorectal cancer, has serious side effects, and is very expensive.
Bevacizumab is frequently cited as an example of the so-called newer smart drugs. But by interfering with small blood vessel growth throughout the body, it is a nonspecific toxin—and hence has serious side effects. It is not so different from the older non-specific chemotherapy.
The use of bevacizumab and similar drugs raises another issue. According to Gina Kolata, 60 to 80 percent of oncologists' revenue comes from infusion of anti-cancer drugs in their offices. Many believe that such economic incentives are the reason for the substantial overuse of expensive chemotherapeutic drugs (Kolata 2009c). However, it is very difficult to document the extent of the overuse of cancer chemotherapy. Does it make sense to employ such expensive drugs that do not prolong life (see table 5) and have such serious side effects (Fojo and Grady 2009)? Moreover, although VEGF and bevacizumab are interesting science, there has been gross exaggeration of bevacizumab's clinical utility in the press (see tables 4 and 5).
So why does the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve bevacizumab (and other drugs) that do not improve longevity and/or the quality of life (see table 5)? The answer is that bevacizumab coupled with other drugs can cause partial remissions, "stabilization" of the cancer, or "lack of progression" for several months. However, this often does not lead to prolongation of life in most of the cancers in table 5. Moreover, many patients pay a heavy price in terms of side effects and cost. It is also worth noting that several European national regulatory authorities do not accept the utility of some of these smart drugs and do not license them for sale in their countries. In agreement with the Europeans, scientists at the U.S. National Cancer Institute are urging the oncology community, regulators, and the public to set limits on the use and pricing of such marginal drugs (Fojo and Grady 2009). They view the current situation as unsustainable.
Why Has the War on Cancer Failed?
As documented above, unlike the successes against heart disease and stroke, the war on cancer, after almost forty years, must be deemed a failure with a few notable exceptions (Watson 2009). Why? Is it because cancer is an incredibly tough problem, or are there other explanations? In table 6, I have listed six reasons for the failure, although there is little doubt that effective, safe therapy of the various cancers is a difficult problem.
Where Should We Go from Here?
In my view the principal problem is that most scientists and doctors do not understand the genesis of most cancers. They don't even know if the problem is genetic or epigenetic or something totally unknown. In theory, problems 2 through 6 in table 6 are all correctable with political and scientific will and more knowledge. Even though we know cancer of the lung is caused by cigarette smoking, we do not know the mechanism (see table 2). The pharmaceutical industry cannot make real progress until we understand the mechanisms and molecular causes of cancer so that industrial, academic, and governmental scientists have rational targets for intervention. We will make no progress if there are five hundred or more genetic abnormalities in a single cancer cell. Where would one begin?
What Should We Do Now?
We can still do a lot even today (see table 7). Smoking and hormone replacement therapy are a cause of lung and breast cancer, respectively, and should be stopped or minimized. For hepatitis B (which causes over 50 percent of liver cancer) (Chang et al. 2009) and papilloma virus (which causes almost all cervical cancer and some anal and mouth cancers), we can vaccinate with vaccines that are only marginally effective. Helicobacter (the probable cause of some stomach cancer) can be easily eliminated with antibiotics. Prophylactic finasteride and tamoxifen (both generic) can decrease prostate and breast cancer, respectively (in high risk patients), but also increase other cancer incidence. We must also decrease alcohol intake (liver and esophageal cancer) and obesity. Obesity is associated with increased cancer risk but the mechanism, if causal, is obscure (Dobson 2009).
We can screen for cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer, although the value of breast cancer screening is not clear (due to overdiagnosis), as I discussed above (Singer 2009). However, in my view, the benefit of breast cancer screening slightly outweighs the harm. For example, if DCIS treatment could be rationalized and provided only to those who need it, breast cancer screening would then be unarguably useful. All attempts to screen for lung cancer, even in smokers, have so far been futile (Infante et al. 2009).
If all these recommendations were followed, we could cut cancer deaths in half.
Tables / Figures
- American Cancer Society. 2009. Cancer Facts and Figures 2009. p.1–38.
- Andriole, G.L., R.L. Grubb III, S.S. Buys, et al. 2009. Mortality results from a randomized prostate-cancer screening trial. New England Journal of Medicine 360: 1310–1319.
- Brawley, O.W. 2009. Prostate cancer screening: Is this a teachable moment? Journal of the National Cancer Institute 101: 1295–1297.
- Chang, M-H, S-L You, and C-J Chen, et al. 2009. Decreased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B vaccinees: A 20-year follow-up study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 101: 1348–1355.
- Dobson, R. 2009. Obesity is risk factor in 70,000 European cases of cancer a year. British Medical Journal 39: 316.
- Downing, J.R. 2009. Cancer genomes—continuing progress. New England Journal of Medicine 361: 1111–1112.
- Esserman, L., Y. Shieh, and I. Thompson. 2009. Rethinking screening for breast and prostate cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association 302: 1685–1692.
- Evans, A., E. Cornford, and J. James. 2009. Overdiagnosis of breast cancer. British Medical Journal 339: b3256.
- Fojo, T., and C. Grady. 2009. How much is life worth: Cetuximab, non-small cell lung cancer, and the $440 billion question. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 101: 1044–1048.
- Health Agencies Update. 2009. Journal of the American Medical Association 302: 838.
- Infante, M., S. Cavuto, F.R. Lutman, et al. 2009. A randomized study of lung cancer screening with spiral computed tomography. American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicene 180: 445–453.
- Keim, B. 2008. Wired.com, February 28.
- Kolata, G. 2009a. In long drive to cure cancer, advances have been elusive. The New York Times, April 24.
- ———. 2009b. Playing it safe in cancer research. The New York Times, June 28.
- ———. 2009c. Lack of study volunteers is said to hobble fight against cancer. The New York Times, August 3.
- Nathan, D.G. 2007. The Cancer Treatment Revolution. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
- Olson, P., and D. Hanahan. 2009. Breaching the cancer fortress. Science 324: 1400–1401.
- Physicians Desk Reference. 2009. Montvale, NJ: Thomson Reuters.
- Psyrri, A., and V.T. DeVita. 2008. The impact of research on the cancer problem: Looking back, moving forward. In: Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy (5th ed.), 349–359. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing.
- Schröder, F.H., J. Hugosson, M.J. Roobol, et al. 2009. Screening and prostate-cancer mortality in a randomized European study. New England Journal of Medicine 360: 1320–1328.
- Singer, N. 2009. In push for cancer screening, limited benefits. The New York Times, July 17.
- Watson, J. 2009. To fight cancer, know the enemy. The New York Times, August 6.
- Welch, H.G., and P.C. Albertson. 2009. Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment after introduction of prostate-specific antigen screening: 1986–2005. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 101: 1325–1329.


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Against-the-clock rehearsal for Station immunology test
Simply getting anything into space is tough, but doing so against a strict deadline can be really stressful. Researchers in an ESA laboratory nervously checked the clock as they extracted immune cells – beginning a full dress rehearsal to prepare a time-critical experiment for launch.
An international team led by a NASA astronaut gathered at ESA's Life and Physical Sciences and Life Support Laboratory at ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, earlier this month. There they rehearsed preparing their payload for flight to the International Space Station by Dragon capsule this November.
The experiment involves activating T-cells – central to the human immune response – in microgravity to test how their behaviour changes. Previous research has shown that suppressed immune systems of astronauts in orbit come about largely due to weightlessness.
"We're trying to pinpoint the very small molecules that regulate the immune system – with microgravity experimentation serving to reveal new regulatory pathways," explains astronaut and molecular biologist Millie Hughes-Fulford, veteran of 1991's STS-40, the first Shuttle mission devoted to medical science.
"With autoimmune diseases like arthritis you're looking for ways of turning the immune response down while with astronauts or older people down on Earth you really want to turn it up because it isn't working as well.
"This is why we're doing this experiment on healthy cells in spaceflight – to find the pathways that are affected very early and then we're going to study the immune system of older people and see if the same mechanisms are at work."
The challenge is that T-cells must be extracted fresh from human blood – and survive only 120 hours once outside it.
Within that time they have to be isolated, prepared for their spaceflight inside 'experiment units' which must then be checked for integrity, passed to SpaceX technicians for loading aboard Dragon, undergo the two-day launch and rendezvous with the Space Station, then be unloaded and placed inside ESA's Kubik incubator within Europe's Columbus module where the actual experiment will take place.
Once safely inside the 37°C incubator – with some placed inside an internal centrifuge to serve as normal-gravity controls – the T-cells will be activated using synthetic antigens to provoke an immune response. The cells will then have their expressed RNA preserved for subsequent analysis.
The payload is due to be downloaded back to Earth by the returning Dragon at the end of this year.
Principal investigator Dr Hughes-Fulford and her research team from the University of California San Francisco joined with the experiment's hardware designers at Kayser Italia and ESA's Swiss ISS User Support Operations Centre for the rehearsal, covering all experimental milestones other than launch.
"The process can be stressful but this dress rehearsal has made us prepare for it, making us more ready for the actual flight," adds Dr Hughes-Fulford.
While officially a US experiment, ESA is providing support through a barter agreement. The experiment will be prepared for actual flight adjacent to the launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
For Dr Hughes-Fulford this experiment is the latest of many orbital experiments: "During my Shuttle flight we oversaw 26 separate experiments covering all areas of medical science. In my subsequent research career I've focused on the immune system as one of the most important areas to be affected during spaceflight.
"We also have a lot of people on the ground with auto-immune diseases, or older people dying of infection because their immune system is compromised, so it's a very important field of study – not just for astronauts going to Mars but actually for everybody."
"ESTEC's Life and Physical Sciences and Life Support Laboratory regularly supports preparation for similar biological experiments," adds ESA's Jutta Krause.
"Our Lab is equipped for a wide variety of activities including technology developments and hardware testing up to full-scale dress rehearsals like this."


text:
A Wall of Light
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- Synopsis
"I am Sonya Vronsky, professor of mathematics at Tel Aviv University, and this is the story of a day in late August. On this remarkable day I kissed a student, pursued a lover, found my father, and left my brother." So begins A Wall of Light, a novel which chronicles a single day in the life of Sonya, a thirty-two-year-old deaf woman about to break out of her predictable routine.
Sonya lives in Tel Aviv with her protective half-brother, Kostya; their household has dwindled from five to two. Anna, their mother, is now in a nursing home and Noah, Kostya's son, is living in Berlin. Kostya, wracked with guilt for the tragedies that have befallen Sonya, also grapples with the memory of his wife, Iris, a lawyer murdered in the course of a dangerous investigation seventeen years earlier.As we move through Sonya's day, Noah and Anna narrate their stories as well. Noah's journal entries cover the years 1980-1993, and Anna's letters to Andrei, her married lover in Russia, are written in 1957, after Anna has emigrated to Israel to build a new life for herself and her son, Kostya.
While Sonya's story moves rapidly through the events of a single day, Noah and Anna's voices take the reader back in time, filling in the circumstances that have led Sonya to this pivotal moment. We learn that Sonya has already endured two catastrophes. At age twelve, a medical mishap leaves her deaf, and at eighteen, while studying at university in Beersheba, Sonya is assaulted by two hoodlums. Throughout the novel, Sonya's experiences, instigated by both human error and human evil, are echoed by the larger, political violence that haunts modern Israel.
While Noah's and Anna's voices shed light on Sonya's journey, they also provide insights into the political and cultural fabric of Israel from the mid 1950s to the present. Noah's journal entries, starting with his tenth birthday and ending shortly after his army service, map his coming of age. We see him wrestling with his sexual identity and first sexual encounters, the fallout from his mother's leftist politics, and his own conscription to the army. Anna's secret letters to Andrei offer an outsider's perspective on the new Israeli state.
The remarkable events of Sonya's day are set in motion when her brother gives her an antihistamine. Overcome with sleepiness, she dismisses her morning class early, asking only one student, Matar, to stay behind. She wants to understand what lies behind his unusual expression. He answers that he has been involved in war crimes, and surprises Sonya by kissing her. Sonya feels that she has been roused from a long slumber and as the novel progresses we see the ways in which her awakened desire shapes her choices. She decides to take a taxi home from the university and impulsively invites the taxi driver inside and seduces him. He complies, but when she tells him she's deaf, he flees in confusion. Sonya is convinced that she has fallen in love with him, and decides to pursue him. She solicits her brother's help and sets out to find her lover.
Sonya's search gains in intensity and purpose as she travels to East Jerusalem. There she encounters the walls that prevent Palestinians from moving freely through the West Bank. After an Alice in Wonderland-like journey past numerous obstacles, Sonya finally makes it to her lover's house. This second encounter leads Sonya to a central revelation: the identity of her father.As this day of awakened desire and dispelled secrets closes, Sonya is able to step out from under the protective wing of her brother into a life that reflects both the ambiguity and uncertainty of contemporary Israel and her own personal possibilities.
- Copyright:
- 2005
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- 9780307370983
- Related ISBNs:
- 9780679313540
- Publisher:
- Random House of Canada, Limited
- Date of Addition:
- 02/08/12
- Copyrighted By:
- Edeet Ravel
- Adult content:
- Yes
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Literature and Fiction
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.