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DLS Retreading is celebrating the grand opening of a brand new, $2.5 million truck tire retreading plant in Fort Mill, S.C. The 70,000 square foot facility is the first all-new ContiTread licensed truck tire retreading facility in the U.S.
DLS Retreading will serve markets in the Carolinas with retreaded truck tires made using Continental's ContiTread flat precure treads, as well as emergency road service, truck tire service and new Continental and General brand truck tires. The facility features a 16,000-square-foot retreading shop as well as 11 service docks. It will eventually employ more than 50 workers.
Vice President and General Manager Scott Snyder, a 25-year veteran of the truck tire and retreading industry, said the new facility could not have been created without the partnership of Continental Tire the Americas' Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit.
"We have truly worked together as a team, and what makes this the most intriguing is that Continental has taken a year to work with our family, providing resources and capital, to make sure that we could get into this market successfully," Snyder said. "I feel confident that with Continental's help, our company and ContiTreads are the perfect fit for this area."
Paul Williams, executive vice president of Continental Truck Tires, the Americas, called the partnership with DLS the right opportunity at the right time.
"We needed a facility here in the Carolinas and Scott knows the territory like the back of his hand," Williams said. "He knows the market and the customer base, and he was looking for an opportunity get established in this market. Further, we believe it was time a manufacturer got behind entrepreneurs who understand their markets, and that's what we've done with DLS.
"Scott has had this dream for a long time," added Williams. "The past 12 months has been a work of passion."
Continental will provide DLS Retreading with engineering, marketing and sales support in the fast-growing South Carolina market. According to Williams, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the state with the second highest real gross domestic product growth rate in the region for 2012.
"The region is growing, but the retread market is fairly flat at the moment," he said. "Obviously we're looking at taking market share from our competitors, but we believe there's still a lot of room for growth in retreading. The Rubber Manufacturers Associations says the ratio of retreads sold to new tires is about one-to-one. If you take a country like Brazil, with a ratio of 1.4 to 1, you can see the potential. Now that manufacturers are getting imbedded in the retread business, the way forward is in retreads."
DLS's Fort Mill location gives it excellent access to the Charlotte, N.C. market, which Snyder said is the is the second largest market in the Southeast. He said customer have been asking about the ContiTread retreads because they are new to the market.
"Ask any fleet in the area and they will tell you in the past 90 days they have had six or seven other retreaders call on them," noted Snyder. "The question then becomes, what makes his retread any better than her retread. I'm unique in this market now. I can sell my Conti retreads against the other brands, no matter where which dealer they come from. A lot of fleets are asking for a chance to try these out."
Snyder has big plans for his new franchise, as the 70,000-square-foot building suggests. Currently, the retreading equipment occupies only about one quarter of the space. Snyder says there's room to grow as the business becomes established and starts expanding.
"It will all come incrementally once the volume justifies it," he says.
Currently, DLS Retreading's Fort Mill plant has one initial inspection station, one buffing machine, two repair stations, one builder and one curing chamber with capacity for about 16,000 retreads per year.
"The way the plant is laid out, we've left room to add machines as we grow," Snyder said. "It's already set up for expansion, all the electrical and air systems are in place already. The next addition will be a new chamber, and eventually we plan to grow to two builders, two buffers, three chamber, four skiving stations, four repair stations and four initial inspection stations."
DLS began operations in June and so far has 12 employees with plans to grow to more than 50 within three years.


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Multicore showdown: Rainbow Falls vs. Power7
Keywords:server CPU? multicore battle? processor? IBM Sun server?
Power7 packs as many as 32 cores supporting 128 threads on a four-chip module with links to handle up to 32 sockets in a system. "It is scaling well beyond anything we've ever really seen before," said Peter Glaskowsky, a technology analyst for Envisioneering Group.
Glaskowsky was quick to point out the two chips target very different markets. Sun aims at Web servers that cost tens of thousands of dollars while IBM targets "monstrously large databases where you need a single memory image," he said.
Indeed, IBM revealed it will use Power7 as a building block for the high-end supercomputer it is building under contract to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Cray is competing with IBM in a final phase of that project.
Both the IBM and Sun designs max out by supporting up to 128 threads in a single socket. However, IBM's Power7 has built in significantly more memory and bandwidth than Sun's Rainbow Falls to support IBM's big database customers.
Power7 includes 32Mbytes in embedded DRAM in L3 cache alone. The chip also sports 590GBps total chip bandwidth including two four-channel memory controllers per die.
By contrast, Sun's design—focused on raw thread throughput for Web servers—does not even use a level three cache. However, Sun is expected to adopt L3 cache in future chips.
IBM can configure its L3 cache in chucks that include private, local caches, shared caches and duplicated caches placed close to cores expected to need them.
IBM's Power7 packs eight cores and 32 Mbytes eDRAM on a die. (Click on image to enlarge.)
In terms of on-chip interconnects, Power7 uses a hybrid ring and crossbar approach, although IBM did not detail the interconnect. Rainbow Falls uses a hierarchy of two crossbars with two cores sharing a link to the first-level crossbar.
"They are really force feeding their cores through those crossbars," said James Kahle, who led the IBM Cell processor design before heading up the Power7 effort.
IBM will make versions of Power7 with four, six and eight cores. They will fit into a similar power consumption envelop as the Power6, believed to range from 100W to 190W.
|Related Articles
|Editor's Choice

subset: commoncrawl


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Each year, I like to look back over the last 12 months and consider the highlights. What have I discovered? What did I see? What did I learn? I also like to plan ahead and try to increase my chances of finding new things and new information.
In retrospect, I made the most of the weather: Donegal is a very wet county and this counts as a mixed blessing. Firstly, there are many days where it is quite impossible to take photographs, but those are the days when research and office-based work can take place. We have very clean air, so we have some species that are almost unique to our area and are difficult to find elsewhere.
My species count went over 1500, and currently sits at 1517 species, the most notable addition being the parasitic wasp Hepiopelmus variegatorius, which I added to the Irish list in September.
I finished the 1k square challenge with just under 600 species in a 1k square. The highest total in the project was 1399, but we're not comparing like with like, since I just count what I can see and photograph. Other people use different techniques, such as setting moth traps or pitfall traps for ground-based species. The results of all these surveys will be extremely valuable additions to the relevant national databases.
I took part in a number of bioblitzes during 2013, and I found these to be incredibly enjoyable: you get to survey new habitats, and can meet new people and exchange identification hints and tips (and even get some books from time to time!)
Looking forward, I need to find new groups to study: my species list has become rather static. Talking to one of the other recorders on a bioblitz, I realised that the best impact we can have as recorders is to work in areas that will result in the most useful additions to our knowledge. So during 2014 I plan to find new groups to study, and I will study these in depth.
Another new venture for me in 2014 is the Heritage in Schools initiative run by the Heritage Council here in Ireland. I have been added to their list of Wildlife Heritage Experts, which means that I am now available to give wildlife talks and lead wildlife walks in schools with children of all ages. I think people need to be reconnected with their local wildlife, and there's no better time to start than while still at school.
I have also decided (probably against my better judgement) to make all my work available on the internet as a searchable database. This means that my 1500+ species are described in text and images, and all relevant connections between species are documented. Species are accessible by habitat type, date, name and are also linked to the formal taxonomic tree, so that people of all degrees of interest and experience will be able to access the data in a way they find most convenient and useful. At the moment, I have a test version of the database in place and a few people are testing it for usefulness and content. Once the way forward has been finalised, I will publish the web address and the database will go live. This is a huge undertaking, with 1500 species to document and link to each other and also link to habitat types and dates. Google will be used as the internal search engine, but is not expected to reach the site in order to spider it until perhaps February. The work will never be complete, but I will add new species to the database as they become available and the work will grow as I learn.
Finally, I hope that my work has raised levels of interest and knowledge of our wildlife, and encourage you all to get out there, get down and look at it: our wildlife is more valuable to us than we realise, and we all need to get closer to it.


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- $4.99
- Published By: Devine Destinies
- Authors: Jacqueline Quaid, Mia Cherish
- Page: 147
- Word Count: 35000
- Publication Date: July 28, 2010
- Heat Level:
- Available Formats: Adobe Acrobat, Epub, Hiebook, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, Mobipocket (.mobi), Palm DOC/iSolo, Rocket, Sony PDF
- Categories: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Malcolm Blackmon had nothing against vampires. He just wasn't sure he wanted to be one. A crime scene gone bad and mortal injury forced the Australian transplant into a hasty decision, accepting a vampire friend's adoption. His new family welcomed him with promises of a wonderful life free of his responsibilities as an undercover cop. Early retirement, no money worries and pretty donors catering to his appetites for blood and pleasure? Not bad. Hunting down New Orleans criminal low-life for blood and sport… He'd get used to it. He'd manage all right if he could just get past Emily Kagan. Mistaken for his donor when Malcolm first rose, her lush dancer's body filled his arms while her sweet kisses and sweeter blood flooded Malcolm's senses. Since then, nothing has smelled, tasted or felt the same. His vampire family warns him his fixation is a danger—Emily's taste has been amplified in his memories due to the stress of his first hunger when he rose. But it's so much more to Malcolm. His spirit lingers with Emily during the day, flirting, seducing, protecting. Loving. Can Malcolm control his vampirism and keep nice with his family while the family patriarch researches more of Emily's unique origins and the wonderful connection Malcolm is destined to share with the love he never found in life?


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More Study Material
Where can I download in PDF assignments for Class 12 Economics ?
The assignments have been made based on which syllabus ?
Can I download and print these printable assignments ?
How many chapters are covered ?
Is there any charge for these assignments ?
How do I download a assignment ?
Are these assignments available for all subjects in standard 12 ?
Latest NCERT & CBSE News
Read the latest news and announcements from NCERT and CBSE below. Important updates relating to your studies which will help you to keep yourself updated with latest happenings in school level education. Keep yourself updated with all latest news and also read articles from teachers which will help you to improve your studies, increase motivation level and promote faster learning
Keep your kids engaged during Lockdown
Kids are the Future of our Country! Outlines have changed and so should the formats of existence! It is the best time to teach our kids the pleasure of Self-Discipline, Self-Realization and Self-Control. To keep the future generation safe in such unpredictable...
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Revised SOP on preventive measures to be followed while conducting examinations to contain spread of COVID-19 issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Examination centres are frequented by large number of students (as well as their parents) and staff till the...
Conduct of the practical work during the lockdown
CBSE has advised schools to follow the Alternative Calendar developed by NCERT to continue education during the lockdown through alternative modes to achieve learning outcomes. Schools have reportedly started using these calendars and other prescribed pedagogical...


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This is what it takes to get me out of semi retirement. Or at least a holding pattern until I can be sure my children stop eating fibreglass and setting off fire extinguishers in closets (true story. At least the fire extinguisher part).
Apparently my Goblin Shark has been making the rounds on various sites like i09, reddit, I ****ing love science, etc. 99% of the time uncredited. At first it was pretty entertaining watching people duke it out over whether it was a real fish or not (there's that pedantic sammich holding fist-fight I've always wanted to see. Well not so much pedantic, it is the internet after all...), and I liked the simple fact that people were learning just that much more about our oceans. It's also very flattering and shocking to find out that something I made (me!!) has grown up and taken on a life of its own. I am amazed and flabbergasted. But as of yesterday I do have to admit I started to get annoyed.
It's not so much the fact that I'm not being credited here, it's the fact that there is misinformation being spread, which I kind of hate. For example, someone who has never seen a picture of a real Goblin Shark, may believe the meme stating my handsome fellow is dead. No. He is not dead. He is also not a baby, super old, dessicated, taxidermied, photoshopped, faked, your mother in law/ex wife/former girlfriend, etc. He is, as some astute folks have figured out, paper mache. I made him in my art room with a lot of newspapers, cloth, blood, sweat, tears and gin. And unless the Blue Fairy sneaks in at night to bring him to life, he never has been, and never will be 'real'.
He is a piece of art that I made. I did image searches, I made sketches, I planned him out and then made him. With my hands. And not on a computer. And I am not a vicious beast intent on destroying little-known species in my quest to destroy the Earth (I always knew I had it in me!). Nor am I a photoshop priestess/photoshop nube, jerk intent on fooling people into thinking this is real, murderer, Conservative jack-ass, etc, etc. I am an artist. I make interpretations of things I love. Or at least I do when I'm not reading stories, wiping bums, in Zumba classes, or drinking heavily. Art and scotch don't mix. I can't afford to lose that much blood.
So really, if I was credited with having made Mssr Shark de Goblin, it would clear up a LOT of erroneous statements being made about me and Goblin Sharks in general. Plus, it's polite.
For my friends who are fighting a losing battle trying to get me some credit, and for those who figured out he's a paper mache sculpture I give you this- a picture of me in an apron, on the trampoline with a sprinkler, holding a dessicated baby goblin shark that has been completely photoshopped.
|Suck it, Photoshop!


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Christmas 2011 in Bethlehem, USA
Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, Conn., which features an 18th-century crèche, and the Church of the Nativity, with its life-size Nativity, nearby — and other similarly named towns — remind visitors to welcome Christ all year.
BETHLEHEM, Conn. — Did you know there are towns named Bethlehem in America? Some are little, like the carol goes, and some are much bigger. Whatever the size, some Bethlehems become a destination because they try to connect in some way to that miraculous event of 2,000 years ago.
A favorite destination is the rural town of Bethlehem, Conn., and the crèche at the Regina Laudis Abbey (AbbeyofReginaLaudis.com), a community of cloistered Benedictine nuns founded after World War II.
Their early 18th-century masterpiece is displayed in a barn nearly as old and specifically donated to house this Nativity scene. Both recently received a meticulous three-year restoration by experts who worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
This is no small crèche. From end to end, it spans 16 feet and is six feet deep, with a backdrop mural of a seaside and azure sky.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph are at the heart of the crèche. Our Savior's birth is vividly set in a Neapolitan mountainside village. Angels hover overhead in wonder, while villagers react in different ways to the presence of the Holy Family. The 68 figures of carved wood, ceramic, metal and plant fiber stand up to 16 inches high and are dressed in their original early dress that The Met specialists carefully restored to pristine condition.
The story goes that this crèche was a gift to Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia for his coronation in 1720. In 1948 it was brought to America; then, in 1949, the owner gave it to the abbey. Also on the grounds is a simple, life-size Nativity scene of the Holy Family, located in a simple shed, with Joseph dressed in a checked farmer's jacket.
Four miles from the abbey and a few yards from the center of Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity remembers the birth of Jesus year-round. The parish's new church was built in 1992 of fieldstone and wood and specifically designed to look like a crèche. The church (ChurchoftheNativity-ct.org) is topped with a star that is lit at night. The focal point of the vestibule, which looks into the church (it has glass walls) is a life-size manger scene. All the figures were carved from a single pine tree by a Maine artist. Joseph kneels, while the Virgin Mary stands cradling Jesus to her shoulder. Jesus looks over her shoulder into the church toward what will come — the cross.
A panorama of the town of Bethlehem is etched on the glass behind the Holy Family.
The stone and wood beams add to the manger atmosphere inside — and so do the words "O Come All Ye Faithful" behind the altar.
The Knights of Columbus are finishing a crèche in front of the church. The 20-foot-by-15-foot crèche, with heavy beams and stone walls, will be ready before Christmas.
Farther to the south, Bethlehem, N.C., lives up to its name every year, beginning with a star lighting in early December in front of one of the town's churches that includes a live Nativity scene, a Scripture reading and carols. The star remains lit until New Year's.
Another Christmas highlight is the Bethlehem Drive-Thru, which attracts thousands of people to this town west of Winston-Salem (TheLittleTownofBethlehem.com). Vehicles drive past 30 scenes with more than 100 people re-enacting events from Christ's birth through his resurrection. Audio narration is provided. Passengers can even stop and take part: They can don a simple costume and interact with the characters.
In Georgia, a short drive from Athens, the state's Bethlehem (BethlehemGA.org) calls itself "The little town under the star." It received its name from Bethlehem Methodist Church, which dates to the late 18th century.
The streets in this small town have names related to the Christmas story: There's Joseph Street and Mary Avenue, as well as Star, Shepherd and Angel Streets, and Manger and Christmas Avenues. A live Nativity pageant is held on Dec. 22-23.
Although not named Bethlehem, McAdenville, N.C., is known as "Christmas Town USA." (McAdenville is less than two miles from Belmont Abbey College.)
The tradition of decorating trees with lights started small in this town just west of Charlotte in 1956. From nine trees decorated that year — all in Christmas colors of red, white and green at the suggestion of the president of the local yarn company — the number quickly grew.
The tradition continues with help from the company, and now more than 375 evergreen trees around town are radiant with these lights — more than 450,000 lights — including around the town lake, in addition to a manger scene. Christmas is "when almost every home and evergreen tree proclaim the birth of Jesus," according to the town website (McAdenville-ChristmasTown.com).
Other decorations and the chimes playing Christmas music from atop the steeple of the McAdenville Baptist Church through all 26 nights of the Christmas display add to the seasonal atmosphere. On one of the days, there is also a live Nativity.
Pennsylvania's Bethlehem got its name on Christmas Eve in 1741 from Moravian Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf when he founded the city as a Moravian settlement.
In 1937, when Christmas street lights were turned on and a huge wooden star was lit on South Mountain, Bethlehem got the nickname of "Christmas City, USA" (ChristmasCity.org).
Over the years, the star got bigger; it can be seen from historic Bethlehem's Main Street, where several Christmas activities are featured, including tours by costumed guides.
Holy Infancy Church is also part of Bethlehem, Pa. Founded in 1861 and celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, for decades Holy Infancy has welcomed people. First it was the European immigrants arriving to work in Bethlehem Steel. Now it is also home to many from the Caribbean and South America; Masses are offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The church's Christmas celebrations begin with a posada, a Mexican tradition with singing throughout town. A first-time Musical Navideno on Dec. 17 was to feature carols sung in various languages.
Before Mass on Christmas Eve, Holy Infancy features a living Nativity in the church, with Mary and Joseph making different stops throughout the church looking for shelter. They finally find it at the manger, where the scene continues with a real baby representing Jesus.
In their own way, each of these little towns honors their namesake in the faraway Holy Land that was the birthplace of the Savior.
Joseph Pronechen is based in Trumbull, Connecticut.
- Keywords:
- December 18-31, 2011


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Clemson vs. Radford Postgame NotesLittlejohn Coliseum – Clemson, SCDecember 16, 2012
Team Notes* The Lady Tigers led 39-19 at halftime of today's game. That is the largest halftime lead by Clemson since last season when Clemson led S.C. State 38-11 at the half. Radford's 19 points is also the fewest points in any half for a Clemson opponent this season.
* Clemson shot 35 free throws, their most attempts in a game since November 19, 2009 when Clemson recorded 35 free throws against South Carolina.
* Clemson's 66.7 (12-18) shooting percentage in the second half is tied for eighth best in school history for shooting percentage in a half. It is also the highest percentage in a half since February 22, 1998 when Clemson shot 73.1 (19-26) percent from the field at Georgia Tech. It is the highest percentage for a half at home since February 16, 1997 when the Lady Tigers shot 68.0 (17-25) percent against Duke.
* Clemson's 17 steals in today's game are the most since last season when the Lady Tigers recorded 18 steals against Davidson in the season opener.
* Clemson shot 51.0 percent (26-51) from the field in today's game. That is the highest field goal percentage in a game since January 30, 2011 when Clemson shot .519 percent (27-52) against Virginia.
Individual Notes* Nyliah Jamison-Myers recorded 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds off the bench. She has now combined for 30 points, 18 rebounds and seven blocks in her last two games.
* Nikki Dixon led the Tigers with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. She has combined for 46 points in her last two games played, including 33 points in the second half of those games.
* Aisha Turner recorded a career-high 12 points in today's game.
* Quinyotta Pettaway recorded 12 points and six rebounds, her fourth double-figure point game of the season.
*Chancie Dunn's nine points and six assists were season highs, and her six steals were a career-high.
September 14, 2020
September 12, 2020


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Stunt airplane lands safely on Route 231 after engine seizes
A pilot training for an air show landed a single-engine stunt plane on Route 231 in Babylon Thursday afternoon after the engine seized and all three propeller blades snapped in midair.
Witnesses said the gliding plane landed safely in the southbound lanes, squeezing between cars and trucks.
The pilot, David Windmiller, 49, of Melville, scrambled out of the cockpit uninjured shortly before 1 p.m.
When the engine trouble started, the Zivko Edge 540 was 2,200 feet off the ground. Windmiller was returning to Republic Airport in East Farmingdale after practicing maneuvers over the ocean.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday," he called to the airport's control tower. "I don't know where I'm going down, but I'm going down someplace . . . major engine failure."
Windmiller said later that he was too far from Republic to land there, so he scanned the Earth below for alternatives.
"I looked at fields, but I saw people playing," he said. "I looked at yards. I looked at Sunrise [Highway], but there was too much traffic."
His glide time running out, he opted for Route 231. "It was to the last second," he said.
He managed a hard landing, brakes screeching as he maneuvered the plane to a grassy area near the John Street exit.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said an aviation safety inspector from the agency's Farmingdale office interviewed Windmiller at the scene but that a full investigation could take several months.
Windmiller, a real estate developer and father of five, said he's been flying since he was 14, logging 17,500 flight hours -- some spent representing the nation in the World Aerobatic Championships in France in 2000. The plane is registered to Lumcavok Aviation in Bear, Del.
Three state transportation workers who witnessed the landing said Windmiller was "cool as a cucumber" when he emerged from the plane.
"The new Sully," said one of the DOT workers, Gerard Cappiello, in a nod to Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River off Manhattan in 2009 with all 155 passengers and crew surviving.
Windmiller intends to fly again soon. He needs to get in more practice time before the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach on May 25-26.
"Something like this," he said, "is just a part of flying, unfortunately."
With Gary Dymski


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By Katie Booth
In the Supreme Court's recent decision in Auburn Regional Medical Center, the Court held that a suit against HHS by eighteen hospitals alleging intentional underpayment of Medicare reimbursements was barred by a 180-day internal agency deadline for appeals of reimbursement decisions. The rub is that the hospitals only found out about the underpayments, which allegedly occurred from 1987 to 1994, in March of 2006. These underpayments affected thousands of hospitals and added up to billions of dollars. Yet under Auburn, since the hospitals did not sue within 180 days of the underpayment (or even within an extended three-year window for "good cause"), they cannot recover. The Court in Auburn rejected the hospitals' argument that equitable tolling should apply, finding instead that "the presumption in favor of equitable tolling does not apply to administrative appeals of the kind here at issue."
The Auburn decision raises important questions about the ability of the federal government to intentionally underpay healthcare providers. In oral argument, the lawyer for the hospitals characterized HHS's actions as "intentional concealment . . . [and] misconduct by the Secretary, that caused the statute of limitations time to be missed." While there are good reasons not to disturb decades-old reimbursement decisions, it is sobering that the federal government can intentionally conceal underpayments and—if it conceals the underpayment for only 180 days—never have to reimburse the injured party. This situation presents a striking contrast "to 42 CFR § 405.1885(b)(3) (2012), which permits reopening of an intermediary's reimbursement determination 'at any time if it is established that such determination . . . was procured by fraud or similar fault of any party to the determination.'" In other words, HHS can reopen reimbursement decisions if a provider intentionally conceals important information, but not vice versa.


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Clinical Trial with Universal Vaccine Increases Response Rate of Subjects Generating Infection-Preventing Antibodies by 100% in Population Most at Risk for Flu Deaths
Inovio Also Reports Completion of Enrollment for Phase II Hepatitis C Trial; Results Expected in 1Q 2013
BLUE BELL, Pa., Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: INO) reported interim results of a phase I trial that showed that a single dose of its H1N1 universal SynCon® flu vaccine followed with a dose of a seasonal flu vaccine generated protective immune responses in 40% of trial subjects compared with a 20% response rate in elderly patients who received the seasonal flu vaccine alone. This interim data is a significant step in developing a more effective flu vaccine for the most vulnerable segment of our population.
People over 65 years of age represent about 90% of annual influenza deaths in the US. Older people's immune systems typically mount much weaker protective immune responses to seasonal vaccines, often in only 10 to 20% of this population. In younger adults, the same flu vaccines generate protective immune responses in at least 65% of the vaccine recipients. Other approaches, such as the use of higher vaccine doses and novel adjuvants, have not significantly improved the seasonal vaccine's impact in the older population. Thus, there is a significant need for a new approach to provide better protection in this more vulnerable population.
With the vulnerability of the elderly in mind, this phase I study is evaluating the ability of Inovio's SynCon® vaccine alone, as well as in combination with the 2012 seasonal influenza vaccine, to generate protective levels of antigen-specific antibody immune responses in a greater proportion of the elderly population as well as to assess the potential for more universal protection against both matched and unmatched seasonal influenza strains.
In the trial, 50 healthy elderly patients have been divided into three groups: one group of 20 subjects received a two-dose regimen of Inovio's H1N1 universal SynCon® flu vaccine delivered using Inovio's proprietary CELLECTRA® intradermal electroporation device 16 weeks apart; a second group of 20 subjects received one dose of Inovio's SynCon® vaccine delivered using electroporation followed by a dose of seasonal flu vaccine 16 weeks later; a third group of 10 subjects received placebo delivered by electroporation followed by a dose of the seasonal flu vaccine 16 weeks later. The study's objectives are to assess the tolerability, safety, and immune responses of these different vaccination regimens. Today's interim results report on the last two arms in the influenza study. The phase I open label study is ongoing at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. See the clinical study protocol.
Serum samples from the vaccinated subjects were used to assess the generation of hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers meeting or exceeding a dilution of 1:40 to the current H1N1 seasonal flu strain (A/California/07/09). An HAI titer of 1:40 is the level recognized as a protective immune response against influenza in humans. Because of generally high HAI titer background rates to the A/California/07/09 strain, vaccine-specific, protective response rates were determined by assessing the number of patients in each group who had HAI titers greater than 1:40 and HAI titers at least 4-fold higher than the background value at the start of the trial. Vaccination with the H1N1 universal SynCon® flu vaccine followed with a dose of a seasonal flu vaccine generated protective immune responses in 40% (8 of 20) of trial subjects compared with a 20% (2 of 10) response rate in elderly patients who received the seasonal flu vaccine alone.
Dr. Gary P. Kobinger, Professor, University of Manitoba, and a principal investigator of this study, said, "These early results indicate the potential to significantly expand the protection of this at-risk population of elderly subjects against flu. With limited evidence of other innovations enhancing protection against influenza, this technology could potentially lead to a breakthrough vaccine."
Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio's President and CEO, said, "Today's results provide evidence of the power of our DNA vaccine approach to generate protective antibodies in this vulnerable age group. They also show how our vaccines can increase the potency and coverage of existing therapies."
The need for a new vaccine approach that can stimulate a protective immune response in a greater proportion of people and a broader immune response that is capable of protecting against influenza strains not specifically matched to the strain(s) represented in the vaccine is even greater in the elderly population because they are most at risk for death and illnesses by influenza infection. In addition to improving the immune response and patient response rate against the matched seasonal strain in the older population, all patient serum samples will also be analyzed against other important H1N1 strains to assess the prime-boost regimen's ability to generate universal cross-strain protection and will be reported in 2013.
Inovio also reports that enrollment is complete for a phase II trial of a DNA vaccine for hepatitis C administered by Inovio's proprietary electroporation delivery technology. Researchers are currently analyzing levels of immune response and HCV viral load in trial subjects. Inovio will report preliminary results in the first quarter of 2013. The trial is being conducted by Inovio's partner, ChronTech Pharma AB.
About SynCon® Influenza Vaccines and this Clinical Trial Design
The strategy to combine an influenza DNA vaccine prime with a conventional seasonal vaccine boost is based on the idea that combining the different modalities of Inovio's SynCon® flu vaccine's ability to generate cross-protective antibody responses with the conventional seasonal flu vaccine in a prime-boost regimen could generate a stronger and broader antibody response in the elderly.
Inovio's SynCon® influenza vaccine approach provides "universality" within and across subtypes. Individual SynCon® DNA vaccine "constructs" are designed to provide broad cross-strain protection against existing and potential new strains of influenza within key branches (clades) of subtypes of greatest concern to humans, including H1N1, H3N2 and Type B as well as H5N1. Inovio combines multiple DNA constructs into a universal influenza vaccine potentially able to provide broad protection against the targeted subtypes. Such preemptive protection against new strains could be particularly important to the elderly.
About Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Inovio is revolutionizing vaccines to prevent and treat today's cancers and challenging infectious diseases. Its SynCon® vaccines are designed to provide universal cross-strain protection against known as well as newly emergent unmatched strains of pathogens such as influenza. These synthetic vaccines, in combination with Inovio's proprietary electroporation delivery, have been shown in humans to generate best-in-class immune responses with a favorable safety profile. Inovio's clinical programs include phase II studies for cervical dysplasia, leukemia and hepatitis C virus and phase I studies for influenza and HIV. Partners and collaborators include the University of Pennsylvania, Merck, ChronTech, National Cancer Institute, U.S. Military HIV Research Program, NIH, HIV Vaccines Trial Network, University of Southampton, US Dept. of Homeland Security, University of Manitoba and PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative. More information is available at www.inovio.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to our business, including our plans to develop electroporation-based drug and gene delivery technologies and DNA vaccines and our capital resources. Actual events or results may differ from the expectations set forth herein as a result of a number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical studies, clinical trials and product development programs (including, but not limited to, the fact that pre-clinical and clinical results referenced in this release may not be indicative of results achievable in other trials or for other indications, that the studies or trials may not be successful or achieve the results desired, that pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may not commence or be completed in the time periods anticipated, that results from one study may not necessarily be reflected or supported by the results of other similar studies and that results from an animal study may not be indicative of results achievable in human studies), the availability of funding to support continuing research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop viable DNA vaccines, the adequacy of our capital resources, the availability or potential availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions targeted by the company or its collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious or cost-effective than any therapy or treatment that the company and its collaborators hope to develop, evaluation of potential opportunities, issues involving product liability, issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to them will provide the company with meaningful protection from others using the covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or can withstand claims of invalidity and whether the company can finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures, assessments of the company's technology by potential corporate or other partners or collaborators, our ability to secure new partnerships and collaborations, capital market conditions, the impact of government healthcare proposals and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012, and other regulatory filings from time to time. There can be no assurance that any product in Inovio's pipeline will be successfully developed or manufactured, that final results of clinical studies will be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market licensed products, or that any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be proven accurate.
Investors: Bernie Hertel, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, 858-410-3101, firstname.lastname@example.com
Media: Jeff Richardson, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, 267-440-4211, firstname.lastname@example.com
SOURCE Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
This blog is all about current FDA approved drugs to treat the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with a focus on treating HCV according to genotype, using information extracted from peer-reviewed journals, liver meetings/conferences, and interactive learning activities.
Risk Of Developing Liver Cancer After HCV Treatment
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Monday, December 10, 2012
Clinical Trial with Universal Vaccine Increases Response Rate of Subjects Generating Infection-Preventing Antibodies by 100% in Population Most at Risk for Flu Deaths
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Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee talk a good game about promoting the free market, removing regulations and encouraging entrepreneurs. But don't ask them to remove Florida's nonsensical ban that prohibits brew pubs from filling 64-ounce "growlers," the containers that beer lovers can use in 47 other states to buy beer for home consumption. Rather than stand with small business, legislative leaders are protecting political friends. A Senate committee has a chance to change that perception this afternoon.
No one is quite sure how Florida came to exclude 64-ounce growlers from the sizes acceptable to be filled in craft breweries. Gallon and 32-ounce growlers can be used, just not the more popular 2-quart size found in other states. So for years, the brewers have sought a simple addition to the law and beer distributors for major manufacturers like Anheuser-Busch have successfully blocked it.
But now distributors, whose power stems from the three-tier distribution system set up after Prohibition, are playing for keeps. While straightforward bills to allow the growlers stall, another bill (SB 1714) pushed by beer distributors with the blessing of Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is set for a hearing today in the Senate Community Affairs Committee. It would allow craft breweries to fill 64-ounce growlers from the draft spigot, but only after altering state law so that any nondraft alcoholic product the brewer sells (such as prepackaged bottles or cans) would have to first be sold to a distributor - even if it never leaves the brewery and is sold directly to consumers there. That sounds like a protection racket from an old gangster movie.
Only politically connected interests can demand such foolishness. Gaetz acknowledged to the Associated Press last month that he was backing the plan as a favor to Anheuser-Busch InBev distributor Lewis Bear, a longtime Republican donor. But that should not be the final word. Senators on the Community Affairs Committee should stand for less regulation and amend the bill today to allow 64-ounce growlers and prevent the distributors from skimming off profits as a middleman.


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gestational carrier salary
Surrogate Mother Pay - How Much Does a Surrogate Get Paid?
In the USA, where commercial surrogacy is allowed, surrogates are paid about $30,000 on average. In popular states like California and Oregon, gestational carriers are paid at even higher rates. This base compensation rate increases according to individual circumstances that we explain here. Read more


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
? - —
Historical Period:
The 20th Century and Beyond
Glaeser is Professor of Economics at Harvard University where he specializes in urban and social economics, law and economics, and microeconomic theory. He is an editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics.


text:
Keeping Watch on the Detectives
One Nation Under Surveillance: A New Social Contract to Defend Freedom Without Sacrificing Liberty
Nothing to Hide: The False Tradeoff Between Privacy and Security
The Rights of the People: How Our Search for Safety Invades Our Liberties
In September 2005, federal law enforcement agents in the District of Columbia suspected Antoine Jones, a local nightclub owner, of drug trafficking. Without a valid warrant, they installed a Global Positioning System (GPS) device on his car, and monitored it around the clock for four weeks. The monitoring led to the discovery of substantial amounts of cocaine. Jones was convicted of conspiracy to distribute the drug, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the GPS monitoring of Jones's car was a warrantless search in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and reversed his conviction. The Obama administration sought review in the Supreme Court, contending that such monitoring invades no privacy, and therefore requires no warrant, no probable cause, not even any specific suspicion of wrongdoing. On November 8, the Court heard arguments in the appeal; a decision is expected by June.
United States v. Jones is the most important privacy case to reach the Supreme Court in years. It requires the Court to decide whether the Fourth Amendment's safeguards remain meaningful in the digital age, when widely available technological innovations—including GPS devices, cell phones, computer data-mining programs, and the like—make it possible to watch citizens more intimately and comprehensively than was remotely conceivable when the Bill of Rights was adopted.
These devices give the state the Orwellian ability to follow virtually every movement people make and their every keystroke at the computer. If, as the Obama administration would have it, the state can engage in such monitoring without first developing any objective basis for suspicion, privacy may become as "quaint" and "obsolete" as then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales once characterized the Geneva Conventions. As Justice Stephen Breyer observed during the oral argument, the administration's theory would allow the state to use GPS devices to monitor "twenty-four hours a day the public movement of every citizen of the United States." Or as Chief Justice John Roberts put it, bringing the point even closer to home, nothing would stop the FBI from using GPS devices to monitor the justices' own vehicles.
The Jones case arises from the ongoing "war on drugs," which has simultaneously made the United States the uncontested world leader in per capita incarceration, prompted the radical dilution of Fourth Amendment protections, and done little to limit the ready availability of drugs. But the issues Jones presents are equally pressing with respect to that other war, the "war on terror," which continues despite the Obama administration's jettisoning of the label.
The Fourth Amendment's core requirement that the state obtain a warrant based on "probable cause" before conducting a search is what protects the privacy of our homes, thoughts, and relationships from prying government surveillance. But it poses…
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The future viability of ORNL's nuclear science & technology programs depends on developing and maintaining worthwhile technical interactions with the domestic and global science & engineering community. Further, recruitment and retention of outstanding and diverse science & engineering talent to ORNL's programs will require actively managed relations with universities that have outstanding science & engineering research & education programs.
ORNL will ensure that its nuclear science & technology capability will remain world class by recruiting and retaining diversity in its intellectual ideas and talent through its nuclear science & technology interaction program.
- Enhance the technical community's understanding and appreciation of ORNL's nuclear science and technology programs.
- Increase our technical interaction with universities and other institutions of education and research.
- Increase diversity in the field of nuclear science and technology by assisting the development of nuclear technology programs at HBCUs and increasing participation of women and minorities in nuclear disciplines.
- Identify and recruit top candidates.
- Employ targeted recruitment strategies.


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Jörg Guido Hülsmann
Jörg Guido Hülsmann is senior fellow of the Mises Institute where he holds the 2018 Peterson-Luddy Chair and was director of research for Mises Fellows in residence 1999-2004. He is author of Mises: The Last Knight of Liberalism and The Ethics of Money Production. He teaches in France, at Université d'Angers. His full CV is here.


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I've always envied these deep window ledges. Someday I'd love to have some like this in our home, so many great things you can collect on them.
Other Stories
12 comments:
I do agree! I'd love to have one of those in our home as well!ReplyDelete
Oh yes, I also regret always that our window sills are so short.ReplyDelete
Love deep window ledges too! Used to have them in my old apartments, but unfortunately not in our newer house. Hope your Wednesday is good so far!ReplyDelete
so true, and happe us : we have them - in marble, original. and absolutely love them. even deeper as we live at the first floor.ReplyDelete
and also : thank you so much for such a wonderful blog. loads of inspiration, always!
take care, u
Deep ledges are on my wish list as well.ReplyDelete
Totally agree. My aunt lives in the Pennine foothills and has a farmhouse with big windows and deep ledges that overlook a fell constantly changing with the weather, full of colours and showing the shadows of the clouds. I love to sit on that ledge with a cup of tea and a book and just read and watch the world change. A ledge is good but a ledge with a view is better!ReplyDelete
I'd love to have such windows, especially with this view on rooftops!ReplyDelete
I love your beautiful blog and so enjoy your posts.ReplyDelete
This is how I feel about window seats. I wish every window in our home doubled as a seat so I could pile it with cushions and pillows....someday right? :]ReplyDelete
what a gorg idea!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 30, 2012
I have one of those in me bedroom in our new house and you just gave me a couple of ideas!! :)ReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


text: Micrococcus luteus (Schroeter) Cohn (ATCC® 4698™) Click here to learn about our Enhanced Authentication Initiative Strain Designations: [ATCC 15307, CCM 169, CIP A-270, IAM 1056, IFO 3333, NCIB 9278, NCTC 2665, NRRL B-287] / Type Strain: yes / Biosafety Level: 1 General Information Characteristics Culture Method History Documentation Print Email Share Share this product Facebook Twitter Google+ Permits and Restrictions View Permits Deposited As Micrococcus lysodeikticus Fleming Verified By Whole-genome Sequencing Strain Designations [ATCC 15307, CCM 169, CIP A-270, IAM 1056, IFO 3333, NCIB 9278, NCTC 2665, NRRL B-287] Application Detection of aerosolsProduces 6-aminopenicillanic acidProduces L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine estersQuality control strainSensitive to lysozymeQuality control strain for BBL products Biosafety Level 1 Biosafety classification is based on U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that their facilities comply with biosafety regulations for their own country. Product Format freeze-dried Storage Conditions Frozen: -80°C or colderFreeze-Dried: 2°C to 8°CLive Culture: See Propagation Section Preceptrol® yes Genome Sequenced Strain Micrococcus luteus NCTC 2665, complete genome. Type Strain yes Comments Genome sequenced strain Medium ATCC® Medium 18: Trypticase Soy Agar/Broth Growth Conditions Temperature: 30°CAtmosphere: Aerobic Name of Depositor A Fleming References Huang HT, English AR. Production of 6-aminopenicillanic acid. US Patent 3,239,427 dated Mar 8 1966 Majima E, et al. Process for the production of L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine esters. US Patent 4,666,838 dated May 19 1987 Fleming A. . Lancet 1: 217, 1929. Fleming A. On a remarkable bacteriolytic element found in tissues and secretions. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B Biol. Sci. 93: 306-317, 1922. Kocur M, et al. Taxonomic status of Micrococcus luteus (Schroeter 1872) Cohn 1872, and designation of the neotype strain. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 22: 218-223, 1972. Lange JL, et al. Application of flow cytometry and fluorescent in situ hybridization for assessment of exposures to airborne bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63: 1557-1563, 1997. PubMed: 9097451 Li Z, et al. Rapid detection of Mycobacterium avium in stool samples from AIDS patients by immunomagnetic PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 34: 1903-1907, 1996. PubMed: 8818878 Greenberg JW, et al. Influence of lipoteichoic acid structure on recognition by the macrophage scavenger receptor. Infect. Immun. 64: 3318-3325, 1996. PubMed: 8757870 Skerman VB, et al. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 30: 225-420, 1980. ISO/CD 11133:2009, Annex E. Test microorganisms for commonly used culture media (giving information on the culture medium, culture conditions, test microorganisms, culture collection number of test organisms and the expected reactions) Corry, JEL, Curtis, GDW and Baird, RM (Eds) Handbook of Culture Media for Food and Water Microbiology. Royal Society of Chemistry, In preparation. ICFMH-WPCM. Cross References Nucleotide (GenBank) : X84791 M. luteus atpH and atpA genes. Nucleotide (GenBank) : K02682 M. luteus (ATCC 4698) 5S ribosomal RNA. Nucleotide (GenBank) : X12578 Micrococcus luteus gene homologous to E.coli uvrB gene. Nucleotide (GenBank) : U22181 Micrococcus luteus ultraviolet N-glycosylase/AP lyase gene, complete cds. Nucleotide (GenBank) : D78321 Micrococcus luteus gene for pyrimidine dimer DNA glycosylase, complete cds. Nucleotide (GenBank) : CABC01000000 Micrococcus luteus NCTC 2665 strain type strain: DSM 20030 = NCTC 2665, whole genome shotgun sequencing project. Nucleotide (GenBank) : CP001628 Micrococcus luteus NCTC 2665, complete genome. Permits These permits may be required for shipping this product: Customers located in the state of Hawaii will need to contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to determine if an Import Permit is required. A copy of the permit or documentation that a permit is not required must be sent to ATCC in advance of shipment. Basic Documentation Product Sheet Certificate of Analysis SDS FAQs Accessing genome sequencing dataDate Updated: 9/30/2019 Criteria for reference quality genomesDate Updated: 9/30/2019


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OEF Summary, Feb. 18, 2010: Forces Uncover Multiple Weapons Caches in Afghanistan
Dispatches from the Front:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2010 -- Combined patrols of Afghan and international security forces uncovered multiple weapons caches during operations throughout Afghanistan yesterday.
In Helmand province last night, a security patrol found a large cache containing nearly 3,000 rounds of ammunition, three anti-aircraft weapons, 15 rocket-propelled grenades, 34 mortar rounds and other ammunition.
Also, a patrol found a weapons cache in Balkh province yesterday containing 15 Russian 122mm projectiles.
During a patrol in Kandahar last night, forces found a cache containing two artillery rounds, two grenades, an anti-tank mine, 400 rounds of ammunition and a radio.
All caches were destroyed.
In other operations yesterday:
- A combined Afghan and international security force searched a compound in Helmand province after reports indicated militant activity. The force detained two insurgents during the search. As they were leaving, a small team of militants attempted to set up a small-arms ambush. The force engaged them and killed one insurgent. The joint force later captured two others near the same compound.
- A security force searched a compound in Kandahar province last night after getting reports of militant activity. During the search, the joint force captured a Taliban commander connected to suicide bombings, foreign fighters and car bomb attacks.
- A combined force searched a series of buildings in Khost province. During the search the force captured a terrorist subcommander known as an experienced explosives manufacturer, tester and attack planner. Several other insurgents also were detained.
- In another Khost operation last night, a security force searched a compound after reports confirmed militant activity. During the search the joint force captured a terrorist sub-commander responsible for managing weapons caches, acquiring weapons for militant cells and obtaining illegal passports. When confronted the commander identified himself. The joint force also detained another insurgent. The search also uncovered multiple weapons, including rifles, a shotgun, automatic rifles and grenades.
Labels: Afghanistan, Dispatches from the Front, GWOT, Military, NATO, OEF, Terrorism


text: Earth Institute's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory presents the 19th Annual W.S. Jardetzky Lecture. "Postmodern Geophysics and Ice Age Climate" with Jerry X. Mitrovica, Professor of Geophysics, Harvard University; Director, Earth System Evolution Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). Abstract: Postmodern Geophysics and Ice Age Climate Plate tectonics marks the dawn of modern geophysics and it provides a framework for decades of subsequent work aimed at understanding the underlying driving force for the process, mantle convection. As a result of this on going effort, a clearer, more sophisticated view of both the structure and dynamics of the mantle has emerged. I will use a suite of case studies to argue that embracing this postmodern view of the Earth is crucial to progress in a number of outstanding problems in ice age sea level and climate.


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We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.
Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.


text:
Flexi-Freeze??? Wine Cooler
Model# A605
Product Description
Get your name out at the park, the beach and campgrounds everywhere by imprinting it on the Flexi-Freeze??? Wine Cooler. These smart cooler bags use state-of-the-art materials and technology to keep drinks and food cool and fresh for hours. Art Promos' custom logo cooler bags come in a variety of styles, including tote bag, shoulder strap carry bag, backpack and even rolling coolers with wheels for quick, easy transport to your destination.
Product Details
Decoration Info
SilkScreen Includes:
Included is 1 Color 1 Location
Additional Color:
$64 Set-up Fee
$0.39 Running Fee
PMS Color Match $60 per Match
Additional Color:
$64 Set-up Fee
$0.39 Running Fee
PMS Color Match $60 per Match
Order Process
- Place order.
- A detailed Proof-Sheet will be emailed.
- You approve -or- adjust.
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we then charge CC card.
- Order goes into production.
Production Time
10 - 14 Business Days, or sooner
after art sheet is approved.
Need it sooner? Any Questions?
No problem! Give us a call 1.800.278.7659


text:
The aim of this field trial was to demonstrate under field conditions the efficacy of UNISTRAIN® PRRS after a PRRS outbreak.
1.12 个兆字节
International PRRS Congress, 2015
Puig A., Simon-Grifé M., Fenech M., Miranda J., March R.
Vaccination with UNISTRAIN® PRRS significantly reduced the clinical respiratory signs associated with PRRS and the percentage of antibiotic treatments. Moreover, vaccination reduced the percentage of animals with lung lesions and positive to PRRSV. Moreover, vaccination significantly improved the ADWG of the piglets after a PRRS outbreak. Therefore, UNISTRAIN® PRRS is effective in piglets and it is a useful tool to reduce the negative clinical and productive consequences of a PRRS outbreak.
本网站内容专用于兽医处方。点击 "接受" 您表明了自己是一位专业兽医人员。否则,请单击 "拒绝" 并联系兽医专业人士。


text:
Top Stories
Sirpa Nordlund, Executive Director, Mobey Forum, shares key takeaways from the international association's Mobey Day banking and fintech conference, held in Barcelona last week.
'The banks are back'. If I had to use one phrase to reflect on Mobey Day 2016, this would be it.
For a long time alarm bells have been ringing for banks in digital and mobile financial services: the mass of new players; the scale of global VC investment; the rise of the fintech industry; the land-grab for mobile services. In many ways, all this excitement has put banks in the shadows. Finally, in 2016, things are different.
For the first time in five years, Mobey Day was hosted by a 100% mobile-only bank, imaginBank. This is important. Not just because imaginBank delivers a mobile-centric proposition, but also because it isn't like other mobile-only banks. imaginBank isn't chasing funding while trying to build an infrastructure, attract a customer base and apply for a banking licence all at the same time. imaginBank is part of the long-standing Spanish institution CaixaBank, which, having listened to its customers, has reinvented itself to serve a specific segment, developing an app-based service that has attracted 70,000 active customers within the first six months of launch. Who says banks are behind the times?
The tone and topics of this year's presenters are other indicators that banks have re-taken centre stage; there was barely a tech-oriented presentation among them! Aly Mustansir, CMO of Bank Alfalah, Pakistan's largest credit card issuer and acquirer, for example, chose to highlight that a bank's customers are 'ruled by emotion not reason', and the real advantage of the digital revolution is that it gives banks the chance to develop true customer centricity. Too many continue to conduct very rudimentary segmentation, often between business and personal accounts only, he said. Through device-based services ('the mother of all touchpoints'), however, banks can listen to, and learn from, their customers. They can then use this data to create lifestyle oriented brands that securing their relevance and, most importantly, add value. This is the chance for banks to 'be the good guys' for once!
Nordea Bank's head of business innovation, Sophia Wikander, together with Demetrio Migliorati of Italy's Banca Mediolanum, also adopted people-centric themes. Wikander highlighted the value of diversity when fostering innovation in new products and services, citing co-creation with customers, partners and start-ups as vital when developing an innovation culture. Migliorati wisely advised banks to develop a clearer picture of their customers' emotional engagement with the banking services they consume. Insights here will uncover significant opportunities for banks to enhance their customers' overall user experience.
Drawing on a career forged in security solutions, Neira Jones of the Emerging Payments Association also focused on customer perceptions, encouraging banks to differentiate between trust and security. Delivering secure digital services is, of course, is a pre-requisite for a bank, but it is trust that is a bank's true point of difference in the digital age. So big is the trust-gap, she said, that 'banks are from Mars and fintechs are from Venus!'
Continuing this theme, Peter Bosek, Chief Retail Officer of Austria's Erste Group encouraged delegates not to be afraid of the big tech giants like Apple and Google. They will continue to do what they do regardless, he said, so as banks, we should focus on delivering great services and forging ever closer ties with customers. This will help banks retain the trust advantage.
With PSD2 around the corner, regulation was, unsurprisingly, another key theme running through the conference. Dennis Raabe, of Deutsche Postbank, encouraged banks to view PSD2 as an opportunity to overhaul banking operations. After all, 'doing nothing' is not an option for anyone; compliance with the regulation is a must and, given that banks have to invest, it makes sense to maximise their returns by building their own PSD2 ecosystem of payment initiation service providers (PISPs), something which will give them at least some level of control over their destinies.
A lively PSD2 group discussion, moderated by Mobey Forum Board Director, Kasper Sylvest of Danske Bank, delved deeper into this idea, exploring how the banks that prepare well for PSD2 can prosper from PISPs just as effectively as PISPs can prosper from banks. Thanks to the regulation, 'open banking' or 'API banking' is clearly here to stay and, despite the short term upheaval for banks, the regulation does look like it will achieve what it set out to do: foster innovation across Europe. It is now up to each bank to consider its own competitiveness, something that is likely to result in banks' divergence of fortunes. Those that recognise the opportunity and move quickly to capitalise will compete effectively and establish clear differentiation. Banks that choose only to do 'just enough' to be compliant, are likely to slip further behind the curve.
No banking and fintech conference is complete without a panel discussion on blockchain technology, and Mobey Day's didn't disappoint. Moderated by Kristian Sørensen of Nordic fintech consultancy, Norfico, the wide ranging discussion highlighted a variety of issues facing the development of technology. Is it ever appropriate for a bank to file for a blockchain patent, regardless of how much investment it has pumped into its solution? Doesn't this fly in the face of the whole idea of the technology?How does the permanent record established by a shared ledger align with an individual's legal 'right to be forgotten'? Could this issue be used by banks to obtain some level of master access for editing the blockchain? Indeed, could this legal entanglement enable the bank to regain some control over the new open landscape? What is certain is that banks are serious about blockchain and the intensity of interest in the technology is showing no sign of abating.
What did we learn? A great many things, but perhaps the clearest message of all was that the banks, often through collaboration and partnership with the fintech community, are back in the digital financial services game. Our industry has matured; fintechs need the distribution that banks can provide. Banks need the service innovation, digital expertise and technical capabilities of the fintech community. Collaboration has arrived and the customer will be better off as a result.
Now in its fifth year, Mobey Day 2016 was a bigger event than ever, attracting a record attendance. It seemed only fitting therefore for Mobey Forum's Chairman, Jordi Guaus, to use the stage as a platform to announce opening of registrations for a new sister event, Mobey Day Toronto, hosted by Carta Worldwide on 7-8th December 2016. Perhaps I'll see you there? Either way, I look forward to sharing more insights from across the industry when the time comes.
Join the debate: @mobeyforum
Top Stories
Lockdown 2.0 – Here's how to be the best-looking person in the virtual room
By Jeff Carlson, author of The Photographer's Guide to Luminar 4 and Take Control of Your Digital Photos
suggests "the product you're creating is not the camera, the lens or a webcam's clever industrial design. It's the subject, you, which is just on e part of the entire image they see. You want that image to convey quality, not convenience."
Technology experts at Reincubate saw an opportunity in the rise of remote-working video calls and developed the app, Camo, to improve the video quality of our webcam calls. As part of this, they consulted the digital photography expert and author, Jeff Carlson, to reveal how we can look our best online.
It's clear by now that COVID-19 has normalised remote working, but as part of this the importance of video calls has risen exponentially. While we're all used to seeing the more casual sides of our colleagues (t-shirt and shorts, anyone?), poor webcam quality is slightly less forgivable.
But how can we improve how we look on video? We consulted Jeff Carlson for some top tips– here is what he had to say.
- Improve the picture quality of your call
The better your camera, the higher quality your webcam calls will be. Most webcams (as well as currently being hard to get hold of and expensive), are subpar. A DSLR setup will give you the best picture, but will cost $1,500+. You can also use your iPhone's amazing camera as a webcam, using the new app from Reincubate, Camo.
Jeff's comments "The iPhone's camera system features dedicated coprocessors for evaluating and adjusting the image in real time. Apple has put a tremendous amount of work into its imaging software as a way to compensate for the necessarily small camera sensors. Although it all works in service of creating stills and video, you get the same benefits when using the iPhone as a webcam."
Aidan Fitzpatrick, CEO of Reincubate explains why the team created Camo, "Earlier this year our team moved to working remotely, and in video calls everyone looked pretty bad, irrespective of whether they were on built-in Mac webcams or third-party ones. Thus began my journey to build Camo: an iPhone has one of the world's best cameras in it, so could we make it work as a webcam? Category-leading webcams are noticeably worse than an iPhone 7. This makes sense: six weeks of Apple's R&D spend tops Logitech's annual gross revenue."
- Place your camera at eye level
A video call will never quite be the same as a face-to-face conversation, but bringing your camera up to eye level is a good place to start. That can involve putting your laptop on a stand or pile of books, mounting a webcam to the top of your display screen, or even using a tripod to get the perfect position.
Jeff points out, "If the camera is looking down on you, you'll appear minimized in the frame; if it's looking up, you're inviting people to focus on your chin, neck, or nostrils. Most important, positioning the camera off your eye level is a distraction. Look them in the eye, even if they're miles or continents away."
Low camera placement from a MacBook
- Make the most of natural lighting
Be aware of the lighting in the room and move yourself to face natural lighting if you can. Positioning the camera so any natural light is behind you takes the light away from your face, which can make it harder to see and read expressions on a call.
Jeff Carlson's top tip: "If the light from outside is too harsh, diffuse it and create softer shadows by tacking up a white sheet or a stand-alone diffuser over the window."
Backlit against a window Facing natural light
- Use supplementary lighting like ring lights
The downside to natural lighting is that you're at the mercy of the elements: if it's too bright you'll have the sun in your eyes, if it's too dark you won't be well lit.
Jeff recommends adding supplementary lighting if you're looking to really enhance your video calls. After all, it looks like remote working will be carrying on for quite some time.
"The light can be just as easy as a household or inexpensive work light. Angle the light so it's bouncing off a wall or the ceiling, depending on your work area, which, again, diffuses the light and makes it more flattering.
Or, for a little money, use a softbox or a shoot-through umbrella with daylight bulbs (5500K temperature), or if space is tight, LED panels. Larger lights are better for distributing illumination– don't be afraid to get them in close to you. Placement depends on the look you're going after; start by positioning one at a 45-degree angle in front and to the side of you, which lights most of your face while retaining nice shadow detail."
In some cases, a ring light may work best. LEDs are arranged in a circle, with space in the middle to put the camera's lens and get direct illumination from the direction of the camera.
- Centre yourself in the frame
Make sure you're getting the right angle and that you're using the frame effectively.
"You should aim for people to see your head and part of your torso, not all the space between your hair and the ceiling. Leave a little space above your head so it's not cut off, but not enough that someone's eyes are going to drift there."
- Be mindful of your backdrop
It's not always easy to get the quiet space needed for video calls when working from home, but try as best you can to remove anything too distracting from your background.
"Get rid of clutter or anything that's distracting or unprofessional, because you can bet that will be the second thing the viewers notice after they see you. (The Twitter account @RateMySkypeRoom is an amusing ongoing commentary on the environments people on television are connecting from.)"
A busy background as seen by a webcam
- Make the most of virtual backgrounds
If you're really struggling with finding a background that looks professional, try using a virtual background.
Jeff suggests: "Some apps can identify your presence in the scene and create a live mask that enables you to use an entirely different image to cover the background. While it's a fun feature, the quality of the masking is still rudimentary, even with a green screen background that makes this sort of keying more accurate."
- Be aware of your audio settings
Our laptop webcams, cameras, and mobile phones all include microphones, but if it's at all possible, use a separate microphone instead.
"That can be an inexpensive lavalier mic, a USB microphone, or a set of iPhone earbuds. You can also get wireless lavalier models if you're moving around during a call, such as presenting at a whiteboard in the camera's field of view.
The idea is to get the microphone closer to your mouth so it's recording what you say, not other sounds or echoes in the room. If you type during meetings, mount the mic on an arm instead of resting it on the same surface as your keyboard."
- Be wary of video app add-ons
Video apps like Zoom include a 'Touch up your appearance' option in the Video settings. This applies a skin-smoothing filter to your face, but more often than not, the end result looks artificially blurry instead of smooth.
"Zoom also includes settings for suppressing persistent and intermittent background noise, and echo cancellation. They're all set to Auto by default, but you can choose how aggressive or not the feature is."
- Be the best looking person in the virtual room
What's important to remember about video calls at this point in time is that most people are new to what is, really, personal broadcasting. That means you can easily get an edge, just by adopting a few suggestions in this article. When your video and audio quality improves, people will take notice.
Top Stories
Bringing finance into the 21st Century – How COVID and collaboration are catalysing digital transformation
By Keith Phillips, CEO of TISATech
If just six or seven months ago someone had told you that in a matter of weeks people around the world would be locked down in their homes, trying to navigate modern work systems from a prehistoric laptop, bickering with family over who's hogging the Wi-Fi, migrating online to manage all financial services digitally, all while washing their hands every five minutes in fear of a global pandemic… You'd think they had lost their mind. But this very quickly became the reality for huge swathes of the world and we're about to go through that all over again as the UK government has asked that those who can work from home should.
Unsurprisingly, statistics show that lockdown restrictions introduced by the UK government in March, led to a sharp increase in people adopting digital services. Banks encouraged its customers to log onto online banking, as they limited (and eventually halted) services at branches. This forced many customers online as their primary means of managing personal finances for the first time.
If anyone had doubts before, the Covid-19 pandemic proved to us the importance of well-functioning, effective digital financial services platforms, for both financial institutions and the people using them.
But with this sudden mass online migration, it's become clear that traditional banks have struggled to keep up with servicing clients virtually. Legacy banking systems have always stilted the digitisation of financial services, but the pandemic thrust this issue into the limelight. Fintech firms, which focus intently on digital and mobile services, knew it was only a matter of time before financial institutions' reliance was to increase at an unprecedented rate.
For years, fintechs have been called upon by traditional players to find solutions to problems borne from those clunky legacy systems, like manual completion of account changes and money transfers. Now it is the demand for these services to be online coupled with the need for financial services firms to cut costs, since Covid-19 hit the economy.
Covid-19 has catalysed the urgent need to bring digital transformation to a wider pool of financial services businesses. Customers now have even higher expectations of larger institutions, demanding that they keep up with what the younger and more nimble challengers have to offer. Industry leaders realise that they must transform their businesses as soon as possible, by streamlining and digitising operations to compete and, ultimately, improve services for their customers.
The race for digital acceleration began far before the recent pandemic – in fact, following the 2008 financial crisis is likely more accurate. Since the credit crunch, there has been a wave of new fintech firms, full of young, bright techies looking to be the next big thing. Fintechs have marketed themselves hard at big conferences and expos or by hosting 'hackathons', trying to prove themselves as the fastest, most innovative or the most vital to the future of the industry.
However, even during this period where accelerating innovation in online financial services and legacy systems is crucial, the conditions brought about by the pandemic have not been conducive to this much-needed transformation.
The second issue, which again was clear far before the pandemic, is that fact that no matter how nimble or clever the fintechs' solutions are, it is still hard to implement the solutions seamlessly, as the sector is highly fragmented with banks using extremely outdated systems populated with vast amounts of data.
With the significance of the pandemic becoming more and more clear, and the need for better digital products and services becoming more crucial to financial services firms and consumers by the day, the industry has finally come together to provide a solution.
The TISAtech project was launched last month by The Investing and Saving Alliance (TISA), a membership organisation in the UK with more than 200 leading financial institutions as members. TISA asked The Disruption House, a specialist benchmarking and data analytics business, to create a clearing house platform for the industry to help it more effectively integrate new financial technology. The project aims to enhance products and services while reducing friction and ultimately lowering costs which are passed on to the customers.
With nearly 4,000 fintechs from around the world participating, it will be the world's largest marketplace dedicated to Open Finance, Savings, and Investment.
Not only will it provide a 'matchmaking' service between financial institutions an fintechs, it will also host a sandbox environment. Financial institutions can pose real problems with real data and the fintechs are given the space to race to the bottom – to find the most constructive, cost-effective solution.
Yes, there are other marketplaces, but they all seem to struggle to achieve a return on investment. There is a genuine need for the 'Trivago' of financial technology – a one stop shop, run by an independent body, which can do more than just matchmaking. It needs to go above and beyond to encompass the sandboxing, assessments, profiling of fintechs to separate the wheat from the chaff, and provide a space for true collaboration.
The pandemic has taught us that we are more effective if we work together. We need mass support and collaboration to find solutions to problems. Businesses and industries are no different. If fintechs and financial institutions can work together, there is a real chance that we can start to lessen the economic hit for many businesses and consumers by lowering costs and streamlining better services and products. And even if it is just making it that little bit easier to manage personal finances from home when fighting with your children for the Wi-Fi, we are making a difference.
Top Stories
What to Know Before You Expand Across Borders
By Sean King, Director of International Tax at McGuire Sponsel
The American retail giant, Target Corporation, has a market cap of $64 billion and access to seemingly limitless resources and advisors. So, when the company engaged in its first global expansion, how could anything possibly go wrong?
Less than two years after opening its first Canadian store in 2013, Target shut down all133 Canadian locations and terminated more than 17,000 Canadian employees.
Expansion of an operation to another country can create unique challenges that may impact the financial viability of the entire enterprise. If Target Corporation can colossally fail in its expansion to Canada, how might Mom 'N' Pop LLC fare when expanding into Switzerland, Singapore, or Australia?
Successful global expansion requires an understanding of multilayered taxes, regulatory hurdles, employment laws, and cultural nuances. Fortunately, with the right guidance, global expansion can be both possible and profitable for businesses of any size.
Permanent establishment
Any company with global ambitions must first consider whether the company's expansion outside of the U.S. will give rise to a taxable presence in the local country. In the cross-border context, a "permanent establishment" can be created in a local country when the enterprise reaches a certain level of activity, which is problematic because it exposes the U.S. multinational to taxation in the foreign country.
Foreign entity incorporation
To avoid permanent establishment risk, many U.S. multinationals choose to operate overseas through a formal corporate subsidiary, which reduces the company's foreign income tax exposure, though it may result in an additional level of foreign income tax on the subsidiary's earnings. In most jurisdictions, multinationals can operate their business in the foreign country as a branch, a pass through (e.g., partnership,) or a corporation.
As a branch, the U.S. multinational does not create a subsidiary in the foreign country. It holds assets, employees, and bank accounts under its own name. With a pass through, the U.S. multinational creates a separate entity in the foreign country that is treated as a partnership under the tax law of the foreign country but not necessarily as a partnership under U.S. tax law.
U.S. multinationals can also create corporate subsidiaries in the foreign country treated as corporations under the tax law of both the foreign country and the U.S., with possibly two levels of income taxation in the foreign country plus U.S. income taxation of earnings repatriated to the U.S. as dividends.
Check-the-box planning
Under U.S. entity classification rules, certain types of entities can "check the box" to elect their classification to be taxed as a corporation with two levels of tax, a partnership with pass-through taxation, or even be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The check the box election allows U.S. multinationals to engage in more effective global tax planning.
Toll charges, transfer pricing and treaties
When establishing a foreign corporate subsidiary, the U.S. multinational will likely need to transfer certain assets to the new entity to make it fully operational. However, in many cases, the U.S. multinational cannot perform the transfer without recognizing taxable income. In the international context, the IRS imposes certain outbound "toll charges" on the transfer of appreciated property to a foreign entity, which are usually provided for in IRC Section 367 and subject to various exceptions and nuances.
Instead, the U.S. multinational may prefer to license intellectual property to the foreign subsidiary for a fee rather than transfer the property outright. However, licensing requires the company and foreign subsidiary to adhere to transfer pricing rules, as dictated by IRC Section 482. The U.S. multinational and the foreign subsidiary must interact in an arms-length manner regarding pricing and economic terms. Furthermore, any such arrangement may attract withholding taxes when royalties are paid across a border.
Are you GILTI?
Certain U.S. multinationals opt to focus on deferring the income recognition at the U.S. level. In doing so, they simply leave overseas profits overseas and delay repatriating any of the earnings to the U.S.
Despite the general merits of this form of planning, U.S. multinationals will be subject to certain IRS anti-deferral mechanisms, commonly known as "Subpart F" and GILTI. Essentially, U.S. shareholders of certain foreign corporations are forced to recognize their pro rata share of certain types of income generated by these foreign entities at the time the income is earned instead of waiting until the foreign entity formally repatriates the income to the U.S.
The end goal
Essentially, all effective international tax planning boils down to treasury management. Effective and early tax planning can properly allow a company to better achieve its initial goal: profitability.
If global expansion is on the horizon for your company, consult a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation.
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text:
The recently-published book by Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu, Risk Less and Prosper: Your Guide to Safer Investing, provides a unique perspective on how to meet the challenge of long-term financial planning. The book is well-organized into a number of steps required for identifying and organizing long-term goals and thinking through how to meet these goals. The presentation is built around a narrative in which a group of people meet to try to figure out how to meet their long-term goals and how to deal with the uncertainty associated with both their lives and their investments.
For those who are not familiar with Zvi Bodie, a professor at Boston University, some history is in order. Dr. Bodie has a long history of challenging the conventional wisdom that individuals saving for their future needs (most notably retirement) need to maintain a substantial allocation to risky asset classes such as stocks. His research, buttressed by that of others, suggests that investors tend to take on far too much risk in their investing and do not really understand the nature or magnitude of the risk that they bear.
The standard view of investing for retirement is that investors need to own stocks and other risky asset classes in order to accumulate sufficient wealth to someday be able to retire. A corollary to this notion is that while stocks are risky in the short term, they become less risky the longer you hold them so long-term investors can handle the short-term volatility because it will pay off in the long-term. Another key assumption that is often part of the standard thinking is that we can have confidence that stocks will soundly out-perform other possible investments in the long-term. Jeremy Siegel, a professor at Wharton who has often debated with Bodie, is the author of a book, Stocks for the Long Run, which champions this standard view.
Bodie argues from a very different perspective. He agrees with the idea that, on average, an equity-heavy portfolio can expect to out-perform less risky investments over an extended holding period and that the degree of this expected out-performance increases with the holding period. The problem that Bodie has noted for years is that while the probability of a bad outcome diminishes the longer you hold a portfolio of stocks, the potential severity of the worst outcomes increases with holding period. I did my own analysis of Bodie's argument a couple of years ago, using a Monte Carlo simulation, and I concluded that he was correct that the severity of potential downside events increases with the holding period, even as the probability of these events decreases.
The answer, Bodie concludes, is that investors should focus on saving and investing to provide for their basic future needs with as little investment risk as possible. If there is investable capital beyond what an investor needs to be on track to meet her basic future needs, this money can be invested in risky asset classes. The core of the portfolio needs to be as low risk as possible. There is one asset class that is the best match to investors' future needs, and that is inflation-protected bonds (TIPS). These are government-issued bonds that will maintain their purchasing power to keep up with inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Bodie believes that TIPS should make up the vast majority of most individual investors' portfolios. Bodie has presented this part of his thesis in an earlier book for individual investors, Worry Free Investing.
While much of Risk Less and Prosper focuses on making the case for taking little investment risk, the book is broader than this one topic. There is an exploration of how to make a long-term plan with specific goals and how to think through dealing with the contingencies that may arise. In my extended analysis of Bodie's argument that investors should put most or all of their portfolios into TIPS, I concluded the following:
The best solution, given all of the uncertainties, is for investors to build portfolios that provide the maximum sustainable income streams, but also to ensure that worst-case outcomes are tolerable. This notion is receiving more attention, but is still not widely understood. An important part of a balanced investment process is to be aware of all of the risks, and the potential for severe under-performance of equities over extended periods of time is a risk that often gets overlooked. A person near retirement who has little or no flexibility in when they retire and how much income they need in retirement must have less exposure to risky asset classes.
Nothing that I have examined since I wrote my piece in 2009 has changed my perspectives on this. Bodie's position is that individual investors do not have an understanding of the potential worst-case outcomes for their portfolios and thus should lock in a basic standard of living using TIPS. I wholeheartedly agree that people do not have a solid understanding of risk and, particularly, that a portfolio of risky assets does not become essentially riskless if you hold it long enough. This does not, however, mean that I agree with Bodie that a 100% TIPS portfolio should be the baseline portfolio. That said, Bodie and Taqqu have staked out important ground in terms of reconsidering the basic paradigm for long-term saving and investing and presenting a new approach in an engaging and thoughtful manner. I would encourage individual investors to challenge their own assumptions and beliefs by reading this book.
The views set forth in this blog are the opinions of the author alone and may not represent the views of any firm or entity with whom he is affiliated. The data, information, and content on this blog are for information, education, and non-commercial purposes only. The information on this blog does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice and is limited to the dissemination of opinions on investing. No reader should construe these opinions as an offer of advisory services.


text:
Keith Wrenn and his wife are opening a downtown Burlington shop that will sell e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking.
Downtown Vaporz will open Nov. 2 at 111 West Davis St., and Wrenn said he�ll have a soft opening on Oct. 25 during the Downtown Spooktacular from 3 to 6 p.m. to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, and give adults a chance to check out the shop.
Wrenn and his wife swear by the products they�ll sell, since the e-cigarettes have allowed them to taper off their nicotine intake while quitting smoking. He said an atomizer screws onto a tank with flavored fluids � from tobacco flavor to candy flavors � that come in nicotine or nicotine-free versions.
The highest nicotine level is 24 milligrams, Wrenn said. Six months ago, he and his wife were using flavors with 16 milligrams of nicotine, and now they�re down to 6 milligrams. And Wrenn said there are no side effects.
�It�s a good product as far as someone trying to quit smoking,� he said.
Once open, store hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. The Wrenns are still determining Saturday hours. Call (336) 263-1783 or check out �Downtown Vaporz� on Facebook.
MONA LISA OLIVE is inviting old and new customers to come see her at Summer Wind Hair Salon at 1258 S. Church St. in Burlington. The salon is beside Music & Art. She is offering wet cuts for $10. Contact her at 336-567-9116 or the salon at 336-229-7680.
DR. ERNEST B. EASON, M.D. has relocated his internal medical practice to the Medical Village at 1610 Vaughn Road, Suite B, in Burlington.
Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (336) 226-1658.
Got an item for Open and Shut? Contact Times-News reporter Molly McGowan by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling 506-3043.