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Javier Lopez Barbosa's childhood in Mexico was full of art, color and music, which he credits for awakening his artistic talent. A self-described "shy boy," Barbosa recalls an obsessive need to constantly carry with him a box of color pencils, crayons, or a watercolor set to communicate to the brilliant world around him. Bright, dramatic coloring continues to be Barbosa's mode of speaking to the world. He paints abstract expressionism and finishes his work with a glazing technique that captures the true essence and brilliancy of color. By submerging interesting forms and textures under layers of clarity-enhancing mediums, Barbosa maximizes the effects of color and intrinsic light and reflects the boldness and drama present in the architecture and colors of Mexico.
Rarely approaching a canvas with a preconceived notion of what will emerge, he uses an array of media, forms and textures, resulting in contemporary expressionistic landscapes brimming with visual depth Barbosa's work has been featured in solo shows in Santa Fe, New Mexico and New York City. He is featured in national and international lifestyle publications, including El Nuevo Mexicana and New Mexico Collector's Guide.


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Women of all ages are invited to join us for our April Women's Empowerment Group Meeting.
Monday, April 22, 2019 7 to 9pm $5.00 per person
Our speaker is Elizabeth Bodien, author and all around multi-talented woman, who will be speaking about her recently published book,
Journeys with Fortune: a Tale of Other Lives. She has also written two books of poetry: Blood, Metal, Fiber, Rock and Oblique Music: A Book of Hours. and four poetry chapbooks.
She holds degrees in cultural anthropology, consciousness studies, religions, and poetry. She has worked as an instructor of English in Japan, an organic farmer in the mountains of Oregon, a childbirth instructor in West Africa, and as a professor of anthropology. After retiring from teaching at Northampton Community College, she devoted her time to writing. She has taught poetry workshops and given talks on poetry and poetics on radio and TV. Her poems, essays, and book reviews have appeared in Cimarron Review, Crannog, and Parabola, among many other publications in the USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and India. Now she is working on a collection of trance writings.
Elizabeth Bodien grew up in the "burned -over district of western New York and now lives near Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania.
She is a delightful woman with many tales to tell of her life adventures. Please join us for an exciting and interesting evening.
LOCATION: Serendipity Meadows
2175 Angstadt Rd.
Quakertown, PA 18951
CONTACT: Deb Pietruszka to register at 484-632-9300.

subset: commoncrawl


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D-backs CF Eaton possibly out 2 months
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Eaton will be out for up to two months because of a sprained left elbow.
Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers said Friday that Eaton had an MRI that revealed a small tear in the fibers around the ulnar collateral ligament. Eaton had been bothered by a sore elbow for a couple of weeks and the Diamondbacks had recently given him a couple days off.
''Of course you like to play through it as a competitor,'' Eaton said. ''You don't like to be in the training room at all and get that type of attention. A couple of guys I talked to talked me in to going in and getting it checked out. I was still thinking it was nothing. I've never had any arm problems my whole life.''
Towers said Eaton, expected to be Arizona's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter, will be shut down for four weeks and the best-case scenario for his return would be in six weeks, but could be as long as two months.
Eaton said he wants to come back sooner.
''I'm sitting here today saying it's not going to take me that long,'' he said. ''I'm going to do at all costs to get back quicker. I put all my faith in the doctors but at the same time for me there's an aspect where I want to try to get back a little sooner and try to push things a little bit. We'll be smart with it, of course, we're not going to do anything stupid with it. But I'm definitely going to try to do a speedy recovery for sure.''
Eaton played 22 games for the Diamondbacks late last season before he was hit by a pitch and broke his right hand.
The speedster was to play a major role in Arizona's plans to change its offensive style and his absence leaves the team thin in the outfield, with Cody Ross - projected to start in right field - unlikely to be ready for opening day because of a calf strain. That leaves the team with a probable outfield of Jason Kubel in left, A.J., Pollock in center and Gerardo Parra in right.
Eaton hit .390 this spring with 23 hits and 10 RBIs in 59 at bats.
The scrappy outfielder sent a message via Twitter thanking his supporters.
''You know that I will work my butt off to get back in there,'' he wrote. ''It will be sooner than later.''
Eaton said that he visited team doctor Michael Lee 1 1/2 weeks ago and, when his discomfort persisted, he underwent an MRI as a precaution, only to discover the problem was worse than he expected.
''It's going to be tough to see the guys go and have fun every day but I guess it's all part of the game,'' he said, ''but it's going to kill me for sure.''
The Diamondbacks will shut Eaton down completely for up to two weeks. Eaton can hit after that but won't be allowed to throw for four weeks.
''It doesn't bother him to hit and he can throw. It only bothers him when he really lets go, a long throw,'' manager Kurt Gibson. ''He will get a lot of at-bats. He will probably stay in extended (spring training). When he gets into that window where he can throw we will send him out for a 30-day assignment. The earliest scenario is May 15th.''
A.J Pollock will play centerfield during some spring games. Martin Prado is also an option in the outfield with Gerardo Parra playing centerfield. Willie Bloomquist is another option.
''I wouldn't rule Cody (Ross) out,'' Gibson said. ''He's been getting at-bats. He's not going to run but he will get eight to 12 at-bats. We have a camp day. It's possible he could be ready in a short period of time.''


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Kathy L. Seidel, Esq. is a JAMS DENVER neutral. JAMS Denver is a licensee office. Policies and procedures may differ between JAMS, Inc., and JAMS Denver. Please visit https://jamsdenver.com/ or contact Lisa Gaige at firstname.lastname@example.com or 303-534-1254 for information related to JAMS Denver.
Kathy L. Seidel, Esq. brings 29 years of legal and fiduciary experience to the mediation arena. Her early career as an estate planning attorney gave her broad experience in drafting simple plans for small estates as well as complicated documents for high net worth clients. Later, she moved to the financial services industry, gaining insight into the day-to-day practicalities of administering all types of trust agreements (such as family and marital trusts, generation skipping trusts, charitable lead and remainder trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts and grantor retained annuity trusts) as well as decedent's estates. Having served for many years as a corporate fiduciary, she understands investment and asset management fiduciary requirements as well as common law fiduciary duties. She has experience working with traditional and blended families and the elderly and understands the dynamics of family relationships. One of the most rewarding aspects of her work in the financial services industry was working with families to resolve planning and interfamily issues.
Ms. Seidel's approach to mediation is to meticulously prepare for each case by reviewing all relevant documents to ensure an understanding of the issues and to bring efficiency to the process. She brings a practical and common-sense approach to problem solving. Although each case is unique, she believes that her ability to remain calm in highly emotional or contested situations, as well as the ability to listen and communicate clearly, helps parties resolve their issues.
- Member, Colorado and Denver Bar Associations (Trust and Estate Section)
- Former Chair of the Trust and Estate Section of the Colorado Bar Association
- Former Trustee of the Colorado Bar Foundation
- Member of the Alumni Council of the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
- Board Member, University of Colorado Foundation
- Member, Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council
- Former Member, Denver Estate Planning Council
- Former Board Member, Alzheimer's Association, Rocky Mountain Chapter
- Former Board Member and Treasurer, Opera Colorado
- President, The Northern Trust Bank Colorado
- Manager, Trust and Investment Department, The Northern Trust Bank Colorado
- Trust Administrator, Norwest Bank, N.A. (now Wells Fargo, N.A.)
- Private Practice, Holme Roberts & Owen (now Bryan Cave)
- Admitted to Colorado Bar, 1989
- J.D., University of Denver, College of Law, 1989
- Paralegal and Landman, Atlantic Richfield Company
- B.A. University of Colorado
Practice Areas
- Accounting/Finance
- Business & Commercial
- Estates/Probate/Trusts
- Family Law
- Financial Markets
This page is for general information purposes. JAMS makes no representations or warranties regarding its accuracy or completeness. Interested persons should conduct their own research regarding information on this website before deciding to use JAMS, including investigation and research of JAMS neutrals. See More


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Generation now and generation next stars picked as faces of well-known video games.
Miami Heat superstar LeBron James and rising star Kyrie Irving have been named as the faces of two of the more popular NBA video games on the market.
Irving has made a big impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers since landing with them two seasons ago and being named as the rookie of the year.
This week Irving announced the news via his personal Twitter account that he was the face of NBA Live 14, saying he was proud and humbled by the honour.
Check it out, Yessir!! @EASPORTSNBA LIVE 14 cover. The future is LIVE! #hungryandhumble http://t.co/BdNfb6VW7R pic.twitter.com/87BZB6IqXy
— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) July 25, 2013
James is one of the biggest names in the game and now he will be on the face of the award-winning NBA 2K14, he even got a chance to meet his digital self recently.


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Camp the Coast of California
Camp the Coast of California: Top Beaches
The state of California stretches long and wide, holding many beautiful sites, cities, and people. There is unique character to each region within this state and there are multitudes of opportunity for adventure, travel, and fun. California holds some of the best beaches from the tip – end of San Diego up all the way through Northern California. Depending on where you want to explore, California hosts campground areas with unique character in each region of California. Here are some of the top California Campgrounds to explore, hangout, and even camp at.
- San Onofre State Beach- This beach is beautiful, long, and wide, and it offers privacy due to it's seclusion. You can camp at this State beach and it provides the calming comforts of what Southern California is all about. This park is also known for its great surfing and attracts surfers of all kinds throughout the year. This beach area is one of the most popular state beach campgrounds that are visited, heading towards the San Diego region of California.
- Doheny State Beach- This beach area is extremely popular and well – known in the Southern region of California. Known for its surfing, relaxed atmosphere, and volleyball courts, this area brings together community through it's family – oriented beachside campgrounds. This campground is friendly, calm, and one of the top places for camping, specifically. If you want to explore California and relax along beautiful campgrounds, this is the place to be.
- Leo Carillo State Park – This area resides in the Los Angeles region of California. This beach ground is apart of the Santa Monica Mountains, and has areas for swimming, surfing, and exploring. There are also areas for backpacking and hiking near the ocean. If your in this region of California and want to explore many activities of adventure surrounded in a busy city, this may be a beach park to spend your time at.
- Pismo State Beach Park- This area is up in the central region of California of San Luis Obispo County. Larger than most, this beach park stretches up to seventeen miles. The area holds a lot of nature and most people come here to view sights of butterflies, birds, and even ocean wildlife. The San Luis Obispo region of California is more relaxed than most and the beach resembles that of a flat sandy dune.
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park – This state park takes its visitors into a different world. This coastal region stretches up to twelve miles and holds deep nature. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is known for the many redwood trees, nature areas, and beautiful Mcway Falls, which steeps down up to eighty feet. If you want to explore an unique area of nature that is unlike any other region in California, this may be the state park for you.
Each state park within California holds beach areas, adventure, and activities that are special to each region of California. Whether you want the Southern region of sunshine, relaxation, and surfing, or the Northern region of relaxation, nature, and wildlife, you will be given an experience of a lifetime. Camping down the coast of California is something that should not be missed.


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Enterprise Onboarding
Successful Service Delivery is a key enabler of Operational Resilience and is comprised of IT, People, Assets and Suppliers. It is multifunctional, and we know it's a challenge for any organization. We should remember however, that the People element is just as important to IT. Through your ServiceNow investment, you can further support strategic service delivery thus enterprise onboarding.
Research highlights that organizations directly benefit from providing effective onboarding. Employees feel that they are more connected to the organization and the team, feel more engaged and supported and perceive the HR team and organization as a positive experience. IT plays a major role in the start of this critical journey for anyone involved, and it should be perceived as an enabler for supporting the People element.
No organization is the same, even though processes are generally aligned, each organization is different.
- An enhanced onboarding experience
- Streamline information gathering gathering for onboarding process
- Identify activities, stakeholders, dependencies, requirements and touchpoints
- Pre-defined checklist and scoped activities
- Make your employees feel more engaged and supported during onboarding
What can you expect?
- Enhanced onboarding experience and maturity
- Faster ROI on ServiceNow investment
- Driving onboarding maturity
- Focus on best practise improvements
- Thought leadership focus and end to end – and standard delivery method
Engage ESM's Enterprise Onboarding Framework
Engage ESM's framework helps organizations deliver an enhanced onboarding experience. It streamlines the information gathering process, identifying activities, stakeholders, dependencies, requirements and touchpoints. The information gathering process is streamlined by the fact of the checklist of pre-defined and scoped activities to enable decision making, deliver fast ROI on the ServiceNow investment and drive onboarding maturity.
Please get in touch with our Enterprise Onboarding experts by clicking here.


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Event Report: Informatica Analyst Day Reveals A Growth Strategy
By R "Ray" Wang on March 18, 2013
Informatica Sets The Stage For A New Chapter In Its History Informatica held its annual industry analyst day February 26th to 27th, 2013 at the Rosewood Sandhill in Menlo Park. The event showcased Informatica's go-forward strategy and road map for growth over the next three years. Key highlights include: Capturing a $6.5B market opportunity in […]
Posted in Business | Tagged Active Endpoints, analyst event, Apps Strategy, BI, Big Data, BigData, Business Analytics, business intelligence, cdi, Cloud, cloud integration, CoIT, customer data integration, data governance, data integration, data quality, Data to Decisions, Decision Management, DQ, enterprise applications, enterprise apps, Enterprise apps strategy, enterprise strategy, event report, Heiler, Informatica, information management, integration, master data management, mdm, R "Ray" Wang;, rwang0, Software Insider, SoftwareInsider, vendor strategy


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Since Google bought Fitbit, people seem to have fallen into one of two categories: Those who don't care at all about the privacy implications, and those very much do. For the latter, it means this holiday season is a good chance to jump on sales and buy a replacement smartwatch or tracker. But which one?
While Gizmodo does have a pretty great buying guide (curated by yours truly), it features Fitbits in many of the categories. Because let's face it, privacy concerns aside, Fitbit knows what it's doing when it comes to hardware. Its software is also super streamlined and easy to use for general tracking. Only, while Fitbits is the shorthand term people use to describe this category of gadgets, they're not the be-all, end-all.
A quick aside here: Privacy when it comes to your health data is a lot of smoke and mirrors. All these companies have published their own privacy policies, but many are also complicit in corporate wellness programs with employers and insurers. Using a tracker or smartwatch to monitor your health will require you to at least acknowledge that your information—albeit aggregated and anonymized—will be used for profit. It's a definite tradeoff, but only you can decide whether, say, the convenience of tracking your period via your wrist is worth giving that sensitive data to any company at all. I've written about why it's sort of hypocritical to be up in arms about Google owning Fitbit data when Fitbit's already been profiting off it for years. That said, I get the legitimate concern. Plus there's plenty of us out there who are irrevocably hooked in this self-quantifying game and want alternatives.
Many readers have commented this is why it's a good time to jump ship for the Apple Watch. Apple has done a good job marketing itself as the One Company That Cares About Your Privacy. That's sort of true. Apple is better than most, but again, it participates in corporate wellness programs too. And, if you participate in its research studies, you are consenting to give your data to third-parties of some sort. However, if you're an iOS user looking for a smartwatch experience, the Series 5 is hard to beat. Its always-on display is better than the Fitbit Versa 2's, and recent software updates to the Health and Activity app have improved data contextualization on the platform as a whole.
But recommending the Apple Watch is also trite and leaves out the thousands of Android users. Plus, the Apple Watch starts at $400, which is expensive as hell unless you're willing to opt for a discounted Series 3. To be clear, the Series 3 is still a great watch but doesn't come with the latest display or ECG features. If you're looking to replace a Versa, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 is a decent choice. It is packed with fitness features, and Tizen OS is leagues better than Google's WearOS. (Also, pretty sure the whole point of replacing Fitbits is to get away from Google, so...) I had accuracy issues when I tested it, but Samsung has updated its software since then.
But the most 1:1 competitor with Fitbit is probably Garmin. On the data front, you'll get way more in-depth metrics and this past summer, Garmin finally updated its smartwatch line so it doesn't look quite as hideous anymore. The Venu, its first AMOLED smartwatch, is pretty snazzy. Meanwhile, its hybrid analog Vivomove line is just plain gorgeous. There's also the Vivosmart and Vivofit lines, which serve as basic trackers. One important note—particularly if you're on a budget—almost all these options are more expensive than the corresponding Fitbits.
That brings me to the sea of cheap fitness trackers that have chipped away at Fitbit's dominance over the last few years. While I think the Fossil Hybrid HR is a worthy successor to Pebble, many Pebble fans have since let me know that the Amazfit Cor or Amazfit Bip also fills the niche for simple, attractive trackers that don't cost an arm and a leg. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Xiaomi Mi Band 4, which is stupid cheap at $40 and tracks basically everything the Fitbit Inspire HR does.
All these products have their individual quirks. Most don't have the community aspect Fitbit does. So while challenges are built into some of them, like the Garmins, the devices just aren't as ubiquitous. Fitbit's app also doesn't give you the most detailed stats—not to mention they've now started locking behind more meaningful data behind a subscription—but it is a well-designed app. Some of the others (especially budget options) are, well, still working on that. However, most of the smartwatches I mentioned are just as good, if not better, than the Versa. As for the basic trackers, they'll give you a comparable experience with regard to accuracy—and that's sort of the point, isn't it?


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IDSA Medical Design Webinar Series
IDSA's inaugural Medical Design Conference, The Usability Ecosystem, held at CAMLS (Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation) was very popular. Now, we're bringing some of the best presentations right to your computer as 1-hour, interactive webinars.
The Future of Healthcare and What it Means for the Role of Industrial Designers
The presentation starts with a summary of the changes that have taken place in healthcare, particularly with medical devices, over the past 30 years, then provides predictions of what will happen in the next 30 years. Medical care has changed dramatically; many of the procedures that we take for granted today didn't exist 30 years ago. Changes in healthcare have relied upon general technological developments, so, to predict what will happen in the future, it's necessary to predict what will change in technology. It seems likely that many present developments will continue—e.g., better computing power, smaller miniaturization, etc. The difficult part is to predict the radical changes to be expected in the future. The final challenge is to figure out what the role of industrial design will be in healthcare. This webinar is sponsored by:
Presenter: Stephen Wilcox, PhD, FIDSA
Download the webinar video
Designing Healthcare of the Future: Disease to Wellness to Swellness
To sustainably improve the health of our population, health and healthy choices in communities need to become the norm. This presentation discusses our approach to this goal targeting the dimensions of health that include exercise, food, sleep, stress, social networks and family. We believe that the areas of Design and Design Thinking are critical to construct health ecosystems and optimize user experiences. These complex systems are asymmetric, where a few agents or elements are more important than others. Ecosystem design allows us to initially target the high value areas of exercise, and envision how to construct an ecosystem that makes healthy choices and health the norm by bending the world around the person. This presentation will discuss how we are trying to construct this ecosystem with designers, focusing on optimizing the user experience at the interface level, and layering this experience set with precision tools to navigate individual decisions and nudge community decisions and offerings.
This webinar is sponsored by:
Presenter: Clay Marsh, MD
Download the webinar video
5 in 5: mHealth and Medical Web App UI | Bill Evans, IDSA
What kinds of medical information-oriented products will designers be working on in 5 years time, and how can we rise to the patient and clinician 'engagement' challenges? Based on years of FDA/EU regulated UI design experience, Bill Evans gives his predictions and recount 5 lessons from the device UI world to help designers understand and meet these challenges:
- Usability isn't just can you use it, but WILL you use it.
- Data isn't useful if it isn't actionable.
- Sharing data—the practicalities and challenges beyond HIPAA concerns
- User testing from start to finish—what are the issues specific to this kind of usability challenge
- Small is beautiful—what kinds of rapid prototyping and small scale tests are likely to lead to success
This webinar is sponsored by:
Presenter: Bill Evans, IDSA
Download the webinar video and slides
Model with Unrivaled Flexibility - solidThinking Evolve 2015: The Ultimate Hybrid ModelerT
This webinar will introduce attendees to the newly released solidThinking Evolve 2015. Evolve 2015 Is the ultimate hybrid modeling system combining solid parametric modeling, organic surface modeling, polygonal modeling and a best-in-class rendering engine all into a newly built, more efficient user interface. Evolve allows its users to set their creativity free with its industry leading flexibility and feature set.
Download the webinar video
Autodesk Fusion 360
Autodesk Fusion 360 represents the next generation of design tools. It brings together industrial and mechanical design, collaboration and machining into a single affordable platform.
Maintaining Design Data through the Design Process
Bringing great products to market rapidly is often slowed by loss of data between design, engineering and production. Disconnected design tools are used through different stages of the product design cycle that do not leverage the design data that has been previously developed. This creates loss of design intent and stalled design cycles ultimately sacrificing time to market.
Here is a discussion on how Backhand Bikes leveraged a design platform that allowed them to maintain the integrity of your design from concept through production.
Presenters: Jeff Hooper; Churtis Chan
Download the webinar recording
Evolving a Design Firm's Workflows (Solving Everyday Design Process Challenges)
To stay competitive and exceed client expectations, it's important for industrial design firms and freelance designers to continually investigate new approaches to solving everyday design process challenges. Often traditional design tools can create obstacles which limit your abilities and cause unproductive workflows. Enjoy an hour of exploring emerging technologies and techniques to drive better product designs in a more timely manner.
Presenters: Class Kuhnen, Garin Gardiner
Download the Webinar Recording
Creating Industry Changing Toy Designs (How to be Original and Unpredictable)
The design and manufacturing process we all use is undergoing massive changes, the Toy Industry is at the forefront of this evolution. Learning how to create industry changing toy designs in timely matter requires we adapt to a more agile process. Most traditional design tools create obstacles which limits your abilities.
Engage in an hour of shared insights into how you can drive better product design through Toy industry knowledge and next generation design tools.
Autodesk Fusion 360 is a new tool we think is going to represent the next generation of design tools. It brings together a lot of what is great about other products into a single platform that combines industrial and mechanical design, collaboration, and machining in an affordable package.
Presenters: Simeon Tiefel, Garin Gardiner
Good Design = Good Business
Designers know that the direct correlation between good design and business success is irrefutable. One need look no further than the recent sale of highly designed Beats by Dre to design supercorp Apple and Interbrand's 2013 Best Global Brands list that includes a top 10 that is 90 percent IDEA winners! However, defining and quantifying the specifics of how good design positively impacts business success can often prove challenging.
In summer and fall 2014, IDSA presented experts from top firms who provided deep-dives into specific correlations between good design and business success including:
- The influence of innovation on big name brands
- How ID skills can bring entrepreneurial success
- The convergence of UX, IX and mainstream ID in successful products
- Creating hit products through direct connection of designer and end-user
Each hour-long webinar offered an information-packed presentation followed by a moderated Q&A where attendees posed their own thought-provoking questions. This series was complimentary to IDSA members and available at a low fee to non-members. For more information on this series, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or 703.707.6000.
Constrain to Create: Why Parameters Boost Design Creativity
Donald Strum, Senior Vice President, Product Design, Michael Graves Design Group
When commissioning an industrial design, clients often think they want to provide a "blue-sky environment" in order to achieve the most creative design solution. This is a great approach until reality sets in. Real projects have budgets, schedules, platforms, manufacturing requirements and other constraints that typically define the project's outcome. Fortunately, the most satisfying projects to design tend to be those where the "playing field" is the most narrowly defined. It is these constraints that inspire creativity.
In this webinar, Donald Strum presents his argument that constrained parameters boost design creativity. He addresses the process of developing a design brief that defines all existing pragmatic project conditions. He also explores how the application of humanistic design principles can transform the way a product is perceived by consumers. Strum presents engaging case studies to answer questions including:
- How can product design transform commonly understood forms into exciting original innovations?
- How can product design convey meaning that will attract a loyal consumer audience?
- How you can ensure your design process is profitable and your product is commercially successful?
Presenter: Donald Strum
Download the webinar recording
Designing for the Masses is Out
David Peschel, Executive Director of Design and Innovation, Speck Design
The design paradigm is shifting. We are moving away from "design for the masses" towards individualized products that connect deeply to the targeted user. In the past, this was the work of highly skilled craftsmen. In the future, it will be driven by advancing communications, manufacturing, and logistics. The next phase in design evolution will hinge on advancing technologies, resulting in products "made for someone, not everybody."
- Emergence of populist design, including Kickstarter campaigns, crowdsourcing, and crowdfunding, through which there is an exchange of control over money, design outcome, and design success.
- Exchange of quality versus quantity. People seek better quality products that suit their individual needs and desires. They won't settle for "one size fits all."
- Exchange between technologies. How can we produce individually-designed objects on a large scale, but still maintain a non-mass-produced feel?
- Customized design will lead to greater success of product adoption.
Presenter: David Peschel
Download the webinar recording
Designing Convergence Products
Adrian Taylor, Creative Director, Pushstart Creative
As connectivity and 'smart' technology become increasingly popular, product design and development demands more than just industrial design expertise. Connected products that bridge the physical and digital worlds are growing in number and market share with little sign of slowing. Agencies wanting to compete in this changing marketplace will have to evolve along with the products they design. This webinar will look at the unique issues and opportunities facing teams designing convergence oriented solutions.
Taylor will share challenges faced and lessons learned in building an agency focused on enabled products. Participants will come away with a different and deeper understanding of workflows and processes; the influence various disciplines can have on each other; collaborating with clients on convergent products; and the talent and recruitment challenges presented when hiring for a multi-disciplined team.
Presenter: Adrian Taylor
Download the webinar recording
ReDesign: The ID Entrepreneur
Kevin Lehtiniitty, Founder & CEO, TINITT
The skill sets used by successful entrepreneurs and industrial designers share many common elements. This webinar will draw parallels between the ways that good design helps build businesses, and opportunities to adapt industrial design into business skills to help create and grow startups. Drawing from case studies of software startups as a platform for the discussion, Lehtiniitty will deep-dive specific areas in which these skills and connections can be transferred to companies in different spaces. Participants will take away greater knowledge of optimal decision-making and design choices that positively impact the bottom line of the business. Those specifically interested in entrepreneurship will take away an understanding of how to leverage their own skill sets to maximize the probability of success in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Presenter: Kevin Lehtiniitty
Download the webinar recording
Cross-Industry Exchange: The Influence of Innovation
Bryan Shova, Director of Industrial Design, Kaleidoscope
Everyone is looking for the next big thing. Entire businesses are built upon truly new and engaging products. However, there is a tendency in both design and business to look for inspiration in the category for which we are designing. Understanding competitors and the opportunity for creating difference is important, but the inspiration part, that special "something" will likely come from somewhere else.
This webinar will explore how attributes in non-related categories can provide inspiration for the development of a new technology or the metamorphosis of your process leading to design and business success. Participants will learn new approaches to break down product attributes, provide relevance and adapt the learning to create new product platforms.
How can you tap previously overlooked opportunities for inspiration to design the next winning product? What does scrapbooking and flooring installation have in common? Join the discussion and find out.
Presenter: Bryan Shova


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Shelagh Rogers remembers Richard Wagamese
Richard Wagamese has died at the age of 61. His body of work includes six novels, a book of poetry and five nonfiction titles, including two memoirs and an anthology of his newspaper columns. His most recent book, Embers, is a collection of Ojibway meditations. It is currently shortlisted for a BC Book Prize. Richard was very close to The Next Chapter's host Shelagh Rogers. Below, Shelagh pays tribute to her dear friend and one of Canada's great storytellers:
The call came Friday afternoon, in the glorious winter sun, the call where I learned Richard Wagamese has died. He was only 61. With so many stories left to tell us.
His death is personal. You see, Richard was my CB. And I was his CS. Chosen Brother, Chosen Sister. So beyond the interviews we did, both on the radio and on stage, we knew each other well and had for decades. I regarded him as a teacher. I contacted him about everything from spiritual crises, to the news of the death of my dog Poppy. Here's what he wrote on that occasion:
"Poppy only ever knew love and only ever expressed it. She only ever knew joy and only ever expressed that. She was a friend, an ally, a warmth on cold nights and an unwavering gaze when things needed sorting out. She learned and gave enough and now continues on her marvelous journey of becoming more, just as all creatures, even us, do. She returns to joy. You will feel her in the rain, in the wind, in the bite of snow and in deep and penetrating silence when you stand out on the land — so that you might miss her terribly but never ever be away from her. That's what spirit is all about, my friend. It never leaves us. Ever."
I substitute Richard's name for Poppy.
Richard struggled with demons. He was open about his unhappy childhood, being fostered out more than 15 times, as part of the legacy of residential schools. We can honour his spirit by educating ourselves about this time in our history. And the best way we can do that is to read his books. While we mourn the stories he had yet to tell, let us celebrate the ones he shared. He was a master. He was story. He was love.
Dear reader, dear listener, we grieve together.
Richard Wagamese won the Matt Cohen Prize in 2015, in celebration of a writing life. Here he is accepting the award:


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Tensões NATO-Rússia
May 17, 2022 - O Parlamento da Finlândia ratificou o plano para solicitar adesão à NATO juntamente com a Suécia. Ambos os países solicitam entrada na Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte para dissuadir uma agressão da Rússia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his invasion of Ukraine, saying his "special operation" was a preemptive move to terminate NATO's "endless" expansion in Russia's perceived sphere of influence -- Eastern Europe and former-Soviet republics.
Writing in the April 7, 2022, issue of The Atlantic, former U.S. President Bill Clinton reveals that as long ago as 1994, he supported Russian President Boris Yeltsin's efforts to build a strong economy and a functioning democracy after the fall of the Soviet Union.
"My policy was to work for the best while preparing for the worst," wrote Clinton.
"I was worried not about a Russian return to communism, but about a return to ultranationalism, replacing democracy and cooperation with aspirations to empire, like Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. I didn't believe Yeltsin would do that, but who knew what would come after him?"
In 1994, Russia became the first country to join NATO's Partnership for Peace, a programme for practical bilateral cooperation, including joint training exercises between NATO and non-NATO European countries.
"In 1997, we supported the NATO-Russia Founding Act, which gave Russia a voice but not a veto in NATO affairs, and supported Russia's entry to the G7, making it the G8."
In 1999, at the end of the Kosovo conflict, U.S. Secretary of Defence Bill Cohen reached an agreement with the Russian defence minister under which Russian troops could join UN-sanctioned NATO peacekeeping forces.
"Throughout it all, we left the door open for Russia's eventual membership in NATO," Clinton emphasised. "Something I made clear to Yeltsin and later confirmed to his successor, Vladimir Putin."


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If Europe has any insight, it will separate itself from these U.S. foreign policy debacles, writes Jeffrey D. Sachs.
Tag: neoconconservatives
Turning on Russia, Part Two
In the second part of this two-part series, Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould explore how neo-conservatives, behind the scenes, took control of U.S. foreign policy. Part One can be found here.
Resisting Calls to 'Do Something' About Syria
A common refrain is that the West must "do something" to help Syria, but this is like arguing that the gasoline that was used to start a fire can also be used to extinguish it, explains Caitlin Johnstone.
A Clinton Family Value: 'Humanitarian' War
Exclusive: The transformation of the Democratic Party from the relative "peace party" to a belligerent "war party" occurred during Bill Clinton's presidency and is likely to resume if Hillary Clinton is elected, writes James W Carden.
Mideast's 'Regime Change' Madness
Hillary Clinton's "regime change" policies as Secretary of State helped spread the chaos that has turned the Middle East into a killing field and might have done even worse if not for extraordinary obstructions from the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of…


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Lot 132Price Realized: $341
|Lot 132: CD 205 BROOKFIELD Color: Dark Olive Green Description: Some inner skirt flaking, some small scuffs and pings. A nice dark green color! (#7106)
Estimate: $100 - $150 Open: $1
Price Realized: $341
Auction technology and web site hosting provided by Bill Meier.
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Weddings at Arapaho Valley Ranch!
AVR has a vey rich Colorado history and has been helping people enjoy the outdoors since the 1800's! Children of people who met and fell in love at AVR come visit us these days to see where there parents fell in love. There is a long standing history of lovers that have created their lives together here and you can feel that when you enter our gates! We believe that love is love and all are welcome to wed here at AVR!
What makes weddings unique at AVR is that we allow you to rent our entire ranch, for an entire weekend, for one solid price. No add on costs and no hidden fees! This is a unique opportunity that allows couples to spend time with the people they love while their guests can enjoy a weekend of camping, glamping, and outdoor fun! We allow couples to put together the wedding of their dreams without a lot of micromanagement from us. There are minimal requirements when it comes to things like alcohol, catering and activities in our exclusive package.
Our guest ranch has various types of lodging such as Tipis, Glamping Tents, Cabins, and campsites where people can bring their own tents and campers and this is all included for an entire weekend when you book the exclusive rate!
Little Indian Lake is our private lake on the property. It is surrounded by grass fields, has a killer view of the mountains, and is perfect for canoe rides, paddle boarding, and fishing. AVR runs along the South Fork of the Colorado River with breathtaking views of the River Valley leading into Lake Granby. There are large meadows with luscious grass fields, a private hiking trail with a kissing swing overlooking the river. There are many beautiful spots along the river to fish, swim and enjoy nature. We are within walking distance to Lake Granby and there is easy access to boat docks for enjoying Lake Granby by boat.
Our historic Lodge includes Colorado's smallest bar, two living rooms, a billiards room, an outdoor fire pit, outdoor decks and patios, and our store. It's a beautiful location for greeting guests, serving hors d'oeuvres, and enjoying the gorgeous view of the lake and mountains. The Lodge deck is perfect as a stage for bands and DJ's and is also used for food service, bartending, and dancing.
We are best suited for a wedding of about 100 people or less, although we can accommodate up to 150 people for the wedding ceremony and reception.
While we prefer to rent the ranch exclusively on the weekends, we are available as a weekday ceremony or reception site and offer a one-day rental fee that includes the use of our facilities for your wedding ceremony and reception on Sunday through Wednesdays.
There are multiple locations on our ranch to say your "I do's" depending on what kind of ceremony you want to create. We have sites overlooking the South Fork of the Colorado River, amongst the trees in a wooded forest deep in the woods, or a more traditional ceremony on our wedding deck at Little Indian Lake. While we usually hold the reception in our wedding pavilion, you could create a reception in other areas on our property as well, under a white wedding tent, or out underneath the stars in our green grass meadow.
We have great relationships with local vendors in Grand County. Local catering companies, food trucks, photographers, florists, hairdressers, and even fun activities such as clay pigeon shooting, horseback riding, and hot air balloon rides can all be organized!
View our current Information packet here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:9591946d-6d42-32d9-8c32-e597026584b1


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Fandango has a thing going about flashback posts, and this is one I wrote on May 1st last year. Reading it now, I don't think it was too bad!!
Thanks to Diana Wallace Peach of Myths of the Mirror for our May photoprompt.
For visually challenged writers, this is an image of a man who is part human and part machine. Behind him are gears and wires as well as a hint of fire or electricity.
Pixabay image by Brigitte Werner
The Awakening
He had nothing when he volunteered for the program.
No family, no prospects, no home, no ties. He was perfect.
They had tapped into his memory and deleted all knowledge of his former life.
Over the years, they had removed, improved and replaced vital components of his body.
By trial and error, he was practically indestructible now, one of a hundred 'ideal soldiers' of the future who would obey their superiors without question or conscience.
Each stood sedated in the ranks ready to strike when the time was right.
No-one noticed when he woke up and…
View original post 23 more words


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You might walk past a field today, only to discover barricades around it tomorrow and that the land will be built into a new condominium in the next year or so. Sometimes older buildings will be demolished to make way for the new, especially if the commercial value of that land trumps its heritage and cultural value. The sounds of bulldozers and cranes have become the backing track to areas close to the heartlands, alongside the bird calls and cars trying to park downstairs a HDB block.
Or sometimes, the KPIs that dictate almost all our economic decisions in this country cause buildings to have an undetermined fate.
Tampines Junior College is no exception to this rule.
In April 2017, eight local Junior Colleges will be merged into four instead. This decision was made due to the dip in annual student intake, which did not come as much of a surprise since the country's birth rate has been consistently falling over the years.
Despite the logistics and the sense it may make to merge the schools, with Singapore land a constant scarcity right from the beginning, buildings are more than just brick and mortar. These places hold sentimental value for the people who have spent years making memories in every corner.
Merged is an interactive web documentary on Tampines Junior College's last days on campus, before they merge with Meridian Junior College. The bite-sized videos are interspersed between texts and images of the school.
Besides capturing the facades of the school itself, this documentary also dives deep into the people that have made the school what it is today—the students, teachers and the various staff of all capacities.
Through the stories and moments shared on camera, Merged.sg becomes a microsite of a collective storybank of what Tampines Junior College means to those it has touched. Besides the sentimentality, it also sheds light on the implications of what a merger entails—loss of jobs, and a change in physical landscape and the nature of the neighbourhood it is a part of.
Informative and candid, the documentary captures the honesty of its interview subjects well and the familiarity in each of their demeanours (friendly ban mian stall owner, anybody?) makes it easy to find yourself a part of the narrative being shared, and empathising.
I appreciate that some perspectives being shared are not ones that we tend to think of, and may very well take for granted. For example, a student shares about why he chose Tampines Junior College and that it has been his dream to attend it, as the first JC student in his family. It made me wonder how accessible a junior college education really is, and how many families may factor in convenience before choosing to send their child there.
And if convenience is a priority for some, then what exactly is Tampines losing besides a landmark and sense of identity of over 30 years?
The interactive documentary begs its audience to take part in this journey to uncovering and asking questions, instead of just being a passive viewer. Through scrolling and clicking links that lead you to different parts of the school, I become a visitor of the school and somehow, learn the little things that make me feel like an insider.
After all, it is all in the small details and these are the things that we tend to miss the most. Some buildings may be demolished, but some memories stay with us for a lifetime.
Merged was featured in The Future of Our Pasts Festival (TFOOPFest), which included two panel discussions and an exhibition. The documentary can be accessed at this link: http://merged.sg/
Written by Dawn Teo


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BLOX Racing
BLOX Racing offers two unique and distinct series of forged lug nuts: Street Series and Titanium.
The Street Series lug nuts are the Industry's best selling lug nuts! Each lug nut is forged from AL7075 then anodized in six different finishes. The Street Series lug nuts are lightweight yet offer the durability and security needed for everyday driving, including occasional stints at the race track. BLOX Racing Street Series lug nuts are also demanded by top show car owners everywhere.


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EDM Is So Lit Right Now: A Satirical Public Service Kind Of OpEd Rant
Former Magnetic Managing Editor Anders Seefeldt takes to the keyboard to let you know that he is indeeed, not LIT and nor should you be. Enjoy this satirical rant, you will laugh, you might sniffle you might even get LIT.
Nothing is more lit than EDM right now. I don't care what anyone says. Everywhere you look it's just a fucking party. Girls, stage dives, girls named "Molly" (which is 100% pure btw), HOLY SHIP!. And dude, HOLY SHIP. So many girls on HOLY SHIP. Fucking lit ship. Of course this is just the tip, and this shit goes balls fvkcing deep.
I was at EDC the other year, which has like all the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs so you know it's legit. I was basically taking shots with DVBBS on stage, which was pretty lit, but then Aoki busted out the cake and I got smacked in the face with a fucking banana somewhere. The music from these dudes is totally dead but they know how to throw an epic party. But that's just part of it.
Last year at ULTRA I met so many people I got drunk and passed out. We were so fucking lit. But that's exactly what this music is all about. It's about making those human connections. But now it's like the bvss dropped, we got turnt up and it's time to get lit.
No movement would be real without an underground scene, of course. That's where these artists come in: SBTRKT, MSTRKRFT, NGHTMRE, 3LAU, SNBRN, KSHMR, LUMBERJVCK, CRNKN, SCRVP and Lit Lords (formerly SEVM). Plus Kygo, but tropical house is so fucking dead tho. Then there are guys like Carl Craig who actually still say "techno". LOL, it's called EDM, bro. The word techno is as dead as trap music.
But the EDM fans are the best part. I mean, the girls at these shows tho. There's even this one girl named Alison Wonderland who's actually a DJ. I've never heard her stuff but I follow her on Facebook. PLUR.
Now, I know a lot of you are thinking, if this guy knows so much about music, why doesn't he talk about Coachella. The reason is because Coachella is so fucking mainstream now. If you want to hear the real underground shit, I gotta van in Hollywood with your name on the list. There'll be no deep house tho. That shit is dead.
So yeah, EDM is super popular but only because it's super lit. Pretty soon it'll be so lit that deadmau5 and Yeezy will even have a track together. It'll be so future. LIT AF.
Basically, EDM is just epically dope. The people who don't get it probably don't even know who Marshmellow really is. EDM is just SO LIT. I mean, I don't even know how else to describe it.
This has been a public service announcement. Please do not be like this.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are soley those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Magnetic Magazine, our staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.


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- *Corresponding Author:
- N. K. Jain
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. H. S. Gour University, Sagar-470 003, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
|Date of Submission
|02 May 2005
|Date of Revision
|18 February 2006
|Date of Acceptance
|06 September 2006
|Indian J Pharm Sci 2006, 68 (5): 608-614
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. With the development of antiretroviral therapy, the count of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people may decrease to a certain extent. Presently available formulations for this disease are found not to be very useful due to poor bioavailability, leading to poor efficacy, various side effects and high cost. In the present investigation, it was proposed to formulate the aqueous injection of saquinavir, which should definitely be more effective, economical, safe and with the least side effects as compared to its existing dosage forms, e.g., hard and soft gelatin capsule. The solubilization of saquinavir (antiHIV drug), practically insoluble in water, by means of physiologically active hydrotropes and cosolvents has been investigated. The results indicate that enhancement in solubility of saquinavir in the presence of hydrotrope at low concentration is due to weak ionic interaction. At higher concentrations (>0.4 M), complexation is found to be the probable mechanism for solubility enhancement by nicotinamide but nature of complex formed is not clear; whereas for ascorbic acid, self-association is the probable mechanism at these concentrations. Using these two approaches, various formulations of saquinavir were developed, and haemolysis study and dilution study of these formulations were carried out. Formulation containing nicotinamide as hydrotrope showed promising results.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and its clinical syndrome acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continue to be a major health problem worldwide. The development of highly effective antiretroviral chemotherapy for AIDS is found veryuseful in curbing the pandemic of this disease. Saquinavir (SQ, first protease inhibitor) is a transition state analogue peptide based inhibitor of the HIV protease [1]. It is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication in vitro and suppresses viral load and increases CD4+ cell counts in HIV patients in vivo [2]. Major drawback of protease inhibitors is their high cost; and for SQ, its low and variable oral bioavailability, which is approximately 4% in the fed and 1% in the fasted state [3]. Since the effect of SQ on viral replication is dose dependent and the therapy with SQ is expensive, there is an urgent need for methods to increase its bioavailability. In this present work, efforts were made to develop an economical and effective parenteral formulation of SQ with increased bioavailability and one that eliminated side effects related with oral administration of SQ. The main constraint in the development of aqueous formulation was poor solubility of drug (30 mg/l) [4]. Solubility enhancement was carried out using various cosolvents and hydrotropes.
Hydrotropy is a term originally coined by Neuberg [5] to describe the increase in the solubility of a solute by the addition of fairly high concentration of alkali metal salts of various organic acids. Saleh et al. [6] made an attempt to extend the definition of "hydrotropic agents" to include cationic and non-ionic organic compounds bearing the essential structural features of Neuberg's hydrotropes. Hydrotropic solubilization of nifedipine [7], carbamazepine [8], ketoprofen [9] piroxicam [10], flurbiprofen [11] and nimesulide [12] has been reported by our team.
The solubility of weak electrolyte and non-polar molecules can be increased by the addition of water-miscible solvent in which drug has good solubility. This process is known as "cosolvency," and solvents used in the combination to increase the solubility of solute are known as "cosolvents" [13]. It is proposed that the cosolvent systems work by reducing the interfacial tension between predominately aqueous solution and hydrophobic solute [14]. In the present work, aqueous injection of SQ was formulated, and haemolysis study and dilution study of these formulations were carried out. Similar efforts have been reported for carbamazipine [8], ketoporfen [15,16], piroxicxam [10] and flurbiprofen [11] by our team.
Materials and Methods
Saquinavir (Hoffman La Roche, Basel, Switzerland); ascorbic acid and nicotinamide (Loba Chemie Indoaustranol Co., Mumbai, India); resorcinol (Rankem, Ranbaxy Fine Chemical Limited, New Delhi, India); methanol (Qualigens Fine Chemical, Mumbai, India); sodium bisulfite [E. Merck (I) Ltd., Mumbai, India]; aluminium seals glass vials (10, 30 ml), rubber plugs (Modern Labs, Indore, India); membrane filters (0.2 μm) (Sartorius, Germany); membrane filters (0.45 μm) (W and R, Balgton Ltd., England) were used. Water used was double distilled in an all-glass apparatus. Hydrotrope concentrations used for present investigation were 0.1-1.2 M.
Determination of equilibrium solubility
Excess of SQ was added to screw-capped 10 ml amber-coloured glass bottles containing fixed volumes (2 ml) of the hydrotrope, cosolvent and various phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solutions (pH 2, 4, 6.4, 8 and 9), separately. These bottles were shaken mechanically (Toshniwal, Mumbai, India) at 25±2° in a constant temperature bath for 24 h. These mixtures were allowed to equilibrate for the next 12 h and then centrifuged for 3 min at 2000 rpm at 37±2°. The supernatant was filtered through 0.45 μm membrane (Millipore, Red Ford, MA, USA). An aliquot of the filtrate was diluted with water and the resulting solutions were analyzed spectrophotometrically at 239 nm. A similar procedure was followed for solubility determinations at 37±2°.
Studies for illustration of mechanism of solubilization
The UV spectra of SQ (λmax values) in fresh double-distilled water, hydrotrope solution and mixture of SQ and hydrotrope were recorded on a double-beam spectrophotometer (GBC, Cintra 10). The pH of different hydrotropes alone and in the presence of drug was measured at 25±2° using a digital pH meter (Elico Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India). The specific gravity of different hydrotrope solutions was determined at 25±2° using a 10 ml glass pyknometer [ASGI (I) Industry, Agra, India], considering water as a reference liquid. The viscosity of different solutions was determined relative to water at an ambient temperature of 25±2° using an Ostwald viscometer [ASGI (I) Industry, Agra, India]. The surface tension of different hydrotrope solutions was determined at 25±2° using stalagmometer [ASGI (I) Industry, Agra, India]. The refractive index of different hydrotrope solutions was determined at 25±2° using an Abbe refractometer (Carl Zeiss, Germany). The resistance of different hydrotrope solutions was determined using a conductivity bridge. Observations were recorded after the solutions had equilibrated in a water bath at 25±2° (Table 1). TLC study of SQ, different hydrotropes, solubilized products of drug and hydrotropes was done. Plates of silica gel GF254 were activated for 1 h at 110±2° and various solvent systems, detection reagents were used for visualization of spots [17]. Sample of SQ and different hydrotropes, physical mixtures (1:1) of hydrotropes with SQ and solubilized products, all previously vacuum-dried for 24 h, were subjected to IR spectroscopic studies. Five milligrams of each sample was mixed with about 100 milligrams of potassium bromide (vacuum-dried for 24 h) and compressed as pellets, and spectra were recorded on IR spectrophotometer.
|Solution property
|Break point concentration
|Specific gravity
|Relative viscosity
|Surface tension
|Refractive index
|Specific conductance
|Equivalent conductance
Table 1: Properties of Hydrotropes
Formulation of aqueous injection
Optimization of solubility-enhancement with intravenous dose of drug (12 mg) [18] was done. On the basis of results obtained from optimization studies (Table 2), aqueous injections of SQ using cosolvents and hydrotropes were formulated. In each case, except formulation containing ascorbic acid, 0.1% (w/v) sodium bisulfite was added to preclude the chances of oxidation. Methyl and propylparaben (0.018% and 0.02%) were added as preservative in each formulation.
|Solubilizing agent
|Ascorbic acid Nicotinamide DMA
PEG 200, ethanol
ethanol 20%
Table 2: Optimization of Cosolvents and Hydrotropes
Stability testing
The sealed vials of the selected formulations were visually inspected daily for 45 d under fluorescent light against black and white background to detect any changes in physical appearance of the solutions, e.g., colour, turbidity, precipitation, etc. These studies were performed under room temperature in dark (RTD), freezing temperature in dark (FTD) and temperature cycling with shaking (TCS).
On the basis of the results of simultaneous physical stability testing, the promising formulations were further subjected to exhaustive chemical stability tests at 45±2°, 55±2° and 65±2° for a period of 4 w.
Haemolysis study
Haemolysis study (Table 3) on various formulations was performed by colorimetric methods [16] . Different formulations of SQ were incubated with 0.5 ml suspension of RBC at 25±2° for 45 min after making volume up to 10 ml with normal saline.
|Volume in ml of formulation (drug
|Haemolysis (%) in formulationa
Table 3: Haemolysis Study in Different Formulations
Dilution study
In the present study, all four formulations of SQ were studied for effect of dilution with infusion fluids such as dimethyl urea at 25±2°. The solubility also increased by increasing temperature from 25±2° to 37±2°. This shows that solubilization of SQ is endothermic. Solubilizing power of hydrotropes could be ranked as ascorbic acid>nicotinamide>resorcinol>dimethyl urea. In a similar fashion, solubilizing power of different cosolvents could be ranked as DMF>DMA>PEG200 (fig. 2). Equilibrium solubility diagram of nicotinamide depicts slight rise in the solubility, but after 0.4 M concentration there is PEG + ethanol, and DMA cosolvents respectively normal saline and 5% dextrose solution (Table 4). The serial dilutions of formulations were prepared in ratio of 1:5 to 1:100 and examined visually for the appearance of microcrystals.
|Time (h) for first precipitation to occur after dilution with
|Normal saline
|5% w/v dextrose solution
Table 4: Dilution Study in Different Formulations
Results and Discussion
Equilibrium solubility determinations in different hydrotropic agents in 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 M were carried out. Equilibrium solubility diagram (fig. 1) of SQ in hydrotrope solutions showed 473-fold solubility enhancement with ascorbic acid, 462-fold with nicotinamide, 449-fold with resorcinol and 52-fold with dimethyl urea at 25±2°. The solubility also increased by increasing temperature from 25±2° to 37±2°. This shows that solubilization of SQ is endothermic. Solubilizing power of hydrotropes could be ranked as ascorbic acid>nicotinamide>resorcinol>dimethyl urea. In a similar fashion, solubilizing power of different cosolvents could be ranked as DMF>DMA>PEG200 (fig. 2).
Equilibrium solubility diagram of nicotinamide depicts slight rise in the solubility, but after 0.4 M concentration there is fromsteep rise in solubility; while ascorbic acid shows steep rise in the solubility at 0.2 M (fig.1). Therefore, increase in solubility is not a linear function of hydrotrope concentration. To illustrate the current trends of solubility and understand the mechanism of solubilization, molecular structures of drug and these hydrotropes were studied (fig. 3). Centres with different electronegativities in SQ are (a) N in ring, (b) CONH, (c) OH; in nicotinamide are (a) pyridine N2, (b) CONH; and in ascorbic acid are (a) COOH, (b) hetroatomic ring with oxygen. These molecules may interact due to difference in electronegativity at these centres of drug and hydrotrope molecules. These interactions may be due to charge transfer phenomenon. Such weak interactions lead to planer stacking of ring system present in SQ, which causes bending of hydrophobic ring to the inside such that more hydrophilic groups are exposed to water molecules, which may account for initial linear increase in the solubility.
In order to understand the sharp increase in the solubility of SQ above certain concentration, which is defined as critical solute concentration (CSC), various solution properties like specific gravity, relative viscosity, surface tension, specific conductance, equivalent conductance of hydrotrope solution were studied (Table 1). At higher concentration positive deviation from linearity is characteristic of hydrotrope solubilization. This positive deviation in plots suggests that more than one molecule of hydrotrope can react with individual drug molecule19. Whether this aggregate formation is complexation or simple self-association can be determined from change in above-mentioned solution properties and also with the help of IR, TLC and UV spectral studies.
Negative deviation in specific gravity value was due to increase in partial molal volume upon aggregation [20], suggesting aggregate formation. Viscosity plots of hydrotropes showed positive deviation. This again indicates the increase in viscosity is due to aggregate formation [21]. Similarly, negative deviation of refractive index clearly indicates the possibility of some molecular aggregation. Apparent discontinuity (specific conductance) and decrease in conductance (equivalent conductance) are indicative of molecular aggregation [22]. Hydrotrope solutions showed decrease in surface tension in all cases but least with nicotinamide. The lowering of surface tension is due to self-association and thus supports the possibility of self-association at higher concentration in ascorbic acid vis-à-vis ruling out the possibility of same in case of nicotinamide. It was reported in literature that derivatives of ascorbic acid undergo self-association and form micelles, thus dissolving many hydrophobic drugs [23,24].
The increase in solubility of SQ in ascorbic acid can be partially attributed to pH effect as SQ solubility determined in various phosphate buffers saline ranging from pH 2-9 varied to a considerable extent, and higher solubility was observed in acidic pH. This may be due to basic nature of SQ.
UV study of ascorbic acid and drug showed no shift in λmax, which rules out the chance of permanent interaction. There was no basis for assuming that there was any complex formed between the drug and hydrotrope molecules, because the complex formation is evident by formation of new chromophore (by appearance of new peak or merging of two peaks to generate a common peak). The TLC study showed two different spots of drug and ascorbic acid at these concentrations, confirming that no permanent interaction takes place and this aggregate formation could be only due to self-association. Moreover, unchanged IR spectra (fig. 4) of solubilized product of SQ and ascorbic acid to physical mixture (1:1, SQ and ascorbic acid) confirmed that no permanent chemical interaction takes place and aggregate formation is simple self-association.
Figure 4: Comparison of IR spectra of physical mixtures and solubilized products of drug and hydrotropes
A. IR of physical mixture (1:1) of saquinavir and ascorbic acid, B. IR of solubilized product of saquinavir and ascorbic acid, C. IR of physical mixture (1:1) of saquinavir and nicotinamide, D. IR of solubilized product of saquinavir and nicotinamide
To understand the aggregation phenomenon in nicotinamide, some specific studies like UV, TLC and IR study were carried out. In UV study of these solutions at different concentrations, a shift in λmax from 262 (0.1 M) to 289 (0.8 M and higher) was observed, suggesting that complexation might have occurred. IR and TLC studies confirmed that complexation had occurred. The result of TLC study revealed single spot of solubilized product at higher concentration, which confirmed that complex formation had occurred. If this were not the case, we would have got two separate spots corresponding to Rfvalue of each.
IR studies confirmed that complex formation had occurred. The changes in IR spectra of solubilized product of saquinavir and nicotinamide occurred mainly between wave numbers 3800-3600 and 1600-1400. IR spectra of solubilized product showed very few peaks of O-H stretch of saquinavir at 3836, 3787, 3745 and 3698, while equimolar physical mixture showed large number of peaks at 3867, 3856, 3851, 3845, 3835, 3824, 3799, 3742, 3737, 3714, 3673, 3651 and 3646. The other group affected was primary amide of both nicotinamide and saquinavir. Similar changes in number of peaks were observed for N-H stretch at 3300-3100; and C=C, C=N stretch at 1600-1400. The comparison with the IR of physical mixture confirmed that these differences were only due to complex formation and not because of simple overlapping in solubilized product (fig. 4).
Thus, complexation played a critical role in solubility enhancement of SQ by nicotinamide, which is consistent with the findings of many investigators [25-28]. But the type of complex formed, whether 1:1, 1:2 or higher, was not clear.
Four formulations were developed using ascorbic acid, nicotinamide, DMA ethanol and PEG200. Additives were added as per requirement of the formulation. Methyl paraben and propyl paraben (0.018% w/v and 0.02% w/v), generally accepted preservatives for injection formulation in their standard concentration [29], were added. Sodium bisulphate (0.1% w/v) is generally recommended for intermediate pH ranges and was therefore used in the present formulations. Formulation containing ascorbic acid as hydrotrope (SQAA) did not contain any antioxidant since ascorbic acid (solubilizing agent) also functions as antioxidant.
Tonicity adjustments were made in order to produce isotonic solution using molecular weight method [30]. Sodium chloride was used for tonicity adjustment. Formulations I and II did not contain any tonicity adjuster since they were hypertonic; thus they could be used without any problem. No buffering agents were used since drug showed good stability at all pH; moreover, it might affect the solubility of formulations. Solubility studies of SQ showed higher solubility in ascorbic acid and nicotinamide; therefore, these were selected for formulation development. Nicotinamide is a nontoxic vitamin (vitamin B5) that has been shown to enhance solubilities of many drugs [25,31,32] and hence was used for
Similarly, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was used in injection formulation for solubility enhancement. Again this is a vitamin that may be beneficial as a vitamin supplement. Antioxidant nature could impart considerable stability to the formulation.
In case of cosolvent solubilization, SQ was found to have good solubility in DMF, DMA, PEG200 and ethanol. DMA, PEG200 and ethanol were used for formulation development. Although drug showed the highest solubility enhancement in DMF, yet the use of this cosolvent has not been justified in parenteral formulation. The vehicle should contain a minimum amount of these agents to reduce toxicity and difficulties with respect to blood compatibility and injection. The safe concentrations of ethanol, propylene glycol and PEG200 are 5-50, 32 and 50% respectively in isotonic saline solutions [33-35]. Therefore ternary blend of cosolvents [36] for optimizing these factors was used in injection formulation containing PEG200 and ethanol as cosolvents (SQPEGET).
All four formulations were subjected to physical and chemical testing. Physical stability testing under different stress conditions to study the effect of light, freezing temperature, freeze thaw cycling on the formulated injection was performed. The observations were made in respect of change in colour and occurrence of precipitate. It was observed that all formulations were stable to colour change.
Formulation SQDMA showed maximum precipitate formation. The earliest precipitate appeared in freeze thaw cycling with shaking after 7 d in SQDMA, while the same formulation showed considerable stability at room temperature and precipitate formation occurred after 19 d. Similarly, at low temperature (4°), first precipitate in the formulation was observed after 13 d. The possible reason for precipitate formation is the presence of nuclei in any solution, and these nuclei are expected to give rise to crystal growth. Simultaneously, these formulations were subjected to accelerated stability studies at temperatures 45°, 55° and 65°. The stability study testing was based on simplified technique of testing for liquid formulation at higher temperature for longer period [37] There is no significant change in potency of all four formulations SQNIC, SQPEGET, SQDMA, and SQAA after 145, 120, 105 and 104 d respectively.
All formulations were subjected to in vitro haemolytic study using rabbit blood. The degree of haemolysis was estimated by colorimetric method. The drug and additives required to design a dosage form may have haemolytic effect [34,35,38]. Hence haemolytic studies were carried out on the additives that were used for solubilization [16]. Haemolytic behaviour of whole formulations was studied and reported (Table 3). Haemolytic effects of all four formulations were found to be in the order SQAA<SQNIC<SQPEGET<SQDMA. The effects observed were insignificant because during administration injection is diluted to nearly 25 times.
For a drug to be therapeutically active, the concentration at the site of administration should exceed its aqueous solubility. Precipitation of drug upon injecting a solubilized formulation into body fluids often occurs [39-41]. This ultimately results in poor patient compliance. The amount of precipitation can be correlated with the rate at which the drug is injected. Any remedy which reduces or eliminates precipitation ensures more efficacious formulation. Method for determination of such effect is dilution [16]. Formulation containing cosolvent showed more precipitation in comparison to hydrotrope containing formulation on dilution (Table 4). The aqueous nature of hydrotropes may account for this type of behaviour; moreover, for higher dilution absence of precipitation is redissolution of these precipitates. Formulation SQDMA showed marked turbidity that did not disappear even at higher dilution, while formulation SQPEGET showed lesser degree of precipitate formation than formulation SQDMA. The decreasing order of precipitate formation was found as SQDMA>SQPEGET>SQAA>SQNIC.
Authors thank M/s Hoffman La Roche, Basel, Switzerland, for providing gift sample of SQ; and University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India, for financial support.
- Roberts, N.A., Martin IA_ Handa, B.K., Kay, J. and Krohn, A., Science, 1990, 248, 358.
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- Jain, N.K., Jain, S. and Singhai, A.K.. Die Pharmazie, 1996. 51. 151.
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- Agrawal, S., Pancholi, S.S., Jain, /4,1Cald Agrawal. G.P., Ind J.. Pharm., 2004, 274, 149.
- Yalkowsky, S.H., Amidon, G Xografi, tittlirFly*L7, J. Pharm. Sci., 1975, 64, 48.
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- Singhai, A., Jain, S. andstain. N.K.. Die Pharmazie, 1997a. 52, 226.
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- Stall, E., In; Thin Layer Chromatography, 2nd Edn., Springer International Student Edition. Published by Toppers Company Limited, Japan, 1969,54, 299.
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- Thomas, L.H., J. Chem. Soc., 1960, 4914.
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- LoNostro, P., Capuzzi, G., Mulinacci, N. and Romani, A., Langmuir, 2000, 16, 1744.
- Hagao, M., Manzo, B., Auman, D., Fratoni, E. and Nostro. P., J. Pharm. Sci., 2002, 91, 1810.
- Higuchi, T. and Bolton, S., J. Amer. Pharm. Assoc. Sci., 1959, 48, 557.
- Hata, S., Miztmo. J. and Tomioka, S., Chem. Pharm. Bull., 1970, 15, 1791.
- Truelove, J.E., Bawarshi-Nassar, R., Chen, N.R. and Hussain, A., Int. J. Pharm., 1984, 19, 17.
- Fawzi, M., Davison, E. and Tute, M., J. Pharm. Sci., 1980, 69, 104.
- Indian Pharmacopoeia, 4th Edn.. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, Th9 Controller of Publication, New Delhi, 1996, 199.
- Jain, N.K. and Shama. S.N. In: Textbook of Professional Pharmacy. 3rd Edn.. Vallabh Prakashan. Delhi. 1994. 330.
- Rassol, A.A.. Htisaip, and Diittert, L.W., J. Pharm. Sci., 1991. 80. 387.
- Khalafallah. N.. El mi, F., Daabis, N, and Saleh, A., J. Drug Rest 1973. 5. 175.
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- Cadwallader, D. Brit. J. Anaesth., 1978, 50, 81.
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- Smith, B.L. and Cadwallader, D.E., J. Pharm. Sci., 1967, 56, 351.
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- Korttila, K., Sotlunan, A. and Andersson, P., Acta. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 1976,139, 104. 41. Yalkowsky, S.H. and Valvani, S.C., hit. Clin. Pharm., 1977, 11, 417.
- Yalkowslcy, S.H. and Valvani, S.C., Int. Clin. Pharm., 1977. 11, 417.


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Muni-style fare inspection officers are coming to the BART system in January, to bust gate-hopping riders who haven't paid. While Muni has been using the "proof of payment" system for years — with patrols making unannounced fare inspections — BART has been far more lax, and would only issue warnings if an agent saw you sneak through an entrance or exit gate.
That all ends on Jan. 1, 2018. The BART Board of Directors voted in October to adopt the same proof of payment system that Muni uses, which means fare cheats can be caught and issued citations in stations, on moving trains, and anywhere across the entire BART system.
"BART has a serious fare evasion problem, losing millions every year to people across all demographics," BART spokesperson Taylor Huckaby tells SF Weekly.
Each evasion adds up: The transit system estimates it loses anywhere from $15 to $25 million each year. And the effects of such a loss are enormous.
"Because we are one of the least-subsidized major transit agencies in the United States, loss of ticket revenue has an outsize effect on our ability to operate," Huckaby says.
It's an open secret among broke San Franciscans that certain BART stations have swinging metal gates. They're intended for bicyclists or people in wheelchairs and strollers, but anyone can just walk right through without paying.
The transit agency tried bolting the Embarcadero Station's gates shut in November 2016, and it worked: More than 5,000 riders used the proper pay gates on the first day the swinging gates were stuck shut. But when BART expanded that strategy to the Montgomery Street station, it received an immediate citation from the city's fire marshal. Turns out California fire code prohibits public exits from being locked. They'll remain open and accessible, although BART is making a few changes in the new year.
"We are hardening our stations by raising the barrier height, as well as setting alarms on the emergency swing gates to further discourage people from fare evading," Huckaby says, "as well as putting up new signage to make it clear that if you're inside the fare gates, you need proof of payment."
The new fare inspections will be partially handled by BART police, and partially by agents it calls community service officers.
"CSOs are unarmed police officers who deal primarily with civic infractions, like parking tickets," Huckaby says. "We currently deploy CSOs around the system in parking lots and elsewhere. The new fare evasion team will consist of six new CSO positions and an administrative officer."
But unlike Muni paper transfers, which show a very clear expiration time where the paper is ripped, BART paper tickets often have a very weak imprint where the ticket value and boarding time are illegible. Could riders just present an old, faded ticket to fool the fare officers?
"Ticket-reading machines will be able to determine whether the fare is valid, either by scanning a Clipper card or paper ticket," Huckaby explains.
It may sound a little severe that BART fare inspection officers will be wearing body cameras, but BART police have been wearing them for quite some time.
"All of our officers have body cameras as standard policy," Huckaby says. "When interactions are recorded, there's less room for obfuscation."
But the most severe aspect to BART's forthcoming proof of payment system is that fare evaders could now face criminal citations. While first and second citations would bring a civil charge and a $75 fine, a third within a year could net a criminal citation for adults and a fine of up to $250.
That's pretty strict, but the consequences won't kick in until Feb. 1, 2018. And while BART's proof of payment system begins on Jan. 1, officers will only give verbal warnings for the month of January.
"We wish a sense of civic pride and community were enough to have people pay their 'fare' share, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case," Huckaby says. "Introducing a program to dispassionately and equitably check all riders' tickets creates consequences for fare cheats, provides order, and ensures the people who do pay their fares feel valued."
Paying riders may feel more valued in a proof of payment system, and BART might even see less of the high-profile thefts and assaults that plagued the agency this summer. But let's be honest: Fare inspections don't work because they make paying riders feel valued. They work because they make fare cheats pay big fines and experience belittling public humiliation.


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9:30am / Morning Service
11:10am / Growth Groups
6:00pm / Evening Service
7:00pm / Prayer Meeting
Location / Asia
Country / Japan
Mission Board /
The Izus have been ministering in Japan as missionaries since 2001, when Yoichi finished his doctorate at BJU. First they started out by being involved in the Bible School ministry. In 2004, they moved to Iruma, Saitama, which is about 45 minutes from Tokyo by train, to restart a church. This church did not have any spiritual leadership for 18 years since the former missionary went to be with the Lord. Yoichi is also teaching English in a Christian mission school nearby.


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Note: This bibliographic page is archived and will no longer be updated. For an up-to-date list of publications from the Music Technology Group see the Publications list .
Filters: Author is Suzanne Little
MPEG-7 and the Semantic Web . W3C.(2007).
MPEG-7 based Multimedia Ontologies: Interoperability Support or Interoperability Issue? . 1st Workshop on Multimedia Annotation and Retrieval enabled by Shared Ontologies. Abstract(2007).


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500 Club
Every year the school has an annual charge to pay to the Archdiocese for the upkeep of our premises. The charge they make per family is £10.00.
Contributions over the past few years haven't offset the levy and in an attempt to help us cover the cost we run a fun and profit sharing scheme.
Membership works out at £1 per week / and can be paid termly or annually
£12.00 per term / £36.00 for the academic year.
Monthly draws will take place and the winner will receive a cash prize—value dependent on take up.
We appreciate that disposable income is tight, as is the funding provided to schools, and we too find it difficult covering all our costs.
The scheme can be joined in one of many ways. Log onto your child's SCOpay account and choose termly or full year. This can be done when paying for a school visit or topping up lunch accounts. Or if you prefer to pay by cheque then please make it payable to LSMCHS or send in cash in a clearly marked envelope.
Our monthly draw will be published on the website. We'll also send a message home advising you of your win and post it on our social media site.
Families who are already contributing via bank transfers or Standing Order will be automatically entered into the draw.


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Neurogistics has the only twice tested liposomal delivery system 5HTP. This superior form of 5HTP allows for quick absorption with a sweet taste. The dosage of this very absorbable form of 5HTP is lower since the absorption rate is higher. 5-HTP is the amino acid intermediate to the mood regulating neurotransmitter serotonin. 5-HTP crosses the blood brain barrier converting into serotonin in serotonin producing nerve cells. Besides benefiting mood, supporting serotonin levels can also help fight sugar and carbohydrate cravings and improve sleep quality by converting into melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep/wake cycle.
20,245 total views, 9 views today


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Meet Pooja Malik
Pooja Malik
HITLAB India Senior Associate
In her last role, Pooja worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific as a senior scientific content writer; she was responsible for website content development and review of the healthcare domain.
Previously, Pooja worked with Educomp Solutions, the largest education company in India, as a content writer and team coordinator. She developed the scientific curriculum, designing skill-based assessments and ensuring high quality deliverables for the team. Pooja has also worked at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), a research firm that provides consulting services to business professionals. As an analyst in the healthcare sector, she worked with investors and connected them to healthcare experts and key opinion makers. During her tenure at GLG, she proposed business solutions to clients for their projects in vaccine development, clinical trials, generic drugs, and new drug development.
Pooja has a Master's degree in biotechnology from Amity University and a Bachelor's degree in microbiology from Delhi University


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BRADENTON, Fla. — Realize Bradenton, a nonprofit organization that brings people together, selected Amber Grace to serve on their Board of Directors for a three-year term. The Board of Directors promote redevelopment and economic growth in downtown Bradenton by transforming public places and engaging people using arts, culture, heritage, and food to build a vibrant, healthy Bradenton.
"We are pleased to have Amber join the Board of Directors," says Ann Breitinger, board Chair of Realize Bradenton. "As a new resident and a young professional who cultivates relationships with college-age individuals and other young professionals, she will provide valuable insight as Realize Bradenton continues informing and engaging Bradenton-area Millennials."
Originally from Pennsylvania, Amber moved to the area in 2016. She is the Talent Development Coordinator for Beall's, Inc., where she cultivates partnerships with universities, community and business leaders to build talent pipeline. She is the founder of G.R.A.C.E. (Girls Rising Above Circumstances to Exceed), a mentoring program that reaches adolescent girls who participate in weekly mentoring sessions on topics including higher education and leadership. She is the recipient of the Women Rock Entrepreneur Award (2015) and Central Pennsylvania African American Museum Community Achievement Award (2015).
"I am honored to serve on the Realize Bradenton Board of Directors," said Amber. "Having lived in Bradenton for a little over two years, Realize Bradenton exudes the passion and excitement I was looking for in a community to call home. I am delighted to work toward the positive impact of the organization and downtown Bradenton."
Realize Bradenton's current Board of Directors includes Mark Boehmig, Ann Breitinger (Chair), Ben Bakker, Kim Daglish, Bridgette Halliburton, April Lane, Sue Revell (Vice Chair), Melodie Rich (Treasurer), Kay Wight, and Jennifer Zavadil.
# # #
About Realize Bradenton
Realize Bradenton is a nonprofit organization that transforms public places and engages people using arts, culture, heritage, and food to build a vibrant, healthy Bradenton. Bringing people together, our work results in social, physical, and economic revitalization and shapes a community where people want to contribute, live, work, and visit. For more information visit: RealizeBradenton.com.


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EXCLUSIVE: Michael Cuesta, director/executive producer of the Emmy-winning Homeland, has teamed with CSI executive producer/showrunner Carol Mendelsohn for Second Sight, a drama based on the 2000 British series starring Clive Owen. The project has been set up at CBS through CBS TV Studios, where Cuesta is under an overall deal, and studio-based Carol Mendelsohn Prods.
Second Sight centers on a homicide detective going blind who turns his affliction into an advantage – using his heightened senses and intuition to solve crimes. (watch the trailer for the original series below.) Cuesta will write the adaptation with his brother Gerald Cuesta. The two previously teamed for another CBS drama project, the cult 2007 zombie pilot Babylon Fields, which Gerald co-wrote and Michael directed. Michael Cuesta is set to direct Second Sight, which he is executive producing with Mendelsohn, her executive Julie Weitz, Paula Milne, who created the original series, and Nick Reed. Weitz secured the rights to the British format for Carol Mendelsohn Prods. through British-born agent-turned-producer Reed, with whom she previously worked together at ICM. Gerald Cuesta and Phil Goldfine are co-executive producing.
Michael Cuesta recently shared in Homeland's best drama series Emmy win. He also was nominated (and was heavily favored to win) for directing the pilot of the psychological thriller. Cuesta has directed six episodes of Homeland so far, including the pilot, the second episode, the two-part first-season finale and the second season opener, which premiered on Sunday. There are four series currently on the air whose pilots he directed: Showtime's Homeland and Dexter and CBS' Blue Bloods and Elementary. Cuesta and Mendelsohn are with WME.
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$90.00 $108.00 You Save 16% ($18.00)
Forget about bulky controllers and use your existing smartphone to control your Prowler S8 Foldable Camera Drone Quadcopter with WiFi. Switch between button-based controls and drawing custom flight paths with your finger and tilting your phone for turns. You do not need to be near WiFi to use the drone. Simply use the WiFi feature on your phone to connect directly to the RC Drone Prowler S8 Foldable Camera Quadcopter!
RC Drone Wifi transmission system provides easy and fun FPV flight.
2MP camera can take photos and record videos.
Foldable design, portable and easy to carry.
Tiltable camera to adjust view angle.
Unique fuselage design and high-quality painting, outstanding appearance.
The upgraded 2.4G 4CH transmitter for your easy control.
The latest 6-axis flight control system provides super stable flight.
With headless mode, and one-key return care free to fly.
High/low speed mode and 3D flip function provide you cool flying experience
Brand name: VISUO
Model name: XS809W
Main Material: ABS
Motor type: Coreless motor
Camera pixel: 2MP
Function: forward/backward, up/down, left/right, sideward flight, hovering, 3D flips, H/L speed, headless mode, Wifi FPV, photo taking, video recording
Controller Mode: Mode 2
Remote distance: About 100m
Charging time: About 50mins
Flying time: About 10 minutes
Quadcopter battery: 3.7V 900mAh LiPo battery
Battery dimension: 74 * 31 * 11mm
Transmitter battery: 3 * AA (not included)
Item dimension:
Unfolded: 32.5 * 32.5 * 6cm / 12.8 * 12.8 * 2.4in,
Folded: 18 * 13 * 6cm / 7 * 5.1 * 2.4in
Item weight: 118.4g
Package information:
Package size: 24.5 * 22 * 11cm / 9.6 * 8.7 * 4.3in
Package weight: 709g / 1.56lb
Gift box package
Package list: RM7961B
1 * VISUO XS809W Quadcopter
1 * Transmitter (Mode 2)
1 * 3.7V 900mAh Li-po Battery
2 * Pair Spare Propellers
1 * USB Charger
4 * Propeller Guard
1 * Screwdriver
1 * English Manual
Processing time: 2-4 working days.
USA ~ 12 to 21 business days (tracking system available)
Rest of the world ~ 15 to 35 business days (tracking system available in some instances)
Holiday season ~ 30 - 60 business days - November to December months (tracking system available)


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I received the following email from a reader and decided before responding that I wanted to check in with our greater CrackBerry audience to see where they stand...
Kevin, I have read both your reviews for the Torch and the Bold 9780. I am looking into purchasing either the Torch for 3 employees here, or the Bold. From the reviews it looks like the Bold has a better battery life. In your opinion for busy executives, what would you recommend? Presently we have the Palm Pre which does not support voice dialing, nor does it have great talk battery life. Presently they are charging their Palms in the morning to get through the day and charging again in the evening. They are heavy users. Thank you for any advice you can offer!
The question of Bold 9780 vs. Torch 9800 comes up a lot, and the answer I give is usually based on what the person does. I've gone back and forth quite a bit between the 9780 and Torch (I'm currently using the Torch), but stil find the Bold 9780 to be the work horse I prefer most as a pure communication/get stuff done tool. But in this case the users have been rocking Palm Pres, which have that sliding form factor like the Torch. The Bold 9780's battery definitely trumps the Torch, but as soon-to-be former Pre users I can't help but think the Torch would be the better fit? Plus the bigger screen on the Torch is definitely nice. So what advice would you give to this person? Bold 9780? Torch? The other option is to wait until some 2011 BlackBerry Smartphones get announced at BlackBerry World, but in this case it seems the purchase decision is happening asap. Vote on the poll above and give us your reasoning in the comments!
CRACKBERRY 2.0 UPDATE: Crazy People and Real Plans!
CrackBerry 2.0 is here – I have an awesome Co-Captain, we have a Plan and we're ready to KICK IT!


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During our visit to the Courtauld Gallery the week before Christmas, two paintings particularly caught my attention. They were of a couple of my favourite buildings in north London.
The first was this painting of Hawksmoor's Christ Church in Spitalfields by Leon Kossoff. It's one of several paintings he created during the 1980's and 90's of this beautiful white church designed by the eccentric English Baroque architect.
Christ Church Spitalfields, Early Summer (1992) by Leon Kossof
It's painted in his characteristic style, like that of his friend Frank Auerbach, with the paint applied very thickly and in a way so that the form of the building and details of the picture can only really be appreciated by standing back.
London is where Kossoff, the son of a Ukrainian immigrant, was born, grew up and worked in the capital, and scenes from the city are one of the main the main themes in his work.
The second work was by Auerbach – born in Berlin of Jewish parentsin 1931 who fled to England in 1939. Although it only showed a small section of the building, again with thick impasto paint which meant it was difficult to perceive detail, I immediately recognised it as the Art Deco former Carreras Cigarette Factory on Mornington Crescent
Carreras Factory at Mornington Crescent (1961) by Frank Auerbach


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The luxury villas in Tuscany range from magnificent historic
estates to charming farmhouses in the picturesque countryside.
These villas offer modernized accommodation and amenities
in beautiful surroundings with a level of service that the
discerning traveler expects. There are deluxe features such
as bedrooms with private bathrooms, multiple living spaces,
swimming pools, outdoor dining areas and even staff to assist
you during your stay.
These houses provide a comfortable, convenient base during
your vacation in Tuscany. With the convenience of all the
area sights and the peaceful settings, many guests return
each year to their Tuscan retreat. Several of these estates
are perfect locations for corporate meetings.
Casa dei Pipistrelli
Casali di Bibbiano


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Sang Lee CRM-2 Carom Cue with CAROM Shaft by Predator
Introducing the all new Sang Lee Series of carom cues. These beautiful cues pay tribute to the great Sang Lee, 12-time consecutive USBA National Champion, whose play style and sportsmanship made him an excellent ambassador of the sport. He would often teach others to approach the game by treating and respecting every stroke as "an opportunity to create a masterpiece".
These cue designs were based on Sang Lee's own playing cues, featuring bold colorful splices and come emblazoned with Sang Lee's signature. Pair it with your choice of Predator shafts and elevate your game to the next level.
Features and Specifications:
- Limited production run of 75 (unnumbered)
- Black painted Maple Forearm, Handle, and Butt Sleeve
- 4 Splices and Butterfly Points in Black, Blue, Royal Blue, and Imitation Ivory
- Black and Blue colored rings
- Gold foil Sang Lee signature
- Uni-Loc® Quick Release joint with Balinit coating
- Predator Victory tip (medium) for Predator carom shafts
- True-Splice cue construction
- Uni-Loc® Weight Cartridge System (weight cartridge kit sold separately)