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Weighted Interaction SNP Hub (WISH) network method for building genetic networks for complex diseases and traits using whole genome genotype data
- Lisette JA Kogelman1 and
- Haja N Kadarmideen1Email author
© Kogelman and Kadarmideen; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
- Published: 13 March 2014
High-throughput genotype (HTG) data has been used primarily in genome-wide association (GWA) studies; however, GWA results explain only a limited part of the complete genetic variation of traits. In systems genetics, network approaches have been shown to be able to identify pathways and their underlying causal genes to unravel the biological and genetic background of complex diseases and traits, e.g., the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) method based on microarray gene expression data. The main objective of this study was to develop a scale-free weighted genetic interaction network method using whole genome HTG data in order to detect biologically relevant pathways and potential genetic biomarkers for complex diseases and traits.
We developed the Weighted Interaction SNP Hub (WISH) network method that uses HTG data to detect genome-wide interactions between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and its relationship with complex traits. Data dimensionality reduction was achieved by selecting SNPs based on its: 1) degree of genome-wide significance and 2) degree of genetic variation in a population. Network construction was based on pairwise Pearson's correlation between SNP genotypes or the epistatic interaction effect between SNP pairs. To identify modules the Topological Overlap Measure (TOM) was calculated, reflecting the degree of overlap in shared neighbours between SNP pairs. Modules, clusters of highly interconnected SNPs, were defined using a tree-cutting algorithm on the SNP dendrogram created from the dissimilarity TOM (1-TOM). Modules were selected for functional annotation based on their association with the trait of interest, defined by the Genome-wide Module Association Test (GMAT). We successfully tested the established WISH network method using simulated and real SNP interaction data and GWA study results for carcass weight in a pig resource population; this resulted in detecting modules and key functional and biological pathways related to carcass weight.
We developed the WISH network method which is a novel 'systems genetics' approach to study genetic networks underlying complex trait variation. The WISH network method reduces data dimensionality and statistical complexity in associating genotypes with phenotypes in GWA studies and enables researchers to identify biologically relevant pathways and potential genetic biomarkers for any complex trait of interest.
- Epistatic Interaction
- Carcass Weight
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Effect
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Pair
- Genomic Correlation
High-throughput genotype (HTG) data has been intensively used in genetic and genomic studies to unravel the genetic background and control mechanisms of complex diseases and traits in humans, plants, animals and many other organisms. As the genotyping costs decrease rapidly, HTG data is a favourable source of data to collect on a routine basis in many research, development and innovation industries. The main method used to identify genes associated with the disease or trait of interest has been genome-wide association (GWA) studies. However, the published GWA studies have, so far, typically identified genes with a low relative genotype risk and overall results only explain a small part of the predicted heritability [1]. The GWA study is a single-step approach, which means that each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is tested with the trait of interest. This test is repeated for all SNPs on the SNP Chip, which causes the multiple-testing problem and subsequently, very stringent cut-off values result in many biologically relevant SNPs being missed [2]. Another, potentially larger, problem is the failure to explain entire underlying genetic variation in complex diseases and traits due to its inability to fit genome-wide genetic interactions [3]. Several studies have stated the importance of the interaction effects between genes, especially in complex diseases and traits [4]. By including the detection of gene x gene interactions in GWA studies, the power to detect biologically relevant SNPs is increased [5]. Several studies have detected the gene x gene interactions in two-stage models [6–8]; however, only two SNPs are taken into account at a time. Analysing many more than two SNP combinations in one model results in an exponential increase of the sample size needed, referred to as the curse of dimensionality [9]. In conclusion, sample size requirements and statistical-computational limitations increase the need for a method (such as WISH) which reduces the multiple-testing problem and takes interaction effects into account when analysing HTG data.
Systems genetics approaches focus on the network of interactions between genes and phenotypes in order to understand the complexity of diseases and traits [10, 11]. Several approaches have been used to distinguish networks, functional pathways, and underlying causal genes to unravel the biological and genetic background of complex diseases [12–16]. Often, gene interaction occurs by the influence of several genes on a specific protein, resulting in (de-)activation of the protein. As we know that a particular phenotype is the result of the presence or level of expression of several genes, it is beneficial to understand how gene networks exist and behave under specific circumstances. The knowledge about pathways in the gene networks could help us to improve our understanding of the complexity of diseases and complex traits [17]. However, the relationship between genes and the disease or trait is often not straightforward. As several genes and their interactions result in a disease in one individual, a (partial) different set of genes may lead to the same disease in another individual. By defining modules and pathways and relating them to various diseases or trait of interest (endophenotypes [18, 19]), a better biological understanding of complex diseases and traits would be possible. In addition, focusing on SNP modules and their pathways instead of single SNP effects is a network-based systems genetics technique which will alleviate the multiple-testing problem of GWA studies and consequently increase the power to detect biologically relevant genes.
Using microarray gene expression data, Langfelder and Horvath [20] proposed the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) method, whereby the pairwise Pearson's correlation between gene expression values reveals the interaction between genes. The main assumption of WGCNA is that genes with similar expression patterns in a number of individuals are interconnected. Detection of genes that are highly interconnected will result in detection of gene modules which potentially represent biological pathways. WGCNA has been extensively used and has proven ability to identify pathways and potential genetic biomarkers in several traits and complex diseases [21–25]. WGCNA has also been compared to other category of scale-free network approaches in the context of its ability to retain important gene modules and detect biologically relevant hub genes and biomarkers. Results show that WGCNA is superior to other scale-free approaches [25]. We propose that the main assumption of the WGCNA approach for clustering gene expression data can be used for HTG data. With that approach, we can detect highly interconnected SNP modules that may work cooperatively in a pathway, eliminating the multiple-testing problem of GWAS and giving new opportunities to analyse whole genome HTG data using a systems genetics approach. The main objective of this study was to develop a scale-free weighted genetic interaction network method using whole genome HTG data in order to detect biologically relevant genetic modules, pathways and potential genetic biomarkers for complex diseases and traits. We achieved this objective by modifying and extending the WGCNA method to suit genetic interactions/correlations derived from HTG data and by defining genome-wide module association tests (GMAT).
The WISH network method can be applied to HTG data using two different ways of detecting the interaction patterns between SNPs: 1) based on genomic correlations and 2) based on their epistatic interactions. The WISH network based on genomic correlation was applied directly to real data. The WISH network method based on epistatic interactions was tested first on simulated data and afterwards applied to real data. All results are presented here.
Application of the WISH network method based on genomic correlations
The WISH network method based on simulated epistatic interactions data
The WISH network based on real epistatic interactions data
Since 2008, several microarray gene co-expression studies have successfully used the WGCNA method to detect biologically relevant pathways [21, 22, 30, 31]. We have presented an extension of the WGCNA method from using transcriptomic datasets to HTG datasets by developing the WISH network method. The WISH network method makes it possible to create a genetic interaction network and identify biologically relevant pathways using HTG data. WISH network method starts by reducing HTG data using the genome-wide significance and the variance of the SNPs in a certain population, for computational as well as biological reasons. Computationally, network construction is difficult, if we want to use all genome-wide markers on a SNP Chip (at present it could be up to a million in agricultural species and several millions in humans); therefore, a data reduction method is necessary. The number of SNPs used for network construction determines the size of the network and consequently the number of modules detected and the number of SNPs per module. Biologically, only those SNPs with acceptable genome-wide statistical significance would make any sense for further biological interpretation. Furthermore, SNPs with limited amount of genetic variation in the population were deselected, as they will make limited sense using a network approach. In rare cases, two SNPs which are individually not genome-wide significant may show a significant interaction effect, but they may be excluded from the analysis based on the significance threshold. This is a drawback of SNP selection because of computational limitations. However, we have minimised this problem by selecting all "marginally significant" SNPs whose significance levels were way below the genome-wide significance levels; hence we believe this is a valid selection criteria. Potentially, individuals can be selected for data reduction and to simultaneously increase the power of module detection. For instance, comparing two extreme phenotype groups will result in more extreme differences in interaction effects. We also constructed WISH network based on the interactions between SNP-pairs, estimated using real data in pigs as well as the simulated datasets. This showed the possibility to detect modules, clusters of highly interacting SNPs that are involved in creating complex trait variation. The modules detected by the WISH method were further analysed using functional enrichment analysis which led to the detection of biologically relevant pathways and potential genetic markers for carcass weight. Both methods, WISH based on genomic correlations and WISH based on epistatic interactions, result in the construction of a scale-free network. A large difference found between the two methods, was the number of identified modules (23 versus 5). We believe this is mainly due to the limited number of SNPs in the epistatic network to estimate the interaction effect, which limits the information of the clustering of SNPs. Both resulted in the identification of SNP x SNP interactions between and within chromosomes, and moreover, complement each other by finding different modules of biologically relevant modules.
An assumption made in gene co-expression studies is that similarly expressed genes over different treatment groups are functioning together in pathways. This assumption gives the possibility to reduce data, define disease subclasses and eventually identify pathways [32]. So far, possibilities for clustering using HTG data based on SNP x SNP interactions are not at all available, but the proposed WISH network method provides those opportunities. The critical assumption in WISH is that highly interconnected (interacting) SNPs are expected to be involved in similar genetic and molecular mechanisms affecting that phenotype. This is similar to the assumption made about gene expression values in WGCNA. Furthermore, fitting genome-wide genetic (SNP) interactions in standard GWA study models is difficult because of exponential increase in sample size requirement, statistical inference and computational issues [9]. Hence, our WISH network method could be seen as a post-GWA study method to unravel genome-wide genetic interactions and explain more underlying genetic variation. Previously, the Association Weight Matrix (AWM) [16] has also been proposed as a post-GWA study method. The AWM uses the allelic substitution effects per gene (or SNP) per trait. By calculating correlation between allelic effects of SNPs between two traits, AWM re-generates polygenetic correlations between traits and by clustering allelic effects of all SNPs across phenotypes, AWM creates pleiotropic genetic network. WISH network aims and methods are different to AWM. First, WISH is not dependent on the estimation of the allelic substitution effects from GWA study and second WISH is intended to build genetic networks within one complex trait but not across multiple traits. The WISH network method only uses the genotype data, or the epistatic interaction data on one phenotype, to create an interaction network, in contrast to the AWM which uses the GWA study results on several traits to detect the network of SNPs that are pleiotropic (act across multiple traits). The AWM method is not weighted, nor does it follow scale-free topology. This means that WISH network construction and module detection is done without using prior knowledge. Hence, the WISH network method is hypothesis-free and will provide the opportunity for new insights in complex diseases and traits. At a later stage, the network can be related to the phenotype(s) to detect potential biologically relevant modules. To reveal the biological relevance of detected modules, analysis is largely dependent on existing functional annotation, which could be a limiting factor. On the other hand, the identification of pathways could also help us further in the functional annotation of SNPs and genes.
The WISH network method detects clusters of highly interacting SNPs. Previous studies have indicated that the structure of haplotypes, clusters of loci on the chromosome that are transmitted together, can increase the power of GWA studies. However, haplotypes only take the "correlations" between loci into account (e.g. r2) which are physically attached to each other. However, previous research has shown that linkage disequilibrium (LD) can also be measured across different chromosomes, and may explain more genetic variation in complex, polygenic phenotypes [33, 34]. The WISH method detected interactions of SNPs across different chromosomes (inter-chromosomal LD) and was not limited by the physical location of the SNPs. The involvement of SNPs from various chromosomes was seen in all detected modules and was very clear in the Turquoise Module (WISH based on genomic interactions), which consisted of 124 SNPs spread over 17 chromosomes. This distant physical locations of SNPs in SNP modules created by the WISH method shows that it detects interactions along the whole genome.
We tested the WISH network method on an F2 pig resource population with carcass weight as the trait of interest. For this trait, we also performed a GWA study, using the R-package GenABEL. This resulted in the discovery of eight genome-wide significant SNPs, three of which were located on chromosome 2 (two physically close to each other), three on chromosome 7 (all physically close to each other), one on chromosome 1 and one on chromosome 4. Using NCBI2R, three genes were detected: KIAA0247 (a protein coding gene with unknown function), KLC2 (Kinesin Light Chain 2, a protein coding gene) and LOC100518234 (Breast cancer metastasis-suppressor 1 homolog). As a result of functional annotation, only the KLC2 gene can be related to biological function in relation to carcass weight, as it is known that kinesin acts as a molecular motor generating ATP-dependent movement of vesicles and organelles along the microtubules. In total the WISH network method detected three SNP modules that were significantly associated with carcass weight. After functional annotation, we found some pathways which could be biologically related to carcass weight, e.g., actin filament processes and TGF beta-activated receptor activity. Nevertheless, the KLC2 gene was not found in one of these modules, neither in the WISH based on genomic correlations nor in the WISH based on epistatic interaction. This implies that the WISH network method can be used as a supplementary analysis, detecting different SNPs for the trait of interest. Whereas a GWA study detects single SNPs, the WISH method detects groups of highly interconnected SNPs which are often present in the same pathway. Besides carcass weight, we tested the WISH network method on several other traits present in the F2 pig resource population [see trait information in Kogelman et al. [35]], and they all revealed biologically relevant results (results not shown).
Although we have shown the creation of one network using one single phenotype, several other ways of analysing phenotypes are possible using the WISH method. As proposed by the founders of WGCNA, a differential network can be created by comparing, for example, case and controls, using the same input data (same SNP data matrix), but creating two networks using two groups of individuals (e.g. case-control, different disease states). Several measurements, such as differential connectivity, can be used to identify modules with a different SNP effect profile between the two groups. The WISH network method can also be used as a multi-trait network approach. After network creation and module detection, the GMAT of detected modules with other (correlated) phenotypes can be calculated. By comparing the relatedness of modules with different phenotypes, the WISH network method could possibly be used to identify endophenotypes and subsequently pathways of endophenotypes of complex diseases.
The WISH network method based on epistatic interactions is theoretically a promising approach to cluster SNPs based on their interconnectedness. It has been shown in the simulation data that the epistatic data follows scale-free topology and clear clusters of highly interconnected SNPs are detected. However, the use of real data did not represent a clear scale-free network and consequently less clear modules are detected with lower correlations with the trait of interest. This could be due to several reasons. First, the number of SNPs in the network limits the size of the network. In the WISH based on genomic correlations the connectivity is measured over > 5000 SNPs and the most highly connected SNPs are concordantly selected for network construction. Because of computational and time limitations, we used only the top 1000 SNPs for the WISH network based on epistatic interactions. Secondly, we used all individuals present in the dataset to estimate the epistatic interaction effect to increase the power. However, the WISH network based on genomic correlations is created based on extreme phenotypes (EBVs). This will result in more extreme interaction effects; however, due to a limited number of individuals in our dataset, this was not possible in this study.
The WISH network method was tested on real data, using an F2 pig resource population, and was able to detect biologically relevant pathways using HTG data. We propose the WISH network method as a new systems genetics tool to investigate HTG data in order to improve understanding of the biological and genetic background of complex diseases and traits.
We report here the development and application of a new systems genetics tool - the WISH network method - for building networks using HTG data obtained from genetic study populations. The basic principle of WISH network method is based on the existing WGCNA method for building co-expression networks using transcriptomic data. This study addresses the long gap or a need in studying genome-wide genetic interactions in the context of genetic (SNP) networks underlying complex trait variation. The proposed WISH network method has been tested using simulated datasets as well as applied to real experimental data obtained from a pig resource population, genotyped using 60K Porcine SNP Chip and extensively phenotyped for obesity and obesity-related traits. Results have shown that WISH detects biologically relevant modules for carcass weight (results shown) and other obesity-related traits (results not shown). The WISH network method can be used in human genetics to detect pathways of complex diseases as well as in animal and plant genetics to unravel the genetic background and detect genetic biomarkers of economically important production traits. By analysing various traits within the same network, the WISH network method is able to detect endo-phenotypes which could be valuable for treatment of individuals with complex diseases. Moreover, a differential WISH network method can be used in a case-control design to identify conserved pathways in the different groups or to identify pathways that behave differentially between the cases and controls.
Materials and methods
Data reduction
For computational reasons not all genome-wide markers on a SNP Chip can be used and therefore a data reduction step is necessary. Also, only those SNPs that have an acceptable (but not very stringent) genome-wide statistical significance would make any sense for further biological interpretation, and SNPs without a reasonable amount of genetic variation provide little information in a network setting. Hence, we select a number of top SNPs fulfilling both criteria for WISH network construction; 1) reaching a genome-wide significant p-value and 2) possessing sufficient amount of variation among the individuals in the population, based on their genotype. Depending on the size of the dataset, individuals can be optionally selected based on extreme phenotypic values.
WISH network method based on genomic correlations
The WISH network describes the relationships between SNPs by specifying an n x n dimensional adjacency matrix A = Aij, where Aij states the connection strength between SNPi and SNPj. The connection strength between the SNPs is defined by the absolute Pearson's correlation between the number of allele copies of pairs of SNPs for all SNP pairs in the data, creating a weighted network with values for Aij between 0 and 1. This adjacency matrix is raised to the power γ (soft thresholding). The connectivity of a SNP (c) can concordantly be calculated by taking the sum of connection strengths between a SNP and all other SNPs. SNPs with a high c can be called hub SNPs, which may be of biological importance to the trait of interest [22, 37]. A WISH network follows scale-free topology, meaning that the network will consist of a few highly connected SNPs (hub SNPs) and many low connected SNPs. In the case of a scale-free network, the frequency distribution of c (p(c)) follows a power law. The power γ should be chosen in such a way that R2 (the scale-free topology index) approaches one, which means the network is approximately scale-free [38]. The assumption of scale-free topology can be tested by plotting p(c) and by plotting log(p(c)) versus log(c). Optionally, data can be further reduced by using a threshold value for selection of SNPs based on c, to eliminate the SNPs with an extremely low c.
where Nij is the number of SNPs to which both SNPi and SNPj are connected, Aij is the adjacency between SNPi and SNPj, and c is the connectivity. The TOM of two SNPs represents the number of shared neighbour-SNPs as a value between 0 and 1; here a TOM of 1 means that a pair of SNPs shares the same neighbour-SNPs and a TOM of 0 means that a pair of SNPs shares no neighbour SNPs at all. The TOM is resulting in a more robust network in the case of many zeroes among the elements in the adjacency matrix or when elements are prone to noise [41]. Using the dissimilarity TOM (1-TOM), a SNP dendrogram was created whereby branches of the dendrogram were cut off by the Dynamic Tree Cut algorithm [27] representing the SNP modules (clusters of highly interconnected SNPs). Each module was assigned to a colour. By plotting the TOM as a heat plot, modules can be visualized, and the right cut-off method can be chosen.
A module is defined as a cluster of highly interconnected SNPs, forming a sub-network which may correspond to a pathway or protein complex, resulting in substantial practical importance in biology. A second visualization to control the detection of modules by the chosen cut-off method is plotting the correlations between module eigenSNPs. The module eigenSNP is the first principal component of the module and can be seen as a representative effect of the module on the trait of interest. Optionally, modules with a strong correlation can be merged. Secondly, the module eigenSNP can be used to examine the relationship between the trait of interest and the module, resulting in a Genome-wide Module Association Test (GMAT) to identify which modules are relevant for downstream analyses.
After detection of the potentially interesting SNP modules via GMAT, genes in the SNP modules have to be detected. To detect the positions of the SNPs and the genes present in those regions, we used the R-package NCBI2R (available at http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/NCBI2R/index.html) with default parameters which uses a list of SNPs as input and gives (if present) the genes and their annotation in the indicated region. The flanking distance could be changed depending on the species used in the study. In the next step, the genes in those SNP lists can be used for functional annotation analyses, for example using the Gene Ontology Enrichment Software Toolkit (GOEAST) with default parameters, which will reveal if identified SNP modules are biologically relevant to the trait of interest. GOEAST detects highly enriched GO-terms in the genes present in the SNP modules and defines highly enriched pathways, which can help to understand the results biologically. Enriched GO-terms with a p-value (estimated by a hypergeometric test) below 0.05 were assigned to be significant.
WISH network method based on epistatic interactions
The regression coefficient resulting from the SNPi*SNPj component is used as input for the adjacency matrix. The regression coefficients are normalized to create a data matrix with values between 0 and 1. From here on, the methods are comparable to the methods used in the WISH based on genomic correlations. First, we detected which power γ results in the highest scale-free topology index (R2) and we raised the adjacency matrix to this power. Secondly, the TOM was calculated and the dissimilarity-TOM was used to create a SNP dendrogram. Modules were again detected using the Dynamic Tree Cut algorithm. Thirdly, potential biologically relevant modules were detected by calculating the GMAT. For the calculation of the module eigengenes, the genomic matrix of m-by-n was used to calculate the module eigengene per module, per individual. Modules with a significant GMAT above a certain threshold were selected for downstream analysis. At last, genes and KEGG-pathways in the modules were detected using the R-package NCBI2R, where KEGG-pathways with a Bonferroni corrected p-value below 0.05 were assigned to be significant.
Phenotype and genotype data (60K Porcine SNP Chip) of an F2 pig resource population were available to test and assess the WISH network on real data [35], and in this study we selected carcass weight at slaughter as phenotype of interest to test the method. Carcass weight had an estimated heritability of 0.54 (SE = 0.14), which indicates a high degree of genetic variation for this trait in the pig resource population. After adequate quality control measurements, the GWA study was performed using 39,704 SNPs using the R-package GenABEL[42]. Based on the GWA results, SNPs were selected on the basis of their genome-wide significance. One dataset was created with one genotype value per SNP, by calculating the average of the 2 alleles (1,2-coding). Secondly, in concordance with WGCNA, which selects genes based on their variance, the most varying SNPs in the population were selected due to computational limitations. In the WISH network based on genomic correlation, a total of 5219 SNPs and 75 animals from the Duroc*Göttingen Minipigs based on their estimated breeding values (EBVs) for carcass weight (25 high, 25 intermediate, and 25 low) were selected for network construction. In the WISH network based on epistatic interactions a stricter threshold had to be chosen for the selection of SNPs because of computational limitations, resulting in 995 SNPs. All animals from the Duroc*Göttingen Minipigs population were used for the estimation of epistatic interactions to increase the power.
The authors would like to thank Abdirahman A. Ali and Peter C. Thomson for their help in the R-codes for the epistasis association model to estimate interaction regression coefficients. We thank Merete Fredholm for testing our method on collected phenotype data on the pig population and the BioChild consortium http://www.biochild.ku.dk for the use of the high-throughput genotype data on those animals. We thank Sameer D. Pant for useful discussions. Lisette J. A. Kogelman was financially supported by a PhD stipend awarded to her by the University of Copenhagen. Haja N. Kadarmideen is a recipient of the EU-FP7 Marie Curie Actions - Career Integration Grant (CIG-293511) which partially funded this work. The publication cost of this article was partially supported by COST-BMBS, Action BM1006 "Next Generation Sequencing Data Analysis Network", SeqAhead.
This article has been published as part of BMC Systems Biology Volume 8 Supplement 2, 2014: Selected articles from the High-Throughput Omics and Data Integration Workshop. The full contents of the supplement are available online at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsystbiol/supplements/8/S2.
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.


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Welcome to our Club Blog! This is where we share health and fitness information that is relevant to our members, and to anyone else interested in improving their overall health.
WOW! New England is more than a gym, it's a health club focused on providing valuable options and supporting members as they work to improve their health. Our competitively-priced monthly memberships offer more amenities than any other gym or health club at similar price points. Here are just a few highlights:
- 30–50,000 square foot fitness center areas filled with cardio equipment, free weights, weight lifting machines, and more
- Each location features a 3,000 square foot aerobics studio which offers 40+ Group X classes per week
- Exclusive and spacious women's only area
- Steam rooms
- Well-lit parking area
- Babysitting services for children up to age 13
- Every membership includes one full hour with a personal trainer
- Unlimited free tanning for Premium members
With 14 locations all over New England, there's sure to be a WOW! health club near you. Are you ready to commit to yourself and your health? Join today.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dean Staver Appointed to Panel Regarding Religious and Nonprofit Groups
September 22, 2011
Mathew D. Staver, Dean of Liberty University School of Law, has been appointed to a panel of Legal Experts to address key legal issues affecting nonprofit organizations. At the request of Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, The Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations selected a total of 66 panelists in an effort to analyze and present information on major accountability and policy issues affecting religious and nonprofit groups, which were addressed in Senator Grassley's staff report in January. The Commission is chaired by Michael Batts, CPA, founder of Batts Morrison Wales & Lee, an Orlando-based accounting firm dedicated exclusively to serving nonprofit organizations and their affiliates throughout the United States.
The Commission was established at Sen. Grassley's request by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), a national financial accreditation organization for churches and other religious organizations. The three panels include 23 Legal Experts, 25 Religious Sector Representatives, and 18 Nonprofit Organization Representatives.
Issues before the Commission include whether churches should be more accountable to the federal government, if legislation is needed to curb perceived abuses of the clergy housing allowance exclusion, whether the current prohibition against political campaign intervention by churches and other nonprofits should be repealed or modified, whether the rules for determining the reasonableness of nonprofit executive compensation should be tightened, and whether penalties should be expanded for nonprofits and their leaders who engage in prohibited activities.
Each panel will submit a position paper on how to improve or eliminate these issues. Following the submission, each panel will be asked to write a rebuttal and have an opportunity to respond. There will also be at least two meetings in Washington, D.C., that appointees will be required to attend. The input gathered from this process will be used in determining how Sen. Grassley should respond to the issues being addressed.
Staver commented: "I am honored to serve on this distinguished Commission. The issues we will address present significant concerns to religious and nonprofit organizations."


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Two of the most popular mattress brands on the market today are the Leesa and the Purple. If you are on the hunt for a new mattress and you are… read more →
If you are on the market for a new mattress, there is no doubt that you are excited; the idea of getting a better night of sleep is certainly something… read more →
There is nothing as exciting as buying a new mattress. The idea of getting a more restful night of sleep is enough to make you swoon. However, in addition to… read more →
Is your current mattress starting to get worn? Is it not as supportive as it used to be? Are you waking up with aches and pains? If so, then you… read more →
Whether you are looking for your first new mattress, or you are buying a new mattress to replace one that you already have, there is no doubt that you are… read more →


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I use to have a boss that would say…"Don't confuse activity with results!"
At the time this made a lot of sense and I firmly believed in this philosophy. But I discovered that it wasn't black and white, like my bosses statement.
Sometimes activity is good but only if it leads to results or at least the ultimate goal of a result.
Effective coaching, training and leadership development fall into this category
However the point is even more clear when you look at it from a tactical and strategic point of view.
Yes, coaching, training and leadership development can be viewed as an unproductive activity when looking at it from a tactical perspective. However, eventually, if this activity is effective, it will lead to results.
So strategically these activities produce a resounding yes when asked the question…"is this productive?"
Activity based initiatives also have another very powerful effect…=> [Content protected for Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum members only . Join the Call Center Best Practices Premium Membership today, click here] Register Here…


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In selecting foreign markets, you need to limit yourself to English-speaking countries (unless you are fluent in other languages). But even though they speak English in England, you need to recognize and honor the differences in spelling and terminology. Avoid American slang or jargon that shouts "America." You will also need to weed out any references to American history, organizations, statistics, etc.
Because you have likely only sold North-American serial rights to articles sold in the states, you are free to sell them in other countries (except Canada—which is still in North America). Also, if you are submitting the same article in several different countries, it is still not considered a simultaneous submission, because each query is going into a different market.
When mailing to foreign countries, find out the proper amount of postage and how long it will take for delivery—either by air mail or by surface. Figure those times into your calculations when determining how long you should wait before following up on a submission. Also keep in mind that foreign countries may have poor postal service or are subject to postal strikes which may slow down the process considerably. Never put U.S. postage on your SASE. (See Foreign Mailing). Of course, you can avoid all the mailing headaches if the publisher is open to receiving e-mail queries and submissions.
There may also be some problems with understanding pay rates and foreign exchange rates. For example, in selling to Canada, you may be told that they will pay you $100 for an article, but they will mean $100 Canadian, not U.S. currency. So with the exchange rate you may make about $75 U.S, or less. Some foreign markets will pay in U.S. dollars if you ask. Some U.S. banks charge to cash foreign checks and even charge you a fee if the money is wired to your bank here, so check out applicable fees at your bank and determine the best way to handle such payments.
One more consideration with foreign sales is the tax ramifications. Always claim the foreign income, although the foreign publishers aren't likely to report it or send you any form verifying what they have paid you during the year. It will be a good idea to make a habit of keeping copies of everything, including checks, from foreign markets.


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Being able to juggle work with your own passion and hobbies is akin to finding the right balance in your career life. There is no one who does it better than Richard Mishaan. Many know Richard Mishaan as an interior designer and the founder and owner of Richard Mishaan Design. Richard Mishaan Design is a design firm which has taken the architecture and interior design world by storm.
While many people associate Richard Mishaan with Richard Mishaan Design, not many of them know about his roots. He was born in Columbia and his work bears heavy influences from his culture and upbringing. Mishaan started his career as an apprentice at a firm owned by Phillip Johnson. He did his apprenticeship after earning his BA degree from the New York University. He also attended the Columbia University School of Architecture.
As an interior designer, Mishaan is one of the best creative minds in the industry. He is also the proud author of two books which give insights into the world of design and architecture. The two books, Artfully Modern and Modern Luxury, were published by the reputed Monacelli Press.
Most designers look up to Richard Mishaan and his firm. Richard Mishaan Design has worked with many clients to come up with interior design concepts that are tasteful and modern. The firm serves both commercial and residential clients, with most of their clients being in the hospitality industry. Richard Mishaan Designed has managed to stay on top of their game and has earned recognition from various A-List magazines like Elle Décor.
In order to see what Richard Mishaan and his firm do, you can browse their website. They have completed various projects which might be of interest to you or give you inspiration on what you want for your space.


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Bend Your Brain - Recommended Articles
ASD-Coverage Mandates Lead to More Treatment for Children (The ASHA Leader)
A study found that children covered by a insurance mandate tended to receive more ASD-specific treatment the longer a mandate has been in place. Florida is one of 46 states which require private health insurers to pay for ASD treatment.
Some Language Play Characteristics of Children 2-5 Years Old
We Don't Really Understand Autism In Girls, And That's A Problem (Huffington Post)
A large new study finds significant deviations in brain structure and behavior between boys and girls with autism -- a finding that could help clinicians to better identify and treat the disorder in both sexes.
ASAN Praises US Dept of Education's Letter Urging Schools to Look Beyond ABA
A very interesting article discussing the importance of including input from speech/language pathologists in evaluations and services offered to students with autism and other communication needs, and not limiting services only to those offered by Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapists.
Grants and Financial Assistance
A list of organizations offering grants and financial assistance to families (in NJ) affected by autism
A Boost for Central Auditory Processing Disorder Services (from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association - ASHA.org)
Some parents struggle to get their children classified and receiving IEP services due to Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). CAPD includes the inability or difficulty to identify the source of a sound; discriminate between sounds; determine similarities or differences in patterns of sound; or sequence sounds into words. By including CAPD as a health impairment under IDEA, an appeals court opens the door to students with the diagnosis to receive school-based services.
It is important to note that while a parent, teacher or even a speech/language pathologist can "feel" or even "know" that a child has this difficulty, the only professional who can actually diagnose this is an audiologist, by conducting certain testing.
Everything is Unexpected (from ASHA.org)
In our social group, we work a lot on prediction and context, both in stories or in real life. Some research theorizes that "predictive impairment" may be the underpinnings of the difficulties our children encounter. This ASHA article discusses why sensory-laden experiences, such as visits to the dentist, can be so terrifying for children on the spectrum—and how prediction support could quell their fears.
Aging Out: When Autistic Kids Grow Up (from NJ Monthly Magazine)
Increased understanding of autism has vastly improved services for youths on the spectrum. But what happens when those kids turn 21?
Researchers: Vitamin D Deficiency May be Implicated in Autism
Interesting findings from research into a connection between Vitamin D deficiency and Autism/Social Behavior.
Articles From Michelle Garcia Winner's website socialthinking.com:
Explaining Social Thinking® to Others - The Big Picture in Sound Bites
Social Thinking® Fact Sheet - Core Facts and Theories
The Recipe for Improving Social Skills Begins with Social Thinking ®
Parents of children with social learning challenges are often told that their children need to learn better "social skills" (i.e. teaching them specific rules on how to behave in different social situations - at school, at home, and in the community). But are these "skills" really helping them to be more socially savvy in the real world? From Michelle Garcia Winner's blog.
Moving Beyond Teaching Social Skills
Discusses the difference between teaching Social Thinking and Social Skills, and why social thinking is so necessary -- we can't just abide by social rules, since there really aren't any that will always apply to all situations.


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I did extensive analysis and located that there was no consistent finest site. This means that while users determine on trivago which resort most accurately fits their wants, the booking process itself is accomplished by the use of the reserving sites (which are linked to our web site). To get an prolonged overview of a lodge property, trivago exhibits the average rating and in depth reviews from other reserving websites, e.g. , , Agoda, main motels, etc.
If you happen to call a 1-800 quantity for a lodge chain and are asked which lodge you'd like to remain at, do not say the street handle. Navigation was poor, hyperlinks were exhausting to click on or observe, and the websites do not likely present what users want. Absolutely loaded with all modern luxurious of life,this resort located in khasa kothi circle,M.I street jaipur.
I have used for international bookings as a result of they don't have a booking fee and have been barely cheaper than all the other websites I searched on. You'll quickly rack up points in direction of one other lodge keep, which you could possibly use on the same trip! Listed below are among the finest travel rewards programmes on standard reserving websites, and what sorts of freebies their points techniques can bag you.
Remarkably, Airbnb is now the fifth hottest online travel booking web site, and is insanely addictive whenever you rely the time spent on web site. Often, a passenger receives a reserving affirmation number (#9 on the paper ticket under) and itinerary displaying the flight(s) details and/or e-ticket passenger receipt. Additional south before Rockhampton there's a free camp conveniently situated subsequent to the pub at Yamba.
There are a great number of journey Websites on the Internet that allow you to search flights, resort listings, and automotive rentals, however if you want a quick solution to get that info when you're on the go, check out the Kayak app. Many websites that arose in the course of the increase have been compelled to vary their business fashions, consolidate with opponents, or shut altogether.


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|Hemlock's Diary
|26 March-1 April 2006
|Mon, 27 Mar
I am having trouble keeping up with the convoluted trial of bulky Foreign Correspondents Club stalwart Kevin Egan and his fellow lawyer Andrew Lam. The two are, so far as I can tell, accused of trying to extract a woman from Independent Commission Against Corruption witness protection either to allow evildoers to get their hands on her or because she was in fact being held against her will depending on whose story you believe. No-one seriously imagines that New Zealander Egan will be found guilty, if only because the ICAC never seem to convict anyone worthy of note. Of course, one reason for this is that anyone worthy of note hires Egan to defend them. The ICAC therefore has a longstanding grudge against the hulking Kiwi, which might if they were that sort of people lead them to prosecute him out of malice, or assuming they have a good case get so excited about nailing the expansive Antipodean that they bumble it.
Step forward witness Aaron Nattrass, a blubbery chick-magnet like so many New Zealanders involved in this saga and a former employee of Egan and Lam. Like many wannabee legal experts, he likes to help out in human rights actions, and is involved in the doomed but fascinating attempt to win permanent residency for foreign domestic helpers who have lived here for seven years. Many years ago, back in Auckland, he encountered problems as an immigration consultant, leading a parliamentarian to say in 1990
|Aaron Nattrass is now being pursued all around the Pacific. I am told that he is hiding in Taiwan. He will not even go back to Singapore, because if he did the 100 clients from whom he took fees of between $10,000 and $20,000---a total of more than $1 million---would want his hide. He has not been able to deliver immigration permits because the immigration service has caught up with him. The service knows that he has been involved with bogus job offers---the Minister has stated that in the House. Mr Nattrass is a Labour Party activist and a senior party official who is now hiding because he has taken $1 million from potential immigrants and they want it back. I would bet my bottom dollar they will not get it back. I doubt whether Aaron Nattrass will be seen in New Zealand again.
|So far, it has been revealed to the court that he has in the past claimed to be Philippine President Arroyos personal counsel and the official who arrested the French agents who blew up the Greenpeace boat in 1985. Eager to be seen in the right company, he would attend funerals of famous people he had never met and gatecrash the social functions of living ones. And his office computer was found to have an impressive 60,000 pornographic photographs on it, as well as links to websites specializing in Asian women being spanked. I was also doing research on exploitation of women. It would all look bad for Egan and Lam, except for one small detail Nattrass is a prosecution witnesses.
Tue, 28 Mar
The disturbed-looking girl who reads the Bible is occupying my favourite spot in the IFC Mall branch of Pacific Coffee this morning. A lesser man would have a tantrum, or simply pull her out of the chair, toss her holy book at her and seat himself in his rightful place. But I am mature enough not to get upset about having my morning routine so brutally disrupted, and simply seethe silently at being forced to stroll the extra 100 yards round the corner to Starbucks, where it takes them three times as long to hand your cup over and the seats are uncomfortable.
As I sit there and sip my hot, brown, water-flavoured liquid with a dash of cinnamon, I sense someone hovering over me. I look up and see a slightly anxious-looking middle-aged Westerner in a suit.
Um, are you Bill Richards? he asks. I think about it. If I tell him I am, what will happen? It could go two ways. He might sit down next to me, say its good to meet you in person at last, and its been great doing business with you heres the money, as we agreed, and give me a suitcase containing millions of dollars, and I would say thanks, keep in touch, and make a beeline to the nearest HSBC high-tech deposit machine. Alternatively, he might signal this is the guy to a pair of burly accomplices with shaved heads and tattoos, who would drag me outside, bundle me into a van, and take me off to their secret lair where they would chain me to a bed and gang rape me, as Bill Richards by now looking slightly lost in Starbucks requested in a personal ad in HK Magazine. It will be forever a mystery. He seems quite relieved when I finally say no.
Wed, 29 Mar
The working day starts in a deserted hotel ballroom. Rows of chairs face a dais, which has a long table on it. Behind it is an expanse of scarlet curtain and a cheap polystyrene and cardboard sign. My suggested snappy slogan Another year of mindless, impulsive deal-making and obscene shareholder returns was rejected in favour of the more prosaic, even moronic, S-Meg Holdings 2005 annual results announcement, in order not to confuse the literal-minded audience. In a few hours, these veteran business reporters, some even in their 20s, will be sharpening their pencils and testing their tape recorders, while TV cameramen and newspaper photographers circle around the podium trying to capture the Big Boss looking down on the assembled press corps at his most statesmanlike, profound and visionary.
To our Chairmans left will be: the spotty accountant, starring as the nervous Chief Financial Director; Number-One Son, starring as the blinking and fidgeting scion destined one day to run the operation into the ground within days of inheriting it; and the Deputy Managing Director, starring as himself. To the great mans right will sit the other Deputy Managing Director, starring as the man who can convincingly dismiss disappointing numbers as aberrations, and trying desperately not to be noticed me, starring as the Company Gwailo, mute but incontrovertible evidence that this must be a modern, international organization. I will hide behind the screen of a laptop PC, apparently controlling the Big Bosss brain as he extols the wondrous benefits of contemporary Cantonese business management practice.
While an epsilon from the IT Department checks the Powerpoint presentation profit from durian-flavoured chewing gum up 25% I browse through the news. The score in the International Relocate Government HQ For No Good Reason While Withholding Democracy Contest is now Burma 1, Hong Kong 0. But all is not lost. Under the rules of the game, the move to a new administrative centre must be as pointless as possible. The generals who vacated Rangoon for their new capital of Naypyidaw seem to have done so on the advice of astrologers, which is a far more rational reason than anything Donald Tsangs State Arrogance and Bureaucracy Restoration Committee has come up with. The Big Lychee still has everything to play for!
Thurs, 30 Mar
I arrive at Pacific Coffee before the creepy Christian creature can grab my chair, only to find that wild American friend Odell has beaten me to it. He is nursing a reddened cheek. It seems his Thai wife Mee caught him also doing research on exploitation of women and gave him a good slap. But his rosy glow is nothing compared with the ruddy face sitting at the next table. Its owner is white, short brown hair, early 30s, dressed in smart-casual semi-sportswear. He is tucking into a small pie on a paper plate. An Emirates Airlines baggage tag dangles from his suitcase. Just flown in from Dubai, I would guess. I lean over towards him.
You are a Wykehamist! I declare. After looking slightly stunned for a few seconds, he bursts out laughing and admits that he did indeed go to Winchester College, England. How on earth did I know?
Oh, I can tell these things, I murmur. Its obvious. He eats with his mouth open, producing a variety of chewing noises and it goes without saying holds a knife as if it were a pen. He might as well have a tattoo saying I went to an expensive school in England and have the table manners of a delinquent orangutan on his forehead (which, now I look at it, is broad enough to accommodate such a lengthy confession a sure sign of inbreeding).
And you, I say, looking over at Odell, went to Beaver High School in Utah. The ex-Mormon, whose educational background I have long heard about, puts on an exaggerated show of surprise to impress the former boarding school inmate.
And what about you? asks the red-faced Englishman.
I regale him with memories of our governess, who taught us to knit, skate, draw a map of the world blindfolded, skin moles, use chopsticks, milk a cow and count in Arabic. Then I tell him about the convent school, where Nazis dressed as nuns forced us to eat rancid porridge full of weevils, beat us with long sticks for not speaking French, and made us do sums and joined-up handwriting.
Rugby? asks the Brit. Another boarding school.
No, I never went there.
No, he corrects me, did you play rugby?
I explain that it was one of the things our governess had stressed avoid endeavours in which to be obese, mentally deficient or hormonally imbalanced is to have an advantage. Then it dawns on me.
Youre here for the Sevens arent you? Of course he is. That curious migration each Spring, when every Anglo-Saxon expatriate east of Suez feels compelled to come to Hong Kong and cram himself into a stadium along with thousands of others, all wearing rugby shirts, to drink and watch oafish Fijians run up and down a field. I tell him how I used to get free tickets and left them face up and peed upon in Lan Kwai Fong bar urinals to see how long it would take before some desperate victim of Sevens mania retrieved them. Twenty minutes, maximum. He stares at me in disbelief. I dont go?
No, never, I tell him. Odell joins in.
The atmosphere sucks! he sneers.
Exactly, I go on. Its a horrible atmosphere. It stinks. Loud, boisterous, infantile
The Brit shudders and looks around him. No! he blurts out. No The atmosphere is wonderful! He shudders again and blinks. The atmosphere is wonderful! Another shudder and blink. The atmosphere is wonderful! He gets up and walks straight into a wall and starts banging his head against it. is wonderf!! is wonderf!! is wonderf!! is wonderf!!
Fri, 31 Mar
A small flurry of emails from highly intelligent people suggest that Kevin Egan, defendant in the perplexing ICAC witness protection trial, is not a New Zealander but a Queenslander and therefore an Australian. Faster than you can say Joh Bjelke-Petersen, I dash back a note stating that I already know this do I look stupid? but had specific reasons for saying what I did, which unfortunately I cannot divulge for reasons of national security.
But the truth, if I am to be honest to myself, is different. The fact is that I cant tell Aussies and Kiwis apart. They all look exactly the same to me. All I know is that the former are famous for their genetic predisposition to criminality, while the latter have a reputation for being utterly law-abiding, except towards certain ruminants. All of which puts a totally different light on the trial, with Egan cast as the sinister and evil perverter of justice, and Aaron Nattrass as the dedicated fighter for human rights being smeared relentlessly by porn-obsessed defence counsel.
The charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. Could it be that Foreign Correspondents Club members will finally learn the answer to that age-old question if Kevin isnt leaning against the main bar, does it collapse?


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27 CFR § 41.109 - Bond required for deferred taxpayment.
Where a manufacturer of tobacco products in Puerto Rico desires to defer payment in Puerto Rico of the internal revenue tax imposed by 26 U.S.C. 7652(a), on tobacco products of Puerto Rican manufacture coming into the United States, he shall file a bond, Form 2986, with the appropriate TTB officer, in accordance with the provisions of this subpart. Such bond shall be conditioned on the payment, at the time and in the manner prescribed in this subpart, of the full amount of tax computed under the provisions of this subpart with respect to tobacco products which are released for shipment to the United States on computation of tax. All taxes which are computed under the provisions of this subpart shall be chargeable against the bond, until such taxes are paid, as provided in § 41.112. The bond shall show the location of the factory from which the tobacco products to which it relates are to be shipped.


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"Killed it!!!!!!
Tony was the ultimate MC and Entertainer. He rocked the party, that rocks the party!!! He made sure the dance floor stayed hopping all night. I also strongly recommend music videos as an added feature to the night!
Thanks Tony! You made our night a real dance party!"
Andrea & Kevin Webber, September 19, 2015


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Genealogy'.
Found 1 result
The Rockwell Paternal Lineage - Dating Back to the 1500sI'll be damned - using the names of my grandparents, findagrave.com, and one Google search which switched me over to paulyfamily.org, I was able to trace my paternal lineage back to the late 1500s in Germany or The Netherlands. I'd always heard that I was related to John Alden, and had relatives come over on the Mayflower; now, I can see the distinct possibility with my own eyes. This took about 20 minutes total. cLate 1500s Richard Rockwell c1605 Robert Rockwell 1640 John Rockhould c1672 Thomas Rockhold Late 1600s Clarke Rockhould 1709 John Rockhold 1756 Thomas Tolbert Rockwell 1790 Thomas Tolbert Rockwell II 1819 John Thomas Rockwell 1851 John Thomas Rockwell II 1892 Hilleary Cleveland Rockwell 1923 Hilleary Cleveland Rockwell II (my dad got "the verb") 1955 Hilleary Cleveland Rockwell III (my older brother) 1961 Richard Donald Rockwell 1997 Matthew Lee Rockwell One might wonder what in God's name people are doing naming their children "Hilleary Cleveland Rockwell," and what could have been the nerdiest name in history turns out to be the coolest name in history. When my grandfather was born, he was delivered by Dr. Hilleary, and the United States President at the time was Grover Cleveland. That's pretty awesome (you can also see why my dad was called "Rock," and my brother is called "Rocky" ).


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Studying any time of the year can be difficult, but in the summer, it is nearly impossible. I have my nursing licensure exam exactly one week from today, and studying is getting to be harder and harder. I would much rather be going out and doing fun things than sitting inside review notes and taking practice tests online. No fun :(
Perhaps if I had a beautiful library, studying would be just slightly more tolerable.
This space is just stunning. I love the pink lamp against the dark colors of the bookshelves.
Such a cozy place. I could sit in that chair and read for hours.
Although that couch might be more conductive to a good nap instead of studying, this room makes me want to pull out my Kindle and start a good book.
All images via House Beautiful


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U.S. Xpress will purchase a 90% interest in Xpress Internacional as part of a larger push into the Mexican market. Xpress Internacional operates a terminal network in major cities in Mexico. The two companies have been working under a joint operating agreement for the past five years.
U.S. Xpress has also signed a joint venture with Monterrey, Mexico-based Logisti-K, a provider of cross-border and Mexican logistics services since 2002. The deal allows U.S. Xpress to expand its range of services in Mexico to include warehousing and distribution (including cross-dock, door-to-door and end-to-end solutions), inventory management, order fulfillment, freight management - both domestic and international - as well as freight forwarding services via full truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, ocean and air, the company said.
"As global trade increases with Mexico, we see the demand for providing customers with solutions for supply chain management from the point of creation to the final end-point distribution," said Brian Quinn, vice president and general manager of international services at U.S. Xpress. "The majority purchase of Xpress Internacional confirms our commitment to cross-border truckload transportation and our investment in Logisti-K opens new capabilities to provide those solutions."


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10 October, 2012
Furycast 46 - Where is Jimmy?
In this episode VladyGG and HGF discuss COMMUNITY, REVOLUTION, FRINGE, DEXTER, HOMELAND, ALPHAS, and play some listener phone-calls, plus more. All times and topics noted below.
Consider all discussions to have potential spoilers and only listen to that which you have watched or don't care to know about even if you haven't.
00:00 – 00:26 OPENING (Damned If I Do by Life Of Agony)
00:27 – 03:11 INTRO including talk of COMMUNITY premiere delay
10:34 – 16:24 FRINGE and the crazy Joshua Jackson fan(s)
19:36 – 27:19 Listener phone calls
27:20 – 30:49 End of podcast discussion including Eli, Jimmy, Plopper etc.
30:50 - 32:42 OUTRO (River Runs Red by Life of Agony)
You can also DOWNLOAD this podcast as an MP3 by right clicking on this link and saving it to your hard drive.
Click this link to subscribe to our podcast via iTunes.
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16 comments:
Dear Jimmy, we were kidding. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
I know you guys were kidding. No worries. :)Delete
Great phone calls by the way. Timmy is out of control, in a good way. And Sven was funny.
Oh and both Revolution and Dexter were good to.
I fear what Timmy may do next week.Delete
It should be interesting.Delete
Btw, thanks for putting my name in the title. That's pretty cool. :)
Jimmy, I envy you. With you we are kidding. When it comes to me (and my level of suck), we're not.Delete
Don't let Maguns get you down, Vlad. You're awesome. Maybe not as much as Jess. But still pretty awesome. ;)Delete
The ONE time I listen, this is how I get treated!?ReplyDelete
I may not be a true dork/geek like Magnus and VladdyGG, but at least I have good taste and watch Homeland. Seriously, what's wrong with you, Vlad?
While I agree with the caller that I suck, I'd like to know his reasons so I can see how they compare to my own.Replies
I don't think Sven said you suck. I think he said you are a bitch. ;)Delete
But at least you watch HOMELAND. What the fuck is wrong with Vlad?
Well to begin with, I have to get over my white hot hate for Claire Danes. After I resolve that, I should be good to go.Delete
Yes... that well known white hot hate for an actor no one hates.Delete
If by no one you mean me. Then yes. I don't need to be part of a club. I have my reasons.Delete
Please, enlighten us with your nonsense.Delete
I'll save it for the cast...;)Delete
- AnonymousOctober 10, 2012 at 3:44 AM
HGF has tapped into genius with those phone calls.ReplyDelete
Make fun of Joshua jackson fans all you want to, you don't understand that Peter was underwritten and underdeveloped and we Peter/Josh fans think Josh has too much talent to have a character like that.ReplyDeleteReplies
This is why you are such a twat... because I DO UNDERSTAND. I've said as much in my reviews. But you just apply the same bullshit analysis to everyone who doesn't follow along with your exact insane ideology.Delete
I love Mr. Jackson. I think he should have been the main character.
Respectfully, me.


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Garza Marfa Furniture & Textile Design
This event occurred in the past.
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Kruger Gallery Chicago announces Garza Marfa, an exhibition of design featuring furniture and textiles, which will be on view for a limited time. Complementing the furniture line are textiles by Holt-Garza, including blankets and hand-sewn pillows made from vintage Bolivian blankets.


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To the Editor:
Don't know if you remember me, but I used to work at the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. Every now and then, I pull up the MVTimes website to take a look at what's going on. You and your writers do a great job. This week's paper was filled with news.
So, after all these years, and given what's happening to the newspaper industry of late, I thought I'd give you all a well-earned pat on the back. Well done.
Take care and best wishes,
Angeljean Chiaramida
Hampton, New Hampshire


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|Mar 17, 2011
Applied Materials Unveils Breakthrough Technology for Building 3D Transistors
|(Nanowerk News) Applied Materials, Inc. unveiled its new Applied Centura® ConformaTM system, which features breakthrough Conformal Plasma Doping (CPDTM) technology to enable the fabrication of advanced 3D structures in next-generation logic and memory chips. The Conforma system uniquely combines high-dose, low energy doping technology with in-situ clean capability in a single vacuum chamber to deliver uniform, high throughput doping on both planar and 3D structures. Also vital to good device performance is the system's use of a pure, additive-free doping chemistry that preserves the underlying device structures - a critical feature not found in any other plasma doping system.
|"Our plasma doping technology capitalizes on Applied's expertise in RF engineering, CVD chamber design and extensive process knowledge," said Sundar Ramamurthy, vice president and general manager of the Front End Products business unit at Applied Materials. "Our Conforma technology has already been embraced by many of our customers. They have systems running in both pilot and high-volume manufacturing, and we're also working with customers and research entities on pioneering R&D programs using our proprietary technology."
|Doping is a fundamental chipmaking process that modifies the electrical properties of a material by incorporating impurities into its crystal lattice structure. The process is traditionally performed by bombarding the wafer with a beam of dopant ions moving at high speed. However, this straight line bombardment process cannot provide uniform doping of advanced three-dimensional structures. More importantly, the fast-moving ions can damage the ultra-thin semiconductor layers in cutting-edge chips.
|Applied's Conforma technology solves these challenges by providing a gentle, low-energy process that enables uniform, conformal doping over complex 3D chip structures. The Centura Conforma is the only plasma doping system that can combine integrated plasma pre-clean and RTP anneal on the same vacuum platform - to allow integrated process sequences and to assure that the processed wafers are free of potentially harmful residues.
|Some of the advanced devices enabled by the new Conforma system include finFET logic, vertical gate DRAM and vertical NAND flash memory arrays. For more technical details on Applied's breakthrough Conforma technology, visit http://www.becauseinnovationmatters.com.
|Applied Materials, Inc. is a global leader in providing innovative equipment, services and software to enable the manufacture of advanced semiconductor, flat panel display and solar photovoltaic products. Our technologies help make innovations like smartphones, flat screen TVs and solar panels more affordable and accessible to consumers and businesses around the world. At Applied Materials, we turn today's innovations into the industries of tomorrow. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.
|Source: Applied Materials (press release)
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Westside Pioneer's 'special summer print edition' now available
It marks the first printed Pioneer since Dec. 19 for the Jordan family, which started the publication as a weekly in 2004, then changed to an online format in January.
The 16-page paper includes information about Westside summer events as well as updates on current events and two highlighted stories that first appeared online.
A total of 18,000 papers were printed. Copies are available for free at many of the Pioneer's old Westside outlets, including both King Soopers stores and Safeway.
Westside Pioneer article
Would you like to respond to this article? The Westside Pioneer welcomes letters at email@example.com. (Click here for letter-writing criteria.)


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Congressman expresses worry that little's being done to stop violence in Central Africa Republic
Weeks after the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, a State Department official on Thursday declined to label violence currently sweeping the Central African Republic "genocide" at a congressional hearing, where it was clear some members felt the United States should take more aggressive action to stanch the bloodshed.
"Do we simply pay lip service to the phrase 'never again,' or are we going to act to prevent a repeat of such mass atrocities from occurring?" said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J, who chairs the House subcommittee on Africa, global health, global human rights and international organizations, which called Thursday's hearing.
"I don't think it matters what word we use," said State Department Bureau of African Affairs officer Robert Jackson in response to a question about whether the indiscriminate slaughter of Muslims and Christians in the Central African Republic was genocide.
More than 2,000 people have been killed and perhaps as many as 1 million forced from their homes in months of bloodshed since Muslim rebels rejected the coalition government they were part of, captured the capital, Bangui, and ousted the country's leader. Since then, Muslim and Christian militias have preyed on one another's neighborhoods.
A U.N. peacekeeping mission of nearly 12,000 soldiers and police, approved by the Security Council in mid-April, will be deployed Sept. 15, supplanting an African Union force of 5,600 that was deployed in December. The U.S. is not expected to contribute any manpower but has pledged $247 million for humanitarian assistance.
Anne Richard, the State Department's assistant secretary for refugee affairs, said "cash-flow problems" had limited European countries' ability to contribute to the effort. "I am proud our country is doing so much," Richard said. "This system only works when other countries join us."
Human rights groups and activists argue that the international community has ignored atrocities in the Central African Republic. A U.N. spokesman, Steve Taravella, told McClatchy that the lack of global attention to events in Central Africa was extremely concerning.
Members of the subcommittee shared those frustrations. Smith said the world showed a "lack of a sense of urgency" despite "butchery" evident in the country.
"Delay is denial for those being hurt and killed," Smith said, referring to the late summer schedule for the arrival of the peacekeepers.


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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-316, An Act to amend the Bank Act (branch closures).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce this bill which deals with the Bank Act and branch closures.
This bill addresses the failure of the Bank Act to provide consumers with meaningful input into decisions by banks to cut off essential financial services by compelling those banks to conduct public consultations before such decisions are made. This is a national issue that touches communities right across Canada, particularly like my own in Winnipeg North. The banks have basically deserted our community, leaving the citizens in my area vulnerable to high interest, unregulated fringe banking alternatives.
I look forward to members in the House debating this bill and supporting this important idea.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)


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People visiting to help our children's education:
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CLASSROOM TEACHERS — Let YOUR voice be heard!Please select the "BE HEARD!" menu tab, at the top of this blog, to see how your views be heard! You can send in a passage, either anonymously or fully attributed, that will be the heart of a blog post -- as I try to let teacher voices about the real problems with education be heard nationwide!
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- Friday night, July 3rd – CLASSROOM TEACHERS nationwide get another chance to be heard across the country on talk radio about the REAL issues in education July 1, 2015
- Progress! Another book by a teacher who gets it! June 8, 2015
- Some Advice Before You Become a Teacher May 19, 2015
- A Teacher View of Parents – 71% Great, 29% Difficult, 95% Clueless April 25, 2015
- Cancelling High School Electives, Arts, and Music – So Many Reasons, So Many Lies April 22, 2015
- Homeschooling – Career DoE bureaucrats could learn a lot from homeschoolers April 10, 2015
- The Atlanta School Cheating Convictions – So Wrong On So Many Levels April 7, 2015
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Tag Archives: Music and the arts
Cancelling High School Electives, Arts, and Music – So Many Reasons, So Many Lies
An extended version of my Huffington Post blog The decline in music and arts courses in our schools is shocking. Even the most stressed-out classroom teacher will admit music and arts teachers have it worse than the rest of us. … Continue reading
Five outstanding teachers — the best of the best! The top prize winners in our call for submissions to share teacher views of the REAL problems with education.
There were so many outstanding entries to our call for submissions that selecting the three best was almost impossible. Two of them stood out clearly, but a half-dozen others were excellent candidates for the final prize. In the end, we … Continue reading
Posted in Charter Schools, Common core, Education, Education reform, High schools, homeschooling, Inclusion classes, Music and arts courses, Public Education, Standardized testing, Teachers, Teaching, Urban High Schools Tagged D.A. Russell, dumbing down the children, Education problems, educational system, Lifting the Curtain, Music and the arts, systemic failures 3 Comments
High school administrators continue to routinely cancel arts and music classes in favor of test preparation classes, while falsely claiming "…the reason was budget issues."
Our 3rd finalist for inclusion in the chapters of the 2nd edition of Lifting the Curtain: The disgrace we call urban high school education is a powerful look at the loss of arts and music in our schools. Regina Paul … Continue reading


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Arnold's character from "Parts" continues to worry as he thinks a little too literally about common phrases we use every day. "Give me a hand" and " scream your lungs out" take on a whole new meaning from the eyes of a child.
Author Tedd Arnold brings to visual life some of our very silliest figures of speech. The story is cute and the illustrations enhance the story greatly. Really cute and humorous book .
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Keith Nell
THRACE Synthetic Ltd
Keith is a Chartered Engineer and an Environmental Scientist with over 30 years' experience. He holds a BSc Honours Degree in Environmental Management from Sligo IT and post-graduate diplomas from Trinity College Dublin in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Energy. He also holds a Higher National Diploma in Civil, Structural & Building Engineering from Johannesburg Technical College, South Africa and post-graduate diplomas from Trinity College Dublin in Geotechnical & Highway Engineering and Project Management. Keith has strong specialist experience in reinforced soil-structures; geotechnical design; geotextile design; environmental management. He has worked with leading consulting engineers and contractors, in the design, construction and project management of major civil engineering projects in Ireland, UK and South Africa. Keith's project experience includes site investigation, the design of bridge abutments, retaining walls, water and wastewater treatment schemes, sports pitches, flood relief schemes, road and rail infrastructure, reinforced soil, offshore structures, sustainable drainage and wind farm access roads.
Root barriers – recent experience in Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan Ireland.
Modern geosynthetic materials are often used to reduce the environmental impacts caused by invasive plant species such as Japanese Knotweed. There is an increasing tendency to use geosynthetic barriers as reinforcement and separation membranes to prevent the propagation and spread of the roots of these invasive plant species. These membranes are used to line environmental bunds and form impenetrable barriers in infested areas. The experience from a recent case study in Castleblaney Co. Monaghan, Ireland is discussed.
Emma Greenwood & Orlando Monroy - Clean Air via Algae - transforming air pollution into solutions via nature
Asmir Hajric - Challenges of Monitoring Waste Water Networks and latest communications Technologies (IoT)
Will Fardon - Laboratory Testing – A New Approach to Lab Testing
Aubrey Calderwood - Using Tax Incentives to Encourage the Redevelopment of Contaminated Land
Lisa Gautier - You Shampoo Because Hair Collects Oil


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Welcome to my first blog… ever! I was a writer for 15 years before coming to LifeWay full-time, but I have resisted the urge to blog… until now.
Where do I start? What about where we start as a VBS team in the journey that begins with a blank sheet of paper and ends roughly 18 months later as we wait in the wings, holding our breath, to see if all our VBS friends will see what we saw, feel what we felt, and catch the vision for the new VBS season.
I truly believe that God has a plan for each year's VBS that includes the specific message He wants delivered through the Bible content and housed in a particular theme. God is also continuing to teach me much about what it means to "seek" His will until we find it. The theme for VBS 2011 was no exception. Here's a tiny insight on how we landed where we did.
A New York theme had been explored many times in the past, but it never rose to the top because it was not the theme for that time. When 2011 was in development, the easily recognizable icons of the largest city in the United States stayed at the forefront. The Bible content keep drawing parallels to images associated with New York City.
The images of millions of faces filling the subways and crowding the sidewalks often filled my mind. Yet, I felt God's still, small voice whispering over and over, "I know EACH one by name. I know the smallest details of their lives and I LOVE them." How easy it is to overlook individuals in a crowd or to feel anonymous in the masses. But, God, in His infinite compassion, sent His Son to be the Savior of each one.
Times Square is known as "the crossroads of the world." Our world desperately needs to cross paths with the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His love for them. At so many intersections in my own life, God has placed a significant person or event that changed my life direction. Can you relate?
New York is a dream destination for many people, while others would do whatever it takes to avoid it. It reminds me so much of the Day 4 Bible story about the Samaritan woman. Many people of that day walked miles out of their way to avoid Samaria. Jesus, however, took time to start up a conversation with the outcast of outcasts as He spoke to the woman who came alone to draw water. Her simple invitation to those in Samaria to "Come see a man…" resulted in many of those in Samaria becoming believers.
In three short months, it will be VBS time at my own church. I will join the ranks of teachers around the world preparing to share the Good News through VBS. The kids around me will start belting out the theme song and I'll get all misty-eyed. God has given me a front row seat throughout this amazing adventure. I am so blessed!


text: The Pousada Vila do Navegante "A VERY BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE SEA" offers accommodation in Bombinhas, each room of this guest house is air conditioned and equipped with LCD TV. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom. 4 Islands and Bombinhas Beach are 300 meters away, while the Padres Retreat and Sepultura Beach are 900 meters away. Free private parking is available on site. With free Wi-Fi access throughout the property, there is a concierge service on the property. A selection of activities are offered in the area, such as snorkelling, scuba diving, tracking, fishing and city tours. Eco 360 Park is 1.2 km from Vila do Navegante Pousada. The nearest airport is Navegantes - Minister of Victor Konder International Airport, 34 km away from Vila do Navegante Pousada.


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Blessing House
Safe House, Safe Child
God's Project of Hope
A Children's Crisis Care Center
5440 Grove Ave., Lorain, Ohio 44055
Phone: 440-240-1851
Contact Us
About Us
Our Story
Our Mission
Board of Directors
Employment Opportunities
At a Glance
Contact Us
How We Help
When We Can Help
How To Get Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Childhood Trauma
Emergency Assistance
How To Help
Amazon "Smile"
Rock-a-Bye Ball Committee
Special Events Committee
Friends of Blessing House
Our Special Thanks To...
Every Day Miracles
From Our Director
"Be Part of the Heart"
Naming Opportunities
Past Events
Rock-A-Bye Ball
Rock a Bye 2018
2018 Sponsorship & Donation Opportunities
Easy Online Bidding
Blessing House Valentine Party
From Our Director
It is always so much fun when our families have a chance to get together and play! We had this chance recently when The Knights of Columbus Council 13640, Sagrada Familia, put on a great Valentine party for our children and their families. David and Melenie Colon organized another fun event complete with inflatables, face painting, games and lunch.
Once children come and stay with us, their families become part of our family. Even after the children go home, we get phone calls and notes from their families. Sometimes they need something, sometimes they have great news they want to share and sometimes they just need an ear to listen, someone to care.
When we have an event like this, the children have fun playing together, knowing they have something in common. The parents and grandparents also have a chance to get to know each other and often find support from someone who has a similar story as theirs.
At the end of the day, David and Melenie asked the children to line up and one by one they went up to the stage where they were given a bag of gifts that had been donated by churches and other groups. One young boy was so excited, he said, "I didn't get to have a birthday party this year. So this was just like having a birthday party!"
Thank you David and Melenie, Knights of Columbus and Sacred Heart Chapel for putting on such a great party.
Thank you Women's Fund for the grant to make this all happen.


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Brush Creek Baptist Church
Pastor's Page
Service Times
Upcoming Events
In Memoriam (Church Obituaries)
Nestled into the picturesque countryside in rural Green County, Kentucky, Brush Creek Baptist Church is a church committed to serving God and leading people to Jesus Christ. The church is grounded in the principles set forth in the Bible and is steadfast in its determination to adhere to those teachings.
Founded in 1791, Brush Creek Baptist Church is a member of the Russell Creek Association and is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention. The church building burned in 1983 and the church has occupied its current building since 1984.
At Brush Creek, you'll find friendly folks - Christians who seek not to belittle non-Christians but instead welcome them with open arms to come and accept Christ as their Savior. Brush Creek is a loving and tightly-knit group yet is always eager and willing to welcome newcomers into their congregation.
If your looking for something more than the world has to offer, come and find the peace that only salvation can bring. If you're looking for a church family, come and join us or if you're in the area just visiting, come and worship with us.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good; and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45 KJV
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