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About Ronald J Riley
I have been suggesting for years that the term for patents and copyright be harmonized to twenty year terms.
It is also interesting that large copyright interests are some of the most belligerent thieves of others inventions. There is more than a bit of irony in their hypocrisy.
Obama has his head stuck so far up big corporate rectums he is oblivious to all else.
"Oath of Office. Upon taking office, senators-elect must swear or affirm that they will "support and defend the Constitution."
What do you call collusion among a group which is violating their oath?
Aren't they some sort of traitors?
99.99% of programmers are drones who crank out repetitive code with slight variations day after day. They are not exact ally creative or inventive.
Most programmers are not really trained as engineers. Because of this they are not able to to see the bigger picture that hardware and software can both be used to implement an invention and in many cases a software invention can be covered with hardware like claims. Before software became patentable, it was common to craft patent protection for such as a broad hardware claim and then argue doctrine of equivalents.
I started programming around 1964 at General Motors Institute on a timeshare system in Algol (precursor to Basic). I was in 8th grade at that time. The next year I learned Fortran on an IIBM 1130.
I used a minicomputer, Alpha 16 in 1972 to run an automated disco lighting system with a 12' x 60' sound modulated 105 channel dance floor. This was done with FFT. I started playing with the 4004 as soon as it was available.
By the mid eighties I was using 6500 and 6800 family micros in multiprocessor configurations to run real time control systems.
While my primary interest was hardware design, I quickly discovered that if I wanted to use microprocessors at that time that I had to write my own code.
The end result is that I have extensive analog and digital engineering experience and also programming from raw machine code to over a score of high level languages and hundreds of dialects.
The difference between that time and today is that specialization has left the software industry mostly devoid of people who have the kind of experience it takes to understand how software and hardware are often interchangeable and that inventions can be implemented both. It is ridiculous to argue that software should not be patentable.
Ronald J. Riley,
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Michigan * Washington, DC
Direct 810-597-0194 * 202-318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
Everything in my experience is that money usually explains motivation. On other intellectual property issues Masnick roots for creators. a stand I agree with. It warms my heart to see authors and artists bypass traditional gatekeepers who are often taking nearly all the fruits of their labors.
Yet when it comes to independent inventors he cheerfully promotes big big businesses lie that they are victims of trolls when in fact those companies are F-ing thieves who routinely steal others inventions. They are not upset about bad patents because bad patents usually are not litigated and when they are they end up invalidated. What they hate are good patents which cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
Masnick's position on patents, especially his condescending attitude and smart ass responses to any inventor who visits the forum and his business connections give very good reason to question motivation.
"The other 95% of the planet actually understands that not everything requires patents"
"The US used to be a major leader of innovation and ideas."
The US is still a leader in producing inventions but large transnational companies are trying to make sure that they are the only ones who get to milk the cow.
Most of America's problems are related to crooked banking and transnational invention thieves.
It is my hope that the public will eventually fix political corruption problems by tossing most incumbent politicians out and replacing them with independents. A combination of banking ripoffs of the public and allowing transnationals to steal inventions from small business is killing job creation, and that is likely to cause drastic political change.
And yes, most everything is driven by profit for it is profit which allows us to have time and resources to be able to invent.
Many cultures are so rigid that they pretty much kill the ability of their people to invent.
I am a math and science type and probably Asperger. My strong suit was never literary skills.
It is called hell on earth. I had numerous large companies rip me off to the tune of about 40 million starting about 20 years ago. My rage has grown at the rate of compounded interest.
While some lawsuits are driven by the defendant being collectable, that is not always the case. Big companies, government agencies, political parties and others often sue with the intent to drive someone into bankruptcy.
This was a common tactic with patents, where a big company tried to bankrupt the inventor. Our counter tactic was to first seek investors and then it evolved to promote contingency litigation. One problem with investors was that attorneys might be willing to take money for a case which they did not think they could win. Contingency was a much better approach where the attorneys front costs and their labor time and only get paid if they win the case.
Because contingency litigators are risking between two and as much as fifty million dollars on a case they are unlikely to pursue weak cases. That means that most of the claims about trolls are utter BS. There is a real inventor behind these cases who is generally being ripped off by big companies.
The downside of contingency litigation is atht it is rare for any inventor whose recovery is less than ten million dollars to have their day in court, When the adversaries are really big companies where the costs may be as high as fifty million the threshold is more like a hundred million or more.
This means that big companies can and do steal less then ten million with nearly total impunity and that below a hundred million they have at least a 50% probability of getting away with such theft.
By the way, Masnick's ex employer Intel is well known for their belligerent attitude towards inventors and the same is true for all of his clients which have been exposed from time to time.
Mike, There is no question that you do good work on First Amendment issues and like you have have problems with copyright, mainly the length of the term and industry's constant attempts to subvert fair use rights of those whom have purchased legitimate copies and also their interference in hardware features. I think that copyright should be limited to the same twenty year term as patents.
But when you talk about patents you generally have your head stuck where daylight does not shine. One problem with your comments is that you do not seen to understand the difference between the way inventive startup companies use them and the way big business uses theirs. They really are very different animals. I have a news feed made up of inventors and attorneys where I often forward your posts. You are considered in the group to a buffoon or a paid blogger. Most of these professionals consider you to not be worth their time.
"Facts: not one of RJR's strong suits."
1) There is no proof that there was an invention. Such proof comes from successfully getting a patent which stands the test of time and is not invalidated. Then we would know that he invented something. As it stands, there is zero proof of inventorship.
It is fair to say that the program was the first of its kind, but not to claim that there was an invention.
2) You constantly quote writings of people who are known to be big company puppets while ignoring other people who are known for true expertise. One example would be that you have never cited material from professor Irving Kayton or Don Banner, both of whom knowledge was truly exceptional. Another example is Scott Keiff.
One last thing, when it comes to facts you claimed to be an inventor and when I asked for documentation you dropped it cold. So put up or shut up.
Personally I think that your expertise is similar to RIM,s and Apple's, lots of hype, at least as it relates to patents.
Maybe you should consider doing an article about how big business is buying academics to push their agenda, or look into the issue of paid bloggers. One side effect of the decline in journalism is journalists writing on spec, usually for big business or they become paid bloggers whose job is promote an agenda.
Transnational companies are stealing independent and small business inventions. AIA was written by them to facilitate such theft. They promptly transfer the inventions to places like China, and that means that jobs and prosperity which those inventions could have driven in America are gone.
I understand that this will not have much effect on Masnick's business model which is to suck up to those companies, but it does have a huge and long term effect on small companies who need enhanced profits which patents produce to grow.
Searching US Patents Text Collection...
Results of Search in US Patents Text Collection db for:
IN/Jacques AND IN/Mattheij: 0 patents.
The question is did his work rise to the level of inventorship? Are these claims similar to Mike Masnick's?
Coding software may rise to the level of producing an invention, but most programmers are not that creative. Combining others inventions may rise to the level of invention, but those that do usually are minor incremental advances and often low value.
If he had produced an actual invention and he had taught the invention via a patent he might have had leverage and made money, but since he did not teach he finds himself in this situation.
Attorneys do end up with all the money. Typically they receive 30% to 40% of the net after expenses are deducted. As a rule inventors see 40% to 50% of the gross judgement.
It is a fact that inventors would not see any return without their patents and a few good attorneys in tow. It should not be this way, but that is the reality.
Like many, perhaps most TechDIRT readers, big companies usually feel they have an inalienable right to take inventions.
Producing inventions is expensive and time consuming, as in a decade or two. They often are the most expensive investment and asset an inventor owns. Their costs usually exceed the value of all the inventor's other assets.
Ronald J. Riley,
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Michigan * Washington, DC
Direct 810-597-0194 * 202-318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
Mark Twain will be known for a very long time while TechDIRT Drivel will quickly fade into obscurity.
"Marc Randazza makes me unkind to weasels in describing him."
I actually agree with Mike Masnick that even today being publicly named is likely to have severe consequences for some people and while I am generally opposed to sealing court cases this is most certainly a case were it is warranted.
I disagree with vivaelamor's assertion that Randazza is a weasel. Randazza has a long history of doing good works related to First Amendment issues. Even if that was not the case, all attorneys are hired mercenaries. Advocating for their client is the essence of what makes our legal system function. While it is far from perfect, as far as I can tell it works better than the systems which proceeded it and I see nothing which has the potential to do a better job.
The single biggest problem with our legal system that it favors those with deep pockets. But that is also a problem with all aspects of human institutions.
The solution is public policy which prevents wealth from becoming too concentrated, something which is undermining our whole society. It should not remove the incentive to work hard.
At this point the only solution I see as being effective is to change to publicly funded elections and not allow with strict regulation and banning of large contributors.
If every politician had to run their campaign on a fixed amount from the government it would level the playing field. Any candidate who was caught using other funds should be banned from holding any office for life.
Politicians retirement and current income should be pegged and adjustable based on overall economic performance. This would encourage working towards long term prosperity rather than for short term gain.
We have been addressing invention promotion fraud for well over a decade. There are several hundred web pages exposing various questionable companies and the people behind those companies at www.InventorEd.org/caution.
Historically, invention promoters fleece inventors for typically $10,000 to $50,000. The highest I have seen was about $300,000. The industry is raking in about $500 million a year.
There are legitimate invention promotion companies but they do not advertise. Those who do advertise usually are at best worthless and at worst outright frauds.
Up until about five years ago the biggest risk of becoming entangled with a promote was loss of money. But today there is a very slick promoter who appears to filing patents on other people's inventions. That promoter appears to be closely associated with the USPTO and David Kappos.
Aspiring inventors should never disclose their inventions to others until they have at least a provisional patent application filed. Even then, disclosure is risky. There are far more hucksters and asset thieves then there are inventors and most inventors have minimal business experience, making them easy prey.
Our nonprofit, InventorEd.org provides extensive resources for aspiring inventors, including a list server where inventors can get one on one help. The list server is Inventors-L @ InvEd.org (Remove extra spaces in address). To join send a message to that address which includes your name, address, phone number and a brief description of what your interests are. Do not disclose your invention unless you have an issued patent.
Ronald J. Riley,
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Other Affiliations:
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 9 pm EST.
"Mike said "bullshit".
"Mike's pissed."
Actually, I think that Mike is an expert at BSing and that when he starts talking about BS we should all pay attention.
After all, being an expert at BS is an essential skill for spinning PR and pushing big business propaganda.
Ronald J. Riley,
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Other Affiliations:
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 9 pm EST.
"Mike has basically nothing but a blog."
And perhaps big corporate money for delivering PR (propaganda).
Mike Masnick likes to talk about journalism. Journalists and PR flacks for the most part have the same training and yet there is no love loss between the two groups. Journalists on balance make the world a better place, while PR hacks are in my opinion ethically flawed on a fundamental level.
The primary difference between journalists and PR hacks is that journalists believe in exposing the truth while PR hacks use the same skills to give cover to those of dubious repute.
Inventors conceive of new useful things. Mike has claimed to be an inventor but has not been able to provide any proof.
In a twisted sense his claim has some truth, he invents propaganda. This article is a good example of Mike Masnick's inventiveness.
Look at the difference between what Jay Walker has accomplished and what Mike Masnick represents. Is it any wonder that Masnick is green with envy?
Ronald J. Riley,
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Other Affiliations:
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 9 pm EST.
I agree. When sales pitches arrive in my mailbox I scan them. When Sony is mentioned I scan over and delete because experience has taught me that Sony builds junk. Attractive on the outside but with serious flaws on the inside. When you add poor service and attitude on top of their design and quality problems and compound those issues with their high prices it is not prudent to buy Sony products.
Patents are routinely traded in whole or in part.
The college student developer just learned a valuable lesson, not to deal in misappropriated goods.
Ronald J. Riley,
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Other Affiliations:
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 9 pm EST.
"Having less items on the shelf will also help theft protection."
Most theft of physical products are inside jobs. This means that there will be fewer freelance thefts but larger inside thefts.
"Mike could we get a filter for the comments in which people who rail against anything w/ absolutely no details, or information to back it up with? Also a filter for " has nothing to do w/ this blog post".
Be careful what you ask for Eric.
"It seems to me to be very clear what blogposts are advertorial in nature, and what blogposts aren't, which is a lot more transparant than your average newspaper."
There is no doubt that someone is more transparent than they would like.
Traditional journalism has been imploding for the last decade. While there have always been journalist , or should I say PR hacks posing as journalists for hire the general decline of journalism has driven many more people into the business.
I have been involved in many businesses for over forty years now and my experience is that PR hacks have very flexible ethical standards. To put it bluntly the majority are whores and con artists. TechDIRT Drivel, it sure looks like a PR operation.
Now I do think Mike has some merit, in that he does good First Amendment work. If only that was the case elsewhere.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Justin Bieber: Selena Gomez's 20th Birthday This Weekend!
Justin Bieber walks out of his hotel to a crowd of fans in on Friday morning (July 20).
The 18-year-old musician will be taking over Fuse this weekend — for 48 whole hours! There will be specials about his London concert, an interview special and Fuse News Presents: Justin Bieber.
But that's not the only thing Justin is celebrating this weekend — girlfriend and actress Selena Gomez is turning 20 on Sunday!
In case you missed it, check out Justin performing on Australia's Got Talent below!
Justin Bieber – Australia's Got Talent
Posted to: Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez


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Prosecutors have decided to put a 16-year-old, accused of first-degree murder, on trial as an adult, and he could face life in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors have decided to put a 16-year-old, accused of first-degree murder, on trial as an adult, and he could face life in prison if convicted.
Elijah Robinson, 16, is one of three people accused of murdering Tyrone Walls Jr., 25, in his trailer in Gray in order to steal money and marijuana, Terrebonne sheriff's Capt. Dawn Foret said.
Another is an unnamed 12-year-old, also charged with first-degree murder, though Louisiana law does not allow prosecutors to charge children that young as adults, Assistant District Attorney Jason Dagate said.
The law also does not allow the criminal justice system to release the name of someone not being tried as an adult.
The third is Devonte Smith, who had turned 17 just a few days before Walls' Sept. 24 death. He is also charged with first-degree murder.
A grand jury indicted Robinson and Smith on those charges in November. Prosecutors convene grand juries to determine if cases have enough evidence to proceed to trial, and an indictment does not indicate guilt or innocence. Members hear only from prosecutors and not from anyone representing the defense.
Deputies said they picked up one of the teens at Evergreen Junior High School a couple days after the death, and he admitted to the killing. Police picked up the other teen and the 12-year-old at the New Orleans juvenile jail.
If convicted, the 12-year-old would stay in juvenile jail until age 18. Although first-degree murder gives prosecutors the option to pursue the death penalty, that is not the case for minors, Dagate said. Prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty in Smith's case, either.
First Assistant District Attorney Carlos Lazarus said he could not give details, but each of the three had "different levels of involvement" in the crime.
All three are also charged with armed robbery, records show.
Walls' girlfriend called 911 the night of his death, soon after people heard gunshots in the area of their 426 Champion St. trailer, Foret said. The girlfriend said the boys came into the mobile home and shot her live-in boyfriend. She was not harmed, nor was her brother who also lives there.
After Walls' autopsy, investigators concluded he died of multiple gunshot wounds in his chest and torso, Terrebonne deputies said at the time of his arrest.
The teenager in the New Orleans juvenile jail is from New Orleans but had recently moved to Gray with his family, deputies said.
The suspects' attorneys could not be reached for comment.
Smith's and Robinson's cases are assigned to Judge David Arceneaux.
Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617
or katie.urbaszewski


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text:
Chain stores' November sales should provide a close up look Thursday not only at early holiday shopping, but also at how Super Storm Sandy is impacting consumers.
Despite a good start to the holiday shopping season, Thomson Reuters expects sluggish gains of 1.6 percent from the chain stores it follows, and 3.3 percent if drugstores are not counted. The data compares to last November's 3.5 percent gain and does not include cyber Monday results, which will show up next month.
(Read More: Black Friday Sales Online Top $1 Billion for First Time)
The best performers are expected to be discount stores, up 3.7 percent, according to Thomson Reuters. Apparel stores are expected to show a 3.2 percent gain, and department stores, just 2.1 percent.
Warehouse chain Costco reported a day early, saying its November sales rose 6 percent. Costco was also one of dozens of companies to announce a special dividend this quarter ahead of potential dividend tax rate changes, and it is granting what appears to be the largest yet at $7 per share.
Other store chains are expected to report their monthly sales throughout Thursday morning. Besides chain stores, markets will get a second look at third quarter GDP, expected to be revised up to 2.8 percent from 2 percent.
(Read More: Holiday Spending Frenzy Sparks 'Giving Tuesday')
"It could even go to three (percent) from what we've gotten on trade, inventories and retail," said James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management. As for chain store sales, "you could start to see the impact of Sandy, and we're going to start to get hit with that full blast (in other data), but at the same time early reports are that the shopping season is pretty good," he said.
Paulsen expects the impact of Sandy also to show up in the November employment report next week, and also again in weekly jobless claims. Claims are expected to be elevated for a third week, at 395,000. They are reported at 8:30 a.m., as is GDP. Pending home sales for October are reported at 10 a.m.
The most important headlines, however, will once more be what is happening around the "fiscal cliff" talks in Washington. Stocks Wednesday reacted to every nuance in the negotiations dance and ended the day with strong gains.
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner meets with congressional leaders to continue discussions on the fiscal cliff, which is the $500 billion in expiring tax breaks and automatic spending cuts that start Jan. 1 if Congress does not act.
(Read More: CNBC's Full Coverage of the Fisca Cliff)
Stocks were higher heading into the close Wednesday, after House Majority Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama each made positive comments about efforts to reach a deal. But stocks got an extra boost late in the session, after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Fed is expected to continue asset purchases when its Operation Twist ends in December. Some traders said they were surprised the market reacted as much as it did, since it is a widely held view that the Fed will continue its purchase programs.
After starting the day lower, the Dow ended 106 points higher at 12,985, and the S&P 500 was up 10 at 1409.
Birinyi Associates points out that there have been 17 similar positive market reversals since March, 2009, where the S&P was down by 75 basis points at the low, then closed higher by 75 basis points. The last was Oct. 18, 2011 after news of a French and German agreement to boost the European rescue fund. The day after that move, the market declined 1 percent, and it has more often than not been lower on the day after those 17 reversals. Fifty-nine percent of the time, the S&P declined from the open to the close the next day, with an average loss of 0.11 percent. Sixty-five percent of the time it sold off from noon into the close.
Follow Patti Domm on Twitter: @pattidomm
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text:
Obama, Central American Leaders to Meet About Child-Migration Crisis
Leaders to Discuss Steps to Stem Flow of Unaccompanied Children to U.S. Border
WASHINGTON—The presidents of three Central American countries at the heart of the child-migration crisis will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss steps to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S., the administration said.
The meeting, set for this coming Friday, comes as the U.S. struggles with a surge of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. More than 57,000 minors arrived in the first nine months of this fiscal year, with the total expected to reach 90,000 by fall....


text:
Small Cool 2010: Whitney's Well Organized Home
Who Lives Here: Whitney, her husband, and their pup
Location: East Village, NYC
Size: 300 square feet
What is your favorite element of your Small & Cool home?Our wall organizing unit -- which is home to our desk, extra closet space, and storage. It's the central hub of our home and small business. Without this unit, things would probably be a bit more chaotic.
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!
What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your Small Cool home? Hands down: choosing the right furniture. When we moved into our apartment we knew we would have to be strategic about how to make it all fit. Like I said previously, our wall organizing unit was a great storage solution and was also fairly narrow, which gave us more walking room. Our mini-couch doubles as a fold out bed and because I am a designer, choosing the perfect size desk allows me enough room to contain my materials and inspiration. The internet was our main source of inspiration for small space solutions -- it was about finding things that worked for other people and then seeing how we could translate that into our space.
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!
Check out all the entries on our contest page.


text:
Form and Function Drive Design for Bottle and Jar Packaging
Functional design makes it easier to use, prepare and serve products packaged in bottles and jars.
Form that enhances function is the new mantra in bottling circles. For food and beverage companies that use bottles and jars, functional design attributes such as gripability, reclosability, on-the-go portability and ease of heating and serving head the list of desirable features.
Changing lifestyles and demographics are fueling the trend. "The increase of independent children and teens living in dual working households, millennials on the go and the aging baby boomer generation all contribute to the need for easy-to-manipulate packaging that safely holds, preserves, protects and dispenses the products," says Paul Tay, food and non-alcoholic beverages marketing manager at O-I (www.o-i.com), Perrysburg, Ohio.
Tay adds, "As our society becomes more mobile and independent, the majority of our food [and] beverage companies are asking for ergonomic glass packaging that is easy to use and resealable, with clean, efficient product dispensing."
For example, Bookbinder Specialties (www.bookbinderspecialties.com), Media, Pa., chose glass jars for its new line of all-natural gourmet vegetable soups. Not only do the packages convey quality but they also provide more functionality than cans or plastic containers.
In focus groups, Bookbinder learned consumers value resealability and portion control in soup packaging. Therefore, for its new soups, which include flavors such as Sweet Burgundy Onion and Butternut Squash & Mushroom, the company chose reclosable 15-oz. glass jars from O-I.
Like cans, the jars offer a wide mouth for easy dispensing of the chunky soups. But in contrast to cans, the jars are compatible with microwave cooking. This saves time and mess, as it's not necessary to transfer the soup to a microwave-safe cooking dish.
Similarly, unused product can be stored in the jar, eliminating the need for a storage container. And the jars are transparent, so consumers can see the product before buying and monitor how much is left in the package while it's in the refrigerator.
TummyTickler gets a grip
In the beverage category, In Zone Brands Inc. (www.inzonebrands.com), Smyrna, Ga., redesigned the packaging for its TummyTickler children's drinks to make the bottle smaller and easier for little hands to grip. The redesign also makes the bottle's shape more like the one used for In Zone's other brands, BellyWashers and TummyTickler Tots.
Zone Brands Inc. redesigned the packaging for its TummyTickler children's drinks to make them easier for little hands to grip and a smaller portion size. (click image to enlarge)
TummyTickler is made for preschool children, and the new 6-oz. TummyTickler bottle (down from 8 oz.) meets the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended serving size for the target market.
The high-density polyethylene bottle also was made smaller "in response to consumer feedback from moms that the bottle size was too large for [their] children," says Traci Strom, senior manager of public relations and communications at In Zone. "We enhanced the ergonomic grip at the 'waist' of the bottle to better serve small hands."
The brand owner consulted with Goodwin Design Group (www.goodwindesigngroup.com), Wallingford, Pa., to execute the TummyTickler redesign and to revise package graphics across In Zone's product portfolio.
The easier-to-grip feature of the redesigned TummyTickler bottle augments the dispensing functionality that was already built into In Zone's packaging. "Our no-spill, no-mess packaging closures are a central part of our products, as they solve one of the biggest pain points of children's beverages," Strom says, referring to "all the frustration of leaky straws, spurting pouches and sloshing bottles and cups.
"BellyWashers has a mess-free, push-pull sport cap which is convenient for grade-school kids on the go," she continues. "The TummyTickler and TummyTickler Tots spout is a proprietary design. It contains a one-way silicone valve that is truly spill-proof, effectively acting as a sippy cup for younger children transitioning into 'big kid' cups."
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Former Buxton mayor Arthur Robinson passed away peacefully at his home on Victoria Park Road this morning (Tuesday).
The 88-year-old served as mayor of Buxton for a year from May 1970, as well as being deputy mayor three times.
He was also a Buxton town councillor and Derbyshire County councillor and spent almost 50 years working on the railways.
A grandfather-of-two, Arthur was married to Joan for 66 years, after they met as teenagers at a dance in New Mills Town Hall.
They married three years later at Thornsett Independent Chapel and celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007.
A keen gardener, Arthur leaves behind his wife Joan, son Andrew and grandchildren Sophie and William.


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Avril Young 8/9/2012 6:15:17 PMsimply stunning, everything about it is top notch...a winner for you Terry, the boat adds interest...just love that sky!! #1479620
Terry Cervi 8/9/2012 6:16:00 PMClaudia Kuhn
Contact Claudia
Claudia's Gallery
member since: 3/14/2003 Cool clouds Terry, beautiful Maine scene
Leslie McLain
Contact Leslie
Leslie's Gallery
member since: 5/7/2007 Beautiful capture and clouds, Terry.
Tammy Espino 8/9/2012 6:22:28 PMI think your next winner :) #10269544
Robert R. Goodman 8/9/2012 6:22:50 PMHi Terry,that's where I want be.Beautiful capture my friend.Bet it's cooler there than here.Not to bad only 113 today.Beautiful color and lighting!!!
Robert R. Goodman 8/9/2012 6:38:34 PMAnd always a favorite!!!! #10269572
Kasia Elser 8/9/2012 6:43:35 PMBeautiful! #10269581
Mary Beth Aiello 8/9/2012 7:07:06 PMI agree. This is a winner. #10269622
Tammy M. Anderson 8/9/2012 7:07:25 PMBeautiful HDR capture. #10269624
Jack Gaskin 8/9/2012 7:38:02 PMGREAT SHOT and just a PERFECT SKY to top it off.
Having been there and spent 21/2 days driving all over the Island I know I've probably seen this very spot but can not place it. If you live in the NE this is a MUST VISIT place for anyone who loves scenic shooting.
Katherine Kuhn 8/9/2012 7:54:46 PMSpectacular! Love that bright spot of red with the boat & amazing sky! #10269661
Jeffrey R. Bange 8/9/2012 8:31:46 PMAbsolutely stunning scenic Terry and the little red row boat is just an added bonus to this beautiful capture. #10269678
Ann Coates 8/9/2012 8:32:07 PMOh wow, this is amazing. I love that sky and the colours just pop. #10269679
Amalia Sylvia Arriaga Salinas 8/9/2012 9:03:26 PMFantastic colors and sky Terry!,
Rona L. Schwarz 8/9/2012 9:50:15 PMSpectacular landscape composition, Terry! Beautifully composed with great interest in foreground, middle, and background - that fabulous sky just leads your eye right through the image along with that great splash of red. Marvelous detail, clarity and vibrant color, as always! An instant favorite! #10269729
Julianne Bradford 8/9/2012 10:07:17 PMI think Tammy's right..looks like a winner to me! Love the little red boat. #10269741
Barbara Waldoch 8/9/2012 10:54:33 PMBright and beautiful, Terry! #10269775
Stephen Zacker 8/10/2012 3:23:32 AMThe Red boat makes it for me :-) #10269895
Carolyn M. Fletcher 8/10/2012 3:39:53 AMWonderful shot. I still haven't got to go there. Hopefully someday. #10269910
Mary Dimitriw 8/10/2012 3:48:49 AMStunning, perfectly composed Terry! #10269919
Julie Burnett 8/10/2012 5:59:18 AMAbsolutely gorgeous, Terry!! #10270086
Nikki McDonald 8/10/2012 9:22:22 AMBeautiful scene and what a great sky. Love the tiny red rowboat. #10270433
Tiia Vissak 8/10/2012 11:51:28 AMvery beautiful! #10270585
Nancy L. Green 8/10/2012 12:39:10 PMPERFECT title for this absolutely GORGEOUS capture Terry, VERY well done!! <>< #10270627
Rony Sagy 8/10/2012 2:24:31 PMFantastic composition here. Love the colors, light and detail, Terry. #10270722
John Connolly 8/10/2012 3:44:52 PMA magic scene and capture Terry! That sky is awesome! #10270769
Neal D. Hatcher 8/11/2012 4:32:58 AMBEAUTIFUL #10271416
Ken Smith 8/11/2012 6:08:44 AMClouds make such an impact on photos. Outstanding work, Terry! #10271567
Linda S. Smith 8/11/2012 10:04:52 AMJust so beautiful Terry! Love the clouds in this image! #10271734
Jill Odice 8/11/2012 11:23:06 AMTHis is on my bucket list of places to see someday! Love how you caught the clouds in that cool formation! Perfect title ! #10271839
Ellen Hodges 8/11/2012 8:49:19 PMPerfect timing on a gorgeous day make one gorgeous capture, Terry!! #10272402
Antonio Amen 8/12/2012 7:46:41 AMVery well done.Like it. #10272948
Ann H. Belus 8/12/2012 10:59:43 AMAbsolutely gorgeous landscape, superbly captured, Terry! Love the composition! #10273143
Patrick Rouzes 8/13/2012 5:02:11 PMGorgeous sky, colors, tones, lighting, perspective, clarity & scene, Terry! Exceptional work!
Dayna Cain 8/14/2012 11:00:37 AMWinner! Winner! Winner #10275601
Kathy Salerni 8/14/2012 11:55:30 AMStunning capture, Terry,with an spectacular sky, comp, colors, and treatment! Definately a winner! #10275675
Kathy Salerni 8/14/2012 11:55:31 AMStunning capture, Terry,with an spectacular sky, comp, colors, and treatment! Definately a winner! #10275676
David M. Montero 8/17/2012 4:52:30 PMThe POV, sky and red boat are genius Terry!!! #10280166
Randy D. Dinkins 8/25/2012 4:46:35 PMVery cool, great seeing and capture! #10290004
Patricia A. Casey 8/30/2012 8:56:54 AMYour HDR work is so wonderful! Beautiful capture and the clouds...oh my...it was nice of them to pose for you this way....LOL...Have a wonderful day Terry! #10299175
Canon EF24-105mmL, 3 image HDR
Acadia National Park, Maine. Taken on the Schoodic Peninsula section of the park, the only part of the park located on the mainland.
Uploaded on 8/9/2012 6:11:47 PM
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Terry Cervi. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
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GH6200, New April 2008
Most grandparents don't expect to take on the role of caregiver for their grandchildren — and they usually fill this role longer than expected. About half of grandparents who care for their grandchildren do it for two years or less, while about 40 percent fill this role for five years or more. This trend may sound overwhelming, but grandparents report less parenting stress, fewer health problems and less emotional strain the longer they care for their grandchildren. The following questions and answers may be useful if you find yourself as the guardian of your grandchildren.
Children exhibit stress in different ways. Some children react to stress physically. They may experience sleep disruptions, nightmares, stomachaches or fatigue. They may also be more sensitive — crying or feeling afraid and clingy. Some children may express anxiety or stress by being aggressive or disruptive at school. They may easily get angry or irritated. It's important to watch for any behavior that is unusual for the child.
Many grandparents rely on extended family for help, and turn first to a daughter. Ask your adult children to watch their nephews or nieces occasionally. You can also offer to watch their children in exchange for them watching the grandchildren in your care — giving everyone a much-needed break! Your parents, if in good health, can also be helpful. Outside of family support, public schools often offer after-school programs with recreational activities, homework help and mentoring. You can also contact your local Boys and Girls Club, YMCA or 4-H clubs. Most of these programs have only minimal fees.
All major life changes — positive or negative — are stressful. This stress is compounded when life changes come without warning or against your wishes. It's normal to feel shaken up. Try these strategies to reduce your stress. Join a support group for grandparent caregivers, where you'll find people who are likely to understand how you feel. These groups are a place to share information and advice, as well as support. Some groups arrange social and recreational activities for your new family to participate in together. You can find a support group through senior citizens centers, MU Extension centers and community agencies serving older adults. At home, develop a routine with your grandchildren. A predictable daily schedule builds security for children and cuts down on household chaos. This is especially beneficial for children who have come from an unstable home. Finally, be gentle on yourself. Try not to hold yourself to the same standards that you did before your grandchildren moved in. Some days, the house will be messy, the beds unmade and dirty dishes left in the sink for a few hours. Do not worry. Sometimes, you need to take time to relax and share special moments with your grandchildren when they need you.
It's okay to feel angry or frustrated with your new parenting role; many grandparents in this role share your feelings. This is especially true for those whose own children are grown. It is disappointing to cancel, or put on hold, plans that you had for retirement. It may even cause tension in your relationship. Some grandparents feel selfish or ashamed for wanting a little "alone time." Just sharing these frustrations with others who understand can make you feel better. It's important to find a confidant and put a support system in place. Many grandmothers confide in their grown daughters (other than the mother of the grandchildren in their care). You can also try a grandparent support group, where grandparents in similar situations provide understanding, information and support. Grandparents who join a support group report feeling better about adjusting back into a parenting role. You can find a support group through senior citizens centers, MU Extension centers and community agencies serving older adults. Finally, it's critical that you share these (very normal!) feelings with someone other than your grandchildren. You never want your grandchildren to feel like they are a burden to you.
Many couples experience strain on their relationship and report less satisfaction with their marriage when grandchildren move into their home. Care giving presents a lot of changes and challenges. First, taking in grandchildren can disrupt your plans for your retirement. Many couples anticipate retirement as a time when they're finished raising children — a time to focus on their relationship and doing fun things as a couple. Grandparent caregivers also report that raising their grandchildren leaves less time and attention for their partners. Your husband may feel ignored and miss time with you. It's difficult to give adequate time and attention to everyone in your family. But do not be discouraged. You may also see positive changes in your marriage as well. Engage your husband in caring for your grandchildren and their daily lives. This new role may bring the two of you closer, giving you more to share and talk about. Life is busy, but find time every day for some one-on-one time with your husband. A few minutes over coffee can be enough time to talk and support one another.
Defiant behavior is not unusual for children whose primary caregivers are not their parents. This behavior may be a reaction to their prior home environment. Spanking is not an effective form of discipline because it does not teach children self-control or alternative positive behavior. Not only does spanking become less effective over time, it has negative side effects. Children may see themselves as a victim or someone who deserves to be hurt. Children who have been removed from their parents' care because of neglect or abuse may be especially sensitive to spanking. Spanking is associated with elevated aggressiveness and defiance in children. So, try more positive forms of discipline.
There are several forms of positive discipline that are appropriate for even toddlers and preschoolers. First, set clear rules for your grandchildren before you are confronted with unacceptable behavior. For example, tell children, "We don't write on walls." Then follow with a positive alternative. For example, "Sheets of poster paper or your notebook are great for drawing and coloring." Also remember that some misbehavior is simply a child's natural curiosity. You can prevent mischief or a potentially dangerous situation by childproofing your home. Don't wait for your grandchild to put an object into an electrical outlet — childproof your home to prevent situations in which you have to discipline your grandchild for naturally curious behavior. When children are misbehaving, remove them from the situation. For example, if your grandchild is fighting with another child, take him or her to a spot to play alone. This calms the situation. While moving the child, you don't need to say much. Let the child play alone until he or she calms down. Another technique is to distract the child with an alternative activity or remove the object that is causing problems.
Present logical and meaningful consequences for misbehavior. If your grandchild is throwing sand at another child at the park, say, "If you cannot stop throwing sand, we will go home and we will not visit the park tomorrow." If your grandchild is throwing food at the table, you might say, "You can either stop throwing food or you'll have to leave the table and finish your meal alone in the kitchen." Never use consequences that you are not willing to enforce. Do not say, "We'll never come to the park again." Instead, try, "We'll need to leave the next time you do that. We won't come to play group with your friends next week." In sum, consistently enforce rules that are clear and consequences that are logical.
It's important to praise your grandchild's positive behavior too. Saying thank you or good job makes children feel good about themselves. Most likely you'll see less misbehavior as your grandchildren strive to please you.
There are several roles you can play, depending on what you and your daughter both want. Some grandparents assume primary responsibility for their grandchild if their daughter is particularly young and still in school. This amount of support will allow her to finish her education. Grandparents in this role tend to believe that their daughter will assume parenting responsibilities when she is older and more prepared.
Other grandparents share parenting with their daughter. This may allow your teenager to go to school and work — something critical to teenage development. However, this takes some coordination of schedules to avoid conflict and confusion when it comes to who is responsible for what tasks and at what time.
Another alternative is to support your teen in her role as the primary caregiver for her baby. In this case, you provide guidance in parenting. As you support your daughter in learning about parenting, your involvement will decrease as she develops skills and confidence. However, this may make it difficult for your daughter to complete her education and find some free time to do activities that typical teenagers enjoy.
Many grandparents find that their other children become jealous when they decide to care for their grandchildren. There are several reasons they may feel upset or jealous. It's likely that you have less time and attention for them. They may also feel that the grandchildren in your care receive more material resources from you. Your children's jealousy may actually be concern for the new stress and challenges you face in your new parenting role. They may actually be worried about you and how you will deal with your new responsibilities.
Perhaps you can relieve their concern by inviting them over to share quality time together. Your other grandchildren may enjoy visiting even more since they now have built-in playmates (their cousins). Consider a sleepover or celebrating a special occasion all together. Talk openly with your children about your concern for your grandchildren's care and safety. Reassure them that you would do exactly the same for them and their children if they were in need.
Children may feel ashamed and even guilty about a parent's undesirable behavior. They may also feel bad about themselves. This is especially the case when others, including classmates and family members, talk negatively about the situation. You can help build their self-esteem and reduce their negative feelings by consistently reassuring them of your care and love. Pay special attention to what makes them feel good, such as birthday celebrations, school activities and accomplishments (even minor ones). This will also build their self-worth. While you can not control how others behave or what they talk about, ask family members and friends to refrain from talking negatively about your grandchildren's parent. Reassure your grandchildren that their parent is a good person who got involved in some bad behavior. Tell them that, hopefully, their parent is (or plans on) getting help for those issues.
Call the WarmLine for free information on ANY parenting, relationship or nutrition question. Call about specific situations, developmental stages, or services you are looking for.
Order publications online at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/shop/ or call toll-free 800-292-0969.


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Positive and upbeat pop rock track, is well illustrated by the swift current of modern life!
Included are a loopable version as well as a version with ending:
- Movement of Life.wav – 3:14 (in preview)
- Movement of Life loop.wav – 2:40
If you like one of my Audiojungle tracks, but you would like to change something, I will introduce small changes free of charge and others for a reasonable fee.
I would be grateful if you send me a link to your work featuring my music – at your own discretion, of course.


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Bishop man found safe after search called in Reds Meadow area
A Bishop man was found safe, after a search was called in the Reds Meadow area yesterday.
On the morning of Feb. 23 the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was called out to check on the welfare of an overdue snowshoer.
Michael Gaffney, 47, of Bishop, began a snowshoeing trip on Tuesday, Feb. 22, from the Mammoth Lakes Basin to Reds Meadow to Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge. He intended his trip to be relatively non-stop, without a planned camp.
Mr. Gaffney called his wife at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23, to provide an update and noted that he was fatigued from traveling through soft, deep snow that he encountered during the descent from Mammoth Pass. She became concerned and contacted the Sheriff's Department, who, in turn, dispatched the SAR team.
A SAR snowmobile team launched from Main Lodge to investigate and encountered Mr. Gaffney on the road north of Pumice Flat. He was in good conditions, and after providing him with some additional water, the SAR team left Mr. Gaffney to continue his trip.
Source: Mono County Sheriff's Department


text:
Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
Ashley Madison founder e-mails leaked
Opening Sequence
Exclusive: Trump says he would intervene in Huawei case
China's Huawei executive granted bail
Trump threatens shutdown in raucous meeting
One year into the arrest of two Reuters journalists
VERBATIM: Reuters calls for release of jailed reporters
Twitter CEO responds to critics of Myanmar tweets
Google CEO gets a tongue-lashing on Capitol Hill
Journalists named Time person of the year
World in Pictures
Closing Sequence


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Hood: You Got To Love Edwards' Grandstanding
By Jeff Hood | Senior Writer
As post-race celebrations in NASCAR go, roughly 99 percent of them are about as interesting as watching a crew member apply glue to lugnuts.
But thanks to Carl Edwards, I'm back on the edge of my seat when I see the checkered flag wave.
I happened to be standing with a group of people on pit road for the Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month and could hardly wait to see the expression on their faces when Edwards performed his trademark backflip off his Ford at the start-finish line following his victory.
But I must admit that even my jaw dropped when I witnessed Edwards jump through an opengate below the flagstand and proceed to high-five and hug a legion of fans in the grandstand. In my book, that is the perfect way to cap off a winning day.
Edwards duplicated his new method of celebrating by backflipping off his winning car in Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Phoenix just seconds before climbing into the crowd.
Several naysayers have gone on record as saying that Edwards could get injured. And I'm
sure some of my colleagues in the media aren't happy about it because they likely see it as another delay in getting an opportunity to interview the race winner.
But I'm hoping other drivers follow Edwards' lead and show similar emotion after winning.
It didn't necessarily include acrobatic moves off a car or greeting fans on row 10, but the last couple of weeks did get me to thinking about some of my memorable post-race moments in NASCAR history. And please note that my list doesn't include a single driver rattling off a seemingly endless list of sponsors:
1. I actually found myself cheering for Tony Stewart to win the 2005 Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Knowing how much that race track means to Smoke made it electric seeing him climb the fence with his team and kiss the bricks.
2. I'll always remember the 1989 Daytona 500 for the emotion Darrell Waltrip showed in victory lane after winning the world's most important stock car race. He shook CBS announcer Mike Joy while appearing to be in disbelief over his win.
3. The 1992 running of The Winston All-Star race in Charlotte will forever be remembered as the race without a victory lane celebration. Race winner Davey Allison was transported to a local hospital while his battered No. 28 Ford was towed back to the garage.
4. After winning the 1984 Firecracker 400 at Daytona, Richard Petty parked his No. 43 Pontiac at the start-finish line and made his way to the press box to greet President Ronald Reagan. The two were interviewed by Jim Lampley of ABC Sports.
5. It's the "Dale and Dale Show." The emotion of CBS' Ned Jarrett calling his son's win over Dale Earnhardt in the 1994 Daytona 500 spilled over to victory lane when Ned had the chance to interview his son, Dale Jarrett.
6. Victory for Michael Waltrip at the 2001 Daytona 500 quickly turned somber after Fox announcer Waltrip began to weep and Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced to the battered No. 3 Chevrolet to check on the condition of his father.
7. One of the most popular wins in NASCAR history was scored by Earnhardt when he captured the 1998 Daytona 500. Earnhardt looked right at home in victory lane when he climbed atop his black No. 3 and raised both arms in triumph.
8. But the tide turned just over a year later when fan favorite Earnhardt was greeted in victory lane by a large chorus of boos after spinning Terry Labonte to win the night race at Bristol, Tenn. in August 1999.
9. The moment the checkered flag waved over the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Bill Elliott partied in victory lane, Alan Kulwicki celebrated his championship and Petty rode off into the sunset as he took one final lap around the track.
10. Petty pulled off an improbable win by capturing the 1979 Daytona 500. But his victory lane interview was overshadowed by the unforgettable fight in Turn 3 between Bobby and Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough.
It'd suit me just fine to see Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick or Jimmie Johnson do something spectacular and out of the ordinary at the conclusion Sunday's Ford 400 in Homestead, Fla. and generate new memories for NASCAR's fanbase.
Have at it, boys!
– Jeff Hood can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com Comments


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Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Office - FO 3.620C
Mailstop - FO31
Gail A. M. Breen, PhD
Dr. Breen's research interests concern the biogenesis of the mammalian mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system, the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression and the characterization of the role of mitochondria in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.112
Mailstop - FO31
Lee Bulla, PhD
Dr. Bulla's research interests are in the area of invertebrate and microbial molecular biology with particular focus on the biochemical and biophysical characterization of insecticidal toxin receptors in insects.
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.110
Mailstop - FO31
John Burr, PhD
Associate Department Head
Dr. Burr's research interests involve eukaryotic cell growth regulation and oncogensis. He is currently focusing his research on the oncogenic transformation of cells by Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV).
Assistant Professor
Fax: 972-883-4551
The Campbell lab examines how regulatory elements present in RNA coordinate gene expression in humans. To do so, we have pioneered new genomic approaches to overcome technical limitations in comprehensive analysis of RNA-binding using next-generation sequencing. Our ultimate goal is to translate these findings to a multitude of outstanding problems that will inform our understanding of development and disease.
Lab: RNACentral.com
Nicole De Nisco, PhD
Current research focuses recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI) as part of an ongoing clinical collaboration with the Department of Urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. De Nisco's research combines access to clinical samples with techniques from fields of molecular microbiology, cell biology and immunology to discover how both microbe and host contribute to this disease. Examples of available research projects include: 1) characterizing the host inflammatory response during RUTI and elucidating its role in recurrence 2) deciphering the virulence mechanisms of clinically-relevant RUTI pathogens 3) understanding the impact of the urinary microbiome on UTI recurrence through metagenomics.
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Office - RL 1.704
Mailstop - RL11
Jeff DeJong, PhD
Dr. DeJong's research focuses on the factors and mechanisms responsible for the transcription of eukaryotic genes. Prior to joining the faculty at UTD, Dr. DeJong was a Postdoctoral Associate with Dr. Robert Roeder where he focused on RNA polymerase II transcription.
Inflammation in cancer initiation/progression; signaling pathways that regulate autophagy and autophagy-related proteins in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment.
Mailstop - FO31
Rockford Draper, PhD
Dr. Draper's research interests include the molecular pathogenesis of protein toxins, such as cholera toxin, membranes trafficking in eukaryotic cells, and the new field of bionanotechnology.
Assistant Professor
Heng Du, PhD
Dr. Heng Du's research is focusing on the mitochondrial role in neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, the research interests fall under two themes: (a) mitochondria particular synaptic mitochondria-associated mechanisms of neurodegeneration in neurological diseases; and (b) translational study on mitochondrial medicine to protect neurodegeneration under pathological states, by using a combination of molecular biology, cell biology, electrophysiology and pathology on research models including gene-modified animal, cell models and embryonic & induced pluripotent stem cells.
Biological Sciences
Office - RL 2.704
Mailstop - RL11
Juan González, PhD
Dr. González focuses his research on the role of exopolysaccharides in the nodulation of legumes by rhizobia and the molecular genetics of plant-microbe interactions. Before joining the staff at UTD, Dr. González was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he focused his research on molecular signals.
Research Assistant Professor
Lan Guo, PhD
Dr. Guo's research aims to understand the mechanisms of mitochondrial docking at synapses under physiological states and to restore mitochondrial motility & dynamics in neurological disorders by using the approaches of biochemistry, gene therapy and stem cells.
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.106
Mailstop - FO31
Ernest Hannig, PhD
Dr. Hannig's research interests include protein-protein interactions, genetic and biochemical analysis of translation initiation factors, and protein synthesis and its regulation in eukaryotes.
Assistant Professor
Jung-whan (Jay) Kim, DVM, PhD
- Stromal Fibroblasts within the Tumor Microenvironment
- Adipocyte hypoxic response in mammary tumor progression
- Role of HIFs in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers
Associate Professor
Tae Hoon Kim
Tae Hoon Kim studies the mechanisms of human genome expression involving transcription insulation, transcription elongation, and long range chromosomal interactions.
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Office - FO 3.218
Mailstop - FO31
Dennis Miller, PhD
Dr. Miller's research interests include the structure and organization of mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial gene expression, RNA editing, and mitochondrial biogenesis.
Assistant Professor
Faruck Morcos, PhD
Dr. Morcos lab focuses on solving problems at the interface between biology, computation, mathematics and biophysics. The primary focus of the lab is the development and application of methods to extract biological information from sequence and genomic data in combination with physical models to study molecular evolutionary landscapes, biomolecular structure and function, macro-complex formation, specificity in biological networks and its applications to understand and fight disease.Morcos Lab
Biological Sciences
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Dr. Palmer uses genomic, transcriptomic, and biochemical approaches to study antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Her research focuses on microorganisms contributing to significant mortality and cost burdens in the health care industry.
Biological Sciences
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Lawrence Reitzer, PhD
Dr. Reitzer's research involves the regulation of gene expression and metabolism in Escherichia coli and pathogenic bacteria with a focus on responses to environmental stresses, such as nitrogen limitation. Work in progress is also analyzing pathways of the catabolism of polyamines, compounds which correlate with growth rate, and the function of transaminases, especially with respect to the function of their broad specificity.
Department Head
Stephen Spiro, PhD
Department Head
Stephen Spiro is interested in the regulation of bacterial gene expression by environmental signals, and the consequences of gene regulation for the physiological adaptation to stress.
Duane Winkler, PhD
Metallo-chaperones exist as part of a multi-pronged defense force used by aerobic organisms to guard against toxic levels of oxidative stress. Our lab uses a structure-guided approach to develop a complete molecular mechanism for the action of these molecules. Maintaining proper metal ion homeostasis is essential for the health and survival of all organisms.
Assistant Professor
RL 4.714 Mailstop - RL11
Zhenyu Xuan, PhD
Dr. Xuan's research involves detecting and interpreting genomic variations from high throughput data with computational biology methods.
Hyuntae Yoo, PhD
Functional integration of genomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies to experimental models of human disease for discovery of novel drug targets.
Biological Sciences
Office - RL 1.748
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Li Zhang, PhD
Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology
Dr. Zhang's research focuses on oxygen sensing, heme signaling and molecular actions of environmental neurotoxicants.
RL 4.746 Mailstop - RL11
Michael Q. Zhang, PhD
Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair of Systems Biology Science
Dr. Zhang's research interests include computational biology and bioinformatics with a special focus on genomic and epigenomic regulation networks in normal and disease states.
Emeritus Professors
Hans Bremer, PhD
Professor Emeritus
972-883-2513 [email protected]
Donald Gray, PhD
Dr. Gray's research interests include the study of structures of nucleic acids and DNA-protein complexes by circular dichroism spectroscopy and other techniques.
Claud Rupert, PhD
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor
Sheena D'Arcy
Our research looks at the molecular basis of enhancer function in cell-specific gene expression. We study large protein assemblies that influence chromatin dynamics. We use biochemical, structural and in vivo approaches including x-ray crystallography and hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry. Our research has implications for cancer treatment and regenerative medicine.
Office - ECS 3.208
Mailstop - EC39
Stephen Levene, PhD
Dr. Levene's research interests involve protein-DNA interactions in site-specific recombination and the structure and dynamics of nucleic acids in solution.
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Office - BSB 10.534
Mailstop - BSB14
Jonathan E. Ploski, PhD
Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. While each anxiety disorder has different symptoms, all the symptoms cluster around excessive, irrational fear. Currently the neurobiological basis for these disorders remains poorly understood and treatments for these disorders remain inadequate. Therefore research in my laboratory focuses on identifying the molecular and biochemical mechanisms that contribute to the development of fear and the maintenance of fear.
Collectively my laboratory utilizes a myriad of molecular, biochemical and behavioral approaches to study learned fear (cue-induced anxiety) and innate fear. In particular we manipulate gene expression within the rodent brain utilizing recombinant viruses to establish respective roles for individual genes/proteins in neural plasticity, memory formation and anxiety.
Biological Sciences
Office - SLC 2.408
Mailstop - FO31
Irina Borovkov, PhD
Dr. Borovkov, who joined the faculty in 2005, has a broad research background as well as teaching experience. Her main research interests included mapping of disease resistance genes in plants and development of new molecular approaches to analysis of genetically engineered plants. She has more than 20 scientific publications.
Senior Lecturer I
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.206
Mailstop - FO31
Mehmet Candas, PhD
Dr. Candas teaches courses in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Cellular Microbiology and Body Systems. Blending experience in academia and biotechnology industry, Dr. Candas has a broad-based research background with projects spanning the fields of aging, cancer and infectious diseases. His studies concern biochemical and genetic pathways involved in cellular responses to signaling molecules, microbial toxins, drugs and insecticides.
Senior Lecturer
FO 3.620c
Monique Duncan, PhD
Dr. Duncan received a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University, an MS in Genetic Counseling from Indiana University and a PhD in Genetics from Duke University. Dr. Duncan completed post-doctoral work in antiviral drug development for HIV-1 at Emory University. Prior to joining the faculty at UTD, Dr. Duncan was a Patent Agent admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Dr. Duncan is currently instructing a course focused on the interplay between genetics and clinical disease. She is also involved in the UT-PACT collaboration between UTD and UT Southwestern Medical School.
Uyen Henson, PhD
Lecturer II
Brenna R. Hill, PhD
Dr. Hill joined the UTD faculty as of Spring 2014. She teaches Introduction to Biology (Biol2281), Anatomy & Physiology I laboratory (Biol3455) and Anatomy & Physiology II laboratory (Biol3456), as well as Mammalian Physiology (Biol4V95 – Fall 2014). Dr. Hill received a B.S. in Biology from Shippensburg University (2004), a M.Ed. in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Temple University (2007) and a PhD in Physiology from Penn State University (2013). Her PhD thesis involved the study of how chronic deficits in energy balance impact metabolic and gastrointestinal hormone profiles in exercising women. Throughout her time as a graduate student, Dr. Hill was heavily involved in teaching courses in anatomy, physiology and exercise physiology. She obtained a teaching certificate from Penn State University and in 2013, received the Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award.
Senior Lecturer I
[email protected]
Wen-ju Lin, PhD
Dr. Lin joined the faculty in 2009 as a Senior Lecturer. Her instructional duties include teaching a Microbial World with Laboratory (BIO13120) for non-majors, and the Introductory Biology Laboratory (BIO2281). Dr. Lin received a B.S. in Biology from National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan (1986), a PhD (1996) in Molecular and Cell Biology from The University of Texas at Dallas. Her PhD thesis involved the study of chromosomal suppressors of a mutation in the mitochondrial tRNAASP gene of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Senior Lecturer III
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 2.202
Mailstop - FO31
Robert Marsh, PhD
Dr. Marsh's research interests focus on subcellular structure. He is involved in projects concerning the identification and characterization of nuclear matrix proteins, cell surface lectins, and the protein cross-linking enzyme trans glutaminase which has multiple functions in cell physiology.
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.204
Mailstop - FO31
Col. (ret) David Murchison, DDS, MMS
Pre-Dental Advisor, HPAC
Dr. Murchison joined the UT Dallas faculty in 2011after retiring from the Air Force where he served as Dean of the USAF Postgraduate Dental Programs and Assistant Deputy Surgeon General for Dental Services. He received a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Arkansas, his DDS from Baylor College of Dentistry, and an MMS from St. Francis University. He has conducted and mentored biomaterial and clinical dental research in Air Force Advanced Education in General Dentistry and Specialty Programs.
Senior Lecturer I
[email protected]
Jing Pan, PhD
Dr Jing Pan joined the faculty in 2013 as a Senior Lecturer. Her current instruction duties include teaching Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology (BIOL3102) and RNA world (BIOL6V29). Dr Pan received a B.S. (1998) from Nankai University in Tianjin, China, and a Ph.D. (2004) in Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Her PhD work focused on the study of spindle checkpoint, a cell cycle surveillance mechanism, in budding yeast. After her PhD, she completed postdoc training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City (2004-2008), where she worked on meiotic recombination in budding yeast and in mice; and at University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (2009-2013), where she worked on miRNA modulation of cell polarity.
Senior Lecturer I
Biological Sciences
Office - SLC 2.402
Mailstop - FO31
Elizabeth Pickett, PhD
Dr. Pickett joined the faculty in 2011 as a Senior Lecturer. Her primary instructional duties include teaching Biochemistry Laboratory (BIOL 3380) and Introductory Biology Laboratory (BIOL 2281). Dr. Pickett received a B.S. in Genetics from Texas A&M University (2001) and a PhD in Genetics and Development from UT-Southwestern (2007). Her PhD thesis involved the study of PDGFR-alpha signaling in mouse embryonic development.
Prior to joining the faculty at UTD, Dr. Pickett was an instructor at Richland College in the Dallas County Community College District. In 2010 she received the district-wide Excellence in Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty. Dr. Pickett is a member of the Society for Developmental Biology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Science Teachers Association.
Biological Sciences
Office - SLC 2.406
Mailstop - FO31
Ruben D. Ramirez, MD, PhD
Dr. Ramirez joined the faculty in 2009 as a Senior Lecturer. His instructional duties include teaching a Medical Microbiology (BIOL 4350), Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 3455), and Introduction to Modern Biology II (BIOL 2312). Dr. Ramirez received an M.D. (1980) from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico, and a PhD (1999) in Cell Regulation from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. His PhD thesis involved the study of "telomerase expression in rapid regenerative tissues: the epidermis and hair follicle."
Senior Lecturer III
Biological Sciences
Office - SLC 2.410
Mailstop - FO31
Scott A. Rippel, PhD
Dr. Rippel joined the faculty in 1999 as a Senior Lecturer. His primary instructional duties include teaching a Biotechnology Laboratory BIO2V00) for non-majors,and the junior-level Biochemistry Laboratory (BIO4380).
Senior Lecturer II
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.104
Mailstop - FO31
Ilya Sapozhnikov, MD, PhD
Dr. Sapozhnikov received his Diploma of a Medical Doctor as well as the PhD degree in Russia. He was the Head of the Research Group for the primary prevention and non-drug treatment of cardiovascular diseases at the USSR Research Cardiology Center for the Academy of the Medical Sciences in Moscow, Russia.
Senior Lecturer I
Uma Srikanth, PhD
Dr. Uma Srikanth received her B.S., and M.S., in Biochemistry from University of Madras, India. She received her PhD, in Molecular and Cell Biology under the guidance of Dr. Dennis Miller. Her doctoral thesis was titled "Evolution of Mitochondrial RNA editing in the SSU rRNA of Myxomyctes". Dr. Srikanth, then went on, to pursue clinical research during her post-doctoral training at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. During her stint at UT Southwestern, Dr. Srikanth researched Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis using both in vitro and in vivo models in the lab of Dr. Jeffrey Elliott (Director of Muscular Dystrophy Association - ALS, Dallas Chapter).
Dr.Srikanth has extensive experience in lab techniques and their applications. She has also trained a number of students and high school teachers during her career at UT Southwestern. Dr. Srikanth is very interested in topics related to neurodegenerative research and their implications. Dr.Srikanth currently teaches BIOL 2311- Introduction to Modern Biology (core course for BS in Biology and Biochemistry students), BIOL 3302 - Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology and BIOL 6356 - Graduate section of Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology. Dr. Srikanth also mentors students for BIOL 4390 - Independent Research writing. Dr.Srikanth has extensive teaching experience and enjoys interacting with students.
Senior Lecturer
Michelle Wilson, PhD
Dr. Michelle Wilson joined the department in Fall 2012 and is currently teaching Introduction to Modern Biology II, Anatomy & Physiology I laboratory and Anatomy & Physiology II laboratory. She obtained her Doctoral degree in Biochemistry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX in 2003 working on protein function in small intron splicing. Her interests are science education and molecular biology.
Senior Lecturer I
Biological Sciences
Office - FN 3.114
Mailstop - FO31
Wen-Ho Yu, PhD
Dr. Yu's primary responsibility is to teach human anatomy and physiology and biology II to the pre-professional health care and graduate students.
He received a Ph. D. in Physiology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in 1988. Prior to his joining the faculty in 2006, Dr. Yu was a member of the physiology faculty at UT Southwestern Medical School and assistant professor of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana State University.
He is interested in the research of neuroendocrinology, reproductive physiology and obesity.
Adjunct Faculty
Department of Pharmacy
214-947-7589 email: [email protected]
Ronda L. Akins, PharmD
Robert Burgess, PhD
UT Southwestern Medical Center
[email protected] 214-645-2728
Shawn C. Burgess, PhD
Intermediate metabolism and its disorders, and using NMR spectroscopy to study hepatic energy production and gluconeogenesis in the liver and kidney.
phone 214-768-4094
Santosh D'Mello, PhD
Research in the lab is centered on understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neurodegeneration. Specifically, primary cultures of neurons, transgenic and knockout mice, and animal models of neurological disease are used to study genes, proteins, and signal transduction pathways regulating neuronal cell death. We are also interested in identifying chemical compounds that protect the brain from neurodegeneration. The long-term objective of the laboratory's research is to develop strategies to prevent, treat, or cure degenerative diseases of the brain. Recently, we have expanded our interests to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders.
[email protected]
Jian Q. (Jerry) Feng, PhD
Dr. Feng performs research in craniofacial, tooth and bone developmental biology, with a particular interest in understanding the roles of Dentin matrix protein-1, Bmp receptor 1A, beta-catenin, periostin and mechanical loading during development. In addition, Dr. Feng is interested in understanding tooth root formation using a naturally occurring osteoporosis mouse model. Lastly, Dr. Feng is interested in understanding the mechanism by which Pax-9 in mutation in exon 3 leads to tooth agenesis.
UT Southwestern Medical Center
[email protected] 214-648-1661
Ralph Kittler, PhD
Our lab takes genomics approaches to decipher the functions of cancer-relevant transcription factors in breast, lung and prostate cancer and to translate this knowledge into new approaches for detection and treatment of cancer:
- We combine analyses of the genomic binding sites of cancer-relevant transcription factors, epigenetic, gene expression and clinical outcome data to make specific predictions about the role of transcription factors and functional interaction of multiple transcription factors in the regulation of cancer-relevant gene networks
- We use RNAi screening to identify druggable modulators of transcription factors whose direct therapeutic targeting is challenging as molecules for targeted therapies.
- We analyze the expression of the target genes of oncogenic transcription factors in tissues and serum of cancer patients to identify novel biomarkers.
UT Southwestern Medical Center
[email protected] 214-648-1209
Rueyling Lin, PhD
The major interest of my lab is the understanding of the molecular events that determine various aspects of animal development. We use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegansas a model system and our research combines genetic, molecular biological, and cell biological approaches as well as advanced imaging technology.
[email protected]
Betty Sue Pace, MD
Elucidating mechanisms of fetal hemoglobin induction through p38 MAPK cell signaling. Approaches used include DNA microarray analysis to characterize the transcriptome in erythroid progenitors during the gamma to beta hemoglobin switch as well as to identify gamma globin trans-activators. The molecular work is complimented by high throughput drug screens to identify novel fetal hemoglobin inducing agents as a treatment strategy for sickle cell disease.
Associate Professor
UT Southwestern Medical Center
[email protected]
Juan Pascual, MD PhD
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Pediatrics
Dorothy Sendelbach, PhD
- Complete blood counts (CBC) in term infants with exposure to pretreted chorioamnionitis
- Duration of antibiotic treatment of pneumonia in term newborns
- Noninvasive bilirubin measurements
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Mouse genetics to delineate the genetic basis for autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Our primary focus has been on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a debilitating autoimmune disease initiated via a profound loss of immunologic tolerance to nuclear antigens. We have used genetic manipulation of the lupus-prone NZM2410 murine model of SLE to dissect SLE pathogenesis into a series of discrete stages.
We are currently in the process of identifying the individual susceptibility genes and defining the genetic pathways responsible for the initiation and progression of systemic autoimmunity in lupus-prone mouse models of SLE. Additional projects within the laboratory include genetic dissections of autoimmune diabetes and the analysis of a variety of polymorphisms in normal immune functions. The use of microarray technology in combination with genetic fine mapping to identify polymorphic genes with potent immunologic effects is a major new thrust within the laboratory.
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Department of Pharmacology
214-645-6175 [email protected]
- G Protein Signaling in Pancreas Development, Adult Physiology and Behavior
- Pancreas cancer
- Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Pancreatic islet and beta cell expansion in diabetes
- Updated: October 9, 2018


text:
As consensus continues to grow in the United States around the need for a proactive approach to climate change, Catholic organizations like the Diocese of San Jose in California are finding a valuable resource and inspiration in Catholic social teachings for stewardship of the environment. The diocese recently announced a new program called the Catholic Green Initiative of Santa Clara County to encourage area Catholics to conserve water and energy, to become more educated about conservation efforts and environmentally friendly practices for the home and workplace and to collaborate on a unified "green vision" for the diocese.
The impetus for the initiative originally came from grass-roots efforts in local parishes to increase awareness of environmental concerns. Since last September, a diocesan green team under the direction of the Rev. Brendan McGuire, vicar general for special projects in the diocese, has been meeting regularly to formulate a plan of action and organize a town hall meeting for parish leaders and others in the Catholic community engaged in the environmental movement.
At that meeting, held at Santa Clara University on Feb. 7 and co-sponsored by the Diocese of San Jose, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, Santa Clara University and Presentation Retreat and Conference Center, participants heard from Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, who spoke on the theology of stewardship and the centrality of stewardship to the Christian ethos. The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (profiled in this issue of America by Bishop William S. Skylstad) is a conglomerate of 12 organizations committed to addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.
Outlining some of the damage climate change has already caused to the environment and to human communities, Misleh warned of the immediate need for action. "We need movement, not just a plan. People are becoming informed on this issue and I see a real hunger for leadership, especially from the church," he said.
Bishop Patrick J. McGrath of San Jose expressed similar sentiments in a January statement. "Our Catholic social teaching impresses upon us that nature is not something to exploit but is God's creation to preserve," McGrath wrote. "We are called to celebrate the splendor of God's handiwork, to be good stewards of creation, and to safeguard the integrity of all that God has made."
Specific actions already underway in the diocese include retrofitting a number of schools and churches for solar energy, as well as plans to distribute reusable grocery bags in parishes. The initiative will eventually include education programs on the connection between Catholic social teachings and the environment, as well as practical education efforts on how to reduce water and energy use in the home, how to make households more "green" and how to make greater use of community organizing to affect public policy on environmental issues.
"This initiative is about mobilizing all Catholics in the diocese under a single vision of sustaining an environmental legacy for our children, their children and all future generations," said Father McGuire. The initiative is scheduled to launch officially on June 5, which is World Environment Day.