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Last month, a Somali refugee and college student drove his car into a crowd at his university, jumped out, and started stabbing people. He was quickly shot dead by a campus police officer. The assailant, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, apparently left Somalia, lived for a time in Pakistan, and was resettled as a refugee in the United States in 2014. After the incident, Donald Trump tweeted that Mr. Artan "should not have been in our country."
TV shows based on misunderstandings are hilarious; government policies, not so much.
Incidents like this--where a refugee or asylee commits a (probable) terrorist act--are exceedingly rare. As far as I know, the only other successful attack involving "refugees" was the Boston Marathon bombing, perpetrated by two brothers who came to the U.S. as derivatives of their parents' asylum case. Since 2001, the U.S. has admitted approximately 785,000 refugees and roughly 400,000 asylum seekers. So if all these numbers are accurate (a big "if", as discussed below), then the odds that any given refugee or asylee is a terrorist is 1 in 395,000 or 0.0000844%.
In looking at the question of refugees/asylees and terrorism, the main problem is that the numbers listed above are not accurate. First, there is no consistent way to count people entering and leaving the United States. The refugee numbers are probably more accurate (though it's unclear to me whether all aliens admitted for humanitarian reasons are included in the count), but asylum numbers are all over the map. Part of the problem is that different agencies (DHS and DOJ) deal with asylum applicants, and they seem to count people differently--sometimes derivative asylees are counted; other times, only the principal is counted. How do the agencies count people whose cases are pending? What about people granted other forms of relief (like Withholding of Removal or Torture Convention relief)? How are family members who "follow to join" the principal applicant counted? I have no idea about any of this, and there is no easily available data source to help. Not surprisingly, the dearth of data has opened the door to conspiracy theorists and anti-immigration advocates who claim we have an "open borders" immigration policy. But the absence of data also creates problems for fair-minded policy makers. How can we make appropriate decisions when we do not have a decent understanding of what is going on?
A second problem is that we do not have reliable information about how many non-citizens are involved in terrorist activities. Last summer, Senators Jeff Sessions (Donald Trump's current nominee for Attorney General) and Ted Cruz sent a letter to the Obama Administration claiming that at least 380 of 580 people convicted of terrorism charges in the U.S. between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2014 are foreign born. According to the Senators, "Of the 380 foreign-born, at least 24 were initially admitted to the United States as refugees, and at least 33 had overstayed their visas." The letter further claims that since early 2014, 131 individuals have been "implicated" in terrorist activities. Of those, "at least 16 were initially admitted to the United States as refugees, and at least 17... are the natural-born citizen children of immigrants." Using these numbers and the (admittedly questionable) refugee and asylee numbers listed above, the odds that any given refugee or asylee is involved in terrorist activities is still pretty low: One refugee/asyee out of every 28,902 will be involved in terrorist activities (or about 0.0035% of refugees/asylees).
The Senators were only able to come up with their figures based on publicly-available sources (like news articles), since DHS did not release immigration information about the 580 individuals convicted of terrorist-related activities, or the 131 people "implicated" in such activities. Whether DHS's failure to release this information is prosaic (perhaps confidentiality or technical issues pose a challenge) or nefarious, we do not know, since apparently, the agency has not responded to the Senators' requests. The fact is, Senators Sessions and Cruz are correct: We need more data about the people who are entering our country, and we need to know whether refugees and asylees (and others) are committing crimes or becoming involved with terrorism. Not only will this better allow us to make appropriate policy decisions, but it will also help prevent the type of fake news that is currently fillingand exploitingthe information gap.
But of course, the situation is more complex than any statistics alone might show. Some people who become involved in terrorism are mentally ill individuals exploited by terrorists (or--sometimes--by over-zealous law-enforcement officers). In other cases, people providing support to a "terrorist" group overseas do not know that the group is involved in harmful activities, or they do not understand that the U.S government views the group as dangerous. Also, as I have discussed previously, the material support provisions of our anti-terrorism legislation are extremely broad, and so people who seem far removed from terrorit activities can get caught up by our overly-broad laws.
Nevertheless, we need to know more about foreign-born individuals--including asylum seekers and refugees--who are implicated in terrorist-related activities, and the basic starting point for any such analysis is the statistical data about who is coming here, how they are getting here, and whether they are accused or convicted of crimes or terrorist-related activities.
Assuming we do get some accurate data, the question then becomes, How do we evaluate such information? How do we balance concrete examples of non-citizens engaged in criminal or terrorist activities, on the one hand, with the benefits of our refugee program, on the other?
And by the way, despite what some anti-refugee advocates might argue, our refugee and asylum programs provide concrete benefits: They establish us as a world leader in the humanitarian realm, they demonstrate our fealty to those who have stood with us and who support our values (and thus encourage others to continue standing with us), they provide our country with diverse and energetic new residents who are grateful for our generosity and who contribute to our society. These programs also represent an expression of who we are as a people. As I have frequently argued, for us to abandon these programs--and the humanitarian ideals that they represent--due to our fear of terrorism is a victory for the terrorists.
But we also need to balance our humanitarian policies and our national security. We need to better understand the issues--so that the public can be more well-informed and so policy makers have the information they need to make good decisions. I hope the new Administration will shine some light on these issues, so that any changes to our refugee and asylum policies are based on accurate information, and not on conjecture or fear.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com
Let's say you own a grocery store in Mosul, Iraq. Your town is conquered by the Islamic State, and an IS fighter comes to your store, grabs your teenage daughter, puts a gun to her head, and threatens to rape and kill her unless you give him a glass of water. You pour a glass of water, hand it to your daughter, and she gives it to the fighter. Now, lets say that you, your daughter, and the IS fighter get to the United States and request asylum. Question: Who is barred from receiving asylum? (a) The IS fighter; (b) You; (c) Your daughter; (d) All of the above.
If you can tell the difference between terrorists and terror victims, perhaps you should consider running for Congress. They need your expertise.
If you guessed "d", you win. By giving a glass of water to the IS fighter, you and your daughter have provided "material support" to a terrorist, and you are both barred from receiving asylum in the United States. Even though you gave the glass of water under duress to save your child's life. And even though it was only one glass of water (what we lawyers call "de minimis"). How can this be?
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress greatly expanded pre-existing law in order to prevent terrorists from taking advantage of our immigration system. These laws include the rules relating to "material support," which one jurist has called "breathtaking in... scope," see Matter of S-K-, 23 I&N Dec. 936 (BIA 2006) (Acting Vice Chairman Osuna, concurring). The opinion continues:
Any group that has used a weapon for any purpose other than for personal monetary gain can, under this statute, be labeled a terrorist organization. This includes organizations that the United States Government has not thought of as terrorist organizations because their activities coincide with our foreign policy objectives
Id. And anyone who provides any type of support to these "terrorists" is subject to the material support bar.
The problem is that under these rules, lots of people meet the definition of a terrorist or a person who provided material support to a terrorist. And it's not just people like the shop owners from Mosul. Under our existing law, George Washington would be considered a terrorist. He led an armed rebellion against Great Britain. Ditto for the other founding fathers. Betsy Ross gave material support by sewing a flag for the rebels. There are more modern examples, of course. How about Nobel-prize winning author and Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel, who was interned in a Nazi slave labor camp where he providedyou guessed itmaterial support to the Germans. And how about John McCain, who gave material support to the North Vietnamese by participating in a propaganda video (after being tortured while a prisoner of war). Indeed, even Luke Skywalker would be considered a terrorist under the current rules since he participated in armed resistance against the Empire.
Maybe the picture I am painting is a bit too bleak. While there is no statutory exception for the material support bar, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security have the authority to waive certain Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds ("TRIG"). In that vein, DHS has issued group-based exemptions that allow people involved with certain "terrorist" groups to obtain status in the U.S. It is also possible to receive an individual exemption through a Byzantine (and sometimes infinite) process. If your application is being held because of TRIG, you can inquire about your case status at firstname.lastname@example.com.
One government entity that does not have the authority to grant a TRIG exemption is the Department of Justice ("DOJ"). This is significant because the Immigration Courts are part of the DOJ. Thus, Immigration Judges cannot grant asylum cases where the alien is subject to TRIG, even when the alien provided material support under duress. In a depressing, but not particularly surprising decision last week, the Board of Immigration Appeals confirmed that there is no implied duress exception to the material support bar:
[A]bsent a waiver [from the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security], an alien who affords material support to a terrorist organization is inadmissible and statutorily barred from establishing eligibility for asylum and for withholding of removal under the Act and the Convention Against Torture, even if such support was provided under duress.
Matter of M-H-Z-, 26 I&N Dec. 757 (BIA 2016). The problem is that an alien can only get an exemption after he is ordered removed from the United States, and even then, there is no particular procedure to follow to request an exemption. It seems the best an alien (or his attorney) can do is to contact the DHS/ICE Office of the Chief Counsel and request consideration for an exemption. An exemption is only available if asylum would have been granted but for the TRIG issue. In other words, the alien needs to show that if it wasn't for the TRIG problem, the Immigration Judge would have granted him asylum (helpful hint to lawyers: If your client is barred from asylum solely due to TRIG, try to get the Judge to state that explicitly in her decision; this will help when applying to DHS for an exemption). If the Secretary of Homeland Security grants the exemption, the alien then needs to re-open his court case in order to receive asylum. Legend has it that DHS does sometimes grant exemptions, so it certainly is worth a try, but my guess is that this is a slooooow process.
Blocking terrorists and their supporters from the U.S. is obviously an important goal--it protects our country and it protects our immigration and asylum system. However, the material support bar is much too broad. It fails to distinguish between terrorists and their victims. Worse, it treats victims as if they were terrorists. The recent ruling from the BIA underlines this sad fact. It also illustrates why the law needs to be changed. As we continue to work for immigration reform, I hope we will keep in mind those who have been victimized by terrorists and victimized a second time by our overly-broad anti-terrorism law.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asytumist.com.
Since the vicious attack last week by Muslim extremists in Paris, attention in the U.S. has focused on our countrys refugee policy and President Obamas decision earlier this year to admit an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees (above the normal refugee ceiling of 70,000). More than half of the nations governors have indicated that Syria refugees are unwelcome in their states. Paul Ryan, the new Speaker of the House, is pushing legislation to hinder the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. And most Republican presidential candidates have expressed their opposition to resettling Syrian or Muslim refugees in our country. Senator Ted Cruz has called the plan absolute lunacy.
When we say "no" to a refugee, what does it say about us?As an immigration attorney who specializes in political asylum, I represent clients whose lives have been profoundly disrupted by war and terrorism, who have been threatened or harmed by extremists, and who have lost loved ones to terrorist attacks. Many of my clients come from Muslim countries, such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt. These are people who have devoted their lives--and often risked their lives--to promote democracy, women's rights, and human rights. Many have served shoulder-to-shoulder with soldiers from the U.S. military in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed, I suspect that many of my Muslim clients have risked and sacrificed far more in the defense of liberty and in support of U.S. policy than the American commentators who routinely disparage them.
In the face of barbarism from ISIS and other extremists, we as Americans should not abandon our friends or shrink from our humanitarian commitments. As the leader of the Free World, we must lead not only with the sword. We must also lead by demonstrating our values, and by showing the world that we do not abandon those values in difficult times.
During the refugee crisis that followed World War II, the U.S. committed itself to assisting displaced persons. Since then, weve absorbedand been enriched bytens of thousands of refugees from Western Europe, the Soviet Union, Indochina, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. We are, to a great extent, defined by our generosity towards the dispossessed: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Allowing ourselves to be intimidated into compromising these humanitarian values would be a victory for the terrorists. It would mean that we gave in to our fears. Great nations are not bullied by ignorant thugs. We already have strong safeguards in place to identify potential terrorists and criminals, and prevent them from coming to our country. Indeed, our asylum and refugee programs are probably more secure than any other aspect of our immigration system.
Also, many of the Muslims who have sought sanctuary in the U.S. are people who worked with the United States military or government, or who worked for international NGOs and companies in concert with our efforts (however imperfect) at nation-building. Such people risked their lives and trusted us. To abandon them would send a message that America does not stand by its friends. This is a message that we cannot afford to send. If we are not trustworthy, no one will cooperate with us going forward.
Finally, allowing terrorists to drive a wedge between our country and moderate Muslims would make the world more dangerous. There will be fewer bridges, not more. We need to keep strengthening ties between the West and the Muslim World. The terrorists want to cut those ties; we cannot let them.
In the aftermath of the Paris attack and the claim by ISIS that it will send infiltrators to the West disguised as asylum seekers, the desire to re-examine security procedures is understandable. But as we evaluate our humanitarian policies, we should keep in mind people like my clients and the many Muslims who have demonstrated their fealty to us in our fight against extremism.
We should not allow the evil deeds in France to cause us to retreat from our humanitarian obligations, which would compromise our principles, or to weaken our commitment to our Muslim allies, who are crucial in our battle against Islamic terrorists. Many people in the Muslim World want change. We saw that in the Arab Spring. We need to align ourselves with such people and give them our support. We need to stay engaged with the world and not retreat. When considering Muslim refugees and asylum seekers, we should be guided by our highest ideals, not by the dark vision of our enemies.
Updated 11-19-2015 at 01:31 PM by JDzubow
According to a letter from four members of Congress to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, a "recent disclosure [by USCIS] regarding the number of aliens found to have a 'credible fear' in cases where the terrorism bar to asylum eligibility may have applied raised the concern that hundreds of known and suspected aliens with terrorist connections may be attempting to take advantage of our countrys asylum system."
Eli Wiesel provided slave labor to the Nazis, so he may be subject to the terrorism bar.
The "recent disclosure" from USCIS to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform revealed that "the terrorism bar to asylum eligibility may be applicable to 299 aliens who were found to have a credible fear of persecution in the first four months of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, and to 339 aliens who were found to have a credible fear in FY 2014." The four Congressman--Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), and Ron DeSantis (R-FL)--requested more information about the 638 aliens in question, including each aliens' confidential A-file and whether and by what authority each alien was released from detention.
First, what's this all about?
When an alien arrives at the border (or at an airport), she can request asylum. Rather than admit her into the U.S., the alien is usually detained and scheduled for a "credible fear" interview--a preliminary evaluation of eligibility for asylum. The large majority of aliens "pass" the credible fear interview. Their cases are then transferred to an Immigration Judge and--in most, but not all, cases--they are released from detention. Aliens who do not pass the credible fear interview are deported.
In 638 credible fear interviews, conducted since October 2013, the alien said something or the U.S. government had some information that may have implicated a Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Ground ("TRIG"). This could have been something relatively benign (the alien paid extortion money to a gang) or something of great concern (the alien is Osama bin Laden's best friend). We don't know--the TRIGs are very broad (as I've discussed here).
One piece of information that we do have is the list of countries that send us the most credible fear applicants: El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador. These are not normally countries we associate with terrorism. However, these nations have major problems with gang and cartel violence, so we might suspect that many of the TRIG issues raised in credible fear interviews relate to paying extortion to criminal groups. Again, though, we really don't know.
So what's the solution? In their letter, the four Congressman request more information from DHS about the TRIG issues raised during credible fear interviews. This seems to me a perfectly reasonable request. We need to know more so we can better understand what is happening, who is coming here, and how we can make more appropriate policy decisions.
I do have a few concerns about the letter, however. At least some of the Congressmen making the request have demonstrated a clear bias against asylum seekers. Since everything these days is subject to spin, I worry that the Congressmen will use the data--no matter how benign--to stir up more anti-immigrant feelings and place further restrictions on asylum seekers. DHS should not let that happen. DHS can do its own evaluation of the data and release a report to the public (it would be difficult to make the raw data publicly available due to confidentiality issues).
Another concern I have is that the Congressmen are requesting the A-files for individual asylum seekers. Pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 208.6, these files are confidential, though they can be shared within the government for legitimate purposes. While I believe that the Congressmen have no intention of breaching confidentiality, we do not know what safeguards they have put into place to protect the individual asylum seekers. Who will be reviewing the 638 files (that will be a big job)? Interns? Regular staff members? What training do they have? Do they have a security clearance? Where will the files be kept? How will the results of the study be released so as to ensure confidentiality for individuals? What will happen to the files at the end of the process? These questions need to be answered before DHS releases the A files to Congress.
Finally, the letter demands that the files be turned over before COB on June 3, 2015--two weeks after the letter was written. How the Congressmen expect DHS to gather this information and turn it over on time--while ensuring confidentiality--is beyond me. The seemingly impossible time frame attached to the letter detracts from its credibility. If the Congressmen are serious about gathering and analyzing this data (which is a very worthy goal), they should approach the problem in a more reasonable way. For example, they could involve the Congressional Research Service, which has the expertise to review and analyze raw data from USCIS.
I have written before that we need more data about who is seeking asylum in the United States, how they get here, why they are requesting asylum, and the decision-making process itself. Such information would make our country safer and our asylum system better. Congress has an important role to play in this process and so does DHS. Hopefully, for once, the two can play nice together and get the job done.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.
For some time now, the threat of Islamic extremism has been an important factor in our country's immigration and asylum policies. But two recent--and horrific--events overseas have reminded us about the gravity of that threat.
First is the case of Man Haron Monis, an Iranian national who received asylum in Australia. Last month, Mr. Monis took hostages in a café, forced them to display a Jihadi flag, and demanded to speak to the Australian Prime Minister. By the time the incident ended, two hostages were dead and several were injured. Mr. Monis also died in the confrontation. The incident was only the most recent in a long history of problems for Mr. Monis. Among other things, he had been charged as an accessory in the murder of his ex-wife, he was charged with several counts of sexual assault against various women, and he had notoriously sent hate letters to the families of Australian service members killed in Afghanistan, which also resulted in criminal charges.
The second incident is the massacre at Charlie Hebdo magazine in France. The suspects in that attack seem to have been French nationals of Algerian decent who saw the attack as revenge for the magazine's cartoons disparaging the Prophet Mohamed. At least some of the suspects in that attack have had prior problems with the law, including terrorism-related arrests, and the men seem to have been connected with a Yemeni terrorist network.
So with two fresh examples of Islamic extremists attacks in the West, it seems to me a fair question to ask: Why do we risk allowing terrorists into our country through the asylum and refugee system? Why not simply limit asylum to people who hale from non-Muslim countries? Certainly there are plenty of non-Muslim refugees who need our help. And certainly, as well, there are people not too far on the fringe who--assuming they could not eliminate asylum altogether--would be very happy to limit humanitarian relief to non-Muslims.
There are several ways to address these questions. One way--which I won't discuss in detail but I want to mention--is to talk about historic injustices in the relationship between the Muslim World and the West: Colonization, economic exploitation, repeated military interventions, humiliation. The West's actions in the Middle East have contributed to the problem of Muslim extremism. But we have to live with the world that now exists, however imperfectly that world came to be, and I don't think the West's past failures justify putting our citizens at risk of attack by extremists. In other words, just because we helped create the problem of extremist terrorism does not mean that we shouldn't do everything possible to prevent terrorists from coming to our countries, including--if appropriate--closing the door to asylum applicants from Muslim countries.
However, there are other reasons that I think justify allowing people from all countries to seek refuge here.
For one thing, allowing ourselves to be intimidated by terrorists into modifying our humanitarian values or cutting ourselves off from Muslim people would be a victory for the terrorists. It would mean that we gave in to our fears. Great nations are not bullied by ignorant thugs. We already have strong safeguards in place to identify potential terrorists and criminals, and prevent them from coming to our country. In a future post, I will make some suggestions for how we might further strengthen our defenses.
Second, many of the Muslims that seek protection in the U.S. are people who worked with the United States military or government, or who worked for international NGOs and companies in concert with our efforts (however imperfect) at nation-building. Such people risked their lives and trusted us. To abandon them would be to send a message that America does not stand by its friends. This is a message that we cannot afford to send. If we are not trustworthy, people will not cooperate with us going forward.
Third, allowing terrorists to drive a wedge between our country and moderate Muslims would make the world more dangerous. There will be fewer bridges, not more. We need to keep strengthening ties between the West and the Muslim World. The terrorists want to cut those ties; we cannot let them.
Finally, on a more personal note, most of the asylum seekers I represent come from Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Almost all of them hold strong pro-Western views (i.e., they believe in the foundational values of our country). Many of them worked with the United States or with Western organizations. Others are political activists, women's rights activists, and gay rights activists. One of them famously (or infamously in his country) made a trip to Israel in an effort to promote peace. Many of my clients have been threatened by the same types of people who committed the murders in Australia and France. Some of my clients have lost family members to Islamic extremist attacks. A good number of my clients continue their political activities after they are granted asylum, as they hope to help bring change to their countries. As a matter of principle, morality, and as a matter of our national interest, I feel we are well-served by offering protection to such people.
Although the news usually reports terrorist attacks, it rarely reports the opening of a new school for girls. It reports threat levels and terrorist "chatter," but it often ignores peace-building efforts, reconciliation, and democratic activism. Many people in the Muslim World want change. We saw that in the Arab Spring. We need to align ourselves with such people and give them our support. We need to stay engaged with the world and not retreat. We need to remain hopeful and not surrender to fear.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.


text:
Tell me what's the meaning
I don't understand you're looking for
You got to take my love, my passion
When you touch me feeling the
Baby now I'm ready to live with you
Forever more
And with your loving you can make
Me fly
I believe in there stories of love
So baby we can be just like one
Living in the name of love
And my body to your body I, lose
Living in the name of love
Look in my eyes, I will be yours forever
Name of love
I remember when my days where
Living in the name of love
I'll gonna old you baby in the name
Of love.
I'll be when you need me
I can give you all the love you need
And there's no time to waiste, to lose
If you kiss me, I'll love you forever.
Lyrics taken from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/sophie/in_the_name_of_love.html

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Originally posted by ObjectZero
reply to post by smyleegrl
Polar flip
A verneshot (named after French author Jules Verne) is a hypothetical volcanic eruption event caused by the buildup of gas deep underneath a craton. Such an event may be forceful enough to launch an extreme amount of material from the crust and mantle into a sub-orbital trajectory.


text:
Get to know Tammy Johnson, our Cash Management Officer and member of our Commercial Banking team. At Merchants, we offer variety of Cash Management services to help businesses improve efficiency, security and more. Our options include tools for collection, distribution, security and management.
When did you start your banking career?
Tammy: I started at Merchants in February of 1999 as a Teller. Ten months later, I started working as a Customer Service Representative. Then, in 2011 I began working full time with our Cash Management Services. I actually just celebrated 17 years at Merchants Bank.
What do you like most about your job?
Tammy: I like the flexibility and the variety. Every business is different and has different needs. I get to meet and work with a lot of people in a lot of different types of businesses. Every day is different and every day is full of new opportunities.
What is your top cash management tip?
Tammy: Taking advantage of fraud management services, such as Positive Pay and ACH Filters. I cannot stress how important it is to protect what you have. In addition, staying educated on current scams and fraud detection options is key. I also highly recommend businesses monitor their account activity daily.
What do you hope your customers say about working with you?
Tammy: I would hope they would say that they enjoyed working with me and that I'm easy to work with. I would hope they feel they have learned a lot from me and benefited from my knowledge and advice.
Can you help businesses assess which Cash Management services make sense for them? How does this process work?
Tammy: Absolutely! If a business is considering moving to Merchants Bank, we offer to analyze their statements and ask them walk us through their typical daily banking practices. Then, we can offer suggestions and solutions to match their current practices or enhance them.
For our current customers, we keep an open line of communication. Business needs are always evolving and what worked 10 years ago, might not work as well today. We make sure we're there to help them take the next step, so they have the tools necessary to be successful.
What does community banking mean to you?
Tammy: To me, it's simple…… it's about building relationships. It's customers knowing their banker and bankers knowing their customers and having a banking partner that understands your business.
What are some of the biggest benefits to a business using Cash Management services?
Tammy: Simply put, Cash Management services can create efficiencies for a business. They can help streamline some day-to-day processes. At the end of the day, time is money and most times, money can be saved.
Fees may apply.


text:
Charlie Crist, the former governor of Florida, began his political career as a Republican. While serving as Florida's governor from 2007 to 2011, he switched to the Independent party. In late 2012, he switched parties again, and is a Democrat as of July 2015.Continue Reading
Crist graduated from the Cumberland School of Law in 1981, and after passing the bar exam on his third attempt, was hired as general counsel for Minor League Baseball headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. Crist won election to the Florida senate in 1992. He served as education commissioner of Florida from 2001 to 2003 and as Florida's attorney general from 2003 to 2007.Learn more about US Government


text:
Back after JavaOne 2009
Wow - is it really over a month since my last blog entry? I guess that's what happens when you get your head down into a project - in this case, building a demo for CommunityOne West and JavaOne 2009 to show off the latest OpenSSO features.
The demo brought together a number of existing Java technologies - the Java Persistence API (JPA), the Jersey implementation of JAX-RS (aka JSR 311) on both the client and server, and JavaFX - with some new aspects of OpenSSO - fine-grained authorization (aka entitlements), OAuth protocol support, and a JDBC data store. Briefly, the demo centered on a cellphone account management system delivered as a JavaFX rich Internet application (RIA) client and a (more or less) RESTful web service back-end, communication between them secured by OAuth.
I'll be uploading source code for the demo client and server apps to the OpenSSO project in the next few days, as well as documenting how to bring up the demo environment. Watch this space for updates!
Hi Pat,
Have you uploaded the source code? Couldn't find them either here or opensso home page.
Thanks in advance,
Hi Edward – yes – code is all uploaded and documented at https://opensso.dev.java.net/source/browse/*checkout*/opensso/extensions/c1demo2009/README – I haven't done a big splash on it (1) because I've been really busy since J1 and (2) because I'm hoping to make it a bit easier to set up.
You (and anyone else) are welcome to follow the README in the meantime – it's all there.
Cool! Followed the instructions in README successfully.
Only one small glitch. I saw 500 error when running demo test harness at first. By looking at glassfish log, I figured that there's an unwanted 'ssl=off' property in TokenServicePool's 'Additional Properties' tab. Deleting this property solved the issue.
Hope this can help somebody 😉
Thanks, Edward – I haven't seen this error, but I updated the README with a note explaining how to fix it if you do run into it.
Please drop me an email (my email address is in the 'Contact me' section of the sidebar on the right of my blog) – I'd like to know more about what you're doing with OpenSSO 🙂
I have gone through the below link
I deployed the code StockClinet ,StockServer and TokenService applications.When I am trying to generate the security key it is thorwing exceptions.I am unble to get opensso.war and read me file from http://java.net/projects/opensso/public/use/index.html
Could you please suggest me or post me somje sample code to get solutions from this.
Thanks in advance.
I'm trying to integrate two application with help of OpenAM, Normal authentication process are working fine. My issue is when I'm invoking service which exposed in another application getting response as OpeanAM login page html script. I have sent token detail and checked authentication after that invoking that service. Please help me out about this issue.
If there is any material related to this, share with me.
Thanks in Advance


text:
The federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has issued a statement urging concern about how practitioners are applying the DSM-5 criteria for autism introduced last May – "so as to not have the unintended consequence of reducing critical services."
The statement supports Autism Speaks' longstanding concerns that the DSM-5 criteria can exclude some individuals who would have previously received an autism diagnosis under the DSM-IV system. As a result these individuals may no longer qualify for services through their educational systems or health insurers.
DSM-5 stands for the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The manual is widely used to diagnose neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions in North America.
The new IACC statement emphasizes that individuals previously diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder under DSM-IV should retain their diagnosis and not be required to be re-evaluated under DSM-5 to keep services. The DSM-5 manual states this explicitly.
Worrisome reports
Yet reports received through Autism Speaks' online DSM-5 survey indicate that such re-evaluations are occurring and, in at least some cases, resulting in lost services.
Writes one parent: "The regional center which funds services for my son is seeking to have my son reevaluated despite a 10-year, well-established diagnosis of PDD-NOS. [They] are saying any PDD-NOS case needs reevaluation."
This is unacceptable, says developmental pediatrician Paul Wang, Autism Speaks senior vice president and head of medical research. "Despite the clear statement in DSM5 that individuals with well-established diagnoses merit continued diagnosis with ASD, it appears that some insurance companies and some school districts are requesting these re-evaluations."
DSM-5 and social communication disorder
By way of background, the DSM-5 combined the previously separate subtypes of autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) into one diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It also revised the criteria for diagnosis. (See our DSM-5 Q&A here.)
At the same time, the DSM-5 introduced the new non-autism diagnosis: social communication disorder (SCD). It is meant to apply to individuals who have problems with the social use of language, but don't have the restricted interests or repetitive behaviors seen in ASD.
Read the complete DSM-5 criteria for SCD and ASD here.
Early evaluations of the DSM-5 system suggested that it might result in an SCD diagnosis for up to a third of children who would have previously been diagnosed with the autism subtype PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified).
"This is of concern because no treatment guidelines have yet been established for this newly named disorder," Dr. Wang says. "However, we know that these individuals would benefit from many of the same treatments that are effective for individuals with autism."
Recommendations for SCD
In its statement, the IACC likewise states that many of the children now being diagnosed with SCD would benefit from therapies and educational services designed to help children with autism overcome social communication challenges. In addition, the committee members suggest that individuals with SCD may benefit from therapies for pragmatic language disorder (not an official DSM-5 diagnosis).
However, the symptoms used to diagnose SCD don't typically emerge until after 4 years of age. As a result, the diagnosis isn't likely to help children receive the early intervention services that can best improve outcomes.
"It's crucial for parents to understand that their child doesn't need a formal diagnosis of ASD or SCD to receive early intervention services for developmental delays and other symptoms that interfere with learning and day-to-day function," Dr. Wang emphasizes.
So a young child with some symptoms of either ASD or SCD may qualify for state-mandated early intervention services. Parents can request a free developmental assessment through their state department of health. Click here for a state-by-state directory.
Other DSM-5 concerns
In addition, the IACC noted that too little is known about how reliably the new DSM-5 system can identify autism in children under 3, adults or individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The committee urges practitioners to pay special attention to individuals in these groups who narrowly miss the DSM-5 criteria for autism.
"Services should be based on need rather than diagnosis," the IACC states. For example, the committee argues that a toddler who shows impaired social skills or communication would benefit from early intensive behavioral intervention aimed at improving those skills, regardless of diagnosis.
Similarly, it states that an autism evaluation for an adult should take into account a complete lifetime history. This may reveal repetitive behaviors or sensory issues that were more obvious in childhood.
Share your experiences with Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks remains committed to advocate for all those who need autism-related services. Have you or your child been evaluated for autism or social communication disorder under the new criteria? If you or your child were previously diagnosed with autism under DSM-IV, has a school district or health insurer asked for a re-evaluation? Autism Speaks asks that individuals, parents and professionals continue to share their experiences through its online DSM-5 survey. If you need immediate help, please contact our Autism Response Team at 888-288-4762, en Español 888-772-9050 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Breathtaking scenery , great architecture, good looking people and scrumptious food … Turkey is everyone's favourite destination these days for vacations.
I find it really amazing how similar Pakistani, Afghani, Persian and Turkish cuisine are. Like vegetables are "sabzi" , cheese is " paynir", watermelon is "turpuz" (tarbooz), halwa is "halva" in Turkey too. But then again Urdu is basically an amalgamation of so many languages …. including Persian and Turkish!
Baklava and Turkish delight (Lokoom) are tourist's favourite. I have tried making baklava using filo pastry but it is a lengthy procedure. I prefer sharing recipes which can be made easily anywhere. There is gelatin in this particular recipe which is from a "halal" source in Pakistan. Not so sure about the rest of the world.
ingredients: ( makes about 18 pieces)
5 tsp unflavoured gelatin
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/8 cups water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 – 2 tsp rose water
food colouring
icing sugar
In a small heavy based pan combine gelatin, sugar and salt and mix well. Add water. DO NOT stir. Bring to a slow boil over low flame and simmer for 5-7 minutes WITHOUT stirring. Sugar would be dissolved and mixture would be thickened.
Remove from flame, add lemon juice and rose water. taste to check if it requires more juice. Add colouring. At this point you can stir a little but don't over do it.
Take a rectangular 6 x 6 pan and rinse it with cold water; do not dry it. Pour the mixture into the pan and refrigerate till set, preferably overnight.
Cut into squares and roll in icing sugar.
Adjust the quantity of rose water and lemon juice according to your taste.
You can use orange juice or orange blossom water.
Add citrus rind, mint or nuts for variation.
I put a very small drop of red liquid colour.


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Pound Town
Product Information
The Fake Taxi Driver is up to his old tricks! It may start with a cheeky exchange of a flash of boobs for a free ride, but these girls get taken for a ride in more ways than one! Watch big boobed Lexi from LA, cute Licky from Prague, local Londoner Paige, and free spirit Tamara take the Driver up on his sexy advances!
Price: 18.95


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Thursday, 16 August, 2018
Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked for 17 years ... Category: Genres\Children's
Just One More Book is a thrice-weekly podcast which promotes ... Category: Genres\Children's
Sponsors of the biennial Heartland Writers Conference, HWG is a ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
Lists of critique groups, member directory, mailing list, newsletter information, ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
Professional organization dedicated to serving the people who write, illustrate, ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
Professional organisation dedicated to serving the people who write, illustrate, ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
An archive of information for writers, illustrators, librarians, teachers, and ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
Free online critique groups for children's writers. The Blue Review ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
For people who write and illustrate children's books, and for ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
An organization for adults who like to tell tales to ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
Learn the business and craft of writing for children. Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
A non-profit trade association of children's book publishers and producers ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
Professional organization dedicated to serving the people who write, illustrate, ... Category: Entertainment\Writers Resources
The fantasy works of Omar and Sheila Rayyan. Category: Visual Arts\Thematic
Janee Trasler's portfolio of illustrations and animations. Category: Visual Arts\Thematic
Capturing nature's metaphors in steel and through scale, her works ... Category: Visual Arts\Sculpture
Oil paintings on Judeo-Christian themes, with music and children's books ... Category: Visual Arts\Personal
Selection of work incorporating painting, the mixed media, collage, found ... Category: Visual Arts\Painting
Offering pixil art, oil and watercolour paintings, and drawings done ... Category: Visual Arts\Multiple Media Artists
Dedicated to the great innovators in jazz music through the ... Category: Visual Arts\Multiple Media Artists
Featuring illustrations and pet portraits. Color digital designs, watercolor and ... Category: Visual Arts\Multiple Media Artists
Includes a biography, story posting board and details on his ... Category: Television\Programs
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center Category: Performing Arts\Theatre
Storytelling from literature and oral tradition for all ages. Biography, ... Category: Performing Arts\Storytelling
Storyteller and author. Biography, books, recordings, performance descriptions, articles, awards, ... Category: Performing Arts\Storytelling
Syllabus for dance teachers of ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics. ... Category: Performing Arts\Dance
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Author of the highly unusual novel for teenagers, Mondays are ... Category: Online Writing\Mixed Genre
Alternative selection of songs not winning their national competition. Also ... Category: Music\Songwriting
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Official site of this educational kids' band. Site has information ... Category: Music\Bands and Artists
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Specialties include fine art, literature, history, poetry and rare and ... Category: Literature\World Literature


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Authorities today filed child pornography charges against a Joliet man who allegedly distributed sexually explicit images of children on the Web and went by the screen name "Pantielover."
Dennis Lee Garthus, 44, of the 2600 block of East Cass Avenue, was picked up at his home and ordered held without bail, accused of distributing child pornography in interstate commerce, according to a press release from the FBI's Chicago office.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Garthus today, he was targeted by the FBI's Innocent Images Task Force as an alleged distributor of child pornography in February 2009. That was when an FBI agent accessed a folder on a file-sharing network that contained pornographic images of children. That folder belonged to a user named "Pantielover."


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|Defence in Scotland
Sir Robert Smith: The other way in which defence impacts on local economy is through Ministry decisions to move from a base, leaving it in civilian hands. In relation to the offloading of such property, would the Minister and his colleagues consider carrying out a quality assessment of those who take over the housing stock before selling it on to the public to ensure that a bad taste is not left in the mouth of the community from the loss of the defence base?
Mr. Ingram: Although I do not have direct responsibility for the defence estates, one lesson that I have learned is about the careful way in which the Department handles a range of changes in terms of defence estate activity and the effect on local employment if there is a downsizing as a consequence of closure or redefinition. Change has to happen. I know that the hon. Gentleman would accept that matters cannot stand still. I take on board what he is saying. If he has an example of a situation that has not been well handled, I would be grateful if he could write to me and I will make sure that we get a detailed answer to him.
Column Number: 009
Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): Further to that point, I commend the Ministry on its dealings in regard to the drawdown of the RAF Saxa Vord that was announced in my constituency. The manner in which it dealt with the consultation on housing at Setters Hill is a model of how operations should be carried out. However, there is still concern in the community that we do not yet have a final decision on what will happen with the housing stock. The management of stock at Setters Hill and Unst is of prime importance to the economic future of that island. Can the Minister tell us when we can expect a final decision in order that the community can look to the future?
Mr. Ingram: I cannot tell the hon. Gentleman off the top of my head when he will get a final decision but I know a man—or maybe a lady—who can. I take note of what he said. I am grateful for his comment about the way in which the matters have been handled. That reaffirms my point about how we assess the way in which we try to handle them. We are improving all the time and are learning lessons from previous experiences. If problems remain, the hon. Gentleman may ask me a question in Committee or write to me. I will try to give him an answer.
The breadth of defence in Scotland is clear. However, I must address the tired allegations that Scotland is not getting a fair deal in defence, and that the Scottish people are receiving less than their fair share of defence expenditure and are therefore subsidising the rest of the United Kingdom. I return to my point about the indivisible nature of defence. Defence does not benefit some members of the United Kingdom more than others. It is there to protect and provide security to us all, wherever we may be. It is not like health or education where spending on a hospital or a school largely benefits a local area. Defence spending benefits the whole of the United Kingdom wherever it occurs, from RAF Culdrose in Cornwall to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It does not differentiate on the basis of some narrow nationalistic creed.
I hope that I have made it clear that Scotland makes its proportionate contribution to defence and benefits from the indivisible security that we all enjoy. However, there has been some debate about figures. I will set out the reality in the interests of ensuring that the debate is informed, rather than pick misleading figures to make political points, which is the current practice. Approximately Ł1.4 billion of defence expenditure goes directly to Scotland, Ł600 million of which is paid directly to contractors in Scotland for defence procurement, spare parts, goods and other services. The remainder—Ł818 million—is paid in salaries and wages to people in Scotland. That is before taking into account the pensions that are paid to veterans or their families.
The figure of Ł1.4 billion is a conservative estimate. It does not include such items as sub-contracted work, rent, and local base spending, or the wider economic contribution that defence makes in Scotland. As I mentioned earlier, MOD procurement expenditure supports 21,000 defence-related jobs and brings approximately Ł380 million more into Scotland. That
Column Number: 010is not included in the total estimate of Ł1.4 billion. If it was, it could be argued that defence is worth nearly Ł1.8 billion to the Scottish economy, which errs on the conservative side. As direct expenditure is some Ł1.4 billion and the minimum total economic contribution is Ł1.8 billion, I hope that it is clear to those who argue differently that Scotland receives a good and equitable share from the national pot.
Defence should not be reduced to calculations on the back of a fag packet to suit a political point, which the SNP did recently. Scotland benefits from a high level of protection and security, and contributes internationally as a major force for good. The UK punches well above its weight and Scotland plays a significant part in that. That is a good deal for everyone in Scotland, by any standards.
I have dwelt on the strategic and macro level of defence and its impact in Scotland. Defence is also an integral part of the communities that it is there to protect. Hon. Members would agree that defence largely has an extremely beneficial role in their communities. I could provide a litany of all the ways in which the defence community works directly and indirectly with the local community, and I add my support to that.
Mr. Carmichael: The Minister may be aware that, last month, the Scottish Grand Committee had an excellent debate on the future of renewable energy. A point was made about the MOD's unhelpful role in planning applications for wind farms. Will the Minister tell us whether that matter is under review, and whether we can expect the MOD to have a more helpful approach?
Mr. Ingram: I do not accept that the Ministry is unhelpful. It is trying to do what it must to protect a range of interests. The Government wants a roll-out of wind farms. There is a major planning application for a wind farm in my constituency and, although I shall not go into the technical details, wind farms can affect air traffic control. If a wind farm were located beside a civilian airport, that objection could be made.
The country's security should rank extremely high, if not uppermost, in the list of considerations to be taken into account. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would not like it if a wind farm were established without the MOD's having examined it, and a plane came out of the sky as a consequence. He would then ask why we had not examined all the details. I accept the hon. Gentleman's point and we try to be helpful in these matters, but we must take all considerations into account.
We are trying to balance a number of strategies and approaches. We will do our best to ensure that we deliver on that part of Government policy that is designed to take forward the renewable energy strategy, particularly on wind farms.
Mr. Carmichael: Most of the objections of which I am aware related not to air traffic control, but to low-flying exercises. I have never quite understood the basis of those objections. As was said last month in Committee, there must come a time when low-flying exercises will be carried out over other areas and other countries that have wind farms. The point was made
Column Number: 011that Denmark would surely be safe from attack by low-flying aircraft from this country.
Mr. Ingram: Denmark would be safe from attack by low-flying aircraft from this country; our relationship is on a good footing. My constituency of East Kilbride has a long established relationship with the town of Ballerup, which is just outside Copenhagen. I know of no plans that would put Denmark at risk—I like to put people's minds at rest occasionally—unless the hon. Gentleman knows something that I do not.
There are technical aspects to low-flying areas. We must train pilots in low-flying activity or their capabilities and competencies can degrade. We need to continue to do that, which is why we must have matching between the requests that are made. I cannot give the figures off the top of my head, but some applications have been accepted and a considerable number have been objected to or are in that process. These tend to be small-scale planning applications, not large-scale wind farms. If the hon. Gentleman writes to me about specific concerns, I will address them.
I have set out what Scotland does for defence and what defence does for Scotland, but could Scotland do more? Scottish industry is proud to make an important contribution to defence, but for contracts to continue to be won for Scotland, and for work to be undertaken in Scotland, industry must ensure that it is well placed to win the business. There is no fatted calf in defence any more and no spoils left to be divided, but there remains a considerable quantity of high-quality work to be won from defence, and jobs to be sustained and created. I challenge Scottish-based companies to continue to do their utmost to be competitive and to win that business. There are tremendous opportunities, and it is up to them to win the orders.
Scotland is proud to host a considerable part of the defence establishment, from RAF bases and barracks to offices and exercise areas. I have set out the considerable benefit to be gained by local economies and in the direct employment from the basing of defence facilities. I commend those hon. Members who support defence establishments and I urge them to continue to show support. I have talked about the importance of defence establishments for local communities and the way in which Members can help that relationship.
Scottish people are proud to serve in the UK armed forces and the supporting defence establishments. Scottish service personnel have always been known for their gallantry and dedication to duty in defending their fellow citizens. The best way to ensure that those proud traditions are honoured and continue is for defence as a whole to continue to thrive in Scotland, as an integral part of defence in the UK.
11.9 am
|©Parliamentary copyright 2002
|Prepared 5 March 2002


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This summer my family took it's first ever LONG road trip together! (it won't be our last!) Our destination point was my best friend, Anna's house in Minnesota. She lives there with her husband, Rick and daughter, Sylva. Recently, Anna's Mom also moved there to be closer to Anna, and Grandma Mercedes... who happens to live in a nursing home within walking distance of Anna's house! Cool, Huh? Anyway, I hadn't seen Anna for about 2 years, and I thought it was time to visit.
So - we had to drive, and we wanted to camp and visit friends or family on the way if possible... here's a round-up of the first day!
Barely on the road... and we had to make a pit stop to check our tires. All was well - and we got a bit of a photo-op near Pilot Mountain. Mike and I promised to make a trip there with the kids sometime in the near future. We haven't done many 'Mountain' trips.
Virginia welcomed us - and we got to ride through TUNNELS!!!!! This was a major highlight for the kids - driving UNDER a mountain is really cool!
Once we arrived in West Virginia, we visited the welcome center - Taylor Anne and Anderson got to pretend they were riding a motorcycle... funny! They had a cool art shop inside the Welcome Center, neat rocks, some cute animals carved out of COAL, and some pottery that was super expensive! We didn't purchase anything.
This is a cool moth we found resting on the sidewalk at a WV Rest stop. It was really cool - we moved it to a place where it wouldn't get stepped on.
We finally got to the campground where we had reserved a cabin. The cabin was not so nice (dirty, buggy, humid) so we decided we could pay a little extra for an 'upgrade' - air conditioned 2 room cabin with a private bathroom.
Anderson and Taylor Anne enjoyed eating their S'mores! A great treat after riding all day in the car... the kids did so well riding - I was very proud of them!
Stay tuned... more Road Trip posts coming soon!


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Guided Historic Tree Tour | Presidio
Dang! This event has already taken place.Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 11:00 am | Cost: FREE*
>> Want to see our Top Picks for this week instead?
>> Want to see our Top Picks for this week instead?
*RSVP required. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Presidio Transit Center | 215 Lincoln Blvd, San Francisco, CA
Submitted by the Event Organizer
Join a free 2 hour guided walking tour of the trees of the Presidio.
Peter Erlich of the Presidio Trust will lead the group along a favorite route, informing us about the watershed, historic forests and their preservation, and the "cultural landscape." He will share his knowledge about a few endangered plant species and birds. There may be some interesting birding, so bring your binoculars.
Meet at the Presidio Transit Center at the intersection of Graham St and Lincoln Blvd.
Nearby public transportation: Muni 43 bus line and the PresidiGo Shuttle.
Free, but an RSVP is required. Email: email@example.com
Event Details
Cost: FREE*
*RSVP required. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com: Lectures & Workshops, San Francisco, Walks & Tours
Venue: Presidio Transit Center
Address: 215 Lincoln Blvd, San Francisco, CASubmitted by Becca Bandit


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Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote a story about the trend away from using fullbacks. Seattle is one of a dwindling number of teams that still relies on a traditional fullback. Teams are increasingly using two tight ends. The story notes that William Floyd was the last fullback chosen in the first round (1994, 28th overall, San Francisco).
"Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys player personnel director and an NFL historian, said eight teams used two-tight-end sets at least 45 percent of the time last season, and he expects that number to rise this season. The Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers are among the teams who are playing more two-tight-end sets this season." -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram


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WASHINGTON — Many community bankers remain apprehensive about the year ahead.
Leaders of smaller institutions continue to fret over low interest rates and hypercompetition. Some are paying closer attention to regulatory caps on commercial real estate lending, along with other compliance matters. Others are concerned that gradual increases in interest rates, which the Federal Reserve is expected to begin Wednesday, could actually lead to more margin compression.
Such trepidation was on display at a community banker roundtable Dec. 9 hosted by the American Bankers Association.
Attendees included Micah Bartlett, chief executive of Town and Country Financial in Springfield, Ill.; Norman Beatty, chairman and CEO of First Hope Bank in Hope, N.J.; Luanne Cundiff, president of First State Bank of St. Charles in Missouri; Gilda Nogueira, CEO of East Cambridge Savings Bank in Massachusetts; Charles Umberger, CEO of Old Town Bank in Waynesville, N.C.; and Gary Yager, CEO of VisionBank in Topeka, Kan.
In a wide-ranging discussion, the executives also indicated where they are seeing the most loan demand and fee-producing businesses that are helping to support the bottom line. Here is an edited transcript of the discussion.
What businesses are driving revenue?
NORMAN BEATTY: In northern New Jersey, we've seen growth in the last 10 months in commercial lending, mainly commercial real estate. There had been a dearth of that in the previous two or three years. We also do a substantial amount of business with doctors and, believe it or not, veterinarians who are consolidating or bringing their practices together.
LUANNE CUNDIFF: We're heavy into residential real estate. Six years ago we acquired a mortgage operation from a failing bank and brought over about 18 employees. We'll originate about $900 million [in mortgages] by the end of the year.
Manufacturing is also coming back in our area. It is doing better in our market compared to past years.
MICAH BARTLETT: Commercial banking probably drives the most business and profit for us, but our mortgage subsidiary has become a fairly relevant piece of our business. About half of the subsidiary's operations involve mortgage lending within markets where we have a retail presence, but we also have a program where we're the back office for other banks. We have a handful of clients where they have the sales folks but we handle all the products, compliance and technology. That is a growing business for us.
What is competition like? How is it influencing loan pricing?
GARY YAGER: It is a very, very competitive market. There aren't a lot of banks in Topeka that are making [spreads of] more than 80 basis points.
GILDA NOGUEIRA: The Boston area is a great market with a lot of demand — it is a hotbed for commercial real estate — but it is extremely competitive. Gary, you just said 80 basis points and I smiled because getting 50 basis points would be good for us. Our margins are extremely thin, and a lot of that has to do with pricing pressure. There are so many players going after the same loans that you have to question those who end up with the loan. Some banks are making 10-year loans in the 3[%]s, which is a bit scary.
BARTLETT: In addition to bigger banks and outside institutions, there are eight community banks headquartered in Springfield, and they're roughly the same size. We're largely a white-collar market, which means mostly commercial real estate and price-based competition. It is crazy competitive.
One of our strategies is diversification. We're implementing initiatives to diversify our revenue sources. I mentioned the mortgage business, but we also have a 401(k) platform that we offer to clients as well as other banks. That's going fairly nicely.
Our view is that beating up on each other over loans is just not a good sustainable business model. We're positioning ourselves to find other things on the periphery while still taking care of our customers and the community.
What other impediments exist for increasing revenue?
YAGER: We bumped up on the limit on commercial real estate non-owner-occupied properties [where such loans are expected to stay below 300% of total capital]. I don't know how we'll grow if we can't get beyond that 300% mark. It is a huge challenge for us, since commercial real estate really dominates our market, though we just started a loan-production office in Kansas City.
NOGUEIRA: As a mutual, we have no real way to raise capital other than through earnings. We're also running up against the 300% cap, so we're always managing our growth so we'll have the capacity to lend for commercial real estate.
Our [borrower] turnover rate is very, very high, so we're like hamsters on a wheel. We can originate $100 million in loans and retain only $20 million. People always thought that a consumer wouldn't refinance with low interest rates, but that's not the case across the entire balance sheet. There are so many people looking to upgrade [their homes] so there's a lot of movement, and a lot of portfolios are not lasting seven years.
What are your thoughts about the Fed gradually raising rates?
CHARLES UMBERGER: The challenge I see with the Fed's moves is that they are going to do enough to further compress the margin yet not enough to materially move our asset yields. It is going to make our margins worse than they are right now. It is going to hit smaller community banks because we're totally spread dependent.
It will not be a healthy yield environment for the next 18 months. Most people put floors in their loans, and it will take about 150 basis points to be able to hit some of those floors.
NOGUEIRA: We always debate the fact that shocking the balance sheet is crazy because that's not how rates move, so we don't want it shocked when the regulators want it shocked. The good news is that, with a gradual increase, we're not going to see liability costs spike. But it is going to have no effect on the long end [of the yield curve].
CUNDIFF: The other thing we have to consider is the depositors' perspective. It has been so long since there has been a movement in rates. Once word of one hits the paper, they are absolutely going to expect a rate increase. … If that's the case, and the liability side of the balance sheet starts to move up, we're going to see margin compression.
Outside of regulatory worries, what else keeps you up at night?
NOGUEIRA: We're also concerned about asset bubbles. Is there another one looming?
BEATTY: The [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency]views the upcoming tsunami as credit, whether it is concentrations, the competition to underwrite, a lack of covenants or the race to the bottom in rates. They're using the phrase credit as their bugaboo.
I'm more concerned about the cybertechnology area and how I can protect the bank from cyberattacks. In our home office we still have the 1936 barricade on display consisting of steel, navy gunmetal and electric wires — they're not electrified anymore — and a pistol behind the counter for the teller and a gas mask to put on. Yet today the entire bank could be gone with just a flick of a button. And it could happen through simple carelessness on the computer.
That is significant. It is a continuum in how we adjust in our sophistication, and we're going to be having this discussion again five years from now.
Read more:
- Is Banking on the Verge of a Talent Crisis?
- Helping Small Business: Take the Lead in Client's Plans
- Why Bankers Fear Regulators' New Cybersecurity Tool


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In just a few weeks this December 15th, the Copa De Hong Kong + WPJJ HK trials will take place and I will be there! Last day to register is December 10th so get on it.
I'd also liek to thank the folks at KLNBJJ, the producers of this event, for their support on BJJ-ASIA charity project. Much love and respect!


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- What: Silent Hill: Downpour
- Where: Zavvi PS3 | 360
- Current Price: £15.85
- Silent Hill: Downpour PS3 | 360 Price Comparison
- Silent Hill: Downpour Review
Seeing as Halloween is almost upon us we though we'd dig out a few creepy deals for you. Now that Downpour finally has a patch to address the sluggish frame-rate, save file issues and the buggy side-mission we feel a bit better about shoving you towards it. The game is better than other entries to the series on this generation of consoles and the story is full of that creepy Silent Hill vibe, with a healthy dose of Alan Wake thrown in for good measure. Note: The 360 patch is out now, but the PS3 one will be a few weeks yet.
Thanks to DEALofaLifetime and Caine2004 at HotUkDeals.
EDIT: I originally posted this as a ShopTo deal for £17.86. Half an hour later Zavvi swept in with a reduced £15.85, so it's been amended.


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5 tablespoons olive oil
3 small fennel bulbs (about 1 pound total), trimmed and cut from tip to core into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 small lemons, cut in half crosswise
4 red snapper fillets with skin, 6-ounce each
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salsa Verde
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped drained nonpareil capers
1 tablespoon minced shallots
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- To make the salsa verde, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside at room temperature.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then lay half of the fennel and onion in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until tender and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and the remaining fennel and onions. This time, place the lemon halves cut side in the skillet alongside the vegetables and cook for about 1 minute, or until they begin to brown on the cut sides.
- Remove the lemons from the skillet and squeeze 1/4 cup of juice from about 4 of the lemon halves. Stir the juice into the salsa verde. Season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve the remaining lemons for serving.
- Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, lightly score the skin side of each fillet. Season the fillets with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then lay the snapper fillets skin side down in the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crisp.
- Turn the fish over and cook for 1 minute more, or until the fish is barely opaque when pierced in the thickest part with the tip of a small knife.
- Divide the fennel mixture evenly among four dinner plates and place the fish alongside. Drizzle with the salsa verde and serve with the reserved caramelized lemons.
Makes 4 servings.
Source: Curtis Stone What's for Dinner?
Filed under: Fish, Fruit, Herb, Recipe Clipping, Vegetable |


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About Us
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Above and Beyond Gifts
Stories of Generosity
Above and Beyond Gifts
The people in our region are incredibly caring and giving. The proof can be found in the stories below.
These philanthropists, who've greatly helped Benefis Health System Foundation further its mission of improving an enhancing healthcare services for people in Northcentral Montana, are an inspiration to all! Read on to see the wondrous things they've done.
William Barber and Gaee Ellis
William Barber Ellis and his wife, Gaee, in 1992 gave a significant gift of ranch property to Montana Deaconess Foundation to benefit children's healthcare. The legacy of the late Bill and Gaee Ellis continues to flourish with programs that have been funded by this endowment. This includes the Safety First Rally, which educates children about ways to prevent injury caused by many common activities, such as bike riding and skateboarding, and the Think First Program to raise awareness about avoiding head and spinal cord injuries caused by risky behavior.
Ray and Helen Fretz
Ray and Helen Fretz left an enormous legacy in so many ways. Part of their legacy was through a gift given in 1998 of more than $2 million to Benefis Health System Foundation to improve the lives of those facing cancer.
Ray and Helen did not have children of their own, so the estate they amassed over their lifetime benefited the Foundation and other local charities. Because of their generous gift to support Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute, the beautiful garden area in the cancer center proudly bears their names - the Ray and Helen Fretz Healing Garden.
Anonymous Gift for Peace Hospice Residential Facility
An anonymous gift totaling $7.1 million was given to Benefis Health System Foundation to build an inpatient hospice facility that includes an administrative office building and also create a permanent endowment to ensure the program continues.
Peace Hospice of Montana Residential Hospice Facility provides inpatient care in a home-like environment for patients experiencing a terminal illness and in need of 24-hour care. This amazing facility, which has 12 large private rooms, would not be a part of our community if not for the generosity of these anonymous donors.
Carter Williams and Keith Ario Families
Benefis Health System Foundation, in appreciation of contributions from Carter & Judy Williams and Keith & Olive Ario, in 1998 named Benefis Health System's emergency department the Williams-Ario Regional Emergency and Trauma Center.
Distinguished for their lifetime of giving to the community, each family donated more than $650,000 to the Foundation towards the construction of the emergency and trauma center. These exceptional gifts represent the well-known care and concern these families hold for the people of Northcentral Montana.
Keith and Olive Ario
The legacy of Keith and Olive Ario will live on forever thanks to gifts through Keith's estate plan that provided more than $6 million to local nonprofit organizations. Of this amount, $3.7 million was directed to Benefis Health System Foundation to create a permanent endowment, with the annual income to be used at the discretion of the Foundation Board of Directors to further the Foundation's mission.
Some of the endowment earnings were used to assist Benefis Health System in the recent purchase of the da Vinci Surgical System, which allows surgeons to perform gynecological, prostate and other surgeries with smaller incisions and less trauma to the patient's body, allowing for a quicker recovery period. Keith, who died in 2004 at age 95, was married to Olive for 57 years. She died in 1991.
Art and Alvina Kramlich
Alvina and Art lived modestly but cared deeply about others. Alvina in 2003 left a significant estate gift of $350,000 to Benefis Health System Foundation to benefit Gift of Life Housing Centers.
Gift of Life Housing provides a home away from home for those who live outside of Great Falls and but are receiving treatment at Benefis. Primarily used for cancer patients undergoing treatment at Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute, Gift of Life Housing also provides housing for NICU, Wound Therapy and Rehab patients and families.
M. Kathy Rice
When Kathy Rice was asked in 2004 to chair the Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute capital campaign,
she knew it would require many hours of her personal time. Even so, she did not hesitate and took on the challenge with great passion, in part, because her family had personally experienced the devastation of cancer. She understood the difficulty of navigating through a cancer diagnosis, and she wanted to be a part of the dream to build a comprehensive cancer center.
Not only did Kathy put in countless hours of her time towards the project, but she also personally donated $250,000 to the project. Kathy is a founding member of the Benefis Health System Foundation Board of Directors. Her tireless efforts have made a tremendous impact on healthcare in our region.
Sletten Companies
Sletten Companies and their employees, shareholders and officers in 2004 donated $1.3 million dollars toward a new comprehensive cancer center. As a result of such a major contribution, the cancer center was named Sletten Cancer Institute.
Erik Sletten, President of Sletten Companies, said they believed in Benefis Health System Foundation's vision and the great service this cancer center would add to the community of Great Falls and the people of Montana. Thanks to their lead gift, the Foundation was able to successfully conduct a capital campaign that contributed $8.8 million to Benefis Health System to help with the construction of the new cancer center.
Duane and Lois Dockter
In 2006, Duane and Lois Dockter gave a very generous gift of property to Benefis Health System Foundation in the form of a Charitable Remainder Unitrust.
Both Duane and Lois were longtime educators with the Great Falls Public School District, and they both retired in 1993. After many years of managing rental property, Duane and Lois decided they wanted to enjoy more free time; they decided it was time to sell the property. The couple approached Benefis Healthcare Foundation about what options would offer them the best tax benefits while also benefitting the Foundation. The unrestricted earnings at the time the trust matures will be used where the need is the greatest, according to the Foundation Board of Directors.
David and Tanya Cameron
Through a very generous donation of $250,000 from David and Tanya Cameron in 2008, Benefis Health System's new educational facility in the South Tower is named the Cameron Auditorium. The state-of-the-art auditorium is one of the most innovative hospital education facilities in the state.
Because education has been such an important part of their lives, David and Tanya were felt privileged to be part of such an important project. Tanya is a member of the Benefis Health System Foundation Board of Directors and also a passionate volunteer and advocate for excellent healthcare in our community and region. David was a longtime educator at the post-secondary level. Together they operate the Dana Ranch, established by David's father in 1946.
Gift of Life Provided Home Away from Home for Lewistown Residents
Premature Baby is Now Healthy Thanks to the Generosity of Others
Our Savior Lutheran Recognized for Nearly $30,000 in Donations to Benefis Foundation
Annie Wilson and Her Late Husband Doug Received Immeasurable Gift from Benefis Peace Hospice
Great Falls Twins Find Healthy Ways to Grieve at Camp Francis
Nursing Student One Step Closer to Becoming RN Thanks to Benefis Foundation Healthcare Scholarship
More news
1101 26th Street South, P.O. Box 7008, Great Falls, MT 59406-7008 | 406.455.5840
© 2009 Benefis Health System Foundation. All rights reserved.


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A lot of people are allergic to latex. If you are one of them, then your condom option will be limited to the non-latex types. If you want to know the best brands sold in the market are, they are:
1. Lifestyles Skyn (or Lifestyles Skyn Large)
Lifestyles Skyn is made with premium polyisoprene. Polyisoprene is a type of non-latex condom which can be lubricated for ease of use. Lifestyle Skyn is safe to use with almost all types of lubricant and is very comfortable to use. This one fits and stretches right and it's recommended for people with average penis circumference.
Length: 7.5″ (190 mm)
Width: 2.09″ (53 mm)
It also comes in a larger version – Lifestyle Skyn Large – which has a width of 2.2″ (56mm) and it's a better choice for guys with circumference between 5.1 and 5.5 inches.
2. Durex Avanti Bare Non-Latex
The Durex Avanti brand comes in two variants, the latex and the non-latex kind. So be sure that you get the box that specifically says non-latex. This soft-as-skin condom brand is one of the most trusted in the world. The Durex Avanti non-latex condom version is also made of polyisoprene and it's thinner and more sensitive than the regular latex option.
Length: 7.5″ (190mm)
Width: 2.13″ (54mm)
3. Trojan Supra Microsheer
Made with very thin polyurethane, this condom variant is specifically designed to improve the couple's sensual pleasure. It is clear, odorless, and very thin – the very features that suggest pure excitement. Trojan Supra is compatible with all lubricants, both oil-based and water-based.
Length: 7.9″ (200mm)
Width: 2.3″ (58mm)
Although it features a bigger width, people with larger penis circumference should keep in mind that polyurethane is less stretchable than latex so they might find this condom uncomfortable (too tight).
4. Naturalamb Non-Latex Lubricated Condoms
If you are looking for a more natural, skin-to-skin pleasure using a condom, this option is quite good. However, Naturalamb's non-latex condoms are only for monogamous couples. While it works best against unwanted pregnancy, it doesn't perform as great against sexually transmitted infections. Made of lambskin, it is the most natural alternative to latex.
Length: 7.9″ (200 mm)
Width: 2.7″ (68 mm)
This condom has a pretty comfortable fit and can be used by guys who are looking for a larger condom. Others don't have to worry that it will slip because it comes with a Kling-Tite band which ensures the condom will stay in its place.
5. FC2 Female condom
If you feel that none of the above mentioned condoms are a good match for you, don't worry – you don't have to compromise your safety. Female (internal) condoms are made of nitrile, so they are suitable for people with latex allergy. As they have a comfortable width they will fit almost any penis circumference. To find out more about female condoms read this article.
Length: 7.28″ (185mm)
Width: 2.99″ (76mm)
These are some of the most popular non-latex types that can provide all latex-sensitive couples better options as far as optimum protection is concerned. Pick one or try all of them, then decide which brand is going to the best one for you. With these choices, your pleasure and protection need not be compromised.


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The Movie
I've always been a fan of the Burton/Keaton Batman films,
though flawed they hold a special place in my Heart.
I did the innitial illustration using Adobe Illustrator Sketch, I'm a
big fan of the barebones design of the app. It's simple design
engages me to find different approaches to illustration.
To Animate the smoke I used a Beta software by the name
of "Project Draco" by Autodesk, on my ipad. Its particle
simulator let's you do some fun things, which is
awesome if you want to keep working on your ipad.


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2009-10-08 / Front Page
Lifelong Resident and Beloved Teacher Passes Away
Betty Jo Parker Harrison of Lexington passed away on Wednesday, September 30, at the age of 87. Betty Jo was born in Lexington and lived most of her life there. She graduated from Lexington High School at the age of 16, before attending Baylor University.
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Reading 2006
less) in 2006. I've sprinkeled in some additional books that I
like. They are in no particular order.
The Lord of the Flies
Oliver Twist
The Plausibility of Life
East of Eden
Tomb of the Golden Bird
The God Delusion
Get a Grip on Physics
Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister
The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell
The Things they Carried
Guardian of the Horizon
Why I am not a Christian
Alice in Wonderland
Through the Looking Glass
The Virginian
Harry Potters - all
Candy Girl
The Count of Monte Christo
The Moonstone
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Blankets (See previous post)
Carnet de Voyage
Goodbye Chunky Rice
Hey, Ranger! (perhaps the only really bad book I read in 2006)
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk
The Message in the Hollow Oak
The Mystery of the tolling Bell
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Restaurant at the End of the Universe
The Secret History
Stones from the River
Watership Down
The Bluest Eye
The Woman in White
Memoirs of a Geisha
A Prayer for Owen Meany
A Plague of Frogs
The Tin Drum
Jitterbug Perfume
Currently Reading: The Mystery of Consciousness
I would add more links but I just switched over to the "new" blogger with google. If you haven't switched yet, don't - its glitchy as all get out.


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Treatment Options
Initial infertility evaluation
The initial evaluation can be completed in one menstrual cycle. It consists of determining the woman's ovulatory status and egg quality with blood tests and ultrasound examination, assessing her reproductive anatomy with an X-ray called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), and evaluating the male partner with a semen analysis, sometimes two. With this information a personal treatment plan can usually be charted.
Anovulation and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
While some ovulation problems can be treated simply, others require more intensive monitoring and medication alternatives. Our center is open 7 days per week for ultrasound and hormone evaluation during ovulation treatment cycles.
Superovulation and Intrauterine Insemination
Some couples are capable of conceiving, but at such a low chance per cycle, that they need treatments that increase the monthly chance of conception to provide a reasonable chance of success. Superovulation and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) involves stimulating the ovaries to make more than one egg per cycle, and exposing those eggs to more sperm at the optimum window of time than is possible with intercourse alone in a spontaneous menstrual cycle.
Depending on the couple's unique situation and the medications used, the chance of conception per month is doubled or tripled. Multiple pregnancy rates are also increased with this treatment. The exact increase depends on the maternal age and the medication used.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- Donor Egg Program (DEP)
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)
- Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
- Gestational Carrier Program
- Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS)
Please Note: Due to potential complications with anesthesia, the Center for Reproductive Medicine does not offer IVF to patients with a BMI that is greater than 35.


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Going to a job interview can be nerve-wracking. What will they ask? How will I answer? Do I have something in my teeth? Job-Applications.com, a leading entry-level and first-time employment site, has published their entire online video library. The videos consist of people who have been successful in landing jobs and they give away their secrets. The site has select videos for certain kinds of businesses, but you can go straight to YouTube and their channel for playlists on fast food jobs, fashion retail, supermarkets, and department stores.
McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and the U.S. Navy Are Just A Few
Places like McDonald's and Wal-Mart employ a lot of people, but that doesn't mean you just get the job when you walk in. Many of the videos on the site show you how to fill out the application, but you have interviews with people who work or have worked these types of jobs. For instance, here's the skinny on Taco Bell:
Here's the site's U.S. Navy video, which has a lot more to the interview process than I thought:
These are good for those people looking for a job for the first time, like 16-year-olds looking for a summer job, or maybe someone who has fallen on hard times and might need to get a job just to stay afloat for awhile. It might also have been forever since you've interviewed and you've forgotten some basics.
There are, of course, many job interview tip videos on YouTube, but these are specific to the kinds of jobs, and it's important to have a distinction. And a lot of "tip" videos can get distracting with "actors" and cheesiness at times. These are real people who have been there, and their information is valuable. Give the Job Application YouTube site a look.


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Map Unavailable
Date(s) - 07/28/2018
10:30 am - 2:30 pm
The Garage Bar
By Re-Quest (route 3) – introduced in 2014, this route takes a different twist by giving you all the locations upfront to explore a trendy area downtown. Don't worry, there is still plenty of competition and teams have to figure out where to finish! To begin your Quest meet us at The Garage Bar, 700 E. Market St
Registration is closed for this event.
Registration closes @ 12 am 7/27/18 for 7/28/18 By Re-Quest (Route 3) -The Louisville Quest! was last modified: July 26th, 2018 by


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Image via Link
We already love Home Depot for the way they supply our day to day horticulture needs but now there's a store that we can really call 'our own'. Arizona is positioning themselves to be quite the tolerant state by allowing the big box superstore weGrow to open up a brand new store recently.
"We sell everything but the plant itself," said Dhar Mann, founder of weGrow, the company that began franchising its big-box stores with outlets in Oakland and Sacramento, California. "We sell the products and the services for people to safely and responsibly cultivate their medicine."
A doctor also is on site to furnish eligible patients the initial medical approval needed to apply to the state health department for cards authorizing them to legally grow and use marijuana as treatment for a variety of qualifying ailments.
This means a lot for marijuana growers and us/them/y'all patients. Rumor even has it that more WeGrow stores are in the works for the District of Columbia, Denver, Detroit and maybe even L.A. All that gardening I once did with my Grandmother might soon just come in hand after all.


text: September 7, 2007 - 09.05 GMTSamsung launches its innovative UbiSync LCD monitor Solution Series, the 940UX, which can be connected with monitors using only a USB port. This eliminates the need for extra special graphic card, and its embedded driver software automatically installs a driver when the monitor and PC are connected. The 940UX built-in DVI ports and USB 2.0 hubs facilitates connectivity with other devices. The new monitor features a resolution of 1280 x 1024, 5 ms response time, a 2000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness and a 160/160 viewing angle...More


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|Non-Human Primate Model of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Infection
Chang, Heesoon; Lee, Jong-Soo; Lee, Hye-Ra; Vieira, Jeffrey; Wachtman, Lynn M; Pearson, Christine B; Lee, Steven H; Mansfield, Keith G.; Jung, Jae Ung
Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors.
|Chang, Heesoon, Lynn M. Wachtman, Christine B. Pearson, Jong-Soo Lee, Hye-Ra Lee, Steven H. Lee, Jeffrey Vieira, Keith G. Mansfield, and Jae U. Jung. 2009. Non-human primate model of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection. PLoS Pathogens 5(10): e1000606.
|Full Text & Related Files:
2745662.pdf (676.2Kb; PDF)
|Since Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV or human herpesvirus 8) was first identified in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) lesions of HIV-infected individuals with AIDS, the basic biological understanding of KSHV has progressed remarkably. However, the absence of a proper animal model for KSHV continues to impede direct in vivo studies of viral replication, persistence, and pathogenesis. In response to this need for an animal model of KSHV infection, we have explored whether common marmosets can be experimentally infected with human KSHV. Here, we report the successful zoonotic transmission of KSHV into common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus, Cj), a New World primate. Marmosets infected with recombinant KSHV rapidly seroconverted and maintained a vigorous anti-KSHV antibody response. KSHV DNA and latent nuclear antigen (LANA) were readily detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and various tissues of infected marmosets. Remarkably, one orally infected marmoset developed a KS-like skin lesion with the characteristic infiltration of leukocytes by spindle cells positive for KSHV DNA and proteins. These results demonstrate that human KSHV infects common marmosets, establishes an efficient persistent infection, and occasionally leads to a KS-like skin lesion. This is the first animal model to significantly elaborate the important aspects of KSHV infection in humans and will aid in the future design of vaccines against KSHV and anti-viral therapies targeting KSHV coinfected tumor cells.
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Plymouth University Marine Institute is hosting a Underwater Acoustic Modelling course which will equip delegates with a thorough knowledge of underwater acoustic modelling.
The course is delivered by leading research professors and experts in their field, including Professor Georgy Shapiro, Dr Feng Chen and Dr Paul Lepper.
Who is the course for?
The course is aimed at regulators, environmental consultants, researchers and policy/ environmental professionals within industry. The course introduces all the key concepts and opens up a learning pathway to those wishing to conduct modelling themselves in the future. It is well suited to those who require deeper understanding of technical reports.
Course modules
- Introduction to underwater sound
- Modelling processes and capabilities
- The physics of sound propagation and assessment metrics
- Types of models available
- Criteria for assessing impacts upon marine life and mitigation zone determination
- Field measurement and sound source verification
- Application to EIAs
- Interpretation of results / best practice / standards / metrics
- Properties of sea water: temperature, salinity and sound speed
- Oceanic features influencing sound propagation and their variability: thermocline, fronts and eddies
- Visualisation tools to identify ocean thermocline, fronts and eddies
- Seasonal variation in sound propagation
- Modelling shipping noise experienced by marine life