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publications of the department of molecular Infectionbiology (MIBI)
head of the department: Prof. Dersch
Recent Submissions
Discovering Yersinia-Host Interactions by Tissue Dual RNA-Seq.A detailed knowledge about virulence-relevant genes, as well as where and when they are expressed during the course of an infection is required to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the complex host-pathogen interactions. The development of unbiased probe-independent RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approaches has dramatically changed transcriptomics. It allows simultaneous monitoring of genome-wide, infection-linked transcriptional alterations of the host tissue and colonizing pathogens. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for the preparation and analysis of lymphatic tissue infected with the mainly extracellularly growing pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. This method can be used as a powerful tool for the discovery of Yersinia-induced host responses, colonization and persistence strategies of the pathogen, and underlying regulatory processes. Furthermore, we describe computational methods with which we analyzed obtained datasets.
A bacterial secreted translocator hijacks riboregulators to control type III secretion in response to host cell contact.Numerous Gram-negative pathogens use a Type III Secretion System (T3SS) to promote virulence by injecting effector proteins into targeted host cells, which subvert host cell processes. Expression of T3SS and the effectors is triggered upon host cell contact, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we report a novel strategy of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in which this pathogen uses a secreted T3SS translocator protein (YopD) to control global RNA regulators. Secretion of the YopD translocator upon host cell contact increases the ratio of post-transcriptional regulator CsrA to its antagonistic small RNAs CsrB and CsrC and reduces the degradosome components PNPase and RNase E levels. This substantially elevates the amount of the common transcriptional activator (LcrF) of T3SS/Yop effector genes and triggers the synthesis of associated virulence-relevant traits. The observed hijacking of global riboregulators allows the pathogen to coordinate virulence factor expression and also readjusts its physiological response upon host cell contact.
Comparative Transcriptomic Profiling of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 and O:8 Reveals Major Expression Differences of Fitness- and Virulence-Relevant Genes Indicating Ecological Separation.Yersinia enterocolitica is a zoonotic pathogen and an important cause of bacterial gastrointestinal infections in humans. Large-scale population genomic analyses revealed genetic and phenotypic diversity of this bacterial species, but little is known about the differences in the transcriptome organization, small RNA (sRNA) repertoire, and transcriptional output. Here, we present the first comparative high-resolution transcriptome analysis of Y. enterocolitica strains representing highly pathogenic phylogroup 2 (serotype O:8) and moderately pathogenic phylogroup 3 (serotype O:3) grown under four infection-relevant conditions. Our transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) approach revealed 1,299 and 1,076 transcriptional start sites and identified strain-specific sRNAs that could contribute to differential regulation among the phylogroups. Comparative transcriptomics further uncovered major gene expression differences, in particular, in the temperature-responsive regulon. Multiple virulence-relevant genes are differentially regulated between the two strains, supporting an ecological separation of phylogroups with certain niche-adapted properties. Strong upregulation of the ystA enterotoxin gene in combination with constitutive high expression of cell invasion factor InvA further showed that the toxicity of recent outbreak O:3 strains has increased. Overall, our report provides new insights into the specific transcriptome organization of phylogroups 2 and 3 and reveals gene expression differences contributing to the substantial phenotypic differences that exist between the lineages. IMPORTANCE Yersinia enterocolitica is a major diarrheal pathogen and is associated with a large range of gut-associated diseases. Members of this species have evolved into different phylogroups with genotypic variations. We performed the first characterization of the Y. enterocolitica transcriptional landscape and tracked the consequences of the genomic variations between two different pathogenic phylogroups by comparing their RNA repertoire, promoter usage, and expression profiles under four different virulence-relevant conditions. Our analysis revealed major differences in the transcriptional outputs of the closely related strains, pointing to an ecological separation in which one is more adapted to an environmental lifestyle and the other to a mostly mammal-associated lifestyle. Moreover, a variety of pathoadaptive alterations, including alterations in acid resistance genes, colonization factors, and toxins, were identified which affect virulence and host specificity. This illustrates that comparative transcriptomics is an excellent approach to discover differences in the functional output from closely related genomes affecting niche adaptation and virulence, which cannot be directly inferred from DNA sequences.
Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis Modulates Regulatory T Cell Stability via Injection of Yersinia Outer Proteins in a Type III Secretion System-Dependent Manner.Adaptive immunity is essentially required to control acute infection with enteropathogenic
Contribution of the Cpx envelope stress system to metabolism and virulence regulation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.The Cpx-envelope stress system regulates the expression of virulence factors in many Gram-negative pathogens. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium deletion of the sensor kinase CpxA but not of the response regulator CpxR results in the down regulation of the key regulator for invasion, HilA encoded by the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1). Here, we provide evidence that cpxA deletion interferes with dephosphorylation of CpxR resulting in increased levels of active CpxR and consequently in misregulation of target genes. 14 potential operons were identified to be under direct control of CpxR. These include the virulence determinants ecotin, the omptin PgtE, and the SPI-2 regulator SsrB. The Tat-system and the PocR regulator that together promote anaerobic respiration of tetrathionate on 1,2-propanediol are also under direct CpxR control. Notably, 1,2-propanediol represses hilA expression. Thus, our work demonstrates for the first time the involvement of the Cpx system in a complex network mediating metabolism and virulence function.
Metabolome and transcriptome-wide effects of the carbon storage regulator A in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.The carbon storage regulator A (CsrA) is a conserved global regulatory system known to control central carbon pathways, biofilm formation, motility, and pathogenicity. The aim of this study was to characterize changes in major metabolic pathways induced by CsrA in human enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) grown under virulence factor-inducing conditions. For this purpose, the metabolomes and transcriptomes of EPEC and an isogenic ∆csrA mutant derivative were analyzed by untargeted mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing, respectively. Of the 159 metabolites identified from untargeted GC/MS and LC/MS data, 97 were significantly (fold change ≥ 1.5; corrected p-value ≤ 0.05) regulated between the knockout and the wildtype strain. A lack of csrA led to an accumulation of fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) and glycogen synthesis pathway products, whereas metabolites in lower glycolysis and the citric acid cycle were downregulated. Associated pathways from the citric acid cycle like aromatic amino acid and siderophore biosynthesis were also negatively influenced. The nucleoside salvage pathways were featured by an accumulation of nucleosides and nucleobases, and a downregulation of nucleotides. In addition, a pronounced downregulation of lyso-lipid metabolites was observed. A drastic change in the morphology in the form of vesicle-like structures of the ∆csrA knockout strain was visible by electron microscopy. Colanic acid synthesis genes were strongly (up to 50 fold) upregulated, and the abundance of colanic acid was 3 fold increased according to a colorimetric assay. The findings expand the scope of pathways affected by the csrA regulon and emphasize its importance as a global regulator.
Aspherical and Spherical InvA497-Functionalized Nanocarriers for Intracellular Delivery of Anti-Infective Agents.The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of polymeric spherical and aspherical invasive nanocarriers, loaded with antibiotic, to access and treat intracellular bacterial infections. Aspherical nanocarriers were prepared by stretching of spherical precursors, and both aspherical and spherical nanocarriers were surface-functionalized with the invasive protein InvA497. The relative uptake of nanocarriers into HEp-2 epithelial cells was then assessed. Nanocarriers were subsequently loaded with a preparation of the non-permeable antibiotic gentamicin, and tested for their ability to treat HEp-2 cells infected with the enteroinvasive bacterium Shigella flexneri. InvA497-functionalized nanocarriers of both spherical and aspherical shape showed a significantly improved rate and extent of uptake into HEp-2 cells in comparison to non-functionalized nanocarriers. Functionalized and antibiotic-loaded nanocarriers demonstrated a dose dependent killing of intracellular S. flexneri. A slight but significant enhancement of intracellular bacterial killing was also observed with aspherical as compared to spherical functionalized nanocarriers at the highest tested concentration. InvA497-functionalized, polymer-based nanocarriers were able to efficiently deliver a non-permeable antibiotic across host cell membranes to affect killing of intracellular bacteria. Functionalized nanocarriers with an aspherical shape showed an interesting future potential for intracellular infection therapy.
The Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Cpx envelope stress system contributes to transcriptional activation of rovM.The Gram-negative enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis possesses a number of regulatory systems that detect cell envelope damage caused by noxious extracytoplasmic stresses. The CpxA sensor kinase and CpxR response regulator two-component regulatory system is one such pathway. Active Cpx signalling upregulates various factors designed to repair and restore cell envelope integrity. Concomitantly, this pathway also down-regulates key determinants of virulence. In Yersinia, cpxA deletion accumulates high levels of phosphorylated CpxR (CpxR~P). Accumulated CpxR~P directly repressed rovA expression and this limited expression of virulence-associated processes. A second transcriptional regulator, RovM, also negatively regulates rovA expression in response to nutrient stress. Hence, this study aimed to determine if CpxR~P can influence rovA expression through control of RovM levels. We determined that the active CpxR~P isoform bound to the promoter of rovM and directly induced its expression, which naturally associated with a concurrent reduction in rovA expression. Site-directed mutagenesis of the CpxR~P binding sequence in the rovM promoter region desensitised rovM expression to CpxR~P. These data suggest that accumulated CpxR~P inversely manipulates the levels of two global transcriptional regulators, RovA and RovM, and this would be expected to have considerable influence on Yersinia pathophysiology and metabolism.
Novel type of pilus associated with a Shiga-toxigenic E. coli hybrid pathovar conveys aggregative adherence and bacterial virulence.A large German outbreak in 2011 was caused by a locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strain of the serotype O104:H4. This strain harbors markers that are characteristic of both EHEC and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), including aggregative adhesion fimbriae (AAF) genes. Such rare EHEC/EAEC hybrids are highly pathogenic due to their possession of a combination of genes promoting severe toxicity and aggregative adhesion. We previously identified novel EHEC/EAEC hybrids and observed that one strain exhibited aggregative adherence but had no AAF genes. In this study, a genome sequence analysis showed that this strain belongs to the genoserotype O23:H8, MLST ST26, and harbors a 5.2 Mb chromosome and three plasmids. One plasmid carries some EAEC marker genes, such as aatA and genes with limited protein homology (11-61%) to those encoding the bundle-forming pilus (BFP) of enteropathogenic E. coli. Due to significant protein homology distance to known pili, we designated these as aggregate-forming pili (AFP)-encoding genes and the respective plasmid as pAFP. The afp operon was arranged similarly to the operon of BFP genes but contained an additional gene, afpA2, which is homologous to afpA. The deletion of the afp operon, afpA, or a nearby gene (afpR) encoding an AraC-like regulator, but not afpA2, led to a loss of pilin production, piliation, bacterial autoaggregation, and importantly, a >80% reduction in adhesion and cytotoxicity toward epithelial cells. Gene sets similar to the afp operon were identified in a variety of aatA-positive but AAF-negative intestinal pathogenic E. coli. In summary, we characterized widely distributed and novel fimbriae that are essential for aggregative adherence and cytotoxicity in a LEE-negative Shiga-toxigenic hybrid.
Discovering RNA-Based Regulatory Systems for Virulence.The genus Yersinia includes three human pathogenic species, Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the bubonic and pneumonic plague, and enteric pathogens Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis that cause a number of gut-associated diseases. Over the past years a large repertoire of RNA-based regulatory systems has been discovered in these pathogens using different RNA-seq based approaches. Among them are several conserved or species-specific RNA-binding proteins, regulatory and sensory RNAs as well as various RNA-degrading enzymes. Many of them were shown to control the expression of important virulence-relevant factors and have a very strong impact on Yersinia virulence. The precise targets, the molecular mechanism and their role for Yersinia pathogenicity is only known for a small subset of identified genus- or species-specific RNA-based control elements. However, the ongoing development of new RNA-seq based methods and data analysis methods to investigate the synthesis, composition, translation, decay, and modification of RNAs in the bacterial cell will help us to generate a more comprehensive view of Yersinia RNA biology in the near future
Phenotypic heterogeneity: a bacterial virulence strategy.Growing knowledge of the complexity of the host-pathogen interactions during the course of an infection revealed an amazing variability of bacterial pathogens within the same host tissue site. This heterogeneity in bacterial populations is either the result of a different bacterial response to a slightly divergent tissue microenvironment or is caused by a genetic circuit in which small endogenous fluctuations in a small number of transcription factors drive gene expression in combination with a positive feedback loop. As a result host-pathogen encounters can have different outcomes in individual cells, which enables bet-hedging and/or a co-operative behavior that enhance bacterial fitness and virulence, drive different host responses and promote resistance of small subpopulations to antibiotic treatment. This has a strong impact on the progression and control of the infection, which must be considered for the development of successful antimicrobial therapies.
The invasin D protein fromYersinia pseudotuberculosisselectively binds the Fab region of host antibodies and affects colonization of the intestine.Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-negative bacterium and zoonotic pathogen responsible for a wide range of diseases, ranging from mild diarrhea, enterocolitis, lymphatic adenitis to persistent local inflammation. TheY. pseudotuberculosisinvasin D (InvD) molecule belongs to the invasin (InvA)-type autotransporter proteins, but its structure and function remain unknown. In this study, we present the first crystal structure of InvD, analyzed its expression and function in a murine infection model, and identified its target molecule in the host. We found that InvD is induced at 37°C and expressed in vivo2-4 days after infection, indicating that InvD is a virulence factor. During infection, InvD was expressed in all parts of the intestinal tract, but not in deeper lymphoid tissues. The crystal structure of the C-terminal adhesion domain of InvD revealed a distinct Ig-related fold, that, apart from the canonical β-sheets, comprises various modifications of and insertions into the Ig-core structure. We identified the Fab fragment of host-derived IgG/IgA antibodies as the target of the adhesion domain. Phage display panning and flow cytometry data further revealed that InvD exhibits a preferential binding specificity toward antibodies with VH3/VK1 variable domains and that it is specifically recruited to a subset of B cells. This finding suggests that InvD modulates Ig functions in the intestine and affects direct interactions with a subset of cell surface-exposed B-cell receptors. In summary, our results provide extensive insights into the structure of InvD and its specific interaction with the target molecule in the host.
Loss of CNFY toxin-induced inflammation drives Yersinia pseudotuberculosis into persistency.Gastrointestinal infections caused by enteric yersiniae can become persistent and complicated by relapsing enteritis and severe autoimmune disorders. To establish a persistent infection, the bacteria have to cope with hostile surroundings when they transmigrate through the intestinal epithelium and colonize underlying gut-associated lymphatic tissues. How the bacteria gain a foothold in the face of host immune responses is poorly understood. Here, we show that the CNFY toxin, which enhances translocation of the antiphagocytic Yop effectors, induces inflammatory responses. This results in extensive tissue destruction, alteration of the intestinal microbiota and bacterial clearance. Suppression of CNFY function, however, increases interferon-γ-mediated responses, comprising non-inflammatory antimicrobial activities and tolerogenesis. This process is accompanied by a preterm reprogramming of the pathogen's transcriptional response towards persistence, which gives the bacteria a fitness edge against host responses and facilitates establishment of a commensal-type life style.
Identification of a Distinct Substrate-binding Domain in the Bacterial Cysteine Methyltransferase Effectors NleE and OspZ.The type III secretion system effector protein NleE from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli plays a key role in the inhibition of NF-κB activation during infection. NleE inactivates the ubiquitin chain binding activity of host proteins TAK1-binding proteins 2 and 3 (TAB2 and TAB3) by modifying the Npl4 zinc finger domain through S-adenosyl methionine-dependent cysteine methylation. Using yeast two-hybrid protein interaction studies, we found that a conserved region between amino acids 34 and 52 of NleE, in particular the motif (49)GITR(52), was critical for TAB2 and TAB3 binding. NleE mutants lacking (49)GITR(52) were unable to methylate TAB3, and wild type NleE but not NleE(49AAAA52) where each of GITR was replaced with alanine restored the ability of an nleE mutant to inhibit IL-8 production during infection. Another NleE target, ZRANB3, also associated with NleE through the (49)GITR(52) motif. Ectopic expression of an N-terminal fragment of NleE (NleE(34-52)) in HeLa cells showed competitive inhibition of wild type NleE in the suppression of IL-8 secretion during enteropathogenic E. coli infection. Similar results were observed for the NleE homologue OspZ from Shigella flexneri 6 that also bound TAB3 through the (49)GITR(52) motif and decreased IL-8 transcription through modification of TAB3. In summary, we have identified a unique substrate-binding motif in NleE and OspZ that is required for the ability to inhibit the host inflammatory response.
Increased plasmid copy number is essential for Yersinia T3SS function and virulence.Pathogenic bacteria have evolved numerous virulence mechanisms that are essential for establishing infections. The enterobacterium Yersinia uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by a 70-kilobase, low-copy, IncFII-class virulence plasmid. We report a novel virulence strategy in Y. pseudotuberculosis in which this pathogen up-regulates the plasmid copy number during infection. We found that an increased dose of plasmid-encoded genes is indispensable for virulence and substantially elevates the expression and function of the T3SS. Remarkably, we observed direct, tight coupling between plasmid replication and T3SS function. This regulatory pathway provides a framework for further exploration of the environmental sensing mechanisms of pathogenic bacteria.
Impact of CCR7 on T-Cell Response and Susceptibility to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infection.To successfully limit pathogen dissemination, an immunological link between the entry tissue of the pathogen and the underlying secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) needs to be established to prime adaptive immune responses. Here, the prerequisite of CCR7 to mount host immune responses within SLOs during gastrointestinal Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection to limit pathogen spread was investigated.
Tissue dual RNA-seq allows fast discovery of infection-specific functions and riboregulators shaping host-pathogen transcriptomes.Pathogenic bacteria need to rapidly adjust their virulence and fitness program to prevent eradication by the host. So far, underlying adaptation processes that drive pathogenesis have mostly been studied in vitro, neglecting the true complexity of host-induced stimuli acting on the invading pathogen. In this study, we developed an unbiased experimental approach that allows simultaneous monitoring of genome-wide infection-linked transcriptional alterations of the host and colonizing extracellular pathogens. Using this tool for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-infected lymphatic tissues, we revealed numerous alterations of host transcripts associated with inflammatory and acute-phase responses, coagulative activities, and transition metal ion sequestration, highlighting that the immune response is dominated by infiltrating neutrophils and elicits a mixed TH17/TH1 response. In consequence, the pathogen's response is mainly directed to prevent phagocytic attacks. Yersinia up-regulates the gene and expression dose of the antiphagocytic type III secretion system (T3SS) and induces functions counteracting neutrophil-induced ion deprivation, radical stress, and nutritional restraints. Several conserved bacterial riboregulators were identified that impacted this response. The strongest influence on virulence was found for the loss of the carbon storage regulator (Csr) system, which is shown to be essential for the up-regulation of the T3SS on host cell contact. In summary, our established approach provides a powerful tool for the discovery of infection-specific stimuli, induced host and pathogen responses, and underlying regulatory processes.
Local application of bacteria improves safety of Salmonella-mediated tumor therapy and retains advantages of systemic infection.Cancer is a devastating disease and a large socio-economic burden. Novel therapeutic solutions are on the rise, although a cure remains elusive. Application of microorganisms represents an ancient therapeutic strategy, lately revoked and refined via simultaneous attenuation and amelioration of pathogenic properties. Salmonella Typhimurium has prevailed in preclinical development. Yet, using virulent strains for systemic treatment might cause severe side effects. In the present study, we highlight a modified strain based on Salmonella Typhimurium UK-1 expressing hexa-acylated Lipid A. We corroborate improved anti-tumor properties of this strain and investigate to which extent an intra-tumoral (i.t.) route of infection could help improve safety and retain advantages of systemic intravenous (i.v.) application. Our results show that i.t. infection exhibits therapeutic efficacy against CT26 and F1.A11 tumors similar to a systemic route of inoculation. Moreover, i.t. application allows extensive dose titration without compromising tumor colonization. Adverse colonization of healthy organs was generally reduced via i.t. infection and accompanied by less body weight loss of the murine host. Despite local application, adjuvanticity remained, and a CT26-specific CD8+ T cell response was effectively stimulated. Most interestingly, also secondary tumors could be targeted with this strategy, thereby extending the unique tumor targeting ability of Salmonella. The i.t. route of inoculation may reap the benefits of systemic infection and aid in safety assurance while directing potency of an oncolytic vector to where it is most needed, namely the primary tumor.
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis supports Th17 differentiation and limits de novo regulatory T cell induction by directly interfering with T cell receptor signaling.Adaptive immunity critically contributes to control acute infection with enteropathogenic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis; however, the role of CD4(+) T cell subsets in establishing infection and allowing pathogen persistence remains elusive. Here, we assessed the modulatory capacity of Y. pseudotuberculosis on CD4(+) T cell differentiation. Using in vivo assays, we report that infection with Y. pseudotuberculosis resulted in enhanced priming of IL-17-producing T cells (Th17 cells), whereas induction of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) was severely disrupted in gut-draining mesenteric lymph nodes (mLNs), in line with altered frequencies of tolerogenic and proinflammatory dendritic cell (DC) subsets within mLNs. Additionally, by using a DC-free in vitro system, we could demonstrate that Y. pseudotuberculosis can directly modulate T cell receptor (TCR) downstream signaling within naïve CD4(+) T cells and Tregs via injection of effector molecules through the type III secretion system, thereby affecting their functional properties. Importantly, modulation of naïve CD4(+) T cells by Y. pseudotuberculosis resulted in an enhanced Th17 differentiation and decreased induction of Foxp3(+) Tregs in vitro. These findings shed light to the adjustment of the Th17-Treg axis in response to acute Y. pseudotuberculosis infection and highlight the direct modulation of CD4(+) T cell subsets by altering their TCR downstream signaling.
Roles of Regulatory RNAs for Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria and Their Potential Value as Novel Drug Targets.The emergence of antibiotic resistance mechanisms among bacterial pathogens increases the demand for novel treatment strategies. Lately, the contribution of non-coding RNAs to antibiotic resistance and their potential value as drug targets became evident. RNA attenuator elements in mRNA leader regions couple expression of resistance genes to the presence of the cognate antibiotic. Trans-encoded small RNAs (sRNAs) modulate antibiotic tolerance by base-pairing with mRNAs encoding functions important for resistance such as metabolic enzymes, drug efflux pumps, or transport proteins. Bacteria respond with extensive changes of their sRNA repertoire to antibiotics. Each antibiotic generates a unique sRNA profile possibly causing downstream effects that may help to overcome the antibiotic challenge. In consequence, regulatory RNAs including sRNAs and their protein interaction partners such as Hfq may prove useful as targets for antimicrobial chemotherapy. Indeed, several compounds have been developed that kill bacteria by mimicking ligands for riboswitches controlling essential genes, demonstrating that regulatory RNA elements are druggable targets. Drugs acting on sRNAs are considered for combined therapies to treat infections. In this review, we address how regulatory RNAs respond to and establish resistance to antibiotics in bacteria. Approaches to target RNAs involved in intrinsic antibiotic resistance or virulence for chemotherapy will be discussed.


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It seems like my farm chores, winter, spring and fall involve trudging through mud.
The mud is so prevalent that it's become part of the weather report in my journal:
Cloudy skies, 36 degrees, mud.
Windy, 41 degrees, mud.
Another muddy day.
Meteorologists would point out that mud is not a weather term, but I doubt many of them are walking through it, in fear of falling or losing a boot.
The mud is worse around the gates.
But maybe, I think, I've just become old and crotchety and obsessed with the weather (and mud).
Or, maybe we've had a lot more rain.
I check the rainfall totals for the nearest weather station, about 30 miles from us. To date, we're about six inches above normal.
And then, because I can be a data geek, I check the rainfall for 2017, and see it's about 10 inches above normal.
That's a lot of extra water--and a lot of extra mud.
December 19, 2018--Light winds, sunny skies, high of 50 degrees, MUD.

subset: commoncrawl


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Do I have to give a price?
Yes, you need to give an indication of how much you charge.
Unless you used a "fixed price quote", it's not legally binding, and if you can't give an approximate price, use the dropdown to select a price range or hourly rate. Never give a price like $2 or $1,000,000 - you may think it says "I don't have enough info to quote" but to customers, it says "I can't be bothered to do a proper estimation on this job".


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In the edition, James Martell talks to coaches, consultants, affiliate marketers, agency owners, OPMs, speakers, and authors about how to attract "ready-to-buy" clients in 30-days with a podcast. James talks in detail about how you can use a podcast to help you build your personal or corporate brand, develop an audience, grow an email list and bring you speaking opportunities.
James talks about a recent HubSpot survey of marketers, that found a whopping 17% of marketers plan to add podcasting to their marketing efforts in the next 12 months, as an indicator of why it's a good time to start your own show is now.
17% of marketers plan to add podcasting to their marketing efforts in the next 12 months
Subscribe: Learn to make all the affiliate sales you'll ever need by listening in on content-rich conversations with the world's top affiliate marketers, influencers and thought leaders.
In the episode, James answers the BIG question would-be podcasters have "How do I make money with a podcast?", and does so by providing real-world examples of how James attracts ready-to-buy clients with a podcast.
Aloha from Kauai, Hawaii
A 3-minute audio clip was shared to give you a flavor of how warm and knowledgeable a prospect is when they call in after listening to a podcast. You will hear in the clip, edited down from a 60-minute FREE Discovery Call, how a podcast can go a long way in helping you to establish trust, expertise, and sales.
The audio concludes with an invitation for James and Arlene to "come to stay with us" in Kauai.
Greetings from Ontario, Canada
James talks about another show of his called the: "SmarterLocal Marketing" podcast, and how the show was developed for local business owners who are looking to attract more local customers.
The podcast was developed to attract local business owners in need of local marketing assistance.
This new show, only 17 episodes in length is already generating new business. James shares an audio clip from a local business owner in Ontario, Canada that reached out to him after listening to episode #11 on Google My Business.
James points this out as an example that even a new podcast can quickly produce new clients.
Podcasting Is Worth a Serious Look
In this episode, you will learn why podcasting is worth a serious look. Why it will be a repeat touchpoint for your audience, and how you can use it to establish your credibility and build trust by demonstrating your expertise.
You will learn when a "ready-to-buy" client reaches out to you, why in a high percentage of cases they will be your become client.
You will also learn:
- How a podcast can help you build relations and connect you deeply with your audience
- How even a single episode can be heard by thousands or tens of thousands of times
- How to quickly become a recognized expert so that you can cultivate "ready-to-buy" clients
- How to create a body of work that will work for you for many years sending potential clients to you
- How to tap MAJOR traffic source available only to podcasters
- How to structure your podcast properly so it can be a reliable source of highly qualified leads
- How to develop a podcast you will be proud of and that will impress all who hear it
- How to attract ready-to-buy clients with a podcast
...and those are only a few of the many things you will learn in this episode.
Podcasting Coaching & Turnkey Services
James wrapped up the episode by talking about his podcasting coaching and turnkey services and how they include the same comprehensive system he uses and credits for his 15-years of longevity as a successful podcaster.
He concludes with an invitation to coaches, consultants, speakers, authors, marketers, and entrepreneurs looking for a reliable source of "ready-to-buy" clients to reach out to him for a FREE Discovery Call, to discuss the potential of working together to develop a first-class podcast to help you reach your goals.
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The Love Jar - A Sweet Homemade Valentine's Gift
I begin planning early for Valentine's Day... and I mean early! Usually by February 15th, I have already come up with my idea for the next year.
I'm really into creative ideas and homemade gifts for Valentine's Day. It's a great way to show my husband how much I appreciate him without spending a lot of money. Plus, it's hard to find good Valentine's gifts for a guy! This is an idea that both men and women would appreciate, and you don't have to be very crafty to create it!
I call it the Valentine's Day Love Jar. Here's how it works: Carve out some time, and write down a bunch of different things you love about your sweetheart. It can be anything... their smile, the way they brush their teeth, the funny things they say when they talk in their sleep... whatever you can think of.
Cut out each note, fold it up, and drop it into the Love Jar. You can decorate the notes with craft stamps, stickers, hand-drawn hearts... or simply leave them plain and let the words be the focus. Soon you will have a jar full of little love notes to give to your sweetheart this Valentine's Day.
How many notes should you write? It's completely up to you! You could make it an even 50 or 100... or you could go with a number that has special meaning in your relationship. I personally came up with 365 things for my husband because I started early. Every day since last Valentine's Day I have been writing down one thing I love about him for that day, along with the date I wrote it. The past year has seen us through a pregnancy and the birth of our first daughter, so you can imagine all the different things I have written!
When you present the gift, you can either have your sweetheart open all the love notes that day as you read them together, or you can suggest they open one each day for as many as you write. This will add in an element of surprise and excitement each day as they get to discover something new that you love about them for that day. Just a thought!
If you try this idea, I hope it goes well for you. The Love Jar is a wonderfully creative way to show your Valentine that you love them this February 14th.
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Romaine Hearts, Shaved Parmesan, Quail Egg, Croutons, Anchovy
Add-On: $8 Chicken, $12 Duck Confit, $14 Salmon
Watermelon Salad 12 10 GF V
Watermelon, Butter Lettuce, Red Onions, Pistachios, Citrus Vinaigrette
Asparagus & Duck Egg 12 10 GF
Brown Butter Hollandaise, Potatoes, & Almonds
Bacon Wrapped Dates 9 7 GF
Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Bacon Wrapped, with Port Reduction Sauce
Quesadilla 10 8 V
Avocado, Pico de Gallo, Sour Cream
Add Short Rib 4
Short Rib Sliders 10 8
Served with Provolone Cheese, Tomato Ailoi and Tomato on a Brioche Bun
Chicken & Mushroom Pate 18 16
Strawberry Jam, Pickled Veggies, Brioche
Brasserie Burger 16 14
80% Beef, 20% Bacon, American Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion, Arugula. House Pickle, House Mayo, Served on a Brioche Bun with a Side Salad
Brasserie Bread 5 3 V
Freshly Baked St. Tropez White Bread, with Soft Butter
Add a choice of 3 flavors of San Diego Olive Oil Co. for $5!
EVOO; Original, Lemon, Rosemary
Balsamics; Traditional, Pear, Blueberry, Plum
Chocolate Tart 10
Chantilly, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Ganache
Balsamic Strawberries 10
Vanilla Ice Cream, Cracked Black Pepper, Strawberry, and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
House Made Ice Cream or Sorbet 5
Madagascar Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream or Seasonal Fruit Sorbet
V= Vegetarian GF= Gluten-Free
Please note that we do not operate a GF kitchen. Please notify your server in advance of any food allergies.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
Menu subject to change.


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Please note that United Technology Trade Corp has terminated doing business and all your future orders or inquiries will be processed by our new company Mega Depot, LLC
you will be redirected to mega depot, llc in:
BURNDY® was founded on July 19, 1924 as Burndy Engineering Company in Brooklyn, New York, by science historian and civic leader Bern Dibner. The name BURNDY® is a contraction of Dr. Dibner's first name and last initial, "BERN D". Dr. Dibner designed and patented a universal connector, requiring neither soldering nor welding thereby enabling a unified grid.
Until its acquisition, in 1988, by the French corporation Framatome Connectors International (FCI), BURNDY® remained family-owned. Later, in November 2005, FCI was acquired by Bain Capital and it was in October 2009 that the BURNDY® segment became a part of the HUBBELL Electrical Systems family of companies (NYSE: HUB.B).
Headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, BURNDY has 3 US manufacturing sites along with one each in Mexico and Brazil.
Exceptional customer service, the industry's highest quality products, and continuous innovation are the things that BURNDY prides itself on providing. The company have a wide range of tooling for all your connector needs and an electrical connector to meet every one of your power needs. With superior manufacturing technology, BURNDY can create and build any custom connector for the valued customer with their advanced engineering support teams. With 85 years of dedicated customer support in both service and product, you need to look no further than BURNDY for all your connector needs.
BURNDY today is a global organization that has pioneered in the manufacture of connectors, fittings and tools for electrical utilities, commercial, industrial and residential contractors, maintenance and repair companies, as well as the telecommunication and renewable energies market.
Burndy LLC - committed to TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION!


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Jims Door to Door Car Carrying & Transport
Looking to transport your vehicle? Jims Door to Door Car Carrying & Transport will transport your car & equipment with the knowledge of safety & reliability. Specializing in running & non-running cars. To & from Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane
email firstname.lastname@example.com
website http://www.jimsdoortodoortransport.com.au/
phone 04 0844 1619


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Augmenting Cybersecurity in Healthcare Industry
Security Solutions for Cyber Risk Mitigation
The Tao of Cyber Security in today's reality
Preventing Cyber-Attacks in Universities with Operational...
Ever-Changing Cyber Security of Business Community
Jim Sills, CIO/Cabinet Secretary, State of Delaware
Thank you for Subscribing to CIO Applications Weekly Brief
Dismantling Organizational Silos to Improve Value-Driven Information Stewardship
By Randy Miskanic, Vice President, Freddie Mac and Peter L. Levin, CEO, Amida Technology
Randy Miskanic, Vice President, Freddie Mac
Most organizations lack adequate oversight and control over the veracity, provenance and volume of their information assets. For example, the unnecessary duplication of data is common practice. Operating under the specter of legal liabilities and compliance issues, organizations store their information assets well past their useful life. Few resources are assigned to holistically align and strategically administer information lifecycle management objectives and the relationships between them. These gaps create operational issues, additional cost, an increase in the attack surface and greater exposure to a cyber event, and most importantly lost opportunities to assign and derive business value from information assets.
Most organizations have a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Records and Information Management executive, enterprise architect, solutions architect and many others who can be considered information stewards. In most instances, these information stewards are sprinkled throughout the organization, are isolated from each other, have disparate or even diverging objectives, and don't have adequate visibility into – or understanding of – the aggregate goals and objectives of the organization.
The CISOs are generally overwhelmed in their role to uphold the principles of data protection and access control while the business wants to move more quickly and reduce cost. In theory, the CISO should view information assets through the prism of confidentiality, integrity and availability. However, their actual knowledge of the integrity of their assets is negligible; and asset availability is generally addressed through access control and system uptime. The CISO is challenged to protect structured data that can be easily identified but largely remains ill equipped to be a true strategic partner to the C-suite. To do this, they need to understand the reason the data exists, to more holistically identify and classify data, broaden their risk focus to include information and technology risk and understand the holistic control frameworks and corresponding controls that need to be in place to both protect and maximize the value of data.
The Records and Information Management executive fights an increasingly difficult battle to ensure the organization's information assets are created and cataloged in a coherent and risk-aware manner, and the assets are retained or deleted per schedule. Legacy infrastructures and growing volume of information assets significantly limits the effectiveness of this well-intentioned role, and they are usually removed from the daily business operations and layered within a legal or compliance function. The incumbent rarely has a voice that reaches the C-suite and the actual operational exposure is largely overlooked in most risk taxonomies and management frameworks.
A defined and sustained interaction between these stakeholders is necessary to determine and understand what "stewardship" of information entails, the associated risks and subsequent value
Couple the disparate objectives above with legacy architecture and infrastructure and the need for "speed to market", this problem will increase exponentially as we create and capture exploding volumes of information. From financial transactions to digitized self, from content distribution to networked devices; Moore's Law will seem linear a decade from now.
So, where does the CIO focus to break down these silos and achieve value driven information stewardship?
Holistic governance across your information assets is a logical and achievable first step. At minimum, the information stewards need to align objectives and ensure timely interactions using a common vocabulary which transcends to the CIO and senior business executives. A defined and sustained interaction between these stakeholders is necessary to determine and understand what "stewardship" of information entails, the associated risks and subsequent value. The current approach; sequential service-by-service integration, unnecessarily exposes the technical implementation to risks resulting from isolated and segmented data resources and connections.
Another option is to recast the role of CISO to Chief Information Risk Officer (CIRO) to ensure a broader awareness and alignment of information risk responsibilities. The existing CISO role is so acutely focused on data protection principles that they are generally unaware of the treatment of information assets throughout the lifecycle. However, they need to be aware that their attack surface is growing rapidly as more data is consumed, not properly inventoried and classified to ensure application of controls, and rarely deleted. The CIRO role can align the appropriate information steward responsibilities under their direction and serve to break down the information siloes that simultaneously dampen innovation and inflate the threat surface.
Aligning objectives and reconsidering information lifecycle management from a broader information risk perspective represents an opportunity break down the silos and develop value driven information. Instead of asking what data is required by function, the CIO could ask what function is enabled by data, a collateral benefit of this paradigm.
Read Also


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Property Details
4175 HWY 63, North Bay, Ontario, P0H1H0
Sales Representative
RE/MAX Legend Real Estate Inc., Brokerage
Cell: 705-499-1488
Tel: 705-495-4555
Toll free: 888-477-4555
$1,300,000 - For sale
Country Luxury in the City- Driving up the private drive your anticipation will be short lived as this magnificent home reveals itself in all its splendor. Tucked away on a pristine 12-acre wooded lot (Managed Forest Status) the property offers ultra-privacy, while only being 6km from the North Gate Square. This 2+2 Bedroom, 3 Bath, triple bay garage home has been crafted with extreme quality in mind, including high end lighting/flooring (32" x 32" porcelain tiles), custom kitchen and bathrooms, 60' deck that runs the entire backside of the home (9'x12' covered) and a great room with wood fireplace built with Muskoka granite. Other features to be highlighted include a walk out basement, 6 zone radiant in floor heating, wine room, wet bar, and a bonus loft. Much thought has gone into developing this property, including bringing in natural gas, buried hydro/phone/cable. If youre looking for quality this executive home is ready to impress. (id:2471)
Location DescriptionTake Trout Lake Rd to Hwy 63, on South side of HWY 63 (located just past Anita Avenue's first entrance).
- Property Address:4175 HWY 63, North Bay, Ontario, P0H1H0
- Property Type:Single Family
- Title:Freehold
- Lot Size:12
- Acreage:12 ac
- Sewage Type:Septic System
- Water Type:Drilled Well
- Driveway:Attached garage (3 spaces)
- Structure Style:House
- Building Age:2017
- Bedrooms:2+2
- Bathrooms:3
- Square Footage:2680 sqft
- Heating Type:Natural gas, Forced air, In Floor Heating
- Style:Detached
- Architecture Style:Bungalow
- Basement Type:Full (Finished)
- Foundation Type:Block
- Cooling Type:Central air conditioning
- Appliances Included:Washer, Gas stove(s), Dishwasher, Stove, Dryer, Wet Bar, Window Coverings
- Rental Equipment:None
- Exterior Type:Stone, Vinyl siding, Wood
- Amenities Nearby:Golf Course, Ski area, Marina, Park, Schools
|Lower level
|10' 0'' x 16' 0''
|Utility room
|Lower level
|8' 5'' x 14' 0''
|Wine Cellar
|Lower level
|8' 0'' x 14' 0''
|Lower level
|7' 5'' x 16' 0''
|Lower level
|10' 0'' x 10' 0''
|Lower level
|9' 5'' x 10' 0''
|Lower level
|10' 0'' x 14' 5''
|3pc Bathroom
|Ground level
|4pc Ensuite bath
|Ground level
|3pc Bathroom
|Ground level
|Ground level
|10' 5'' x 12' 0''
|Ground level
|9' 0'' x 12' 0''
|Master bedroom
|Ground level
|14' 0'' x 14' 0''
|Mud room
|Ground level
|9' 0'' x 18' 0''
|Dining room
|Ground level
|12' 0'' x 14' 0''
|Great Room
|Ground level
|17' 0'' x 17' 0''
|Ground level
|8' 0'' x 7' 0''
|Recreation room
|In between
|20' 0'' x 31' 0''
Sales Representative
RE/MAX Legend Real Estate Inc., Brokerage
Cell: 705-499-1488
Tel: 705-495-4555
Tollfree: 888-477-4555
MLS®, REALTOR®, and the associated logos are trademarks of The Canadian Real Estate Association. This REALTOR.ca listing content is owned and licensed by REALTOR® members of The Canadian Real Estate Association.
4175 HWY 63, North Bay, Ontario, P0H1H0
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Terms and Conditions
This website is operated by a member of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The content on this website is owned or controlled by CREA. By accessing this website, the user agrees to be bound by these terms of use as amended from time to time, and agrees that these terms of use constitute a binding contract between the user, and CREA.
The content on this website is protected by copyright and other laws, and is intended solely for the private, non-commercial use by individuals. Any other reproduction, distribution or use of the content, in whole or in part, is specifically prohibited. Prohibited uses include commercial use, "screen scraping", "database scraping", and any other activity intended to collect, store, reorganize or manipulate the content of this website.
REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are certification marks that are owned by REALTOR® Canada Inc. and licensed exclusively to The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). These certification marks identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA and who must abide by CREA's By-Laws, Rules, and the REALTOR® Code. The MLS® trademark and the MLS® logo are owned by CREA and identify the professional real estate services provided by members of CREA.
The information contained on this website is based in whole or in part on information that is provided by members of CREA, who are responsible for its accuracy. CREA reproduces and distributes this information as a service for its members, and assumes no responsibility for its completeness or accuracy.
We may at any time amend these Terms of Use by updating this posting. All users of this site are bound by these amendments should they wish to continue accessing the website, and should therefore periodically visit this page to review any and all such amendments.


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Company dissolution: pros and cons
Dissolving your company, or applying to have it struck off Companies House register can be a straightforward and cost effective way of closing a business that you no longer require. But it can't be used for every business. This quick list of pros and cons will help you decide whether company dissolution is a suitable option for your business.
Contact Us
Company dissolution: pros
- Having your company struck off the register is a much cheaper alternative to formal insolvency procedures. Apart from the time costs, the filing fee is only £10.
- It's a relatively straightforward process that can be managed by you as company director.
- The process usually takes in the region of 3-9 months from beginning to the company being formally dissolved.
- There is no investigation into your directors' conduct, which is a mandatory aspect of liquidation.
Company dissolution: cons
- Your application to have the company struck off can be rejected by most stakeholders or interested parties. If, for example, the correct procedure wasn't followed when the company was dissolved; if they believe there are outstanding debts, or that you have traded wrongfully, they can reject your application.
- They can also apply to have the company revived for up to 6 years after dissolution if, for example, they believe that the directors have committed fraud.
- Furthermore, if, as company director, you are found to have outstanding liabilities when the company was dissolved, you may be held personally liable for these debts.
- From the date of the dissolution, any assets still registered to the company will be frozen and credited to the Crown (although this is really just a question of properly getting all your ducks in line prior to dissolution).
The key factor that should determine whether you should dissolve your company or liquidate it, is your level of debt. If you can pay off all your creditors prior to ceasing trading and dissolution, and you have no material assets to distribute, then this option may well be best for you. If however, you cannot meet your financial obligations, then dissolution is not an option for your company. In such cases, you may need to consider voluntary liquidation.
Can we help you with this?
You are not required to use an an insolvency practice when dissolving your company, although many business owners prefer us to oversee the process for them. We charge a flat fee of £900 plus VAT to do this.
Feel free to contact one of our business rescue experts for more information.
Dissolution Review Tool
Legislation is changing with regards company dissolution. The changes are in relation to circumstances where the dissolution process is used to shut down a company that has remaining debts or liabilities. Under the new changes, directors who dissolve companies with existing liabilities may be held personally, financially liable.
Dissolution may not be appropriate for your business. Our Business Rescue Experts can provide free advice on the next steps for closing your business with an initial informal consultation.
Dissolution appears to be the most appropriate route for your company.
You may in fact benefit from a claim for entrepreneurs relief, if you would like to find out more, our business rescue experts will be happy to advise you on the next steps.


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About 70% of the plant species in the temperate zone are characterised by clonal growth, clonal species are also in majority in the Arctic and Subarctic where they affect the structure and composition of the vegetation. It is therefore of great importance to increase our knowledge about clonal plants and their growth and life histories. I have investigated how ramets of the stoloniferous plant Linnaea borealis are affected by the naturally occurring variation in environmental factors, such as: light, nutrient and water availability. Moreover, I examined the seed set and how supplemental hand pollination affects seed set in L. borealis, and also investigated the significance of the apical meristem for shoot population fitness. All studies were performed under field conditions in northern Sweden in a Subarctic environment and most are experimental.
The results show that nutrient resorption from senescing leaves is not significantly affecting the growth and nutrient pools of the ramet. This implies that the growth of L. borealis ramets is not governed by micro-site resource availability. However, removal of light competition resulted in increased branching and number of lateral meristems produced, reduced growth, and decreased root:shoot ratio on a per ramet basis. Thus, ramets of L. borealis can efficiently exploit favourable light patches through plastic growth. Apical dominance exerts a significant effect on shoot population fitness and can be lost through rodent grazing. However, loss of apical dominance is dependent on the timing of grazing, if the apical meristem is removed early in the autumn the ramet can repair the loss until the next summer. If grazing occur during spring the dry weight and leaf area production is affected negatively. Seed production in L. borealis in the Abisko area varies between years and sites, and was unaffected by supplemental hand pollination treatment, implying that there is no lack of pollinator activity.
Many stoloniferous plant species have the ability to exploit resource-rich patches via plastic growth responses. The most efficient responses are shortened spacers and increased branching frequency. Here we experimentally investigate the ability of the stoloniferous plant Linnaea borealis to respond to patches of increased light intensity and reduced water availability in natural systems. The significance of contrasts between patches was also investigated. A three-level factorial design was used, with light, water availability, and site as the factors. Increased light intensity was achieved through mowing of the surrounding vegetation, and reduced water availability was achieved by placing wooden ledges under the stolons. The treatments were applied at three subarctic sites that differ in light conditions. Branching frequency, number of new meristems, average internode length, leaf area, and dry weight production were studied 14 months after the manipulations. Increased light intensity increased branching frequencies; the strongest effects were obtained at the site with a closed canopy. Average intemode length decreased 19% in response to increased light intensity. Root:shoot ratios decreased under increased light intensity and reduced water availability. A reduction in water availability alone did not affect any other investigated traits. We conclude that ramets of L. borealis are able to respond efficiently to small-scale variations in light intensity in natural systems, an ability of great importance for the performance of a prostrate species on shady forest floors.


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Q4 Results:PNB posts massive Rs 13,417 crore loss in Q4FY18
Punjab National Bank has reported a net loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for the fourth quarter ending March 2018.
The profit was dragged by spike in provisions by three times towards bad loans, which was taken upfront during the quarter.
In the same quarter a year ago, the bank had turned around due to write-back in pension provisions to report a profit of Rs 261.9 crore as against a massive loss of Rs 5,367.1 crore in March-end quarter 2016.
Provisions for bad loans stood at Rs 16,200 crore in the March ended quarter.
PNB's asset quality worsened, with gross bad loan ratio rising to 18.38 percent from 12.21 percent sequentially. Net NPAs jumped to 11.24 percent from 7.55 percent.
Shares of the fraud-hit lender fell as much as 5.8 percent to Rs 84 after the results announcement. The share price has fallen 47.6 percent so far this year compared to a 5.2 percent rise in the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex Index. The NSE Nifty Bank Index rose 4.6 percent in the same period.
Net interest income and Other income
NII or Net interest income (the difference between interest earned and expended) was down by 16.8 percent to 3,063.3 crore, as against Rs 3,683.5 crore in the same quarter a year ago.
The NII was projected to rise seven percent at Rs 3,939.7 crore, as per Reuters poll.
Non-interest income or other income halved to Rs 1,561 crore versus Rs 3,102.80 crore in March quarter ending 2017. The poll estimated the other income to decline by 23.7 percent to Rs 2,367.3 crore from Rs 3,102.80 crore.
Full year financial results
For the full year ending March 2018, PNB's net loss stood at Rs 12,130 crore as against a net profit of Rs 1187 crore in FY17.
The results were announced just before market closing. It has touched a 52-week low of Rs 83.80 apiece after the results announcement.
Investment & trading in securities market is always subjected to market risks, past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
CapitalStars Investment Adviser: SEBI Registration Number: INA000001647
Our Some Best Services Read it Here…


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Qualcomm's Jacobs: Happy To Work With Broadcasters on Mobile DTV
Chip giant Qualcomm is open to working with broadcasters in bringing local broadcast content to mobile phones, Qualcomm CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs said Tuesday after a keynote address at the NAB show in Las Vegas.
Jacobs was headlining the "MoTV" mini-conference to pitch the vast potential of watching video on mobile handsets, and specifically, to talk about new capabilities for its MediaFLO service, which broadcasts eight channels of live video through UHF spectrum to special Verizon Wireless handsets. Jacobs says that Qualcomm will continue to roll out MediaFLO in more markets and exploit the rapidly falling price of memory to allow non-real-time services to be delivered and stored on MediaFLO phones, thus allowing the service to expand its content offerings to less popular, niche programming.
Jacobs also said that Qualcomm plans to integrate local content into the MediaFLO service.
"We will have in the future the ability to put local content on the service, the technology is designed to do that, and we want to work with broadcasters to do that," said Jacobs.
Broadcasters who are promoting in-band mobile DTV services, such as the Samsung A-VSB and Harris/LG MPH systems, have maintained that it will be prohibitively expensive for MediaFLO to deliver on those plans. They says Qualcomm will either have to grab local content from stations nationwide and route it back via fiber to its San Diego operations center, then transmit it via satellite, as DirecTV does for its local services, or take the potentially more costly step of developing local insertion centers in each market that could ingest local broadcast content and then retransmit it using MediaFLO's Ch. 55 spectrum.
When asked what course Qualcomm is likely to take, Jacobs says that it will simply come down to whichever method was cheaper.
"It will probably be dictated by the economics of setting up local insertion centers," he said.
Jacobs was then asked by audience member Mark Aitken, a technology executive with Sinclair Broadcast Group who is heavily involved with mobile DTV and broadcasters' new Open Mobile Video Coalition, whether Qualcomm would be willing to incorporate the ability to support an ATSC mobile DTV standard within its mobile phone chipset. Jacobs said that Qualcomm would, and noted that the company had already developed a Universal Mobile TV chip that receives the FLO, DVB-H and ISD-T standards.
"Absolutely, and we would like to work with you on that," said Jacobs to Aitken. "If that's the way local gets onto the phone, then more power to you guys...We're about putting more capabilities on the phone, as that drives our core chipset business. So the more capabilities, the better. We look forward to working with you."
In a private exchange outside the ballroom, Aitken told Jacobs that Sinclair CEO David Smith would like to meet with him to discuss the idea further, and Jacobs expressed interest in setting up a meeting.


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How Patsy Cline balanced home life and commercial success
Clip: Season 31 Episode 3 | 1m 15s
Despite growing commercial success and a rigorous schedule, Patsy Cline continued to manage her household herself. Even as "Crazy" rocketed to the top of the charts in 1962, she balanced domestic duties like cooking, cleaning and raising her children with all of the demands of life as a performing artist.
Aired: 03/04/17Video has closed captioning.
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Major support for American Masters is provided by AARP. Additional funding is provided by Rosalind P. Walter, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Ellen and James S. Marcus, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Vital Projects Fund, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, Lenore Hecht Foundation, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, and public television viewers.


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About your company
Tekeez - The IT Superheroes: For 24 years we've been providing IT to homes and businesses across the UK. Personal service, jargon free and a complete range of the highest quality IT and Cloud services, all fully managed by our staff to keep our customers lives and businesses running smoothly.
Since 2010 we've relied on AccountEdge to run the finances for our business. It's fast and flexible and able to handle our high data volumes and manages all our recurring invoices easily, providing all the reporting that has allowed our business to grow by 5 times during that period.
During the time we've been using AccountEdge, the support has been brilliant and never let us down, always friendly and knowledgeable. The cost represents awesome value for money. To be honest, we find it much better than any online accounts system.
Web site: www.tekeez.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tekeez_it


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The abuse of God's name and the bible by dirty politicians and fake pastors as available tools to brain wash, mislead, deceive and conquer is an out dated tactic. White colonisers came to Africa holding the bible in one hand and the gun on the other to kill, plunder and oppress. In the 21st century Matabeles will not to be hoodwinked by the agents of Gukurahundists who pose as prophets.
Listening to him talk in what looked like a political rally, sermon or both, we almost believed that there are some shonas out there who are now prepared to tell the truth as it is and deal with the issue of Matabeleland genocide once and for all and seek forgiveness from the Matebeles.
He correctly observed that among politicians, men of God and shona people in general, he is the first one to do "what I'm doing."
After calling Matabeles to the front, he also correctly narrated, " we have murdered you, as shona people we committed massacres and atrocities that were evil in this land as shona people....we were using matchets to kill you, shooting your relatives, shooting your innocent fathers, your innocent grand mothers.
"Some of you grew up without parents. You grew up with a lot of bitterness against shona people because you were told how your parents were killed. How your brothers were killed, how your uncles were killed, your grand fathers, mothers were killed for no apparent reason. How they were shot, axed with axes, how they were burying them alive. And women who were pregnant were being ripped with bionnets alive and the unborn babies were removed".
Without any doubt, what Chiza said as quoted above is nothing but the truth. But the questions that arise are: where were the so called " men of God" from Mashonaland for these past 38 years only to emerge now asking for apology on behalf of unrepentant, arrogant, hateful and heartless perpetrators who refuse to recognise let alone apologise for Matabeleland genocide?
Where were the so called men of God who now emerge at the time when we are calling for the restoration of the statehood of Matabeleland to tell us to forgive shona people?
Was Chiza really sent by God? The answer is NO, besides we know that he does not worship God. All the tell tale signs for those in the know are there to see around Chiza and his church. We refer our readers to Mathew 24 vs 5 who were described by Jesus as "many false prophets, shall come in my name, perform wonders and shall deceive many". We are grateful that we were warned by Jesus about such characters and we can not be deceived by Chiza and his multitudes of false prophets with many big and high sounding titles and speaking a queer language that identifies them with their master.True they will claim to be prophets or man of God, and true they shall perform wonders such that "even the elect may be deceived."
If he is genuine to ask for reconciliation and forgiveness,
Why did he not begin with the genocidaires and ask them to appear before the Matebeles and ask for forgiveness ?
Why did he not begin with the shonas and ask them to seek forgiveness from the Matebeles ?
Why is he not asking his fellow shonas to stop discriminating and abusing Matebeles in present day Zimbabwe ?
Well, he let the cat out of the bag when he sounded like the military junta which is composed of Matabeleland genocide perpetrators. Is it not coup President Emmerson Mnangagwa who once likened Matabeles to cockroaches that needed to be exterminated using DDT.
Towards the end of his speech or sermon Chiza said, " if a shona comes to you asking for your daughter's hand in marriage, may you release that daughter to be married to a shona person." If we may ask, is it Ndebeles only that should give out their daughter to be married by shona and shona cannot do the same?
But it the following that exposed him as the messenger of Gukurahundists doing damage control on their behalf, not sent by God as he claimed. "From today don't fight a shona person. Don't pull down a shona person. Some of you work for shonas that bitterness comes to pull that business down because that spirit comes in you. And it makes you lose your job and them their business as well and that has affected us economically. And at home I want you to pray and release shonas because if you are bitter you will not prosper. What I'm doing here will make you multiply financially" What is this so called prophet saying? Is he saying Matebeles must live a difficult life of always trying to impress shonas with lies so that they keep their jobs. Matabele lives must not be dependent on shonas, neither their fututure must be decided and defined by shonas.
MLO state the following conditions for Chiza and his fellow shonas and for the Zimbabwe government to seriously consider if they sincerely choose to end this anger.
1.0 Offer unconditional apology
1.1 Pay US$100billion compensation
1.2 Deliver Matebeleland full independence and sovereignty
Once the three above conditions have been met, all Matebeles shall be prepared to forgive the shonas and accept them as their brothers and live peaceful with each other.
This Chiza fellow must be told that the pain and anger against the shonas is still within us and shall remain so and visit them upto to their 10th generation from now if they dont apologise and give us US$100billion compensation and deliver our country to regain its full sovereignity and independence. Remember, it would be costly, painful and unsustainable to shonas if they choose to ignore us yet three steps above will end this anger and bittersness against the shonas. We shall for ever remain good neighbors
This should be known to him and and those who sent him that from now onwards the people of Matabeleland would not be herd boys, garden boys and maids of shona people. From today on the people of Matabeleland will intensify the struggle for Matabeleland independence in order to exercise their rights to determine their destiny. Be able to freely start their own businesses and run them. In the current oppressive system this is only a privilege of shonas which we are prepared to destroy in Matebeleland territory.
Like the military junta that has formed its useless and irrelevant National Commission for peace and reconciliation that is silent on the truth, the false prophet is concerned only about the non existent Zimbabwe dollar and dead economy not the lives of Matabeles or their future. Like the genocide perpetrators who run the government of Zimbabwe he emphasizes much on the economy and prosperity of shonas rather than the pain of Matebeles. It is realilly stupid for the government of Zimbabwe and its agents , sponsors to think that we care about the economy that we do not benefit from.
He is not saying anything about the silent, more effective and painful genocide that continues in the form of marginalisation, tribal segregation, hegemony, extermination of Matabele languages, identify, culture and dignity that is perpetrated against Matebeles everyday in Zimbabwe.
He is driving, controlling and forcing the people of Matabeleland to forgive shona people without asking them what they want and how the victims want the genocide issue handled. As MLO we are tired of the genocidal government of Zimbabwe and all its agents that disguise themselves as prophets, teachers, politicians, pastors, prophets who come and present themselves as messiahs of Matebeles. .We can see through them.
They must give us 10 reasons why they should live and feel free in Matabeleland when their intention are that of abusing and participating in the oppression of Matabeles.
You have given yourselves the opportunity to run the country for 38 years. Within these many years you have proven to be murderers of innocent Matabeles. You have proven to be oppressors of Matabele people and promoters of shona supremacist. You have proven to be a bunch of incompetent people who have run down the country and is now a failed state without its own currency. You have proven to be coup plotters and violent people who subject innocent Matabeles to torture and traumas of coups, endless disorder and bleak future.
If we are pushed to unacceptable limits MLO will not hesitate to demonstrate that it has the capacity and capability to make Zimbabwe ungovernable and protect the people of Matabeleland. We have nothing to lose except the chains of oppression.
Buyochitheka Bugayiwe!
Izenzo kungemazwi!
Israel Dube
MLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs.


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Saturday, January 14, 2006
4 Comments:
- SuperGenius said...
I take it then, the truck is not smelling like ass currently? :)
I have it on good authority (from the man who is too embarassed to pretend to be a ghost of the civil war on the phone) that if you go to a bachelor party and then pass out in the back of someone's pick up truck on a bunch of branches from yard work earlier that day it is uncomfortable. I don't know what all you guys have planned for this weekend, but I wanted to pass this handy tip along.
- Exador said...
Dogs love trucks.
I am stuck with owning a pickup as long as my dogs are alive. They could never go back.
- newscoma said...
Mabel, dog extradonaire, is leery of trucks.
I, on the other hand, have fond memories of putting lawn chairs into the back of my dad's El Camino at the drive in, drinking too much beer and throwing up over the side.
Good times.
- newscoma said...
Quick sidebar, Aunt B.
That freaky little cat you wrote about has been saved.
Thought this might gross you out because it sort gave me the wiggums.
Found it on sploid.


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Super Stubby
This is my take on the modern, tri-plane displacement hull. The experience I enjoyed while riding this style of board was actually what inspired me to start shaping boards in the first place. The DC Stubby rides from the middle of the board and turns with the flip of the hip.
The key design features in this board are a classic hull outline with wide point ahead of center. A very bladed rail profile that ties into a domed deck and a mild convex entry. The tail features a slight vee to release water and ease the drag off the wider tail block. The standard thickness of this board starts at around 2.75" which is well hidden along the stringer under you chest. The outline, volume distribution and low rocker make this board extremely easy to paddle.
I like to shape this board in lengths starting at 5'10 all the way up to 8'6. Get a quote on a CUSTOM ORDER


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MINNEAPOLIS - With all of the qualifying events in the books, the X Games at US Bank Stadium were all about handing out medals on Saturday, July 21.
New Richmond, Wis., native and defending gold medalist in BMX Dirt, Colton Walker, faced one of the stiffest fields in any competition in the 2018 X Games. He hoped on using his "home field advantage" to his benefit.
"The past three days I've been practicing and I've just been driving here so it's just like I'm having a normal session with all my friends," Walker said. "It's pretty cool; to have it here is sick."
Travel advantages aside, Walker was unable to defend his title as five of the 10 riders topped the 90-point plateau with Brandon Loupos winning with a 95.00. Logan Martin notched his second-consecutive silver medal with a 94.00 and Brian Fox took bronze with 92.33.
Although Walker didn't make the podium, he did take fourth place with a 91.66. Last year, that score would have earned him a silver medal.
"I've had my run planned since my first day of practice," Walker said. "It was just slowly practicing each jump to make sure it was possible."
Sorgente repeats, Duran wins for first time
Alex Sorgente won gold in Men's Skateboard Park for the second consecutive year after putting together a strong first-run score of 89.00. Sorgente's lead was never in doubt as he held onto it from the conclusion of all skater's first runs until the third and final round.
Tristan Rennie earned his first-ever medal with a second-place score of 87.66, while Tom Schaar took bronze with a 85.33. Pedro Barros, returning to skateboard park after missing last year, took fourth place. Barros hadn't finished worse than second since 2010.
At the Women's Skateboard Street Final, Mariah Duran won her first-ever gold medal and only the second of her career with a score of 87.66. She edged out last year's gold medalist Aori Nishimura's second-place score of 86.00 and three-time gold medalist, Alexis Sablone, who took third with an 84.00.
McNeil wins third straight in Step Up
Starting off with the bar set at 30 feet, all five Moto X Step Up Final contestants cleared the height easily. The bar was raised 4 feet and once again all riders cleared, but the riders began to get eliminated from there.
Bryce Hudson, last year's silver medalist, was the first rider eliminated after he was unable to clear 38 feet, while seven-time event champion, Ronnie Renner, failed to surpass 41 feet.
With the bar moved to 43 feet, two-time Step Up champion, Libor Podmol clipped the bar in both attempts, as did Colby Raha. Meanwhile, Jarryd McNeil cleared the bar in his first attempt to win his third straight gold medal in the event.


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Your Development Circle & Circle Etiquette
Join Scott on this exciting journey looking deeper into what makes a good circle. We will explore the many facets of a circle and more improtantly the sitters in your circle. How to get the best from your time together and discuss all the improtant aspects of a good circle.
This tutorial will comver all types of circles including physical and mental mediumship cirlces.
Tutorials will cover:
- What is the purpose of a circle
- When should you sit
- Who should sit
- Where should you sit
- Nominating a circle leader
- What happens to the power
WHEN: Three tutorial sessions listed below (each tutorial is 2 hours). You can attend LIVE and if you are not available, the class will be recorded for you to watch at a later date.
- Monday 13th August
- Monday 20th August
- Monday 27th August
- 10am PT-California/Washington/Oregon
- 11am MT-Colorado
- 12pm CT- Illinois
- 1pm ET-New York
- 6pm UK
- 7pm Central Europe
WHERE: The online Zoom classroom. The classroom link will be provided several days before the class begins. You will need access to a computer and internet. The tutorials will be recorded for you to watch at your conveinece, if you are not available to attend the live tutorial.
Tuition Fee:
There is a 30 day full refund policy if you are not satified with the tutorials.


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The Less Traveled Road to the 200-day Moving Average
Since November 2012, the S&P 500 has remained above its 200-day moving average for 421 consecutive trading days, the longest streak in history. I have compared this streak in the S&P 500 to the Joe DiMaggio hitting streak in 1941 for its incredible consistency and resiliency.
The so-called "path of least resistance" has been up and if you are a long-term trend-follower focused on large cap U.S. equities, this has been the best period in history for your strategy. But no trend lasts forever and strategies come into and out of favor over time as the market environment changes.
I know it has become blasphemy to question this historic advance, but I am wondering aloud here if we are about to take the road less traveled, that is the one back to the 200-day moving average as the market environment is slowly changing. Last week, as the S&P 500 hit yet another all-time high, there were a growing number of red flags that indicate that the probability the streak may soon be in jeopardy is at its highest point since it began in November 2012.
Let's have a look:
The credit markets are showing signs of weakness for the first time in months. High Yield credit spreads have been consistently widening since late June and are close to a 3-month high. This has been a minor move higher in spreads thus far, but as credit typically leads, one that should not be ignored.
European credit spreads have also been widening, notable in my view as we are seeing this credit weakness in the face of what was supposed to be a highly positive event: a move to negative interest-rate policy. As I questioned recently, what is it telling us when negative rates are not enough?
Small Caps
Small Cap weakness has been a nagging red flag this year and it continued last week as the Russell 2000 closed out the week at its 200-day moving average. In a stark divergence from the all-time highs in the large cap indices, the Russell 2000 is actually down year-to-date. The weak behavior in the average U.S. stock is being masked by the strength in the largest stocks.
Similarly, breadth did not confirm last week's new highs with the NYSE Advance/Decline peaking back in early July.
We are also seeing persistent weakness in housing, with homebuilders down over 7% on the year and hitting new relative lows last week. It is notable that this weakness has persisted in spite of a decline in yields this year and in spite of the market not expecting the Fed to raise rates for at least another year.
Late-Cycle Sector Behavior
As I have noted in writings showing the many parallels to 2007, we continue to see late cycle sector behavior with Energy/Utilities leading the market higher while the most cyclical sector, Consumer Discretionary, is lagging. You rarely want to see this type of defensive backdrop this late in the economic cycle. The persistent strength in Utilities is particularly notable because it tends to precede more difficult market environments, as we outlined in a research paper earlier this year.
In the past two weeks, I have also noted the divergent behavior in the cyclical Industrials sector, which hit new relative lows and failed to hit a new high with the S&P 500 last week. The last two corrections, in 2011 and 2012, were both preceded with Industrial sector weakness.
Yields Falling
Long duration (30-Year) bond yields have been falling for the entire year, and hit a new YTD low last week at 3.2%. This behavior indicates that investors are seeking out the safety of Treasuries, likely anticipating more difficult times ahead.
It is not simply that yields are falling that is a problem, but the behavior within the Treasury market as well. The Yield Curve hit new YTD lows last week as the demand on the long end is outpacing demand on the short and intermediate end of the curve. This defensive behavior tends to precede more difficult market environments, which we wrote about in another research paper this year.
The Less Traveled Road to the 200-day
Collectively, the market is sending signals of caution while the large cap indices are hitting new highs. In markets, we deal with probabilities, never certainties, and the probability of the S&P 500 finally taking the less traveled road to the 200-day is rising. That probability is not anywhere near 100% but it is high enough to warrant our attention, particularly as we approach the end of QE in October and as long-term stock/bond returns are unattractive at current valuations/yields (see Has the Fed Doomed Buy and Hold?).
Does this mean that the bull market that began in March 2009 has to come to an end? No, and as I have written many times in the past, picking an exact top is impossible and not particularly helpful to long-term investors. What it will mean is that we are returning to a more normal market environment where corrections exist and risk management matters. Such an environment should favor more active, tactical management.
For our part, we rotated to a more defensive posture last week in our mutual funds and separate accounts. It remains to be seen if the red flags outlined above will persist, but as long as they do the long-term probabilities favor defense over offense.
This writing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation regarding any securities transaction, or as an offer to provide advisory or other services by Pension Partners, LLC in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The information contained in this writing should not be construed as financial or investment advice on any subject matter. Pension Partners, LLC expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken based on any or all of the information on this writing.
Charlie Bilello is the Director of Research at Pension Partners, LLC, an investment advisor that manages mutual funds and separate accounts. He is the co-author of two award-winning research papers on Intermarket Analysis. Mr. Bilello is responsible for strategy development, investment research and communicating the firm's investment themes and portfolio positioning to clients. Prior to joining Pension Partners, he was the Managing Member of Momentum Global Advisors, an institutional investment research firm. Previously, Mr. Bilello held positions as an Equity and Hedge Fund Analyst at billion dollar alternative investment firms, giving him unique insights into portfolio construction and asset allocation.
Mr. Bilello holds a J.D. and M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Fordham University and a B.A. in Economics from Binghamton University. He is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) and a Member of the Market Technicians Association. Mr. Bilello also holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate.
You can follow Charlie on twitter here.
Comments are closed.


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Visions gala vital success for Victoria Hospitals Foundation
Nov 21 2011
The Victoria Hospitals Foundation raised $427,000 at its Visions gala at the Fairmont Empress hotel Saturday night.
The money will go toward the overall fall campaign, which aims to raise $595,000 for the purchase of 94 specialized vital-signs monitors for the heart health and general surgery units in the new patient care centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
A live auction and silent auction included a range of packages that raised a combined total of $93,000. Two of the 280 guests each donated $6,700.
The black-tie gala represents a large part of the foundation's fundraising effort, so the successful evening will go a long way to improving patient care, according to officials with the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
"These new vital-signs monitors are having a profound impact on the care we're able to provide at the new patient care centre," said Dr. Daniel Wong, medical director of heart health for VIHA.
The monitors collect and display key patient information, including blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, blood-oxygen saturation and temperature. By having one in each patient's room, doctors can make assessments at the bedside.
Anyone can donate to the foundation by phoning 250-519-1750 or visiting www.victoriahf.ca/visions.


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Leveraging an ongoing conversation with your audience (customers) is critical for a strong return on your marketing strategy. Email campaigns have been a long-standing advertising and promotional technique for many businesses. With the advent of the social web, many social network application developers have created email components for gathering potential prospects. Leads can be dubious and time consuming. Some business owners still use office application 1.0 techniques because they "feel" more at home with the task. I wanted to find a company who has all the components of a green startup company while successfully integrating social web marketing channels.
iContact is a classic start up story where two college students, Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton, start a software company above a noodle shop on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Nine years and more than one million user accounts later, iContact continues on a high-growth trajectory. Targeting small and mid-size businesses, the company is at the forefront, integrating social media with e-mail marketing to spread reach and take full advantage of these growing channels.
I spoke with Jeff Revoy, Chief Product, Marketing and Strategy Officer a few days ago to share his knowledge and provide some unique tips on why e-mail this year is playing a central role in capturing customers' attention – and keeping sales thriving.
Marianne Pfeifer: How much have email campaigns changed over the years? What is new?
Jeff Revoy: Email marketing continues to evolve rapidly to meet the needs of customers as well as trends in the marketplace. Precise targeting and analytics are of high importance to customers, and we've created products and updates to reflect this customer interest and demand. In April, we launched iContact Free Edition, a no-cost version of our flagship email marketing and social marketing tool, in the US and the UK, to empower businesses, individuals and communities to engage, educate and retain customers, targeted prospects and website visitors. Additionally, an upgraded version of iContact Social Tools was released in July to give small- and medium-sized businesses a powerful and effective means to reach existing and new customers through social media channels. Now, in addition to easily publishing your email marketing campaign to Facebook and Twitter, we provide Like and Tweet buttons customers can add to their emails to capture the viral nature of social media. In addition, we launched Social Tools tracking to let our customers know how they are doing and where to improve their social media efforts.
Marianne Pfeifer: Can you cite an example of a customer using iContact for a successful email marketing campaign?
Jeff Revoy: craftsUPrint, a fast-growing craft website offering craft projects, tutorials, forums and special offers, came to iContact with the goal of improving message deliverability rates (the percentage of email that reaches the inbox). iContact's industry-leading message deliverability rates combined with the recommendations we provided to optimize email subject lines and modify emails to target varied groups of subscribers ultimately increased their message deliverability rates. The company experienced a significant increase in sales and traffic to their website. craftsUprint moved from 8,000 to more than 70,000 subscribers in just two years and has seen an upsurge of 120 percent in site traffic.
Marianne Pfeifer: Is your product offering limited to business applications?
Jeff Revoy: Not at all. Sales have shown an increase in email marketing for personal use. It is not uncommon for individuals to use iContact programs for school, sports teams or professional associations. In fact, iContact Free Edition is an excellent solution for individuals looking to use the power of email marketing and social media marketing for personal use. For individuals seeking greater support and features, price points for paid versions are affordable, and programs are easy-to-use and manage.
Marianne Pfeifer: The social network is a high touch application. Facebook is gaining ground with a myriad of developers who are supplying direct marketing applications. Facebook recently announced their implementation of new tools addressing privacy settings. How does iContact fit in the marketplace? What is your strategy?
Jeff Revoy: iContact is focused on providing small businesses with digital marketing solutions that can help them grow and succeed. Our award winning email marketing and social media marketing products balance ease of use with the right features small businesses need to deliver powerful and relevant marketing programs. iContact's digital marketing platform combines the proven results of email marketing with the unmatched reach of social media.
Over the past year, we launched a series of innovative tools that allow iContact users to build stronger relationships with their customers by engaging in conversations through social media. We offer fully integrated email and social media marketing features that seamlessly extend the reach of email marketing by allowing email messages to be published to a company's Facebook page and tweeted to their followers. By breaking the boundaries of conventional email and allowing direct communication with fans and followers including their extended social networks, iContact makes it easy for a company to extend its reach and introduce its messages to new audiences
While there is a lot of competition in the digital marketing space, we strongly believe that we have produced an elegant and robust marketing application built around the needs of small businesses.
Mr. Revoy offers this guidance on starting an email or social media marketing campaign: First and foremost, be creative! You must lay out a plan that is incremental and flexible. It is important to identify goals for your email or social marketing campaign, as well as a strategy that is appropriate for your business or personal pursuits. Research and test several campaigns, and make sure your messaging is targeted and directly appeals to your subscriber base or target audience before moving forward.
As iContact's Chief Product, Marketing and Strategy Officer, Jeff is responsible for marketing, product management and corporate strategy. Revoy has more than 20 years of workplace experience in Internet, search and social media at both early-stage and Fortune 500 companies. Before joining the iContact team, he worked for Yahoo! both in the U.S. and Europe where he held Vice President and General Manager positions at Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Answers. In addition, he has held leadership positions with Embarq, InterTrust, and GameHouse. Jeff earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and an MBA from the Darden Graduate School at the University of Virginia. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and NCTA (North Carolina Technology Association), and acts as an adviser to several early-stage technology companies.


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The Jungle Book 2016 is one of a kind
The Jungle Book is a 2016 American fantasy adventure film directed by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Marks and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on Rudyard Kipling's eponymous collective works, the film is a live-action/CGI reimagining of Walt Disney's 1967 animated film of the same name.
The film stars and introduces Neel Sethi as Mowgli and features the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito and Christopher Walken.
Ten-year-old Neel Sethi stars as Mowgli, the "man-cub" lost in the jungles of India as a child, and raised by a wolf pack and the doting but patrician black panther Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley). For much of the film, Sethi is the only real element onscreen; the jungle and the creatures around him are digital creations, the product of motion capture and animal studies. But the integration is nearly seamless.
Favreau made a bold decision in covering Sethi with livid scratches, bruises, and welts that change throughout the film. The marks left on him by the jungle, and by his rough life as a wild creature, emphasize his softness and vulnerability compared to his animal friends. His scars are a silent reminder that the digital wonder around him has a physical impact.
The film is released in the Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D formats as well as premium large formats.