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Matching activeness, effectiveness of previous decades
The teenage and young adult years are the age of innocence to many people. When it's coupled with anger, violence, protest and demand, the outcome changes drastically too.
Usually, we are taught values at a very young age by our parents, guardians or caretakers. For some it is a belief in God, for other it is a belief in hard work and for others it is service to their country. Very often, questioning belief starts at one's inability to deal with the unexpected, radical circumstances in which we find ourselves.
It's doubtful people imagined what started in the '60s as a cultural windstorm would mean cultural changes in the following decades.
War protests ensured President Lyndon B. Johnson didn't run for the second term; Bob Dylan's "Masters of War'" and many other raconteurs inspired a generation of musicians in ways unknown; the women's liberation movement and the protests against discrimination ensured we have equal employment opportunity policies at workplaces.
Tragically, even losing cultural icons like President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. ensured better security features and ways to protect our icons, inspirational figures and celebrities.
If one were to fast forward 30 years from today, there may be a few particular things that would sum up the current and previous decade: Apple products sweeping the nation, 9/11, the genres of hip-hop and electronic music storming the younger generations, electronic cars, junk food, gadgets, Facebook and automated machines taking over many jobs that people sweat over.
So if we were to do anything with history as a precedent, one might say we have complete responsibility for shaping and changing the next decades with either a spark of an idea or splurge of a protest.
"Change" is a value added term ever since it became a part of Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. The inspiration and motivation to change is most evident through the digital revolutions like the 2011 Facebook Egyptian revolution and Hong Kong protests of 2014.
Often the most inspirational moments come from understanding what resonates most with our belief system — to turn it into a cause. Perhaps, that's why the most chaotic incidents and protests resonate so much with people at a very emotional level for them to believe in to as well and endorse it in return.
One of the most inspirational movies one could quote in this bracket is "World's Fastest Indian" and the Iraqi veterans walking across United States to raise heal and raise money.
What this generation might need is not just the motivation and inspiration to change the world for a better place in the coming decades, but also to preserve its innocence in the fast-changing world where humans are competing with artificial intelligence for many jobs. Only if we look for inspiration in the right places, perhaps.
Biology and French language senior Dustin Philips said that he thinks about Occupy Wall Street when asked if this current generation is motivated and inspired enough.
"Part of the problem is people always look for inspiration in the wrong places," Philips said. "Instead of falling back on their families or support structures, they look up to celebrities, talking heads, media personalities and therein lies the gap."
Opinion columnist Valli Challa is a law graduate student and may be reached at [email protected].


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Best strategy for long term trading
What is a trading strategy?
Recently, the opportunity to receive additional income on the Internet has become especially relevant. One of these opportunities is trading. If you want to start investing, but do not know where to start, then start by developing a trading strategy.
A trading strategy is something without which it is impossible to work on the exchange. Without a trading strategy, trading turns into a game of chance for adrenaline, not profit. Therefore, the importance of a trading strategy cannot be overstated.
Trading Strategy is a complete trader's guide. The goal of the strategy is to provide profit on the exchange.
A trading strategy is usually based on:
- Rules for market analysis;
- Rules for entering a position, holding and exiting a position;
- Risk management;
- Work on bugs.
There are many trading strategies available. There are universal strategies. There are specialized - separate strategies for the bond market, stocks, currency pairs, futures, indices, and so on.
Which trade to choose: long-term, medium-term or short-term?
Choosing a type of trade is like choosing a path at an intersection. Better to ask for advice when choosing where to go.
So it is in trading. If you choose the type of trade that is not suitable for yourself, you can waste a lot of time and effort. And in the end, you will not get the desired result.
Novice traders are very attracted to trading on small timeframes, since here the price moves quickly, and it seems that you can make money quickly.
But don't be in a hurry. It is necessary to analyze the pros and cons of all types of trading. Understand which time period is more suitable for you personally and is in accordance with your lifestyle and daily routine. Only after that do you go deeper into the study of trading systems and methods of market analysis.
Let's compare the pros and cons for three types of trading:
- Short-term;
- Medium-term;
- Long-term.
Short term trading pros and cons
Short-term trading is intraday trading. The advantages of short-term trading include:
- Active intraday movements.
- Fast acquisition of experience.
- High profit potential.
- There are no risks when moving positions overnight.
- There are no risks when the position is carried over the weekend.
- Small deposit.
But short-term trading has its drawbacks:
- Fast, difficult to predict market movements.
- It is necessary to observe the market for several hours a day.
- Extremely difficult trading, requires experience.
- Lots of false moves, market "noise".
- High emotional and psychological stress.
- It is difficult to trade many instruments at the same time.
- It is difficult to build a portfolio of several trading strategies.
So, short-term trading can bring huge profits, but it requires a lot of experience and attention.
Medium term trading pros and cons
Medium-term trading is a trade that is set up to make a profit due to movements within a week, with a trade holding time of several days.
The task of the mid-term trader is to track the emergence of strong trends that have the potential to move for 3-5 days. Medium-term trading is more often trend-following trading.
What are the advantages of medium-term trading:
- It takes less time to trade.
- Medium-term trading can be combined with work or business.
- Low psychological and emotional stress.
- Strong trend movements.
- You can trade several instruments at the same time.
- You can trade several trading systems at the same time.
- Great for novice traders.
But any coin has two sides, and medium-term trading has its drawbacks, and they also need to be clearly understood:
- Large deposit.
- Relatively small profit.
- Few deals.
- Long-term drawdowns on the account.
- Additional risk of holding positions through the night, weekends, holidays.
Long term trading pros and cons
Long-term trading is already something between investing and trading. There can be several deals per year, not every month. What are the advantages of this approach:
- Suitable for busy people.
- Different markets can be traded.
- Widely diversified portfolio.
What are the disadvantages of long-term trading?
- An even larger deposit.
- It takes a lot of patience.
What to do in practice?
Each type of trading has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the choice must be approached carefully:
- Medium-term trading on the daily timeframe is best suited for a beginner trader. Since it does not require a lot of time and is not psychologically difficult.
- With the acquisition of experience, the trader can master short-term trading, which can potentially be highly profitable.
- As the deposit increases, part of the funds can be allocated for long-term trading, as it is safer.
It is better to gain experience in all three types of trading, then the total profit will be more stable and the risks are lower.
But, if you are not ready to leave your main job for the sake of trading or for another reason do not want or cannot devote a lot of time to this, then you should choose a long term trading strategy for yourself.
Who are long-term trader?
A long-term trader is an investor who buys stocks and holds them in their portfolio for an extended period of time. This is the most numerous category of stock investors, as this strategy requires the least investment of time. Many long-term traders believe that the best way to make money in the stock market is to buy shares in successful companies and hold them no matter what. Since in this case the stock is bought for many years, they tend to avoid trendy and fast-growing companies.
Benefits of a long-term strategy
Much less time is spent on such trading than on medium and short-term investments. In addition, a long-term investor does not need to make quick decisions, while shorter-term investments may require it. Being passive, the long-term investor has many benefits:
- Less commissions and fees. These payments are often forgotten by traders. But when trading with small capital, commissions and fees play a big role. In some cases, the best a trader can do is learn to control his impulses and make as few trades as possible. Many people believe that you can really make money only on long-term investments.
- Low running costs. The long-term investor does not have to spend a lot of time tracking the daily movements of the stock market. Moreover, the habit of always knowing the current value of shares is bad for him.
- Less nerves. Usually companies with not too volatile stocks are chosen for long-term investments. This means that there is much less chance that some important price movement will occur suddenly, overnight. Fluctuations in prices are more important to the short-term trader - the long-term trader shouldn't care that the stock has fallen if he is still confident that the company is doing well.
- Dividends. If the investor is also focused on dividend stocks, this additional income is another reason for a long-term investment. As the size of dividends grows, the return on the portfolio will also grow. As the company grows, dividends and bonuses will increase the growth of fixed capital.
- Allocation of additional shares. Some companies convert earnings into shares and distribute them to shareholders. Thus, in the long term, the portfolio can grow several times. Tax incentives. If an investor invests for a long time, he postpones the moment of paying tax, which means that the money that could have already been paid as taxes continues to earn.
- A proven strategy. History shows that the stock market, despite periods of decline, has shown an average return of 9% over the past 100 years. Benjamin Franklin once said: "The path to wealth is patience and diligence."
When to sell?
The long-term investor should know the conditions under which the shares that he planned to hold until the end of the century would be better sold. There are exceptions to any rule, and we will now consider them.
So when should you sell your stock?
- The company has filed for bankruptcy.
- The CFO is accused of theft or fraudulent accounting.
- The company does something that is contrary to the personal values or beliefs of the investor.
The trading long term strategy is just one of the ways to make money on the stock market. A small investor who does not want to constantly analyze the market, buy at the lows and sell at the highs, it is better to buy different stocks of established companies and wait. The investment period can be unlimited - then the investor will sell the shares only when the money is needed.
Your best long term trading strategies
There is no single best strategy for long term trading in the world; there is an opportunity to make changes in strategies. And this is, in fact, very important.
The trader's challenge is to be able to adjust his strategy long term trading to accommodate all major market changes. By developing your own trading strategy long term, you will not only create something unique, but if you take into account all the facts, you will also do something that suits your personal trading style.
Create for yourself the most simple long term trading strategy.
Use fundamental analysis and technical analysis, take profit and stop loss orders, learn to determine the direction of the market.
Be sure to start with a demo account, many trading platforms provide this opportunity.
How to start working in the UAE on a demo account?
Choose a trading platform for yourself:
- Register. Usually you only need to provide your name and email address for this.
- Click the "Demo account" button and you will be credited with money, which you will trade on a demo account.
- And when you feel confident, replenish your real balance and start trading.
Invest using the best long term trading strategy. Try it and you will succeed!
How to invest without buying?
Trading with CFDs is not only convenient, but also actively used by all participants in the stock market, allowing multiple transactions for the purchase and sale of securities and services with minimal cash.
A Contract for Difference (CFD) is the most profitable instrument on the exchanges, which allows you to make quick money with a minimum of free money and does not burden the participants with property rights. The overwhelming majority of exchange transactions are carried out using the CFD scheme.
Considering that billions of dollars are created on CFDs, and they are the causes of economic crises, the ability to work with them is the main feature of any trader, both beginner and experienced.
Conditions for the existence of CFD contracts
In normal trading activities, an agreement is concluded between the seller and the buyer of the goods, according to which, upon sale and purchase, the goods themselves or property rights to them will be transferred to the second party. This situation is appropriate when trading direct financial instruments - stocks, bonds, and other securities.
When it comes to derivative instruments, derivatives, conditions become the subject of bargaining.
- Availability of leverage. The trader gets the opportunity to work with funds that are several times larger than their own coverage. In order to get started, you need to replenish the deposit for the amount required by the broker. The rest of the money is provided as a kind of loan;
- A large number of assets. CFD trading allows you to work with a wide range of financial instruments, from currency pairs to stocks. A trader has the opportunity to diversify his portfolio at the expense of diversified assets;
- Opportunities for hedging risks. CFDs are very often used as a tool for insuring risks in the markets along with options and futures.
An agreement is concluded between the parties, one of the conditions of which is the rise or fall in the price of certain securities or other assets. When this happens, the difference between the original price of the securities and its future valuation passes to the buyer or seller, depending on the fulfillment of the terms of their contract.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Set Up Nameservers on a VPS
If you're new here to the Low End Box community we'd like to thank you for stopping by, you have likely stopped by to find your new VPS provider, and most likely you have questions! Within the comments of this post, ask, we'll answer! Or even publish an article on it. This article topic was written by Dustin B. Cisneros of RackNerd, a provider of KVM VPS solutions and more. Most commonly people are interested in setting u...Read More


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Mi-Zone Tamil Duvet Set Size Twin Extra Long
by Mi-Zone
Save Liquid error (snippets/product-badge line 32): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
- Set includes: 1 duvet cover, 1 sham, 1 pillow
- Material: 100Percent polyester
- Measurements: 68-by-90-inch duvet cover, 20-by-26-inch sham, 10-by-18-inch Oblong pillow
- Machine washable
Size:Duvet Set | Color:Multicolor Bold and bright, the Mi Zone Tamil Duvet Cover Set can revitalize the look of your bedroom. An updated paisley pattern is vibrantly showcased with an eclectic mix of floral prints and medallions, while matching sham(s) harmonize with the colorful pattern seen on top of the bed. Made from ultra-soft microfiber, this bedding set is exceptionally soft to the touch and machine washable for easy care. One decorative pillows that feature embroidered details fashionably complete this fun duvet cover set. Button closures allow you to place a down comforter insert inside the duvet cover for added warmth and comfort.


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1. The United States and Syria
In order for the aiding of refugees to continue, the United States has an obligation to accept more Syrians into its borders. ... The United States has a moral obligation to those in Syria and while funding for these camps elsewhere has deemed beneficial thus far, we need to take action as the number of refugees increases and try and deter the possible conflict between Syrian refugees and its neighboring countries. ... It is imperative that the Assad regime is overthrown in order for the refugees to return to Syria, alleviating the economic and social burden that the refugees place on the a...
- Word Count: 1604
- Approx Pages: 6
- Grade Level: Undergraduate


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Amber Incense
Shipping calculated at checkout.
All incense comes in easy to open durable plastic screw top containers to preserve fragrance and freshness. Available in 3 quantities: 1oz, 8oz, 16oz
A sweet and woody vanilla aroma complemented with golden citrus, musk and sandalwood accords. This incense is a favorite of the Hermitage brotherhood.


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When Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon announced his TransLink shake-up two weeks ago, he claimed it would make transportation decisions in Vancouver more accountable. But accountability and democratic oversight are not what his new model is about.
The real power under the new TransLink will not be the Council of Mayors, which replaces the rotating municipal board, but a new, 11-member TransLink board made up of unelected officials, appointed by the province. That shift isn't just bad for greater Vancouver; it's bad for democracy.
The new board -- and thus the province -- will hold virtually all the major decision-making powers of TransLink including:
· Power to expropriate land for any transportation project, meaning unelected planners can build what they want, where they want, irrespective of democratically elected municipal councils and the input of regional taxpayers. · Responsibility to develop, approve and implement three-year operational plans, meaning locally elected officials will have no input on the actual number of new buses, regional service levels or expenditures. · Power over the CEO of the board, meaning provincially appointed officials, not local politicians, will decide whether or not the CEO has fulfilled his or her duties effectively. · Authority to appoint heads of TransLink's subsidiaries, meaning the CEOs of Westcoast Express and Skytrain are accountable to an unelected board.
Essentially, any major decision that has a direct impact on Greater Vancouver, from the location of a transit stop, to the number of buses on our routes, will be made by this unelected, unaccountable board.
Limited choice, limited time
But wait: won't the Council of Mayors set the long-term strategic vision and approve taxation decisions?
No: their power is limited to the selection -- not the actual development -- of the strategic plan. That decision is left to the unelected board, in effect giving it the all-important agenda-setting power. Mayors will have no choice but to choose from what the board wants them to choose from.
The Council of Mayors will also be constrained by time. Under the new model, they are to meet only four times a year, far less than the time they currently enjoy. Plus, when choosing among the board's strategic options, they will have a 90-day time limit. If they fail, the board will impose its own choice.
The board would be slightly more accountable if the Council of Mayors could select its members or at least fire the CEO. But they can't. Municipalities will have no direct say in the selection of board members. Nor will the council have any say over the board's leadership. The CEO will be accountable to and appointed by the board. Not even publicly owned corporate boards have that power.
This arrangement unquestionably shifts power from locally elected officials to the province and its unelected board. It is a loss for local democracy and a gain for centralized decision making. Regional taxpayers will now no longer have any direct control over regional transportation, which will instead become a provincial prerogative.
No taxation with representation
That structure -- local tax dollars, external decision making -- runs counter to two fundamental principles of North American democracy: no taxation without representation and subsidiarity.
The idea of no taxation without representation is simple: citizens should be able to hold directly accountable the level of government to which they pay taxes. Under the proposed governance arrangement, Greater Vancouver residents will pay for the entire cost of TransLink but be disenfranchised from any direct oversight of how these tax dollars are spent. The province will dole out the region's money however it wants, knowing full well the region's citizens have a much-diminished voice on the provincial level.
Subsidiarity is a similar, but different concept. It is the idea that decisions should be made as close as possible to the people affected by them. The new model is obviously opposite to this principle. Voters in Prince George and Fort St. John will now be voting on regional transportation decisions for Greater Vancouver. Under Falcon's proposal, the level of government furthest from the people affected by its decisions will now make them.
Gordon Campbell, ironically, long ago pointed out the danger in all of this. When TransLink was debated in the legislature in July 1998, Campbell was convinced the authority needed "true local autonomy" and "true regional independence." This was essential, he argued, as "the evidence is overwhelming that when the provincial government is involved in regional transportation decisions, they stop being regional transportation decisions and they start being provincial political decisions."
His solution, clearly stated during the same debate, was quite the opposite of what his government is currently proposing. Campbell wanted the law to ensure TransLink was a "regional transportation authority that the regional district, not the provincial government, will be able to direct." Ideally, he wanted the law to "prohibit unilateral decision-making by [the province] being imposed on the regional transportation authority."
That was then, this is now
The proposed governance model is a near perfect example of the province unilaterally imposing decisions on the region.
Over the past year, the Sustainable Communities Initiative reviewed submissions municipalities made to Kevin Falcon's Governance Review Panel -- the "independent" panel that came up with Falcon's proposed TransLink model. In them, GVRD municipalities outlined their vision of an ideal governance structure for regional transportation and what steps should be taken to improve it. In total, we reviewed 13 of these submissions representing the bulk of Greater Vancouver's population.
Not one of these submissions from local government asked the province to concentrate the power of regional transportation in provincial hands. A common theme was that responsibility should lie with local elected officials, where taxation decisions could be held accountable. It was reiterated that transportation planning should remain a regional responsibility, not a provincial one. Improved accountability could be achieved by changing the present structure, such as increasing term limits for directors to three years from one, a recommendation the auditor general made as well. The fiscal shortfalls -- the key issue facing TransLink -- would require additional fiscal tools -- resources the province has so far refused to provide to the region.
In all the proposals we looked at, there was not one that suggested accountability would be improved by shifting regional responsibilities and regional fiscal resources to the provincial government behind the smoke-screen of the Council of Mayors.
What we are left with is a vision guided by a highly centralized ideal of power and control. It reflects a distrust of local authorities and their ability to govern themselves. It is a vision that violates key principles of Canadian democracy, and the belief in representative taxation. The problems that were accurately defined -- the fiscal shortfalls, the unclear lines of accountability -- were all resolvable through a properly funded, democratically elected and locally accountable body, solutions the region suggested. Instead, the government has made the unilateral decision to arrogate power towards the centre, and dictate it as it sees fit from there.


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PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- Alabama State edged Prairie View A&M on the final day of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships, winning the title in the last event of the day to claim their 11th consecutive outdoor title.
The Lady Hornets trailed Prairie View A&M with five events left on the day, taking the lead before Prairie View A&M tied the overall team score at 158-all heading into the final event of the day – the 4×400-meter relay. Alabama State would subsequently finish ahead of the Lady Panthers to win the title in the final event of the day with a time of 3:44.87.
Alabama State finished atop the standings with 168 points, finishing seven points ahead of Prairie View A&M (161) – the same amount the Lady Hornets trailed entering the day. UAPB finished third, followed by Southern and Grambling State.
Also read: North Carolina A&T men dominate en route to MEAC championship
Trailing heading into the sprint competitions, the Lady Hornets claimed their first title of the day in the 4×100-meter relay with a time of 45.05 seconds, finishing ahead of UAPB (45.32) and Alabama A&M (46.25). Tionna Brown claimed the title of the "Fastest Woman in the SWAC" with a win in the 100-meters (11.26 seconds) and 200-meters (23.47 seconds) to pace Alabama State.
ASU's Michaela Lewis added to the point total with a conference championship in the 1500-meter run, finishing atop the leaderboard in a time of 4:42.79. Alabama State's Kyana Evans claimed the conference championship in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.11 seconds, finishing ahead of Tatyana McKenzie of UAPB (54.54).
2021 SWAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Individual Awards
Most Outstanding Field Performer
Tiara DeRosa- Mississippi Valley State
Most Outstanding Track Performer
Sharon Lebich- Grambling State
Coach of the Year
Ritchie Beene- Alabama State
Courtesy: SWAC


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Reels |
Rods | Lures |
Swimbaits | BFS | Lines |
Terminal Tackle |
Tools | Storage |
Apparel |
Enthusiast |
Watercraft |
Interviews | Events |
Product Shootout
TackleTour Shootout : Stella FJ vs Exist LT
Zander feels the Exist LT has just a hair less start up inertia than the Stella FJ. I feel this too - until I switch back to the Stella. I think the actual weight of the Exist LT is affecting this perception. It makes sense given the Exist LT's super light rotor, but what I feel is an advantage in one reel while turning the handle, disappears every time I switch back to the other.
It is that close.
Line management? Both reels feature bearing supported line rollers.
Finally, to make a judgment, I removed each reel from their fishing rods, secured the tag end of the line and clipped it close to the spool so it wouldn't rub against the rotor and switched back and forth between the two spinning the handles with my eyes closed. The Exist LT's lighter weight does factor in to the reel's overall feel, so isolating the rotation of the handle with my eyes closed, I can sense the rotor rotating. Performing the same exercise with the Stella FJ, I feel less of this and more just the simple turning of the gears. This was the toughest call by far but by the gap of a single Micro-Module gear, I had to make a call. Advantage : Shimano
Nearly identical drag stacks.
Drag & Line Management: The drag stack for these two reel is nearly identical, and both reels feature a bearing nestled within the spool, so that aspect is a flat out draw and not worth exploring. As for line management, both reels feature bearing supported line rollers. The only difficulty I experienced with either reel during the course of their head to head or even individual evaluation was something more the result of user error than the reel (detailed in the Exist LT's review), so in the end we're going to call this aspect a draw as well.
Bearings within and underneath each spool.
Weight: My last Stella reel was the FE. Zander owns and tested the Stella FI 2000. My FE was a similar size to the FJ in these tests and weighed in at 8.6 ounces (with line). I was always a little confused how the Stella could be made of magnesium and still weigh so much compared to my old Exist and Steez spinning reels. This is part of the reason why I hadn't bother to upgrade my Stella spinning reel until the FJ appeared and won me over with its aesthetics. When I took it out of its box, I was surprised at how light it was (7.4oz) because
I wasn't expecting it and didn't know Shimano at taken steps to lower its weight.
How about handle design?
When I first held my Exist LT 3000S-CXH, I could tell it was lighter than the Stella FJ, but I was a little disappointed thinking it was heavier than my old Exist reels. Turns out it's the exact same weight as my old Exist 2004 (6.4oz), but a larger size so it's actually lighter!
Both are stunning in their own way.
Out on the water, a lighter spinning reel makes a difference with finesse applications especially because it lessens the pressure you apply with your hand on the grip. The combo of G.Loomis's 820S DSR GLX and Daiwa's Exist LT 3000S-CXH practically floats in your hand by comparison to even the Stella FJ C3000MHG making the entire combo all the more sensitive to fish. Advantage : Daiwa
Back to those knobs?.
Other Ergonomics: One other point of discussion with these two reels is the knobs with which they are equipped. I've stated in both reviews that I pretty much do not like either one. T-Knobs and I just don't get along very well. I just find them too bulky and disproportionate on reels of this size. Having said that, there is one that I dislike less than the other and that's the T-Knob on the Daiwa Exist.
The Exist's T-Knob (right) is ever so slightly more comfortable.
At least Daiwa has made the effort to thin the knob out a little and contour it with a little lip at the outer edge giving you something a little more interesting to hold on to. Both reels are getting new knobs when I finish this shootout. The Stella FJ is getting a leftover Septon knob from one of my older casting reels, and the Exist LT is getting a cork I-Knob. For now its Advantage : Daiwa
Every now and then, one of these would interrupt the decision making process.
Accessories: If you're keeping score, you know at this point we are at a 2 to 2 tie. Basically if you value pure performance, the Stella FJ has a very slight edge. If you value ergonomics, that slight edge goes to Exist LT. Can a shootout of this magnitude come down to simple accessories?
Both reels come with a very elegant bag. The Exist's is slightly more luxurious.
Both reels come with a very elegant bag to house your $700+ reels with handles detached. Both bags have two compartments - one for the reel body, the other for the reel handle. The Stella's reel bag is made out of a durable nylon material with a thin neoprene lining to protect your Stella FJ, a think nylon divider to separate the pockets and a Velcro closing flap. The Exist LT's bag is made of a thicker neoprene overall, with a thick neoprene divider, meshed sides for ventilation, and a Velcro closing flap. The Exist LT's reel bag is much more enthusiast. Advantage : Daiwa
This fish fell victim to the Exist.
Other Tech: I almost forgot to discuss another point and this one is a simple advantage to Daiwa. Their MagSeal bearings are a very intriguing tech and one they've incorporated in the Exist LT. This is probably why they've made the reel so difficult to open up because these bearings are easy to compromise as was evident in my disassembly of the reel's line roller during its individual review.
G.Loomis is owned by Shimano, but the Exist actually matches the 820S DSR GLX better than the Stella.
The bearings are not a performance gain, but more of an important long term corrosion protection strategy. Yes it is based on faith that they will do what they're supposed to, but like my long term faith in Shimano's use of brass alloy gearing versus aluminum, I'm banking on the fact the MagSeal bearings really do work. Advantage : Daiwa
MagSeal bearings is a tech advantage for Daiwa.
So in the end it didn't come down to just a call on the reel bags. Our Daiwa Exist LT had the advantage over our Stella FJ in four of six discussion points. Otherwise, both reels are manufactured in Japan. Both reels feature bearings on the line roller, nestled within the spool, under the spool, have drag knobs with a rubber gasket beneath to prevent water from getting into the metal and felt drag washer stacks, feature magnesium frames, have sick styling, and are outrageously priced.
In the end, Shimano's advantage is engineering...
If I had to summarize, it really came down to Shimano's engineering versus Daiwa's ergonomics. Shimano's Micro-Module gearing is a proven advantage. Daiwa's MagSeal bearings are an assumed advantage. Brass gears are more durable than aluminum, but aluminum gears make your reel lighter and a lighter spinning reel makes your overall combo more sensitive. Both reels have those annoying T-Knobs, but those on the Exist are less bulky than those on the Stella.
... but Daiwa takes the win with better Ergonomics.
Despite all of the above and the four to two score in discussion points, it still does not feel as if there is a clear winner between the two reels. It felt like I reached for my Exist LT more while fishing with both on the boat all day, but when I fished the Stella FJ, I didn't want to put it down. Enough. In the end there can only be one and Daiwa's Exist LT 3000S-CXH wins this TackleTour product shootout, but...


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Effective restoration of extensive tracheal damage arising from cancer, stenosis, infection or congenital abnormalities remains an unmet clinical need in respiratory medicine. The trachea is a 10–11 cm long fibrocartilaginous tube of the lower respiratory tract, with 16–20 tracheal cartilages anterolaterally and a dynamic trachealis muscle posteriorly. Tracheal resection is commonly offered to patients suffering from short-length tracheal defects, but replacement is required when the trauma exceeds 50% of total length of the trachea in adults and 30% in children. Recently, tissue engineering (TE) has shown promise to fabricate biocompatible tissue-engineered tracheal implants for tracheal replacement and regeneration. However, its widespread use is hampered by inadequate re-epithelialisation, poor mechanical properties, insufficient revascularisation and unsatisfactory durability, leading to little success in the clinical use of tissue-engineered tracheal implants to date. Here, we describe in detail the historical attempts and the lessons learned for tracheal TE approaches by contextualising the clinical needs and essential requirements for a functional tracheal graft. TE manufacturing approaches explored to date and the clinical translation of both TE and non-TE strategies for tracheal regeneration are summarised to fully understand the big picture of tracheal TE and its impact on clinical treatment of extensive tracheal defects.
A review focusing on the state of the art and clinical translation of tissue engineering and current approaches aimed at developing tubular substitutes for tracheal regeneration and restoration https://bit.ly/37kCB5z
Tracheal damage associated with narrowing, weakening or discontinuity of the airways is often a life-threatening condition. Defects in the conducting portion of the lower respiratory tract may arise from a wide variety of pathologies or clinical conditions. In particular, there is a significant unmet clinical need in terms of treatment options for long and extensive tracheal defects [1]. Currently, short-length tracheal damage is typically corrected by thoracic surgery including tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis, although this is not advised for those defects exceeding 2 cm in children and 5 cm in adults [2]. In such cases, patients are treated using slide tracheoplasty, tracheal reconstruction and novel artificial prostheses. Several complications, however, including granulation tissue formation and weakening of the implant over time, critically endanger their performance [1, 3]. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel solutions to promote the regeneration of native tracheal tissues [4].
In light of this unmet need and the evolving initiatives to potentially solve it, this review seeks to highlight the historical attempts at tracheal replacement and how the lessons learnt have impacted and directed current tissue engineering (TE) research attempts. First, we contextualise clinical needs with an overview of relevant epidemiology and physiological characteristics of the functioning trachea and thus the design requirements of a tracheal graft. Thereafter, an overview of current repair strategies is outlined, before summarising the significant experiences of clinical trials of various technologies.
The clinical need for tracheal replacement and regeneration
Tracheal damage or dysfunction in adults is commonly caused by traumatic injury, several types of cancer and benign conditions including tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) (table 1) [2, 5–16]. Although exact case numbers are unknown and challenging to estimate, tracheobronchial injuries are reported to represent 2.5–3.2% of trauma-associated deaths and 0.5–2% of admitted trauma patients with chest and neck injuries [5, 6]. Malignant tumours affecting the airways can cause tracheal obstruction and collapse leading to the need for tracheal resection and reconstruction, including primary tracheal tumours such as squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma [9, 10]. Another pathology that can result in tracheal damage is TBM, an under-reported disease characterised by the weakening of airway walls due to softening of cartilage tissue covering the trachea and bronchi [11]. Finally, intensive care unit patients with prolonged intubation may develop laryngotracheal injuries due to endotracheal intubation procedures and tracheotomies. The incidence of post-intubation tracheal stenosis has been estimated as 6–21% of patients that underwent intubation [12, 13]. Moreover, recent studies suggest that around 10–15% of coronavirus disease 2019 patients require invasive mechanical ventilation and could develop tracheal stenosis once extubated [17].
In infants, congenital abnormalities present another unmet need for novel tracheal replacement solutions including tracheoesophageal fistulas, oesophageal atresia and birth abnormalities [14]. On the other hand, tracheal agenesis, a rarer abnormality, affects fewer than one in 50 000 births [14–16]. Airway stenosis in infants and children is more challenging to treat than in adults, as resection and anastomosis are not feasible when the defect affects more than one third of the total tracheal length (>2 cm [1]). A range of stents have been used in attempts to support such patients, including Palmaz stents and biodegradable stents with limited success [18]. Although the reported incidence of pathologies affecting the trachea might seem low, factors such as death before reaching the hospital and common symptoms similar to other diseases (such as asthma) masks the true rate at which these conditions affect patients worldwide [19]. Furthermore, this misdiagnosis often leads to a high morbidity or mortality rate. Therefore there is a significant clinical need for tracheal regeneration [20].
Replacing the trachea: an overview of its characteristics and implant design requirements
In order to develop new implants as tracheal substitutes that replicate physiological form and function, the complex biological and anatomical characteristics of the trachea must be understood, including cellular function, mechanical properties and vascularisation.
Although the tracheal structure appears to be a simple tube, in reality it is composed of challenging structural and compositional features to recapitulate. The trachea is the conducting portion of the respiratory tract, connecting the upper and lower respiratory tract, and is responsible for allowing air flow to and from the lungs, mucociliary clearance, and humidification of inspired air. It is composed of 18–22 C-shaped hyaline cartilaginous rings that comprise around 80% of the tracheal circumference and are connected by the annular ligament longitudinally, and horizontally by the trachealis muscle [1]. The innermost layer of the tracheal wall at the interface with the lumen, the mucosal layer, is formed by the respiratory epithelium and the lamina propria. The ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium is responsible for mucociliary clearance, attraction of inflammatory cells during airway injury, secretion of a wide variety of mediators and represents the first barrier against pathogens and particles during breathing [21]. Therefore, any proposed construct must be airtight and hold the potential to regenerate pseudostratified respiratory epithelium to prevent bacterial infection [22].
The fibrocartilaginous layer of the tracheobronchial region is formed by C-shaped cartilaginous rings anchored by the trachealis muscle. Tracheal hyaline cartilage is highly cellularised and predominantly composed of collagen types II–VI and contains a high content of proteoglycans. Its main function is to maintain airway patency for sufficient airflow and to withstand forces exerted during respiration [23]. In tandem, the trachealis muscle is a smooth muscle tissue responsible for avoiding airway collapse by increasing the diameter of the trachea during respiration, coughing and asthma [1, 24]. Accordingly, a scaffold for tracheal replacement must demonstrate lateral rigidity and longitudinal flexibility to withstand inspiratory and expiratory forces, particularly at the midline posterior wall, where stent fractures occur with excessive coughing [3]. It should resist forces arising from coughing, neck movements and the pressure created by the adjacent oesophagus during feeding [1]. Mismatched properties will inevitably result in graft failure and airway collapse [25]. The precise mechanical forces acting on tracheal tissues are numerous and complex to determine, as abnormal situations including forced respiration, coughing and sneezing exert variable pressures on its physical properties. Additionally, tracheal cartilage is commonly studied as a biphasic material due to the collagen-rich solid matrix and the interstitial fluid [26], but has also been assumed to have both linear and non-linear elastic behaviours [27]. Whereas the trachealis muscle has been modelled as a hyperelastic material due mostly to its non-linear mechanical properties [28], and it is stiffer longitudinally than circumferentially [1, 29]. Studies in this field are highly variable in terms of testing methods and specimen type used (table 2) [24, 27, 30–37], which causes significant challenges in understanding the mechanical properties of the native trachea in order to design potential replacement devices. However, the results from these studies can begin to form the foundation for the development of tracheal replacement constructs.
Vascularisation of the implant is a key factor that has hampered the success of tracheal grafts to date. It is a critical consideration to avoid tissue necrosis in the implant site and to support new cartilage and epithelium formation [38]. The trachea's blood supply is provided by the inferior thyroid artery forming a lateral anastomosis responsible for the formation of an intricate, wide network of small blood capillaries that provides blood supply to the respiratory epithelium and surrounding tissues [39]. This highly segmental blood supply of the trachea represents a challenge in replacement, as these small vessels do not lend themselves to easy and straightforward revascularisation. Tracheal revascularisation was a key factor in well-known failures in this field which involved the implantation of solid polymer tubes seeded with stem cells as a tracheal replacement. The cells were cultured on the scaffolds in bioreactors prior to implantation in patients but these procedures led to serious complications and death [40, 41]. This highlighted the importance of the trachea's blood supply and the need for any potential substitute graft to effectively support revascularisation to ensure graft performance and success.
In summary, due to the high complexity of the tracheobronchial region, any tubular approach aimed at regenerating tracheal tissue must be able to offer a suitable 3D environment for the formation of a respiratory epithelium and hyaline cartilage while allowing the development of a vascularised plexus to avoid necrotic tissue formation. Moreover, it should allow the infiltration of immune cells from the host immune system to avoid infection by inhaled pathogens during the regeneration of the respiratory epithelium. This significant challenge has seen the use of a wide range of strategies; the most historically significant and currently promising will be discussed at length in this review.
Tracheal replacement strategies
The first recorded attempts in tracheal resection and regeneration date back to the last decade of the nineteenth century [42–44]. After these early ground-breaking approaches, primary anastomosis was first performed in humans in 1886 [45]. Other approaches including the use of autogenous skin [46], fascial [47] and costal cartilage [48] grafts were later investigated, coupled with the first use of solid materials in prostheses [49]. The development of tubular tracheal substitutes has been further investigated using a wide variety of approaches including the use of transplanted bioprostheses [50], cadaveric tissue flaps [51], intestinal-derived tubes [52] and aortic homografts [53]. The success and shortcomings of these tracheal replacement strategies in clinical trials will be discussed at length below; however, attempts to replace long segmental tracheal defects have had limited success in long-term studies and current treatment options face substantial limitations. As a result, in recent years, research has shifted towards investigating TE approaches as a potential option to address this unmet medical need.
TE approaches
TE is primarily based on the use of a biomaterial scaffold, cells that are able to grow on the scaffold to form the replacement tissue and growth factors [54]. TE has shown promise in providing a solution for the regeneration of a range of other tissue types [55] and, as a result, TE in respiratory medicine has become more widely explored including tracheal tissue replacement. Different TE techniques have resulted in encouraging attempts at developing promising tracheal substitutes; however, a construct able to address vascularisation, mechanical stability and re-epithelialisation has not been developed to date [56–58]. Nonetheless, techniques investigated thus far have shown promise and may provide the basis for the future TE gold standard tracheal construct (figure 1). A selection of the most promising TE approaches is outlined below.
Decellularised trachea
Decellularised tracheas (DTs) have been widely explored as a TE approach for tracheal replacement due to the advantages allografts provide including the correct airtight structure and the ideal extracellular matrix (ECM) for cellular attachment and growth. Tracheal decellularisation is accomplished by subjecting harvested donor trachea tissue to repeated cycles of various detergents and enzymes over a long period of time to remove genetic material and avoid immune reactions [36, 61]. Promising results from a small number of animal studies have observed revascularisation and re-epithelialisation in certain areas of grafts, although the majority of attempts have failed as a result of graft collapse or stenosis due to an immune response [62]. Complete removal of genetic material and cellular debris is not possible with existing techniques, which is likely to trigger an adverse host response in vivo. Complete removal would result in significant damage to the tracheal tissue, compromising its integrity as a matrix for cell growth and further weakening its mechanical properties [57]. While DT approaches show promise by providing an established architecture for cellular growth, they are severely limited by long expensive processing methods and donor–recipient matching limitations [36, 63]. However, the natural architecture of DT provides an excellent base for tissue growth over synthetic materials for mechanical integrity and could be combined with other TE techniques with promising initial results [64, 65].
Electrospinning is a versatile technique that can be used with both synthetic and natural polymers to rapidly fabricate customisable multi-layered 3D constructs using a high voltage to eject the polymer of choice onto a collector plate forming nanofibrous structures [66–68]. Electrospinning has become widely used in respiratory TE applications due to its ability to produce fibrous scaffolds with a similar size-scale to native respiratory ECM using polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane (PU) [25, 66, 69–71]. Successful animal trials of different electrospun tracheal substitute materials are outlined in table 3 [72–85], although data from a number of studies have observed a more biocompatible response in cell-loaded electrospun scaffolds than in cell-free constructs [25, 69, 70]. Moreover, assessments of different material strength with this technique has typically ranged from matching the human trachea to being mechanically superior [66, 68]. Electrospinning shows promise as a potential TE technique for tracheal replacement, but long-term animal studies have been limited.
Casting of materials has been widely used in a large range of TE applications allowing better control of scaffold geometries in 3D structures and reducing variability [35]. Casting methods in TE applications usually utilise distinctive blends of hydrogels that are highly customisable and able to provide a range of biochemical compositions, architecture and mechanical properties [86]. Hydrogels have been shown to facilitate cellular infiltration and vascularisation and have been used successfully in applications such as abdominal wall reconstruction [87], skin wound healing [88] and bone regeneration [89]. Patterned 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate hydrogels were found to closely match the mechanical properties of neonatal ovine tracheas [39], while fibrin and agarose type I collagen hydrogels were proven to support growth of cultured ciliated epithelial cells and vascular networks [56]. The use of hydrogels as tracheal substitutes remains limited, but initial investigations on the basis of the requirements for tracheal substitutes have been promising although further research is needed to assure mechanical integrity and feasibility of hydrogel-based tubular constructs.
3D printing
In recent years, 3D printing (3DP) has been utilised for research purposes in the medical field as it allows for rapid fabrication of custom scaffolds for tissue replacement that can be tuned to alter properties including architecture, mechanical properties and rate of degradation [90, 91]. 3DP also facilitates the generation of complex multi-layered designs that can be personalised to meet a specific patient's trachea features [91]. The most commonly explored material in 3DP TE applications has been PCL due to its excellent mechanical properties, long-term stability and slow in vivo degradation rate. Recently, 3DP external tracheal stents made from PCL were granted United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for emergency use in paediatric surgery to correct TBM successfully [92]. Thus, the use of 3DP PCL in tracheal replacement research efforts has been widespread with studies fabricating tracheal scaffolds that display excellent resistance to compressive stresses and support cartilage tissue formation [2, 93]. However, PCL scaffolds have had very little success in animal studies due to an inflammatory response resulting in the formation of granulation tissue and stenosis [2, 94]. The use of novel materials in 3DP have been investigated, such as water-based biodegradable PU, which displayed adequate mechanical properties and supported the growth of cartilage tissue [95]. Attempts at 3DP of tracheal scaffolds with various materials to create unique tubular designs are still ongoing and have shown promising initial results but studies have been limited by single cell type approaches, poor mechanical characterisation and insufficient re-vascularisation [84].
The rise of 3DP in medical research has seen an exploration into direct cell-laden biomaterial printing, referred to as bioprinting, which holds promise in developing scaffolds that are capable of supporting multiple cell types while being reproducible and patient specific [96]. Bioprinting with cell-loaded bioinks results in poor biomechanical properties because of low bioink melting points and the resultant weak structures [93, 97]. To overcome this, studies have used dual-headed 3D printers to produce structurally strong scaffolds by combining thermoplastic polymers with hydrogels such as alginate and collagen type I hydrogel with PCL [83]. PCL has also been used in combination with sodium alginate hydrogels and when implanted in an animal model growth of ciliated respiratory cells, cartilage formation and vascularisation was observed [82]. Although bioprinting holds potential in fabricating adequate tracheal substitutes, further research is crucial to overcome cell survival outside physiological conditions during the printing process, maintaining an appropriate temperature profile as well as withstanding mechanical stress applied during bioink extrusion [96, 97].
Translation to clinical trials
Pre-clinical outcomes of tissue-engineered tracheal scaffolds
Translation into animal studies has been performed to investigate tissue-engineered tracheas with some limited success (table 3). However, many of these attempts suffer from limited follow-up time of the animals, typically 1–3 months [77, 79]. Early attempts often ended in severe inflammatory response leading to granulation and stenosis of graft or graft failure through infection [76, 78]. Maintaining airtightness and promoting vascularisation significantly adds to the survival prospects of the graft, which can be achieved through pre-implantation strategies [65, 78]. Wrapping the construct in omentum provides both a vascular network and a source of tissue to seal and maintain airtightness of the graft, thus creating a barrier to bacterial colonisation. Pre-implantation in the abdominal cavity facilitates omentum adherence to the graft and integration of the vascular network [74]. Pre-vascularisation prior to implantation has shown higher survival rate of animals, lower rates of stenosis and increased re-epithelisation [70, 82]. Furthermore, when combined with a cell seeded construct, this technique further supports cell survival and graft integration. Construct pre-seeding has also been reported to increase the survival rate of animals and there was a lack of tracheal stenosis when combining pre-seeding with chondrocytes and pre-vascularisation [70]. Moreover, the inclusion of pre-seeded epithelial cells also enhanced graft acceptance and overall implant success in conjunction with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), resulting in full epithelial coverage of the graft and no signs of distress or graft failure in all animals for 3 months occurring [82]. The longest running preclinical study to date was performed in a canine model with a 24-month follow-up using a collagen-coated nitinol frame [74]. The implant was first wrapped in omentum and implanted into the abdominal cavity for 3 weeks, after which it was implanted following a 20 mm tracheal resection with a survival rate of 80% reported over 18 months. Histological examination demonstrated stable epithelialisation in a non-stratified monolayer with no secretory glands present and no muscular regeneration, although stenosis was not observed [74]. Other studies using this approach have also observed similar results after 2 months, unfortunately longer-term follow-ups of the study were not published [65]. Several other studies in canines have been followed up to 5–12 months [72, 73].
Attempts to implant synthetic tissue-engineered grafts into humans has resulted in significant controversy and led to several fatalities [25]. Since then, further pre-clinical studies in large animal models have been conducted to better comprehend some of the root cause for these synthetic graft failures [25]. As previously highlighted, the lack of functional epithelium resulted in significant risk of infection, inflammation and/or graft encapsulation. Ongoing inflammation was present in all animals within the study leading to stenosis formation most evident at proximal and distal locations of the graft [25]. Graft seeding with MSCs was associated with delayed onset of respiratory distress showing the importance of establishing a functional epithelium prior to implantation. These in vivo attempts, although mostly short-term studies, have highlighted significant challenges that need to be addressed for a potential tracheal graft. The inclusion of a pre-seeded epithelial layer appears to mitigate bacterial colonisation and the pre-vascularisation of grafts also enhances graft acceptance and survival, however there are still concerns due to the presence of granulation tissue in some attempts.
Clinical outcome of non-TE approaches
After the limited success of early attempts at treating large tracheal defects, efforts focused on reconstructing the trachea with the use of polymer prosthesis in either solid or porous form. The Neville prosthesis, a solid prothesis manufactured using the synthetic polymer siloxane demonstrated success in animal studies but this could not be replicated in humans due to stenosis and graft failure [98–101]. This was caused by the mismatch of mechanical properties of the prosthesis in comparison to the softer surrounding tissue and erosion of adjacent blood vessels and oesophagus due to its rigidity. Furthermore, their inability to become incorporated within the surrounding tissue led to dislodgement during coughing as they become loose and obstructed the airway [49, 90, 100]. Other solid prostheses have consisted of stainless-steel wire [102], polyethylene (PE) [103], tantalum [104] and silicone coupled with a Dacron™ ring [99].
As issues with solid protheses became apparent, research shifted towards investigating porous prostheses to allow for better ingrowth of cells and tissue formation. The most promising development of porous prostheses arose in 1961 with the success of the Marlex™ mesh prothesis, a high-density PE and polypropylene, showing 16 months' graft survival and patency in an animal study [101]. However, this prosthesis performed disappointingly in humans due to stenosis and erosion of the surrounding blood vessels [105]. The Marlex prosthesis reinforced the importance of the growth of respiratory epithelium on the inner lumen to act as a protective barrier against foreign bodies in inhaled air [49, 90, 100].
Other attempts at porous protheses have included wire-enforced dermal grafts [106], stainless steel wire mesh [107], silicone with Dacron™ [98], PE [108] and silicone tubes [109], but these have had similar poor results. Current treatment options for treatment of most tracheobronchical complications have been with commercially available stents including the Ultraflex™ [110], the silicone-based self-expanding PolyFlex™ [111] from Boston Scientific, and Novatech's silicone Dunmon® and Gold Studded Stents® [112]. The use of silicone stents has been shown clinically to improve symptoms and quality of life in the vast majority of cases. Although stents have been shown to be tolerated well in the majority of cases, long-term follow-ups have highlighted serious drawbacks. Stent migration, the formation of granulation tissue, obstruction and mucus retention with infections have all been recorded in long-term studies [113–116].
Aortic allografts
Allograft transplantation for large tracheal defects has primarily focused on two donor tissue sites: tracheas and aortas. Fresh and cryopreserved aortas have been investigated as potential tracheal replacement grafts showing regenerated cartilage and respiratory epithelium in an ovine model, albeit cartilage regeneration in other animal studies has not been observed [117–119]. Nevertheless, the use of aortas as potential donor tissues for trachea replacement was first used in a clinical attempt in a 68-year-old male in 2006, which resulted in severe complications and ultimately death [120]. A cryopreserved aortic allograft was implanted in a 78-year-old male supported with a stent although no cartilage formation was observed and the patient suffered from lower forced expiratory volume [121]. These concerns were also present in another study with six patients using cryopreserved thoracic aortas that were pre-vascularised and stent-supported [122]. Serious complications arose during long-term follow-ups including blood vessels erosion, stent migration and tracheoesophageal fistulas, with no cartilage formation or respiratory epithelium observed in biopsied tissue [119]. The most extensive trial using aortic allografts involved 20 patients with a 76.9% survival rate after airway transplantation with regeneration of respiratory epithelium and cartilage formation. However, the authors highlighted the need to further assess both the efficacy and the safety of this procedure [123].
Tracheal allografts
The first successful human tracheal transplant was reported in 1979 showing no signs of rejection or any complication 9 weeks post-op; however, no long-term outcomes were ever made available [124]. Another early success in tracheal allografts was in 1990, when a one-stage tracheal transplantation was successfully conducted but needed to be supported with a stent and extensive immunosuppressive therapy. A follow-up 2 years later reported no issues [125]. Following the early successes, attempts at trachea transplantation have seen very little clinical success [53, 100]. Recent developments by Delaere et al. [40, 41, 126] saw the development of a two-step technique in which the donor trachea is revascularised in the patient's forearm before implantation [40, 41, 127]. Despite tissue necrosis being observed in some patients, the technique remains a promising approach [40, 41, 100].
Although allograft transplantation provides a great airtight analogue structurally, success with allografts has been mixed. The most successful cases used extensive immunosuppressive therapy, which isnot suitable for patients with malignant tumours, furthermore allografts have to be supported with stents due to inadequate mechanical properties and cartilage regeneration [3, 100]. However, stents have been shown to lead to granulation, erosion of adjacent tissue and blood vessels and infection. Revascularisation of allografts is therefore poor and allografts require vascularisation by implantation into a second surgical site, increasing risk of infection and hospitalisation time [33, 128]. Although the use of "traditional" organ replacement methods has had little success in tracheal replacement, previous attempts have provided insight on the requirements for a successful tracheal graft. In more recent years, research has shifted to overcoming these challenges by using TE technology.
Tracheal autografts
The use of a patient's own tissue has also been investigated clinically for tracheal transplant. This two-step surgical approach uses the patient's own cartilage, which are segments that have been harvested from their ribs [129]. These segments are inserted within a fascial skin pad, also harvested from the patient's forearm, and wrapped around a temporary silicone tube to suture together a tracheal conduit for implantation. Great care is taken to keep the radial artery and superficial and deep drainage veins of the skin pad intact to revascularise the conduit upon implantation. This technique alleviates the need for immunosuppressants by not introducing synthetic or foreign bodies within patients [129, 130]. However, due to the absence of a respiratory epithelial layer and use of autologous cartilage tissue, tracheal autografts are not suitable for all patients. Autograft transplantation is based on acceptable respiratory function and healthy cartilage tissue as secretion obstruction and cartilage fracture can cause implant failure [129, 130].
Clinical translation of TE approaches
Few TE approaches for tracheal regeneration have made it to human clinical trials, but significant findings have been demonstrated in TE that have reached this milestone (table 4). The first report of a successful case dates to 2005 [138] when a Marlex prostheses covered in type I and II porcine-derived collagen was successfully implanted and demonstrated regeneration of the respiratory epithelium. Histological examination showed the successful incorporation of the scaffold within surrounding tissues, regenerating the subglottic and tracheal epithelium and achieving optimal epithelial growth 20 months post-operation covering the implanted material. Moreover, mechanical studies confirmed the patency of the airway [138]. This technique was further employed in a wider set of patients demonstrating a well-epithelialised lumen with no apparent airway obstructions in follow-up examinations making it a promising approach to treat tracheal stenosis and malignancy [139]. The combination of this approach with growth factor delivery to enhance graft performance showing optimal regeneration in all patients was also evaluated. Addition of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to the cartilage defect, was hypothesised to improve blood vessel formation, and maintained airway patency in all patients. However, the use of bFGF may be of limited use in cases of cancer resection due to increased tumour recurrence [140].
Surgical implantation of DTs was first successfully performed in 2010. A cadaveric trachea was decellularised, implanted in the forearm of the recipient and seeded with buccal mucosa to enhance vascularisation prior to implantation [127]. This approach was further explored with four additional patients, but tracheal necrosis and poor vascularisation hampered the outcome of this clinical trial [139]. In another set of attempts, cadaveric tracheas were decellularised and pre-seeded prior to implantation with the recipient's stem cells and growth factors to ensure vascularisation of the graft and to promote chondrogenesis with mixed outcomes due to graft narrowing. However, one DT successfully restored epithelium around the damaged section with no further complications observed in a 4-year follow-up study [135–137]. Even though some of these TE approaches have demonstrated a certain degree of promise, further and more extensive follow-up studies and a wider number of patients will be needed in order to ensure this technology can become an alternative approach for tracheal restoration and regeneration.
As highlighted earlier, 3DP has emerged as a promising technique to treat tracheal defects in paediatric patients as 3D printed airway splints have been graded FDA approval recently [144]. The implantation of a 3D-printed splint to treat a severe case of TBM was first reported in 2013 [141] and, since then, has been applied to a wider set of patients reporting low general mortalities [91, 92, 142, 143]. However, implantation of 3D-printed airway splints has been mostly restricted to paediatric patients suffering from TBM. In this way, airway growth is guided during the early stages of development and leads to natural resolution of TBM. Apart from paediatric patients, there is only one reported attempt of using a 3D-printed airway splint in an adult individual with maintained airway patency 3 months after the procedure. Additionally, custom-made airway stents by a number of groups, including for example researchers at the Toulouse University Hospital and AnatomikModeling have shown promise in ongoing clinical trials. Patient-specific sacrificial moulds were 3D-printed from CT-scan images to create patient-specific tracheal prosthetics from silicone elastomer. Several patients have successfully received these implants in clinical trials, with reports of improved quality of life and no complications thus far. This personalised approach shows promise, but long-term results have not been made available as of yet [145]. Albeit early promising attempts to use 3D-printing technologies to overcome tracheal stenosis and malignancies are emerging, there is a need to extend follow-up studies to asses splint resorption as well as establish optimal designs and validated manufacturing processes in order to assure safety and efficacy during future clinical trials [146].
The first step for the successful development of a tissue-engineered trachea is a thorough characterisation of the proposed construct in terms of material performance, degradation, mechanical strength and flexibility. Moreover, the manufacturing process employed should allow where possible the manufacturing of individualised constructs to meet specific patient's needs, in addition to being anti-bacterial, anti-proliferative, anti-tussive and non-migrating [2]. One of the main limitations in tracheal TE is the lack of consistent and relevant data of airway biomechanics, lack of standardised tests to assess mechanical properties as well as a wide range of mechanical values that a potential graft should possess as seen in table 2 [147]. Therefore, a standardised procedure for assessing mechanical strength should be developed to better understand the needs of a TE graft. This standard procedure should also include the differences in tracheal biomechanics between different age-group patients as well as gender differences [27, 148].
Several scaffolds have been designed to support epithelialisation in a graft as the lining of a mature pseudostratified epithelium is needed in order to avoid stenosis, tissue outgrowth and granulation [22]. Different approaches have been investigated both in vitro and in vivo but the lack of long-term assessment and the granulation and inflammatory reaction following transplantation have hindered further translation. This highlights the need for better TE approaches that support full and functional re-epithelialisation early on in the development graft process [81, 84, 149].
Vascularisation of a tissue-engineered trachea stands as the most important challenge that needs to be overcome for TE tracheal scaffolds to translate into clinical trials. It has been widely reported that vascularisation is mandatory in order to achieve a functional graft as the lack of a vasculature formation will inevitably lead to high morbidity, poor outcomes and no benefit for the patient [41]. Although several approaches have shown promise in revascularising the implanted graft, further long-term assessment of the patients and an increased number of trials is needed to demonstrate that these approaches are suitable for tracheal regeneration and restoration [127, 128, 135, 136].
Overall, the few TE approaches to tracheal replacement that have made it to clinical trials have provided substantial insight on the necessary requirements for a graft to succeed. Due to the complexity of the trachea's anatomy, a number of challenging properties must be met collectively, and data gained from both pre-clinical and clinical trials have provided a greater understanding on the advantages and pitfalls of certain techniques and methods.
Several TE strategies have emerged during the last decade with the goal of developing a functional scaffold capable of regenerating tracheal tissues. However, clinical translation of TE technologies has been very limited and on a small scale to date. Furthermore, poor mechanical properties, insufficient vascularisation of the implanted tracheas over time and inadequate re-epithelialisation have hindered graft performance [41]. Moreover, both animal and clinical studies lack long-term assessments of graft performance, which are needed to fully assess the feasibility of the approach. Therefore, any construct being developed for tracheal regeneration must provide the required mechanical properties as well as support the formation of a respiratory epithelium and a network of vascular capillaries to avoid graft contamination, granulation and tissue necrosis.
Tracheal replacement has lately become a focus of interest for TE with the development of promising prototypes showing that epithelialisation and vascularisation of the grafts can be achieved through different procedures. Moreover, some of these TE grafts have made their way through clinical trials with promising outcomes and delivering crucial insight on the necessary properties needed for a tracheal graft to succeed. Overcoming limitations involving mechanical properties, epithelialisation and vascularisation will lead to a wider use of TE tracheal substitutes that could become a turning point in how tracheal stenosis and damage is clinically addressed.
Provenance: Submitted article, peer reviewed.
Conflict of interest: L. Soriano has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: T. Khalid has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: D. Whelan has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: N. O'Huallachain has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: K.C. Redmond has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: F.J. O'Brien has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: C. O'Leary has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: S.A. Cryan has nothing to disclose.
Support statement: The authors acknowledge the funding received for this research under the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CURAM) and the European Regional Development Fund (Grant 13/RC/2073); and by the SFI-funded AMBER centre (Grant 17/RC-PhD/3477).
- Received July 2, 2021.
- Accepted July 26, 2021.
- Copyright ©The authors 2021
This version is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence 4.0. For commercial reproduction rights and permissions contact permissions{at}ersnet.org


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here's the plan
The current state of the Space Tech Expo branding is very bland and two-dimensional while the idea of outer space as a whole is complex, intriguing and mysterious. The goal with this rebrand is to create a more lively, updated system that maintains professionalism.
Space tech expo
Held in Pasadena CA, the Space Tech Expo is a trade show event held for professionals involved in the aerospace industry. It is considered one of the largest events for showcasing space technology and its topics range from materials to engineering to the advances in new technology.
Alex King
Supplier, 51
Alex works as a mechanical
parts supplier and is looking to be an exhibitioner at the show. He will be setting up booth to market his company further and gain more connections.
Jane Smith
Engineer, 32
Jane is a full time engineer developing rockets that deploy satellites into space. On this work trip, she hopes to be introduced to new technology to advance the projects she will work on in her career.
John Cook
Astronaut, 42
John is an astronaut soon to be sent on a mission. He shows interest in this event by wanting to explore new advances in space travel. He will be attending with his company.
the rebrand
Industry medium was chosen as the base font to personalize due to its unique industrial and mechanical design. This font represents the engineering aspect behind the aerospace profession. Gill Sans as the body copy was picked for its simple legibility that balances out the boxy style that Industry displays.
The color grey compliments the industrial aspects of the field and is derived off the heavy use of machinery. The rusty orange added a good contrast to the blue and both of these colors were chosen because they aren't your typical overused space colors... talking to you black and purple.


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In today's era, online presence holds a substantial role. Going online to find out information has now become top choice rather than asking a person or opening a book. Which is probably why you are here right now. Before we get into the meaning of a sales funnel, there are a few more definitions we need to go through first.
Let's start with Facebook, most companies will have a Facebook page; if not we recommend you do in order to up your "Reach".
Reach: The total number of unique individuals who see your content online, and is more or less organic
Note; Keeping in mind that having a Facebook page and having a good amount of followers, (a ball park figure for small businesses or new companies at 200-1000 likes on Facebook) does not ensure that your "reach" number will be the same as your following because not all of your followers will go out searching to look through your content.
Impressions: The total number of times that content was delivered directly to a persons feed and they scrolled past it. Impressions will count based on content placement.
If content is shared through your friends and you find yourself scrolling past it on your feed for the 5th time, the impression count will count in 5 times.
Clicks or click-through: When users will open up content or individual products pages for more information. Or click through a hyperlink that leads them to a commercial website
Say for instance you are scrolling online at your preferred social media site and see a video for a gadget, you've scrolled past it a few times and for the 5th time you open up the video to watch it. Then press through to the link that is the online shop that sells the item you were just watching.
Conversion: The act of purchasing a product or service after seeing an add and clicking through.
Conversion is where we all want our content viewers to end up, as our customers right? Through out all the definitions explained above this leads us to the online sales funnel
Stage 1
Generating leads, this is the initial content placement and ad creation.
Stage 2
When click-through occurs to move potential customers from content to website.
Stage 3
Creating a strategy to follow up on potential customers to convert potential to current
Stage 4
The final step in customers finally making a purchase
The reason why it is called a sales funnel is simple because through out each step process, the amount of people lowers and becomes more specific. It is recommended that at the end of a set amount of time to return back to your target market and see if it matches up with the customers who made purchases to see if you can further improve your content creation.


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Apron is made of a luxurious and soft linen fabric which design allows freedom of movement. It is an esthetic, comfortable, long-lasting piece created with love and passion. We hope this apron will become an inseparable part of your kitchen and will bring a bit of magic and sparkle to your everyday cooking routine.
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Jan 30, 2022
Swiss watch brand HYT counts on liquid assets for refloat
Jan 30, 2022
The luxury Swiss watch brand HYT is looking to bounce back from bankruptcy with a new $75,000 timepiece that features a coloured liquid instead of an hour hand.
The small, independent brand, which launched in 2012, quickly developed a cult following among watch enthusiasts for its futuristic-looking fluid tube circumnavigating the dial.
However, it fell victim to the Covid-19 pandemic that derailed the Swiss watch industry in 2020, shutting down in March last year and laying off its 17 employees.
But the brand has been revived and hopes to make the most of the global rebound in demand for luxury goods as big spenders plunge back into the market.
"It's the right time," said new chief executive and creative director Davide Cerrato, the former artistic director of Rolex brand Tudor.
"Wealthy people who invest in the stock market have made an enormous amount of money over the last two years" -- and have a strong urge to spend it, he told AFP.
Furthermore, Swiss watch exports hit a record high in 2021, surpassing not only their pre-pandemic level but also the previous peak set in 2014.
'Incredible possibility'
A new company was set up in the western Swiss town of Neuchatel in June last year and Cerrato joined in July.
He first spotted the HYT brand at the Basel watch fair in 2012 and was impressed by their use of technology originally developed for the medical sector.
"Seeing this rather incredible possibility of symbiotically integrating fluid technology and beautiful mechanical watchmaking... is something that really fascinated me from the start," he recalled.
The original brand had also caught the eye of investors, including former Nestle chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.
Though its first watches cost at least 50,000 Swiss francs ($54,000, 48,000 euros), the firm raised funds to develop models at more affordable prices.
But when the pandemic hit, the company saw its sales collapse by 40 percent in 2020, when it had been expecting a 25-percent increase.
Unable to raise the five-to-10 million francs needed to stay afloat, it filed for bankruptcy, its former boss told the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
Rarity value
To relaunch it, Cerrato is moving the brand further upmarket, increasing the watchmaking complexity in order to seduce wealthy collectors looking for watches that will be seen on few wrists.
"Watch customers, collectors, connoisseurs are... looking for creativity, novelties, rarities," he said.
The brand is first launching the Hastroid model at 70,000 Swiss francs before taxes -- the "entry-level" price, according to Cerrato, followed by two more expensive timepieces that are even more technically complex.
"We reposition it on the fact that it is a unique object," said Cerrato.
"That's where independent brands come in and is what makes them successful."
But will the gamble pay off?
According to Jon Cox, an analyst at the financial services company Kepler Cheuvreux, the market for top-end watches is booming.
"Provided the product is right and there is a value proposition for consumers -- namely the price of the watch does not fall dramatically in the secondary market -- high-end brands will do well," he said.
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Fabulous Tips To Rev Up Your Mobile Advertising
Therefore, you have actually created this. You're ready to obtain into mobile advertising and marketing, right? Properly, right now is the best time. You perhaps possess a considerable amount of inquiries on effective ways to start as well as what to accomplish, but no stress, this write-up has you covered. Here are actually some suggestions that will assist you get started along with your mobile advertising ambitions.
Unfavorable feelings of your company can easily overrun online, therefore you intend to attempt to dive out in face of bad hype with a good spin. Mobile advertising and marketing gets to a great deal of folks, and factors may come to be well-known or even out of favor in a hurry. If something's becoming unpopular, repair that prior to it finds out.
Develop an application. Applications are actually programs for cell phones that engage with consumers in many different ways. They deliver very easy access to your company by means of the plan the client mounts on their phone. Create your app helpful and also proper to draw in the best attention as well as downloads off your current and also prospective clients.
Straighten your mobile advertising and marketing project along with the holiday seasons and large celebrations. Use the holidays to make your advertising initiative sparkle. Make use of the showing off celebration to your advantage. Help make an exclusive code for everybody to message for an opportunity to gain. Making use of these celebrations will definitely assist to earn your company a success.
If you're thinking about increasing bent on an other market along with a various item, are sure that you begin this attempt usually to begin with before you branch out to mobile advertising and marketing. This's visiting be really difficult to take people in from the mobile planet to your brand-new item, thus pick what received you right here and also only repeat the procedure.
Utilize an internet analytics program to track the excellence of your initiative. You will certainly manage to find out how many of your messages were in fact checked out and also the amount of were actually deleted. You should have the ability to track which information attracted much more visitor traffic to your website so you can duplicate all of them in the future.
Use your notification recipient's genuine label. Individuals prefer to think necessary and acknowledged, and including their actual name to any kind of notifications you send out will definitely give them those feelings. Making your client believe that you are personalizing information to all of them is a wonderful method making them believe thanks for visiting your organisation.
When selecting performing a mobile advertising initiative, look into just what the competition is actually carrying out, but do certainly not participate in observe the forerunner. You possess no idea regarding what their results are off possessing a blog, or a twitter account, therefore do not just obtain one due to the fact that they possess one, you effectively may be following all of them down a road to calamity.
Always keep establishing desires and keeping on your own safe, legally. After a person opts-in, or even throughout the procedure, notify all of them from just how commonly they can get text messages coming from you. Also, provide an "opt-out" choice if the information are too frequent or if they desire to steer clear of possible message costs. Constantly consist of the line, "conventional fees could use."
Right now you are so much more equipped when it relates to mobile marketing. You thought that you were ready before, well look at you, currently! Hopefully, the tips that were actually offered, gave you some guidelines that will help you get going with your mobile advertising strategy to ensure you may begin marketing like a pro.


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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is increasingly used as a therapeutic intervention for neuropsychiatric illnesses and has demonstrated efficacy for treatment of major depression. However, an unresolved question is whether a course of rTMS treatment results in effects on cognitive functioning. In this systematic review and meta-analysis we aimed to quantitatively determine whether a course of rTMS has cognitive enhancing effects. We examined cognitive outcomes from randomised, sham-controlled studies conducted in patients with neuropsychiatric conditions where rTMS was administered to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) across repeated sessions, searched from PubMed/MEDLINE and other databases up until October 2015. Thirty studies met our inclusion criteria. Cognitive outcomes were pooled and examined across the following domains: Global cognitive function, executive function, attention, working memory, processing speed, visual memory, verbal memory and visuospatial ability. Active rTMS treatment was unassociated with generalised gains across the majority of domains of cognitive functioning examined. Secondary analyses revealed a moderate sized positive effect for improved working memory in a small number of studies in patients with schizophrenia (k = 3, g = 0.507, 95 % CI = [0.183–0.831], p < .01). Therapeutic rTMS when administered to the DLPFC in patients with neuropsychiatric conditions does not result in robust cognitive enhancing effects.
|Original language
|English (US)
|Pages (from-to)
|Number of pages
|Neuropsychology Review
|Issue number
|Published - Sep 1 2016
- Cognition
- Depression
- Neuropsychiatric
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Schizophrenia
- Working memory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology


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Check out the full article here:
- The Mariners are reportedly checking out Adam Dunn and Pat Burrell as possible replacements for Raul Ibanez. Dunn would give the Mariners the big bat they need in the middle of their lineup, but the strikeouts might be a problem. Both Dunn and Burrell were not offered arbitration, making them very desirable to the rebuilding Mariners.
- The Cardinals may be gearing up for a serious run at free agent pitcher Oliver Perez. The Mets and Oliver Perez have not had too many conversations over the past couple weeks, but there is mutual interest. The Cardinals are also talking with Kerry Wood and Brian Fuentes.
- All the moves the Giants are making could be a precursor to a big push for CC Sabathia, who is from California. While Sabathia has stressed that he just wants to be happy, meaning location isn't the only thing, it would be hard to turn down returning home to a team that doesn't have any spending limits this winter. They could be the Cubs of the 2006-2007 offseason!
- Rosenthal suggests the Braves could pursue Adam Dunn, but I spoke with an industry source who said the Braves are slowly targeting outfield targets. They are preparing a five year offer for A.J. Burnett, and we could see him pull of a fast trade for an outfielder, perhaps Eric Byrnes of the Diamondbacks. Milton Bradley is an option if they go after a free agent.


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5299 NW 48th Place Ocala, FL 34482
Due to the health concerns created by Coronavirus we are offering personal 1-1 online video walkthough tours where possible.
One or more photo(s) has been virtually staged. Under Construction. Ocala's Finest Resort-Style Living! Welcome to Ocala Preserve! Enjoy a private oasis with access to Walking/Hiking/Bike Trails, Tennis and Pickleball Courts, Resort Style Pool, On-Site Restaurant, Athletic Center, The Golf Club, Clubhouse, Day Spa and Dog Park. Relax on a kayak and watch the sunrise over our beautiful lake. Unwind at the end of your day with a glass of wine on the expansive Veranda, or enjoy a Chef inspired meal at Salt and Brick restaurant. This one-story floor plan features an open concept design. The well-appointed kitchen includes a large granite island and all kitchen appliances. Off the great room is a covered lanai that extends the living space outdoors. At the rear of the home, you will find the Bedroom 1, with a spacious walk-in closet and Bathroom 1. At the front of the home, the second bedroom and den share the second bathroom. The laundry space includes a top load washer and dryer. Pictures, photographs, colors, features, and sizes are for illustration purposes only and will vary from the homes as built. Home and community information including pricing, included features, terms, availability and amenities are subject to change and prior sale at any time without notice or obligation. CRC057592.
|2 weeks ago
|Listing updated with changes from the MLS
|2 weeks ago
|Listing first seen online
Listing information is provided by Participants of the Stellar MLS. IDX information is provided exclusively for personal, non-commercial use, and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Copyright 2023, Stellar MLS.
Data last updated at: 2023-10-04 06:25 AM EDT


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February 16th, 2021 – Nina is one the many survivors of the Holocaust from the GAiN Sponsorship Program that receives financial support from German families throughout the year. She is over 90 years old and lives alone in a town of Ofakim in a tiny apartment. She has no family and no children.
With the Corona pandemic, she never leaves her place. Needless to say how happy she was to get a visit and receive a special package from her German sponsors. At a time when everyone tries to keep their distance, the only visits she has are from Helping Hand for Israel's representatives. Nina thanked the team and the sponsors for keeping in touch and for the package.
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