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Materials required
|Product or reagent
| Cat. No. (size) for Src assay
|1 μg/mL Kinase
|Prepared in Step 1.2 (Detailed assay procedure)
|5X Kinase Buffer A
|Prepared in Step 1.1 (Detailed assay procedure)
|Kinase Tracer 236
|PV5592 (25 μL in 100% DMSO)
|Eu anti-His Antibody
|PV5596 (25 μg)
|Master staurosporine dilution series
|Prepared prior to Step 1.1 (Compound serial dilutions)
Important: Prior to use, antibodies used in LanthaScreen® assays should be centrifuged at approximately 10,000 x g for 10 minutes. Pipet the solution needed for the assay carefully by aspirating from the top of the solution.
Note: The detailed protocol for Src replaces Eu-anti-His with Eu-streptavidin and biotin-anti-His. For simplicity, this protocol uses Eu-anti-His only.
Note: Antibody centrifugation is required to remove aggregates whose Tb or Eu donor signals can disrupt data analysis.
Quick reference protocol
|Binding Assay—15 μL final
|Step 1
|Add 5 μL intermediate dilution of 3X test compound.
|Step 2
|Add 5 μL of 3X kinase/3X antibody mixture.
|Step 3
|Add 5 μL of 3X tracer.
|Step 4
|Mix, cover, and read plate after 1 hour.
|Final Assay conditions
|Binding Assay
(15 μL final)
|Test compound
Dilution series
|5 nM (typical, check protocol)
|Anti-tag Antibody
|2 nM
|Buffer A
*~Kd for Src is 100 nM.
- (3.1) 3X compound: Prepare the 100X serial dilutions of compound as described in the "Things to know before starting" section. From these master dilutions of inhibitor in 100% DMSO, prepare 3X intermediate dilutions. An example using two columns of a 96-well plate is shown. The 96-well plate is used only as a convenient vessel for preparing the intermediate dilutions (Figure 12).
Intermediate dilution guide Step 1 Add 162 μL 1X Buffer A to 2 columns of a 96-well plate Step 2 Transfer 5 μL control inhibitor or test compound from 100X master dilution series stock, transfer from strip A to column 1 and strip B to column 2. Step 3 Mix, either with a plate shaker or 20 μL multichannel pipette.
- (3.2) Transfer 3X compounds to assay plate: An example using three replicates is shown. An 8-channel pipette is used to transfer 5 μL of the intermediate 3X dilution in the 96-well plate to the 384-well plates as shown in Figure 12. Columns 1, 2, and 3 of the 384-well plate are the 3 replicates. Column 1 of the intermediate stock in the 96-well plate is transferred to alternate rows of the 384-well plate: rows A, C, E, etc. Column 2 of the intermediate stock is transferred to rows B, D, F, etc of the 384-well plate. A 16-point dilution series is created.
- (3.3) Positive controls: Add 5 μL of the highest 3X compound concentration to each well in the top half of column 4 (rows A–H, see Figure 13).
- (3.4) Negative controls: Prepare a 3% solution of DMSO by adding 6 μL of DMSO to 194 μL of 1X Kinase Buffer A. Add 5 μL to each well in the bottom half of column 4 (rows I–P, see Figure 13). The final concentration of DMSO in all of the wells should be 1%.
- (3.5) 3X Tracer: Prepare 1 mL tracer solution in 1X Kinase Buffer A at 3X the desired final assay concentration. In the Src example, the detailed protocol states that the Kd for Tracer 236 was determined to be 178 nM, and a tracer concentration of 100 nM was chosen for the experiment. Under these conditions, a high Z'-factor of 0.72 was obtained while keeping the tracer concentration close to the Kd value. Tracer 236 is supplied at 50 μM.
To prepare 3X Tracer 236:
Stock: 50 μM = 50,000 nM
1X tracer = 100 nM (from detailed protocol)
3X tracer = 300 nM
Sample calculation for 1,000 μL:
V1 x
C1 = V2 x
C2 [Initial] [Final 3X] Tracer 236 V1 x ____nM = 1000 μL x ____nM
V1 = _____ μL
Note: protocols
- (3.6) 3X Kinase/3X Antibody: Prepare 3X kinase/3X antibody solution at 15 nM kinase and 6 nM antibody. In the Src example, the kinase is supplied at 0.58 mg/mL and the Eu-anti-His antibody is supplied at 0.25 mg/mL, or 1,700 nM. The kinase concentration needs to be converted from mg/mL to nM. The molecular weight for each kinase can be found on its COA.
Src has a molecular weight of 62.3 kDa; therefore, 62.3 μg = 1 nmol.
0.58 mg x 1,000 μg x 1 nmol x 1,000 mL = 9,300 nmol = 9,300 nM
- (3.6) 3X Kinase/3X Antibody: Prepare 3X kinase/3X antibody solution at 15 nM kinase and 6 nM antibody. In the Src example, the kinase is supplied at 0.58 mg/mL and the Eu-anti-His antibody is supplied at 0.25 mg/mL, or 1,700 nM. The kinase concentration needs to be converted from mg/mL to nM. The molecular weight for each kinase can be found on its COA.
- (3.7) Assay plate setup: Add 5 μL of 3X kinase/3X antibody solution and 5 μL of 3X tracer solution to each well of the assay plate (plate already contains compounds or DMSO control as shown in steps 3.2–3.4) and mix briefly, either by pipette or on a plate shaker.
- (3.8) Cover and incubate the plate at room temperature for 60 minutes and read.
Start time_____
- (3.9) Analyze the data: Divide the acceptor/tracer emission (665 nM) by the antibody/donor emission (615 nM) to calculate the TR-FRET emission ratio. Plot the TR-FRET ratio against the log of the test compound concentration and fit to a sigmoidal dose-response curve with a variable slope. Calculate the EC50 concentration from the curve. This is equal to the IC50 value for the inhibitor. Representative data for a set of well-characterized kinase inhibitors are presented in Figure 14.
To prepare 1,500 μL:
V1 x C1 = V2 x C2 [Initial] [Final 3X] Kinase
V1 x 9,300 nM = 1,500 μL x 15 nM
V1 = 2.4 μL Antibody V1 x 1,700 nM = 1,500 μL x 6 nM V1 = 5.3 μL
Your calculations:
mg 1,000 μg nmol
nmol 1,000 mL nmol __nM
V1 x C1 = V2 x C2 [Initial] [Final 3X] Kinase
V1 x ___ nM = 1,500 μL x 15 nM
V1 = __ μL Antibody V1 x ___ nM = 1,500 μL x 6 nM V1 = __ μL
- (3.10) Calculate the Z'-factor: Using the equation from Zhang et al., calculate the Z'-factor using your negative and positive control wells in column 4.
Z'-factor = 1 – 3 * (σp + σn)
μp – μn
where σp = standard deviation of the positive control wells
σn = standard deviation of the negative control wells
μp = mean of the positive control wells
μn = mean of the negative control wells
- (3.11) Assess the data quality: Assays are qualified by the IC50 of the control inhibitor
and by the statistical significance of the assay window as measured by a parameter
known as the Z'-factor. An assay is passing if the IC50 of the control inhibitor is
within ±½ log and is generally considered robust if Z'-factor on the assay window is
greater than 0.5.
|1X tracer =100nM
|3X tracer = 300 nM
| x
| x
|[Final 3X]
|Tracer 236
|1000 μL
|V1 = 6 μL
Your calculations:
Understanding the Z'-factor
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LT129 1-Jan-2010


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Rohm Group
Digital Power (Powervation)
ROHM delivers energy-efficient solutions for power systems used in Networking, Storage and Computing applications. The company's digital power IC technology brings fully automatic adaptive control to DC/DC conversion for the first time in a reliable package that reduces design complexity and cost, increases power-supply performance and accelerates time to market.
Digital DC/DC Controllers
The Powervation digital architecture for digital power management solutions is a multi-processor system on chip (SoC) which consist of an ultra-lean proprietary dual core (DSP and RISC processor), both RAM and non-volatile memory (NVM), power conversion blocks, SMBus serial interface and DSS®, analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and timing sources (oscillator and phase lock loop).
This mixed-signal digital power management controller, with its onboard processing power and memory, combines power management and mixed-signal functions, and is able to store and run computational algorithms in firmware. The architecture also allows the digital controllers to be extremely flexible in their configuration, and for users to easily store (in memory) a large number of parameters used in the design of switch mode power supplies – thus maximizing configuration flexibility while eliminating external components.

subset: commoncrawl


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The LEGO Movie. Photo: Warner Bros
Everything is awesome for The LEGO Movie. It received rave reviews from critics and has topped the box office two weekends in a row, to the point that it has already grossed over $200 million worldwide. Not surprisingly, it was given a sequel (The LEGO Movie 2: Just LEGO With It?), which Warner Bros. announced today will come out on May 26, 2017, giving it a higher profile summer opening. Three years seems like a long time to wait, if only the movie had a tie-in to a toy, with which one could kill time.


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Tanks are made of polished stainless steel with the thickness of 2 mm. The bottom is conical, what allows to complete the draining. A ball valve 2" is placed in the bottom. Tanks have a reinforced stand made of stainless steel and a stainless cover.
This product is no longer in stock
Availability date: 2015-02-20


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There's a lot of colour going on in this Fire Girl cross stitch by Sintel16 on deviantArt – I like it! She's hot!
Mr X
The Kingpin of Contemporary Embroidery. Committed to changing the way the world thinks about needlecraft.
Latest posts by Mr X
- NSFW Saturday – Katie Commodore - 13 April 2019
- Trying to find Modern Cross Stitch? - 11 April 2019
- Craftster Pick of the Month – The Rainbow Sloth - 2 April 2019


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Greater Manchester Police have developed two iPhone and Android apps.
|GMP's iPhone app was launched in January 2013 and was the first UK police force to have geo-location features. A new version was released in April 2015, allowing users to receive push notifications tailored to their preferences.
|GMP's Android app was launched in August 2013 and was the first Android app launched by a UK police force. A new version is in development.
|Both the iPhone and Android apps help give you quick access to policing services in your location.
New iPhone app features
- Updated for use with iPhone 5 and 6 models.
- Users can receive push notifications, alerting them to major incidents or urgent appeals. The user will have the option to set their push notification preferences so that they can limit their alerts to cover certain divisions.
- A campaigns section where people can keep up to date with the latest campaigns and a refuge & support section which provides a list of local support centre addresses and contact details.
- Improvements have been made to the existing 'Around You' map feature so now the user can filter what kind of nearby event or appeals they want to appear on the map.
The app also provides access to information about the nearest police station and neighbourhood policing teams, contact details and meetings. The easy to use intelligence submission section allows people to report non-urgent intelligence information.
The iPhone and Android apps both use your location to help:
- Find your closest police station, its opening hours and contact details
- Find your closest neighbourhood policing team, local officers and policing priorities
- See what's happening around you, including wanted appeals, missing people and local people
- Quickly access news and appeals from the GMP website
- Access all GMP social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr
Note: 'Around you' map data indicates the general area in which an incident has taken place, not an exact location.
Check out How to Use the GMP iPhone App by Greater Manchester Police on Snapguide.
The GMP Museum iPhone and Android app
Take a walk into Manchester's past with the official application for the Greater Manchester Police Museum. Our audio guide will help enrich your visiting experience to the Museum, a historic building in the heart of Manchester's Northern Quarter. The app features:
- Audio guides to accompany your visit to the key galleries in the museum
- Historic photographs of policing from the first bobbies on the beat
- A guide to photographic opportunities - take your picture behind the original riot gates, in the dock or with police uniform through the ages and share it on social media through the app.
- Information about how to find out about your ancestors with our Archive Service.
There are approxiamately 5,000 items in our collection, dating from the early 1800s to the present day, detailing a social history of Manchester as well as the police. There are Victorian cells, the original charge office and a reconstructed court room from the 1890s. Come and visit and slice of Manchester history.


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Gimme Some Mo: A List Of The 12 Cities Where Parents Spoil Their Children The Most
All these toddlers and their damn tiaras…SMH
A Gallery Of Cities Where Children Are The Most Spoiled
Ever known a kid to walk around in ALL the latest and greatest in EVERYTING without punching a single time card? Some would call these children "blessed" some would rather "bless" them out. As much as you may begrudge the kids, ultimately, the parents are the ones enabling these spoiled brats to carry on in such an entitled fashion.
According to parenting.com, the average middle-income family will spend roughly $12,000 on child-related expenses in their baby's first year of life. By age two, you can add $500+ to that figure.
Babycenter.com calculates how much your child will cost you. If you're a northeastern couple making more than 100k per year, expect to spend more than a half million dollars on your kid from birth to age 18. And that doesn't include buying expensive brand-name clothing or a $1,000 Bugaboo stroller for your little bundle of joy.
With child spending already breaking the bank for many, we wanted to find out which cities spoil their kids the most. To do so, we examined spending by households with children at stores that sell toys, clothing and other services for tots, kids, and teens. We identified all locations for which Bundle.com had a reasonable sample size, and determined the average spend by these households over the past three years. Then we ranked cities based on the percentage spend above or below the U.S. average.
Hit the flipper to see if your city is known for having silver-spoon sons and daughters.
You may be surprised at the cities that made it…
Images via Instagram/YouTube/WENN
Nashville, TN
Folks in Nashville set the tone for the U.S. average for spending on children.
Fort Worth, TX
Kids doin' it big in Fort Worth ball out about 2% more than most of the country
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Livin' the good life in South Florida gets you about 4% more then most kids.
San Diego, CA
California dreamin' at 5% more than nat'l avergae.
Los Angeles, CA
Might have thought that kids in La-La Land would top the list but at 9% above average, life is still good.
Atlanta, GA
Parents in "Tha A" spare no expense when it comes to their children at 17% above average.
Continue Slideshow
Dallas, TX
If you forgot that Dallas has LONG money, the 24% above average child spending will remind you.
Tulsa, OK
Word? Oklahoma ballin' like that? Yup. 35% above the rest.
Minneapolis, MN
It might be cold as hell, but they still spend cold hard cash. 46% more than most parents spend on their kids in fact…
Miami, FL
These kids run South Beach like no other, their parents spend 58% more on them than the rest of the U.S.
Brooklyn, NY
Hov and Bey-Bey have definitely helped contribute to this stat with the purchase of a pricey $3,500 crib and a $5,200 pink crystal-studded baby diamond bathtub for their baby Blue Ivy Carter.
Parents in BK spend 67% more than the nat'l average.
New York (Manhattan), NY
Brooklyn might be takin' it, but Manhattan is DEFINITELY makin' it.
Parents round this way spend 90% more than the U.S. nat'l average.
Must be muhfuggin nice!
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The 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media
What You Can Learn By Looking at Your
Competitors' Source Code
Coverage of
hot topics, shuffles, sound bytes, shindigs, attaboys
and word on the wire.
|FEATURE: The 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media
As the buzz
around social media continues to get louder, companies are becoming more
desperate to cash in. They're stumbling blindly into blogging,
microblogging, building new platforms and creating profiles on every
social media site they can point their mouse at. The mission is to
quickly scoop up backlinks, to attract new eyeballs and to collect
instant search engine rankings. However, when companies launch into
social media unprepared the only thing they really earn themselves is a
bad reputation as a social media spammer.
The mistakes made by companies in social media shouldn't be taken lightly. The way you present yourself in the new social Web will affect your company's overall reputation and your ability to connect with users and potential customers in the future. So what are the most common mistakes companies make when they try to jump in at the deep end of the pool?
BACK TO BASICS: What You Can Learn by Looking at Your Competitors' Source Code
Though your Web site may not rank at the top of the search engine results yet, someone's does. The search engines find those top-ranking Web pages to be the most relevant for your keywords, so those sites are, in turn, your online competitors. As with any type of competition, it helps to know who you're up against. This article lays out a list of things you can do to size up an opponent by reviewing their site and source code.
Hot Topics
Rumors of an Open Source Google Browser Emerge
On September 1, while those of us in the States were celebrating Labor Day, Philipp Lenssen broke the news about a rumored open source browser from Google. The browser was said to be named "Chrome" and was leaked when Google sent out its informational Chrome comic book earlier than anticipated. Some botched planning meant the cat was officially out of the bag.
Despite it being a holiday, word spread like a wildfire throughout the blogosphere. Eric Lander was among the first to react, diving into Philipp's post at Search Engine Journal and questioning if the browser was real. Meanwhile, TechCrunch was busy posting some of our first glimpses of the new browser, while the rest of the Internet continued to wait for Google Chrome to launch and wondered if it was all just a rumor.It's Official: Meet Chrome
Just hours after Philipp's original blog post, the search marketing industry received their answer: Chrome was real and, more importantly, it was on its way.
Monday afternoon Google updated the Official Google Blog and introduced us to Chrome, their fresh take on the browser that would launch on Sept. 2. Googler Matt Cutts liveblogged Chrome's big reveal the following day. We learned that Google was built on WebKit and that it hailed impressive new features like dynamic tabs, an incognito mode, and an Omnibox that combined a browser's address bar and search box. Google stated they believed that Chrome would add value for users and help drive innovation in the browser race.
According to Google, Chrome was birthed to make Web browsing more productive, secure, faster and more stable. Search Engine Land took a deeper look at what Chrome has to offer in 10 Key Features That Differentiate Google's Chrome From Firefox & IE.Can Chrome Compete?
Not surprisingly, there were lots of questions and expectations for Chrome right out of the gate. GigaOm called it "nice, but not a 'killer' browser", Search Engine Land asked how bright is the outlook for Chrome, the folks at DigitalPoint asked if Chrome could kill IE, and Search Engine Roundtable asked Can Google Win The Browser Wars with Google Chrome?
From there, Walt Mossberg wrote an in-depth Chrome review over at AllThingsD and CNET was there to pick apart Chrome's terms of service.
At Search Engine Journal, Ann Smarty encouraged search marketers to learn how to optimize for Google Chrome, taking a look at the SEO impacts of Chrome's tab system, how it handles error pages, and how Google Suggest will alter how users search. Bruce Clay Analyst Michael Terry added his thoughts during last week's SEM Synergy show, talking about the uniqueness of Chrome's task manager, its speed, and how it can also be used as a basic keyword density tool.
Early reviews have found that Chrome does a lot of things right but that it won't be a true competitor until it is able to give users some of the creature comforts they've grown accustomed to - like support for FireFox plug-ins. It may be too early to know what impact Chrome will inevitably have on users' browsing habits, but one thing's for sure, we're all watching.
Programming Note: The SEO Newsletter continues its monthly publishing schedule and will be published on or near the 15th of each month. Adopting the monthly publishing date allows us to maintain the integrity and authority of the newsletter, while accommodating heavier travel schedules and increasing internal demands. You'll still receive the same great SEO news and educational articles, just in a thicker, more comprehensive format.
During the past month the industry has seen Joanne Bradford leave Spot Runner for Yahoo, Pat Sexton join the team at We Build Pages, Lisa Utzschneider leave Microsoft, and Yahoos Steve Boom and Todd Teresi both resign.
In mergers, acquisitions and launches:
- Google released a new Picasa interface, bought Korean blog company TNC, teamed with NBC for a TV advertising deal, launched a new 404 widget to help site owners create custom 404 pages, opened up Ad Manager and sent Google Suggest mainstream.
- Yahoo updated the linkage data reports in Yahoo Site Explorer and opened up Yahoo Buzz to the general public.
- Microsoft released Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, improved its Live Search Local Listings Center, and acquired the market research firm Greenfield.
- Ask.com released AskKids.
- iProspect purchased search engine marketing firm Range Online Media.
- Industry print magazine Search Marketing Standard was acquired by iNET Interactive.
- TechCrunch redesigned its site.
Sound Bytes
If you like what you read in the SEO Newsletter, there's more Internet marketing expertise where that came from. Check out SEM Synergy every Wednesday at 3:00 pm Eastern and Noon Pacific on WebmasterRadio.fm. Bruce Clay and the other hosts discuss industry news, SEO tactics and marketing trends, while expert guests share their insights on methods, best practices and upcoming events. Check out the show schedule below for a look at recent shows and upcoming topics.
September 3
Dave Synder
Reputation Management
September 10
Google Chrome
Vanessa Fox
Webmaster Guidelines
September 17
Kevin Ryan
Strategy vs Tactics
Net Neutrality
September 24
Martin Bowling
Social Media Sins
Got something to say? Contact the SEM Synergy team and share your thoughts, comments and questions. You might even hear your question answered on the show.
It's time to get your pirate accents in order because this Friday, September 19, is Talk Like a Pirate Day. Once we're done walkin' the plank, BlogWorldExpo will land in the Las Vegas Convention Center on September 19-21 and The PPC Summit will be held in Los Angeles on September 25-26.
The folks behind FreshEgg will be offering an SEO Workshop in Brighton, UK on October 3. Shortly after will be SMX East in New York City on October 6-8, which boasts an impressive list of keyword speakers.
If you're going to SMX East, be sure to stick around for SEOToolSet training on the East Coast happening on October 9-10. Registration is open for both SMX and Bruce Clay's East Coast SMX training on the SMX Web site. Use the code smx20bci for a 20 percent discount on both SMX passes and SEO Training.
Later in the month, ScarySEO will take over Florida on October 24-25. If you're attending ScarySEO, make sure to track down Bruce Clay's Director of Eastern Region Operations, Chris Hart, who will be speaking on the SEO Project Management and Educating Clients panel with John Carcutt and Pamela Lund.
Programming Note: Dates for 2009 UK SEO Training are still being worked out. Keep your eyes on the Bruce Clay, Inc. blog and SEO Newsletter for details.
Google continues giving back to the community with its investment in O3b Network and recent launch of lobby Web site FreeTheAirwaves. Both ventures aim to help bring high-speed, low cost Internet to those in remote areas.
Google was voted the most satisfying company in America, while Google Maps received credit for helping Olympic Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong train and eventually win her 15 mile cycling race in Beijing.
Twitter received props from ReadWriteWeb (and the rest of the Internet) for significantly increasing their reliability. No more fail whale here.
Happy Birthday to Google! The search engine celebrated its 10th birthday this month.
Word on the Wire
The Wall Street Journal hinted that Verizon and Google may be close to signing a new mobile deal, while over at Search Engine Land Barry Schwartz sees that Google may be looking to add blog results instead of Google Sitelinks.
Meanwhile, over at SEO Book, Aaron Wall wonders who will buy Ask.com and Jeremy Schoemaker says Best of the Web is in talks to buy DMOZ.
If you
have any questions or
comments on any of the
articles above or if
you would like to
suggest topics for
future search engine optimization articles, please
contact us at Bruce Clay,
Print the full SEO Newsletter


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Not Relying On Copyright Doesn't Mean You Don't Make Money
from the sad deptCopycense recently pointed me to a really depressing post by the author David Glass, discussing his views on copyright. I found it depressing because it opened with such hope and recognition about how important remixing and sharing are to culture and creativity, and how little any of that has to do with copyright:
For centuries, people have enjoyed a shared pool of story, riffing with the same old themes, playing with each others' work. After that and after my Walkman childhood came the Internet, and fun new worlds of mash-ups and sharing, open source and Creative Commons.With such a great opening, why is the article depressing? Because it's followed by the inevitable "but..." And that "but" is that he wants to make money from his writing and the "old industry" relies on copyright, and if he wants to make money he has to play ball with their ways of thinking.
I love it all. Creativity should come from a spirit of communication, maybe cooperation, not the egotistic holding to oneself that copyright suggests. I like musicians to sample each other, and authors to reference each other, and film-makers to pastiche each other. I'm all for intertextuality and a sense of fun and play. I'm pretty much a copyleft sort of guy.
People ask to see what I've written and I have little to show them online. I want to be published and broadcast and paid for my work and I fear that sticking things on the net puts that at risk. For example, if I sell a short story to a magazine they will want first rights, and if I've put that story on the web already, there is a grey area as to whether that counts as prior publication. I play it safe and put very little of my writing up, in the hope that through conversation I can keep people interested in me anyway, in the hope that a time will come when I can send people off to read a book of mine, or hear my play on the radio.In other words, copyright isn't promoting progress at all here. Instead, it's really doing the opposite, causing this author to hide his works and hope that some old gatekeeper decides to publish it.
This is a much more mild version of an argument we've seen elsewhere. Copyright defenders, for example, like to assume that when folks like myself talk about doing things without copyright, we mean either doing things for no money or through some sort of "charitable" set up. That's simply not true, of course. We talk about all sorts of business models that let people make more money than they could have otherwise -- and we're certainly seeing that happen in the world of writing. We're hearing more and more success stories in the world of self-publishing of ebooks or using platforms like Kickstarter or testing other business models selling additional scarcities.
There are lots of business models that seem to work quite well for people who can and do connect with their fans -- and one of the best ways to connect is to get the actual writing out there and get people hungry for more and more and more. Those who are doing the math (and are fanatical about connecting with fans) are starting to argue that there's a lot more money to be made in going with some new business models -- even for those who can make a lot of money the traditional way.
Compare that to going the old gatekeeper route: you have to deal with a lot of making no money while you deal with rejections. If you get a book deal you may get an advance, but then you're unlikely to ever see much more than that, unless the book is fabulously successful. That's not to say that there aren't still roles for those gatekeepers, but relying on them solely and feeling the need to hide your works away -- especially when you recognize the overall benefit to creativity from sharing and openness -- just seems like a really depressing statement on copyright.
Filed Under: business models, copyright, david glass, writing


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Mio Kasuga is a Adult Model from Japan. She was born in Okinawa Prefecture on January 11, 1987. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2009 and is currently ranked 35835th place. She currently has 6 gallery links in her own FreeOnes section.
Our records show that Mio Kasuga is currently active which means she is still making movies, doing live shows and/or doing photo shoots.
Currently we have only a few links of Mio Kasuga. You can help us out by submitting more photos and videos links to Mio Kasuga galleries.
To submit new links please click here
No need to register!


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- Rubber sole injection molding machine
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To earn entry to a hall of fame is quite a feat. To have two from one area earn election to a hall is extra special. Lancaster County is quite fortunate for the latter in regards to the S.C. Firefighters Hall of Fame.
The Firefighters Hall inducted two fire chiefs from Lancaster County during its recent enshrinement at Myrtle Beach.
Retired Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief Paul Blackwelder and the late Elgin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dennis Cauthen were inducted during the S.C. Firefighters Association Conference in Myrtle Beach on June 4-9.
Although school has already been out for a month, summer officially starts today, June 20.
With that in mind, it's time to remind everyone – children and adults alike – to put safety first this summer.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), summer is when you are most likely to be injured, with emergency room visits spiking by about 20 percent during June, July and August.
The University of South Carolina baseball team, in recent seasons, has seemingly become a fixture in Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.
The Gamecocks are bidding for their third straight national crown after winning in 2010 and 2011.
Getting there is sweet, but it's not a given.
When you're the king of the hill, or in baseball terms, the man on the mound, it gets tougher each time. Along with that shining national championship trophy at the end of the season comes a major target on the team's back for the following campaign.
Just when Lancaster County residents thought the specter of
trash mountains was laid to rest, at least for awhile, another reared its head in the middle of Indian Land.
A growing mountain of trash at Pressley's Recycling Center Inc., was discovered in late October, after a very public battle over the proposed "Project December" landfill in southern Lancaster County and the fear that the Foxhole construction and demolition debris landfill just north of the state line would begin accepting household waste last year.
On Tuesday, June 12, registered voters across the state will be able to exercise one of the most precious privileges democracy grants us – the opportunity to determine who will represent them in their government.
In Lancaster County, there are only two races on the ballot – Republicans vying for the Lancaster County Council District 3 seat and the newly created District 7 seat in Indian Land.
You have to be impressed with Buford High School's Anthony Stephens' determination.
After a pair of sixth-place finishes in the Class AA state meet as a BHS sophomore and junior, Stephens wanted to do better.
He did, as best as he could have for at the recent Class AA state track meet in Pontiac.
Stephens posted a personal-best 48.35 to win the state title in the 400-meter run during the Class AA state track meet.
The Lancaster County School District Hall of Fame, in keeping with the tradition of honoring the work of past top educators, has added four deserving members with the 2012 class.
The elite four includes the late Peter Barry, Charles Clark, Mary Mackey Robertson and Walter Lee Tillman.
Each did plenty to promote education in Lancaster County and earn a special place in Lancaster County education history.
Take a good look at today's Graduation 2012 special section. It's full of the graduates from all four county high schools.
After their respective ceremonies today they'll toss their mortar boards high into the air as they celebrate their graduation with the friends, family, teachers and administrators who helped them along the way.
For nearly 80 years, Small's Food Center, has played a vital role in the Kershaw community.
The grocery store, which Curtis Small opened in 1933, is still going strong, thanks to Small's son, Ronnie, and their family commitment to quality over the decades.
Recently, the food center was saluted for its solid place in the Kershaw area business community.
2012 marked Ronnie Small's 50th year involved with the thriving business known for its high-quality selection of food and goods, as well as its friendly service.
In the spring of 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Wash., sought to raise money for the American Cancer Society in honor of his patients.
For 24 hours, a dedicated Klatt walked around the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
Throughout the night, his friends paid $25 each to walk or run 30 minutes with him.
He walked about 83 miles and raised $27,000 to fight cancer.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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The purpose of the articles in this series is to raise ideas about Noah, his world, the Ark, and the Flood in ways that most people have not considered before.
It's likely that Noah planned ahead to include some kind of large washing machine inside the Ark.
No results found in Thinking Outside the Box.
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


text: On Thu, 2008-09-25 at 15:20 -0400, Robert G. Brown wrote: > ...XML...The fundamental problem is (as Don said as well) that as far as I know > there ARE NO really good solutions to the problem of the representation, > encapsulation, and transmission of hierarchical data structures in a > portable and efficient way. If you know of one, please correct me (and > that isn't a sarcastic request but a serious one). I don't know if you consider them 'good solutions', but two alternatives to XML are YAML and JSON: YAML: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML http://yaml.org/ JSON: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON http://json.org/ Tod -- Tod Hagan Information Technologist AIRMAP/Climate Change Research Center Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space University of New Hampshire Durham, NH 03824 Phone: 603-862-3116


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Since launching her line in 2007, designer Wendy Nichol has gained a cult following for her chic handbags and edgy jewelry, handmade in her downtown New York atelier (Wendy's signature thing: punky studded earrings sold as singles, not pairs). Here, she gives a lesson in night-out accessorizing, just for you STF-ers!
1. Try leopard—it's the new black
2. Mix and match your earrings. Those small details will make people curious about your look
3. Invest in a clutch that can double as a makeup or jewelry bag on weekdays
4. Unexpected materials on jewelry make a big statement
I'm especially obsessed with the bucket-shape bag in leopard and the lambskin fur and gold-plated cuff, but all Wendy's pieces are beautiful. Which is your favorite here? And, remember: even if you aren't buying something new for your next big night out, take her great tips and apply to stuff you've already got in your jewelry box and closet—it's guaranteed to ramp up whatever you've got on.
*What's With All the Spam in the Comments Section?
Sick of all those annoying ads in the comments section lately? So are we! We police the site regularly and delete spam as soon as we can, but recently, the volume of spam has increased dramatically. We're working on a way to block them permanently, so please bear with us, and know that we're as eager as you are to get read of these pests. *Meanwhile, please continue to use the Report Abuse button to flag spam--it really does help!-- and continue to leave your brilliant feedback below. If you have any urgent questions about the spam, please contact us.
And a special note to you, spammers; we officially declare you a major DON'T.
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Our new STILLEN Exhaust for the Maxima is the best system available. Constructed of 100- percent mandrel bent tubing for optimal flow, and T304 polished stainless steel Tips, End Pipes, and Muffler for long life and a sharp look. The straight through Mufflers are wrapped in exclusive Italian Granite Wool for durability and responsible sound levels. Available as a high-performance Rear Section exhaust only. The end result is increased torque and power with the Full Cat-back System.


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Dear Real Estate Adviser,
Continue Reading Below
At what time is the sale of my home "cemented"? That is, when do I know I'm safe to sign the contract to purchase the new home, which I don't want to lose? When would I receive the proceeds in order to have the down payment?
-- M. Mahieu
Dear M., The "cement" is still wet until the closing ink is dry -- and the sale has cleared escrow. When that occurs, funds are typically accessible immediately, although closings over weekends and holidays have been known to delay paperwork and funding for a day or two.
By the way, the funds will be disbursed via a method designated by you, the seller, on the listing contract. Your options include a cashier's check, a trust account check from the closing company or a wire transfer to your account. That sum will be for your remaining equity in the home, of course, after all expenses and fees have been deducted.
As for the pending purchase of your next home, you can try adding a contingency to your purchase contract saying you won't close on the deal until you first sell your existing home. That tactic is more acceptable to sellers in a depressed home-sales market with few competitive bids than in a hot market. But if there's pressure from other bidders and you must act quickly to avoid losing the house to another buyer, there are ways to come up with a down payment without the funds from your sale.
But I must add that it's much safer to first secure the sale of your existing home because it's always the biggest "if" in the sell-buy scenario. The worst that could happen there is you'd be temporarily "homeless," taking up residence in a hotel, apartment or at a relative's home until you complete the purchase of the replacement home. Buying the new home first, on the other hand, could put you on the spot for paying dual mortgages much longer than you originally bargained for, particularly if your "sure thing" buyers suddenly can't qualify for a mortgage, or they find a way to break your contract to pursue a better deal -- scenarios that are all too common.
But if you truly need to buy the new home first, you could request a "rent-back" from your buyer. That's where you remain in the house temporarily and pay a monthly rent to the buyers that's roughly equivalent to their new mortgage payment, plus insurance, interest and taxes. That way you pack and move only once. Failing that, you could try to arrange a bridge loan, also called a "swing loan," to use as the down payment on your replacement home. However, these loans tend to carry strict qualification guidelines and can be much more costly than your standard equity loan, plus they're tough to get these days. Another solution is getting a home equity line of credit, or HELOC, to make your down payment. These typically run a point or two cheaper than bridge loans and don't require payment of any closing fees.
Good luck! Here's hoping your dual transaction comes off flawlessly.
Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate's Terms of Use.
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Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research
versão On-line ISSN 2219-0635
versão impressa ISSN 0030-2465
Onderstepoort j. vet. res. vol.80 no.1 Pretoria Jan. 2013
Prevalence of mastitis in dairy cows from smallholder farms in Zimbabwe
Simbarashe KatsandeI; Gift MatopeI; Masimba NdenguII; Davies M. PfukenyiII
IDepartment of Paraclinical Veterinary Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
IIDepartment of Clinical Veterinary Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of sub-clinical and clinical mastitis and the associated factors in cows from selected smallholder dairy farms in Zimbabwe. Physical examinations were conducted on all lactating cows for evidence of signs of clinical mastitis. Composite milk samples were collected from all lactating cows for bacterial culture and somatic cell counting. Cows were categorised as clinical if they exhibited clinical features of mastitis, or sub-clinical if no apparent signs were present but they had a positive bacterial isolation and a somatic cell count of at least 300 x 103 cells/mL. Farm-level factors were obtained through a structured questionnaire. The association of mastitis and animal-and herd-level factors were analysed using logistic regression. A total of 584 animals from 73 farms were tested. Overall, 21.1% (123/584) had mastitis, 16.3% (95/584) had sub-clinical mastitis and 4.8% (28/584) had clinical mastitis. Herd-level prevalence was 49.3%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (27.6%), Escherichia coli (25.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.3%), Klebsiella spp. (15.5%) and Streptococcus spp. (1.6%) were the most common isolates. In individual cows, pure dairy herds (OR = 6.3) and dairy crosses (OR = 3.1) were more likely to have mastitis compared to Mashona cows. Farms that used pre-milking teat dipping were
I: associated with reduced mastitis prevalence. Further research is needed on the prevalence of mastitis and a comparison of data for both smallholder and commercial dairy farms in all regions of Zimbabwe should be undertaken.
In Zimbabwe, smallholder dairy farming developmental programmes were initiated in 1983 (Ngongoni et al. 2006; Muchenje et al. 2007). Their contribution to national-marketed milk increased gradually from 2% in 1998 and to an estimated 5% in 2002 (Ngongoni et al. 2006). Smallholder dairy farming has the potential to increase the milk production base of the country, improve household nutrition and empower rural communities with income-generating ventures. It can assist farmers to diversify, lessen farming risks and create an opportunity for use of idle forage (Ngongoni et al. 2006).
Shortage of and poor quality fodder have been reported to be two of the major limiting factors to smallholder dairy farming in the country (Ngongoni et al. 2007). Mastitis is another major limiting factor; it is a disease of dairy cattle that causes low milk production and high economic losses (Ericsson-Unnerstad et al. 2009; Tesfaye, Regasa & Kelay 2009). Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland that is mostly caused by infectious agents, especially bacteria, but it can also be due to physical or chemical agents. Somatic cell counts (SCC) in milk are commonly used as indicators of mastitis, on the basis that an increase reflects an immune response to the presence of infection in the mammary gland (Green et al. 2008). Mastitis is associated with high SCC; this is mostly due to increased leukocyte levels, as they are involved in the removal of the infectious agents, and also exfoliated epithelial cells (Bagnicka et al. 2011). Leukocytes are responsible for destroying bacteria, and the enzymes left behind during the phagocytic process significantly reduce the shelf life of milk and milk products (Ingalls 2009). However, animals with low SCC can also have the mastitis pathogen present. Demands by consumers and processors for safe, high-quality dairy products are major factors in motivating the need for additional improvements in mastitis control in dairy herds. Mastitis could be reduced by improving milking procedures and hygiene in the herd (Karimuribo et al. 2008; Kivaria, Noordhuizen & Msami 2007). Dry cow treatment, milking technique, post-milking teat dipping and antimicrobial treatment of clinical mastitis are examples of management factors that have a significant effect on the reduction of mastitis cases and bulk tank milk SCC (Lievaart, Barkema, Hogeveen & Kremer 2009; Lievaart et al. 2009).
In Zimbabwe, there is little current information about the prevalence of mastitis, factors associated with mastitis and the bacteria mainly responsible for intra-mammary infections in the smallholder dairy sector. The only data that is available is from studies that were conducted more than a- decade ago (Perry et al 1987; Makaya, Aarestrup & Olsen 1996; Kudinha & Simango 2002). Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine (1) the individual animal- and herd-level prevalence and factors associated with mastitis and (2) the most common bacteria associated with sub-clinical and clinical mastitis in cows from smallholder dairy farms in Zimbabwe.
Materials and methods
Study sites and selection of study sites
A convenient sample of smallholder dairy farms (n = 73) in Zimbabwe was selected. Selection was based on the presence of farms that were producing and selling milk to milk-collecting centres when the study commenced, and on agro-ecological regions and locations of the areas.
The four selected smallholder dairy centers were: Dowa (18°32'S, 32°07'E) in agro-ecological region IIA; Guruve (16°20'S, 30°35'E) and Marirangwe (18°06'S, 30°48'E) both in agro-ecological region IIB; and Nharira (19°15'S, 31°15'E) in agro-ecological region III.
Study animals
Animal ownership by the smallholder dairy farmers and the demographics of cows sampled are presented in Table 1. All smallholder dairy farms in the respective study areas with at least a single lactating cow were recruited to the study. A total of 73 smallholder farmers were still operational when the study commenced. The average herd size per farm ranged from 10 to 16, with a median of 13 animals. The breeds kept by these farmers included the local indigenous Sanga type (Bos indicus) commonly known as 'Mashona', exotic dairy breeds (Bos taurus), such as Red Dane and Jersey, dairy crosses, such as Friesian, Jersey and Red Dane crosses, and beef crosses, such as Brahman, Hereford and Mashona crosses. All of the lactating cows (n = 584) on the selected farms were eligible for milk sample collection. A total of 584 lactating cows were sampled with most being the local indigenous Mashona breed (44%) and dairy crosses (43.7%), whilst a few were pure dairy (2.4%) and beef crosses (9.9%). Due to the unavailability of records, the exact ages and milk production levels of the sampled cows was not determined. However, the parity of the cow was recorded.
Assessment of milking practices
A pre-tested structured questionnaire with close-ended questions was used to collect data on milking practices and- other farm management variables thought to influence the prevalence of mastitis in smallholder dairy cows. These factors included milking procedures, milking place and frequency of milking, cleaning and drying methods of teats, source of water (open or closed source), pre-and post-milking teat dipping and milking practices for suspected mastitic cows. The questionnaire was administered through a face-to-face interview. The pre-testing of the questionnaire was carried out on a few selected farmers who farmed in one of the study areas; clarity of questions and its user friendliness was checked and later revised. The survey was carried out between November 2009 and March 2010.
Milk sample collection and clinical examination
The collection of milk samples for bacterial culture and somatic cell counting was carried out during the same period as the questionnaire survey. Teats were washed using clean running water, wiped dry with disposable paper towels and disinfected using 70% ethyl alcohol. To minimise contamination with bacteria from the skin around the teat canal, the first streams of milk were discarded. Composite quarter milk samples were collected aseptically from all lactating cows and were transported to the laboratory in cooler boxes on ice (approximately 4 °C) where milk samples were plated out and preparations for microscopic cell count commenced on the day of sampling. A thorough physical examination for evidence of clinical mastitis was conducted on all lactating cows that were sampled in this study. Clinical findings such as secretions, abnormalities of size and shape of the udder, its consistency and temperature were assessed by visual inspection and palpation. A cow was considered to have clinical mastitis if it fulfilled at least two of the clinical findings, (1) pain reaction upon palpation, (2) changes in colour and consistency of milk (blood tinged milk, watery secretions, clots, pus) and (3) change in consistency of the udder (Lakew, Tolosa & Tigre 2009). Cows that did not have clinical mastitis were tested further for sub-clinical mastitis based on culture and somatic cell counting. A cow showing no apparent clinical signs of mastitis and whose milk was macroscopically normal, but had a positive bacterial culture and SCC of at least 300 x 103 cells/mL (International Dairy Federation 1987), was regarded as positive for sub-clinical mastitis.
Laboratory tests
All the tests for bacterial culture and isolation were performed at the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Harare. Milk samples were cultured for bacteria as described by Haltia et al. (2006). All samples were plated on blood agar(Oxoid, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK), MacConkey agar (Oxoid) and Edward's agar (Oxoid) to detect most aerobic pathogens, enteric bacteria and streptococci respectively. The plates were incubated aerobically at 37 °C for up to 48 h. A milk sample was considered positive for mastitis pathogen(s) if at least a single colony of a potential pathogen was detected and positively identified by biochemical tests. Plates showing mixed and confluent growths, with no evidence of single discernible colonies, were not investigated further. Primary identification of staphylococci was based on colony morphology, catalase test, Gram-staining morphology and differentiated from micrococci on the basis of the oxidative-fermentative (OF) test carried out on semi-solid OF medium (Difco, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA). The staphylococci were also tested for production of coagulase enzyme by the tube method as described by Quinn et al. (1994). Isolates that produced Gram-positive cocci in clusters, and were catalase positive, glucose-fermentative, resistant to bacitracin and did not produce coagulase were identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). Staphylococcus aureus isolates were differentiated from other coagulase-positive staphylococci (Staphylococcus intermedius and some strains of Staphylococcus hyicus) on the basis of mannitol fermentation on mannitol salt agar (Oxoid), susceptibility to 5 µg novobiocin and 300 units of polymixin B as reported by Kudinha and Simango (2002). The enteric bacteria were identified using colony morphology, oxidase test, lactose fermentation on MacConkey agar (Oxoid), indole production test, citrate utilisation, and other standard biochemical tests as described by Quinn et al. (1994).
Somatic cell counts (SCC) were carried out in the Bacteriology Laboratory of the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Harare. The SCC were determined by using the Breed' s direct smear method; spreading 0.1 mL of milk to cover about 1 cm2 of a glass slide, drying and staining with methylene blue (Quinn et al. 1994). The somatic cells were counted microscopically over approximately 50 fields under oil immersion for each sample, and the total number of cells was recorded using a counter. The counts were converted to the total number of somatic cells per mL using the formula suggested by Quinn et al. (1994).
Data analysis
The proportion of mastitis-positive cows was calculated against the total number of animals investigated; this was based on the clinical features of mastitis (clinical mastitis), the pathogen isolated and a SCC of at least 300 x 103/mL (sub-clinical mastitis). The prevalence of mastitis in individual cows was calculated according to the study area, breed, parity and history of mastitis. A herd was denoted as positive for mastitis if at least a single animal with mastitis (either clinical or sub-clinical) was detected. The farm-level prevalence of mastitis was calculated according to the study area and milking management practices, such as the use of pre- and post-milking teat dipping, milking frequency, cleaning of teats prior to milking, use of disposable paper towels, and source of water (open or closed- source) for milking. The association between mastitis (0 = negative and 1 = positive) and categorical animal- and farm-level variables was assessed in univariable analyses using Fisher's exact X2 test. All the variables having P < 0.25 were further investigated using multivariable logistic regression analysis (Tables 3 and 4) for an association with mastitis. Due to the low numbers of mastitis-positive animals per farm (low clustering effect), an adjustment for clustering per herd was not considered critical as the logistic regression was unlikely to result in artificially low coefficients (Matope et al. 2011).
Two multivariable logistic regression models were built; one for individual animals (Table 3) and another for farm level variables (Table 4) using STATA version SE 10.0 (Stata Corp., Texas, USA). In both models, the outcome variable was the mastitis status (0 = negative and 1 = positive). The models were manually constructed by forward-selection, applying the maximum likelihood estimation procedure and statistical significance contribution of individual predictors (or group of predictors) using the likelihood ratio test
(Matope et al. 2010; Dohoo, Martin & Stryhn 2003). The presence of interaction between variables was checked by constructing a two-product term and forcing it into the model and examining the changes in the coefficients and P-values of the main effects (Matope et al. 2010). Evidence of confounding was checked by dropping one of the variables and assessing changes of the coefficients (Matope et al. 2010). Goodness-of-fit of the logistic regression models was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, whilst predictive ability was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (Dohoo et al. 2003; Matope et al. 2010).
Ethical considerations
The Ethical and the Higher Degrees Committees of the Faculty of Veterinary Science and the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, approved the use of animals and all protocols or procedures in this study. The objectives of this study were well explained to all participating smallholder dairy farmers who all expressed their consent to participating in the study. Questionnaire responses were given on a voluntary basis and respondents were permitted to withdraw their consent up to seven days before data submission. Standard operating procedures were used for the collection of milk samples and the dairy cows were supplied with adequate food and clean drinking water.
Descriptive statistics
A total of 584 animals from 73 farms were tested. Of these, 21.1% (123/584) had mastitis, with 16.3% (95/584) and 4.8% (28/584) having sub-clinical and clinical mastitis respectively. Only one cow (0.8%) with signs of clinical mastitis was negative on bacterial culture, but had a SCC > 300 x 103 cells/mL. The farm-level prevalence of mastitis was 49.3% (36/73). From the mastitis-positive cows, coagulase-- negative staphylococci (CNS) (27.7%), Escherichia coli (25.2%), S. aureus (16.3%), Klebsiella spp. (15.4%) and Streptococcus spp. (1.6%) were the most predominant isolates obtained. It was found that 3.2% had mixed pathogens (various combinations of pairs of E. coli, Klebsiella spp., CNS and Streptococcus spp.) and 9.0% had contaminated growths (Table 2). Cows with clinical mastitis were associated with E. coli (32.1%), S. aureus (21.4%), CNS (14.3%), Klebsiella spp. (10.7%), mixed E. coli and Klebsiella spp. (3.6%), contaminated growths (unidentified pathogens) (14.3%) and no bacterial isolates (3.6%).
Individual animal logistic regression model
On univariable analysis, study area, breed, parity and history of mastitis were found to have significant associations with mastitis. However, the final logistic regression model revealed that study area and breed (Mashona, pure dairy, dairy crosses and beef crosses) were independently associated with mastitis in individual cows (Table 3).
Farm level logistic regression model
Cleaning of the teats was not included in the regression model since all farmers practiced it. On univariable analysis;- post-milking teat dipping, frequency of milking, fore-milk testing, cloth use and water source were found not to be significantly associated with mastitis in herds. The final logistic regression model revealed that study areas and pre-milking teat dipping were independently associated with mastitis in herds (Table 4).
The results of the present study show that utilisation of recognised pure exotic dairy breeds, such as the Holstein, Jersey or Red Dane, in the selected smallholder dairy farms is uncommon. Instead, farmers predominantly use crosses of these dairy cattle and beef breeds (mainly Mashona) for their dairy farming. This may be reflective of either the absence of a sound breeding policy for pure exotic dairy breeds by resource-limited smallholder farmers, or preference of the local beef breeds, which are better adapted to the harsh environments and offer more resistance to diseases prevalent in these areas.
In individual cows, the prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis recorded during the present study is comparable to that reported from other smallholder farming sectors-(Harouna et al. 2009; Karimuribo et al. 2008; Kivaria, Noordhuizen & Kapaga 2004). Compared to individual milk samples, composite milk samples may be less effective for the isolation of micro-organisms due to the dilution factor from uninfected quarters. The prevalence of clinical mastitis in our study (4.8%) is within the range of other reports from smallholder dairy farms in some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Abera et al. 2011; Getahun et al. 2008; Kivaria et al. 2004). This provides further support of other studies in the region, which have concluded that sub-clinical mastitis is more prevalent than clinical mastitis (Almaw, Zerihun & Asfaw 2008; Lakew, Tolosa & Tigre 2009). This is likely to be partly influenced by virulence of the circulating bacterial strains and the levels of immunity of the cows to these pathogens. The relatively high prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis recorded in this study could possibly indicate a substantial financial loss through decreased milk production due to progressive destruction of the alveolar epithelial cells in the mammary gland (Zhao & Lacasse 2008). Mungube et al. (2005) reported a substantial loss due to subclinical mastitis; the overall financial loss for each cow per lactation was estimated to be US $78.65 (Tesfaye et al. 2009). However, most smallholder farmers are not well informed about the invisible losses from sub-clinical mastitis and do not normally recognise the condition (Mungube et al. 2004).
All of the smallholder farmers clean the teats of dairy cows with running water prior to milking, but, as observed earlier (Millogo et al. 2008), the implementation of mastitis preventive measures such as using separate drying cloths for each cow, and practicing pre- and post-milking teat dipping are noted to be infrequent amongst the farmers. A lower prevalence of both clinical and sub-clinical mastitis has been reported on farms where separate towels for teat cleaning and post-milking teat dipping were routinely practiced (Kivaria et al. 2007). Despite the fact that some of these risk factors are not found to be statistically significant in the final logistic regression model, presumably due to low sample sizes, the need to implement mastitis preventive measures such as the use of pre-milking and post-milking teat dipping cannot be overemphasised.
The isolation of CNS, S. aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and Streptococcus spp. from mastitic cows in this study supports- findings from previous studies conducted in both commercial and smallholder dairy farms in Zimbabwe (Perry et al. 1987; Makaya et al. 1996; Kudinha & Simango 2002), South Africa (Swartz, Jooste & Novello 1984) and smallholder dairy farms in other regions of Africa (Getahun et al. 2008; Lakew et al. 2009). As observed in other studies in Zimbabwe and elsewhere (Makaya et al.1996; Kudinha & Simango 2002; Petzer et al. 2009), sub-clinical mastitis is most commonly associated with CNS. This highlights the importance of the role of CNS in sub-clinical mastitis and that some of them are more pathogenic than is generally assumed. Therefore, the general mastitis-control programmes, such as dry cow-therapy, that take these pathogens into consideration will be more beneficial. In this study, environmental bacteria E. coli and Klebsiella spp. predominate over S. aureus in both sub-clinical and clinical mastitis; this is contrary to other reports where S. aureus was the most common isolate (Swartz et al. 1984; Tesfaye et al. 2009). Inadequate hygiene in the dairies in our study, especially during the rainy season when cow udders are mainly soiled due to animals lying in muddy overnight cow pens, is likely to increase the risk to infection with environmental pathogens.
Pure exotic dairy cows (OR = 6.3), cows of dairy crosses (OR = 3.1) and beef crosses (OR = 2.6) are more likely to be positive for mastitis compared to the local indigenous Mashona breed. The difference in mastitis prevalence might reflect a number of general resistance characteristic attributes of the breeds, such as udder and teat morphology. Since cows in the same study area are all under similar conditions, management factors such as grazing, kraaling, milking procedures, et cetera are unlikely to influence this breed difference. Hence, it is likely that the indigenous breeds have over the years become better adapted to regional stressors than the exotic breeds. Similarly, as in previous studies (Green et al. 2008; Harouna et al. 2009), indigenous breeds (in this instance Mashona) are found to have significantly lower SCC than exotic dairy breeds and their crosses (data not shown). Therefore, due to these breed differences in levels of SCC, the diagnosis of sub-clinical mastitis, especially in indigenous cows like Mashona, may be improved by lowering the cut-off points for SCC rather than adopting the universal criteria that were designed for high-milk producing cows.
In support of previous observations (Byarugaba et al. 2008; Getahun et al. 2008), the present study shows a progressive increase in the prevalence of mastitis with increased parity. This apparent increase in the risk of mastitis in older cows, especially after the fourth parity, could be attributed to chronic sub-clinical mastitis especially caused by host-adapted pathogens such as S. aureus (Bradley 2002). However, studies in other regions have reported higher prevalence in heifers compared to older cows; this could possibly be due to differences in management practices (McDougall et al. 2009).
Although, based on the available data, the differences in farm-level prevalence of mastitis in this study cannot be explained fully, it is likely that this can be attributed to animal husbandry practices. For instance, Marirangwe farms that keep the highest proportions of dairy crosses are associated with a higher prevalence compared to Dowa, which keep very few dairy crosses and predominantly the Mashona breed. Since the selection of the study areas was influenced by the availability of operational farms, the inclusion of more study areas across the country could have revealed differences in prevalence of mastitis according to the different agro-ecological regions. Nevertheless, considering that sub-clinical mastitis is quite prevalent and that common mastitis pathogens such as CNS, E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and S. aureus were isolated from all the study areas, the widespread of mastitis in smallholder dairy farms in Zimbabwe cannot be ruled out.
In conclusion, this study established an overall mean cow-level mastitis prevalence of 21.1%, where subclinical (16.3%) is more prevalent than clinical (4.8%) mastitis. Mastitis is found to be prevalent in all of the study areas, with a mean of 49.3%. Pure exotic dairy cows, cows of dairy crosses and beef crosses have greater odds of mastitis compared to the Mashona breed. The bacteria most commonly associated with mastitis include CNS, E. coli and Klebsiella spp. and S. aureus. At farm-level, the differences in mastitis prevalence can be related to management factors like the use of pre-milking teat dipping. Further research is needed on mastitis prevalence in all regions of Zimbabwe in both smallholder and commercial dairy farms. A comparison of data between these distinct dairy farming practices is an area of further research.
This project was sponsored by the Southern African Development Community/Implementation and Coordination of Agricultural Research and Training (SADC/ICART) programme for regional training. The authors are grateful to the smallholder farmers and veterinary laboratories who participated in the study.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors' contributions
D.M.P. (University of Zimbabwe) was the project leader responsible for study design and data analysis, G.M. (University of Zimbabwe) and M.N. (University of Zimbabwe) were co-leaders responsible for conceptual contributions and writing of the manuscript and S.K. (University of Zimbabwe) collected data and performed most of the experiments.
Abera, M., Habate, T., Aragaw, K., Asmare, K. & Sheferaw, K., 2011, 'Major causes of mastitis and associated risk factors in smallholder dairy farms in and around Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia', Tropical Animal Health and Production 44, 11751179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-0055-3, PMid:22231019 [ Links ]
Almaw, G., Zerihun, A. & Asfaw, Y., 2008, 'Bovine mastitis and its association with selected risk factors in smallholder dairy farms in and around Bahir Dar, Ethiopia', Tropical Animal Health and Production 40, 427-432. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9115-0, PMid:18575970 [ Links ]
Bagnicka, E., Winnicka, A., Jozwik, A., Rzewuska, M., Strzalkowska, N., Kosciuczuk, E. et al., 2011, 'Relationship between somatic cell counts and bacterial pathogens in goat milk', Small Ruminant Research 100(1), 72-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/'.smallrumres.2011.04.014 [ Links ]
Bradley, A.J., 2002, 'Bovine mastitis: An evolving disease', The Veterinary Journal 163, 1-13. [ Links ]
Byarugaba, D.K., Nakavuma, J.L., Vaarst, M. & Laker, C., 2008, 'Mastitis occurrence and constraints to mastitis control in smallholder dairy farming systems in Uganda', Livestock Research for Rural Development 20, 1-3. [ Links ]
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Getahun, K., Kelay, B., Bekana, M. & Lobago, F., 2008, 'Bovine mastitis and antibiotic resistance patterns in Selalle smallholder dairy farms, central Ethiopia', Tropical Animal Health and Production 40, 261-268. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9090-5, PMid:18557189 [ Links ]
Green, M.J., Bradley, A.J., Medley, G.F. & Browne, W.J., 2008, 'Cow, farm, and herd management factors in the dry period associated with raised somatic cell counts in early lactation', Journal of Dairy Science 91, 1403-1415. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0621, PMid:18349232 PMCid:2605244 [ Links ]
Haltia, L., Honkanen-Buzalski, T., Irina Spiridonova, I., Arvi, O. & Myllys, V., 2006, 'A study of bovine mastitis, milking procedures and management practices on 25 Estonian dairy herds', Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 48, 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-48-22, PMid:17118211 PMCid:1664578 [ Links ]
Harouna, A., Zecchini, M., Locatelli, C. & Scaccabarozzi, L., 2009, 'Milk hygiene and udder health in the periurban area of Hamdallaye, Niger', Tropical Animal Health and Production 41, 705-710. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-008-9257-8, PMid:19003425 [ Links ]
Ingalls, W., 2009, 'Somatic cells, mastitis and milk quality', viewed 05 July 2009, from http://www.jds.fass.org/cgi/content/full [ Links ]
International Dairy Federation, 1987, Bovine mastitis. Definition and Guidelines for Diagnosis. Bulletin 211. International Dairy Federation, Brussels, Belgium. [ Links ]
Karimuribo, E.D., Fitzpatrick, J.L., Swai, E.S. & Bell, C., 2008, 'Prevalence of subclinical mastitis and associated risk factors in smallholder dairy cows in Tanzania', Veterinary Record 163, 16-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.163.L16, PMid:18603630 [ Links ]
Kivaria, F.M., Noordhuizen, J.P.T. & Kapaga, A.M., 2004, 'Risk indicators associated with subclinical mastitis in smallholder dairy cows in Tanzania', Tropical Animal Health and Production 36, 581-592. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:TROP.0000040935.87175.bb, PMid:15560518 [ Links ]
Kivaria, F.M., Noordhuizen, J.P.T. & Msami, H.M., 2007, 'Risk factors associated with incidence rate of clinical mastitis in smallholder dairy cows in the Dar es Salaam region of Tanzania', Veterinary Journal 173, 623-629. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:TROP.0000040935.87175.bb, PMid:15560518 [ Links ]
Kudinha, T. & Simango, C. 2002, 'Prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in bovine mastitis in Zimbabwe', Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 73(2), 62-65. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v73i2.557, PMid:12240771 [ Links ]
Lakew, M., Tolosa, T. & Tigre, W., 2009, 'Prevalence and major bacterial causes of bovine mastitis in Asella, south eastern Ethiopia', Tropical Animal Health and Production 41, 1573-7438. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-009-9343-6, PMid:19333772 [ Links ]
Lievaart, J., Barkema, H.W., Hogeveen, H. & Kremer, W., 2009, 'Reliability of the bulk milk somatic cell count as an indication of average herd somatic cell count', Journal Dairy Research 76, 490-496. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0022029909990264, PMid:19758478 [ Links ]
Makaya, P.V., Aarestrup, F.M. & Olsen, J.E., 1996, 'Distribution and antibiotic resistance patterns of common mastitis pathogens (Gram-positive cocci) in selected dairy herds of three farming dairy sectors in Zimbabwe', Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal 27(2), 65-75. [ Links ]
Matope, G., Bhebhe, E., Muma, J.B., Lund, A. & Skjerve, E., 2010, 'Herd-level factors for Brucella seropositivity in cattle reared in smallholder dairy farms of Zimbabwe', Preventive Veterinary Medicine 94, 213-221. [ Links ]
Matope, G., Bhebhe, E., Muma, J.B., Lund, A. & Skjerve, E., 2011, 'Risk factors for brucella spp. Infection in smallholder household herds', Epidemiology and infection 139, 157-164. [ Links ]
McDougall, S., Parker, K.I., Heuer, C. & Compton, C.W.R., 2009, 'A review of prevention and control of heifer mastitis via non-antibiotic strategies', Veterinary Microbiology 134 (1-2), 177-185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.09.026, PMid:18986782 [ Links ]
Muchenje, V., Chimedza-Graham, R., Sikhosana, J.L.N., Assan, N., Dzama, K. & Chimonyo, M., 2007, 'Milk yield of Jersey x Nguni and Tuli F1 and F2 cows reared under small holder farming conditions', South African Journal of Animal Science 8, 7-10. [ Links ]
Mungube, E.O., Tenhagen, B.A., Kassa, T., Regassa, F., Kyule, M.N., Greine, M. et al., 2004, 'Risk factors for dairy cow mastitis in Central Highlands of Ethiopia', Tropical Animal Health and Production 36, 463-472. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:TROP.0000034999.08368.f3, PMid:15449836 [ Links ]
Mungube, E.O., Tenhagen, B.A., Regassa, F., Kyule, M.N., Shiferaw, Y., Kassa, T. et al., 2005, 'Reduced milk production in udder quarters with subclinical mastitis and associated economic loss in crossbred dairy cows in Ethiopia', Tropical Animal Health and Production 37, 503-512. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-005-7049-y, PMid:16248222 [ Links ]
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Davies Pfukenyi
PO Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant
Harare, Zimbabwe
Received: 27 Sept. 2012
Accepted: 28 Jan. 2013
Published: 28 Mar. 2013


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Muse/ique is a unique orchestra in that it likes to spread its reach beyond the typical concert conventions, taking on classical to pop and icing its performances with unexpected artists. On Saturday, the orchestra will do it again with "Lose Your Senses with Ellis Hall" at Caltech in Pasadena featuring Sefah Gospel Choir, spoken word by Sean Carroll and, of course, Ellis Hall.
The program will be conducted by Rachael Worby and include tunes from Motown and Ray Charles as well as classical and spiritual selections.
"It's a vision of Ray, Motown and beyond. It is a soul celebration," Ellis said. "Strap your seat belts on, hold on tight and just have fun, it's a roller coaster ride."
Hall, a Los Angeles resident, is a five-octave range vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and actor. He was a member of Tower of Power as well as one of The California Raisins, and has performed with artists like Kenny G., Stevie Wonder and James Taylor. He has also written and performed music for films and television shows.
Hall was born in Georgia and had piano lessons in school. He began singing on the street corner with his friends at age 8. People enjoyed them so much that they would throw money at the boys, which kept them in good supply of soda and chips. At 14, Hall sneaked into a club and saw the performers on stage and the reaction of the audience and knew that playing music was what he wanted to do.
"Having that epiphany was nothing short of magical," Hall said. "When you know your destiny, you can't ignore it. I went home and figured out how to play drums, basses, guitars, vocals — whatever it took to make it happen."
His focus on his career is all the more powerful because throughout his childhood, Hall was losing his sight due to glaucoma. He became completely blind by age 18. Hall learned to discover the fun of a challenge and to have the patience and determination to pursue his dreams.
Hall credits his success to "being the poster boy of perseverance, persistence and everything else."
"Keep walking when people tell you, 'no you can't do that,'" Hall said. "When they tell you 'no', you figure out 'how can I turn that no into a yes.'"
Hall's passion for soul music and R&B should also be taken into account.
"With soul, it's the melodies that folks can sing to and even if they don't know the song, they feel like it's so familiar to them," Hall said. "On top of that, you can dance and tap your feet. If you hold it inside, you could hurt yourself."
During Hall's concerts, he often performs tunes made big by his many Motown friends.
"Each song that I do, I try to Ellis-ize it, so it's not the normal stuff," Hall said.
But closest to his heart, he said, is music by Ray Charles. Charles signed Hall to his label, Crossover Records, in 2002. After Charles' death in 2004, Ellis created the show, "A Tribute to Ray Charles, Motown and Beyond," to honor him, during which he performs Charles' hits.
"I was a protege of Ray and signed to his label. He naturally passed his soul legacy on to me. He was sad that he didn't know about me before," Hall said.
Looking back, it seems almost destiny that the two men's lives would entwine at some point, as Hall and Charles share many similarities.
"Ray and I have so many things in common. Having had sight and lost it, also being from the lovely state of Georgia. We talked about that and the music," Hall said.
He added, however, that the two believed "there's only two kinds of music — just good and bad." Both musicians believe that genre of the song isn't important (Hall, like Charles, has played almost everything), instead what matters is the writing and the musicianship.
Song ideas come to Hall most often when he is playing guitar. He especially focuses on the lyrics, crafting them until he is satisfied, even though they are probably the hardest part of writing for him.
"I'll get my tape recorder," Hall said. "I can remember music for ages, but lyrics I'd better write down right away because it's like little chips that come to you."
He is currently signed to the H and I Music label and has been working on new album, recording at Geejam Studios in Jamaica and Sanctuary Music Vault in the United Kingdom. After "Lose Your Senses with Ellis Hall" with Muse/ique, Hall has a full touring schedule planned, which includes headlining a New Year's Eve concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.


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IPC Fair – New Delhi
Event factfile
|Date of event:
|28 November 2015
|Event ends:
|28 November 2015
Interested in studying Accounting, Finance, Information Management, Real Estate & Planning, Marketing or Business Management programme or an MBA? This event will give you the opportunity to meet with the team from Henley Business School and the wider University of Reading find out about the range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes available.
This event with IPC in New Delhi will have the Henley and University of Reading team on hand to talk you through the wide range of subject areas available to you and what you can expect to experience whilst studying with us.


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The 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2013
By Dustin Rowles | Lists | July 1, 2011 |
By Dustin Rowles | Lists | July 1, 2011 |
In a world of 24-hour news cycles, where 90 percent of cable news airtime is devoted to a presidential election a year and a half away, and where marketing flacks start hyping their studio's films before casting has even finished, I thought we'd go ahead and get a jump on the slate of movies scheduled for the year after the presidential election. Yes, it's two years away, but if 2012 is indeed the end of the planet, I'd hate to imagine that these ten tiny films aren't afforded enough online print. It's never too early to get excited about movies that haven't even begun filming, is it?
Let the hype rain down, and if we can get this train rolling, maybe we can hit the backlash point by the mid-point of 2012, so once they are finally released, we've turned the corner to the backlash's backlash.
Iron Man 3: After the relatively benign Thor and the upcoming Captain America, Joss Whedon's The Avengers will compete with The Dark Knight Rises and Superman: Man of Steel in 2012. Next summer may be the year that superhero fatigue fully sets in (if it hasn't already) and Marvel will have to follow-up an all-star superhero movie in 2013 with the franchise responsible for Marvel's good fortunes. Will it atone for the lackluster Iron Man 2? Maybe. The bad news is that Jon Favreau won't be returning as director, but the good news is that Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) will, and Robert Downey, Jr. is still a commanding presence. The hitch arises if Black has to weave an Iron Man plotline into a potential Avengers sequel. All due respect to The Avengers, but we go to an Iron Man movie to see a movie about Iron Man. Not Nick Fury.
R.I.P.D.: Hopefully by the time 2013 rolls around, Ryan Reynolds' post-Green Lantern reputation will have rebounded on the hopeful strength of Change Up and next year's Safe House with Denzell Washington (and here's hoping 2013 doesn't also see a Green Lantern sequel). R.I.P.D, based on the Peter M. Lenkov graphic novel, is about a recently slain cop (Reynolds) who joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him. It's been bouncing around in development for a few years, but Reynolds has seemingly been enthusiastic about getting it in before a possible Deadpool film. The good news is that Jeff Bridges is on board (in a role Zach Galifianaki declined) and director Robert Schwentke showed a little pizzazz in Red, though his Time Traveler's Wife was pure crap.
Oblivion: The kids aren't down with Tom Cruise anymore, but let me tell you why this project is exciting: 1) It's an original movie, 2) it's sci-fi, and 3) it comes from Joseph Kosinski, who gave us TRON: Legacy. OK, ignore that last part, and focus on the original sci-fi part. The script comes from William Monahan (The Departed) and that has to be worth something, right? What's it about? A fantasy about a former solider who is the last person left on Earth after a war with an alien race. When he encounters a crashed spacecraft with a lone survivor, the two set off on an epic adventure. I think the lone survivor is a woman, and they fall in love. As long as it's not Cameron Diaz, this movie has a shot. Right? It's one of the many intriguing sci-fi flicks on this list. Will 2013 be the year of the Sci-Fi?
Robopacalypse: Assuming that Steven Spielberg actually follows through on his promise to direct Robopacalypse, the film -- scripted by Drew Goddard and based on a Daniel H. Wilson novel -- holds immense potential. The novel is already a critical favorite, described as an Andromeda Strain for a new century. Comparisons to early Michael Crichton are aplenty. Set the not-too-distant future, Robopacalypse is about robots that have made our lives a lot easier: they help clean our kitchens, drive our cars, and fight our wars -- until they are turned into efficient murderers by a sentient artificial intelligence buried miles below the surface of Alaska. What? That sounds batshit. But, robots, murder, and Spielberg! There are hundreds of ways this could go wrong, but just as many reasons it could be one of the many great sci-fi films of 2013.
Oz: The Great and Powerful:
The world has been waiting for Hollywood has wanted to make a proper Wizard of Oz movie for years, and there are a number of them in production. This one, however, looks to be the first to get off the ground, and the cast -- and a potentially racy story -- offer some heady potential. James Franco will star as the young Wizard in this Wizard of Oz prequel (in a role vacated by Robert Downey, Jr.) and it will tell the story of Oz -- a fast-talking huckster who wears a velveteen frock coat -- and how he falls in love with Glinda (the Good Witch). The two combine forces to Fight the Evil Witches Evanora and Theodora. Mila Kunis will play Theodora, Rachel Weisz will play Evanora, and Michelle Williams is set to play Glinda. That's a great combination of talent and sex appeal. Even more promising is the fact that this will be Sam Raimi's first film since Drag Me to Hell.
Monsters University/Untitled Pixar Film/How to Train Your Dragon 2: This is the
Animated Film entry, and it looks to be a stellar year for CGI cartoons. For the first time, Pixar will have two movies in the same year, starting with the prequel to Monsters, Inc. -- which will focus on the rocky relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at the University of Fear -- and an as yet Untitled Pixar flick. We don't know the details of that one, but I'm hoping it's not another sequel (especially a Toy Story sequel that's been rumored, although a two year lead time is not really enough time to get a Pixar flick off the ground, at least under the old regime). Additionally, a lot of folks argued that How to Train Your Dragon was the best animated feature of 2010 (better than even Toy Story 3), and you won't hear complaints from me. Last year's massive sleeper hit will return in 2013 along with all the principals -- writer, director, cast -- of the first one.
The Gangster Squad: This will be director Ruben Fleischer's (Zombieland) follow-up to 30 Minutes or Less, a period movie set in the 40s and 50s that chronicles the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles. The flick is based on a super-smart seven-part LA Times article called written by Paul Lieberman, and Gangster Squad was scripted by former Los Angeles Police Officer Will Beall (a writer on "Castle"). But why is it exciting? Check out the cast: Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, and Sean Penn. That's reason enough to be excited.
The Hobbit: There and Back Again: This is a gimme, the second half of The Hobbit movie that kicks off in 2012 with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The great news is that The Hobbit will attract all of those Lord of the Rings fans, as well as the many -- like myself -- who loved The Hobbit but didn't care much for the LOTR novels (or the movies). It also has a couple of cast members going for it that the LOTR movies did not, namely Benedict Cumberbatch (Smaugh) and Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins). The bad news: There's a lot of LOTR characters in the movie that don't belong, and despite the fact that The Hobbit was shorter than any of the LOTR movies, it's being broken up into two films, which suggests that there may be the potential for a lot of bloat, a problem Peter Jackson had with the LOTR films.
Pacific Rim: Guillermo del Toro is a brilliant director, but the man spends so much time attaching his name to new projects that he never has any time to actually make a movie. He hasn't had one since Hellboy II in 2008 despite the fact that he's talked a Van Helsing remake, an At the Mountains of Madness movie, and he wants to direct Angelina Jolie in Maleficent. But for now, Pacific Rim is the only movie he has in actual production. But that's OK because, by the sound of it, we're in for one hell of a film. The cast is made of Pajiba dreams: Idris Elba (replacing Tom Cruise) and Charlie Hunnam. The story is set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, and it's about how the planet bands together and uses highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace. It has big fucking movie written all over it. We actually haven't seen del Toro take on a movie this massive a scale, but after Pan's Labyrinth, I'm willing to trust.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo: David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club) is a director that rarely lets us down (excepting The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). He, along Aaron Sorkin, turned a movie about the founding of a social network website into one of the most riveting films of 2010. He'll end this year with the much anticipated Girl with a Dragon Tattoo film, and he looks next to embark on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The rabbit in his hat this time may just be Michael Chabon, the Wonderboys and Kavalier and Clay novelist who has been tapped to adapt the script from Jules Verne's classic novel. The focus will turn on Nemo and how created his underwater vessel, the Nautilus. It is a Disney remake, but I wouldn't expect a Disney take from David Fincher; I'd expect something closer to a movie that a Trent Reznor score would feel comfortable in.
Elysium: Matt Damon. Jodie Foster. William Fichtner. Sharlto Copley. Oh, you want more? It's Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to District 9. What's it about? I have no fucking idea. And that's what's so great about Elysium. Because while there's already some details out about the nine movies above -- which won't hit theaters for another two years -- there's practically nothing available on Elysium. That's the way I'd prefer it. Maybe, like District 9, mysterious details will begin to emerge in the middle of July for an early August release. Maybe we can actually go into a theater without having every detail spoiled, without having every scene released in trailers and clips, without having movie blogs -- like this one -- examining every bit of minutia before it screens. It's a lot to ask and completely unrealistic, but wouldn't it be great if assholes like myself didn't jump all over the hype bandwagon two years too early?


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TEANECK, N.J. – New York Jets wide receiver and Teaneck native Robby Anderson was arrested Sunday, according to multiple media reports.
Anderson was fighting with security guards and police officers at a Miami music festival, and is being charged with resisting arrest with violence, and obstruction of justice, reports say.
The athlete, who was born in Fair Lawn, finished his rookie season with 42 receptions, 587 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and eight starts.
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This elegant 19th century 11 bedroom traditional villa is the centerpiece of a magnificent country estate a few minutes from the walled town of Lucca. It is surrounded by olive groves and open parkland and has a 12 x 4 metre floodlit private swimming pool and a delightful shady loggia. Each of the rooms is finished to a very high standard and the entire villa is air conditioned and has wireless internet access.
When you are on holiday you want a stress free time so your own personal concierge provides that little bit of extra luxury. Whether it be recommending and booking local restaurants before you get to your villa, making sure that your arrival is smooth organizing airport transfers and a rental car delivered to you and that the fridges are full or advising on day trips, sightseeing, shopping and beaches then your concierge is there to help.
For some people leisurely trawling of local food markets and then cooking at home is an ideal part of the holiday and our experts can advise the best places to go. If however you never want to see a food shop or market then we can organize fresh food deliveries for your arrival and during your stay, pre cooked meal deliveries or, the ultimate indulgence is your own private chef or cook as well as a waiter or butler and we have a selection of some of the best.
Sometimes just gazing at the water isn't enough. For the active we can help to organize water skiing, wake boarding, kite surfing snorkeling and diving or for those wishing to relax on a boat we can organize day charters of motor yachts or sail boats for exploring or simply people watching.
In most destinations we can organise the ultimate in pampering. Perhaps a beautician for that essential pedicure, or hairdresser for a blow dry before that special dinner. We have excellent proven service providers or we can even get them to come to your villa, perhaps even a relaxing massage by the pool. If fitness is your thing then we know the best local gyms, yoga and Pilates classes or we can organise private instructors to visit your villa.


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It is not quite a tale of rags to incredible riches – League Two players do not earn great money – but it is a heart-warming story about a young man who never gave up on a dream to play for his hometown club.
"Three years ago I was working in the Co-op, so it's days like this why you want to be a professional," Hanson said, who needed a painkilling injection in a broken toe before the second leg of a remarkable semi-final against Aston Villa, which Bradford won 4-3 on aggregate, thanks to his goal at Villa Park. "Thankfully all the hard work I've put in has paid off because this has been amazing.
"It just shows if you keep working hard then anything can happen. To score a goal to take us to Wembley is unbelievable.
"I'd thought it might never happen for me as a professional. I was just enjoying playing non-League and scoring goals. You get paid quite good money and I was working as well, it was quite a good lifestyle.
"But you always want to play as high as you can and thankfully Stuart McCall at Bradford gave me a chance and I've not looked back."
Released by Bradford as a youngster, he got a part-time job at the Co-op in Thorpe Garth, while trying to relaunch his career in the non-League game.
That journey began at Eccleshill United in Division One of the Baris Northern Counties League, before he impressed Guiseley of the Blue Square Bet North. Bradford re-signed the striker for £7,500 after he scored 46 goals in 67 games for Guiseley.
"He used to talk about playing football all the time," said Elise Taylor, a former colleague at the Co-op store he still buys his groceries in. "He was a lovely lad working part-time. He used to change the toilet rolls in the staff toilet, now he is scoring the goals that have taken Bradford to a cup final. It's a shock to think I was stacking shelves with him a couple of years ago.
"He always talked about being a professional footballer. That was his dream and now he's living it. Everybody round here is delighted he has made it. His mum and dad still live just round the corner and he still comes in to chat. He hasn't changed a bit, he's not in the least bit big-headed. The only problem is he can never get enough tickets for us."
Hanson struggled to get a run in the first team last season but Bradford's manager, Phil Parkinson, has since given him a chance and come to rely on the 25 year-old's selfless work ethic.
"He's honest and hungry, a real team player," Parkinson said. "He works so hard in terms of holding the ball up and defending from the front. He probably doesn't score enough goals for a striker and he knows it, but as he showed against Villa, if you put the ball into the area with enough quality he has the hunger and the ability to get on the end of it.
"I love his enthusiasm and his work ethic. He appreciates everything he's got now because he had to work so hard to get back into League football."
Hanson's ability stood out in non-League football. "We couldn't understand why Bradford had let him go," said Adie Towers, Guiseley's chief executive and club secretary, who has continued to speak to Hanson regularly since his return to Bradford in 2009.
"I was in charge of our academy side and he was playing for Eccleshill. He stood out straight away. We signed him and he was prolific in the two and a bit years he was here.
"There were a few League clubs looking at him, but Bradford were the only ones who made a concrete offer. We sold him for £7,500, which looks like a bargain now, doesn't it?
"I'm absolutely delighted. It's so nice to see somebody as nice as him doing well in the game."