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Have you ever wished you could spend the night, along with up to three of your favorite people, in a historical fire lookout tower in the San Juan Mountains with incredible views? The Mancos Friends of the Library once again presents an opportunity to win a night at the Jersey Jim Fire Lookout Tower! There are two nights available: Friday, Aug. 9, and Saturday, Aug. 10. Place bids now by going to www.mancosfriends.org. Bidding has already started and closes at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 6.
These nights are hard to come by and the Jersey Jim Foundation has generously donated these nights to the Friends. All proceeds benefit the Mancos Public library and its programs.
More information about the Jersey Jim Fire Lookout Tower can be found at our display in the library or call the library at 533-7600.
Here is a description of the history and what it's like inside the tower from the USDA Forest Service website:
A Room with a View
Live a little bit of history and enjoy the incredible views of the Four Corners with an overnight stay at the Jersey Jim Fire Lookout Tower. Formerly used by the U.S. Forest Service to spot wildfires, the live-in tower rises 55 feet above an aspen-lined meadow at almost 10,000 feet in elevation.
The Jersey Jim Lookout Tower is named after an early cattleman who ran Jersey cattle in the area. Today, cattle are still grazed in the area under permit. Many nearby trails were established by loggers seeking timber or by miners accessing hard-rock ore deposits in the La Plata (Spanish for silver) Mountains. Hesperus Peak, a sacred mountain to the Navajo Nation, is visible, as is Sleeping Ute Mountain of the Four Corners. The Jersey Jim Lookout Tower was home to U.S. Forest Service fire lookouts from the 1940s to 1970s. Historic log books chronicle their experiences.
The tower was renovated and saved from demolition in 1991 by the Jersey Jim Foundation, a nonprofit local volunteer organization, which operates and maintains the tower under permit with the San Juan National Forest. Rental income is earmarked for maintenance of the facility to offer this unique experience to the American public.
What to Expect
Guests should be in sufficient physical shape to negotiate five flights of stairs with 70 steps at high elevation. Some people experience a touch of vertigo ascending or descending the stairs and arriving upon the deck. Once inside the cab, or living quarters, most are at ease.
Be prepared for high-altitude weather. Summer daytime temperatures average 75 degrees but can drop as low as 40 degrees at night and during thunderstorms. Spring and fall temperatures are cooler, and snow and hail can occur even in summer. The cabin is grounded so lightning is not a danger if you are in the cab and not touching anything metal.
The one-room tower cab includes the original furniture, and propane heating and lighting. However, there is no electricity or running water.
A sink, propane refrigerator, and oven/stove are in the kitchen area. The dining table seats four, and there's a double bed, and dresser. With windows all around, views are 360 degrees.
In the middle of the cab is the historic fire finder, which early lookouts used to spot fires, and which you can use to orient yourself to surrounding landmarks. In the cabinet below are materials offering information about the tower and the area.
There is no water available at the Jersey Jim, so plan to bring your own. Water is available from a hand pump at the Transfer Campground four miles before the tower on Forest Road #561.
Services are available in the nearby town of Mancos.
How to Get There
The tower is 14 miles north of Mancos on Forest Road #561, a gravel-surface forest road accessible to two-wheel-drive vehicles. Watch for livestock and wildlife, and keep speeds under 30 miles per hour. The San Juan National Forest Recreation map is recommended for specific directions.
Popular trails on the San Juan National Forest, which are accessible from Forest Road #561, include the Sharkstooth, Gold Run, Transfer, West Mancos Canyon, Box Canyon, Chicken Creek, and Aspen Loop trails.
As you drive up, you will be following the western slope of the La Plata Mountains. At the Transfer Campground, you may want to make a stop at the West Mancos Canyon Overlook to take in the view or walk the nearby Big Al Trail, which leads to a deck overlooking the same canyon.
Because the cab and deck are 55 feet off the ground, visitors to the Jersey Jim do so at their own risk and must observe the following safety rules:
Groups occupying the tower overnight are restricted to a maximum of four persons, including at least one adult over 21.
Children under 8 years old are not allowed on the tower.
Smoking, alcoholic beverages, drugs, fireworks and firearms are not allowed in or around the towers.


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Mid-South cotton yields have been disappointing for some and surprising for others so far this harvest season.
On one hand, Louisiana producers are expected to harvest a record-average yield of 990 pounds per acre, up from 946 pounds last year, while Arkansas producers expect to harvest over 1,000 pounds per acre for the second year in a row.
But in Tennessee, hot, dry weather and lack of irrigation has knocked almost 200 pounds off last year's average yield of 945 pound per acre. USDA projected yields are down to 756 pounds per acre, and the average is expected to decline further.
The cotton crop is even worse in some neighboring states in the Southeast where the drought was extremely harsh. In Alabama, average yield is projected at 492 pounds per acre, down from 579 pounds in 2006. In South Carolina, yield is projected at 378 pounds, down from 697 pounds in 2006.
Meanwhile, yields for corn, the crop that replaced a significant percentage of cotton acres in the Mid-South this season thanks to high prices from the ethanol boom, have been impressive. In Louisiana, corn yields are now projected at 170 bushels per acre, compared to 140 bushels in 2006, while Arkansas corn yields, at 160 bushels, are a 14-bushel improvement over last year. However, drought hurt the west Tennessee corn crop where average yields are off almost 20 bushels from last year.
Somerville, Tenn., cotton producer Bob Walker was about 50 percent harvested in mid-October, and could only shake his head at the lackluster results so far. "It's been really bad. I don't think people realize how bad it's going to be this time."
Lack of rain was the primary culprit in the largely dryland area of west Tennessee, according to Walker. "We had some places that had less than 3 inches of rain prior to cutout."
Tennessee Extension cotton specialist Chris Main said while the dry weather was definitely not good for west Tennessee crops, the killer was three straight weeks of temperatures over 100 degrees. "We had run out of soil moisture going into that stretch. If a field happened to catch a thunderstorm or two in July, it fared better. But the western part of Madison County and the eastern part of Haywood, there are a lot of fields that didn't catch a rain all summer. That's picking about 200 pounds of cotton."
Main said cotton yields are likely to fall substantially below USDA's October estimate of 756 pounds, probably to within a range of 600 to 700 pounds.
Cotton acres for 2008 will likely not decline much from present levels, according to Main, although many producers are going to replace corn and early soybean ground with double-crop wheat and soybeans.
The Mississippi cotton crop also suffered from too much rain early and not enough later on, however, yields are projected by USDA at 953 pounds per acre, 124 pounds higher than 2006.
Gunnison, Miss., cotton producer Kenneth Hood cut back about 12 percent on his cotton acres this season, while increasing his corn plantings. He was rewarded with excellent corn yields of over 200 bushels per acre. Soybean yields of around 50 bushels an acre were very encouraging.
However, Hood's cotton yields have been disappointing primarily due to the beating the crop took from Mother Nature. "The year started out fairly cool in the spring. We got planted, then it turned off dry in May and June. The Good Lord made the crops for us, particularly for corn and soybeans, in July. Then it turned off dry again in August.
"We had a lot more insect pressure from plant bugs than we've ever had in cotton. And three weeks of cloudy weather in July took its toll on these cotton varieties. Even where we have a big boll load, the size of our bolls are not as big as they should be, nor are we getting bolls that are opening up big and fluffy."
Tunica, Miss., cotton producer Justin Cariker says cotton yields have been surprising. "There's no reason for it to be as good as it is, so I'm not complaining. We had probably the wettest July we've had in many years. Then we went though all this heat in late August and I was really worried about it. We went out and picked some 2.5-bale cotton. That's what we averaged on the first 1,800 acres we picked.
"We might be looking at a high micronaire, but grades have been good and staple has been extremely long. Everybody has been getting out of the cotton business, but this makes me want to stay in a little bit longer.
"Even on dryland, I feel like I can make a cotton crop," Cariker explained. "It may not be a good cotton crop, but I've seen dryland beans yield so bad I didn't even want to cut them. Beans can promise me more and turn out less than any other crop."
Cariker's experiment with corn worked out well this season, too. He dried down about 166 bushels per acre of corn on a little over 600 acres. "We had about 10 percent that was dryland and the rest was irrigated. Next year, we're going to go back with some corn in the mix."
e-mail: email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Gobohead needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 95 designs submitted by 29 freelance designers.
Backyard HD
I am a cinematographer who films commercials, reality shows, and just about anything that may be visually interesting. I look at objects and find a way to make them tasteful to the camera. At the same time I own a very large inventory of equipment that I rent to other professionals in my field. "Sabostudios" This company is just to high end for the average film maker, so I am lauching an off shoot of Sabostudios, a rental company that is "Hip", "Trendy" "Flashy" offer high tech gadgets
This rental company is targeted to the prosumer, the independent film maker, the teacher, or the dad that wants to help his kid make a video. It's more of a cross over of professional meets prosumer. Lower end equipment, trendy technology, for example: I phone steady cam, or mini dolly for your dslr, Led lighting, Solar battery backs, Flash cameras, skateboard cameras, ect.
So bottom line, it's a younger film maker who watches a lot of you tube and is on facebook all the time. They want to make that cool video with cool toys and dont want to spend a lot of money to do it.
Backyard means : local, acessable, easy to aquire
HD means : High Definition
Looking for a abstract logo, visually pleasing to the eye, invites you to look further, I love color, I love large. I do need to work the company name into the logo. I like to make people think, if they look at this logo, they need to look again and maybe again before they even know what its about, and hopefully say that is really cool and creative. It does not have to represent equipment in any way.
Tag line: Where The Professional and Prosumer Rent.....
This will be used for web promotion and website design.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Heaviest rain misses Colo. burn zones but storm strands drivers, piles hail like snow in yards
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The flood-damaged Colorado city of Manitou Springs has escaped the latest round of torrential rain without any significant flooding.
The heaviest of the Thursday evening's rain fell upstream from the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fire burn areas, preventing runoff and mudslides.
Eric Petersen of the National Weather Service says the most rain fell in an arc to the north of Colorado Springs and also to the southeast. Because of where it fell, the water drained into Fountain Creek. It can hold more water than a smaller creek that contributed to recent deadly flooding in Manitou Springs.
The storms still caused plenty of problems. Some cars and drivers were stranded when flood waters rushed over roads.
The system dumped so much hail in areas southwest of Denver snowplows were out on the streets.


text:
Welcome to the ACFE Job Board, the leading employment site serving the anti-fraud industry. Our goals are to connect anti-fraud professionals with new career opportunities and HR managers with a comprehensive solution for attracting qualified applicants. Use the links below to guide you as you begin your search.
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text:
We live-blogged all the action in stocks on Wednesday right here. A concise rundown of the regular trading session can be found in Market Snapshot.
- Sort by:
- Oldest
- Newest
- 9:40 am
- Ending the win streak?
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
Good morning.
It's mostly negative in the early going, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on pace to halt their six-session winning streaks.
The Dow rose out of the gate, but more recently it's been flat to slightly down.
Nasdaq -0.3%
Dow -0.02%
- 9:48 am
- 6-day streak facts
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
The factoid fanatics at Bespoke have presented interesting info about the S&P 500's six-day winning streaks in the current bull market, which is now in its sixth year.
"Since the bull market began in March 2009, the S&P 500 has now had 15 streaks where the index closed up on the day for six or more days in a row," says a post at Bespoke's website.
"In each of the first ten streaks, the S&P 500 traded down on the seventh day. Beginning in 2013, though, every streak of six or more trading days went on to a seventh or even eighth trading day."
- 9:53 am
- PMI misses
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
In the last few minutes, Markit said its U.S. flash PMI inched lower to 55.4 in April.
That's below expectations, with FactSet saying the consensus forecast was 56.
Stocks are moderately lower after the S&P 500 briefly turned positive just before the Markit report.
Dow -0.1%
Nasdaq -0.4%
- 10:01 am
- Fresh session lows
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
Wow, a sizable drop to fresh session lows after that report on new-home sales.
- 10:06 am
- A miss for new-home sales
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that the annualized sales pace of new single-family homes fell 14.5% to a seasonally adjusted 384,000 last month.
Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected 450,000, so that's a pretty big miss.
Ahead of this report, MarketWatch's Ruth Mantell noted:
"Rising mortgage rates and home prices, as well as low inventory and harsh weather, are likely restraining home sales, economists say. Builders themselves are pessimistic about trends for new-home sales."
Photo credit: Getty Images
- 10:10 am
- Disappointing
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
Here's one take on that soft report on new home sales.
David Ader of CRT Capital Group writes in an email:
"A much bigger than expected drop AND against the small upward revision in pure numbers that much more disappointing. We have no apologies to readily offer other than….weather? Higher prices?"
- 10:17 am
- S&P 500 down 0.2%
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
Stocks remain lower, but they've lifted up from their session lows.
Nasdaq -0.6%
Dow -0.1%
- 10:23 am
- IBB drops
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
The iShares Nasdaq Biotech ETF was last down 2.1%.
Biotech and Internet plays have led the way in this month's market slump, but they've been stabilizing in recent sessions.
Read more here.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
- 10:29 am
- Apple, FB in focus
- by Victor Reklaitis
- Add a Comment
It's game day for Apple /quotes/zigman/68270/delayed /quotes/nls/aapl AAPL and Facebook /quotes/zigman/9962609/delayed /quotes/nls/fb FB , as our Need To Know column pointed out earlier.
The tech heavyweights are reporting earnings after the bell.
Apple was last down 0.5%, while Facebook shed 1%.
Read the Need To Know column here.
- 10:37 am
- WSJ Live; Apple among stocks to watch
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Polya Lesova takes a look at which stocks traders will be watching during market action, including Apple, Boeing, and Dow Chemical. Photo: Getty.
- 11:03 am
- Softening in housing market
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
New home sales in March were disappointing and this time it may not be because of the cold weather.
Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics wrote: "Yet more evidence that housing will not be a driver of recovery this year."
March new home sales plunged 14.5% to 384K from 449K, well below the consensus, 450K. The net revision was +20K, but this is still a soft-looking report, with sales at an 8-month low.
On the face of it, terrible numbers, but remember that the margin of error in these numbers is gigantic, at +/-12.9%. Before this report the trend in sales looked more or less flat, though the softness of recent NAHB surveys suggested a risk that sales would drop even as the bad winter weather passed. Builders may have paid the price for seeking higher prices, which surged in March.
At least some rebound in sales and a drop in prices is a decent bet for April but our core view is that the housing market has stalled and won't contribute to GDP growth this year. The Fed knows housing is weak; it hasn't stopped them tapering.
- 11:20 am
- Stocks drift lower
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Trading on Wall Street in rather choppy today. Stocks are still in red.
On the S&P 500, telecoms and tech companies are leading the losses, while utilities and energy sector stocks are trading higher.
On the Dow, nearly two thirds of the companies are trading lower with the A&T and Microsoft leading the losses.
- 11:31 am
- Delta flies high
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Delta Air Lines /quotes/zigman/463579/delayed /quotes/nls/dal DAL shares are rallying 4.1%, after reporting better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter.
The company said Wednesday its first-quarter adjusted profit rose to $281 million, or 33 cents a share, beating expectations of 29 cents. Passenger revenue increased 5% in the first quarter and the airline company said it expects second-quarter operating margins of 14% to 16%.
- 11:36 am
- Boeing rises
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Boeing Co /quotes/zigman/220026/delayed /quotes/nls/ba BA is also doing well after first-quarter results beat estimates. Shares are up 2% at last check, making it the best performer on the Dow.
The aircraft maker said Wednesday its first-quarter per-share adjusted profit rose to $1.76 from $1.73 a year earlier as revenue increased to $20.47 billion from $18.89 billion, topping forecasts. Boeing said it expects between $7.15 and $7.35 in adjusted per-share earnings for the full year.
- 11:54 am
- Landesman: markets resilient
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Uri Landesman, president of Platinum Partners hedge fund, says this market has been strong and resilient in the face of risks.
"We expect markets to start going down and have a meaningful correction, 250 points or more on the S&P 500 and have been surprised how it is hanging there.
Markets are waiting for a catalyst, and once the selling begins it may be quite drastic as there are no technical levels to support it. It will be partly a regression to mean, partly high valuations and partly because of risks in the global economy."
- 12:03 pm
- 10-year yield
- by Ben Eisen
- Add a Comment
Today's slim stock market losses have been accompanied by a rally in U.S. Treasury prices, which are gaining on the back of growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as well as weak new-home sales data.
The 10-year Treasury note /quotes/zigman/4868283/delayed 10_YEAR yield, which falls as prices rise, was down 4 basis points on the day at 2.68% at noon. Read more in the Bond Report.
- 12:17 pm
- Apple, Facebook whisper numbers above estimates
- by Sue Chang
- Add a Comment
Whisper numbers for Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc., two high-profile tech companies reporting later Wednesday, are significantly higher than analysts' estimates, according to data from WhisperNumber.com.
The whisper earnings number for Apple is $10.29 a share versus $10.19 from FactSet while whispers for Facebook suggest 30 cents a share, compared with 24 cents.
Apple has a 70% positive surprise history–having topped the whisper in 44 of the 63 earnings reports for which we have data.
Facebook has a 57% positive surprise history–having topped the whisper in 4 of the 7 earnings reports for which we have data.
Whisper numbers are compiled from projections collected from traders and investors who register with the website. WhisperNumber.com claims this methodology has proven to be an accurate indicator over the past 15 years.
Shares of both companies are trading lower with Apple off 0.6% and Facebook down 2.1%.
- 12:40 pm
- Plug Power tanks ahead of secondary offering
- by Sue Chang
- Add a Comment
Plug Power Inc. skidded more than 7% on news that it is launching a secondary offering to sell about 15 million shares. The company plans to use the funds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and possible acquisitions, it said in a statement.
The deal was given a buy rating by IPO Boutique with shares likely to begin trading on Friday.
- 12:54 pm
- Add a Comment
- 12:58 pm
- Wells Fargo: Earnings are boring
- by Sue Chang
- Add a Comment
With 17% of S&P 500 companies having reported, first-quarter earnings are coming in on the modest side, barely up 3.3% on a market-capitalized basis, compared with 14.8% during the same point in fourth-quarter earnings, according to a report from Wells Fargo released on Tuesday.
"There is a tendency for earnings growth to soften as more companies report through the season. Overall, we believe the first quarter results will come in flattish."
The S&P 500 is off less than 0.1% to 1,878 in the early afternoon. The index rose 1.3% in the first quarter and is up 0.3% quarter-to-date.
- 1:20 pm
- Are stocks hitting a wall?
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Eric Zoldan, certified investment management analyst at JHS Capital Advisors, says stocks remain in a trading range with investors having few options. He sees "a choppy market, at best, going forward."
- 1:42 pm
- Stocks still in red
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
Stocks are trading off their session lows – still firmly in red, however.
SPX /quotes/zigman/3870025/realtime SPX -3 points
DJIA /quotes/zigman/627449/realtime DJIA – 11 points
COMP /quotes/zigman/12633936/realtime COMP -30 points
- 1:46 pm
- Dow Transports scale new highs
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
The Dow Jones Transportation index is defying the general trend and trading higher – in fact it is topping yesterday's record close. The top gainer in the index is Delta Air Lines, Inc – up 4.2%.
If you are interested about the Dow Theory, here is the Tell post on the subject.
Dow Transports hits record, a good sign even if Dow Theory disappoints.
- 2:17 pm
- Earnings results
- by Anora Mahmudova
- Add a Comment
The earnings season is still in full swing. About 28% of companies on the S&P 500 already reported results. About 2/3 of those beat expectation on earnings per share, while about half beat revenue estimates. As they always do.
To find out which companies are reporting today and our full coverage, check out the MarketWatch Earnings Wall.
- 2:39 pm
- Apple, Facebook in red
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
Tech giants Apple /quotes/zigman/68270/delayed /quotes/nls/aapl AAPL and Facebook /quotes/zigman/9962609/delayed /quotes/nls/fb FB are stuck in the red as they prepare to release quarterly results after the bell.
Apple -0.9%
Facebook -1.8%
- 2:40 pm
- Apple's top shareholders
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
A few Apple insiders have a lot riding on today's results.
- 2:52 pm
- Another biotech stock does well
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
Gilead Sciences /quotes/zigman/72849/delayed /quotes/nls/gild GILD isn't the only biostock with strong drug sales. Biogen Idec Inc. /quotes/zigman/91573/delayed /quotes/nls/biib BIIB reported its first-quarter profits jumped 12%, thanks to strong sales of its pill-based multiple-sclerosis treatment Tecfidera. See how much the company adjusted its earnings outlook for 2014.
- 3:02 pm
- Coach leading designer-handbag stocks
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
It seems everyone loves a designer handbag. Coach Inc. reported $5 billion in sales last year, while Michael Kors was at $2.2 billion, and Kate Spade & Co. was at $1.3 billion. In that time, Coach stock dropped 10% of its value, compared to a 72% gain by Kors and 67% jump om Kate Spade.
Despite losing some of its business to smaller rivals last year, Coach is performing better than they are at the moment.
Coach Inc. +1.3%
Kate Spade & Co. +0.1%
Michael Kors -1.7%
Photo credit: Kate Spade (left); Michael Kors (right)
- 3:11 pm
- Why Amazon-HBO deal is bad news for Netflix
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
When news hit that Amazon and Time Warner Inc.'s HBO were teaming up, Netflix stock took a dive, currently down 4.6%. Hear why Michael Pachter of Wedbush says that the addition of HBO to the Amazon Prime video lineup is a problem for Netflix.
- 3:23 pm
- Main indexes still red
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
The main indexes are still off their session lows, but remain in the red.
Dow Jones -0.06%
Nasdaq -0.7%
- 3:39 pm
- Oil down after inventories climbed
- by Kaitlyn Wells
- Add a Comment
Oil closed down 0.3% today for its lowest settlement in more than two weeks. The decline came after a U.S. government report that showed weekly crude inventories climbed to their highest level on record.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said crude stockpiles rose 3.5 million barrels for the week of April 18. Analysts were looking for a climb of 3.1 million barrels.
Read more here.
- 4:01 pm
- Buffett hasn't soured on IBM
- by William Watts
- Add a Comment
Warren Buffett denies he's soured on IBM, telling CNBC that he bought some shares earlier this year and has never unloaded a share of the tech company. IBM trimmed losses after the remarks.
Buffett also said Berkshire Hathaway abstained in the vote on Coca-Cola's controversial executive compensation plan. Buffett said he didn't like it but didn't want to give Coke management a black eye, noting that he thinks CEO Muhtar Kent and company are doing a great job overall.
Also, Buffett says he doesn't think the market is in a bubble right now.
- 4:05 pm
- Streak ends
- Add a Comment
Stocks finish lower. And that's the end of a six-day winning streak for both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. The Dow also declines, though Dow Transports manage to end at a record high for a second straight session.
S&P 500 — down 4.16, or 0.2%, to 1,875.39
DJIA — down 12.72, or 0.1%, to 16,501.65
Nasdaq — down 34.49, or 0.8%, to 4,126.97


text:
4-7/16" Height 4-7/16" Width 2-1/4" Depth Small Universal Thermostat Guard with Beige painted steel
Code: THE510D105
Price: $46.74
Quantity in Basket: None
"Tamper Proof" Small Universal Thermostat Guard with Beige painted steel cover, opaque ring base and wallplate
Enclose and protect wall thermostats against tampering, damage and unauthorized adjustment of thermostat settings.
Unique double-wall construction provides extra measure of tamper-resistance.
Used in both new and existing applications.
Constructed of opaque polystyrene, clear acrylic, or beige painted steel.
Includes opaque polystyrene wallplate, ring base, guard cover, tumbler lock, two keys and optional Honeywell logo insert.
Tamper-resistant lock; key cannot be removed unless in locked position.
All models mount vertically or horizontally on wall or exposed junction box.
Vents in guard base allow airflow for optimum thermostat performance.
Product Specifications
Size small
Color Painted metal
Ring Base Color opaque polystyrene
Wallplate Color Opaque Polystyrene
Outside Height (in.) 5 11/16 in.
Outside Height (mm) 144 mm
Outside Width (in.) 5 11/16 in.
Outside Width (mm) 144 mm
Outside Depth (in.) 2 7/16 in.
Outside Depth (mm) 62 mm
Inside Height (in.) 4 7/16 in.
Inside Height (mm) 113 mm
Inside Width (in.) 4 7/16 in.
Inside Width (mm) 113 mm
Used With T87/Q539, TP970 Family, Others of similar size
Replaces Part Numbers: TG510D1005, CARL37924, CARTG510D1005


text:
Woodland Animals pack features over 10 graphic elements and is perfect for invitations, greeting cards, product design, tags, labels and so much more.Shop more of our products in our shop!
What you will receive:
Licenses Available:
- Premium License
Released: 16th February '17
Product Tags: Illustration, Vector, Eps, Icon, Clipart, Clip Art, Prettygrafik, Graphics, Woodland Animals, Animals
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Introducing Design School – our jam packed platform with its own mini search engine! Design School was made to help you learn all there is to know about fonts, graphics, templates, designs, file types, different software programs, Frequently Asked Questions and much much more.


text: Jane Meigs Barton died at dawn on December 25, 2011, at her home in Waxhaw, N.C. She was born as Jane Perry Rodgers Meigs on June 4, 1920, to beloved parents Robert Rodgers and Margaret Houston Meigs, at Mt. Felix Farm in Havre de Grace, Md. She spent her childhood in Maryland and then in Pennsylvania, where she attended The Agnes Irwin School and the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women (now part of Temple University). In 1942, Jane married her late husband, Henry Hudson Barton IV, at The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Philadelphia. They lived in North Creek, N.Y., where Hudson served as president of The Barton Group. From 1965 to 2005, they resided in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood. Together they enjoyed skiing, canoeing, and pursuing other interests. Many will remember Jane's uncanny ability to recite poetry, Scripture, and songs she had learned as a child or memorized in preparation for special events. Jane was an enthusiastic supporter of various organizations that reflected her Christian faith and her dedication to nature conservation. She taught children's classes at Morris Arboretum and Schuylkill Valley Nature Center, she was a strong supporter of the Natural Lands Trust, and she was closely involved with FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools) and Friends of the Wissahickon. In later years, she studied through the Hadley School for the Blind and learned Braille. Upon the death of her husband, Jane moved to Heron Point, in Chestertown, Md., and then to North Carolina to be close to her son. She is survived by her son, H. Hudson Barton V, daughter, Sallie B. Kashiwa, seven grandchildren, four great grandchildren and her sister Mary Meigs Brock of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Hadley School for the Blind. A memorial service will be held on the 5th of May at 11:30 AM at The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.


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Great Snakes!
February 17, 2013 11:00am-05:00pm
Honolulu Museum of Art
Event Information:
Celebrate the year of the sssssnake!
Create a paper lotus blossom: It's easy to make eye-catching lotus blossoms from paper—and they will last a long time.
Build a Chinese snake puppet: Turn plastic cups, string, and ribbon into a lively snake!
11-11:30am: Guang Zhong Chinese Music Ensemble
Founded in 1995 with Harry C.Y. Wong as the leader, the group is comprised predominantly of local retired educators. Their repertoire includes traditional and modern Chinese music as well as western music and music of other ethnic groups.
11:30am-Noon: Qigong (Falun Gong)
Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is an advanced mind-body practice originating in China. The Falun Gong Hawaii group will demonstrate the practice's two components: five sets of slow-moving exercises and meditation, and spiritual discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
Noon-12:30pm: Lion Dance: Gee Yung Martial Arts, Dragon & Lion Dance Association joins us again this year with a Chinese Lion Dance through the museum starting from Palm Courtyard to bring us all good luck!
12:30- 1:30pm: Martial Arts /24 seasonal drums performance
1:30-2pm: Chinese lion pole performance
2:30-3pm: Phoenix Dance Chamber: See mesmerizing performances of colorful Chinese folk, classical, and modern dance.
Chinese calligraphy: See Associated Chinese University Women members practice the art of Chinese calligraphy. The members will write auspicious words and sayings on red paper to give to visitors so they may put it on their front door. Limited quantity, one per family.
Chinese knot: A characteristic of Chinese knot is that every knot is made of a single rope and named by its specific form and meaning. See different knots and learn its specific form and meaning.
Narcissus plant carving: The art of carving narcissus bulbs is an ancient and honored Chinese tradition. See a demonstration on how to carve a narcissus bulb.
Traditional jai: Learn all about the ACUW and jai, a Chinese New Year dish. Take away a free booklet all about jai, including a recipe.
Chinese zodiac: Find out your zodiac sign and read your horoscope.
Special thanks to ACUW
Associated Chinese University Women (ACUW) is a non-profit organization working to promote and support the education of Chinese culture.
We screen Filling the Gap as a part of the Honolulu African-American Film Festival.
Congratulations to last month's contest winner, seven-year-old Karma Pak Kubo from Honolulu!
Kids (ages 1-17) can enter the monthly drawing contest. The Honolulu Museum of Art gives contestants a theme and drawing supplies. The winner receives a Family Level membership to the Honolulu Museum of Art (worth $95), and his or her artwork is used to create the following month's event brochure and is posted on the Museum's website.


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- Research
- Open Access
Identifying genetic networks underlying myometrial transition to labor
© Salomonis et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2005
- Received: 25 October 2004
- Accepted: 29 December 2004
- Published: 28 January 2005
Early transition to labor remains a major cause of infant mortality, yet the causes are largely unknown. Although several marker genes have been identified, little is known about the underlying global gene expression patterns and pathways that orchestrate these striking changes.
We performed a detailed time-course study of over 9,000 genes in mouse myometrium at defined physiological states: non-pregnant, mid-gestation, late gestation, and postpartum. This dataset allowed us to identify distinct patterns of gene expression that correspond to phases of myometrial 'quiescence', 'term activation', and 'postpartum involution'. Using recently developed functional mapping tools (HOPACH (hierarchical ordered partitioning and collapsing hybrid) and GenMAPP 2.0), we have identified new potential transcriptional regulatory gene networks mediating the transition from quiescence to term activation.
These results implicate the myometrium as an essential regulator of endocrine hormone (cortisol and progesterone synthesis) and signaling pathways (cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP stimulation) that direct quiescence via the transcripitional upregulation of both novel and previously associated regulators. With term activation, we observe the upregulation of cytoskeletal remodeling mediators (intermediate filaments), cell junctions, transcriptional regulators, and the coordinate downregulation of negative control checkpoints of smooth muscle contractile signaling. This analysis provides new evidence of multiple parallel mechanisms of uterine contractile regulation and presents new putative targets for regulating myometrial transformation and contraction.
- Additional Data File
- Late Gestation
- Term Activation
- Pattern Group
- bHLH Factor
The initiation of mammalian labor is a complex physiological process that requires the expression and secretion of many factors, both maternal and fetal [1, 2]. The majority of these factors exert their effect on the myometrium, the smooth muscle responsible for expelling the fetus from the uterus. While species differences in labor regulation have been observed, several common signaling pathways and factors have been implicated as key regulators across species. During mid to late gestation, myometrial quiescence is maintained by several contractile inhibitors, such as relaxin, adrenomedullin, nitric oxide, prostacyclin and progesterone [1, 2]. A number of these regulators stimulate cyclic AMP (cAMP)- and cGMP-mediated signaling pathways. Smooth muscle contraction is inhibited by the phosphorylation of myosin light-chain kinase by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. This inhibition is believed to promote quiescence. In addition, the myometrium undergoes major structural changes throughout pregnancy that are required to generate the necessary contractile force for labor, including hypertrophy and hyperplasia of smooth muscle, connective tissue, focal adhesion, and cytoskeletal remodeling [3].
The transition to labor results in synchronous contractions of high amplitude and high frequency by the myometrium. Factors previously associated with the regulation of myometrial activation include the oxytocin receptor, gap junction protein connexin-43, voltage-gated calcium channels, prostaglandin receptor subtypes, estrogen, cortisol and transcription factors c-Jun and c-Fos. Most of these proteins participate in pathways that stimulate calcium release (for example, calcium-calmodulin G protein signaling) and the formation of intracellular junctions, leading to stimulation of contractions. Although several important components that regulate the initiation of labor have been identified, the mechanisms that guide this transition are poorly understood.
A difficult challenge in identifying the regulatory events that control the switch from myometrial quiescence to activation has been developing tools for examining whole-genome expression profiles in the context of known biology. Recent efforts to identify transcriptional changes from laboring and non-laboring human myometrium have proved valuable in identifying putative physiological regulators [4–8]; however, the lack of gestational time points examined has limited these approaches to interrogating only those genes with large fold-changes at term activation without exploring the global patterns of gene expression over the time-course of myometrial transformation. While gene profiling of the rodent uterus during gestation has proved fruitful in revealing some of the large-scale patterns of gene expression throughput pregnancy [5, 9], there is still a critical need to improve the global view of myometrial gene expression with greater temporal resolution using newly developed bioinformatic tools.
To identify molecular mechanisms involved in the transition from myometrial quiescence to labor, we analyzed gene-expression changes in mouse myometrium at mid-gestation, throughout late gestation, and during the postpartum period. Our results reveal several novel patterns of expression occurring along the phases of myometrial quiescence to term activation and postpartum involution. Analysis of putative quiescence and term activation regulators in the context of well defined biological pathways revealed new putative functional roles for several previously unassociated genes in the suppression of contraction throughout gestation and activation of phase-dependent contractions at labor. This analysis further implicates the regulation of several novel pathways, including smooth muscle-extracellular matrix interactions throughout late gestation and cell junction-cytoskeletal interactions immediately before the onset of labor.
Clustering of expression changes in gestational myometrium
Messenger RNA transcript levels were measured from isolated myometrium of 35 time-mated mice at four time-points of late gestation (14.5-18.5 days), at postpartum (6 and 24 hours after labor), and from a non-pregnant control group. In all, approximately 13,000 probe sets corresponding to around 9,000 unique cDNAs and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were probed with oligonucleotide microarrays. About 35% of these transcripts were regulated throughout gestation and postpartum (14.5 days through 24 hours postpartum) using the criteria of p < 0.05 and a change in level of expression of more than 20% (fold-change 0.2).
MAPPFinder analysis
To characterize the major biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components associated with the HOPACH pattern groups, we used MAPPFinder (a component of GenMAPP version 2.0) [13–16]. MAPPFinder produced a statistically ranked list (based on p-value) of Gene Ontology (GO) biological categories associated with each cluster, from which the most significant nonsynonymous groups are listed (Figure 1, GO categories). In each cluster, several highly significant biological associations were identified (adjusted permutation p < 0.05).
Association of expression clusters with previously associated uterine quiescence and activation genes
Gene expression groups associated with the maintenance of pregnancy (quiescence) or induction of labor (activation) were confirmed by mapping lists of previously associated regulators of uterine quiescence and activation onto our HOPACH cluster map. Extensive literature searches for such regulators identified 66 genes, of which 23 were regulated in our dataset (Figure 1, previously associated regulators). Genes hypothesized to regulate quiescence by transcriptional upregulation or secretion were largely associated with clusters 7 and 8 ('increased quiescence'), while putative activators of uterine activation were largely associated with cluster 6 ('increased term activation'). Although only three downregulated quiescence regulators were associated with HOPACH clusters, two of them mapped to cluster 2 ('decreased quiescence'), as predicted.
Functional analysis of quiescence and term activation pattern groups
To further elucidate specific genes and pathways linked to the regulation of uterine quiescence and the initiation of labor, we examined pattern groups linked to quiescence and term activation, in the context of GO categories, GenMAPP pathway maps and literature associations. While low-magnitude fold-changes have been included within these functional analyses to broaden our survey of biological groups, we have largely restricted our discussion to transcripts with fold-changes greater than two.
Upregulation of pathways of relaxation and remodeling during quiescence
Genes upregulated with quiescence
Increased gestation pattern group
Gene symbol
Fold-change at 14 days
Prostaglandin and cortisol synthesis
Hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 1
Decidual/trophoblast prolactin-related protein
Hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 2
Cytochrome P450, 11a
Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1
Phospholipase inhibition
Annexin A8
Annexin A3
Annexin A1
Annexin A2
Proteolysis and peptidolysis
Kidney-derived aspartic protease-like protein
Cathepsin Z
Dipeptidase 1
Procollagen C-proteinase enhancer protein
Lipocalin 7
Serine-type endopeptidases
Granzyme G
Granzyme D
Granzyme F
Granzyme E
Granzyme C
RIKEN cDNA 2210021K23 gene
Cathepsin G
Protease, serine, 11 (Igf binding)
Granzyme B
Protease inhibitors
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2
Serine protease inhibitor 14
Plasma protease C1 inhibitor
Extracellular matrix remodeling and cell growth
Regulation of cell growth
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2
Interleukin 1 receptor, type II
Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper
Tumor necrosis factor, alpha-induced protein 2
c-Fos induced growth factor
Related RAS viral (r-ras) oncogene homolog 2
Cysteine rich protein 2
MORF-related gene X
Epithelial membrane protein 1
Four and a half LIM domains 1
S100 calcium binding protein A6 (calcyclin)
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6
Transforming growth factor, beta 2
Integrin-mediated signaling pathway
Secreted phosphoprotein 1
Connective tissue growth factor
Caveolin, caveolae protein
Ras homolog gene family, member A2
Structural constituent of cytoskeleton
Tropomyosin 4
Tubulin, beta 2
Extracellular matrix structural constituent
Microfibrillar associated protein 5
Procollagen, type XI, alpha 1
Fibrillin 1
Procollagen, type V, alpha 2
Laminin, gamma 1
Procollagen, type I, alpha 2
G-protein signaling
Guanylate cyclase activator 2b
Chemokine orphan receptor 1
Guanine nucleotide binding protein, gamma 11
Transcriptional regulation
Secreted frizzled-related sequence protein 4
Kruppel-like factor 4
C/EBP delta
Inhibitor of DNA binding 1
X-box binding protein 1
Kruppel-like factor 2
Genes downregulated with quiescence
Decreased gestation pattern group
Gene symbol
Fold-change at 14 days
Regulation of cell growth
Myosin light chain, alkali, cardiac atria
N-myc downstream regulated 2
Actin, beta, cytoplasmic
Calmodulin signaling
MARCKS-like protein
Matrix metalloproteinase 3
Ion channels
Expressed sequence AW538430
Transcriptional regulation
SRY-box containing gene 4
Homeobox protein Meis2
Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1
D site albumin promoter binding protein
RIKEN cDNA 1110033A15 gene
Myeloid ecotropic viral integration site 1
Regulation of alternative splicing
CDC-like kinase
Genes upregulated with term activation
Gene symbol
Fold-change at 18 days
Regulation of cell growth
Inhibin beta-B
Inhibin beta-A
Cell death
Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible 45 γ
Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 1a
Cell junctions
Gap junction membrane channel protein α1
G-protein signaling
Lysophosphatidic acid receptor Edg-2
Guanine nucleotide binding protein, γ12
Structural constituent of cytoskeleton
Villin 2
Kinesin complex
Keratin complex 1, acidic, gene 19
Keratin complex 2, basic, gene 7
Keratin complex 2, basic, gene 8
Keratin complex 1, acidic, gene 18
Surfactant associated protein D
Metabolism and biosynthetic reactions
Lipoprotein lipase
Aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1, subfamily A2
Glutathione S-transferase omega 1
Branched chain aminotransferase 1, cytosolic
Protein phosphatase 1, regulatory subunit 3C
Carbonic anhydrase 2
Proteolysis and peptidolysis
Cytosolic nonspecific dipeptidase
Transmembrane protease, serine 2
Kallikrein 5
Collagen catabolism
Peptidase 4
Matrix metalloproteinase 7
Proteolysis inhibitors
Complement component 3
RIKEN cDNA 1600023A02 gene
Extracellular proteinase inhibitor
Transcriptional regulation
Transcription factors
Myeloblastosis oncogene
Hairy and enhancer of split 1
E74-like factor 3
Androgen regulation
Kidney androgen regulated protein
Heat shock protein 4
Alpha fetoprotein
FXYD domain-containing ion transport regulator 3
Lipocalin 2
Solute carrier family 16, member 1
Fatty acid binding protein 5, epidermal
Several genes for cAMP-response element transcription factors were also found within the increased quiescence group (Atf4, Crebl1, and Creb3, see Figure 3b). These are all members of a larger group of basic leucine zipper (bZip) transcription factors not previously associated with quiescence, which also includes the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein Cebpd, the Maf protein Mafk, the nuclear factor, interleukin-3, regulated Nfil3, and the X-box binding protein Xbp1, also upregulated with quiescence.
Downregulation of mRNA processing and contraction-associated signaling during quiescence
MAPPFinder analysis of genes in the decreased quiescence group identified a wide variety of cell maintenance, transcription, and cell-signaling biological processes. Many of these GO categories were associated with the onset of labor (calcium-ion transport and protein tyrosine phosphatase activity) or myometrial postpartum involution (programmed cell death, collagen catabolism and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme activity). These results are in accordance with the inhibition of contraction and suppression of cell death in late gestation. Unlike term-related biological processes, categories shared between the decreased quiescence and 'increased postpartum involution' group appear to be largely the result of a common transcript expression profile (Figure 1, cluster 3; Figure 2).
Although similar numbers of genes were downregulated or upregulated with quiescence (approximately 480-520 genes), very few genes were downregulated more than twofold at 14.5 days of gestation (Table 2). One of the most downregulated transcripts was the myosin light-chain gene Myl4; the Myl4 protein is the primary target for oxytocin-induced phosphorylation leading to uterine contraction at term. Several additional putative components of the oxytocin contractile signaling pathway (calcium-calmodulin signaling pathway) were also present in this expression group (Iptr1, Ryr3, Plcg1, and Atp2a2) (Figure 3b). Another large set of coordinately downregulated genes includes factors involved in RNA processing. Alternative splicing of putative quiescence and term activation regulators has been proposed to be a critical mechanism of the physiological switch to labor [17, 18].
Transition from remodeling and relaxation to cell-cell signaling and transcriptional regulation with activation of the myometrium at term
A large percentage of genes regulated with quiescence continued to be highly regulated at term. This result emphasizes the importance of expression changes immediately before labor to counteract the effects of quiescence. Consistent with the number of upregulated genes, MAPPFinder analysis of the increased term activation group identified a smaller set of GO terms and pathways. Prominent among these were genes associated with the formation of cell junctions, kinesin complexes and endopeptidase inhibitors. In addition, functionally related transcription factors (members of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family), ion transport proteins and ion transport regulators were coordinately upregulated at term.
Within these biological categories, several contractile regulators, both associated and unassociated with parturition, were highly upregulated. These genes include those for cell junction proteins (Cx43, Cx26, Ocln, and Dsp), the pulmonary smooth muscle contractile regulator and complement component C3, the estrogen signaling regulator Hsp70, the chloride conductance regulator Fxyd3 and the ryanodine receptor regulator Gsto1 (Table 3). These changes occurred in concert with the upregulation of signaling molecules, such as growth factors (Inhba, Inhbb), G-protein signaling components (Edg2, Gng12) (Figure 3b) and collagen catabolism proteins (Pep4, Mmp7). On the whole, however, this pattern group was dominated by the upregulation of genes encoding proteins that are largely epithelial-cell specific. Most prominent among these are the genes for the cytokeratin intermediate filament proteins, Krt2-7, Krt2-8, Krt1-18, and Krt1-19, and for the cytokeratin transcriptional regulator Elf3, which are among the most highly upregulated genes at term.
Downregulation of pathways of calcium mobilization and G-protein signaling in term myometrium
HOPACH analysis with a metric that disregarded the direction of fold-change (see Additional data file 2) revealed a small number of downregulated genes at term that mirror the increased term activation group. Among these, we observed two highly downregulated genes: regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (Rgs2), a potent inactivator of Gαq-GTP bound activity, and inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (Idb2), a bHLH factor that heterodimerizes with other HLH proteins to inhibit their function. Rgs2 is one of the most downregulated genes throughout the gestation-postpartum time-course, in addition to being highly expressed in non-pregnant myometrium and throughout gestation. Additional term-downregulated G-protein signaling proteins that act to antagonize calcium-calmodulin signaling are illustrated in Figure 3b.
Global mechanisms of transcriptional regulation
To determine whether other gene clusters exhibit a similar form of positional co-regulation, we developed a program to identify genomic intervals containing several coexpressed genes. Searching for regions with three or more members in a broad genomic interval (500 kilobases (kb)), we identified 11 clusters of genes that are co-localized and co-regulated (the same HOPACH cluster) [21]. Among these, we were able to identify at least one other gene cluster that possessed a genomic pattern of gene expression similar to that of the granzyme cluster, with genes maximally upregulated postpartum (Figure 4b). These genes, which encode several of the collagen catabolism matrix metalloproteinases, Mmp3, Mmp10, Mmp12 and Mmp13, are among the most highly upregulated genes postpartum. Because we do not have data from full genome arrays, it is difficult to determine if these co-regulated clusters of genes occur more frequently. However, these co-regulated gene clusters suggest coordinated gene regulation by an unknown mechanism.
This time-course analysis provides the first global view of gene-expression changes in mouse myometrium from uterine quiescence through the activation of the myometrium before labor and to its postpartum involution. Examination of multiple time points, the use of replicates, robust array normalization and powerful clustering tools enabled us to delineate and characterize unique patterns of gene expression throughout this physiological process. In addition to partitioning clusters of genes, analysis with the program HOPACH also provides us with a continuum of expression changes that reveals an overall transition in the expression of genes from one cluster group to another (Figure 1). Annotation of these clusters with GO terms provides a bird's eye view of the major processes regulating each of these pattern groups. These results support the hypothesis that mid-to-late gestation is dominated by changes in the expression of genes related to cell growth and extracellular-matrix remodeling (cluster 7), term gestation by changes in the content of cell junctions (cluster 6), and postpartum by targeted protein degradation, collagen digestion and apoptosis (clusters 3 and 4). Furthermore, results from genes upregulated throughout gestation and through postpartum suggest a continual local uterine immune response throughout this process (cluster 5). To help visualize the large-scale gene-expression changes in the context of myometrial physiology, we have depicted the data in an animation (see Additional data file 3) that summarizes our major findings.
A number of studies emphasize the importance of fetal regulation of the switch from quiescence to term activation, particularly increased cortisol and estrogen output from the fetal adrenal gland [1, 2]. Interestingly, our studies provide evidence of a dynamic interplay between the myometrium and the fetus, particularly at the level of cortisol and progesterone synthesis (Figure 3a). Genes highly upregulated with quiescence include Hsd11b, which encodes an enzyme that converts cortisol to the inactive cortisone, and Cyp11a1, encoding an enzyme that promotes the synthesis of progesterone. Conversely, Hsd11a, coding for an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of cortisol, increased expression from 11- to 18-fold throughout gestation, suggesting that local regulation of cortisol levels are important for myometrial activation. While we observed the upregulation of the estrogen signaling regulator Hsp70, with term activation, downstream markers of estrogen action are among the most highly upregulated genes with term activation, supporting the role of the fetus in myometrial activation.
Examination of highly upregulated putative quiescence and term activation genes revealed several novel changes within important associated pathways for quiescence and activation (cAMP and cGMP signaling, calcium and calmodulin signaling and prostaglandin synthesis). Proteins encoded by these genes include Guca2b (uroguanylin), Anxa3, and Anxa8 with quiescence, and C3, Edg2, Gsto1 and Fxyd3 during activation (see Figure 3). These factors may represent novel targets for controlling the length of gestation. This is evidenced by the parallel observed upregulation of Guca2b from a recent microarray analysis of rat uterine gestation, where this factor has also been proposed to be a crucial regulator of cGMP-mediated smooth muscle relaxation throughout late pregnancy [9, 22]. We have validated the expression patterns of a number of these genes using quantitative real-time PCR (see Additional data file 1). In addition to the candidates mentioned here, a number of other highly upregulated genes, whose functions have not been elucidated are also found in these two expression groups (see Additional data file 6).
Although a number of genes upregulated with quiescence or with term activation can be clearly implicated in the regulation of contractile pathways or uterine growth, several more groups of genes with little known functional connection to these processes were coordinately expressed. Highlighted among these groups are serine endopeptidases (granzymes) and bZip transcription factors, upregulated during quiescence, and endopeptidase inhibitors and bHLH factors, upregulated with term activation. In addition to its role in cytolysis, granzyme expression and secretion by T lymphocytes has been associated with the breakdown of extracellular matrix proteins in the uterus during pregnancy [18, 23, 24]. Interestingly, the upregulation of serine endopeptidases appears to be antagonized before the onset of labor by the upregulation of several serine endopeptidase inhibitors with term activation. A similar antagonistic relationship may also exist for bHLH factors upregulated at term with inhibitors of HLH function that are upregulated with quiescence and become downregulated at term.
Although the myometrium is considered to be relatively homogeneous, many of the largest changes in gene expression at term occurred in genes that are not normally associated with muscle, such as the keratins, tight junction and desmosome junction proteins. Indeed, altered gene expression due to changes in cell-type distribution or the invasion of the myometrium by the decidua and endometrium would not be distinguished if those changes occur consistently between gestational myometrium preparations. Further inspection of the literature reveals that the cytokeratins, which compose the bulk of this group, are expressed within smooth muscle and probably function as components of intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton [25–28]. Furthermore, several components of desmosome spot junctions and hemidesmosomes, which interact with keratin intermediate filaments and the extracellular matrix to impart tensile strength between cells, are also upregulated with term activation (see Additional data file 3). These data suggest that an increase in rigidity-imparting cell junctions and remodeling of the cytoskeleton immediately before labor may promote coordinate contractions. However, further studies are needed to determine if cytokeratin expression at term occurs within resident or infiltrating cells.
In addition to the capability to group and annotate clusters of genes, pattern analysis with HOPACH can be used to interrogate gene clusters in the context of genomic location. For this analysis, we developed a program to isolate gene clusters that are likely to be co-regulated on the basis of genomic location, similar to other reported methods [29–32]. Using this program, we identified genomic regions that undergo correlated changes in gene expression associated with specific phases of the myometrial time-course. These groups highlight novel forms of gene regulation during quiescence and postpartum to coordinate cell responses (serine-protease activation and collagen catabolism). The prominent co-regulation among members of these two gene clusters further suggests that immune-cell trafficking and activation also play important roles in the progression towards labor and recovery from pregnancy.
Materials and methods
Tissue harvesting
FVB/N mice (Jackson Laboratory) were sacrificed in the morning (10 to noon) at 14.5 (n = 3), 16.5 (n = 4), 17.5 (n = 5), or 18.5 days (n = 7) after timed mating, and 6 (n = 4) or 24 h (n = 4) after delivery. Control myometrium was harvested from non-pregnant littermate females (n = 8) 1 day after timed mating with a vasectomized male. After dissection of both uterine horns, the tissue closest to the cervix was removed. Each horn was washed with PBS and opened longitudinally. Pups and placenta were discarded, and the decidua was removed by blunt dissection. The myometrium from each horn was then immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C.
Sample preparation and microarray data normalization
For each sample, labeled cRNA was prepared from 20 μg purified total RNA and hybridized to Affymetrix Mu11k A and B arrays according to the manufacturer's instructions. Tissue from each mouse was hybridized individually to one array set. Microarrays were scanned at a photomultiplier tube (PMT) setting of 100%. Resulting .cel files were generated with Affymetrix Microarray Suite 5.0 and analyzed with RMA [33].
Statistical analysis
To identify transcripts differing in mean expression across the seven experimental groups, p-values were calculated from a permutation test with the F-statistic function from the multtest package of Bioconductor [12, 34]. Fold-changes in transcript levels were calculated from the mean log2 expression values of each time-point group versus the mean of non-pregnant controls. For cluster analysis, the dataset was filtered for probe sets with a p < 0.05 across the full expression time-course and a greater than 20% change in level of expression (positive or negative) for at least one time-point group versus non-pregnant controls. Additional filters were used downstream of clustering for genes related to uterine quiescence and term activation. For clusters related to quiescence and term activation, a change of more than 20% was required for the midgestation (14.5 days) and term (18.5 days) time points, respectively, versus non-pregnant controls.
Clustering and pattern analysis
Gene expression clustering for 4,510 significant probe sets was performed using the program HOPACH (hierarchical ordered partitioning and collapsing hybrid), with uncentered correlation distance [10–12]. HOPACH produced a tree with six levels of clusters (eight primary level clusters and 133 main clusters). To examine expression patterns independently of the direction of the fold change, HOPACH was re-run with absolute uncentered correlation distance. Associations with GO biological process, molecular function, cellular component groups, and GenMAPP biological pathways were obtained with MAPPFinder 2.0, a part of the GenMAPP 2.0 application package [13–16]. A permuted p-value was calculated by MAPPFinder 2.0 to adjust for multiple hypothesis testing (see Additional data file 7). Because of the highly redundant nature of the oligonucleotide arrays used, redundant probe sets corresponding to a single gene were identified from the Affymetrix NetAFFX website [35].
Real-time PCR validation of microarray data
Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was used to validate the expression patterns of several highly regulated genes associated with specific phases of myometrium gestation. Gene-specific primers for multiplex real-time RT-PCR were designed for each gene of interest (n = 18) using Primer Express software (Perkin Elmer) and based on sequencing data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases and purchased from Biosearch Technologies. Sequence data for all oligos are available online [36]. Total RNA concentration and quality was assessed using the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2001. First-strand cDNA synthesis was performed using total cellular RNA (BD Biosciences Clontech), Powerscript reverse transcriptase (BD Biosciences Clontech), and random hexamer primers. Finally, an equivalent of 10 ng of total RNA from the first-strand cDNA synthesis reaction was used in 10 μl of each TaqMan gene quantification in 384-well format. Universal Master Mix for real-time PCR was purchased from Invitrogen Life Technologies. Raw data from an ABI Prism 7900 (Applied Biosystems) were processed into Excel spreadsheets and conversion of raw Ct values to relative gene copy numbers (GCN) was done as described previously [37]. Gene-expression analysis requires proper internal control genes for normalization. By using an endogenous control as an active reference, quantification of an mRNA target can be normalized for differences in the amount of total RNA added to each reaction. For this purpose, we used four mouse housekeeping genes - PPIA, GAPDH, PGK1 and S9. Moreover, using GeNorm [38], we selected PGK1 and GAPDH as the two most stable housekeeping genes across all 12 specimens and used their geometric means for normalization. Normalized data were graphed and compared to the data generated on similar specimens via microarrays. Genes could be broken down into the following groups: 13 genes with concordant microarray-TaqMan patterns; one false-negative result by microarray (Acta2); three genes with high TaqMan variability (Mmp9, Krt19, Id1); and one gene with evidence of alternative splicing (Csb) (see Additional data file 1). It should be noted that Acta2 baseline expression was relatively high for both microarray and TaqMan results. As both of these techniques probed different regions of the Acta2 gene, we cannot exclude the possibility of alternative splicing.
Chromosomal localization analysis
We constructed a program to link HOPACH expression data to chromosome transcription start-site location and strand orientation, obtained from the Ensembl database [39]. Co-localized clusters of genes were identified as those genes clustered within a 500-kb genomic interval, belonging to the same HOPACH cluster, with a z-score >1.96, and an average pairwise Pearson correlation among cluster members of r >0.65 (see Additional data file 7 for calculation details and [21] for the full supplemental chromosome cluster lists).
Additional data files
The following additional data are available with the online version of this article. Additional data file 1 is a figure showing the TaqMan vs GeneChip gene expression patterns. Relative fold changes (log base 2) are shown for 18 genes identified by these GeneChip studies to be differentially regulated throughout the myometrium gestation time-course. Combined standard errors are shown for each gestational time-point as compared to the non-pregnant control group. Additional data file 2 is a figure showing the HOPACH Absolute Value Pearson Correlation of Myometrial Expression Data. Gene expression data used for Pearson correlation HOPACH was used to generate a new set of clusters with a metric that disregards the direction of fold-change. Genes downregulated with term are identified based on association with genes upregulated at term from the non-absolute HOPACH analysis. Additional data file 3 is an animation of the summary and results, with a cartoon representation of myometrial transformation, general experimental design, results and conclusions. Additional data files 4 and 5 are Excel tables listing the MAPPFinder results. Nonsynonymous MAPPFinder GO categories for each expression pattern group are provided. Reanalysis with GenMAPP version 2.0 is required to visualize the genes that associate with each GO term. To download GenMAPP version 2.0, go to [16]. Additional data file 6 is a set of tables of cluster groups with annotations. Expression data, statistics, and biological groupings based on Gene Ontology annotations (via MAPPFinder analysis) and the literature are provided for 'Quiescence', 'Activation', and Postpartum 'Involution' gene lists. Additional data file 7 contains additional details of methods. Additional data file 8 contains the full expression dataset as an Excel file and Additional data file 9 is a GenMAPP format GEX file for use with GenMAPP format pathway maps (MAPP files). MAPP files can be downloaded from [16].
We thank Chris Barker, Kristina Hanspers, Yanxia Hao, and Anita Chow from the Gladstone Genomics Core, and Michael McMaster for his assistance with uterine dissections. We thank Susan Fisher, Janet A. Warrington, Gary Howard, Bethany Taylor and members of the Conklin lab for helpful discussions and editorial assistance. This work is supported by the J. David Gladstone Institutes and grants from the National Institutes of Health: NHLBI, R01-HL61689 (B.R.C.) NHGRI R01-HG002766 (B.R.C) and SBIR 1R44DK53325-01 (Janet A. Warrington and B.R.C.), and T32 GM07175 (N.S.).
Authors' Affiliations
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- Pollard AJ, Sparey C, Robson SC, Krainer AR, Europe-Finner GN: Spatio-temporal expression of the trans-acting splicing factors SF2/ASF and heterogeneous ribonuclear proteins A1/A1B in the myometrium of the pregnant human uterus: a molecular mechanism for regulating regional protein isoform expression in vivo. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000, 85: 1928-1936. 10.1210/jc.85.5.1928.PubMedGoogle Scholar
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Senate Bill Will Not Address Teacher Shortage in South Dakota
A bill making it through the South Dakota Senate would allocate $5 million a year for full scholarships pegged for future teachers. It would also create a board to decide how best to award the funds to 3rd and 4th year students who plan to remain in South Dakota. The subjects at which the scholarships are aimed would change based on school systems' current needs.
The bill has wide support, mostly because it replicates the most popular aspect of the recently defeated school reform initiative. Given current tuition rates, the scholarships would fund about 13 students each year, a number that all parties involved admit would likely not meet the needs of replacing retiring teachers.
While this measure represents a step in the right direction, there are reasons why the teaching shortage in key fields exists. South Dakota ranks at or near the bottom in teacher pay. When you consider this in conjunction with the fact that today's college seniors will finish with an average of $27,000 in student loan debt; it should come as no surprise that graduates are looking for more lucrative options.
If the Governor and the legislature want to do more than put a band-aid on this problem, they are going to have to address the larger problem; or we will continue to watch good teachers pack their bags for greener pastures.


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Is Cheerleading More Dangerous Than Other Sports? — Sports Survey of the Day
Cheerleaders may wear cute outfits and position themselves far away from any in-game action, but what they actually do can be pretty dangerous. But is it more dangerous than what the athletes they're cheering on are doing?The medical field seems to think so. They want some serious changes made to cheerleading and for it to be labeled an official sport. The incident Tuesday night involving the Orlando magic cheerleader falling on her head is just the latest in a long list of cheerleading-related injuries.
Is it more dangerous than other sports? Football players take hits to the head every single game, and basketball players often take elbows and knees to various parts of the body. And let's not forget hockey, where fist-fighting is actually part of the game.


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As you sip your morning cup of coffee and enjoy the flavorful, hot beverage gliding down your throat do you ever wonder about the origin of the coffee you're enjoying? Are you curious about the story of the coffee farmers who cultivated the coffee crop? I know I am! It is amazing that coffee is grown in so many different countries around the world. Each coffee producing country has its' own coffee story and interesting facts. Over the next few months we will look at various coffee producing countries, and provide a quick snapshot so you can learn about the coffee industry from your favorite origin. This month we are taking a glance at the coffee producing country of Colombia.
Colombia is country that is known worldwide for producing coffee. In fact, Colombia produces about 12% of coffee in the world. (Coffee Research Website) Coffee is grown by more than 500,000 Colombian families stretching from the Ecuador border in the South, up to the Caribbean Sea border in the North. Most of these families grow coffee on small plots of about 5 acres. The small farm size makes the coffee growing process a family oriented activity. Coffee producing families in Colombia are no stranger to hard work. A coffee producing family has an average production of around 2,600 pounds of green coffee every year. That equals about 5.2 million coffee cherries! The small farmer not only patiently waits for the coffee cherries to mature, but they also have to wash, dry and sort those 5 million cherries! Whew, all that work makes you appreciate your morning cup of coffee more deeply.
In general, coffees from Colombia are described as "mild, clean cup with a medium to high acidity and body." When it comes to flavor, Colombia coffees can vary from nutty, fruity, sweet, herbal and even chocolaty characteristics depending on the region. Flavor profiles can be affected by so many factors including region, soil and the processing techniques.
If you would like to learn more about the coffees of Colombia, visit http://www.cafedecolombia.com/particulares/en/
Some fun facts about the country of Colombia for your reading pleasure-
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Nestled among fashionable clothing boutiques, and across the street from the vaunted pink lady, La Valencia, the sleek boutique Hotel Parisi caters to the traveler seeking inner peace for both entertainment and relaxation. The intimate hotel is on the second floor overlooking one of La Jolla's main intersections (street-facing rooms are well insulated from the modest din). Parisi's nurturing, wellness-inspired intimacy first becomes evident in the lobby, where elements of earth, wind, fire, water, and metal blend according to feng shui principles.
Known as "The Jewel", La Jolla offers one of the worlds top ten beaches. The scenic coast line, rocky cliffs, under water perserve, fantastic dining and shopping are all reasons to visit.


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SAN DIEGO -- With every technological advance, society must answer certain questions.
One of those questions may have been answered Tuesday night on a busy freeway in San Diego County.
Yes, you can get a ticket for driving while wearing the new eyewear-like Google Glass wearable computer, which is now being tested nationwide for possible entry into the consumer market.
Cecilia Abadie, 44, who lives in Temecula and works at a golf store in San Diego, got just such a ticket Tuesday night after being stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer on Interstate 15 for speeding.
Quickly, Abadie posted a note on the Internet: "A cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving! ... Is Google Glass illegal while driving or is this cop wrong??? Any legal advice is appreciated."
The CHP on Wednesday said that the ticket was issued as a violation of California Vehicle Code 27602 that makes it illegal to "drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driver's seat, or is operating and the monitor, screen, or display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle."
While there is no official count, CHP officials in San Diego and at the agency's headquarters in Sacramento said they believe the ticket to Abadie may be the first issued for wearing Google Glass.
Google, in a statement, noted that its product is meant to help the wearer be in contact with the world and not to make them be distracted from something important like driving.
CHP spokesman Jake Sanchez, in the San Diego office, said that while there has not been a specific directive to patrol officers about Google Glass, discouraging distracted driving is a priority.
"Anything that takes your attention away from driving -- putting on makeup, eating food, talking to a passenger, watching a video, talking on the phone -- is dangerous," Sanchez said.
Individual officers have leeway in issuing a ticket for distracted driving, in this case in addition to a speeding violation, Sanchez said.
"It's every officer's own judgment on whether the law has been violated," he said.
Abadie's post garnered more than 200 comments, including many urging her to fight the ticket in court.
"Please please please, fight this in court. We need to get a ruling on this," said one commenter.
Abadie said if she fights the ticket, the result might hinge on whether the judge is a techie.
"It's all in how a judge will interpret it and I suspect their love or hate and understanding of the technology might help or the opposite," she wrote.
Twitter: @LATsandiego


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Kaine (Nier) – Cosplay of the Day
Niche role-playing games always have interesting character designs. Because of this, many characters from these games make for great cosplay. Today we have Kaine from the Japanese RPG, Nier.
Kaine is a hermaphrodite swordswoman who's known for having a foul mouth and is partially possessed by a Shade named Tyrann. While Shades are thought to be evil beings, they're basically just the remnants of human souls. Though she's got a shy disposition, she occasionally bursts out in anger and wears very skimpy, feminine clothing.
Here is Lady Shizuka as Kaine. She's matched the character's look almost exactly, even rocking the bandages that are supposed to hide the parts of Kaine that are possessed by Tryann. We're not sure how battle-ready this outfit is, but she definitely looks great as Kaine.
See more of her great Square Enix-inspired cosplay work on deviantART and let us know what you think of her.
Want your Cosplay to be seen? Send your info to email@example.com and we may feature you in our Cosplay of the Day!


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Snowden's Lawyer Interrogated By UK Authorities At Heathrow Airport
from the not-a-one-off dept
One of the most chilling moments so far in the Snowden saga was when Glenn Greenwald's partner David Miranda was held and interrogated for nine hours at London's Heathrow airport by the UK authorities, in a series of moves worthy of a tinpot dictatorship. And in case you thought that was a one-off, they've done it again -- this time, to Jesselyn Radack, a lawyer who represents Snowden and has spoken on his behalf several times. Here's what happened, as described by Kevin Gosztola on his Firedoglake blog:
Jesselyn Radack told Firedoglake she was directed to a specific Heathrow Border Force agent. He "didn't seem interested" in her passport. She was then subjected to "very hostile questioning."
After asking what she would be doing in London, and establishing that she would be meeting with Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy, the border agent moved on to other issues, and showed a surprising knowledge of her recent movements:
"Why have you gone to Russia twice in three months?" Radack said she had a client in the country. "Who?" She answered, "Edward Snowden."
The questions are clearly concerned with one topic -- whistleblowers -- and give the impression that the person asking the questions already knew the answers, but just wanted to put pressure on Radack:
"Who is Edward Snowden?" asked the agent. Radack said he is a whistleblower and an asylee. Then, the agent asked, "Who is Bradley Manning?" To this, she answered, "A whistleblower."
For whatever reason, the agent asked, "Where is he?" "In jail," Radack told the agent. (Now, she is known as Chelsea Manning.)
The agent said, "So he's a criminal?" Radack corrected the agent, "He's a political prisoner." The agent asked if she represented Manning and she said no. Then he followed up, "But you represent Snowden?" She replied, "Yes, I'm a human rights lawyer."
She was "stone face cold" during the interrogation but afterward was shaking and in tears. "How did he know to bring up those names?"
This blatant attempt to intimidate Snowden's lawyer, who was informed that she was on an "inhibited persons list," comes in the wake of news that a US law firm was spied upon as it advised the Indonesian government in a trade dispute with Australia. It confirms that for the US and UK governments, nothing is exempt from their total surveillance, not even information traditionally covered by attorney-client privilege.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and +glynmoody on Google+
Filed Under: david miranda, edward snowden, heathrow, jesselyn radack, uk


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State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) today reintroduced a bill that would encourage consumers to shift away from using inefficient plastic shopping bags by imposing a $0.02 fee for each bag provided by a retail establishment.
"Plastic shopping bags represent a disconnect in our consumer culture," Leach said. "They are used for mere minutes, but can take a thousand years to degrade. They clutter our urban areas, contaminate our waterways, and kill more than one million birds and marine mammals each year." Leach said.
Leach noted that, of the $0.02 fee, one penny would be kept by retail establishments to improve their internal recycling practices, while the other penny would be returned to the Commonwealth to fund state recycling programs.
The legislation would only impact plastic carryout bags provided at the point of sale and would not include:
- Reusable bags specifically designed for multiple use made of cloth, fabric or durable plastic at least 2.25 mils;
- · Plastic bags used to carry or bundle produce for delivery to the point of sale; and
- · Compostable carryout bags that meet compostable plastic standards.
"Two cents is a small price to pay for a cleaner, more vibrant planet," Leach said. "However, our goal is not to collect the fee, but to encourage shoppers to make sustainable choices at the checkout counter."
Currently, the average American family uses 60 plastic bags in just four trips to the grocery store.


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Welding Table, 47W, 46D, Cap 2600
- Item # 30D320
- My Part #
- Mfr. Model # TMC54746
- Catalog Page # N/A
Using 360° Viewing:
- Rotate: Use top-to-bottom, side-to-side by use of mouse arrow.
- Zoom In: Double click on image.
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- Shipping Weight 471.0 lbs.
Product Details
Technical Specs
- Item Welding Table
- Work Surface Width 47"
- Work Surface Depth 46"
- Work Surface Thickness 0.625"
- Load Capacity 2600 lb.
- Overall Height 24"
- Overall Width 47"
- Overall Depth 46"
- Work Surface Pattern CNC Machined 5/8" Holes In 2" Grid Pattern And 1-3/4" Slots Between Plates
- Adjustable Height No
- Construction Steel
- Finish Tabletop Plates Plain, Table Frame Painted Black, Legs Painted Yellow
- Color Black/Yellow
- Includes Welding Table, Work Surface Width 47 In, Work Surface Depth 46 In, Work Surface Thickness 0.625 In, Load Capacity 2600 lbs., Overall Height 24 In, Overall Width 47 In, Overall Depth 46 In, Work Surface Pattern CNC Machined 5/8 In Holes In 2 In Grid Pattern And 1-3/4 In Slots Between Plates, Construction Steel, Finish Tabletop Plates Plain, Table Frame Painted Black, Legs Painted Yellow, Color Black/Yellow, Includes Tabletop And Four Legs
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This vintage botanical chart was printed in 1941. There wasn't much need for botanists during WWII so these are considered rare and unique.
Made in the United States.
Details: These are vintage and fragile. Ideally give directly to a framing professional. As these are delicate, the designer does not accept returns unless the original package is unopened.
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