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The reinsurance sector has changed enormously over the past decade and more, since the last major upturn in underwriting that commenced in 1984. In the ensuing years, the industry has seen significant shrinkage, from 86 active professional reinsurance companies in 1982, to only 28 listed by the Reinsurance Association of America today - and this number is expected to continue to decline.
Coupled with the shrinkage in the population, market leadership also took over, where it became more important for cedants to focus on doing business with a small number of large and well-capitalised reinsurers, rather than the other way around as it had been pre-1984. Because of this, reinsurance underwriters were able to have their way, imposing a risk-excess model on the market more broadly, in place of the proportional form that had been prevalent, thereby gaining more direct control over their own underwriting and pricing.
Using a term that we take credit for coining in 1987, the reinsurance sector had de-coupled itself from the primary market's underwriting cycle. The net result was an extraordinary run of out-performance within the insurance industry for the reinsurers. From 1986 on, the sector's underwriting results were consistently superior to total property-casualty insurance industry results, except in 1992 that was marked by hurricane Andrew, and 1995. Putting this performance in context, one has to go all the way back to 1971 to find a year when the reinsurance combined ratio came in lower than the total industry average.
Not only did the sector's earnings out-perform within the insurance industry, but the stocks of those companies that were publicly-traded also led, trading at consistently superior valuations. The direct writers General Re and American Re both traded in the vicinity of 2.0-2.5 times book value, and the smaller names such as NAC Re, Everest Re and Transatlantic Holdings hovered at 2.0-times book.
Somewhere along the way, it all went wrong.
In 1999, reinsurance industry results took a turn for the worse. The 28 professional reinsurers standing at year-end reported an aggregate combined ratio that soared to 114.6% from the 104.5% recorded by 32 professional reinsurers in 1998. This was in sharp contrast to the 107.9% turned in by the entire insurance industry for the year (we can debate whether or not those are the "real" numbers, but for the time being they will have to do for a benchmark). And investment income did not help, falling 1.5% from the year earlier. As a result, the return on average equity fell to a paltry 1.7% from 9.1% the year before.
Results have remained poor into the new millennium, based on the data through the first quarter of 2000.
According to the Reinsurance Association of America, 28 professional reinsurers (down from 31 in the 1999 first quarter) reported an astounding 59% drop in net income despite an 11% increase in written premium. The key contributors to the decline were an increase in underwriting losses of 156%, with the combined ratio at 112.3%, up from 103.8%; and a 46% drop in realised investment gains. Investment income was nearly flat, up only 1.3%. By our estimate, the annualised operating (excluding investment gains) return on average equity amounted to a measly 2.6%.
One might conclude that the group would be better off investing its investors' capital in certificates of deposit (CDs) at the local bank, rather than trying to underwrite reinsurance.
The biggest factor behind the poor first quarter results was the 25% increase in reported incurred claims, resulting in a ten-point increase in the loss ratio. The group's expense ratio declined by 1.4%, but we do not read too much into this, as the decline probably reflects a reduction in profit-sharing commissions paid to the ceding underwriters: no profits, no commissions.
Ten of the professional reinsurers reported a net operating loss. Among them, the US operations of the French reinsurer SCOR reported a $30 million loss related to the reversal of $38 million of premium (about 6% of premiums reported for all of 1999) that had been over-estimated in previous months. But in addition to SCOR, American Re, and Swiss Re America, two of the six largest reinsurance underwriters in the United States reported deep operating losses.
Everest Re and Transatlantic Holdings, the two largest publicly-traded "pure plays," each turned in superior results, both in terms of underwriting performance and return on equity. Strong returns were also reported by General Re (mostly because of strong investment income, because its underwriting results were terrible), Odyssey Re, Trenwick, and NAC Re.
As with the underwriting performance of the reinsurance sector in general, the reinsurance stock valuations have also fallen from their previous perch. Transatlantic Holdings has traded at premium valuations, more probably a reflection of its majority ownership by American International Group. But lagging far behind are Everest Re and the remainder of the group. And even Transatlantic Holdings' valuation trails the multiples that investors had long been used to seeing among reinsurance stocks.
In the past, we have been able to make a clear distinction between the "haves" and the "have nots," identifying sub-sectors where underwriting performance was generally good or especially bad. Not this time. No matter where we look - among the four direct writers, within the brokered market, big company, small company - the results are generally bad. Even the bright lights in the darkness are thinly sprinkled throughout the group.
The direct writers - that we once viewed as the leaders of the pack and nearly immune to the horrors - neatly demonstrated their own ability to get it all wrong. Two of the four recorded deep underwriting losses, and in aggregate the direct writers earned a slim 1.2% annualised return on equity (ROE) and scored an astoundingly high 114.6% combined ratio.
In comparison to the direct writers, the brokered market reported a combined ratio of 109.5%, with an annualised ROE of 4.2%.
Including the four direct writers, the 14 largest professional reinsurers, one-half of the population, accounted for 85% of written premiums and 91% of the aggregate underwriting loss, compiling a combined ratio of 113.1%. The bottom half of the crowd wrote at a 107.3% combined ratio, earnings an annualised ROE of 4.2%.
Where has the leadership gone? Probably the same place that the discipline once exhibited by ceding underwriters has disappeared to. While the 14 largest professional reinsurers reported a 10.1% increase in written premiums (mostly because of the direct writers, and that because of an acquisition that doubled Swiss Re America's premium), the smaller half of the sector recorded a 21.1% increase in premiums.
So what has happened? In our estimation, a combination of two factors has occurred. First, the year 1999 was a difficult one for the insurance industry with respect to catastrophe losses. No single event amounted to much, but the problem was the accumulation of a number of comparatively small events, just at a time when the reinsurance industry was stepping up to help insurers address the potential volatility this peril presents to the industry going forward. But perhaps the bigger influence was the decline in discipline of the cedants as they searched for revenue and profit opportunities, some of which were designed to take advantage of their reinsurance capacity.
What we have seen in the past two or three years is a surge in so-called "program" business. This is business aimed at a target market and often underwritten by a control source outside of the risk-bearing insurance company's direct operation. The managing general agent (MGA), once viewed as the industry's pariah, is back! And very often, these programs, many targeting the non-standard auto market and workers compensation, have been backed by cheap quota-share reinsurance.
It became disconcerting a few years ago when word began to spread that a number of the smaller brokered market reinsurers were offering attractive terms on non-standard auto deals that were being accepted. More recently, the eruption of the so-called Unicover workers compensation pools has highlighted the dangers present in this business model, where everyone was hurt (except the MGA).
Some may view Wall Street to be at the heart of the problem. Insurance is a long term business, and the appropriate business model is to withhold capacity during the down-cycle phase of the industry's cycles. But Wall Street has a much shorter time horizon that does not fit the long term nature of the insurance business. This leads analysts to contradict themselves with comments such as "XYZ is a great company that is maintaining its discipline in a competitive market - but its growth remains below expectations, so we are neutral on the stock."
The problem develops when insurance companies, operating in an environment where industry-wide growth is negative in comparison with the economy, begin to search more desperately for ways to please Wall Street. Growth in this environment is expensive - companies must either buy other companies at a premium, or they must under-price the business they write. And this is where the MGA armed with cheap reinsurance capacity comes in.
For an insurance company, the underwriter's salary is a fixed cost. A company that writes little business feels the urge to write more, in order to cover that fixed cost. However, by allowing the MGA to produce and underwrite the business, the insurance company transfers the fixed expense to its producer, converting this to a variable cost. The problem is that, under this model, the insurance company should probably spend more to maintain an oversite presence in the MGA's office to make sure that risk selection and pricing standards are being adhered to.
Of course, if cheap quota-share reinsurance is available, who cares about risk-selection or pricing? We recently asked one underwriter that specialises in program business, what the gross loss ratio is, before reinsurance, of this segment of his business. His answer was that he did not know - he books this business at the industry average but believes the loss ratio is much higher because the book is heavily weighted toward the problematic workers compensation market. But, in his view, the actual loss ratio really does not matter, because the book is mostly reinsured.
This is a business model that is based on "sticking it" to a partner, and it is not sustainable. Either the partner will figure it out and leave, usually after huge losses have been rung up, or the partner will eventually be bankrupted. In the latter case, the ceding insurance company finds that it has simply converted unacceptable underwriting risk to an unacceptable credit risk on the asset side of its balance sheet.
Based on the results posted recently, it would appear that the reinsurance industry is rapidly approaching the "crunch," where capacity starts to drop off and prices rise. We may tongue-in-cheek suggest that the underwriters would be better off investing in CDs, but some will take the hint and leave voluntarily, while others will find themselves captive to a regulatory takeover in the sort of merger and acquisition activity that investors do not ordinarily think about.
In either event, we believe that the population will drop sharply in the year or two ahead, with a concomitant rise in pricing. But in the short term, earnings results will continue to bear the weight of poor pricing and poor underwriting decisions made in recent years.


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These new pieces are currently being exhibited at SLG's Boutiki Gallery (in San Jose, CA) as part of the 'Weirdos, Porn Stars, and Other Eccentrics: The Artwork of Karl Christian Krumpholz' show all through May and June. Go down, check them out, and pick up some comics while you are there.
Prints are available!! I'm also available for commissions!!! Email firstname.lastname@example.com for details.
Linda Lovelace
(click on image for a larger view)
'Lovelace', Ink/Digital Color, April '10
Friday, June 4, 2010
Posted by KarlChristian at 8:51 AM
Labels: art, artwork, Boutiki, Deep Throat, Exhibit, Gallery, illustration, Karl Christian Krumpholz, Linda Lovelace, Pop Art, portraits, Slave Labor Graphics, SLG
1 comment:
- AnonymousJune 7, 2010 at 2:30 AM
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Phone Number: 02-5883648
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Office Hours:Sunday, 11:00-14:00Monday-Thursday, 10:00-13:00
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Secretary: Mrs. Kinneret Levy
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
This volume and the accompanying online dataset provide the complete results of a regional settlement study of 1,234 square kilometers in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of northeastern China. Results of systematic study of the relationship between surface and subsurface remains are presented, based on sites that were surveyed as part of the regional survey, and subsequently intensively surface collected and test excavated. The volume concludes with a comprehensive synthesis of the regional trajectory of social change from 6000 BCE to 1300 CE, offered as a basis for comparison with those of other regions where complex societies developed.


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We have had a few new things happen around our house since I last posted. Carys has had her first taste of true solid food. Cheerios of course. She seemed to like them. She hasn't figured out how to put them in her mouth yet, but if I put them in for her she will eat them. She likes playing with them on her tray more than anything. I also think I can see her first tooth coming through. She is 9 months, you would think she would have at least one tooth! I don't know for sure that it is. If it pops through the next couple of days, I will put some pictures of it. I also nursed her for the last time this morning. It is very sad, but she is ready. She gets very distracted and doesn't really nurse very well anyway. The last 2 Sundays at church she has had some trouble being dropped off in the nursery. The separation anxiety has hit us. She even cried at my sisters today. Very strange. Broderick never did this so it is new territory for me.
Speaking of Broderick...I think we have passed through the potty training. I wouldn't say he is totally trained, but he has only had 2 accidents in like 3 weeks. I am so glad! This means preschool can happen. We have had great weather the last couple days, so we have been outside playing. Broderick has been enjoying riding his bike. He is quick on it! He is getting so big.


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In This Issue: Spring 2014
By Ryan Frisch
Online Exclusives
Win Tickets to the Lake Monsters Home Opener
Answer any of the below questions and be automatically entered for a chance to win tickets to the season opener! Read more
The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival
Check out the NPR Interview with 2014 performer Benny Golson as well as videos from last years performances. Read more
Lunaroma Aromatic Apothecary: Gallery Extra
Find out why sidling up to the bar in one of Pine Street's newest hot spots is an entirely different experience than you might imagine. Read more
Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins Recipe
Enjoy this delicious Raspberry Sour Cream Muffin recipe from Jodi Whalen at August First Bakery & Cafe. Read more
Old Spokes Home: Gallery Extra
For cyclists who need to get there, rely on Glenn & Co. at Old Spokes Home in Burlington and check out the attached gallery of their shop. Read more
Digital Edition


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Latest Stories
While we all dream of finding the perfect job for us, sometimes we've got to kiss a lot of frogs to get there, so to speak. As with everything, there's an upside to being in a job that's totally wrong for you.
There's absolutely no shame in not knowing where you want to end up in your career, or in realising that the job you worked so hard to get actually makes you miserable. In fact, these experiences will only prepare you better for finding a job you love.
Here are three things you'll learn from a job that's not quite right.
1. Money is not worth your mental health
Maybe you grabbed the first job that came up because it paid well and you have those student loans to pay off. But now you dread getting up in the morning and the thought of going to work makes you anxious. No amount of money is worth being miserable every day, so be brave and start the job search over. As they say, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
2. What your strengths are, and what you still need to work on
Nothing will put your real ambitions into focus like a tedious, mind-numbing job. Would you rather be doing something that helps people? Or maybe making something with your hands? If you didn't know what you wanted to do up until now, you're probably getting some ideas about what would be way more fun – and the skills you'll need to make that happen.
3. Saying 'no' can make you stronger
Feeling trapped in a dead-end job, especially when you're an introvert, can seem impossible to overcome. But admitting that the company or role just isn't the one for you, and taking action will give a massive boost to your confidence and self-esteem. Treating yourself well, being decisive and knowing what your limits are will make you better poised to find a job you actually love.
Now what?


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Would you recommend this product?
Hey, PH'ers. We made this product to shave 50% off of our cloud computing bills. This case study is on the web site. The repo can be found at Github. https://github.com/supergiant/su...
Upvote (3)
How is this different than just using Kubernetes? The "Why Supergiant" page gives a 404.
Upvote (2)
@jezell thanks for bringing up the 404. First day launch problems :-). To answer your question, we wanted to managing stateful, distributed apps easier to manage out of the box. You can manage dockerized applications like one giant computer, and FINALLY make DevOps an afterthought.
Upvote (3)
@jezell Thanks. Following up Mark. We evaluated every container platform we could get our hands on, and we found Kubernetes solved a lot of problems for us; however, it's very hard to use Kubernetes to host distributed stateful database services on first blush. In fact, the Kubernetes documentation idealizes statelessness, which initially made it a hard case for us. So 1) we created our own product that makes it simple to set up Kubernetes, 2) we tackled the concerns you run into with databases: load balancing, clustering, volume management, etc., and 3) we made it easy to install, approach, and run on minimal hardware. The CLI can even be used to setup and manage Kubernetes clusters for you, even if you have no intention of using the Supergiant Dashboard or API. Of course, once Supergiant is running, if you still want to reach your Kubernetes cluster within Supergiant, you can. We don't obscure it after installation at all.
Upvote (1)


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The Development Fee summaries are based on the square footage of new impervious surface, size and quantity of water meters, and the engineer's estimate of costs for construction of all site improvements, which includes the cost for the following items:
Fees Schedule
Please note: Fees are subject to change. For the most current fee rates contact the Engineering Department at (925) 252-4930.
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They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
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A crisis is growing in Victoria in 2019: Over 6,000 homeless young people are without a safe place to sleep each night. And if that's not bad enough, in addition to living on the streets, Victoria's homeless youth experience hunger, violence, and abuse from family members and gangs.
Melbourne City Mission (MCM) understands this struggle and aims to give the homeless youth the opportunities they deserve.
As part of the organisation's effort to build a youth crisis accommodation and services centre in Melbourne's CBD, its annual Sleep at the 'G event rallies together hundreds of participants to attend a fun-filled sleepover that includes education on homeless, mixed with live music, games, and prizes.
MCM had the goal, the aim, and the drive to succeed in 2018 but what they needed next was an upgraded fundraising system: one that was reliable, secure, and could power their growing event with ease.
The solution wasn't simple…
For the 2018 campaign, MCM engaged our peer-to-peer digital services team for a custom solution. The system enabled supporters to easily register and raise money online, enhancing the user experience all the way through to the night of the event.
What resulted was nothing short of amazing
Sleep at the 'G aimed for $600,000 in 2018. Not only did it reach that target, but nearly DOUBLED it, raising over $1 million in its first year partnering with Blackbaud.


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"I want to save lives, I want to I make it possible for people to get back to their lives and enjoy them again."
My inspiration
I used to work as a caregiver for 92 year old man, and one day he had a stroke. I did CPR while I was waiting for the ambulance to arrive. When we got to the trauma room I suddenly started to feel that this is the place where I belong.
My advice for someone starting out
It's not going to be easy, but it is worth it.
More inspiration
Share your nursing story
We'd love to hear what you have to say about being a nurse. Is it Challenging? Rewarding? What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing? What would you like to tell other nurses? Get started by answering a few questions.


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Finally, after years of uncertainty regarding bathroom habits, the citizens of Memphis know where MLGW CEO Jerry Collins stands on the issue of public urination. When WREG ran a news story about some guy from East Memphis who took pictures of another guy from MLGW peeing in the street, Collins responded with unambiguous language. "If an employee was using the bathroom in public, it would be inappropriate and would be subject to disciplinary action." Thanks to Channel 3 for finally clearing this up.
Hot Hair
Let's face it. There comes a time in every person's life when they must weigh the facts and determine whether or not they are going to buy some cheap and probably stolen hair from a street weave-hustler. In very few sentences, this police report from an attempted wig theft at Memphis' Chic Beauty supply illustrates why buying hot hair is a bad idea: "Both suspects went to the rear of the store looking at wigs. Suspect Blair Crumes started stuffing her wig (The Straight Flush, valued at $30) down the front of her pants. Suspect Sarah Metcalf started stuffing her wig (The Niki Menaj, valued at $35) down the front of her pants. Both then went past the point of sale without paying for the wigs." Remember people: Stolen hair is crotch-warmed hair. And nobody wants that.
Timberlake Tweets
And speaking of stolen hair pieces, Justin Timberlake recently answered a Twitter critic who accused J-Tim of being a "bandwagon" Memphis Grizzlies fan. Timberlake's response: "Uh ... I'm from Memphis and I'm an owner. Anyone else? #WigSnatch."


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Mon, 24 September 2012
Non-invasive ventilation is a great technique that we can use for just about any patient who is short of breath. We can use it to avoid intubation in our patients who are close to respiratory failure. In this episode, we'll talk about how non-invasive ventilation works, which patients we can use it on, and how to actually make it happen. For that last part, I'll borrow from a post by Seth Treuger at his blog mdaware.org on how to start non-invasive ventilation quickly while keeping it comfortable for the patient.
Category:general -- posted at: 9:36pm EDT
Mon, 17 September 2012
This episode will discuss the NEXUS study. NEXUS was a study that studied thousands of patients to validate a set of rules so that we can "clinically clear" patients with possible c-spine injury without getting an x-ray. This study has helped us avoid radiation in certain low-risk patients, saved the cost of x-rays and CT scans, and speed these patients through the ED. We'll talk a lot about the statistical side of this study and how you can apply it in your everyday practice.
Mon, 10 September 2012
All right- let's keep the laughter to a minimum...today's episode is talking about how to approach testicular pain in the ED. You need to know how to approach this chief complaint because if you don't workup the patient correctly, they can lose their future fertility and possibly their testicle. We'll review how to take a good history and do a rapid focused exam to make sure that we catch all those patients with torsion and don't delay their treatment.
Mon, 3 September 2012
EM Basic Essential Evidence- Admission for patients with minor head injury on coumadin- Annals of EM
In this episode, we'll talk about a recent article in Annals of Emergency Medicine that has a lot of people talking. This is a study that looked at patients on coumadin (warfarin) who had minor head injuries. The patients were admitted for 24 hours of observation and had a repeat head CT. The study looked at how many patients had bleeding on a repeat head CT and the conclusions were suprising. Should this be our new standard of care? Maybe but maybe not.


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You know that scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when the doorbell rings as the in-laws arrive…the ding dong gets louder and the tone becomes more dramatic by the minute? That's the feeling the holidays bring…you hold your breath and hope for the best.
Most people have high stress during the holidays due to family get-togethers. Here are some muscially inspired ideas to help improve the stress that the holidays can bring.
1. Frankie Says Relax: Mark Twain said, "When you strive to make an impression, that is the impression you make." So maybe have the attitude that you aren't trying to impress anyone and just be yourself.
2. 'Til Tuesday- Voices Carry: Stay neutral like Switzerland and let your company do the talking. This way you won't feel bad about saying something you shouldn't or giving out too much information.
3. Bobby McFerrin- Don't Worry, Be Happy: Take a walk outside in the fresh air, do the dishes, keep your yoga date with your sister…You'll come back feeling happier and much more relaxed.
4. Salt-N-Pepa- Let's Talk About Sex Baby: Having the in-laws in the house might not make you feel in the mood, but the closer you are with your husband the more of a team you are together.
5. Natalie Wood- I Feel Pretty, Oh so Pretty: Go to the spa for a massage or facial. Get your hair and nails done before, during or after your in-laws arrive. It will not only make you feel pretty but also better about everything and you'll look and feel like you're on top of your game.
6. Dionne Warwick- That's What Friends Are For: Invite your friends over and bring fresh blood into the mix to ensure good times and instant comradery.
7. Queen- We Will We Will Rock You: Watch sports, sports and more sports! Football is a great way to pass the time and keeps everyone entertained.
8. Loretta Lynn- Wine, Women and Song: Wine is your friend! Enough said!
9. Billy Joel- We Didn't Start the Fire: Try to steer clear of discussing politics and religion.
10. Madonna- Just Like a Prayer: Pray for patience.
This holiday, keep things simple and stress-free and try to have as much fun as you can. I love this Chinese Proverb: "Govern a family as you would cook a small fish- very gently." Here's to a gentle holiday season!


text: Hi Community, I downloaded the Mini-Dos and the HP_USB_Disk_Storage_Format_Tool and created a Bootable FAT USB Stick. After that i copied the corresponding flashspi.exe, the autoexec.bat and the ep45ud3p.f5 file onto the stick. (I want to flash the gigabyte ep45-ud3p) Is that all i need to do in order to start with the "magic" Boot from stick and execute the flashspi.exe and... TIA blu


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Scouts connect all over the world
The World Organization of the Scout Movement held the Jamboree on the Air – Jamboree on the Internet, the JOTA-JOTI from October 20-22. For some 60 years, scouts from all over the world have been meeting using amateur radio, and in more recent years, the internet. My son attended this event for the first time this year. With 40 hours of being connected (and less than eight hours' sleep in total), he took part in an event that unites scouts from all over the world.
Radio days
When it all started, radio was the way to communicate. I myself used to communicate over amateur radio with other parts of the world when I was young. I never learned Morse code, but met friends from places as far as the radio could reach. I remember the postcards being sent from the stations you connected to. (CQ CQ CQ SL3ZYS was Morse code for the station where I grew up). Those were great times.
Small world
During JOTA-JOTI, my son just logged on to his computer and in a click of a button had the possibility to connect to virtually every scout across the globe, given he had their address . The internet has truly made the world smaller. But to be completely honest, many of the scouts in my son's group were mainly there because they had the possibility to play games around the clock. But even if we live in Sweden , one of the most connected countries in the world, the experience for the scouts trying to play games was somewhat limited. My son could not play Overwatch, for example – a game he usually spends hours upon hours on, improving his skills. That weekend, Minecraft was the best he could do online, and the problem was not the lack of bandwidth he experienced during the event, but rather the bad response time.
5G and the future
At Ericsson we constantly talk about the future of telecommunications, moving into the 5G world where both bandwidth and response times will need be significantly better than today. A very well configured 4G network could possibly be good enough for many online gamers, but I am confident that the mobile network around where my son spent his weekend would not handle the 50+ scouts connecting at the same time. The fixed connection in the house didn't manage it. I wouldn't bet on 4G doing it!
But these are exactly the issues we seek to solve with 5G: response times and bandwidth not only for extreme industrial applications, but also to support consumers with enough bandwidth and speed to be able to play games online without any problems. Many operators need 5G for connecting homes, and this is already in the works in many places around the world. One example is what we are doing with Verizon in the US, testing fixed wireless solutions over 5G.
The JOTA-JOTI started with scouts communicating over amateur radio. When fixed connections and internet arrived, much of the communication moved to these new platforms, making the world a much smaller, and more accessible place. Maybe this event will eventually move back to radio. We have not seen what 5G will bring to the world. We might have ideas on what to use it for, but the implementations will be quite different from what we think of today.
When we bought our first computer in 1983, we were first family in our neighborhood that had one. All the kids would be at our place. We could never have dreamt of something like the internet. We just played games for most the part. Kids today connect their devices where the best connection is, using the internet to chat, talk, play and have fun. It's a very different world, and the future is ahead of us.
Maybe the JOTA-JOTI in 2025 will be a 5G event: kids meeting in virtual worlds, seeing each other online with no delays in communication… I know for a fact my son would love to have the chance to prove his skills in Overwatch. This year, the fixed network could not offer him that. I'm confident that 5G will.
To learn more about 5G and gaming, check out what researchers at the 5G Research and Innovation Laboratory in King's College London are working on.
The team is exploring how 5G can change the way games are played, dramatically reducing speed and memory issues while creating a safe, ad-free learning environment through curation and cloud technology.


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Universal Halloween Horror NightsPosted on by Veronica Beltran
Universal Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween season is near, so prepare yourselves for Universal Halloween Horror Nights returning this fall September 15- November 4, 2017. This event is a favorite amongst many Los Angeles natives. Every year, everyone awaits the announcement of the top mazes and entertainment that will be haunting you in the fall.
To begin with, the maze of the year, American Horror Story: Roanoke, will be one of the top mazes in the park. The theme of the maze takes place in the backwoods of North Carolina. Next to it there is an abandoned farmhouse that is known for horror activities. Secondly, we have The Shinning, based on a horror classic film. All guests will experience an inside look of the scariest scenes in the film. It is based on a tragic history of murder and madness; your typical scary story but pushed to the next level! Third, we have Ash vs. Evil Dead. In an isolated cabin, Ash and his friend stumble upon a book that unleashes ancient evil on earth. You will be joining Ash in trying to save the world!
Up next is Titans of Terror, which includes none other than the faces of horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jason, and Freddy Krueger. You will walk through the places these scary characters once roamed. In addition, a classic will make its way back into the world of horror. Saw: The Games of Jigsaw is making its return with the most twisted traps in life in an original maze. That's not all! There are still some surprise mazes to be announced, so stay tuned!
Furthermore, Halloween Horror Nights would not be complete without the roaming hordes carrying weapons. The most beloved attraction on site is AMC's The Walking Dead. You will be navigating yourself through the streets filled with hungry "walkers." Make it to safety or suffer the consequences!
Tickets are on sale, so book them now before they sell out! Tickets begin at $69; prices vary on dates and packages.


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We've got two options for you at YVS: our stand-up booth—a 220-watt Super Cyclone Sun Capsule—and our lay-down bed—a 160-watt SunStar 432 with 400-watt facial lamp.
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Wooooooo, I finally did it, I took the plunge and bought the app 😀 quite nervous about it but super excited. I also handed my notice in today to a job that was making me unhappy. Taking control of my happiness 😊. Ok, off to do an online food shop! So happy to be part of this community!!
Congratulations and welcome!! Can't wait to hear how you get on xx
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text:
Research Article | Open Access
Yanshuang Chen, Qin Chen, Hong Mao, Yueqiang Lin, Jian Li, "Preparation of Magnetic Nanoparticles via a Chemically Induced Transition: Presence/Absence of Magnetic Transition on the Treatment Solution Used", Journal of Chemistry, vol. 2016, Article ID 7604748, 9 pages, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7604748
Preparation of Magnetic Nanoparticles via a Chemically Induced Transition: Presence/Absence of Magnetic Transition on the Treatment Solution Used
The dependence of magnetic transition on the treatment solution used in the preparation of magnetic nanoparticles was investigated using as-prepared products from paramagnetic FeOOH/Mg(OH)2 via a chemically induced transition. Treatment using FeCl3 and CuCl solutions led to a product that showed no magnetic transition, whereas the product after treatment with FeSO4 or FeCl2 solutions showed ferromagnetism. Experiments revealed that the magnetism was caused by the ferrimagnetic γ-Fe2O3 phase in the nanoparticles, which had a coating of ferric compound. This observation suggests that Fe2+ in the treatment solution underwent oxidation to Fe3+, thereby inducing the magnetic transition. The magnetic nanoparticles prepared via treatment with an FeSO4 solution contained a larger amount of the nonmagnetic phase. This resulted in weaker magnetization even though these nanoparticles were larger than those prepared by treatment with an FeCl2 solution. The magnetic transition of the precursor (FeOOH/Mg(OH)2) was dependent upon treatment solutions and was essentially induced by the oxidation of Fe2+ and simultaneous dehydration of FeOOH phase. The transition was independent of the acid radical ions in the treatment solution, but the coating on the magnetic crystallites varied with changes in the acid radical ion.
1. Introduction
Nanotechnology involves the understanding and control of matter with dimensions of roughly 1–100 nm [1]. Magnetic nanoparticles have attracted increasing interest because their size range enables the investigation of the fundamental aspects of magnetic-ordering phenomena in materials with reduced dimensions, and this has the potential to lead to new technological applications [2, 3]. Studies on magnetic nanoparticles have focused on the development of simple and effective methods for the fabrication of nanoparticles with controlled size, morphology, and properties [4, 5]. Iron oxide nanoparticles including magnetite (Fe3O4), hematite (α-Fe2O3), maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), goethite (α-FeOOH), and akaganeite (β-FeOOH) nanoparticles have attracted enormous attention due to their interesting properties [6–10]. Many methods have been developed for the preparation of γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles, including coprecipitation [11], a gas-phase reaction technique [12], direct thermal decomposition [13], thermal decomposition-oxidation [14], sonochemical synthesis [15], a microemulsion technique [16], hydrothermal synthesis [17], a vaporization-condensation method [18], and a sol-gel approach [19].
Reactions for the synthesis of oxide nanoparticles using the coprecipitation method can be grouped into two categories. In the first category, the oxide is produced directly; in the second category, a precursor is produced initially and then subjected to further processing (drying, calcination, and subsequent steps) [20]. During the chemical reaction, which is followed by calcination or annealing, a new phase is formed. In addition to the transition from amorphous to crystalline, the particle size increases, and the crystallites aggregate as the calcination temperature increases [21]. The conventional aqueous synthesis of γ-Fe2O3 particles involves three or more steps [22], but we recently found a new route for the production of γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles that requires only two steps. This method involves the preparation of the paramagnetic FeOOH/Mg(OH)2 precursor via a coprecipitation method, followed by treatment of the hydroxide precursor in the liquid phase using a ferrous chloride (FeCl2) solution [23]. During this treatment, Mg(OH)2 dissolves, and the paramagnetic FeOOH precursor transforms into ferrimagnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles via dehydration:
This method is referred to as a chemically induced transition [24, 25]. However, it remains unclear whether such a magnetic transition can be produced using other solutions. In the present work, we used aqueous solutions of ferric chloride (FeCl3), cuprous chloride (CuCl), ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), and ferrous chloride (FeCl2) as treatment solutions to investigate the dependence of the magnetic transition on the treatment solution used and to attempt to explain the mechanism of the transition in the liquid phase.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Chemicals
FeCl3, Mg(NO3)2, NaOH, CuCl, FeSO4, and FeCl2 of analytical grade and all other chemicals were used as received without further purification. Distilled water was used throughout the experiments.
2.2. Preparation
The precursor was synthesized via coprecipitation. An aqueous mixture of FeCl3 (1 M, 40 mL) and Mg(NO3)2 (2 M, with 0.05 mol HCl; 10 mL) was added to an aqueous NaOH solution (0.7 M, 500 mL). The resulting solution was then heated to boiling for 5 min under stirring. The red-brown precursor precipitated gradually during this process. The precursor was collected and washed with dilute HNO3 solution (0.01 M) until the pH of the supernatant liquid was 7-8.
The as-prepared precursor was mixed with the treatment solution (0.25 M, 400 mL), and the resulting mixture was allowed to boil for 30 min. The products were then dehydrated with acetone and allowed to air-dry. Treatment with FeCl3, CuCl, and FeSO4 solutions produced samples (), (), and (), respectively. For comparison, treatment was also performed in an FeCl2 solution to produce sample ().
2.3. Characterization
Crystal structures and specific magnetization curves were obtained for samples ()–() using X-ray diffraction (XRD; XRD-7000, Shimadzu, Japan) and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM; HH-15, Nju-yq, China) at room temperature, respectively. The bulk chemical species, surface chemical composition, and morphology of samples () and () were determined using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS; Quanta-200, Genesis, USA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS; XSAM800, Krator, UK), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM; Tecnai G20 ST, FEI, USA), respectively.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Results
XRD spectra are shown in Figure 1 for all of the samples. The crystal structure of samples () and () was different from that of sample (), whereas the main structure of sample () was identical to that of sample (), which corresponded to ferrite-like γ-Fe2O3. The results showed that sample () contained MgSO4·5H2O and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O. The crystal phase of samples () and () is difficult to be distinguished from the XRD spectra, but it can be determined that both did not contain ferrite-like phase. Specific magnetization curves measured at room temperature are shown for all samples in Figure 2. The curves for samples () and () exhibited similar, apparently paramagnetic, behavior. Similar to sample (), sample () appeared to be ferromagnetic having coercivity (see the windows in Figure 2), but its magnetization was weaker than that of sample ().
According to the XRD and VSM results, samples () and () showed no magnetic transition; in contrast, sample () exhibited a transition similar to that shown by sample (). The specific saturation magnetization values () for samples () and () were determined from a plot of versus (where is the strength of magnetic field) in the high-field region, which was linear for strong magnetic fields [26]. versus () plots were represented as inserts of Figure 2, and the values were determined by extrapolating plots to -axis to be 59.20 and 43.36 emu/g for samples () and (), respectively.
Figure 3 shows EDS spectra for samples () and (). Sample () contained Fe, O, and Cl, and sample () contained S and Mg, in addition to Fe and O. The quantitative results are listed in Table 1. XPS measurements revealed the same chemical species that were identified by the EDS analysis in samples () and (). The XPS spectra are shown in Figure 4. The XRD and EDS results suggested that the γ-Fe2O3 phase was dominant in samples () and (). There was also a Cl-containing phase in sample (), and two S-containing phases in sample (). It is possible that the Cl-containing phase in sample () was FeCl3·6H2O [25], but that the content of FeCl3·6H2O may be so low that it did not produce clear diffraction peaks in the XRD spectrum (see Figure 1). The XRD results also implied that the S-containing phases in sample () were MgSO4·5H2O and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O. Accordingly, the Fe2p3/2 lines and O1s lines observed for the two samples and the S2p3/2 line observed for sample () may be associated with two or more species. Detailed data on binding energies are listed in Table 2. We deduced from the experimental results that the binding energy of Mg1s in MgSO4·5H2O was approximately 1304.9 eV. In addition, it is noticed that the ferrite-like spinel structure, γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, is difficult to discriminate by XRD due to peak broadening [27] and by XPS because the data are very close (see Table 2). However, Fe3O4 is not very stable and is sensitive to oxidation [28]. It was found that Fe3O4 nanocrystallites transformed into γ-Fe2O3 nanocrystallites using ferric nitrate treatment [29]. Therefore, it is judged that the magnetic phase for samples () and () is γ-Fe2O3, rather than Fe3O4 or mixed phase of both γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4.
|Note: the standard data are from the NIST online database for XPS at http://www.nist.gov; there are no O1s and Mg1s binding energies for MgSO4.
TEM observations revealed that sample () was identical to sample () and that it consisted of nearly spherical nanoparticles. Typical TEM images for both samples are shown in Figure 5. Statistical analysis [30] indicated that the diameter of the nanoparticles fitted a lognormal distribution. The median diameters () for samples () and () were 10.55 and 13.16 nm, respectively, and the associated standard deviation values (, where is the geometry deviation) were 0.37 and 0.31, respectively.
3.2. Discussion
Experimental XRD and magnetization curve measurements indicated that the products after treatment with an FeCl3 solution were not ferromagnetic. The product after treatment with an FeSO4 solution exhibited a magnetic transition, similar to that observed for the products generated after treatment with an FeCl2 solution. These products mainly consisted of a ferrimagnetic γ-Fe2O3 phase. These results show that the magnetic transition was induced by Fe2+, rather than by the acid radical ions. Additionally, samples () and () contained FeCl3·6H2O and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O, which, respectively, correspond to the ferrous salts FeCl2 and FeSO4 treatment solution. This observation suggests that the ferrous salts induced the transformation of FeOOH in the precursor into γ-Fe2O3 via dehydration, and this resulted in the simultaneous oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+. The results for sample () show that the ferric salt did not induce a transition, suggesting that the oxidization of the ferrous ions in the liquid phase was necessary for the dehydration of amorphous FeOOH to form magnetic phase. The experimental results for sample () show that the cuprous ions (Cu+), which may not have had the tendency to oxidize to cupric ions (Cu2+) in the liquid phase [31], did not cause FeOOH to form magnetic phase. This implies that the dehydrating action of the cuprous ions was weaker than that of the ferrous ions in the chemically induced transition in the liquid phase.
The experimental results also indicated that the products after treatment with an FeSO4 solution contained MgSO4, but the products after treatment with an FeCl2 solution had no corresponding Mg-containing constituent. This result suggests that FeSO4 in the treatment solution not only induced the transformation of FeOOH into γ-Fe2O3 via dehydration and then underwent oxidation into Fe2(SO4)3, but also reacted with dissolved Mg(OH)2, producing MgSO4: According to (3), MgSO4 first adsorbed onto the γ-Fe2O3 crystallites, forming MgSO4·5H2O. Some Fe3+ and ions also adsorbed, forming Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O on the outermost layer. Thus, the solutions of ferrous salts with different acid radicals (e.g., FeCl2 and FeSO4) could induce the transformation of the FeOOH/Mg(OH)2 precursor into a γ-Fe2O3 magnetic phase via dehydration. However, the coating on the γ-Fe2O3 crystallites varied when the treatment solution was changed. The results revealed that sample () contained γ-Fe2O3 and FeCl3·6H2O, and sample () contained γ-Fe2O3, MgSO4·5H2O, and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O. A schematic diagram illustrating the formation of the nanoparticles using FeCl2 and FeSO4 solutions is shown in Figure 6. As the magnetic nanoparticles have surface heterolayers that are different from the magnetic core, the magnetic core spins close to surface can be pinned by the layer, and the pinning would cause an unusually large coercivity [32, 33]. So, such γ-Fe2O3 based magnetic nanoparticles appeared to be apparently ferromagnetic due to surface pinning rather than shape effects [34].
Because the metal salts were paramagnetic, the difference in the apparent magnetization of samples () and () depended on the γ-Fe2O3 content. For sample (), the molar percentages of γ-Fe2O3 and FeCl3·6H2O ( and , resp.) could be described as follows:where and are the atomic percentages of Fe and Cl in sample (), respectively. For sample (), the molar percentages of γ-Fe2O3, MgSO4·5H2O, and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O (, , and , resp.) could be described as follows:where , , and are the atomic percentages of Fe, Mg, and S in sample (), respectively. Thus, the molar percentages of each phase () in samples () and () could be calculated from the values, which were measured using EDS, and are listed in Table 3. The mass percentages of each phase () in a sample were deduced using the following expression: where is the molar weight of the th phase. Accordingly, the mass percentage of each phase was calculated for samples () and () from the molar percentages () and molar weights of γ-Fe2O3, FeCl3·6H2O, MgSO4·5H2O, and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O. The mass percentage values are listed in Table 3. Table 3 indicates that the main species in samples () and () was γ-Fe2O3. The values for samples () and () could therefore be expressed as where is the mass percentage of the γ-Fe2O3 phase and is the specific saturation magnetization of the γ-Fe2O3 phase. For samples () and (), their can be regarded as same since the γ-Fe2O3 phase resulted from the same FeOOH phase. Thus, the ratio of the values for samples () and () was proportional to the mass fraction of γ-Fe2O3. From the experimental results for the magnetization, we found that the ratio of the values for samples () and () was 0.73, which agreed with the ratio of the mass percentages of the γ-Fe2O3 phase (0.79). As a consequence, the mass percentage was available.
The volume percentage of each phase of the samples () could be obtained from the value: where is the density of the phase. The values for γ-Fe2O3, FeCl3·6H2O, MgSO4·5H2O, and Fe2(SO4)3·11H2O were 4.90, 1.844, 1.896, and 2.14 g/cm3, respectively. The values calculated for are listed in Table 4.
Because the particles in samples () and () were nearly spherical, the ratio of the average particle volume in sample () () to the average particle volume in sample () () could be described as follows: where and are the diameters corresponding to the average volumes of the particles in samples () and (), respectively. could be calculated directly from the size distribution parameters obtained using TEM by using the equation [30]. Accordingly, a value of 0.62 was obtained. Additionally, the average volume of the γ-Fe2O3 based nanoparticles, which contained many phases, (), can be expressed as , where is the average volume of the γ-Fe2O3 phase and is the volume percentage of the γ-Fe2O3 phase. Because the γ-Fe2O3 phase was produced from FeOOH, the values for samples () and () were the same. Therefore, the ratio of to could be described by ; that is,where and are the volume percentages of the γ-Fe2O3 phase in samples () and (), respectively. Thus, the value obtained from the volume percentages was 0.63, which agreed with the value of (0.62) and confirmed the validity of both the coating model of the nanoparticle structure and the volume percentage.
4. Conclusions
Metal ions in the treatment solution play a key role in the magnetic transition during the preparation of magnetic nanoparticles via the chemically induced transition of FeOOH/Mg(OH)2. No magnetic transition occurred when FeCl3 and CuCl were used as treatment solutions; in contrast, the product obtained using treatment with an FeSO4 solution, which is similar to that obtained using an FeCl2 solution, showed ferromagnetic behavior. The magnetic phase of the two products was γ-Fe2O3. Experimental results revealed FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 in the products after treatment with FeCl2 and FeSO4 solutions, respectively. Thus, Fe2+, which likely has a stronger dehydrating ability than the cuprous ion Cu+, might have undergone oxidation to Fe3+, thereby inducing a magnetic transition via dehydration. Treatment with an FeSO4 solution resulted in the formation of MgSO4 on the γ-Fe2O3 crystallites (the binding energy of Mg1s is ~1304.9 eV), whereas no Mg-containing compound formed in the product of the treatment using an FeCl2 solution. This shows that the nonmagnetic coating on the magnetic γ-Fe2O3 crystallites varied with changes in the acid radical ions in the treatment solution. Treatment with an FeSO4 solution led to a higher content of the nonmagnetic phase in the product, and thus weaker magnetization, despite the fact that these particles were larger than those formed after treatment with an FeCl2 solution. Due to the surface pinned effect, such γ-Fe2O3 based magnetic nanoparticles, which were produced via the chemically induced transition, exhibited apparently ferromagnetism.
Here, we demonstrated the use of an FeOOH/Mg(OH)2 precursor and a ferrous salt treatment solution (as FeCl2 solution or FeSO4 solution) as a simple and effective method for the preparation of γ-Fe2O3-based magnetic nanoparticles. Obviously, the alkali-oxide FeOOH dehydrating into γ-Fe2O3 was induced with Fe2+ in ferrous salt solution transforming into Fe3+. For the preparation of magnetic nanoparticles via chemically induced transition (CIT) method, the relation between acting energy of the alkali-oxide dehydrating and oxidation of the ferrous ions is interesting, and this mechanism will be further investigated in future work.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.
Financial support for this work was provided by the Innovation Foundation Project of Southwest University, China (no. 1318001), and the National Science Foundation of China (no. 11074205).
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Copyright © 2016 Yanshuang Chen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


text: Merry Christmas kids 24. December 2009 Squize News (0) If you're doing a big family thing tomorrow and sprouts are on the menu, top tip, have a box of matches to hand.And on that fart related note, we'd both like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. We hope Santa empties his sack and you're left delighted with the results. I'm going to stop now before the spirit of Christmas is spoiled any further.Have a good one, and we'll see you all after loads of turkey. And sprouts.Squize.


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A Message to Parents:
"The days are long, but the years are short".
I didn't understand this saying until I celebrated my daughter's first birthday. Through the years, we've cherished all her milestones, whether big or small, we've celebrated them all. My most treasured memories are of her raiding my closet, trying on all my dresses and shoes, pretending to be just like mommy - a rite of passage for many little girls. As much as I loved these moments, I always think to myself, "No, baby girl…don't grow up just yet. Let me enjoy you a little more before you're not so little anymore."
BéBloom Kids is inspired by my free spirit daughter who lives to dress up for any and all occasions. BéBloom Kids is an online affordable yet luxe childrenswear rental service. "Bé" translates to "child" in many languages. Our mission is to nurture our children's imaginations, confidence, encourage them to dream with beautiful, unique pieces any parent can rent without making a dent on your wallet. We subscribe to the idea that precious moments should be collected, not things. It is the power of imagination that makes us BLOOM.


text: Former Obama Official Wants to Buy The Weinstein Co., Install Majority-Female Board 5:00 PM PST 11/19/2017 by Pamela McClintock FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Getty Images Maria Contreras-Sweet previously ran the Small Business Administration. A former Obama administration official has made a $275 million bid to buy the embattled Weinstein Co. and replace the existing all-male board with a majority-female board, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Maria Contreras-Sweet, who ran the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama from 2014-2017, has made the offer via a letter sent to the TWC board. She is backed by silent partners, many of them women, and top finance attorney Mickey Mayerson of Loeb & Loeb. Her offer was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Another person supporting Contreras-Smith is attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing several of the women who are accusing Harvey Weinstein of unwanted sexual advances and alleged assault. Contreras-Sweet is proposing to set up a fund for alleged victims and a mediation process. In her letter, Contreras-Smith, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, said she has been "profoundly affected by the recent revelations" and that "reorganizing the company as a woman-led venture will be an inspiration to the industry, and a new model for how an entertainment company can be both financially successful and treat all its employees with dignity and respect." Many in the financial community believe it will be difficult for The Weinstein Co. to avoid a structured bankruptcy at this point versus an outright sale. Recently, both Fortress Investment Group and Tom Barack's Colony Capital walked away from talks to throw the company a lifeline as it assesses its future. Bob Weinstein, Harvey's younger brother, and other members of the TWC board acted swiftly in terminating Harvey on Oct. 8 after allegations of sexual harassment were first detailed in The New York Times. Since that time, far more serious allegations have been leveled against the larger-than-life film mogul by dozens of women, raising potential issues of liability for the company he leaves behind. Bankruptcy lawyers and film financing experts predict that TWC — which was already facing financial woes before the scandal — will have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Once the company is in bankruptcy, anyone bidding for assets would presumably have immunity from any lawsuits filed against TWC. "I find it doubtful that anyone is going to buy the company right now," said bankruptcy lawyer Nick Iezza. TWC, which currently has about 150 employees, owns a number of TV shows in development. There are also several upcoming films in its portfolio, including Polaroid, War With Grandpa, The Current War and Hotel Mumbai, all due to be released in the next 12 months. Its book division is said to have minimal value. Last week, TWC relinquished rights to one of its high-profile films, StudioCanal's Paddington 2, which will now be released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. In return, the company is said to have received $15 million. In recent weeks, TWC retained bankruptcy expert FTI Consulting, which is likewise said to be assisting Contreras-Sweet. TWC is also working with Moelis & Co. to solicit bids. Read Contreras-Sweet's full letter below. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Pamela McClintock firstname.lastname@example.com @thr


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With around 100 students taking Fine Art GCSE each year, our exhibition of GCSE Fine Art work tends to find it's way around most of the school.
Batley Girls' High School resembles an art gallery for two thirds of the year. Missing pretence and sale tags, it is a pleasure to simply walk around and take in the wide variety of work covering the walls and stair wells.
Enjoy a wander around the Art corridors and our main Art teaching spaces showcasing examples of the GCSE Fine Art work.
Our challenge this year is photographing once displayed and protected. There is not enough wall space to display everything so additional boards are employed. What you can see here is some of our student's work that is adorning the walls around the school.


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Dr. Jennifer Doudna, a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is being recognized for her work to reinvent genetic research. Specifically, Dr. Doudna contributed key insights to the development of CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technology that has the power to "rewrite" DNA.
The groundbreaking technology allows scientists to explore the function of genes and correct mutations, and opens new possibilities in everything from gene therapy and genetic disease cures to agriculture and biotechnology. Nominated by more than 2,600 leaders in their field, the five 2016 Laureates were selected by an independent and international jury of 13 prominent scientists in the international scientific community. Each Laureate receives a prize of 100,000 euros in recognition of their significant achievements.
Dr. Sabrina Stierwalt is a postdoctoral scientist in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Virginia and is being honored as an International Rising Talent for her work on the study of how galaxies evolve. She is conducting the first systematic study of gas dynamics and star formation in interacting dwarf galaxies, with the goal of better understanding how stars formed in the early universe. In its second year, the International Rising Talents program recognizes the achievements of women who are in the early stages of their scientific careers and provides a 15,000 euro grant along with mentorship support and international exposure. The International Rising Talents were chosen from among the recent winners of the For Women in Science fellowships awarded locally by L'Oreal subsidiaries worldwide, including the L'Oreal USA For Women in Science fellowship program.
"The extraordinary work of Dr. Doudna and Dr. Stierwalt clearly demonstrates that women in science have the power to change the world," said Lauren Paige, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at L'Oreal USA. "As a company that benefits from the contributions of women in STEM fields every day, L'Oreal USA is proud to honor these two incredible American women and congratulate them on the success of their scientific research and discoveries."