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The Concept
The Concept
2015 – oil on canvas, 150×200 cm / 59×79 in
"Great art – or good art – is when you look at it, experience it and it stays in your mind. I don't think conceptual art and traditional art are all that different." Damien Hirst
I totally agree with Damien. I always found the restriction of the phrase "Conceptual Art" to installations, happenings and other (often ridiculous) activities, and its opposition to Painting and Sculpture, completely ludicrous. When the geniuses of the past created their eternal masterworks, can anybody really believe that they had no concept, no intention in mind? And, how about today? I create my sculptures, and even more so, my paintings, with a clear idea and concept in mind. Only in my drawings, I play without a concept, which makes them the most "conceptual" looking for the adepts of this strange philosophy.
Another strangeness of our times is the use of the term "Contemporary Art", mostly in conjunction with the term "abstract". Every artistic creation by a living artist is by definition contemporary. So why is it then, that this term has been applied to a tiny minority, which concentrates all the light and attention on them? It's the money, stupid! Their shares have been brought into play on the art exchange, where the seriously rich play their games of image and power.
My works are not part of this game, at least not yet, despite the fact that I create, by definition, "contemporary art" every day and that I am expressing abstract concepts in my mostly figurative creations. Conscience in art is such an abstract concept. I have tried to interpret it in my Cloak of Conscience, and it has taken me over thirty large paintings, bound together in "Chromatology", to describe its contours.
I continue to believe that any artist who deserves this name, whether he works alone or with numerous assistants, needs some basic proficiencies, first and foremost the capability to draw, to design. The teachings of many oftoday's art schools, where the pupils are encouraged just to think and not to draw, bring us ever closer to the end of art as we know it. The words of Leonardo da Vinci that "there is no art where the spirit does not work with the hand" is still true today, because art is a constant dialogue between eye, mind and hand.
As artists we have been given the possibility of expressing the tangible parts of the intangible; of allowing the mysterious to be transformed into an image. There is an ethic, a "spirituality" of artistic creation, which contributes to life and the salvation of humanity. Whether the images are more representational or not, does not change the fact that there is a concept behind them and that they are created for our contemporaries. So, tell me, this painting, which is one with a more elusive concept than most of my others, where does it belong?
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We're now over half way through the academic year and it won't be long before exam purdah takes hold and you decide that your career planning will have to wait. Before then why not take the time to think about your future? If you haven't yet fixed yourself up with a career or internship, see what … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Events
How about a career in hospitality?
Today we have a guest post from Marton Villanyi, currently on the Hilton Worldwide graduate trainee programme. Marton is passionate about the advantages of a career in the hospitality industry and waxes very lyrical on the subject! Over to Marton: Continue reading
Making the most of a Sector Specific Fair or Conference
So, you're interested in attending an event in your sector – the one you're passionate about! Now might be a good time to think about why you're so interested in this occupational area? Are there any holes in your knowledge about possible careers for you? Do you have any idea about how to go about finding your dream job? Are … Continue reading
How to prepare for a careers fair
It's autumn fair season and with four careers fairs taking place this term, there's plenty to get excited about. Our flagship event – the Impact Fair – kicks of the programme on 8th October, so save the date. All years are welcome and we have introduced a dedicated 'CareersZone' this year to help you make … Continue reading
International students: Make yourself more employable
Making the decision to study abroad is brave and bold. Moving thousands of miles away from family, friends and familiar surroundings is a pretty big deal, so give yourself credit for getting this far. Studying abroad can be be a rich cultural experience but like everything else in life, you'll only get out what you … Continue reading
Thinking of a career in marketing or advertising…
…then you're not alone: marketing, advertising and PR are seen as attractive career options for many students, and this appeal shows no sign of abating. Katy Edwards, second year history and politics student, popped along to last week's 'Marketing and Advertising Event' to find out more. Continue reading
Welcome to our new students
A warm welcome to all our new students from Anne Wilson, Head of Careers….. You may be thinking a careers post is just a little bit premature; you've barely had time to unpack, settle in, make friends or borrow some coffee. Fear not – we're not here to tell you what to do with the … Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


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Medical devices
Medical devices
The medical devices environment must comply with precise health and quality regulations as set out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
To meet these exact regulations, maintenance works must be carried out by trained, multi-skilled service engineers to aid prompt problem solving of mechanical and electrical issues.
Contracts managers are available for customer support to ensure that any issues are dealt with speedily, giving you complete assurance.
The management of specialist medical subcontractors is incorporated into the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) planned preventative maintenance agreement, giving you a complete managed service.
Energy saving initiatives are also supported using our filtration supplier who can provide proven savings on air handling units.
The Irish Medical Device Association (IMDA) represent medical technology companies.
Talk to Thermodial about HVAC maintenance for your medical device company.
Latest News
VIDEO: planned preventative maintenance (PPM) – improve, reduce, save
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) reduces the likelihood of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system failure, improves efficiency and saves you time and money. Well maintained HVAC systems are proven less likely to fail and cause interruption to...
From the news archives…
VIDEO: app for checking operation of circulating pumps
Circulating pumps are the life blood of the plantroom. They act as arteries, helping to bring vital HVAC and water services from the plantroom to intended recipients and locations. Heating, air conditioning and water services are distributed in a building by...
VIDEO: frost or ice on coils or pipes in heat pumps and air conditioning systems
Heat pumps and air conditioning systems are integral parts of a building's operation through the role they play for people and product development. Heat pumps are a cost effective and efficient way of providing heating, cooling (only in reversible systems) and hot...
5 most common air conditioning problems and solutions
Air conditioning problems can occur in office and work environments, particularly over the summer cooling period. These air conditioning problems are amongst the most common reported to our field service engineers and engineering staff. If they aren't attended to or...
VIDEO: water system – ballcock failure danger
The water storage tank is an essential part of your building's complete heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and water services system. It provides water to what is known as domestic services – toilets, taps and sinks – in both commercial and domestic...
Clocks move forward this weekend
Clocks move forward by one hour this weekend - on Sunday 31 March 2019 at 01:00. Ensure manual timers are prepared at home and in your workplace, to avoid waste of energy. This will ensure comfort and continuity of supply in heating and hot water. Unfortunately, this...
Talk To Thermodial
When Thermodial were founded in 1986, the founders had a vision of an engineering focused service, but also one that was responsive and reliable.
This belief should hold true to dealing with questions or information requests, such as one you may have.
Please contact us by filling in the form below, for a prompt response; email firstname.lastname@example.com or ring us in Dublin or Cork.
As the experts in HVAC maintenance, upgrades and energy management, we would be happy to respond to your requests.


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Asante Kotoko have so far played exceedingly well to trespass their expected level in this competition as the responds to participate in the Africa came spontaneously. However, it has been a fair and a well display for the Porcupine Warriors, thus far.
Having mounted this acme by defying all odds to reach the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup, now, it remains as nothing there is to lose for Asante Kotoko knowing that they have six games in the group stages to stretch in their Africa prowess.
To ensure a superb outing in the group stages as they solidly did in the preliminaries, Asante Kotoko start on the road with a tricky fixture against Al Hilal from Sudan who have been a good foes for the "kum apem" side since 1990, recording some fine results against them.
There shouldn't be much to expect from Charles Kwablan Akonnor's side going to Sudan as they've already worked their socks off bar what Ghanaians expected from them after having failed numerous times in Africa after the last decade.
With history beating down Asante Kotoko in Sudan, Al Hilal will have their urges behind them before the game as they pinched down Asante Kotoko by 3-0 in their last visit some 15 years ago but Al Hilal will have to be extremely cautious as the visitors have been tough customers to their opponents away from home.
Even a difficult Kariobangi Sharks had their own share of spoils against Kotoko in Kenya at the Moi International Sports Center and Coton Sport lost to them in Cameroon in their last fixture.
This will surely be a real test of what both clubs will be giving out in the group stages. A win for any of the sides will not only be a booster for them but a good assurance of making it past the group stages. C.K. Akonnor have maintained almost the same team he used against Coton Sport in both legs en route to this game and should be well oiled for this game as there would be chemistry and cohesion needed in the team.
Returning home from a long journey empty handed will well mean a waste of means and resources which Asante Kotoko will be drummed into of not letting the journey be in ephemeral by getting at least a point in Sudan.
Asante Kotoko will be looking to strengthen their away form in Africa like they've done this season against Kariobangi Sharks and Coton Sport this afternoon, while Al Hilal will be in to have a good start in the group stages at home which will make this encounter all to watch for.
Follow the writer on twitter @LateefSportsMid


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Handmade antique Oriental area rugs are a highly sought after collector's item. When buying antique area rugs, there are
three main factors to consider: Age, Condition and Aesthetic Value.
When it comes to classifying area rugs as "antique" there are some basic guidelines that are followed by most area rug
retailers. For a rug to be considered truly antique, it should be eight years or older, though many argue 100 years or
older and some say 50. The older a rug is, the more it is usually worth.
The condition of an antique area rug is also important. While it is expected that most antique rugs will be faded as most
were made with vegetable dyes, holes and other serious damage can greatly affect the antique Oriental area rug's value.
Aesthetic Value
Aesthetically speaking, antique rugs with intricate designs and patterns are more valuable than those with simple patterns
or designs. In addition to considering the level of detail that an antique oriental area rug has, you must also take into
consideration your own aesthetic preferences.
You can find antique area rugs in sizes that range from small area rugs to palace sized area rugs. Area rug runners can
also be considered antique rugs.
To learn about the different types of construction methods used to make antique oriental area rugs and modern area rugs,
visit FindAnyFloor's section on Area Rugs Constructions.
Become a Site Contributor
Want to be in our directory? Contact our Sales Department.


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Knit a Gorgeous Wedding Peacock Shawl … Hard To Believe This Lacy Pattern is FREE!
I'm sad to report that designer MMario passed away on December 28th, 2018. His Ravelry page has been memorialized here.
Preparing for a summer wedding or special occasion? Here's the piece you just have to knit … get started now!
Get the free pattern via Ravelry, designed by MMario Designs.
PATTERN: Peacock Shawl, designed by MMario Designs.
This post contains affiliate links.


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Another photo from our "get out of the house and enjoy these final nice days" picnic.
I rarely see walking stick insects (members of the Phasmatodea order) in the wild, but I don't know if it's because they are uncommon or because they are so well camouflaged. My son found this one within minutes of stepping out of the Jeep.


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At 5:41pm on Tuesday the Center Moriches FD Ambulance was requested to the Tall Oaks Condo Complex on Moriches Middle Island for a male youth who was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle.
Due to the nature of his injuries a helicopter was requested to transport the youth to the trauma center at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Center Moriches Fire Department stood by at the Center Moriches High School with an engine while the SCPD helicopter landed in rear field.


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Au Revoir, Edward, My Love. And Thanks for the Memories.
"Vampires?" I said, "Forget it." But Friend #1 insisted, gushing on and on about the main character, Edward, and how the love story between him and the lead female is "so amazing" because THEY NEVER ACTUALLY DO IT (this is book one), but it's still really good.
|OK, so this pic is an exception.
|Birthday card from my super-talented friend & fellow Edward lover.


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Don't be Fooled by Barnes & Noble's Desperate Ploy
At the behest of a key shareholder, bookseller Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) is in search of a potential suitor. Yet the company's prospects are dimming, and it's unclear if any such buyer exists. If you own this stock, look to take profits now. If you don't, it may be ripe for a short position.
Running hard to stay in place
As we've noted before Barnes & Noble is ill-equipped to compete in the e-book segment against the likes of Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Soon after noting this, Barnes & Noble stated that it will need to spend large sums of money to retain market share, in effect running hard just to stay in place. Just 90 days ago, analysts thought Barnes & Noble would earn close to $1 a share both this year and next. Now, the bookseller will be hard–pressed to eke out a very tiny profit.
Buying what exactly?
In the face of such anemic profits, Ron Burkle, a 19% shareholder that tends to focus on the publishing business, has pushed the board to put Barnes & Noble in play. Before you get too excited, know that Burkle has a very spotty record in terms of unlocking value in the publishing space. For example, he amassed a large position in Source Interlink, one of the nation's largest distributors of magazines, and similarly agitated for moves to unlock shareholder value. Source Interlink went on to declare bankruptcy in 2009.
Of course, this is not to suggest that Barnes & Noble will suffer a similar fate. But it's fair to wonder just what potential investors would be getting. There's the company's massive retail store base, a growing and profitable online site (bn.com), and a fledgling division focusing on the e-books opportunity. Of the three, only bn.com holds real appeal. The other two have real challenges.
Any potential buyer is likely to be turned off by the e-books division. Amazon has begun to pull away with an impressive razor-and-razor blades strategy, selling its Kindle Reader at a likely loss but attracting surging volume for e-book titles. Barnes & Noble had planned to spend heavily to try and catch up, but by putting the company on the block, that's now in question. Potential buyers would likely decide against such an expenditure, especially if they are looking to simply wring cash out of the business.
Large fixed costs
If a potential buyer wanted to simply focus on that retail footprint, they will likely cast a wary eye on the company's base of more than 700 stores. That's because e-books are really starting to impact the publishing business. Amazon.com noted late last week that e-books now outsell hardcover books. Most industry watchers thought it would be several more years before that transition took place.
So if hardcover book sales are entering into a secular decline, what does that mean for the stores? Well, the high fixed costs associated with operating a book store will likely mean that an increasing number of stores will generate losses and need to be shuttered. Again, the question must be asked, what exactly is a potential buyer getting into?
Prior to today's spike, Barnes & Noble was valued at about $750 million, and after the spike is valued at about $930 million. A very reasonable price when you consider that Barnes & Noble typically generated around $400 million in annual free cash flow in the middle of the last decade. Yet free cash flow was negative in fiscal (April) 2010, and will likely be this year as well. The company's EBITDA margin is on track to decline for the seventh straight year.
As to who would buy Barnes & Noble, several media outlets are floating names such as Amazon.com and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) — which is absurd. Ideally, the company would find a buyer in the Private Equity (PE) space, but PE buyers typically like companies with lots of cash flow, and at least as of now, Barnes & Noble's spending plans likely entail negative cash flow in the near-term. PE firms like to have a chance to take a company public at a higher price down the road. No such exit appears to be in the cards for Barnes & Noble.
The company's founder, Len Riggio, who along with relatives still controls about a third of the company, might step in. He has cashed out enough stock over the years to be able to make a bid. But he never appeared to have real interest in doing so until Ron Burkle turned up the heat. For that matter, Ron Burkle also has the financial firepower through his Yucaipa hedge fund, but has a history of trying to acquire companies on the cheap and is unlikely to buy the bookseller at a premium to today's price.
Today's New York Times notes that Mr. Burkle "considered" making an offer of $25 a share back in November. But that was before this business model really started to sink into the mud.
Action to Take –> By agitating for change, Ron Burkle is hoping that a White Knight will emerge from parts unknown. But that's unlikely to happen. When the dust settles, and no buyers emerge, shares could give back all of today's gains — and then some, as investors increasingly focus on the broken nature of this business model. Watch how shares trade in coming sessions. If they strengthen any further, then shorts might be looking at an enticing play. Downside for shorts is likely limited, as there isn't much more upside after today's run.


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Too much of a good thing...is GREAT!
We had a splendid day yesterday, mostly working however it was just great to be in the same city for once! She also had her first cuban sandwich (she loved it) and a great night at Fusion topped off by a late night at Steak and Shake. She loves it there and they don't have it where she lives in CA so it was a treat for her to be there. We got home at almost 1 am, and exhaustion prohibits me from expounding further, but suffice it to say...it's amazing to have her here and I am trying hard not to think about the fact that we only have four more days until 3,000 miles is a factor once again. [sniffles]


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In a perfect world, an employee's relationship with his or her supervisor would be an affable yet respectful one based on trust, communication and a sense of working toward a common goal. But don't get too comfortable. Friendly workplace repartee is fine and all, but as a rule of thumb you should always think before you speak in the presence of an authority figure so as to not regret keeping your tongue leashed in your mouth.
Below we've rounded up eight cringe-inducing things that you should never say to your boss unless you're itching for an awkward censure session, a good, old-fashioned chiding or even a pink slip. And these count for telecommuters, too; just because you don't see your supervisor on a regular basis doesn't mean you can set them up on hot dates, discuss your wicked hangover or complain about how horribly bored and unmotivated you are.
1. Did you hear that hot gossip about Andy in IT? Scandalous, am I right?
Unless the bossman or lady also happens to be a close BFF that you've known for years, water cooler hearsay, particularly when it involves co-workers, should remain right there — at the water cooler. Interoffice chatter can be damaging enough, and when you involve a higher-up, it has the potential to get really messy. For that same reason, you should avoid speaking poorly or complaining about your boss to co-workers, no matter how trusted. Gossip mongering works in mysterious ways and you never know what will get back to him or her. Don't get involved — plain and simple.
2. Can we talk about that gift subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club?
Avoid discussing holiday bonuses — or a lack thereof — with your boss. It's bad form. A bonus is a bonus, and you should thank him or her whether you're the recipient of a generous check or a year's supply of canned preserves. If you're upset about a holiday bonus that's underwhelming or nonexistent, remember Clark Griswold and don't go complaining to your off-kilter cousin Eddie. And when it comes to pay raises/salary increases, don't simply ask for more money. Prove yourself and approach the topic tactfully — avoid ambushing your supervisor and making demands/threats. The key here is to engage your boss and initiate a dialogue before negotiating. How have you already gone above and beyond and what are your commitments for the future? You never know; he or she may very well be on the same page as you when it comes to a potential salary increase. Also keep in mind that the ultimate decision may be a human resources matter and totally out of your boss' hands.
3. I'm busy. Ask Rita to do it.
Four things that should never come out of one's mouth in the presence of an employer: "I can't," "I won't," "that's impossible," "ask somebody else to do it," or, gasp, "do it yourself." Sure, you may be swamped beyond belief with TPS reports, but if a higher-up comes to you for something, your first impulse should be to say "of course" (sigh and roll your eyes after the boss has left the room). If a task is seemingly impossible to take on, don't reject it outright. Instead, arrange for a meeting to discuss your workload with your supervisor where you can discuss possible solutions. He or she should realize that stressed-out and overworked employees lead to lowered productivity and should be sympathetic to your cause.
4. I heard through the grapevine that you have a Match.com profile up … care to meet my recently divorced neighbor?
Unless your name is Patti Stanger, don't attempt to meddle in your supervisor's romantic life (or lack thereof). Matchmaking amongst co-workers is a mostly acceptable practice, but don't get your boss involved unless he or she specifically requests that you help hook 'em up.
Just as you shouldn't tell your boss to stop putting things on your desk or your head will positively explode, you shouldn't complain to him or her about being bored or that your job is too easy (there's a reason Angry Birds was invented, you know). If you're truly feeling listless and unstimulated beyond belief, be proactive and ask for additional work or volunteer to chip in with something that needs attention. Chances are, your wish will be granted and your supervisor will appreciate your initiative. If workplace boredom remains a constant problem, perhaps it's time to start putting your feelers out for another position within your company or elsewhere.
6. Happy hour lasted until 2 a.m. for me last night. Can I take off early?
Unless he or she was with you partying it up last night, your boss is likely to have little sympathy for your extracurricular activities, especially when it involves drinking. Don't bother complaining about being hung over to them. Keep a large bottle of Advil at your desk, drink plenty of water and learn from your mistakes. It's not their problem. Also, avoid talking to your boss about your personal financial woes, your marital problems, romantic conquests, proclivity to gambling, politics, religion or anything else that could result in awkward silence or lead your boss to believe that your hot mess of a personal life is interfering with your ability to function at the workplace.
7. I watched "9 to 5" and "Horrible Bosses" back-to-back this weekend. Care to meet me in a deserted parking garage after work?
Expressing your displeasure with a tyrannical or incompetent boss by telling him or her you've been loading up your Netflix queue with workplace revenge fantasies isn't exactly a step in the right direction. If your boss is indeed displaying verbally abusive and unpredictable behavior that's interfering with your performance, stand up for yourself, document what's been going on and consider setting up a meeting with human resources to discuss your grievances (no water cooler gossip). It also helps to remember that you're not alone. According to a 2011 survey conducted by OfficeTeam, 46 percent of respondents claimed to have worked for an "unreasonable boss." Thirty-five percent of employees polled hung in there and attempted to deal with the issue while 24 percent "stayed put and suffered through the torment" from nightmarish boss archetypes such as the "bully," the "micromanager," the "poor communicator," the "saboteur" and the "mixed bag." And as corporate etiquette expert Diane Gottsman tells CareerBuilder.com's The Work Buzz blog, the best — and classiest — revenge against a horrible boss is success.
8. Really? Is this the best the company could do?
It doesn't matter if you're referring to new office chairs, the communal fridge or the location of a company retreat or holiday party. Don't go on a whiny tirade to your supervisor about petty things regarding company spending that don't sit well with you. Not every company lavishes its employees with Herman Miller and Morton's, and no one likes a person with a bloated sense of entitlement, especially bosses.
Internal photo credits:
Gossip: Jupiterimages
Bored: Jupiterimages


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The internet was kind enough to put together a compilation of Jennifer Lawrence being interviewed by various talk show hosts and fellow celebs. The result is this video and the awesomesauce that is Jennifer Lawrence.
First off, we should be friends. I see amazing sleepovers, hair braiding, and wine parties in our future. The fact that she snuck in some Harry Potterness makes us soul sisters and we can take turns reading randomly from all the books only to later discuss the major themes that resonate most. Now, I haven't put much thought into it, but those are just some suggestions.
Secondly, she genuinely seems pretty fuckin cool. Which means we must protect her from the evilness that is Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes. Jennifer, don't ever do drugs. Not even Tylenol. You might even want to steer clear of any kind of vitamins, just in case. Stick to those adult vitamin gummies because I'm pretty sure they aren't what they say they are and it's just 100% sugary goodness. While we're at it, no more powdered sugar, we don't want you getting any ideas. The only exception would be on top of french toast because that shit is fuckin GOOD. Also, try not to worship Brad and Angelina too much because you don't want none of that crazy. But I will wholeheartedly agree that Brad Pitt is super hot and aging unfairly well.
Basically, I feel like it's our American – nay, HUMAN duty to make sure Jennifer Lawrence stays awesome and brilliant. If you haven't seen Winter's Bone, the movie she was an Oscar nominee for, she is absolutely amazing. And, of course, she's the perfect Katniss. I can't wait to see what's in store for this young actress, but let's make sure it's not the same path as LiLo and Amanda. They be fucked up.
Jen, give me a call, we have the same dreams.


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-- Press release --
Twenty journalism schools fact-check EU elections
European project aims to foster fact-based public debate
Twenty journalism schools in fifteen European countries will be fact-checking political claims in the media in the spring of 2019. Tackling misinformation during the EU election campaign is the main objective of the EUFACTCHECK project. With their work the students want to contribute to a more fact-based public debate.
All participating Journalism schools are member of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), that groups about seventy journalism centres, school and universities from about thirty countries across Europe. With the project EJTA wants the journalism students to grow a deeper insight and interest in democratic processes by enhancing their media literacy and as such developing both critical understanding of the media and active participation in the media. In this way the quality of journalism and journalism education will be improved.
"With our project we want to contribute to the accuracy of European political statements made by media and politicians in order to enhance a more fact-based public debate", says Nadia Vissers, coordinator. "That's why via social media EU citizens can ask the journalism students to check claims about EU politics. As such the project fosters the growth of democratic awareness and media literacy."
Research shows that collaborative fact-checking projects such as this one, strongly improve the audience's understanding of the process and trusting of the output. Eventually EUFACTCHECK hopes to empower a large group of European citizens and voters to become actively involved in the European debate and consequently help shape the future EU policies.
Unique methodology
Two lecturers of AP University college in Antwerp, Belgium, developed a flowchart to help the students prepare their fact-check. All participating schools will use the methodology. "We don't claim the flowchart is the only methodology to perform a fact-check", says Frederik Marain, one of the authors. "But it is a pedagogical tool that gives students a clear insight in the claim and helps them to set up their fact-check."
From Finland to Italy, from Spain to Russia
The fifteen participating countries in the project are: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
EUFACTCHECK cooperates and shares expertise with other fact-checking organisations such as Firstdraftnews, CrossCheck, IFCN, DigDeeper,… The project is supported by the Council of Europe and the Evens Foundation.
EJTA groups about seventy journalism centres, schools and universities from about thirty countries. They work together to improve journalism education in Europe, enabling members to collaborate on exchanges and teaching and research projects, and meet regularly to exchange ideas and information.
Instagram: eufactcheck;
Twitter: @EUfactcheckEU;
Facebook: eufactcheck.eu
For more information:
Nadia Vissers
EJTA Board member
Overall coordinator EUFACTCHECK
+ 32 485 31.83.57


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Anti, ARA, Artist, Author, Environmentalist, Evolutionist, Horseman, Martial Artist, Musician, Omniscientific Cosmologist, Philosopher, Photographer, Physics Grad, Poet, Public Speaker, Vegan, Wildlife Preservationist, World Traveler, Writer, Zen Motorcyclist
Friday, December 30, 2011
I.T. - 1-11 - A New Model of the Universe
Dear Homo Sapiens of Earth:
The part cannot understand itself without understanding the whole and its place in this whole. Therefore, to fully answer the question "What am I?", one must first understand the Universe, and his place in this Universe.
Human civilization has evolved from the original diverse religious cosmologies to the one astrophysical-scientific cosmology, not without serious cruelty and pain. The time has come for your species to build a new model of the Universe, an OMNIscientific Cosmology, one that includes not only the physical sciences, but the biological and sociological sciences as well, since the person asking the question is a biological organism of a sociological entity, and he as well as his society are integral parts of the Universe.
"The OMNSCIENTIFIC COSMOLOGY, perfect!" he enthused, without knowing what he was so enthused about.
"Be forewarned, that to know this Omniscientific Cosmology is to know meaning and purpose, which are dangerous states of mind in a world driven by lust and greed, dangerous especially to yourself."
Hypatia, who was stripped naked and flayed to death with tile shards and abalone shells by a religious mob in 415AD, appeared in his mind, then Giordano Bruno, who was burnt at the stake in 1600 after eight years of imprisonment and torture, both for espousing scientific cosmologies under the tyranny of religious cosmologies.
"But, in the case of the Omniscientific Cosmology, why would anyone wish me harm?"
"Because it is the most quintessential philosophy, and you will be their most quintessential enemy."
"And who are 'they'?"
"The Earth destroyers."
"That would include Big Oil, Big Meat, Big Bucks, Big Drugs and Big Guns, just to name to top few. And you are launching me against them?"
"In a matter of speaking."
"It'd be like striking a rock with an egg."
"Great analogy."
"Great suicide, more like."
"Not necessarily."
"How not?"
"By the egg becoming a child, one who can use a hammer, better yet, also a chisel."
I am Raminothna,
the Fortunate and Called Upon,
at your service.
Anthony Marr, Founder and President
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
Global Anti-Hunting Coalition (GAHC)
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Horse Registration
There are two types of registration available for horses.
Full Horse – Lifetime registration of competitive horses permitting participation in equestrian competitive activities.
Base Horse – lifetime registration for horses not actively competing in competitive equestrian activities, for owners who would like horse registrations for the purpose of bio security or securing a name. Current financial members are permitted 5 Base Registrations per membership year. Additional Base registrations thereafter will be charged at $40.00 per registration.
Only current financial members are able to register horses and all horses must have a microchip number, meeting the AS5018/5019.
If you want to compete in "official" or "graded" competitions your horse will need full registration and a competition licence for that discipline. You must purchase multiple licences if you compete in multiple disciplines. Competition licences are renewed annually with your membership.
Bridle Numbers
If you are competing in Dressage competitions you will require a bridle number - please ring the office to obtain this number or email [email protected]
We require the following information - Horse Details - Name, Registration Number (if the horse is registered) and Height
If you have previously had a Bridle Number for another horse and it is no longer competing you may recycle this, however you will need to advise us as we do recycle numbers no longer used.
We do not supply number holders for your bridle. These may be purchased at your saddlery store.
With new horse registration you will be automatically given a bridle number if you purchase a Dressage Competition licence.
How to Register Your Horse
There are two ways horses can be registered:
Horse Registration Application Form
Scale of Fees 2019-2020 reduced rates.pdf
2. Online via the EA Online portal
- Please note that horse registration is not available to Club or Sport Affiliates.
- Please ensure that there is a contact telephone number on the form in case we have any queries.
- Please refer to the "Guidelines for Horse Registration" for more info on what is allowable.
The form allows for six name choices. Please put more than one choice, you would be surprised how often we have to use your 2nd or 3rd choice. If you have a name in mind do not hesitate to contact the office on 9620 2660 to check that it is available, although please remember we do not 'HOLD' names.
Please tick the box advising which performance card/s you require. You only need a performance card for the discipline/s you are competing in officially.
Payment Options
Payments can be made by cheque, credit card, money order or cash (correct amounts only). Please make cheques or money orders payable to Equestrian NSW.
Equestrian NSW provides credit card facilities for all transactions over $20.00. We are only able to accept Visa and Mastercard.
Equestrian NSW does not take responsibility for items lost in the mail. If you wish, you can request that your work be sent by express/registered post, please add $10.00 to your total amount. This is strongly recommended. Once received please keep your papers and cards in a safe place. Do not leave it until the day before your competition to register your horse. Please allow 1-2 weeks to receive your horse papers back.


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Directions to Davis Campus
By Public Transportation
From Hamilton or Burlington to Davis Campus
GO Bus
- Bus #47 (York University) from Hamilton to Square One Bus Terminal (stops at 407 Carpool Lots). Transfer to Mississauga Transit Bus #66 (Northbound) to Sheridan College Loop
GO Train
- Train from Hamilton, Aldershot, Burlington or Oakville to Port Credit GO Station in Mississauga. Transfer to Mississauga Transit #19A North to Shoppers World Shopping Centre. Transfer to Brampton Transit #1B West or #2 Main South to Davis Campus
Note: GO Train Service is available during peak hours of operation from the Hamilton Train Station or the three GO Stations in Burlington. Please call GO Transit at (416) 869-3200 for a schedule of times and locations.
From Mississauga to Davis Campus
- MiWay route: 66 McLaughlin (North) from City Centre Transit Terminal (Square One, Stop #0364) to Sheridan College Loop (Stop #6600). Service is available 7 days a week.
- MiWay route: 61A Mavis–Sheridan (North) from City Centre Transit Terminal (Square One, Stop #0664) to Sheridan College Loop (Stop #6624). Service is available Monday to Friday.
To get real-time updates on when your bus will arrive, go to miway.ca/planatrip and enter your 4 digit stop number in the "Next Trip" section.
From Oakville (Trafalgar Campus) to Davis Campus
- GO Bus #46 (York University) to Square One Bus Terminal. Transfer to Mississauga Transit #66 to Sheridan College Loop
From Toronto to Davis Campus
- Take TTC subway to York Mills Subway or Yorkdale Subway. Transfer to GO Train or GO Bus to Brampton Bus Terminal. Transfer to Brampton Transit #1B Sheridan or #2 Main South to Davis Campus
By Car
From Burlington (Burlington Mall/Guelph Line area) to Davis Campus
- Follow the directions from Hamilton (below) to Davis campus, ignoring the first step.
From Hamilton (Dundurn Castle area) to Davis Campus
- Highway 403 East to QEW (Toronto Bound)
- QEW East to Highway 403
- Highway 403 to Mavis Road exit
- Left (North) on Mavis Road to Eglinton Avenue
- Right (East) on Eglinton Avenue to McLaughlin Road
- Left (North) on McLaughlin Road to Davis Campus (just south of Steeles Ave.)
From Toronto (Union Station) to Davis Campus
- Yonge Street South to Gardiner Expressway/QEW
- West on Gardiner Expressway/QEW to Highway 10 (Hurontario Street)
- North (Right) on Highway 10 (Hurontario Street – approx. 15 min. from QEW)
- Left (West) on Steeles Ave.
- Left (South) on McLaughlin Road to Davis Campus


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Project 100 (Second evening)
posted by Ian Lewis in Club Meetings
This evening - the second of the Project 100 presentations - the challenge handed out by our esteemed Chairman at the beginning of last year to take two images per week (full of these good ideas, isn't he!).
This week's participants were Dave Smith, Mike Alexander, Rachel Paton and Jon Scourse - all willing and eager (I think!) to show us their year in photographs.
Once again we saw images which were very personal to the lives and philosophies of the photographers. We joined families for celebrations both in-house and national (and there were plenty of those last year weren't there!) and also weddings! There were superb images from the natural world and some great landscapes. We were shown excellent townscapes and buildings captured in Reading and beyond - and were even taken as far as South Africa!
An excellent evening - thanks to the intrepid foursome who shared their year with us through their images!


text: Contact form Your name: Your e-mail address: Your phone number: Your message: If you are interested in a solar system, we would like to ask you kindly to fill in the following fields as well – thank you! Application area (e.g. flat roof, pitched roof, ground mount) Type of ground or roof covering (e.g. roof tiles, sheet metal, eternit): Location (street no., postcode town, country): Your annual electricity consumption in kilowatt hours (kWh): Your electricity price per kilowatt hour (kWh): Special requests (e.g. solar modules, inverter, storage system):


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Google's Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS update, is now finally live for users of first-gen Motorola Moto E users, and as expected the latest update has bypassed Android 5.0.
The rollout comes after multiple soak tests of Android 5.1 were recently seeded to first-gen Moto E users.
As per an AndroidOS report, Android 5.1 has initially hit first-generation Moto E users in India; therefore, it should only be a matter of time before the OS update is made live for owners of first-gen Moto E handsets in other geographical regions of the world.
First-gen Moto E users, both in India as well as in other countries, are advised to check their smartphones for newer OTA notifications representing Android 5.1 and let us know the firmware upgrade's rollout status.
According to AndroidOS, Moto E users can check out for Android 5.1 OS update bearing version number 23.21.18.en.03.
Newer enhancements offered by Android 5.1, to first-gen Motorola Moto E users:
Android 5.1 brings along all the features of Android 5.0 and incorporates fixes to multiple known inherent bugs/issues.
New features offered by Android 5.0
- Notifications and improvements: Blocks interruptions until the next alarm. You can choose to enter a scheduled downtime early. Add icons to the volume settings panel that match those that will show on the status bar. You can also alter notification volume controls while media is playing. With the volume controls showing, a tap on the bell icon will bring up notification volume controls.
- Heads-up notifications: In addition to dismissing a heads-up notification, you can now swipe it up to remove it from your screen. It will remain in your notifications tray and you can dismiss it later.
- Quick notifications: You can quickly select different Wi-Fi access points or different paired Bluetooth devices with a new pull-down menu on each tile. Conditional settings tiles that only show if you use the feature - like Invert Colors or Hotspot - can now be hidden via a long-press on the tile.
- Device protection feature: You can quickly select different Wi-Fi access points or different paired Bluetooth devices with a new pull-down menu on each tile. Conditional settings tiles that only show if you use the feature - like Invert Colors or Hotspot - can now be hidden.
- New lockscreen: If you have enabled Ambient Display, the minimum swipe distance has increased to reduce accidental interactions.
Bug fixes incorporated by Android 5.1
Apart from the above newer aspects, Android 5.1 also incorporates fixes to multiple known issues inherent in Android 5.0 as listed below.
- Clock in the status bar isn't updating and alarms not going off
- Can't delete SMS messages when the SIM card is full
- No ringer audio while making an outgoing call
- Calculator floating point calculations
- Chrome crashes when launched
- Frequent restarts while watching Netflix
- Wi-Fi not automatically reconnecting to home Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi not connecting after being idle all night
- Wi-Fi connection issues with multiple routers in one location
- Bluetooth discovery is not triggered when you refresh settings
- CPU wakelocks that contribute to heavier battery drain
- Connection and synchronisation issues with MS Exchange servers
- Incorrect default APN
- Cannot unlock the SIM with a PIN/PUK code
- Cannot play 'pinned' content
Currently, Android 5.1 is also active for Motorola's more recent Moto E (2015) smartphone. Owners of this device can check for a newer over-the-air (OTA) notification bearing build number 23.11.15.
How to manually search for Android 5.1 and install
Before manually searching for Android 5.1 and installing it, users need to connect to a Wi-Fi network; also ensure that the battery of the device has at least 50% charge.
- Select the Settings icon in the apps menu
- Select 'About phone'
- Select 'System updates'
- Select 'Yes, I'm in'. After the software is downloaded, select 'Install now'
- After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically.


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Grange pays tribute to Pat Kelly
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, is expressing sadness at the passing of renowned Jamaican singer Pat Kelly.
"I feel a deep sense of personal loss at the passing of Pat Kelly. He and I go back a long way to our days at Chocomo Lawn, a place where so many of our artistes and musicians got their start, thanks to Edward Seaga," Grange said .
"I was the president of the Victor's Youth Club at Chocomo Lawn and Pat was a member. It was there that he began developing his talent which has seen him become a great Jamaican singer and an outstanding audio engineer.
I have been very proud of his success with The Techniques and in his solo career; and satisfied with his contribution to our music.
I offer sincerest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at this time, "she added
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I walked into the Adele concert in Melbourne curious and walked out converted. Adele has the ability to perform in front of 75,000+ fans and make them feel like she is talking to them in their lounge room. She is one captivating artist.
An Adele show is not just about the songs. She contributes as much about herself between the songs as she reveals in her songs. "You are about to hear two hours of songs about my ex-boyfriend," Adele said at the start of the show. "I hope you know who I am and what my songs are. There aren't too many happy ones."
But there was the occasional:
Sometimes she revealed too much information. After her performance of the Bond theme Skyfall at the Oscars she said, "I shit myself quite literally. There was shit in my spanks."
Adele may be the biggest act on the planet right now but she did reveal her own obsession with Alison Krause. "She came to my show in Nashville. I followed her into the toilet and told her much I loved her in the toilet," she said.
It is no wonder Adele rarely does interviews. She has the ability to communicate those small details directly to her fans at the shows.
Therein lied the charm. Regardless of the tens of thousands surrounded me it felt like she was talking to me. I'd suggest every single one of the 75,000+ fans at the show also felt the personal service.
Adele spoke with honesty of the scarcity of her live performances. "I'm not really a touring artist," she said. "I'd rather be home having Chinese." When she promised to return to Australia one day she did qualify that with "I have zero percent plans for another tour".
The show itself is of rock concert proportions. The lights, the fireworks, the screens, the effects are what you would be more likely to find at an AC/DC concert, let alone at an Adele show.
Adele may have even discovered the next Adele at the show.
Adele customized the show for Melbourne with images of the city on the big screen while she sang 'Hometown Glory'. She then Aussied-up wrapped in the Australian flag towards the end of the show. What was really impressive was that the flag was her ONLY costume change of the night. When was the last time you went to a pop concert where that happened?
Adele's last Australian show is again tonight in Melbourne. She will then play three shows in Auckland March 23, 25 and 26 then her four last shows of the year in London June 28 and 29 and July 1 and 2.
Adele Melbourne setlist 19 March 2017
Hello (from 25, 2015)
Hometown Glory (from 19, 2008)
One and Only (from 21, 2011)
I'll Be Waiting (from 21, 2011)
Rumour Has It (from 21, 2011)
Water Under The Bridge (from 25, 2015)
I Miss You (from 25, 2015)
Skyfall (from Skyfall soundtrack, 2012)
Don't You Remember (from 21, 2011)
Make You Feel My Love (from 19, 2008)
Send My Love (To Your New Lover) (from 25, 2015)
Sweetest Devotion (from 25, 2015)
Chasing Pavements (from 19, 2008)
Take It All (from 21, 2011)
Set Fire To The Rain (from 21, 2011)
When You Were Young (from 25, 2015)
Rolling In The Deep (from 21, 2011)
Someone Like You (from 21, 2011)


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Association Rules
South Australian Stud Merino Sheepbreeders' Association Incorporated Rules including By-Law No. 1..
Last amended October 2018.
Rules (pdf)
The South Australian Stud Merino Sheepbreeders' Association is a voluntary membership-based body.
Through membership, Studs are automatically given membership of the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders Ltd (based in Sydney) who oversee the National Merino Flock Register. Members can also participate in the Association's promotional activities such as the South Australian Stud Merino Expo, and enter nationally recognised Merino and Poll Merino Competitions including those conducted at the Royal Adelaide Show. Members will be listed in the Association's Annual Directory that has a wide distribution through the Stock Journal. The Association also oversees the official Merino and Poll Merino mid-side sample collection.
Businesses that operate a Merino and a Poll Merino Stud are required to register each Stud separately and they are treated as separate entities.
Membership requires evidence of a flock containing a minimum of one Merino or Poll Merino ram transferred/purchased from an existing registered Stud (of that same breed - e.g. a Poll Merino Stud must be the source of the ram used in the application for a Poll Merino Stud) or a suitable quantity of genetic material from a registered Stud, plus a minimum of twenty-five ewes from a registered Merino or Poll Merino Stud. The foundation flock must be evidenced by properly completed Vendor & Purchaser Certificates. Blank V&Ps are available on request from the Association's office.
Membership subscription fees are subject to change. As at 1 July 2018, the entry fee to register a Stud was $560 + $56 GST = $616.
Application to Register a Stud (pdf)
Registered Member AASMB Forms
Location and Prefix Change (pdf)
Location Details (pdf)
Prefix Change Request (pdf)
Relocation Form (pdf)
Change of Owner or Trading Name (pdf)
Confirmation of Owner's Name (pdf)


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According to Joe Story, the Selectman from Newbury; there is no less than five applications for solar projects in their town. (which includes his own which is why he had to recuse himself.) If the Town of Newbury under the foolish pressure of the Governor bends to allow an industrial complex on the agricultural lands of the historic Common Pasture; there will be a wholesale destruction of our Greenway that spreads from Storey Avenue all the way to Scotland Road. With the issuing of grants and tax credits; installing solar arrays has become a new cottage industry – in which our local environment has already suffered with entire forests knocked down (Salisbury) and sensitive wetlands covered. (Georgetown)
The Consultant was very clever and told the Selectman an outright deception. He said his company was not receiving any money from the government. Of course, his clients will be receiving huge tax 'goodies' and even grants and deferred loans. Back in 2008, when even government money was tight; Rochester Electronics wanted to install solar panels and found out that it would not be feasible unless the company received a large amount of breaks from the government. Of course, in the solar farm proposed for the Common Pasture, if the project is approved; the consultant would receive his 'cut'.
If this dangerous precedent is allowed to proceed – what will stop other farmers always short on money to not install their little 'kitty'.
It is clear the Pikuls don't care about the historic nature of the Common Pasture; nor the ramifications of their decisions; nor the terrible impact on agriculture and tourism in our area. The New Gentrification normally don't. "It's my private property, I can do what I want" is a call from a bygone era when belching factories would be built in residential neighborhoods spewing fumes and pollutants on the abutters. The Supreme Court has upheld the right of a community to protect itself from the negative impacts of a single homeowner. I hope that if the selectman make the foolish mistake of approving this project, the appeals won't have to go that far. There is no benefit to Newbury for this installation – the side effects of their decision will guarantee a negative in their legers. The specious argument that the energy generated will help the locals feel greener is a ludicrous benefit at best. Their electricity rates will be unaffected whether there was a solar farm or no solar farm.
Newburyport tried to zone for 22 wind turbines so they would cover the Common Pasture; it took dedicated citizens to stop this madness from happening and I pray the citizens of Newbury make the same effort.
The Common Pasture has been cited as one of the most endangered open areas in our state and is of prime interest in preserving due to sensitive habitats. The Great Marsh will be impacted from degradation from this solar farm and when the floods come and the natural degradation of the encapsulation occurs; severe damage to the environment. Citizens who care about the global ecology need to fight to save our local environment.
As the slogan has been for years for environmentalists, Think Globally, Act Locally. Those who want to save polar bears and tigers need to start in their own backyard saving the endangered creatures in the upper Little River Watershed!
If no action is taken, it will be more than just one solar farm and the domino affect will seriously impact our region.
-P. Preservationist
Endangered Species Area:
Sensitive Watershed:


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Age: Hard to tell with an aspect so wizened and drawn by deprivation
Appearance: Dolorous. And spreading.
Oh, why are we talking about this again? We're months into the new regime now. I don't want to hear another word about this word. You might be Mr Well-Informed of 21 Old News Street, Informationshire, but there are others not so fortunate out there.
Oh yeah? From where I'm standing, all I can see is people with lower wages, rising costs of living and an austerity abyss opening up between the two. That is because you are standing in the UK. In the US, however, austerity was the second-biggest trend on Google yesterday.
You mean …? Yes. The word is baffling them. It is the Cheryl Cole accent of econo-cultural terms.
I suppose it's only natural in a land of historical plenty, constitutionally dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure, and the home of bacon mayonnaise. Quite.
What can we do to help? Lend them the Oxford English Dictionary, where "austerity" is defined fully and at too great a length to repeat here?
I suspect a nation that habitually wraps chocolate-chip pancakes round sausages, puts the results on sticks and sells them at convenience stores is going to need more than an etymological aid. You need to change its mindset. Exactly.
How? Recourse to history, perhaps.
Federally mandated readings of pioneer diaries and Little House on the Prairie books to remind people how little they used to get by on? Laura was happy at Christmas with a single stick of candy and a tin cup? That kind of thing? Maybe. Except the Republicans might legitimately point out that the pioneers were working towards settling the land so that one day it could yield pancakes and sausages on sticks for all.
Make it a war on excess, then? Allow them to shoot anyone consuming too much of anything. Except bullets. That's a touch, well, excessive, ironically.
How about hellish visions of the future, then? CGI footage of ordinary Americans sinking into a black hole of debt from which even Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck cannot save them? Pictures of David Simon stamping his boot on the face of American humanity? I'll pitch it. But my hopes aren't high.
Do say: "No, I won't supersize it, thanks."
Don't say: "Oh, go on then, yes I will."


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Various genetic and environmental factors are known to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We identified COPD-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using 189 samples accompanying either adenocarcinoma (AC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SC), comprising 91 normal and 98 COPD samples. DEGs were obtained from the intersection of two DEG sets separately identified for AC and SC to exclude the influence of different cancer backgrounds co-occurring with COPD. We also measured patient samples named group 'I', which were unable to be determined as normal or COPD based on alterations in gene expression. The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed significant alterations in the expression of genes categorized with the 'cell adhesion', 'inflammatory response', and 'mitochondrial functions', i.e., well-known functions related to COPD, in samples from patients with COPD. Multi-omics data were subsequently integrated to decipher the upstream regulatory changes linked to the gene expression alterations in COPD. COPD-associated expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) were located at the upstream regulatory regions of 96 DEGs. Additionally, 45 previously identified COPD-related miRNAs were predicted to target 66 of the DEGs. The eQTLs and miRNAs might affect the expression of 'respiratory electron transport chain' genes and 'cell proliferation' genes, respectively, while both eQTLs and miRNAs might affect the expression of 'apoptosis' genes. We think that our present study will contribute to our understanding of the molecular etiology of COPD accompanying lung cancer.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a complex age-related disease, has two components: chronic bronchitis, characterized by productive cough, and emphysema, demonstrated by destruction of the lung parenchyma (Agustí et al., 2012; Mannino and Buist, 2007; Rabe et al., 2007; Vestbo et al., 2013). COPD patients also suffer from shortness of breath due to chronic airway obstruction and inflammation (Fabbri et al., 2003; Vestbo et al., 2013). COPD is generally diagnosed by chronic and irreparable impairment of lung airflow (Aaron et al., 2007; Barnett, 2005; Calverley et al., 2007; Vestbo et al., 2013). The most prominent cause of COPD is cigarette smoking (CS), although this factor is not the only cause of the disease, and not all smokers have the disease (Buist et al., 2008; Kim et al., 2017; Lundback et al., 2003; Mannino et al., 2003; Stone et al., 1983; Swanney et al., 2008).
Several recent studies have shown that genetic factors contribute to COPD (Anderson and Bozinovski, 2003; Foreman et al., 2012; Jeong et al., 2018; Sakao et al., 2003; Sandford et al., 1998). For instance, loss-of-function mutation of α1-antitrypsin is a well-known genetic risk factor, although it is responsible for only 1–5% of COPD patients (Smith and Harrison, 1997; Stoller and Aboussouan, 2005). In addition, with the recent success of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the list of COPD-associated genes is expanding rapidly, including FAM13A, HHIP, IREB2, RAB4B, EGLN2, MIA, CYP2A6 (Hardin and Silverman, 2014; Hobbs et al., 2017; Kim and Lee, 2015). Note that many COPD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are located in noncoding regions such as intergenic and intronic regions (Artigas et al., 2011; Repapi et al., 2010) rather than in protein-coding regions, which is also the case for other disease-associated SNPs. These noncoding but disease-associated SNPs may contribute to the altered regulation of gene expression, splicing, and epigenetic modifications.
Interestingly, CS can perturb gene expression by affecting various epigenetic markers including DNA methylation and chromatin modification (Belinsky et al., 2002; Kim et al., 2001; Lee and Pausova, 2013). A variety of epigenetic machineries for regulating downstream gene expression are known to be altered in COPD (Lawless et al., 2009; Schamberger et al., 2014). All these studies consistently indicate that both genetic and epigenetic alterations are important in the etiology of COPD. However, the mechanism by which these genes and their genetic mutations mediate the pathogenesis of the disease remains to be elucidated.
Meanwhile, an understanding of the perturbations in gene expression in various diseases will potentially contribute to the identification of molecular targets to develop new therapeutic drugs or prognostic modalities. Transcriptome studies using either microarrays or RNA-Seq approaches have been employed for those purposes in COPD as well (Chen et al., 2008; Kim et al., 2015a; Rangasamy et al., 2009; Steiling et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2008). For instance, according to Wang et al. (2008), extracellular matrix (ECM) and apoptosis genes are upregulated, whereas genes involved in anti-inflammatory functions are down-regulated in a microarray of 48 human lung samples, including normal tissues and samples from patients with various stages of COPD ranging from GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases) stage 0 to GOLD stage 3. In addition, several other genes involved in inflammatory responses, including cytokines and chemokines, and genes involved in oxidative stress responses are associated with COPD progression (Chen et al., 2008; Kim et al., 2015a; Rangasamy et al., 2009; Steiling et al., 2013).
However, alterations in gene expression are notably heterogeneous among studies with different designs using different cell types (Novak et al., 2002), which is not surprising because 12 different cell types constitute the whole lung tissue (Wang et al., 2008). Moreover, most subjects with COPD were also diagnosed with lung cancers, which was the reason for undergoing lung resection, and thus the DEG results cannot be as easily interpreted as the genes that are altered by COPD alone (Wang et al., 2008). As shown in the study by Spira et al. (2007), gene expressions in normal airway epithelial cells derived from patients with lung cancers differ in a cancer-specific manner.
In the present study, we thus attempt to avoid complexities in estimating DEGs associated with COPD (i.e., COPD-DEGs) driven by different cancer backgrounds co-occurring with COPD or by likely misclassified patient samples named group 'I', basically by revisiting the previous study published by Kim et al. (2015a). In addition, we integrate the COPD-DEGs with various multi-omics data, revealing novel insights relevant to COPD, which may ultimately contribute to improving our understanding of the molecular etiology of COPD or to identifying molecular targets for the development of a novel diagnostic or prognostic strategy.
For the present study, we obtained the RNA-Seq data produced from COPD patients with lung cancers from Kim et al. (2015a) (
FPKM values downloaded from the GEO database (
The 189 patient samples in the GSE57148, comprising 91 samples labeled 'normal' and 98 samples labeled 'COPD', were further divided into COPD coupled with adenocarcinoma (AC-COPD; 58 normal versus 36 COPD) and COPD coupled with squamous cell carcinoma (SC-COPD; 33 normal versus 62 COPD). Detailed clinical information on the sex, age, FEV1/FVC ratio, and cancer types of the samples was retrieved from Kim et al. (2015a) and is provided as
A total of 45 differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) detected in COPD were obtained from Kim and Lee (2017). Information about miRNAs and their target mRNAs was obtained from miRTarBase (ver. 7.0,
A total of 910 previously known COPD-associated genes were obtained from the gene-disease association (GDA) database of DisGeNET (ver. 5.0,
All statistical tests and their related diagrams were implemented with R (ver. 3.5.0,
Total RNA was extracted from two types of mouse COPD models, i.e., five mice from the elastase-induced model (Suki et al., 2017) and three mice from the smoking-induced model (Cavarra et al., 2001); please refer to previous studies to find detailed protocols for constructing mouse COPD model systems (Cavarra et al., 2001; Huh et al., 2011; Kim et al., 2015b; Suki et al., 2017). Total RNA was isolated using the RNeasy Mini Kit (Qiagen, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions, and the concentration was quantified with an Epoch Microplate Spectrophotometer (Biotek Instruments, Inc.). The quality of total RNAs was then tested by measuring the ratio of absorbance at 260 nm and 280 nm. Reverse transcription was conducted using the TOPscriptδ RT DryMIX kit (Enzynomics); for PCR, 1 μl of synthesized cDNA was used with AccuPower PCR pre-MIX (Bioneer). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed to quantify the mRNA expression of candidate genes using the ABI Step One Plus System Instrument (Applied Biosystems). The qPCRs were performed according to the manufacturer's instructions with TOPrealδ qPCR 2X PreMIX SYBR Green with high ROX (Enzynomics) in a Microamp fast 96-well reaction plate. Levels of relative gene expression were normalized to GAPDH expression. The primer sequences are provided in
We collected RNA-Seq data from a total of 189 samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (see Methods) to revisit the previous findings (Kim et al., 2015a) regarding COPD-associated gene expression signatures. As described in the original paper, the samples were all derived from either adenocarcinoma (AC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SC) of the lungs, regardless of whether they were labeled normal or COPD. Therefore, the terms 'normal' and 'COPD' here refer to lung cancer patients without COPD and lung cancer patients with COPD, respectively. We thus decided to classify COPD patients into two groups by the lung cancer types from which they suffered simultaneously, i.e., COPD patients with adenocarcinoma (AC-COPD) and COPD patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SC-COPD)(Fig. 1). Accordingly, the samples from AC and SC patients without COPD were named 'AC-normal' and 'SC-normal', respectively.
Consistent with the study by Kim et al. (2015), patients with COPD tended to be older, to have more pack-years of CS, and to have a significantly lower FEV1/FVC ratio than individuals without COPD (
We separately identified DEGs for the two COPD groups classified by the two cancer types, AC and SC, using cutoff values of Q < 0.01 and |fold change (FC)| ≥ 1.5 (see Methods). As a result, 150 DEGs were identified between 58 AC-normal and 36 AC-COPD samples (named AC-DEGs), and 58 DEGs were identified between 33 SC-normal and 62 SC-COPD samples (named SC-DEGs).
We conducted heatmap analysis accompanied by unsupervised hierarchical clustering for AC and SC to investigate whether these DEGs demarcated the normal and COPD samples (Figs. 2A and 2D). The classification of samples by the DEGs was not perfect in either cancer types (i.e., some normal samples are clustered in an intermingled way with some COPD samples, and vice versa), leading to the recognition of a third group of patient samples, separate from normal and COPD.
We thus performed
Interestingly, the median FEV1/FVC ratio of group 'I' was approximately equivalent to group 'N', although the ratio ranged widely from less than 50% (clinical COPD) to greater than 80% (clinically normal) for both AC and SC (Figs. 2C and 2F). Based on this result, group 'I' may contain misclassified patient samples, although they had been clinically diagnosed with or without COPD.
After establishing a third group of patients, group 'I', we decided to re-identify the three sets of DEGs to determine how the gene expression patterns of the patients in group 'I' e differed. We defined NC-DEGs, NI-DEGs, IC-DEGs by comparing gene expression between groups 'N' and 'C', 'N' and 'I', and 'I' and 'C', respectively. Several statistical cutoff values for defining the three sets of DEGs were tested, from which we found that very few NI- and IC-DEGs remained when Q < 0.01 and | FC| ≥ 2 were applied. However, 237 NC-DEGs still remained as DEGs at those stringent cutoffs (
Next, we tried to obtain common COPD-DEGs between AC-COPD and SC-COPD groups by collecting common NC-DEGs identified based on the intersection between the NC-DEG sets of AC and SC. As shown in Fig. 3, 237 common NC-DEGs (the bottom panel), including 131 upregulated and 106 downregulated genes, differentiated COPD from normal samples without ambiguity for both AC (the top left panel) and SC (the top right panel) using a heatmap accompanied by unsupervised hierarchical clustering. Notably, samples from group 'I' were excluded from this analysis of both AC and SC.
The intersection between NC-DEGs for AC and SC produced two additional groups of gene sets, 'AC-specific' (316 genes) and 'SC-specific' (62 genes), as well as the common NC-DEGs (Fig. 4). Moreover, according to the direction of the changes in expression (up- or downregulation), these three categories of NC-DEGs were divided into six categories: 'Common-up' (131 genes), 'Common-down' (106 genes), 'AC-specific-up' (140 genes), 'AC-specific-down' (176 genes), 'SC-specific-up' (29 genes), and 'SC-specific-down' (33 genes)(Fig. 4A).
We performed a GO analysis of each of the 6 categories of DEGs, confirming several previously well-known COPD-related genes in the 'common' category. For instance, GO functions such as 'inflammatory response', 'cell adhesion', and 'ECM' were significantly enriched in the 'Common-up' category, whereas mitochondria-related functions were significantly enriched in the 'Common-down' category (Fig. 4A). Interestingly, all these functional GO terms were completely consistent with the findings from recent reviews aiming to decipher the molecular pathology of COPD (Chen et al., 2008; Wang et al., 2008). Similar GO functional terms appeared in both AC-specific and SC-specific categories, although the numbers of genes associated with specific functional terms differed, suggesting that genes involved in molecular pathways associated with COPD etiology were commonly altered as well. Notably, however, inflammatory and apoptosis genes were prominent functional terms for the AC-specific category, but not the SC-specific category, whereas cell proliferation genes showed the opposite trend (Fig. 4A). We postulate that this difference in functional GO terms exists because the etiology of COPD in patients with AC and SC is not identical due to different genetic and epigenetic conditions associated with each cancer type. Notably, the GSEA generally provided the same interpretation as the GO analysis (data not shown).
We then created a functional interaction network with the ReactomeFI Cytoscape plugin (see the Methods) using these 615 NC-DEGs assigned into the six different categories (Fig. 4B), confirming that these genes, regardless of the categories to which they are assigned, are associated with COPD. Most of the input DEGs were inter-connected in a large network and the functional terms of each clustered subgroup in the network were consistent with the functions mentioned above, suggesting that these DEGs may participate in the pathogenic pathway leading to COPD. The integration of an additional source of functional information about these DEGs, i.e., previously known COPD-associated genes, including
We next attempted to further characterize the 237 common NC-DEGs by integrating them with other multi-omics data. Previously, Kim and Lee (2017) reported a total of 45 miRNAs to be differentially expressed in COPD patients (i.e., DE-miRNAs) compared with normal controls. It is hypothesized that the alteration of miRNA expression could lead to alterations in target gene expression, considering that miRNAs are well-established regulators of gene expression. Consequently, we searched the 237 common NC-DEGs for genes predicted to be targeted by these 45 DE-miRNAs by examining the intersection of these DEGs with previously known miRNA-target mRNA pairs (see the Methods). As a result, 43 of the 45 miRNAs were associated with a total of 4,786 mRNA targets. By overlapping the 237 DEGs with the 4,786 miRNA targets, 66 NC-DEGs were identified (Tables 1 and
Another mechanism of gene expression alteration is genetic mutations that occur in
We then examined whether a general pattern occurred in the mechanism of regulatory alterations, mediated either by miRNAs or by eQTLs, in functional categories into which the common NC-DEGs were assigned. Two groups of DEGs, i.e., DEGs targeted by the 45 DE-miRNAs and DEGs mapped to eQTLs, were overlapped, resulting in three categories of DEGs: genes whose expression was altered only by DE-miRNAs (designated 'miRNA-specific'), genes whose expression was altered only by regulatory mutations (designated 'eQTL-specific'), and whose expression was altered by both mechanisms (designated 'both'). As shown in Table 1, only 20 NC-DEGs, including
Here, we identified genes that were significantly altered by COPD using samples previously published by Kim et al. (2015a). We not only confirmed the previous finding, showing the perturbation in the gene expression of inflammatory genes and mitochondrial genes, but also revealed a novel aspect regarding the changes in putative regulatory regions that might affect changes in COPD-DEG expression.
A problem confronted by Kim et al. in their study (Kim et al., 2015) and by us in the present study was that all COPD samples were accompanied by lung cancers, either AC or SC. However, a substantial difference between the study by Kim et al. (2015) and our present study is the strategy used to identify DEGs; we attempted to remove the bias driven by lung cancers in patients with COPD by detecting COPD-DEGs. Another difference was the recognition of an 'intermediate' group named group 'I', i.e., patients who cannot be classified as COPD or non-COPD by gene expression patterns alone. We observed few differences in gene expression levels between the 'N' and 'I' groups and between the 'I' and 'C' groups, and the FEV1/FVC ratio of group 'I' was scattered from low to high, indicating that COPD and non-COPD samples were likely intermingled within group 'I'. In other words, the clinical diagnosis of patients in group 'I' as either COPD or normal might have been inaccurate, potentially leading to the identification of less reliable COPD-DEGs if group 'I' samples were included in the datasets. We postulate that the exclusion of samples from group 'I' and the collection of NC-DEGs helped us unambiguously identify reliable COPD-DEGs. In fact, the subsequent analyses performed after DEG identification, including the GO analysis and functional interaction network analysis, confirmed the previous findings from COPD-driven transcriptome analyses, as the expression of inflammatory genes and apoptosis genes was upregulated, and the expression of oxidation-reduction genes was downregulated. A third difference exists with regard to our effort to integrate DEGs with various omics datasets to investigate a mechanistic question underlying the expression alteration occurring in COPD. The integration of multi-omics data, including GDA, eQTLs, and miRNAs, provided us an opportunity to link changes in upstream regulatory regions and changes in downstream gene expression, through which we identified some common pathways involved in the development of COPD, regardless of co-occurring cancer types. Additionally, different functional classes of genes were altered by different lung cancer backgrounds or by the upregulation or downregulation of genes.
Finally, we further validated alterations in the expression of some selected genes in the two mouse COPD model systems, in which
We think that our present study will contribute to understanding the molecular etiology of COPD coupled with lung cancers and to identifying diagnostic markers of COPD.
This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (NRF-2016R1D1A1B03930411).
Results of the GO analysis
|Category (n)
|Gene Ontology
|miRNA specific (46)
|positive regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation
|positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter
|positive regulation of cell proliferation
|cellular response to tumor necrosis factor
|cell adhesion
|Both (20)
|positive regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade
|negative regulation of apoptotic process
|positive regulation of fibroblast proliferation
|positive regulation of MAP kinase activity
|leukocyte migration
|eQTL specific (76)
|respiratory electron transport chain
|lymphocyte homeostasis
|positive regulation of intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway in response to DNA damage
|inflammatory response
|protein phosphorylation


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Are ATMs the Right Channel for Serving the Underbanked?
The future of the branch is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure: RIP teller lines. The new teller-line free branch concepts require staff members to better deliver a brand experience that includes demoing new mobile app features to signing a customer up on a new product.April 1
As banks reimagine their branches, BTN's Mary Wisniewski spends the day with American Heritage Federal Credit Union's video tellers. The Philadelphia credit union offers an example of what the future teller looks like: offsite and visible to members through a Skype-like experience on personal teller machines.September 17
The automated teller machine a technology that dates to the 1960s is taking on new relevance in the age of digital banking.
Modern ATMs, which bankers now call devices, can dispense $1 and $5 bills. Some are equipped with video tellers that can connect customers to offsite financial experts. Others even allow consumers to pre-stage a cash withdrawal at an ATM via a mobile app instead of inserting a card.
Next up: the ATM Industry Association is brainstorming ways the machines can be better used to help reach unbanked and underbanked consumers. Sending money to someone, paying bills, and loading a portion of a check onto a prepaid card are among the types of transactions the group is envisioning can take place through ATMs.
"The knowledge and awareness of what can be done at the ATM is something we are advocating for," says David Tente, the executive director of ATMIA.
The global nonprofit trade association, which includes bank members, is gearing up to launch a dedicated forum that will discuss how ATMs can better serve the underbanked and unbanked, and to foster best practices and new ideas that go deeper than using ATMs to cash checks or withdraw cash from preloaded electronic benefit transfer cards and other products.
The ATMIA forum plans to host its first teleconference on April 30 and then meet at least bi-monthly depending on the team's scheduling preferences.
The forum is designed to bring attention to what forward-looking technology is already available like dispensing gift cards through ATMs and to accelerate the development of new features that could benefit folks who use banking services sparingly or have no banking relationship at all.
This subset of consumers may be be reticent about going into branch but feel comfortable using a do-it-yourself channel, says Tente, whose organization counts 4,000 members in 60 countries.
Tente says his group is exploring ways to help heavy cash users do things such as pay bills or send money to another country using an ATM, but without having to use an ATM card. He argues that there is no reason to force someone to use a card to send money elsewhere when there are other methods to authenticate someone. In some countries, for example, ATMs use biometrics to identify users.
Tente anticipates the forum will also address prepaid opportunities.
Tente acknowledges that some consumers might be reluctant to use a bank's ATM to pay a bill or wire funds, so his group is also working with and likely including independent ATM operators whose machines might be located in convenience stores, gas stations and other nonbank locations.
"If the first step in converting an unbanked person to a banked person is a trip to an ATM to cash a check, for example, some might actually prefer a nonbank ATM," says Tente.
ATMIA is one of several organizations seeking innovative ways to reach unbanked and underbanked consumers.
American Express is expected to launch an innovation lab geared to the group in June, while the Center for Financial Services Innovation continues its work with the New York University's Financial Initiative and Bankable Frontier Associates to chronicle the daily struggles of low-to-medium income individuals. The aim of the research is to better understand how these individuals budget their money and, in turn, what products and services could be developed to meet their needs.
The establishment of ATMIA's forum also comes at a time when ATM providers are rethinking ways to remain relevant in an era where consumers are increasingly using their mobile phones and tablets to conduct everyday transactions.
Devon Watson, the vice president of new business and solution incubation at Diebold, envisions an ATM of the future that could let low-wage workers who are paid in cash pay their monthly bills via an ATM.
Next-generation ATMs could also work like machines run by Tio Networks that let individuals without bank accounts pay their bills. Cash deposited in these sort-of reverse ATMs can be used to pay a bill and if consumers overpay, their accounts would be credited for the next time.
"The challenge is ATMs have not been able to provide more value than cash withdrawals," says Hamed Shahbazi, chief executive officer of Tio. "We have our work cut out for us, but I believe [other transactions] can be done."
To be sure, some of these ideas could face existing competition from younger companies that already cater to the unbanked and underbanked. PayNearMe, for example, is a cash transaction network that helps consumers who don't have credit or debit cards make purchases online, among other things. It has 17,000 retail partners, including the convenience chain 7-Eleven. Then, check-cashing services located within retail shops have been in place for years and years.
Analysts are skeptical that bank-operated ATMs will have a role in catering to the unbanked and underbanked.
Ron Shevlin, a senior analyst at Aite, says it would likely be a huge stretch for banks to retool their systems to handle nonbank account information, arguing that mobile is the channel that could best serve these consumers. And, in his view, ATMs are a less appropriate place for selling products altogether should that be the vision. It "doesn't fit in with how consumers do business," Shevlin says, pointing out how the channel should not create reasons to hold up a line.
Still, software companies are cooking up newer features available at ATMs that are designed to be as quick as getting a $20. Take Better ATM Solutions. The software vendor has pilots in place where credit unions' ATMs dispense gift cards that only activate after they come out of the machine.
"I think there is a lot of life in adding more feature sets to the ATM," says Todd Nuttall, chief executive officer of Better ATM Solutions. "People use whatever is convenient for them."


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Triple homicide suspect William "Billy" Boyette, Jr. died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday evening after officers surrounded him in a West Point, Georgia motel room said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan.
Read the full article in the Feb. 9 issue of Navarre Press. Subscribe online at navarrepress.com for as little as $38 per year.
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So, Kim Kardashian has gone and hired a new stylist via Kanye to help her create a more "sophisticated" style -- and how's that working out for her? Just dandy, if what you mean by dandy is actually dowdy. Here's Kim in a dress that can only be described as the opposite of the optical illusion dress.
You know the dress I'm talking about? That Stella McCartney number where there's a curvy black silhouette on either side of the dress that POOF! just seems to make a few extra inches disappear into thin air? All you see is the white or colored panel in the center, which looks skinner than you actually are. Here's Jane Fonda wearing it. Here's Kate Winslet wearing it. Now let's talk about how Kim's dress gets it wrong.
Hmm, there's something different, but I just can't quite put my finger on it ... Oh yes! The color panel/black silhouette is reversed! Now, instead of a black shape that slices inches off of your figure, Kim's got a white silhouette that actually seems to add inches to her petite little frame. Not only that, it's not exactly body-skimming. It's more body-tenting.
Doesn't she know it's not supposed to look like this? I mean, her own mom has worn this dress. Here's Kris Jenner, wearing the damn optical illusion dress. Like a gangsta.
Okay, but it gets worse. Turn around, Kim. Show us the back. (Scroll down a bit on that link, you'll see it.)
Yeah -- a butt pleat! Oh for the love of ... Talk about hiding your assets. This dress makes no sense -- for anyone, but especially for Kim! I know Kim's badonkadonk needs plenty of room, but this is ridiculous. Is this also where she stores Kanye's Grammys? Because it looks like there's plenty of room there.
Kim, listen to me. Kim. KIM! (God, it's so hard to get her attention with all those photogs around.) Listen, "sophisticated" does not mean "fugly." You can still look sophisticated and sexy. Ditch your new stylist and just do whatever Diane Kruger does (since Beyonce would notice if you copied her) and you'll be fine. Trust us. Now get rid of that dress -- donate it as a tent for the Girl Scouts or something.
What do you think of Kim Kardashian's dress?
Image via Pacific Coast News


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Sale of the company to Bayer
Monsanto Company
The firm successfully represented Monsanto in connection with its $66 billion acquisition by Bayer. The firm represented Monsanto in the US and EU and coordinated antitrust/competition approvals in almost 30 other jurisdictions worldwide in connection with the transaction. The transaction was cleared after a 20 month investigation leading to Phase II remedies in the EU and a consent decree in the US that the DOJ characterized as "the largest negotiated merger divestiture ever required by the United States."


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Welcome To We Talk Pets! Animal Hospital
We Talk Pets! Animal Hospital in Upland, California is a full service veterinary office that provides quality and affordable health care for your pet. We also proudly offer emergency services at non-emergency prices.
We understand the importance of your pet's health, which is why we make it a priority to keep your pet happy and healthy. We offer a wide range of services to treat your pet when he or she isn't feeling well, or when you just want to take good measures.
We Talk Pets! is dedicated to taking care of your pet. You can trust us when it comes to vaccinations all the way to routine check ups.
Ask us about our Illness and Preventative Care Plans, or call us at (909) 608-0001 in case of an emergency.


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Google Display Ad Services
Cater to the Rise of the Constantly Connected Consumer
Google Display Ads
Your goal hasn't changed. You are looking for your ideal audience and reach that audience at scale in the most cost efficient manner possible. No Google product accomplishes this better than branded display advertising. The Google display network is the #1 provider of display ads across all platforms, touting a 92%+ reach on high volume site.
Why Choose Us:
We understand demographic targeting because it is a vital role in brand-building and conversion optimization on websites, something we have been doing since our agency got started over ten years ago.
Understanding your target market means you understand the path to purchase. When you understand the path to purchase, you are able to brand your company in such a way that it appeals to your specific demographic.
Example: You own a vacation rental service in Orlando. We can target a 30 yr old male who earns 100k+, is a beach lover and is currently planning his next vacation in Orlando.
Or, we can target users in context across devices. For example, if someone searched for a 5-star hotel at home, on their laptop, we can place an advertisement for a hotel next time they are looking for a travel deal on their mobile device or tablet.
Who is This Best Suited For?
Display advertisements are a wonderful engagement tool for companies who are looking to target a specific demographic. It is also a wonderful tool to drive loyalty. Dynamic image ads and text ads are created on the fly to be placed in front of potential buyers within milliseconds. These ads will drive purchase behaviors and build brand awareness.
Finally, display ads in conjunction with standard paid search and SEO, will drive overall conversion lift as these display ads have the most expansive reach across all user devices, placing ads in front of a potential buyer in a matter of milliseconds on any device.
What We Will Do For You
1. If you don't already have a ads designed, we will work with you to create them.
2. We will handle the initial setup of the marketing campaign.
3. We will build out the marketing over time. This will include fine-tuning the target audience as well as the keywords we are looking to show up for.
4. We will report back to you how many times the video was watched.


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After more than three years at Android smartphone maker Xiaomi, Hugo Barra is exiting the company. The Xiaomi global VP announced his plans to leave the company and return to Silicon Valley in a post on Facebook saying that "the last few years of living in such a singular environment have taken a huge toll on my life and started affecting my health." He explains that his friends and home are in Silicon Valley, and his family is much closer to that part of the globe than his current home in Beijing.
Before joining Xiaomi in August 2013, he was the Vice President of Product Management for Android at Google for five years so Hugo Barra is indeed a big name in the smartphone world. In the lengthy Facebook post, Mr. Barra wrote that his time at Xiaomi was the greatest and most challenging adventure of his life. During his time at Xiaomi, he helped to build the company into a major player in the international market. The company is now the third-largest smartphone manufacturer in India, crossing $1 billion in revenue last year, and has a foothold in key Asian markets, including Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Commenting on the post, Xiaomi co-founder and president Bin Lin thanked Barra for his contributions, and said that Xiaomi's current SVP Xiang Wang will lead the company's global efforts:
When Hugo joined us 3.5 years ago, we started an amazing adventure to turn Xiaomi into a global player. We have come a long way since, and I couldn't thank him enough for contributing so much to Xiaomi's journey. As much as we would love to have Hugo stay with us in Beijing for a much longer time, we understand his personal challenges and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. I'm also looking forward to working closely with him in his new role as advisor to Xiaomi.
Xiang Wang, Xiaomi Senior Vice President, will lead our entire global efforts moving forward. We have ambitious expansion plans for 2017 and are confident in Xiang's leadership to take our global business to even greater heights!
Barra says that he'll leave his role as Global Vice President of Xiaomi in February after the Chinese New Year. It remains to be seen where he'll go from here and whether or not he'll remain in mobile but Barra says he will be taking "some much needed time off" before starting a new job. He does however plans on staying on at Xiaomi as an advisor.


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Welcome to AZSoccer!! 04/27/2017AZSoccer is the place for fans, players, coaches and enthusiasts. If you'd like to belong to or create your own supporters group, just check in at the water cooler and let us know and a moderator will add you to the group. Let's make Arizona the best place in the country to be a Soccer fan!
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Reblogged this on cpisawis.
Find Your Ruby Slippers
I happen to love, love, LOVE these ruby slippers. And red is my color–it is literally sprinkled throughout my business and my shoe collection. But this post isn't about telling you to go out and buy some red shoes. (Even though that's pretty much always a great idea!) Red has essentially become my calling card, and partly how I help my business stand out from the crowd. I've had people tell me any time they see red shoes, they think of me. That. Is. Awesome. Thinking of me is also thinking of my business, which eventually can lead to referrals!
We live in a world pretty saturated with our competition, and with the "internet of things" giving us access to products and services we need instantly, does it feel like sometimes you just can't compete and keep up with what all the other guys are doing? Let's be honest…it can be pretty intimidating to go to a conference, or walk into an event in your community that most of your competition just happened to attend. But instead of asking yourself how you can keep up with the competition, ask yourself how are you different!
Let's go back to that room full of your competition for a minute. When you walked into that room, did you notice anything particularly interesting about any of those people or their products? Or were they all pretty much the same? As tempting as it may be to want to "blend in" with the crowd sometimes, don't do it! Be the one who stands out in the crowd–whether that's with a great pair of ruby slippers (or something else that makes people think of you instantly), or with a fantastic marketing campaign featuring your style or your own quirky trademark that sticks with people long after that last ad they saw on Facebook.
If you don't know what makes you or your way of doing business different, make sure you take a good look at your competition. What are they doing? How are they branding their product or service–or do they even have any consistent branding? And then take a good, long look at what you do differently. Maybe it's your communication style, or maybe it's your sense of humor showing through your Facebook page that helps your customers relate to you and feel like they know you. Whatever it is, embrace it like those beautiful red shoes! Go find YOUR ruby slippers!