text: Antibody Specificity: The property of antibodies which enables them to react with some ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS and not with others. Specificity is dependent on chemical composition, physical forces, and molecular structure at the binding site.Antibodies: Immunoglobulin molecules having a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which they interact only with the ANTIGEN (or a very similar shape) that induced their synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially PLASMA CELLS).Antibodies, Monoclonal: Antibodies produced by a single clone of cells.Antibodies, Neutralizing: Antibodies that reduce or abolish some biological activity of a soluble antigen or infectious agent, usually a virus.Antibodies, Bacterial: Immunoglobulins produced in a response to BACTERIAL ANTIGENS.Antibodies, Viral: Immunoglobulins produced in response to VIRAL ANTIGENS.Epitopes: Sites on an antigen that interact with specific antibodies.Sensitivity and Specificity: Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)Antibody Formation: The production of ANTIBODIES by proliferating and differentiated B-LYMPHOCYTES under stimulation by ANTIGENS.Antibody Affinity: A measure of the binding strength between antibody and a simple hapten or antigen determinant. It depends on the closeness of stereochemical fit between antibody combining sites and antigen determinants, on the size of the area of contact between them, and on the distribution of charged and hydrophobic groups. It includes the concept of "avidity," which refers to the strength of the antigen-antibody bond after formation of reversible complexes.Cross Reactions: Serological reactions in which an antiserum against one antigen reacts with a non-identical but closely related antigen.HIV Antibodies: Antibodies reactive with HIV ANTIGENS.Immunoglobulin G: The major immunoglobulin isotype class in normal human serum. There are several isotype subclasses of IgG, for example, IgG1, IgG2A, and IgG2B.Binding Sites, Antibody: Local surface sites on antibodies which react with antigen determinant sites on antigens (EPITOPES.) They are formed from parts of the variable regions of FAB FRAGMENTS.Autoantibodies: Antibodies that react with self-antigens (AUTOANTIGENS) of the organism that produced them.Antigen-Antibody Reactions: The processes triggered by interactions of ANTIBODIES with their ANTIGENS.Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay: An immunoassay utilizing an antibody labeled with an enzyme marker such as horseradish peroxidase. While either the enzyme or the antibody is bound to an immunosorbent substrate, they both retain their biologic activity; the change in enzyme activity as a result of the enzyme-antibody-antigen reaction is proportional to the concentration of the antigen and can be measured spectrophotometrically or with the naked eye. Many variations of the method have been developed.Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic: Antibodies which react with the individual structural determinants (idiotopes) on the variable region of other antibodies.Molecular Sequence Data: Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.Substrate Specificity: A characteristic feature of enzyme activity in relation to the kind of substrate on which the enzyme or catalytic molecule reacts.Immunoglobulin M: A class of immunoglobulin bearing mu chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN MU-CHAINS). IgM can fix COMPLEMENT. The name comes from its high molecular weight and originally being called a macroglobulin.Fluorescent Antibody Technique: Test for tissue antigen using either a direct method, by conjugation of antibody with fluorescent dye (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, DIRECT) or an indirect method, by formation of antigen-antibody complex which is then labeled with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin antibody (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, INDIRECT). The tissue is then examined by fluorescence microscopy.Amino Acid Sequence: The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.Immune Sera: Serum that contains antibodies. It is obtained from an animal that has been immunized either by ANTIGEN injection or infection with microorganisms containing the antigen.Antigen-Antibody Complex: The complex formed by the binding of antigen and antibody molecules. The deposition of large antigen-antibody complexes leading to tissue damage causes IMMUNE COMPLEX DISEASES.Neutralization Tests: The measurement of infection-blocking titer of ANTISERA by testing a series of dilutions for a given virus-antiserum interaction end-point, which is generally the dilution at which tissue cultures inoculated with the serum-virus mixtures demonstrate cytopathology (CPE) or the dilution at which 50% of test animals injected with serum-virus mixtures show infectivity (ID50) or die (LD50).Rabbits: The species Oryctolagus cuniculus, in the family Leporidae, order LAGOMORPHA. Rabbits are born in burrows, furless, and with eyes and ears closed. In contrast with HARES, rabbits have 22 chromosome pairs.Epitope Mapping: Methods used for studying the interactions of antibodies with specific regions of protein antigens. Important applications of epitope mapping are found within the area of immunochemistry.Immunization: Deliberate stimulation of the host's immune response. ACTIVE IMMUNIZATION involves administration of ANTIGENS or IMMUNOLOGIC ADJUVANTS. PASSIVE IMMUNIZATION involves administration of IMMUNE SERA or LYMPHOCYTES or their extracts (e.g., transfer factor, immune RNA) or transplantation of immunocompetent cell producing tissue (thymus or bone marrow).Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments: Univalent antigen-binding fragments composed of one entire IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAIN and the amino terminal end of one of the IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS from the hinge region, linked to each other by disulfide bonds. Fab contains the IMMUNOGLOBULIN VARIABLE REGIONS, which are part of the antigen-binding site, and the first IMMUNOGLOBULIN CONSTANT REGIONS. This fragment can be obtained by digestion of immunoglobulins with the proteolytic enzyme PAPAIN.Hybridomas: Cells artificially created by fusion of activated lymphocytes with neoplastic cells. The resulting hybrid cells are cloned and produce pure MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES or T-cell products, identical to those produced by the immunologically competent parent cell.Immunoglobulin Variable Region: That region of the immunoglobulin molecule that varies in its amino acid sequence and composition, and comprises the binding site for a specific antigen. It is located at the N-terminus of the Fab fragment of the immunoglobulin. It includes hypervariable regions (COMPLEMENTARITY DETERMINING REGIONS) and framework regions.Haptens: Small antigenic determinants capable of eliciting an immune response only when coupled to a carrier. Haptens bind to antibodies but by themselves cannot elicit an antibody response.Mice, Inbred BALB CImmunoassay: A technique using antibodies for identifying or quantifying a substance. Usually the substance being studied serves as antigen both in antibody production and in measurement of antibody by the test substance.Isoantibodies: Antibodies from an individual that react with ISOANTIGENS of another individual of the same species.Species Specificity: The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.Autoantigens: Endogenous tissue constituents that have the ability to interact with AUTOANTIBODIES and cause an immune response.Antigens: Substances that are recognized by the immune system and induce an immune reaction.Immunoglobulin A: Represents 15-20% of the human serum immunoglobulins, mostly as the 4-chain polymer in humans or dimer in other mammals. Secretory IgA (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A, SECRETORY) is the main immunoglobulin in secretions.Peptides: Members of the class of compounds composed of AMINO ACIDS joined together by peptide bonds between adjacent amino acids into linear, branched or cyclical structures. OLIGOPEPTIDES are composed of approximately 2-12 amino acids. Polypeptides are composed of approximately 13 or more amino acids. PROTEINS are linear polypeptides that are normally synthesized on RIBOSOMES.Antigens, Bacterial: Substances elaborated by bacteria that have antigenic activity.Radioimmunoassay: Classic quantitative assay for detection of antigen-antibody reactions using a radioactively labeled substance (radioligand) either directly or indirectly to measure the binding of the unlabeled substance to a specific antibody or other receptor system. Non-immunogenic substances (e.g., haptens) can be measured if coupled to larger carrier proteins (e.g., bovine gamma-globulin or human serum albumin) capable of inducing antibody formation.HIV Envelope Protein gp120: External envelope protein of the human immunodeficiency virus which is encoded by the HIV env gene. It has a molecular weight of 120 kDa and contains numerous glycosylation sites. Gp120 binds to cells expressing CD4 cell-surface antigens, most notably T4-lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Gp120 has been shown to interfere with the normal function of CD4 and is at least partly responsible for the cytopathic effect of HIV.B-Lymphocytes: Lymphoid cells concerned with humoral immunity. They are short-lived cells resembling bursa-derived lymphocytes of birds in their production of immunoglobulin upon appropriate stimulation.Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains: The largest of polypeptide chains comprising immunoglobulins. They contain 450 to 600 amino acid residues per chain, and have molecular weights of 51-72 kDa.Antibodies, Protozoan: Immunoglobulins produced in a response to PROTOZOAN ANTIGENS.Blotting, Western: Identification of proteins or peptides that have been electrophoretically separated by blot transferring from the electrophoresis gel to strips of nitrocellulose paper, followed by labeling with antibody probes.Immunoblotting: Immunologic method used for detecting or quantifying immunoreactive substances. The substance is identified by first immobilizing it by blotting onto a membrane and then tagging it with labeled antibodies.Antibodies, Neoplasm: Immunoglobulins induced by antigens specific for tumors other than the normally occurring HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS.Antibodies, Antinuclear: Autoantibodies directed against various nuclear antigens including DNA, RNA, histones, acidic nuclear proteins, or complexes of these molecular elements. Antinuclear antibodies are found in systemic autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, polymyositis, and mixed connective tissue disease.HIV-1: The type species of LENTIVIRUS and the etiologic agent of AIDS. It is characterized by its cytopathic effect and affinity for the T4-lymphocyte.Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel: Electrophoresis in which a polyacrylamide gel is used as the diffusion medium.Molecular Weight: The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.Immunohistochemistry: Histochemical localization of immunoreactive substances using labeled antibodies as reagents.Antibodies, Fungal: Immunoglobulins produced in a response to FUNGAL ANTIGENS.Base Sequence: The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.Antibodies, Bispecific: Antibodies, often monoclonal, in which the two antigen-binding sites are specific for separate ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS. They are artificial antibodies produced by chemical crosslinking, fusion of HYBRIDOMA cells, or by molecular genetic techniques. They function as the main mediators of targeted cellular cytotoxicity and have been shown to be efficient in the targeting of drugs, toxins, radiolabeled haptens, and effector cells to diseased tissue, primarily tumors.Single-Chain Antibodies: A form of antibodies consisting only of the variable regions of the heavy and light chains (FV FRAGMENTS), connected by a small linker peptide. They are less immunogenic than complete immunoglobulin and thus have potential therapeutic use.Recombinant Proteins: Proteins prepared by recombinant DNA technology.Antibodies, Blocking: Antibodies that inhibit the reaction between ANTIGEN and other antibodies or sensitized T-LYMPHOCYTES (e.g., antibodies of the IMMUNOGLOBULIN G class that compete with IGE antibodies for antigen, thereby blocking an allergic response). Blocking antibodies that bind tumors and prevent destruction of tumor cells by CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTES have also been called enhancing antibodies. (Rosen et al., Dictionary of Immunology, 1989)Cell Line: Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.Antibodies, Heterophile: Antibodies elicited in a different species from which the antigen originated. These antibodies are directed against a wide variety of interspecies-specific antigens, the best known of which are Forssman, Hanganutziu-Deicher (H-D), and Paul-Bunnell (P-B). Incidence of antibodies to these antigens--i.e., the phenomenon of heterophile antibody response--is useful in the serodiagnosis, pathogenesis, and prognosis of infection and latent infectious states as well as in cancer classification.Kinetics: The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.Antibodies, Catalytic: Antibodies that can catalyze a wide variety of chemical reactions. They are characterized by high substrate specificity and share many mechanistic features with enzymes.Binding Sites: The parts of a macromolecule that directly participate in its specific combination with another molecule.Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect: A form of fluorescent antibody technique commonly used to detect serum antibodies and immune complexes in tissues and microorganisms in specimens from patients with infectious diseases. The technique involves formation of an antigen-antibody complex which is labeled with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin antibody. (From Bennington, Saunders Dictionary & Encyclopedia of Laboratory Medicine and Technology, 1984)Protein Binding: The process in which substances, either endogenous or exogenous, bind to proteins, peptides, enzymes, protein precursors, or allied compounds. Specific protein-binding measures are often used as assays in diagnostic assessments.Immunoenzyme Techniques: Immunologic techniques based on the use of: (1) enzyme-antibody conjugates; (2) enzyme-antigen conjugates; (3) antienzyme antibody followed by its homologous enzyme; or (4) enzyme-antienzyme complexes. These are used histologically for visualizing or labeling tissue specimens.Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized: Antibodies from non-human species whose protein sequences have been modified to make them nearly identical with human antibodies. If the constant region and part of the variable region are replaced, they are called humanized. If only the constant region is modified they are called chimeric. INN names for humanized antibodies end in -zumab.Antibodies, Antiphospholipid: Autoantibodies directed against phospholipids. These antibodies are characteristically found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, SYSTEMIC;), ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME; related autoimmune diseases, some non-autoimmune diseases, and also in healthy individuals.Antigens, Surface: Antigens on surfaces of cells, including infectious or foreign cells or viruses. They are usually protein-containing groups on cell membranes or walls and may be isolated.Cells, Cultured: Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.Models, Molecular: Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.Cattle: Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor.Antigens, Viral: Substances elaborated by viruses that have antigenic activity.Recombinant Fusion Proteins: Recombinant proteins produced by the GENETIC TRANSLATION of fused genes formed by the combination of NUCLEIC ACID REGULATORY SEQUENCES of one or more genes with the protein coding sequences of one or more genes.Immunoglobulin Fragments: Partial immunoglobulin molecules resulting from selective cleavage by proteolytic enzymes or generated through PROTEIN ENGINEERING techniques.Cloning, Molecular: The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells.Peptide Library: A collection of cloned peptides, or chemically synthesized peptides, frequently consisting of all possible combinations of amino acids making up an n-amino acid peptide.Immunization, Passive: Transfer of immunity from immunized to non-immune host by administration of serum antibodies, or transplantation of lymphocytes (ADOPTIVE TRANSFER).Binding, Competitive: The interaction of two or more substrates or ligands with the same binding site. The displacement of one by the other is used in quantitative and selective affinity measurements.Escherichia coli: A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.Hemagglutination Tests: Sensitive tests to measure certain antigens, antibodies, or viruses, using their ability to agglutinate certain erythrocytes. (From Stedman, 26th ed)Time Factors: Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.Sequence Homology, Amino Acid: The degree of similarity between sequences of amino acids. This information is useful for the analyzing genetic relatedness of proteins and species.T-Lymphocytes: Lymphocytes responsible for cell-mediated immunity. Two types have been identified - cytotoxic (T-LYMPHOCYTES, CYTOTOXIC) and helper T-lymphocytes (T-LYMPHOCYTES, HELPER-INDUCER). They are formed when lymphocytes circulate through the THYMUS GLAND and differentiate to thymocytes. When exposed to an antigen, they divide rapidly and produce large numbers of new T cells sensitized to that antigen.Peptide Fragments: Partial proteins formed by partial hydrolysis of complete proteins or generated through PROTEIN ENGINEERING techniques.Complement Fixation Tests: Serologic tests based on inactivation of complement by the antigen-antibody complex (stage 1). Binding of free complement can be visualized by addition of a second antigen-antibody system such as red cells and appropriate red cell antibody (hemolysin) requiring complement for its completion (stage 2). Failure of the red cells to lyse indicates that a specific antigen-antibody reaction has taken place in stage 1. If red cells lyse, free complement is present indicating no antigen-antibody reaction occurred in stage 1.Antigens, Neoplasm: Proteins, glycoprotein, or lipoprotein moieties on surfaces of tumor cells that are usually identified by monoclonal antibodies. Many of these are of either embryonic or viral origin.Immunoglobulin Idiotypes: Unique genetically-controlled determinants present on ANTIBODIES whose specificity is limited to a single group of proteins (e.g., another antibody molecule or an individual myeloma protein). The idiotype appears to represent the antigenicity of the antigen-binding site of the antibody and to be genetically codetermined with it. The idiotypic determinants have been precisely located to the IMMUNOGLOBULIN VARIABLE REGION of both immunoglobin polypeptide chains.DNA: A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests: Serologic tests in which a known quantity of antigen is added to the serum prior to the addition of a red cell suspension. Reaction result is expressed as the smallest amount of antigen which causes complete inhibition of hemagglutination.Protein Conformation: The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).Serologic Tests: Diagnostic procedures involving immunoglobulin reactions.Polymerase Chain Reaction: In vitro method for producing large amounts of specific DNA or RNA fragments of defined length and sequence from small amounts of short oligonucleotide flanking sequences (primers). The essential steps include thermal denaturation of the double-stranded target molecules, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers by enzymatic synthesis with DNA polymerase. The reaction is efficient, specific, and extremely sensitive. Uses for the reaction include disease diagnosis, detection of difficult-to-isolate pathogens, mutation analysis, genetic testing, DNA sequencing, and analyzing evolutionary relationships.Protein Structure, Tertiary: The level of protein structure in which combinations of secondary protein structures (alpha helices, beta sheets, loop regions, and motifs) pack together to form folded shapes called domains. Disulfide bridges between cysteines in two different parts of the polypeptide chain along with other interactions between the chains play a role in the formation and stabilization of tertiary structure. Small proteins usually consist of only one domain but larger proteins may contain a number of domains connected by segments of polypeptide chain which lack regular secondary structure.Mutation: Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.Predictive Value of Tests: In screening and diagnostic tests, the probability that a person with a positive test is a true positive (i.e., has the disease), is referred to as the predictive value of a positive test; whereas, the predictive value of a negative test is the probability that the person with a negative test does not have the disease. Predictive value is related to the sensitivity and specificity of the test.Glycoproteins: Conjugated protein-carbohydrate compounds including mucins, mucoid, and amyloid glycoproteins.Reproducibility of Results: The statistical reproducibility of measurements (often in a clinical context), including the testing of instrumentation or techniques to obtain reproducible results. The concept includes reproducibility of physiological measurements, which may be used to develop rules to assess probability or prognosis, or response to a stimulus; reproducibility of occurrence of a condition; and reproducibility of experimental results.Immunologic Techniques: Techniques used to demonstrate or measure an immune response, and to identify or measure antigens using antibodies.Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic: Autoantibodies directed against cytoplasmic constituents of POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES and/or MONOCYTES. They are used as specific markers for GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS and other diseases, though their pathophysiological role is not clear. ANCA are routinely detected by indirect immunofluorescence with three different patterns: c-ANCA (cytoplasmic), p-ANCA (perinuclear), and atypical ANCA.Bacterial Proteins: Proteins found in any species of bacterium.Flow Cytometry: Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.Immunosorbent Techniques: Techniques for removal by adsorption and subsequent elution of a specific antibody or antigen using an immunosorbent containing the homologous antigen or antibody.Immunodiffusion: Technique involving the diffusion of antigen or antibody through a semisolid medium, usually agar or agarose gel, with the result being a precipitin reaction.Seroepidemiologic Studies: EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES based on the detection through serological testing of characteristic change in the serum level of specific ANTIBODIES. Latent subclinical infections and carrier states can thus be detected in addition to clinically overt cases.Organ Specificity: Characteristic restricted to a particular organ of the body, such as a cell type, metabolic response or expression of a particular protein or antigen.Antibody Diversity: The phenomenon of immense variability characteristic of ANTIBODIES. It enables the IMMUNE SYSTEM to react specifically against the essentially unlimited kinds of ANTIGENS it encounters. Antibody diversity is accounted for by three main theories: (1) the Germ Line Theory, which holds that each antibody-producing cell has genes coding for all possible antibody specificities, but expresses only the one stimulated by antigen; (2) the Somatic Mutation Theory, which holds that antibody-producing cells contain only a few genes, which produce antibody diversity by mutation; and (3) the Gene Rearrangement Theory, which holds that antibody diversity is generated by the rearrangement of IMMUNOGLOBULIN VARIABLE REGION gene segments during the differentiation of the ANTIBODY-PRODUCING CELLS.Sequence Alignment: The arrangement of two or more amino acid or base sequences from an organism or organisms in such a way as to align areas of the sequences sharing common properties. The degree of relatedness or homology between the sequences is predicted computationally or statistically based on weights assigned to the elements aligned between the sequences. This in turn can serve as a potential indicator of the genetic relatedness between the organisms.Immunoglobulins: Multi-subunit proteins which function in IMMUNITY. They are produced by B LYMPHOCYTES from the IMMUNOGLOBULIN GENES. They are comprised of two heavy (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) and two light chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAINS) with additional ancillary polypeptide chains depending on their isoforms. The variety of isoforms include monomeric or polymeric forms, and transmembrane forms (B-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS) or secreted forms (ANTIBODIES). They are divided by the amino acid sequence of their heavy chains into five classes (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; IMMUNOGLOBULIN D; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M) and various subclasses.Immunoglobulin Isotypes: The classes of immunoglobulins found in any species of animal. In man there are nine classes that migrate in five different groups in electrophoresis; they each consist of two light and two heavy protein chains, and each group has distinguishing structural and functional properties.Mice, Inbred C57BLChromatography, Affinity: A chromatographic technique that utilizes the ability of biological molecules to bind to certain ligands specifically and reversibly. It is used in protein biochemistry. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)Reagent Kits, Diagnostic: Commercially prepared reagent sets, with accessory devices, containing all of the major components and literature necessary to perform one or more designated diagnostic tests or procedures. They may be for laboratory or personal use.Structure-Activity Relationship: The relationship between the chemical structure of a compound and its biological or pharmacological activity. Compounds are often classed together because they have structural characteristics in common including shape, size, stereochemical arrangement, and distribution of functional groups.Membrane Proteins: Proteins which are found in membranes including cellular and intracellular membranes. They consist of two types, peripheral and integral proteins. They include most membrane-associated enzymes, antigenic proteins, transport proteins, and drug, hormone, and lectin receptors.ROC Curve: A graphic means for assessing the ability of a screening test to discriminate between healthy and diseased persons; may also be used in other studies, e.g., distinguishing stimuli responses as to a faint stimuli or nonstimuli.Spleen: An encapsulated lymphatic organ through which venous blood filters.Tissue Distribution: Accumulation of a drug or chemical substance in various organs (including those not relevant to its pharmacologic or therapeutic action). This distribution depends on the blood flow or perfusion rate of the organ, the ability of the drug to penetrate organ membranes, tissue specificity, protein binding. The distribution is usually expressed as tissue to plasma ratios.Precipitin Tests: Serologic tests in which a positive reaction manifested by visible CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION occurs when a soluble ANTIGEN reacts with its precipitins, i.e., ANTIBODIES that can form a precipitate.Antigens, Protozoan: Any part or derivative of any protozoan that elicits immunity; malaria (Plasmodium) and trypanosome antigens are presently the most frequently encountered.DNA Primers: Short sequences (generally about 10 base pairs) of DNA that are complementary to sequences of messenger RNA and allow reverse transcriptases to start copying the adjacent sequences of mRNA. Primers are used extensively in genetic and molecular biology techniques.Hepatitis C Antibodies: Antibodies to the HEPATITIS C ANTIGENS including antibodies to envelope, core, and non-structural proteins.Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic: A chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, and often febrile multisystemic disorder of connective tissue, characterized principally by involvement of the skin, joints, kidneys, and serosal membranes. It is of unknown etiology, but is thought to represent a failure of the regulatory mechanisms of the autoimmune system. The disease is marked by a wide range of system dysfunctions, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the formation of LE cells in the blood or bone marrow.Vaccination: Administration of vaccines to stimulate the host's immune response. This includes any preparation intended for active immunological prophylaxis.Protein Engineering: Procedures by which protein structure and function are changed or created in vitro by altering existing or synthesizing new structural genes that direct the synthesis of proteins with sought-after properties. Such procedures may include the design of MOLECULAR MODELS of proteins using COMPUTER GRAPHICS or other molecular modeling techniques; site-specific mutagenesis (MUTAGENESIS, SITE-SPECIFIC) of existing genes; and DIRECTED MOLECULAR EVOLUTION techniques to create new genes.RNA, Messenger: RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.Mice, Inbred Strains: Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations, or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. All animals within an inbred strain trace back to a common ancestor in the twentieth generation.False Positive Reactions: Positive test results in subjects who do not possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of healthy persons as diseased when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)Tumor Cells, Cultured: Cells grown in vitro from neoplastic tissue. If they can be established as a TUMOR CELL LINE, they can be propagated in cell culture indefinitely.Cell Membrane: The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived: Antibodies obtained from a single clone of cells grown in mice or rats.Evaluation Studies as Topic: Studies determining the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies. For drugs and devices, CLINICAL TRIALS AS TOPIC; DRUG EVALUATION; and DRUG EVALUATION, PRECLINICAL are available.Immunochemistry: Field of chemistry that pertains to immunological phenomena and the study of chemical reactions related to antigen stimulation of tissues. It includes physicochemical interactions between antigens and antibodies.Iodine Radioisotopes: Unstable isotopes of iodine that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. I atoms with atomic weights 117-139, except I 127, are radioactive iodine isotopes.Hepatitis B Antibodies: Antibodies to the HEPATITIS B ANTIGENS, including antibodies to the surface (Australia) and core of the Dane particle and those to the "e" antigens.Complement System Proteins: Serum glycoproteins participating in the host defense mechanism of COMPLEMENT ACTIVATION that creates the COMPLEMENT MEMBRANE ATTACK COMPLEX. Included are glycoproteins in the various pathways of complement activation (CLASSICAL COMPLEMENT PATHWAY; ALTERNATIVE COMPLEMENT PATHWAY; and LECTIN COMPLEMENT PATHWAY).Polysaccharides, Bacterial: Polysaccharides found in bacteria and in capsules thereof.Immunity, Maternally-Acquired: Resistance to a disease-causing agent induced by the introduction of maternal immunity into the fetus by transplacental transfer or into the neonate through colostrum and milk.Insulin Antibodies: Antibodies specific to INSULIN.Agglutination Tests: Tests that are dependent on the clumping of cells, microorganisms, or particles when mixed with specific antiserum. (From Stedman, 26th ed)Erythrocytes: Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN.Carrier Proteins: Transport proteins that carry specific substances in the blood or across cell membranes.Swine: Any of various animals that constitute the family Suidae and comprise stout-bodied, short-legged omnivorous mammals with thick skin, usually covered with coarse bristles, a rather long mobile snout, and small tail. Included are the genera Babyrousa, Phacochoerus (wart hogs), and Sus, the latter containing the domestic pig (see SUS SCROFA).Lymphocyte Activation: Morphologic alteration of small B LYMPHOCYTES or T LYMPHOCYTES in culture into large blast-like cells able to synthesize DNA and RNA and to divide mitotically. It is induced by INTERLEUKINS; MITOGENS such as PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS, and by specific ANTIGENS. It may also occur in vivo as in GRAFT REJECTION.Membrane Glycoproteins: Glycoproteins found on the membrane or surface of cells.Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity: The phenomenon of antibody-mediated target cell destruction by non-sensitized effector cells. The identity of the target cell varies, but it must possess surface IMMUNOGLOBULIN G whose Fc portion is intact. The effector cell is a "killer" cell possessing Fc receptors. It may be a lymphocyte lacking conventional B- or T-cell markers, or a monocyte, macrophage, or polynuclear leukocyte, depending on the identity of the target cell. The reaction is complement-independent.Autoimmune Diseases: Disorders that are characterized by the production of antibodies that react with host tissues or immune effector cells that are autoreactive to endogenous peptides.Antigens, CD: Differentiation antigens residing on mammalian leukocytes. CD stands for cluster of differentiation, which refers to groups of monoclonal antibodies that show similar reactivity with certain subpopulations of antigens of a particular lineage or differentiation stage. The subpopulations of antigens are also known by the same CD designation.Viral Envelope Proteins: Layers of protein which surround the capsid in animal viruses with tubular nucleocapsids. The envelope consists of an inner layer of lipids and virus specified proteins also called membrane or matrix proteins. The outer layer consists of one or more types of morphological subunits called peplomers which project from the viral envelope; this layer always consists of glycoproteins.Chickens: Common name for the species Gallus gallus, the domestic fowl, in the family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES. It is descended from the red jungle fowl of SOUTHEAST ASIA.Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic: A specific immune response elicited by a specific dose of an immunologically active substance or cell in an organism, tissue, or cell.Immunoelectrophoresis: A technique that combines protein electrophoresis and double immunodiffusion. In this procedure proteins are first separated by gel electrophoresis (usually agarose), then made visible by immunodiffusion of specific antibodies. A distinct elliptical precipitin arc results for each protein detectable by the antisera.Transfection: The uptake of naked or purified DNA by CELLS, usually meaning the process as it occurs in eukaryotic cells. It is analogous to bacterial transformation (TRANSFORMATION, BACTERIAL) and both are routinely employed in GENE TRANSFER TECHNIQUES.Lymphocytes: White blood cells formed in the body's lymphoid tissue. The nucleus is round or ovoid with coarse, irregularly clumped chromatin while the cytoplasm is typically pale blue with azurophilic (if any) granules. Most lymphocytes can be classified as either T or B (with subpopulations of each), or NATURAL KILLER CELLS.Single-Domain Antibodies: An immunoglobulin fragment composed of one variable domain from an IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAIN or IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAIN.Crystallography, X-Ray: The study of crystal structure using X-RAY DIFFRACTION techniques. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)Bacterial Vaccines: Suspensions of attenuated or killed bacteria administered for the prevention or treatment of infectious bacterial disease.Biological Markers: Measurable and quantifiable biological parameters (e.g., specific enzyme concentration, specific hormone concentration, specific gene phenotype distribution in a population, presence of biological substances) which serve as indices for health- and physiology-related assessments, such as disease risk, psychiatric disorders, environmental exposure and its effects, disease diagnosis, metabolic processes, substance abuse, pregnancy, cell line development, epidemiologic studies, etc.Oligopeptides: Peptides composed of between two and twelve amino acids.Carbohydrate Sequence: The sequence of carbohydrates within POLYSACCHARIDES; GLYCOPROTEINS; and GLYCOLIPIDS.Ligands: A molecule that binds to another molecule, used especially to refer to a small molecule that binds specifically to a larger molecule, e.g., an antigen binding to an antibody, a hormone or neurotransmitter binding to a receptor, or a substrate or allosteric effector binding to an enzyme. Ligands are also molecules that donate or accept a pair of electrons to form a coordinate covalent bond with the central metal atom of a coordination complex. (From Dorland, 27th ed)Viral Proteins: Proteins found in any species of virus.PolysaccharidesImmunoglobulin Light Chains: Polypeptide chains, consisting of 211 to 217 amino acid residues and having a molecular weight of approximately 22 kDa. There are two major types of light chains, kappa and lambda. Two Ig light chains and two Ig heavy chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) make one immunoglobulin molecule.Microscopy, Electron: Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte: Antigenic determinants recognized and bound by the B-cell receptor. Epitopes recognized by the B-cell receptor are located on the surface of the antigen.Liver: A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.


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Best Smoothies to Help You Lose the Pooch
What's not to love about a smoothie that helps your abs? Here are three smoothie recipes for you to try, each full of ingredients with belly-flatting properties. They are easy to make, and even easier to sip. Press play, but make sure your blender is close — you're going to want to make one of these smoothies today!
More Tasty & Nutritious Weight Loss Smoothies. Many of the nutrients in smoothies help to fire up your metabolism, increase the amount of calories you burn on a daily basis and burn through body fat.

subset: commoncrawl


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How Are You Reading?
You must have been traveling in outer space if you don't know about the changes in reading books across the globe during 2011. Even then, you probably read about it on your tablet computer if you could pick up a good Wi-Fi signal. The way people read has been steadily altering the last few years, but in 2011 reading really changed hands. What does this hold for 2012 and onwards?
2011 was the year the Kindle took over. For every person that purchased from Barnes & Noble or Sony, many more went online to Amazon and ordered the latest ebook reader. At the start of the 2011, 5% of all book sales were in digital format. By October, Amazon claimed to be selling 143 ebooks for every 100 print copies. With a further 5 million new Kindle and Kindle Fire purchases in the six weeks before Christmas, that ratio is surely altering even faster.
From May 2010 to April 2011 ebook sales had risen 146%. Once the 2011-2012 figures are in you can expect the increase to be closer to 500%.
Books Haven't Died – Yet
The old way of reading a book isn't on its way out, but the number of times you will buy a book in print form, in the future, will reduce considerably. Even if you do not own a Kindle yet (many real book readers were the first to buy Kindles) the chances of a purchase in the next year or so are much higher since Amazon introduced the lend-a-book facility. That means if your wife bought a copy, you can borrow it for a short time with no further charge – just like you would have done with your paperback purchase.
As a result, book stores are closing on every main street. You have to wonder how long the independent book stores can continue if they don't sell thousands of children's books, which is the only print book market that still has traction. The rent for a bookstore and the non-availability of discounts to match the online retailers prevents any real growth.
If you read a book from cover to cover, and delight in looking over the copyright page and seeing if you agree with the short reviews of the author's other books, then an ebook just won't feel the same. The trend is for those pages to be skipped on ebook readers and tablet computers.
Authors Can Go It Alone
With the six main publishers almost refusing to take on new writers as it's easier to maintain print sales with top line authors, novelists are self publishing as advance payments from publishers have almost disappeared. Many authors believe it's better to take 70% of a $3 sale than spend two years searching for an agent/publisher to get a dollar a copy at most from paperback sales.
Wal-Mart and Kmart and similar chains sold paperbacks for $8 when the local independent still needed to ask $15. Amazon and its similar competitors also sought to bring down the cost of books which is why a quarter of the planet bought its books online in 2011.
Downloaded the App?
All the main ebook suppliers have developed applications for tablet and laptop computers and almost every variety of smart phone. If Android is your thing, then there will be an app out there for you now. The readability of a book on the smallest of screens isn't great, but it shows how the market is moving. After all, you didn't expect to play computer games on 3 inch screens ten years ago.
Color is the New Black
As the public buys more and more newspapers and magazines to read on their mobile devices, the need for color is increasing to enhance the user's experience. Books may become more interactive for the reader.
What else for 2012?
In 2012, it's doubtful that you will be reading the latest novel on your internet driven 52 inch television screen, but the possibilities are there with downloads becoming a feature for television and internet based screens. Whether you're looking at an ebook reader or watching your book on TV, you'll still be sitting on the best reading couch you can find to indulge your favorite passion.
There is also talk of giving books various different endings so the reader can choose which route to follow. Whatever next?


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The Emergency Relief Fund exists to meet the emergency needs of artists living in Minnesota. The Fund helps to support artists with personal emergencies and to support artists who want to respond to emergencies in their own communities. There is not an expectation of repayment, but the Fund is replenished in part by recipients paying back into the Fund so that others can benefit later.
Artists can choose one of one of several options when applying for funds:
- The Fund can make a direct donation to a GoFundMe, Modest Needs, YouCaring, or other online fundraising mechanism. Note that in this case, the artist may need to claim the contribution as income (please consult with a tax expert.)
- The Fund can issue a prepaid credit card to help cover the emergency expense.
- The Fund can directly pay an unpaid bill that has resulted from the emergency (the applicant must provide a copy of the outstanding bill and, if funded, the Emergency Relief Fund makes payment directly to the business that the artist owes money).
- In some instances, the Fund can issue a check to the artist applicant or to the business the artist owes money. Issuing a check may take up to 7 days longer than the options listed in the previous options.
The examples provided below are intended to give you an idea of qualifying expenses and how they must be 1) unanticipated, and 2) directly related to the emergency. If you would like help determining your own eligibility, please email firstname.lastname@example.com before applying.
Don't qualify for Springboard's Emergency Relief Fund or need additional assistance? Please consult this list of emergency resources [PDF].
The Fund supplies monies to cover unexpected expenses directly resulting from a catastrophic, career-threatening event such as theft, fire, flood and health emergency. Emergencies must have taken place within 6 months of the application date.
The Emergency Relief Fund does not cover unemployment and equipment/automobile repair that is not a result of a natural disaster. The Fund does not cover rent/fees to landlords, home mortgage, utilities, dues to financial institutions (i.e. credit card companies, banks) and any other anticipated expenses.
- For a medical emergency, an artist supplies an unanticipated, unpaid medical bill. If funded, Springboard will send a check to the hospital on that artist's behalf.
- For theft, an artist locates a retailer to replace their stolen items, and verifies that the retailer issues gift cards. If funded, Springboard will purchase a gift card for the artist to make that purchase.
- For a natural disaster, the artist requests funds to help offset expenses they've already paid to a contractor to help repair their home (expenses that are not covered by their liability insurance). If funded, Springboard sends a check to the artist.
Artists may apply for up to $500. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and are subject to approval.
While repayment is not required, an artist who receives funding through the Emergency Relief Fund is not eligible to apply to the Fund again unless they replenish the Fund. Started in 2001 through a $10,000 endowment by theater artist Bob Malos, funds are sustained through donations and repayment by past Relief Fund recipients.
Questions about eligibility? Please contact email@example.com before applying.
The communities we live in experience emergencies everyday: violence, racism, natural disasters and other threats to a community's health and wellbeing. Can your art shed light on an emergency in your community, or help your community stand together? Springboard for the Arts and Emergency Arts have teamed up to offer support for artist-led projects via our new Community Emergency Relief Fund!
The focus of the Fund is to support artists to respond to urgent community needs with creative leadership. Emergencies can be sudden or ongoing, natural disaster or human made. A few examples include natural disasters, public health crises, school/workplace/neighborhood/police violence, changing policies (such as immigration, healthcare or gun control), high unemployment, homelessness, or environmental threats. We encourage you to reach out to us to see if your project might be a good fit.
Qualifications: All artistic mediums are welcome. No prior experience responding creatively to community emergencies is required. Projects must be led by artists with a connection to the community impacted by the emergency.
Project funds: Artists may request up to $500 to cover project expenses. Expenses may include art materials, hardware, supplies, and artists' time. We imagine these funds as support for small, rapid response projects and not as part of fundraising campaigns for large-scale art projects.
Timeline: Artist projects should respond rapidly to community emergencies or current events. Projects must be completed within six months of the application.
Free consultation: If you'd like to talk through project ideas or would like guidance on your project, please sign up for a free consultation with Amelia Brown before applying! Amelia Brown is founder of Emergency Arts, a central resource to advance arts as integral to emergency management. Click here to request a free consultation.
In an effort to encourage and support artists' rapid response to emergencies, the application and distribution of funds is quick and streamlined. The application is brief and should take most applicants 30 to 60 minutes to complete. Application approval may take as little as 3 days or as long as two weeks, depending on additional follow-up. Funding is typically ready within days of the application's approval. Please factor this into your timeline when applying.
Applicants should apply when they have a clear vision of how they will spend project funds, and are ready to start their project immediately upon receiving project funds. For that reason, there are no set application deadlines. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until further notice. Applications are subject to available funding and approval by Springboard for the Arts' board of directors and Emergency Arts.


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FORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 12, 2015) — The Davey O'Brien Award has announced its "Great 8" quarterback performances for week six of the college football season. The eight honorees include: Trevone Boykin of TCU, Michigan State's Connor Cook, Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs, Brandon Doughty of Western Kentucky, Luke Falk of Washington State, Northern Illinois' Drew Hare, Bowling Green's Matt Johnson and Patrick Mahomes of Texas Tech.
All 128 FBS quarterbacks are eligible for the weekly honor, which is determined by a subset of the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee. The winner of the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week Award, which will be one of the week's "Great 8" quarterbacks, will be announced Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. (CT).
In 1938, Davey O'Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
O'Brien was drafted fourth overall in the 1939 NFL Draft and earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season after setting an National Football League record for season passing yardage. The NFL's highest-paid player retired after the 1940 season to become an FBI agent.
The Davey O'Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. Since 1977, the Foundation has given away more than $900,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
Week 6 "Great 8" Performances:
Trevone Boykin (TCU, Sr., 6-2, 205, Dallas, Texas)
* Led an 18-point comeback win over Kansas State, going 20-for-30 for 301 yards and two touchdowns and adding 11 rushes for 124 yards and two scores.
Connor Cook (Michigan State, Sr., 6-4, 220, Hinckley, Ohio)
* Completed 24 of 39 passes for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns while leading Michigan State to a final-minute 31-24 win over Rutgers.
Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee, Jr., 6-3, 207, Alpharetta, Ga.)
* Totaled five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and 430 yards of offense (312 passing, 118 rushing) in a 38-31 upset of No. 19 Georgia.
Brandon Doughty (Western Kentucky, Sr., 6-3, 220, Davie, Fla.)
* Collected five more touchdown passes, completing 28 of 36 attempts for 359 yards, in a 58-28 victory over Middle Tennessee.
Luke Falk (Washington State, So., 6-4, 205, Logan, Utah)
* Topped the 500-yard passing mark (505) with five touchdown passes, completing 50 of 74 attempts, in 45-38 double-overtime win over Oregon.
Drew Hare (Northern Illinois, Jr., 6-1, 218, O'Fallon, Mo.)
* Completed 29 of 32 tries for 363 yards and two touchdowns and also found the end zone on the ground in a 59-41 win over Ball State.
Matt Johnson (Bowling Green, Sr., 6-0, 219, Harrisburg, Pa.)
* Threw for 450 yards, topping 400 for the fifth time this year, and five touchdowns versus just six incompletions (33 of 39) in a 62-38 win over UMass.
Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech, So., 6-3, 219, Whitehouse, Texas)
* Logged a season-best 428-yard performance (33-for-48) that included five touchdown passes in a 66-31 triumph over Iowa State.


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25 Ways to Save the Planet: 16 - 20
TreeHugger believes that if everyone comes together to make a couple small changes, we can make a big difference. As part of our continuing series, here are five more ways to green your lifestyle without breaking a sweat.
20) Eschew air conditioners (even though there are some nice designs, some pretty efficient window units and even an off-grid option out there, some think A/C is the killing frost sure to wilt the last fragile shoots of American culture) and go with a ceiling fan for year-round climate control. It'll help keep you cooler in summer; to push warm air back down into the room in winter, just flip the blades around.
19) Skip the energy-hogging clothes dryer for a drying rack or clothes line instead; it's easier on your clothes, your energy bill and our fragile planet. While you're at it, green your laundry practices or skip electricity all together.
18) Use rechargable batteries instead of single-use batteries. It'll save you some bucks and the hassle of trying to recycle spent alkalines (even though our friends at 3r Living make it a little easier by accepting them for recycling). For more info, check out Green Batteries for everything you'd ever want to know.
17) If given the choice, go for organic fruits, veggies, meat and dairy over conventional food. Organic food is becoming more widely available all the time in grocery stores across the world, and because it's all free of pesticides, herbicides and other chemical non-desireables, it's better for you and the planet.
16) When it comes to food, the only thing making more noise these days than organic is the local food movement. From the Eat Local Challenge to the 100 Mile Diet (so interesting that we added a part 2) to a growing number of resources to help you grow your own food -- it doesn't get more local than that -- it's tough to beat the "eat the season" mantra. If you're still not convinced, here are 10 reasons to give it a shot.
#25 - 21; stay tuned for # 15 - 11 tomorrow!


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Constructionism vs. Instructionism
In the 1980s Seymour Papert delivered the following speech by video to a conference of educators in Japan.
Part 3: Educational Software
Seymour Papert: All over the world, huge industries are churning out so-called educational software for computer-aided instruction to teach children this or that or something. Children can make their own educational software, and by making the software, they learn much more than by using it. Because when you make a piece of software, when you teach something, you have to think about what's really going on, you have to think about the ideas.
And the next example we're going to see is an example at the Hennigan School in Boston, where there's a project called "Children as Software Designers". And in this project, children spend two or three months, three or four hours a week, working on a long project to make a piece of software. And the child we're going to see was making a piece of software to explain fractions to the viewer. It's a piece of software explaining something about fractions, and I'm going to give you some little peeks at how one girl did this.
Narrator: To the right of the screen, at the back of the classroom, sits Ebonique, all by herself. This overweight girl spends most of her time in school in her own socially-isolated cocoon. Self-conscious and insecure, she rarely risks participating in classroom discussions, but when she does, quite often her worst fears are realized.
Teacher: Ebonique?
Ebonique: Why are the numbers on top smaller than, um, the numbers… on the bottom?
Other Children: Not always…
Ebonique: Sometimes…
Teacher: It's something that she's wondering about… sometimes. OK, so why are the numbers… what's you're question again?
Ebonique: Why are the numbers on top smaller than those on the bottom?
Narrator: Outside of the classroom, it's the same sad story. Ebonique is not hanging out with the other kids. With the instructional software design project, we did not expect to transform Ebonique's personality.
Ebonique also experienced genuine intellectual excitement with fractions. Starting the project by creating simple representations and dividing geometrical shapes, she suddenly seemed to develop a personal relationship with fractions. She then felt free to play, and it dawned on her that she could see fractions everywhere. She transferred this insight into an idea for a teaching screen, and began intensive planning in her designer's notebook.
She became obsessed with this design, and it took her many hours to finalize and implement it on the computer. This screen is the product. It reads: "This is a house. Almost every shape is 1/2! I am trying to say, that you use fractions, almost every day of your life. All the parts are fractions! Not just the shaded ones…"
The caterpillar turned into a butterfly. Ebonique came to be known for her good ideas, and enjoyed feeling creative and successful. Other children wanted to see or play with her software and gave her positive responses, "I love it" or "This is fresh," they would say, then ask her to teach them how to do things. "How did you ever make these colors change?" This representation became part of the culture. A few weeks later, Tommy's house appeared, and then Paul's.
Seymour Papert: I think the key point about Ebonique, and the key moment, is the transition when fractions stop being teachers' knowledge and become her knowledge. She appropriates fractions. She relates to them. You see her talking about 2/3 as a hard fraction. You see a screen image, which is a typical teacher textbook representation of a fraction as 2/3 of a pie, a circle divided into sectors. This is somebody else's knowledge. Then, all of a sudden, there's a connection. Ebonique is now thinking about fractions, and she's thinking about her thinking about fractions.
Ebonique: 1/2 is one whole.
Narrator: Ebonique believed that if a shape was divided into halves and 1/2 was shaded, the unshaded part was nothing: it was not a half, it was not a fraction. When she discovered that this was not the case, she worked on ways of teaching this to her software users, telling them, "All the parts are fractions, not just the shaded ones." After the project ended, she felt much more comfortable when talking about fractions, and she overcame many of her misconceptions.
Ebonique:This is a whole and if I want to split it in half, this is all I have to do.
Researcher (Idit Harel): Good. Which one is the half? …Which one is the half?
Ebonique: These two sides are the halves, and if I take this out, it'll just be a whole.
Seymour Papert: We've seen Ebonique do something with computers and fractions. What she was doing with fractions does not look like schoolwork. She was explaining ideas like, "Fractions are everywhere all over the world".
What's that got to do with adding and subtracting and multiplying them? Well, an amazing thing is, it has a lot to do with it. Before this project, Ebonique was at the bottom of her class, almost, in mathematics. She was in the weakest math group. After this project, she was in the top math group, and she stayed in the top math group, not only that year, but the rest of her time at the school.
What was going on? How did she get an improvement in how to add and subtract and multiply fractions from doing this? Well of course she was still going to her school classes. She was still being taught. But because she developed a good relationship with fractions, because she was thinking about fractions, and she thought about it as her knowledge, not teachers' knowledge, she could now listen to what was happening in the class, and she could learn from it.
So this is the amazing result of Constructionist learning: that by doing very simple things, the children improve their ability to learn. Ebonique was learning by making software in which she talked about fractions. And I think that's an important thing. At school, children do not talk about mathematics. She did. The two boys with their game were talking about the product of doing programming.


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Timing and Paleoceanographic Impacts of the Onset of Arctic-Baffin Bay Throughflow
Project details
Changes in the amount of sea ice and low salinity surface water (together called freshwater) that flow from the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic have global ocean circulation and climate impacts. The research involves analysis of the timing and consequences of the opening of the western route for Arctic freshwater flux after the retreat of glacier ice at the end of the last glaciation. The Arctic freshwater flows through the western route to the Labrador Sea, which is a critical area of deep ocean convection. Diverse analyses of sediment cores from northern Baffin Bay and computer modeling will be used to document and explore the large changes in sea-ice cover, Arctic freshwater flux, ocean circulation, marine productivity, and ocean acidification over the last 11,000 years that are associated with opening of the western freshwater route. An important component of the research is to study the history of the North Water Polynya (NOW), an oasis of high productivity and low sea-ice cover that forms where the Arctic freshwater enters northern Baffin Bay. The productivity of the NOW owes to the high nutrient content of the Arctic freshwater and to the blockage of Arctic sea-ice floes by the constricted channels forming the gateway. The NOW is a hotspot of biological productivity that has attracted humans to the area for millennia and sustains Arctic communities today. Both the history of freshwater flux via the western freshwater route and the history of the NOW are very poorly known, yet the behavior of this system is poised to change in response to continuing reductions in Arctic sea-ice cover. The understanding of how the opening of the western route of Arctic freshwater and the initiation of the NOW have changed through time will provide context to understand how these systems will affect the Arctic systems and global climate in future. The project uses existing sediment cores from the NOW polynya, and areas upstream of and downstream from it using both novel (nutrient tracers from Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and algal biomarkers) and traditional (quantitative X-ray mineralogy, foraminiferal assemblages, stable C and O isotopes) proxies, climate modeling with the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment modeling and chronology development (radiocarbon and paleomagnetic secular variation) to test three hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: The opening of the western freshwater route of the Arctic-Atlantic throughflow changed the freshwater outflow to the North Atlantic with consequences for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Hypothesis 2: Significant shallowing of the CAA channels by glacial isostatic uplift has changed the composition of the Arctic outflow with consequences for carbonate preservation and the AMOC. Hypothesis 3: The NOW formed in the middle to late Holocene as a consequence of increased Arctic sea-ice. The project is an international effort involving Canadian and EU cooperation and foreign graduate student interaction with CU faculty and scientists. It will provide support and mentoring for a female post-doc who will receive training in novel biogeochemical laboratory techniques. A PhD student will work on the CESM modeling. Several undergraduate students will receive training and participate in the research.


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The Wicked Price Beat promise is your guarantee that whenever you hire with Wicked Campers you can be confident you are getting the very best deal!
It is simple. If you find a cheaper price for a similar vehicle with the same travel dates from any of our competitors, we will match it and beat it by 10%.
For price matching quotes please email through the entire quote. Our Roadtrip Planners, after verifying the information, will confirm your reservation at the cheaper rate, with an additional reduction of 10%.
Please Note: Our Price Beat Guarantee is not valid for travel between 14th December – 14th January, Festival Periods or Easter.
You are eligible for a price match and 10% discount if your request meets the following conditions:


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Viterbo Sketchbook
Morgan is a dry-witted farmer type from Massachusetts who has a strong liking for trees, legos, tetris, and tomatoes. It took her about a month to write this bio.
In this course, students develop images both in sketchbooks, and as individual works based directly on their experiences living and traveling in Italy. Students closely observe, document, and comment on their investigations of various aspects of Italian life and culture. On-site drawing is a major focus of the course, as is the use of drawing as a communication tool. Students examine and consider the work of journalistic illustrators as well as artists relevant to the classes' focus.


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Renown Jazz pianist, organist and professor Renato Chicco brings us his debut organ recording, on Barnette Records, 'This Is New'. It features Mr. Chicco on the fantastic Key B organ, designed and built by Elvio Previati. Accompanying Renato Chicco are Guido DiLeone on guitar and Andy Watson on drums. The date particularly exhibits Chicco's musical skill and mastery of the instrument, while always maintaining a sense of spontaneity and fun. There are 7 standards, all arranged by Mr. Chicco and 1 original tune Big Guy, The Shark: an intricate and swinging blues. 'This Is New' is a fresh and sophisticated project in the great tradition of the organ trio in Jazz.
1. Willow Weep For Me 8:21
2. Big Guy, The Shark 7:33
3. Girl Talk 7:37
4. Every Time We Say Goodbye 5:50
5. Swingin' At Sugar Ray's 3:19
6. On Green Dolphin Street 7:45
7. People 5:41
8. This Is New 5:00
Renato Chicco - organ
Guido Di Leone - guitar
Andy Watson - drums
2012 Barnette Records
This file is intended only for preview!
I ask you to delete the file from your hard drive after reading it.
thank for the original uploader


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Arrest in March 19, 2015 Homicide
On Thursday, March 19, 2015, Hartford Police patrol units responded to the area of Blue Hills Avenue and East Burnham Street for the report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers located the victim at 668 Blue Hills Avenue suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head. EMS responded and transported the victim to Saint Francis hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded and assumed the investigation.
The investigation developed for several months. On July 16, 2015, an arrest warrant was signed charging James Canidate with Murder and firearm violations. Canidate is currently incarcerated in the custody of CT DOC. (He was arrested in March for Assault 1st, Threatening and Violation of Probation with a $750k Bond.) He will subsequently be habeas to court for arraignment on these latest charges.
Accused: James Canidate, 38 of Hartford CT
1. Murder
2. Criminal use of a firearm
3. Criminal possession of a firearm
Victim: Teniel Mack, 08/19/83, 92 Boothbay Street, Hartford,CT


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The edible mussel is an adaptable bivalve mollusc, occurring in many coastal locations, ranging from mid-shore level down to 20 metres or more below low-water mark.
It is a filter feeder and can pump large amounts of water; a mussel bed therefore also acts as a large biological filter within an estuary. The mussel's ability to attach, with the aid of strong elastic and adhesive threads, known as 'byssus' (meaning 'beard'), to various natural or man-made surfaces, makes them highly suitable for cultivation by a variety of methods.
Mussels have been harvested on the Teign from early times, either as a cheap source of food or as bait for fishermen. One particular mussel farm on the river can be traced back almost a thousand years.
Born into a family of musselmen, Syd Hook recalled in 2006: 'There were mussel beds all up the river. It would take 10 men working on a sprat swain, and to keep the crew together, the owner would have mussels up the river to keep them from catching the sprats.' Nowadays there are just two or three mussel men remaining.
The main method of mussel cultivation in Devon is bottom cultivation, accounting for 95% of all cultivated mussels offered for sale. Small (seed) mussels are transplanted from naturally occurring beds, where survival rates are poor, onto 'lays' in more favourable areas. These areas have a lower stocking density, improved water flow and better feeding prospects. Larger mussels are re-laid for up to a year, to enable the flesh quality to improve (fattening), before marketing. For best results the mussels need to be re-laid as low in the intertidal one as possible to allow maximum time submerged and thus as much filter-feeding as possible. A mussel seed of 25mm shell length may require 1 to 3 years to reach minimum marketable size of 50mm in England.
The harvesting season is between September and March, depending on the condition of the mussels. The season is governed by the spawning cycle of mussels, which affects meat quality and yield. Rising spring water temperatures initiate spawning. After spawning the flesh on the mussel is thin, watery and unappetising. During the summer, the mussel feeds well and fattens up reaching peak condition during the autumn.
Harvesting methods vary from the traditional method of hand-picking, to raking or forking the mussels into trailers, to dredges towed by boats. On the Teign seine boats were once used for collecting mussels – they were fitted with sails to get to the mussel beds. Now the farming is done from a mussel boat.
The above information has been taken from various sources including:
River Teign Shellfish …..
Shaldon Regatta …..
Teignmouth Post …..
Teignbridge Fisheries …..


text:
Dear Editor,
RE: MP backs PMJT over SNC-Lavalin
On Feb. 27 you printed a letter to the editor from John Aldag, MP (Cloverdale-Langley City). In that letter Mr. Aldag stated that he remains committed to Prime Minister Trudeau and his vision of Canada despite the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Mr. Aldag indicated in his letter that he did not want to prejudge the matter.
Since that letter was published we have witnessed the compelling testimony of former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould before Parliament's Justice and Human Rights Committee. In her testimony she cited ongoing and systemic efforts from the prime minister and the PMO's office to pressure her to intervene in the criminal case against SNC-Lavalin.
More recently we have the resignation of Treasury Board president Jane Philpott from her cabinet position. Jane Philpott resigned on a matter of high principle over the Trudeau government's actions/interference in this matter citing a loss of confidence in the Liberal government.
Given Jody Wilson-Raybould's testimony and Jane Philpott's resignation from cabinet, will Mr. Aldag advise if he still supports Justin Trudeau? Does he think that Justin Trudeau should resign? Does he think that the RCMP should investigate this matter? Does he think that there should be a public inquiry? Is he prepared to resign as chair of Parliament's Environment and Sustainable Development Committee in solidarity with his colleagues Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott?
Please share your thoughts Mr. Aldag.
Mr. Aldag stated in his letter that he stands by the prime minister and his conviction that positive politics are the best way to govern. Rather than best way to govern, it seems that Justin Trudeau is governing using the 'old ways'.
J. S. Thompson, Langley City


text:
You should be dressed and ready to start your session at the scheduled time. We suggest that you arrive at least 15 minutes before your class to avoid being late.
This is a safety issue, and we ask that you respect both our instructors and other students by showing up on time as tardiness is disruptive to the classroom experience we aim to provide.
At Body & Pole we have a 24-hour cancelation policy. As long as you cancel more than 24 hours before your scheduled class, your class credit will be returned to your account and you will be able to schedule for a future date. However, if you late cancel in the 24-hour cancelation period prior to your class start time you will lose the class credit and will not be permitted to reschedule for another date.
*All Members will be charged $25 each time they late cancel or fail to attend a scheduled class.
Upon arrival at Body & Pole for your first visit, you are required to present identification to verify your age and identity. A photo will also be taken and added to your online account to ensure yours and everyone's safety in the studio.
We love last minute walk-ins, but to guarantee your spot in any class please reserve your spot in advance online. Unfortunately any class with less than 3 participants is subject to cancelation as late as 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time due to low enrollment.
All purchases are non-refundable and non-transferable. Once you purchase your classes/sessions/space rentals, make sure you know the expiration date and use all sessions before that date. We will not extend the expiration date.
When classes are full, you can sign up to be on Standby. If you are on Standby for a class, YOU SHOULD PLAN TO COME TAKE THE CLASS. If you can no longer take the class, make sure to remove yourself from Standby to avoid being added in and not being able remove yourself prior to our 24-hour cancelation period.
Please note, you can be added to class from Standby up to 3 HOURS before its start time as other students sign out making room available in the class. You will receive an automatic email or text notification letting you know you have been added to class. (PLEASE NOTE, if you have opted out of receiving notifications under your account settings you will NOT receive these notifications and are still expected to monitor your Standby status through your account). At that point, you will be held to our regular 24-hour cancelation policy. Anyone on Standby is welcome to arrive at the studio prior to class start time to join the warm-up and take available spots from any no shows. Preference for any available spots due to no shows will be given in order of where you are positioned on the Standby list.
Anyone 13 and older can take adult classes on our regular schedule; minors under 13 may only take private sessions scheduled with an instructor.
If you are under the age of 18, we require parental consent before you are permitted to take a class or schedule a private session, party or space rental. The parent or legal guardian must come to the studio with the minor, provide photo ID, and sign a parental consent form. This is for insurance and liability purposes. Feel free to sign up for class online ahead of time, but make sure any minors are accompanied by their parent when arriving at the studio. Make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled class or session start time.
Please wear proper attire when visiting our studio. Proper attire includes: athletic wear such as opaque fitted shorts, sports bras and/or tank tops, or opaque leggings for hoop and fabric classes. No transparent material is allowed. No undergarments are allowed to be used in place of workout attire.
- Please respect your instructors and fellow students and leave your phone conversations outside the studio while in class. This applies to text messaging and emailing as well.
- No street shoes permitted in the studio.
- We do not tolerate bullying or disrespecting of other students and their personal space. Such behavior will result in you being removed from the studio, and you will no longer be able to take classes at Body & Pole
Taking pictures and filming are not allowed in our classes. Please respect other students' privacy. If you wish to take pictures or film yourself, you are welcome to do so during the following times:
- Pole Parties
- Private Sessions
- Private Space Rentals
- Open Pole/Aerial Workouts
- After/Before Class
- Total cost of event must be paid at time of booking in order to confirm your reservation.
- When booking an event, we must select the group size. If the number of people changes and your rate is affected by it, you MUST let us know at least 24 hours in advance in order to update your information in our system. We will not be able to adjust the rate of any changes to group size after this time.
- In case of cancelation, up to 14 days before the event, 75% of the total event cost refunded to your credit card or you can reschedule for no extra charge.
- If you can less than 14 days before your event, 50% of the totally event cost refunded to your credit card. You will not be able to reschedule unless paying for another party. Please note, cancelation can be made no later than 24 hours prior to the event start time. Any cancelation within the 24 hour time period prior to event start time will receive no refund.
- Absolutely no refunds on full charge for late comers or late cancelations.
- If you are planning on bringing food or beverages with you, you are allowed to use our common areas with your group 15 minutes before or after your scheduled party. Food and drinks (except water) are not allowed inside the dance studio.
- Lateness to events will result in a shorter event time with the discretion of the instructor regarding proceeding or not. (Over 30 minutes late to an event may result in cancellation of your event. So don't be late!)
- Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to participate and will not be refunded their money.
We can only accept cash or one credit card for payment.
Have more questions? Email email firstname.lastname@example.com or call us at 212-334-6900.
- Space rentals are for personal use (practice, rehearsals, videotaping, etc.), and are not for profit or instructional purposes. Please note, if guidelines are not adhered to we reserve the right to end your rental early without refund.
- A 24-hour cancelation policy applies when booking a private space rental; you will not receive your credit back for future use if you cancel less than 24 hours ahead of time.
- Space rentals are booked by the hour. We do not book half-hour rentals.
- Space rentals for photoshoots or video projects must be booked through Events at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- A 24-hour cancelation policy applies to all students for classes. Traincation holders will be charged $25 each time they late cancel or fail to attend a class. No exceptions.
- Purchasing a Traincation pass does not guarantee you a spot in class unless you reserve your class in advance.
- The 7-day expiration is based on the first day you use the pass.
Alcohol consumption is not permitted prior to any physical activities at the studio. If you are intoxicated when arriving at our studio, you will not be allowed to participate, and will not be refunded your money.
Food and beverages, with the exception of bottled water, are not allowed in the dance studios. Please make sure to leave food and drinks in the locker room with your personal belongings.
We ask that you let us know at least 24 hours ahead of time if you need to cancel a private session or you will lose your private session credit. There are no refunds on late cancelations.
*This cancelation policy does not apply to PRIVATE PARTIES. For Party Policies, please go to the PARTIES page.


text:
This guide is thanks to capaxdoli, I have just modified it slightly to make it easier to read
If you use this guide to root your phone please go and thank him here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1126522
Also please give this page a read it is the basics of rooting and should be considered the starting point for all learning to root - http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1125282
Also another thanks should go to Chainfire - For his great work on kernels http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1103399
1. Make sure your phone has kies 2 and have it install all the drivers.
2. Connected phone for the first time to computer and kies 2 and it recognized it fine.
3. Make sure Kies 2 is also fully updated.
4. The details of my phone are as follows: (please check what yours are)
Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100 (only use on i9100)
Fireware – 2.3.4 (it will work on all 2.3.x Firmware)
Kernel = XXKI4 (the important bit is the Ki4)
You can find all this info out in Settings – about phone
5. A prayer to My Lord for safe rooting
6. Go to this page and read all, then select the Kernel that is a match to yours – here – http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1103399
7. Since I have Ki4, i had chosen to download this file [CF-Root-SGS2_XW_ODD_Ki4-v4.0-CWM4.zip]
8. Downloaded odin3-v1.85.zip here - http://www.mediafire.com/?wezzl287wb9v9hu
Extract and open the file (no installation...gasp!)
Open and run Odin ready to root your phone
Now select PDA and find the kernel that you downloaded and select
9. You might need to extract the kernel to select it in the PDA
10. Put your phone in download mode (press volume down + ok key + power on), a warning about custom OS flashes, press volume up key to continue.
11. You have pressed volume up key and the phone says that it has entered ODIN mode. it also says the following:
a. product name: GT-i9100
b. Custom Binary Download : No
c. current binary : Samsung Official
d. it also shows the android logo (the robot - big size) and says downloading...Do not turn off target !!
12. After this connected the phone to the computer (remember it is in download mode) and the drivers were installed again.
13. Go to Odin and you should see that under ID.com, there is a yellow background box and it says 0:[COM13]. in the message box (lower left corner) it says <ID:0/013> Added!!
14. Make sure the re-partition box is not checked in odin.
15. Clicked the start button...
16. The phone should install your new kernel and then re-boot it should show a yellow exclamation mark when it reboots.
17. That's it your phone is now rooted –
Please visit these pages to –
See what you can now do with your rooted phone – http://android.stackexchange.com/que...n-from-rooting
How to remove the yellow exclamation mark on when your phone starts - http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1103399
This is on the first page only the 2nd post down
For anyone who is intrested if you want to install Ice Cream Sandwhich (ICS) then vist this page here.


text:
After writing yesterday's post about the bucket list I didn't think I had until I started writing it down, I felt pretty darn good.
My punch list is essentially filled with time spent with friends, family, and loved ones and the beautiful thing about that is I can do that every day.
Sure, it's more exciting to take the kids on a road-trip across America, but we can laugh (or get on each other's nerves) just as much on an overnight in the City, or on a day trip to Big Sur.
So maybe that is the purpose of life…to find the joy in every day.
Could it be that simple?
Don't get me wrong, I know how hard that can be at times. I really do. #depression #divorce #illness #bankruptcy #loss #pain
But it can also be – with practice and mindfulness – that simple.
That tangible.
That attainable.
Look at what is on my bucket list – Italy, road trips, Paris, someplace tropical. But the travel is just a bonus. What I really value is my sweetie, my kids, my family, and friends.
Here's an example – a couple of weeks ago we went to dinner at a family member's house. We were talking about the person I mentioned in the last post, the one who was given 10 days to live.
What would you do, if that was you? we asked each other.
Party, I said.
An open house, open door, 10-day long party.
Good food (charge it!) Great music (disco!) Drop in any time (friends! family! fun!)
Cake every day, flowers, bubbly…who cares if I drink too much, or sleep during the day?
I'd wear my best clothes, and eat what I wanted when I wanted. I'd bust out all my old journals and laugh over the things I worried about and how in so many ways I am the same now as I was when I was 10.
I'd hug my kids and sleep snuggled up with them.
I'd call people I missed and write letters to everyone who meant something to me.
I'd let the dogs on the bed.
I'd give away what was important to someone who would treasure it and think of me when I was gone.
I'd be so happy to see everyone. I'd pay a housekeeper to clean up after me and I would have someone do my makeup with a sexy lined eye and red lips.
I'd speak French, even if no one understood me (#Ialreadydothis).
The point is, all those experiences I aspire to – I can have them.
I don't have to go to Lake Como, there's Lake Tahoe.
I don't have to go to Paris, I can go to the French district in San Francisco. Or Québec. Or the French festival in Sacramento. (#butIreallywanttogotoParis)
Just like my friend who wants to go on a safari, but isn't sure she could make it. She can go to Safari West just a couple hours away and stay overnight and have an elephant bring her breakfast.
Or the woman I waited tables with, she and her husband planned to go to Hawaii for their anniversary, but something came up, as these things do. A broken car, an illness, taxes…
So her husband set up a beach in their backyard…palm trees, sand, a pool. He made tropical drinks with paper umbrellas, and they listened to Iz and lathered each other up with suntan oil.
Maybe not Kauai, but a sweet memory that will last a lifetime…and beyond.
So I'm saving my money for Paris, Lake Como, the villa, the big apple, and points in between, but I am also mining my day for the true gems – the sweet silence, the funny joke, the unexpected pink roses brought home, the "I love you mom" from my teen as she walks out the door.
That is where my joy is.
That is the meaning in my life.


text:
Dress up in this indo-traditional bird collection high slit kurtas. These 3/4th sleeve kurtas can be teamed with tights or khadi pants to complete the look.
Shipping Time- 10- 15 days
Disclaimer- There might be slight irregularities in the fabric as it is a handmade product. Such irregularities add to the beauty of the product.
Return policy- Customised products are not eligible for returns. Any damage or defective product received should be brought in the notice of our customer service team within 48 hours of delivery. Details are on our policy pages.
The Length of the Dress/Kurta is according to 5'3' to 5'4'. We customise with minor changes at no extra cost.


text:
KARL Hughes is going all the way to New York to show his appreciation to a Solihull hospice.
The Marie Curie Hospice provided help and care to Karl's mum Norma Hughes during her battle against cancer, which sadly ended in early January.
Once in New York, father-of-one Karl will be running the 26 miles of the New York marathon, beginning in Staten Island and ending in Central Park.
As a thank you to the hospice, often known as Warren Pearl, Karl is hoping to raise £2,500 for it.
He said: "The regime of physical training that I will undertake for the next nine months will be well worth the effort. Having recently had first-hand experience, during my mom's illness, of the work of the hospice in caring for her both in the hospice and in her own home through the visiting palliative-care nurses in conjunction with the local district nurses team."
Apart from raising funds, Karl is hoping that his run will help publicise the work that the Marie Curie Hospice does.
"During my mom's respite there I learned a lot about the
Marie Curie Hospice, not least the fact that it could not provide its
specialist care to those in dire need, during a terminal illness,
without the goodwill of donations on which it relies to continue its caring service."
Karl is urging people to support the hospice by sponsoring his marathon effort, which he has a dubbed his 'momarathon'.
He added: ''I appeal to readers to support me and the Marie Curie Cancer Care Hospice in my momarathon run as I, you and our families do not know if and when we will need their care but, at least together, we can ensure that their work continues to help others in our community.''
If you wish to donate visit www.justgiving.com/momarathon_tribute


text:
I know what you do, now tell me Why….
Big Thinker Simon Sinek has a great presentation on the power of "Why." If you're business owner or executive, take some time to work "on" your business and watch this video. You won't be disappointed.
Hire Kinesis to grow your business
Understanding your Why is one of foundations that we emphasize in our work with business leaders. Click here to learn more about the Kinesis approach to marketing and business consulting.


text:
Crunchy Life Bites is a comic strip I used to put out when I was at the student newpaper at De Anza Community College – La Voz. I got many hate letters from the right at De Anza, I even use to have a quota of hate mail per quarter. I always met my quota.
They are not in any chronological order.
This is a comic I wrote after it came out that Schwarzenegger had sexually molested all these women, and his response was that it was "playful behavior." It really pissed me off, but I guess the comic don't convey how pissed off I was.
The Statewide Student Walkout promoted by Action in Defense of Education might have been not as strong as it could have been, but I still it was a good example of a coordinated statewide action across different tiers of the higher education system, from Community Colleges to CSUs and UCs. [P.S. – Please ignore grammar errors, I was in a deadline and had no time to copy edit]
Written when I was single. For a loooong time. I now think Valentine's Day is pretty cool. 😉


text: For those who love the traditions of Tuscan food and wine we are delighted to organise wine tastings at the residence. Offering a wide choice of wines from our cellar, you will be able to taste some of the most delightful and famous Tuscan and Umbrian wines. Our wine tasting will introduce you to both unique and completely unforgettable new sensations.


text:
Time for the last project on the list to have its day in the sun!
I have not completed one single one of the quilts on my list this year. That means an entire year of not quilting any of my own projects, except for those with immediate deadlines. I'm gonna die with a million unquilted tops! I'm beginning to understand why there are so many unquilted tops to be found in flea markets and antique malls. Someday most of mine will be among them!
I do recognize this as a problem, and hope to remedy it at least somewhat during the next year. I have begun with a crazed effort to catch up on my customer backlog on the longarm before the end of this year, and make a more realistic schedule going forward.
It's extremely difficult to plan for interruptions and life events when you have no idea what will happen, but I simply don't have a single bit of cushion for even the slightest hiccup in my life. I need a cushion! I'm on a mission to provide that for myself.
In the meantime, it's time for #11 on my list, which is my Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt. I've done 30-some of the 111 blocks, and hopefully I can add a few more finished ones to my total this month, especially since I'm still piecing. Working on this quilt will not require the use of the longarm just yet!
I'll let you know how it goes.
Here are a few of the blocks I already have done. I still like them, and want to add to them.
What will you be working on this month? We've got one last chance to finish something before the end of the year. Are you working on something with a Christmas deadline? That always helps speed the production process along, if you ask me.
Whatever you're working on, hopefully it will mean one less UFO heading into 2016.
Good luck to us all this month!
I know how you feel. You definitely need a cushion going into next year or you will drive yourself mad. I hope you get some more blocks done for your Farmers wife sampler. I can finally say I got my Farmers Wife sampler completed this year. So that will be one less on next year list. I am hoping to quilt and finish my double wedding ring bed runner this month. Lets hope we can achieve what we have set ourselves.
I'm going to finish piecing the blocks for Jared Takes a Wife from the Bonnie Hunter retreat in September. Only 10 more blocks to go!!! But it takes more than 2 hours to make a block.
I am finished for the year on quilts. I do have several unfinished ones, but the holidays are on the top of our list right now. i am no longer going to push myself as hard as I have been for so very long. I am 73 and want to enjoy what time I have left on this earth. If I feel like quilting I will. If not, well you get it. Not rushing anymore.
I want to wish you, and yours, and all your fans, a very Merry Christmas and a happy New
I didn't get last months quilt finished I still have binding to do. I don't think I'm gonna get this months project completed either since I still have 3 more blocks to do,but I did add 3 blocks to it. Have a Merry Christmas!!
My santa swap is the UFO for the month.
this is how far I am so far. http://melsquiltingblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/design-wall-monday.html
I imagine it will be done soon.
I have so many UFOs to complete but I have one TA-DA. I finished my first quilt from start to end. Now I am going to give it away as a late birthday gift. Now onto the next.
It is 5 am and i am up putting the binding on a quilt due at 10 am… lol
I have one straggling project – my Women of the Bible quilt. It has been on here several months and no progress. I don't want it hanging over me next year. We will see.
I don't do Christmas Fabric so there are no Christmas quilts. Some years a few xmas pillow cases.
This month I am binding a quilt that I started in 2002 and finished in Sept. And I am keeping it for myself.
If Bonnie Hunter has stopped taking new teaching, etc. classes for two years you can get your schedule pared back as well. Go for it you will find you like ALL of life more with less pressure.
You had to pick Farmers Wife didn't you. Go ahead and make me work. LOL
I have quite the collection of my quilt tops as well. They are aging well in the closet. At my November quilt guild meeting, I vowed that I would bring a finished quilt for show and tell next year. I didn't specify which month, so that give me thirteen months to finish one of them.
I didn't complete any of the 12 UFO's I had on my list either, but thanks to your challenge, some are further along than they have been in years. So thank you for hosting this; hope you do it again in 2016.
And hope you can ease back on all your work. I don't know how you do it all!