Video conferencing: What is interactive and non-interactive?

Modes of interaction

Students learn best when they actively interact in face-to-face and online environments. In all learning environments, including video conferenced lectures, students should be given an opportunity to engage in a variety of modes of interaction.

There are three main modes of learner interaction:

Interactivity scenarios

In the context of VC, these modes of interaction need to be evident to ensure that video conferenced lectures are interactive. The following scenarios illustrate interactive and non-interactive use of video-conferencing in lectures.

Scenario 1: Lecturer A

Lecturer A video conferences lectures from the Melbourne campus to first-year students on the Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga campuses to an overall cohort of 150 students. She believes in the importance of promoting interactivity in her video conferenced lectures and feels she always provides plenty of opportunities for students to ask questions during her lectures.

At the beginning of every lecture, she asks all of the students if they have any questions about what she presented in the previous lecture. And at the end of each lecture, she again asks students if they have any questions. Lecturer A is often disappointed that very few questions are ever asked, and when they are asked, it always seems to be from the same mature-aged students in the Melbourne lecture theatre. Even though she tries very hard to encourage it, there are almost never any questions from the regional campuses.

Lecturer A feels that she is making her video conferenced lectures interactive by providing an opportunity for students to interact, and she can't make them interact if they are not interested enough to ask questions.

NOT Interactive

Lecturer A unsuccessfully attempts to provide learner-teacher interaction. Simply asking if there are any questions at the beginning and end of a lecture does not provide a variety of modes on interaction.

Scenario 2: Lecturer B

Lecturer B video-conferences a series of 8 lectures from the Bendigo campus to second-year students in a lecture theatre on the Melbourne campus. There are about 80 students in the Bendigo lecture theatre and about 150 in the Melbourne one.

To make sure his video conferenced lectures were interactive, he consulted the LTLT video conferencing guide and planned a strategy. At the start of each lecture, he tells the students that he will be stopping the lecture twice so that students can discuss the key concepts her is presenting. After about 20 mins, he has explained the first major concept, and he puts three multiple choice questions on the screen. These MCQs require students to apply the new concept to a particular scenario. Students are instructed to first answer the questions individually and a show of hands is used to indicate student's chosen responses. The tutor in the lecture theatre in Melbourne counts up the responses and reports back to lecturer B in Bendigo.

At this stage, the lecturer does not give the correct answer. He then gives students 2 minutes to discuss their responses to the MCQs with one or two students nearby, telling them to attempt to justify their answer and change their mind if someone convinces them to. Lecturer B then counts students' updated responses to the MCQs on both campuses, and usually finds that the total number of correct responses has increased after the students have had a chance to discuss their responses with each other. Lecturer B repeats this procedure after he has presented the next concept.

At the end of every lecture, lecturer B invites students to post questions or comments about the lecture in the appropriate discussion forum on LMS, and these questions are followed up in the next lecture.

Lecturer B provides opportunities for all three modes of interaction. The posing of a multiple choice concept-checking question allows learners to engage with content. The opportunity to discuss their responses with peers provides learner-learner interaction. The invitation to post questions on LMS provides an opportunity for learner-teacher interaction.

Scenario 3: Lecturer C

Lecturer C went to a conference where she experienced an audience response system that enabled participants to use mobile devices to vote on the extent they agreed with a set of statements. She was very impressed with the way everyone's responses were immediately displayed in a graph on the screen. It helped her to compare her views with those of others in the room.

Lecturer C decides to use this audience response system with her students. She teaches a second year subject which is video conferenced from Melbourne to Shepparton. Lecturer C chose a lecture with a number of tricky concepts to try out using the new technology. At the end of the lecture, she put three multiple choice questions on the screen. Students on both campuses used their mobile devices to respond to the questions and all of the responses were displayed on a graph on the screen. Unfortunately, most of the students got all three questions wrong.

Lecturer C was really disappointed and told all of the students to go home and listen to the Echo 360 recordings of the lecture and answer the questions again before the next lecture so they could work out what the correct answers were.

NOT Interactive

While lecturer C wants to use technology to enhance interactivity in her lectures, she does not ensure that students actively engage in any of the three modes of interaction. Her attempt to provide learner-content interaction is inadequate as she does not provide any feedback to students about the correct answers to the concept-checking questions.

Scenario 4: Lecturer D

Lecturer D teaches a large first year science subject and her lectures are video conferenced from Melbourne to Albury-Wodonga and Bendigo. When the subject was only taught on the Melbourne campus, Lecturer D used to get all of the students close to the front of the lecture theatre to watch her do demonstrations. Even though not all students could see the demonstration clearly, she felt it added some excitement to the lecture, and students seemed more willing to ask questions about the demonstration than other parts of the lecture.

Lecturer D wanted to find a way to use demonstrations in a multicampus video conferenced environment, so she approached La Trobe Learning and Teaching to ask for advice on how she could use technology to clearly show the demonstration to students across three campuses simultaneously. She learned how to position two cameras and switch between them to show the demonstration from different angles. Lecturer C encourages students on all campuses to ask questions during the demonstrations. Students in the remote locations are given the choice to ask questions with a microphone or to email questions to the lecturer. She finds that regional students are usually more comfortable using email to ask questions.

After the demonstration, students on each campus work in pairs to choose one thing they observed and formulate a question and a set of hypotheses for the observation.

Lecturer D encourages all three types of learner interaction in her video conferenced demonstration lecture. Students simultaneously engage in student-content and student-student interactions when they formulate their questions and hypotheses based on their observations. During the demonstrations, student-teacher interaction is maximised by offering alternative ways to ask questions.


The Bail Process

The amount of bail depends on the severity of the crime but is also at the judge’s discretion. In determining bail, a judge may take into account this amount but will also consider the defendant’s criminal record (if any), his or her history of showing up for past court appearances, ties to the community, whether the suspect is a danger to others and any other concerns that may be raised by the defendant’s attorney. In some cases, bail may be waived altogether.

Bailing out of Jail

Once arrested, the accused is taken to jail and booked. This process includes taking and inventorying any personal property, fingerprinting, and a mug shot. The latter two are used to acquire any known previous legal infractions which in turn is considered when setting bail. At this point, the accused may contact an attorney or wait in custody to be appointed one by the court. With either route, the defendant will remain in custody until bail is set. Certain crimes do not allow bail due to severity.

Once the value is set, the defendant may pay bail in full out-of-pocket if possible or have someone cover the total cost on their behalf. If one is unable to pay to total cost of bail, a bond may be acquired through a licensed bondsman or insurance company. At this point, the bondsman takes over responsibility for both release of the defendant and their appearance to scheduled court dates. In return for this service, a fraction of the bail is submitted as payment to the bond’s provider and they are reimbursed the value of the bond at the conclusion of the case.

Successfully bailing out of jail places the defendant back into their daily life. Instead of passively waiting for trial, this process allows them to continue their life as usual while handling the consequences of an abrupt arrest. As soon as the amount is set, the process can begin and reduce the amount of time the defendant spends away from personal responsibilities.

After posting bail, all personal items are returned and they are released from police custody. At this point, the best course of action is to adhere to all laws and appear on all scheduled court dates. Breaking this contract will result in stricter penalties and raised fines, increasing the burden of an already stressful incident and the chance of another incarceration. The process finally completes when the case is over and bail is returned to the poster.

877.282.BAIL (2245)

Our Bail Advisors are standing by 24/7


Open Access

Human telomerase RNA component (hTERC) gene amplification detected by FISH in precancerous lesions and carcinoma of the larynx

Diagnostic Pathology20127:34

Received: 25 January 2012

Accepted: 30 March 2012

Published: 30 March 2012

Gain of 3q26 is frequently observed in squamous cell carcinomas of mucosal origin, including those originating in the head and neck region. The human telomerase RNA component (hTERC) gene, which is located on chromosome 3q26, encodes for an RNA subunit of telomerase that maintains the length of telomeres through cellular divisions, and is activated in malignant diseases. The present study was designed to detect hTERC amplification in laryngeal lesions and evaluate whether this might serve as a supportive biomarker in histopathological analysis for in the diagnosis of laryngeal lesions.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of 93 laryngeal specimens, including 14 normal epithelium (NE), 15 mild dysplasia (Md), 18 moderate dysplasia (MD), 16 severe dysplasia (SD), 9 carcinoma in situ (CIS), and 21 invasive carcinoma (IC)).

By histopathologic examination, hTERC amplification rates in NE, Md, MD, SD, CIS and IC cases were 0% (0/14), 13.33% (2/15), 72.22% (13/18), 81.25% (13/16), 100% (9/9) and 100% (21/21), respectively. Amplification of hTERC was significantly associated with histopathologic diagnosis (P < 0.0001). The percentage of hTERC amplification in patients with MD, SD, CIS, and IC was significantly higher than those with NE or Md (P < 0.0001). The number of cells with abnormal signals increased and the abnormal signal patterns were diversified with increasing severity of laryngeal dysplasia (P < 0.0001).

The hTERC amplification is important in the development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). FISH detection of hTERC amplification may provide an effective approach in conjunction with histopathologic evaluation for differential diagnosis of laryngeal lesions.

Virtual Slides

Laryngeal carcinoma Human telomerase RNA component gene Amplification Fluorescent in situ hybridization

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the most common type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) [1, 2]. Despite recent progress in the diagnosis and therapeutic modalities for LSCC, the 5-year survival rate has not improved in more than two decades [3]. Early diagnosis of antecedent lesions in the risk population may help to validate a prevention regimen and allow effective intervention that improves survival [1, 2]. Therefore, it is necessary to identify target molecules for diagnosis and for effective therapy at the premalignant and/or early stages of LSCC.

It has been generally accepted that carcinogenesis involves the progressive accumulation of genetic abnormalities. Gain at 3q is a common feature of SCC, with an overlapping area of gain at 3q26 having been reported in SCC at different anatomic sites [4], including lung [5, 6], head and neck [79], cervix of the uterus [10, 11], esophagus [12, 13] and etc. The human telomerase RNA component (hTERC) gene, localized on chromosome 3q26, encodes the RNA component of human telomerase, and acts as a template for the addition of the repeat sequence [14]. Amplification of hTERC has been identified in many tumor samples and immortalized cell lines using techniques such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and Southern blot analysis, suggesting that transcription is upregulated during tumorigenesis [15]. However, the role of the hTERC gene amplification in the carcinogenesis of LSCC has yet to be defined.

In this study, we applied a dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) panel in the detection of hTERC and systematically analyzed FISH results among different groups of laryngeal lesions based on histopathologic diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to characterize the amplification of hTERC and evaluate its significance as an adjunctive tool.

Tissue collection

Patients involved in this study included 78 males and 15 females, with ages ranging between 35-78 years. All patients were recruited between October 2007-July 2009, and samples were obtained after patients had provided written, informed consent. 20 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of normal laryngeal epithelium were collected to establish the FISH detection threshold of samples. In addition, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of 93 laryngeal carcinoma and precursor lesions specimens were obtained from the Department of Pathology of Beijing Tongren Hospital. The cases included 14 normal epithelium (NE), 15 mild dysplasia (Md), 18 moderate dysplasia (MD), 16 severe dysplasia (SD), 9 carcinoma in situ (CIS), 21 invasive carcinoma (IC). The patients had received no chemotherapy or radiotherapy prior to surgery. Two pathologists reviewed all hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides to confirm the diagnosis and ensure the presence of representative tissue before FISH was performed. All diagnoses in this research were established using 2005 WHO Classification.

The diagnostic criterias are as follows: Mild dysplasia: the architectural disturbance and cytological atypia is limited to the lower third of the epithelium; Moderate dysplasia:the architectural disturbance and cytological atypia are extended to the middle third of the epithelium and the cells show moderately polymorphic, nuclear mitoses are increased, but in the upper third of the epithelium the cells are well differentiated and arrange in lamellar form; Severe dyplasia:the architectural disturbance and cytologic atypia extended more than two thirds of the epithelium, there is no mature morphology, and only in the top layer shows some lamellar forms; Carcinoma in situ (CIS):The dysplasia of the mucous epithelium involves the full thickness but still not break through the basal lamina. There is no characteristic appearance of gross findings, usually presenting as thickening and whiteness of local mucosa. Microscopically, the lesions show that the atypical cells with large, hyperchromic nuclei spread to full thickness, and the cell size is different. The pathologically mitotic figures are visible and dyskeratosis, and the cell polarity is disappeared. The lesion can involve the mucosal glands but the basement membrane is intact.

Histological examination and fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis

The tissues were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde solution, serially sectioned at 5 μm thickness and then stained routinely with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) following standard procedures. The paraffin-embedded tissue section was asayed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with the GP hTERC FISH kit accoding manufature's instruction (GP Medical Technologies Ltd., Beijing, China). Prior to hybridization of the paraffin-embedded tissue sections, slides were treated as follows: slides were rinsed with dimethylbenzene twice for 10 min for deparaffinization, then incubated in 100% ethanol for 5 min, an ethanol series (100%, 85% and 70%) in turn for 2 min each for rehydration, deionized water for 3 min, then 90°C deionized water once for 30 min, 2× saline sodium citrate (SSC) twice for 5 min, pepsin digestion K solution (200 μg/ml) at 37°C for 8 min, 2 × SSC twice for 5 min, and an ethanol series (70%, 85% and 100%) in turn for 2 min each. Slides were then air-dried at room temperature.

The GP hTERC FISH kit (GP Medical Technologies Ltd., Beijing, China) contains a hTERC DNA probe (Spectrum Red) and a control chromosome 3 centromere-specific probe (CSP3; Spectrum Green). The probe mixture (2 μl probe, 7 μl hybridizing buffer and 1 μl deionized water for each slide) was dropped onto the slides, followed by denaturation at 83°C for 5 min. Hybridization was subsequently performed in a humidified box at 42°C overnight. Slides were then washed in 2 × SSC containing 0.1% (v/v) NP-40 for 5 min, followed by 70% (v/v) ethanol for 3 min and the air-dried slides were restained with 40,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and mounted with cover slips.

Slides were analyzed (at × 1000 magnification) independently by two observers under an Olympus BX50 fluorescence microscope (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) with a triple bandpass filter for simultaneous detection of Spectrum Orange, Spectrum Green and DAPI. Images were then acquired for both probes with Video Test-FISH 2.0 software. For each specimen, 100 nuclei were evaluated. In a normal cell, the signal ratio of CSP3 to hTERC is 2:2, whereas in abnormal cells the ratio will be 2:3, 2:4, 2:5, 3:3, 4:4, and so on. Therefore, a cell with 3 or 4 hTERC signals, regardless of the signal numbers of CSP3, will be considered as having an abnormal signal pattern. For a positive result with gain of the hTERC gene, the percent of nuclei with a combination of all the abnormal signal patterns should be more than the cutoff value. The cutoff value was defined as the mean plus three standard deviations of the percentage of nuclei with a combination of all possible abnormal signal patterns [1618]. The cutoff value was calculated using 20 normal epithelium, confirmed by histopathology. In this study, the cut-off value was 7.287%.

Statistical analysis

Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test were used to evaluate the results. A p value < 0.05 (two-sided) was considered to indicate statistically significant. All analyses were performed with the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 12.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA).

hTERC amplification in association with histopathologic evaluations

hTERC gene amplification was not observed in any of the 14 normal epithelium analyzed (Figure 1). In contrast hTERC gene amplification was observed in 13.3% (2/15) of mild dysplasia (Figure 2), 72.2% (13/18) of moderate dysplasia (Figure 3), 81.3% (13/16) of severe dysplasia (Figure 4), and in all 9 cases of carcinoma in situ (Figure 5) and all 21 cases of invasive carcinoma (Figure 6). The rate of hTERC gene amplification in moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia, carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma was significantly higher than that in normal mucosa and mild dysplasia (P < 0.001)(Table 1, Figure 7).
Figure 1

A case of normal epithelium of the larynx. A. H&E stain. (magnification, ×200). B. Interphase FISH displaying a normal signal pattern containing two copies (arrow) each of hTERC (red) and chromosome 3 centromere specific probe CSP3 (the internal control probe) (green), the CSP3: hTERC signal pattern is 2:2 (green:red). (× 1000).

Figure 2

A case of mild dysplasia of the larynx. A. H&E stain. (×200). B. Interphase FISH displaying a CSP3: hTERC signal pattern of 2:2 (green:red). (× 1000).

Figure 3

A case of moderate dysplasia of the larynx. A. H&E stain. (×200). B. Interphase FISH displaying a CSP3: hTERC signal pattern is 2:3 (green:red). (×1000).

Figure 4

A case of sereve dysplasia of the larynx . A. H&E stain. (×200). B. Interphase FISH displaying a CSP3: hTERC signal pattern is 2:3, 2:5, 3:3, and etc. (×1000).

Figure 5

A case of carcinoma in situ . A. H&E stain. (×200). B. Interphase FISH displaying a CSP3: hTERC signal pattern is 2:3, 4:4, 6:6, and etc. (×1000).

Figure 6

A case of invasive carcinoma . A. H&E stain. (×200). B. Interphase FISH shows the CSP3: hTERC signal pattern is 3:4, 5:5, 5:7, and etc. (×1000)

Table 1

hTERC Amplification According to Histopathologic Evaluation

Laryngeal lesions

Cases, no.

hTERC+, no. (%)

Abnormal cells, no. (%)*

Proportion of amplification types, % of cases

Others 3:4,3:5, 4:5 etc.

Normal epithelium

Mild dysplasia

2 (13.3)

68 (4.5)

Moderate dysplasia

13 (72.2)

409 (22.7)

Sereve dysplasia

13 (81.3)

Carcinoma in situ

Invasive carcinoma

988 (47.0)

*Number of abnormal cells (% abnormal cells out of total cells examined, and 100 cells were observed in each case)

Figure 7

The increasing trend of hTERC amplification positive rates associated with the severity of laryngeal lesions, for histopathologic diagnosis.

hTERC amplification patterns in association with different types of lesions

The fluorescent signal pattern of CSP3 versus hTERC is 2:2 in normal cells. For the 14 cases classified as normal epithelium, all of the 22 abnormal cells exhibited the 2:3 signal pattern; for the 15 mild dysplasia and 18 moderate dysplasia cases, the 2:3 and 2:4 signal pattern were the most common; for the 15 sereve dysplasia and 9 carcinoma in situ cases, the 2:3 and 2:4 signal pattern were the most common, followed by the 3:3 and 4:4 patterns; for the 21 Invasive carcinoma cases, in the 988 abnormal cells observed the 4:4 signal pattern was the most common, followed by the 3:3 and 5:5 patterns (Table 1). The numbers of hTERC amplified cases increased with the severity of laryngeal diseases, as well as with the complexity of abnormal signal (P < 0.001).

In the present study, we investigated the relation between the hTERC amplification and laryngeal lesions using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in Chinese Han population. We found that the percentage of hTERC amplification in patients with moderate dysplasia (MD), severe dysplasia (SD), carcinoma in situ (CIS), and invasive carcinoma (IC) was significantly higher than those with normal epithelium (NE) or mild dysplasia (Md). The amplification of hTERC was significantly associated with the histopathologic diagnosis.

Emerging evidence suggest that transition from normal epithelium to dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma is related to the progressive accumulation of genetic changes leading to a clonal population of transformed epithelial cells [19]. Despite extensive research into these genetic changes in laryngeal carcinogenesis, reliable genetic markers with diagnostic and prognostic value are still lacking.

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that adds the TTAGGG repeats to the chromosomal ends and maintains chromosome integrity during DNA replication. Activation of telomerase can lead to cellular immortalization, prevent from apoptosis and potentially promote tumorigenesis [20]. The human telomerase RNA component (hTERC) gene, localized on chromosome 3q26, encodes the RNA component of human telomerase, constituting one of two major subunits, and acts as a template for the addition of the repeat sequence [21]. When hTERC is overexpressed, the cells with critically short telomeres avoid undergoing apoptosis, potentially leading to tumorigenesis [15].

In our study, we detected the amplification of hTERC by FISH in all cases of invasive carcinoma of larynx. This result indicates demonstrated that amplification of the hTERC gene is one of the most frequent amplifications described in LSCC, and it was increased with increasing stage of dysplasia and had a high incidence in invasive carcinoma. These results support a previous study by Soder et al, which detected more than two copies of hTERC per cell in 97% (29/30) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by FISH [22]. While studies employing comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) have reported lower frequency for 3q26 gains (between 50-82%) in HNSCC [2326], this difference is likely attributable to the different sensitivity of the respective techniques. Detection of trisomy using CGH requires this numerical aberration to be present in at least 40% of the cells. In contrast, FISH detects changes on a single-cell basis and is therefore not sensitive to dilution. Furthermore, small, regional, low-copy number amplification may escape detection by CGH [27].

Interestingly, the amplification of hTERC was observed at low frequency in normal epithelium and mild dysplasia, compared with a significantly higher frequency in cases of the moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. This finding supports that the amplification of hTERC may be a transition event in the progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma of larynx. It is in agreement with previous studies, the gain of chromosome 3q was reported as the most common site of genetic overrepresentation in mucosal squamous cell carcinomas and has suggested it is a pivotal transition event in cancer pathogenesis [10, 11, 28]. The finding also supports the possibility for hTERC amplification as a clinically useful genetic marker assisting histopathologic analysis for the differential diagnosis of low-grade (< mild dysplasia) versus high-grade (> moderate dysplasia) of laryngeal dysplasia. The finding was consistent with results reported by other investigators. Luzar et al demonstrated that the presence and relative quantity of Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA increases progressively with the degree of laryngeal epithelial abnormalities. Statistical analysis revealed two groups of laryngeal epithelial changes, with significant differences in the levels of hTERT mRNA expression (P < 0.0033): (i) normal and reactive hyperplastic laryngeal epithelium (squamous and basal-parabasal hyperplasia), and (ii) atypical hyperplasia (potentially malignant lesion), CIS and invasive laryngeal SCC [29]. They also found the telomerase catalytic protein immunohistochemistry parallels well with hTERT mRNA relative quantities in laryngeal carcinogenesis. The results indicate that telomerase reactivation is an early event in laryngeal carcinogenesis, already detectable at the stage of precancerous laryngeal epithelial changes [30].

Gene mutations and chromosomal abnormalities are commonly present in tumor cells. Chromosome aneuploidy and structural anomalies lead to genomic instability, resulting in tumorigenesis. In the present study, the percentages of cells with hTERC amplification increased with increasing severity of disease, and the amplification patterns got more diverse and complex as well. Notably, more complicated patterns of hTERC amplification other than 2:3 were found only in the high-grade lesions. The study demonstrated that chromosome aneuploidy was a common event in laryngeal lesions. Whether amplification patterns can be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers warrants further investigation.

In conclusion, We have analyzed the amplification of hTERC in different stages of laryngeal carcinogenesis. The present study suggests that FISH analysis can be performed on histological specimens in order to detect the amplification of hTERC for the diagnosis of laryngeal lesions. The hTERC amplification assay may be an adjunct to histopathologic screening and may be useful in assessing the potential of individual lesions to progress.

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Human telomerase RNA component (hTERC) gene

Chromosome 3 centromere-specific probe

Fluorescence in situ hybridization

Normal epithelium

Mild dysplasia

Moderate dysplasia

Sereve dysplasia

Carcinoma in situ

Invasive carcinoma

The authors thank Hui-hua Li (Department of Pathology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China) for his excellent manuscript modification assistance, We also thank Li-ping Gong (Department of Pathology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China) for her excellent technical assistance. This study was supported by grants from the Health System High Level Health Technical Personnel Training Plan of Beijing city (2009-3-31) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81070769).

Authors’ Affiliations

Department of Pathology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University
Department of Pathology, Capital Medical University

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  24. Huang Q, Yu GP, McCormick SA, Mo J, Datta B, Mahimkar M, Lazarus P, Schaffer AA, Desper R, Schantz SP: Genetic differences detected by comparative genomic hybridization in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas from different tumor sites: construction of oncogenetic trees for tumor progression. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2002, 34: 224-233. 10.1002/gcc.10062.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. Hashimoto Y, Oga A, Kawauchi S, Furuya T, Shimizu N, Nakano T, Imate Y, Yamashita H, Sasaki K: Amplification of 3q26 approximately qter correlates with tumor progression in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 2001, 129: 52-56. 10.1016/S0165-4608(01)00425-3.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. Patmore HS, Ashman JN, Stafford ND, Berrieman HK, MacDonald A, Greenman J, Cawkwell L: Genetic analysis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using comparative genomic hybridisation identifies specific aberrations associated with laryngeal origin. Cancer Lett. 2007, 258: 55-62. 10.1016/j.canlet.2007.08.014.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
  27. Taubald A, Liehr T, Ries J, Girod S, Hassfurter E, Gebhart E: CGH-detected DNA sequence copy number amplifications can be confirmed by interphase-FISH: new possiblities for prognostic approaches in oral squamous cell carcinomas. Int J Mol Med. 1998, 2: 555-560.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. Bockmuhl U, Schluns K, Kuchler I, Petersen S, Petersen I: Genetic imbalances with impact on survival in head and neck cancer patients. Am J Pathol. 2000, 157: 369-375. 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)64549-X.PubMed CentralView ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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© Liu et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012


Although not as flashy as some junior colleges (JCs) in Singapore, Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) provides good pre-university education for the students who attend it. Located in Serangoon, near Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh, it is easily accessible to students from all over Singapore.

Established in 1978, NYJC was one of the first JCs in Singapore. Nanyang is the hanyu pinyin for the Chinese characters "South Sea", which was what the Chinese in China called Singapore, Malaysia and the South-east Asian region in the past. The name reflects the origins of Singapore having been built by immigrants not only from China, but also from India, Malaysia and all the various parts of the world. The badge of Nanyang JC has a picture of a Merlion (symbolising Singapore) on a red background above a sea, and its motto is "Together We Build".

One traditional strength of the JC is its canoeing and dragon boat racing teams. The dragon boats are raced at a Chinese festival known as "Duan Wu Jie" (i.e. Duan Wu Festival) or simply the Dragon Boat Festival. Other student groups that have won awards recently are the volleyball teams.

Anoher point of interest is the dogs that are attached to Nanyang. It was common (in the past) to see the principal walking around the school compound accompanied by two dogs (aptly named Perpetually Lost and Just Lost). Cats have also been seen around the school grounds.


Setting The Stage

I’ve been thinking about endings and transitions a lot lately. About how we get caught in these conclusions that happen in our lives. Maybe it’s just the season that makes it more noticeable, but I feel like we’re always talking about the end of something: a job, a relationship, or a life.

It’s interesting how endings are conveyed in the English language.  Look at some of the idioms we use:

“All good things must come to an end.”

“The end is nigh.”

“It is the beginning of the end.”

It’s the same with our narratives. For the most part, we as writers are always writing in pursuit of an end point. We spend the WHOLE story working to get the end. And that is usually a very small part of the overall narrative.

We forget about the journey that got us there, and we hardly stop to think about what happens after we close the covers of a book. What new beginning awaits after an ending?  If the end is only the beginning, what really is the ending? This is what I’m asking you to consider in your writing prompt for this week.

Sunset on stormy sea

© kaalimies –

What Writers Have To Say About Endings

“Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always.” – Dante Alighieri

“End are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin, and there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending.” – C. Joybell C

“Beginnings are sudden, but also insidious. They creep up on you, they keep to the shadows, they lurk unrecognized. Then, later, they spring.” – Margaret Atwood

Word THE END written on an old typewriter

© triocean –

How To Use This Prompt

Do you write creative non-fiction? Is so, examine a significant ending in your life. Maybe it’s recent or long ago. What sort of beginnings did this ending bring? Did it make room for something different/more desirable to enter your life, or are your memories still caught up in the ending? Why?

If you’d rather try your hand at fiction, think about a significant period in history. Think about the end of this era, and about the period in-between its ending and a new beginning. What was this span of time like? How did it impact those living during it?

Maybe you’re in the mood to write fiction. If that is that case, think about a story you might be working on or have been mulling around in your mind. Don’t think too hard or long about it, but write the ending. What is the ending of this story? When you are finished with writing the ending can it be a beginning to another story? Is there potential for it to be a beginning?

Or you could write a poem. Think about the quotes in this article. Pick one and use it as inspiration for a Villanelle. What is that, you might ask? Check out this link for more information.

Write a short story, an essay, a poem, or even just a paragraph or two based on this prompt. Then feel free to share what you’ve written in comments, post a link to your piece on your own blog, or submit it to our site!

 If you’d like more prompts and can’t wait until next week, check out our free e-book, “A Year of Inspiration: 52 Writing Prompts from the Renegade Word.”


RFC Families and Kinship of Clover

[Ellen’s] writing continues to draw from her twin passions of medicine and social justice activism, exploring characters at the intersection of political turmoil, ethical dilemmas, and family life. She strives to follow poet Martín Espada’s advice that, "Any oppressive social condition, before it can be changed, must be named and condemned in words that persuade by stirring the emotions, awakening the senses."

My mom’s latest novel, Kinship of Clover, explores the difficult choices that divide and connect families and communities. The novel centers on Jeremy's visions of extinct plants, which bring him both pain and comfort as he deals with the lasting repercussions of a trauma from his childhood and tries to find his way as a young adult and budding environmentalist. While Jeremy is contemplating his first steps as a tentative activist, rabble-rouser Flo is wrestling with the impact of a painful secret she's kept for years in the midst of the deepening fog of advancing Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, Flo’s teenage granddaughter, Zoe, searches for independence as she navigates falling in love for the first time. Readers of my mom’s earlier novels will also welcome appearances by other familiar characters from House Arrest and On Hurricane Island.

What I found most intriguing about Kinship of Clover was the way it addressed questions I’ve heard from a number of our beneficiaries over the years: how do parents’ political or activist choices impact how their children see the world? Does being the child of someone who faced repression for their political choices make you more or less likely to make similar choices yourself? Can you be angry at a parent for the impact of their actions while also proud of their commitment? How do you build lasting relationships with friends or family despite significant political disagreements?  Are small acts of resistance enough in the face of serious repression or cataclysmic threats?

Perhaps it’s not surprising that this novel made me think of our RFC beneficiary families.  In many ways, Kinship is a continuation of the stories my mom told as the author—with RFC Founder Robert Meeropol and former Board Member Martin Espada—of the RFC’s signature program, Celebrate the Children of Resistance. After years of communicating with our grantee families, I felt like this novel could be the story of an RFC beneficiary. I wanted to invite Jeremy to attend the upcoming Carry It Forward Gathering and support him and his family as they navigate the aftermath of targeting and repression.

Clearly, Kinship of Clover stirred my emotions; let me know if it did the same to you.

Ellen Meeropol has several upcoming readings in the greater NYC area: on June 6 in Manhattan, June 7th in Montclair and June 8th in Brooklyn.  She'll be reading from Kinship of Clover in Chicago on June 14th  and in Ann Arbor on June 17th.

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Home / Biographies / Laruen YS (Biography)

Laruen YS (Biography)

Laruen YS (USA)

Lauren’s work aims to create and populate a misfit wonderland in which imaginary heroines can address the absurdities of reality in the confines of a page or a wall. Influenced by dreams, mythology and her own personal narrative, Lauren’s work is often geared towards pushing a narrative undertone and always has a fantastical aesthetic.

Lauren has completed a residency and solo show at Nychos’ Rabbit Eye Movement studio in Vienna, and has since shown work and live-painted at various international art festivals and institutions. Festivals include Art Basel Miami, Pow!Wow! Hawaii, PangeaSeed SeaWalls (New Zealand), Colorado Crush and the inaugural “Wander and Wayfare,” a festival including female street artists that took place at Rocha Art in San Francisco.

Source: Kaaboo Del Mar

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An Emperor Dragon is a species of Dragon. The Resolute Thread was supposedly made from the stomach lining of one, however, Skulduggery insisted that this was not the case, instead stating that it is just "really strong thread." From this, we can assume the Emperor Dragon does not exist, as dragons were not discovered until 2014.

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How often have you asked yourself: “Where did my day go today?” Or how often have you wished that there were LEO logomore hours in the day for work or play? Chances are that if you ask yourself either or both of these questions, then time management and work/life balance are challenges for you. Attending this workshop is THE great starting point for a really positive impact on your professional and personal life.

This interactive workshop offers fact-based skills and sound advice to support Owner/Managers and key team members of Micro and SME’s to increase their productivity and achieve a better work-life balance using tried and tested time management techniques.

Date:   28th September 2017

Venue: The Mill Enterprise Centre, Drogheda

Time:  10am to 2pm

Cost:  €20

Cancellation Policy

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Central State senior awarded Hercules Scholarship

Jody Coleman is a senior, marketing major from Dayton, Ohio.

This honor student and future sports marketing director has a 3.78 GPA.

At Central State, Jody serves as a peer tutor, is a member of the Marketing Club, the SGA, and volunteers at a local youth center.

The person he admires the most is his older brother, who became the man of the house with the departure of his father.

The motto Jody lives by is, “No one owes you, and everything important in life is earned”.


Mar 30, 2016

Complete Guide to Remove DRM from Audible/iTunes Audiobooks

Like the movies and TV shows on iTunes store that are protected by Apple's FairPlay DRM, audiobooks you purchased from iTunes as well as Amazon Audible store are also restricted with DRM protection and prevent you from listening to the audiobooks on non-approved audiobook players. If you want to play the DRM-ed iTunes and Audible audiobooks on any popular media device or CDs without limit, you'll have to remove the DRM protection from the audiobooks at the first place. Now here in the following article, we'll show you the complete guide on how to easily remove DRM lock from iTunes or Audible audiobooks by using a smart yet powerful DRM audiobook converter.

1. Launch TunesKit DRM Audiobook Converter, click "Add Files" button to load the iTunes or Audible audiobooks to the converter. Or you can directly drag the audiobook files to TunesKit for conversion.

3. Now you can start to remove the DRM protection from iTunes or Audible audiobooks by clicking "Convert" button.


20150808_152735-2Welcome to my page!!!

I am an independent filmmaker who has worked on several short film projects as both a director, producer, and writer. I am a recent graduate from The University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelors degree in Arts and Technology (ATEC).

Storytelling is my passion and being able to tell them through different mediums brings me so much joy! The idea of bringing a concept to life through visuals whether it be film, animation, games, etc, and being able to send people to a whole other place is one of the most incredible experiences I feel someone could have in their life. There is no greater feeling than leaving reality behind and stepping into a world all of its own.


Photos by Alex Brenner www.alexbrenner.co.uk

Project Belgrano

Té para dos: a meeting takes place between Margaret Thatcher and Leopoldo Galtieri or at least two people who are a little bit like them. Over a shared maté and a cup of tea we watch them discuss, fight and defend the idea of themselves by staking a claim to a little piece of land.

Project Belgrano explores the reliance we place on cultural stereotypes and the latent dangers within them.

Devised and Performed by Nadège Adlam and Paul Mauch at the Casa Latin American Theatre Festival 2015


Dylan Owen Is A Wordsmith Who Raps

Rappers these days are all about making money and getting women, right? Wrong. Rap is evolving into a genre more near art than it has ever been before. One man who is consistently proving this is NYC-based rap artist Dylan Owen. After releasing a full-length album during his senior year of high school, Owen went on to study for a year at Cornell University before moving to the city to pursue his music. Pretty amazing, right? What have you done since your senior year of high school? Excuse me while I hide in a corner.

Excerpted from my blog, High Voltage, which ran for six years from 2011-2017.


21 terms

Government in America people politics and policy chapter 1: introducing government in america

public goods
goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must share
The process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. This produces authoritative decisions about public issues.
political participation
All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. (Voting, protest, civil disobedience)
single-issue groups
policymaking system
The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. People's interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers.
Linkage institutions
The political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. (elections, political parties, interests groups, media)
policy agenda
political issue
policymaking institutions
The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. (Congress, presidency, courts, bureaucracy(?))
public policy
a choice that government makes in response to a political issue. a policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem
majority rule
a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory
choosing among alternatives requires that this desire be respected
minority rights
pluralist theory
a theory of govt and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies
elite and class theory
A theory of govt and politics contending that groups are so strong that govt is weakened. It is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism.
policy gridlock
political culture
an overall set of values widely shared within a society
gross domestic product


Division Among the Elves

After the Sacrifice of the Kender, and the ending of the 2nd Apocalypse peace sets across the land, however, among the Pantheon of the Elves things are not going well.

Corellon Larethian and his Consort, Lloth engage in a cosmic argument ultimately bringing the entire Elven Pantheon into the argument. As the argument descended into a bitter duel between several factions that had developed among the Pantheon. In the end Corellon Larethian banished the leaders of these factions and all of their followers from Sylvania, he then punished the High Elves for their decadence (causing the split between the High Elves and the Sylvan Elves).

With the Division and banishment of many sections of the Elven population, a mass migration took place, and from this migration several new lands would be colonized. The Followers of Lloth went deep into the Underdark, as during the Argument she was regarded as “a Wretched Spider-Queen” (and in turn transformed into one) by her former lover. The Followers of Gadhelyn would go Westward pasts the Hills of Hildragr and into the vast lands of Steppess where they would found a great empire and lose most of it to some unknown disaster. The followers of Rillifane Rallathil would go to Yseria and join with the Druids there. The followers of Sehanine Moonbow and Labelas Enoreth would both travel Northward into what is now the Desolation and the Blood Sea of Ishtar, and never be seen again after the Cataclysm.

Through this divide in the Elven community, the Elves would disseminate into several different ethnic groups occupying different lands, these are as follows;

High Elves (Sylvania) | Sylvan (Sylvania, Avaros) | Drow (Underdark) | Grey Elves ( Ul’Drak) | Dreh’nai ( Ishtar) | Quintellexi (Steppess) | Wood Elves (Yseria)

Division Among the Elves

A Shadow over Akeroth NodenstheHunter


People ex rel. Harris v. Aguayo

Defendants appealed a civil enforcement action against them for violation of the unfair competition laws (UCL) arising out of their involvement in a complex real estate scam. The Court of Appeal affirmed and held that defendants' unlawful scheme was not entitled to immunity under the Noerr-Pennington doctrine; the evidence supported the trial court's findings regarding the wild deeds; adverse possession was not a defense to UCL liability; the restitution award was supported by the evidence and the law; the civil penalties awarded were within the trial court's discretion; and the trial court did not abuse its discretion in imposing the permanent injunction. View "People ex rel. Harris v. Aguayo" on Justia Law


Two Heads are (Usually) Better than One

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Most of us have our own personal methods for problem solving.  We all have little tricks and tactics that we’ve developed over the years to compile all the data and solutions we’ve picked up through school, training, and just plain practice.  When these skills are brought to a team environment they can easily be capitalized on by a team who engages in coordinated problem solving,  a process wherein a problem is broken down into smaller problems then divided amongst the team. This method helps mitigate the issues that ineffective communication might have on a team’s ability to efficiently complete their tasks, but a team can come up with its most innovative solutions when team members are able to collaborate on finding solutions to problems facing them.

When a team can actually collaborate while solving complex problems it enables the team members to utilize each other’s different perspective as a source for new insights into a solution.  Issues begin to arise when there are issues with team cohesion preventing clear communication, or even outright preventing everyone from communicating.  Everyone has experienced the person who always has to interrupt or dominate a conversation.  This kind of behavior can be dangerous for a team; some team members will stay silent, being overly polite or shy, thus preventing the team the benefit their insight might bring.  Sometimes. A study done based off of the common saying “two heads are always better than one” set out to test this theory.  Their results were intriguing, somewhat disheartening in some ways, but ultimately show that it might be better said that, “two heads can be better than one.”  The research was done by having pairs (together or in isolation) take an image recognition test.  They were shown two images (for 85 ms each) each having 6 targets equidistance apart surrounding an imaginary circle.  In one of these images a single target had a slightly higher contrast than the rest of them, and the subjects were asked in which image and quadrant the higher contrast target was.  The results showed that dyads that were able to communicate about their responses were more likely to have correct answers than those who were just shown the response of the subject they were paired with.   Two Heads are (Usually) Better than One This fits with most conventional wisdom on how group problem solving functions, but the aforementioned research noticed an interesting discrepancy.  When one of the members of a dyad was unable to communicate effectively about their judgement the pair was more likely to be less accurate.  When a dyad did not have clear understanding of the other’s judgement they did worse than the initial impression of the more observant of the pair.  This implies that when a team is unable to properly gauge each other’s ability their communication might actually hamper effective collaborative problem solving.  This lends some credence to the behavior of overly assertive or domineering team members.   Luckily the more often team members interact the more they will become familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which will certainly help the group’s collective problem solving skills.  But beyond learning the strengths and weaknesses of the other team members, they need to learn each other’s unique approach to problem solving.  As was mentioned at the start of this article, each person has their own idiosyncrasies in their problem solving methods; some people need to let the problem stew in their mind for awhile and others sometimes do their best when constantly working away at a problem, and many have a process involving switching between these two methods.  This article sums up the most practical solution to this issue, and it is the most recurrent answer to almost any task.  Practice.   It’s very convenient that problem solving is one of the most easily practiced skills, and presents itself in nearly any activity.  Anything that requires the team to compare each other’s solution to a challenge presented to them will help them improve their team problem solving abilities. Finding an event that presents a team with fresh new activities that can help them learn each other’s strengths in a non-work environment will help team members have a broader understanding of their teammate’s unique problem solving methods.  This can also have the added benefit of helping the quieter employees learn to assert themselves as they become more comfortable.  This will prevent the more assertive amongst the team from always dominating conversations.  If a team can learn to communicate with each other more efficiently their ability to solve the team’s problems can begin to exceed the results of the best members, and then they’ll begin to see their full potential.       To get moving with your team on a fun team building activity that works, take a Scavenger Hunt with Strayboots.  The author, Tom Porcella, is a young professional who writes for various blogs and publications. Inquiries can be made to

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What Goes into a Roofing Estimate in Springfield, VA?

Whether the need involves making repairs to an existing roof or replacing it with something brand new, the task calls for obtaining a roofing estimate in Springfield, VA. Considering the enormity of the job, it is important to make sure that estimate contains a reasonable amount of detail. Here are some of the key elements to check before assigning the job to any roofing professional.

The Materials

A key element in any roofing estimate in Springfield, VA is the volume and cost of the materials needed to do the job. This is especially important when the task at hand involves replacing the entire roof. Look for detail that indicates the amount and cost of shingles, flashing, tar, and other essentials needed for the new roof design. Remember that the projected figures will likely leave a little room for error, since some of the purchased supplies may be returned for credit if they are not actually used by the end of the project. The goal is to make sure that the estimate includes enough materials to do the job properly.

The Labor Costs

The other major element of the estimate will involve the amount of labor costs associated with the job. The projection will make some assumptions in terms of what it will take to remove the old roof and also get the new one in place. Even so, a good estimate that allows some room for issues like delays due to weather or uncovering a damaged joist that needs replacing, will make it all the easier to be prepared for just about any contingency.

Remember that while an estimate should be as close to the final costs as possible, there are factors that could have some impact. The professionals at Dream Home Remodeling can provide some background into what could lead the job to come in over or under the total amount of that estimate. Listen closely to what the professionals have to say and look over the detail of the estimate carefully. If everything seems in order and the price is competitive, then authorize the work and look forward to having a fully functional roof once more.

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You need to adapt your writing style to fit the medium. Web writing poses different challenges than writing for print media:
=> When readers are looking at content on the web, they have so much information before them that you need to work to catch and keep their attention.
=> Readers also have more opportunities to click away from your article. Most are looking for specific information, and if they don't find it at a glance, they can easily click to see a different article.
=> And technically speaking, it is not that easy to read off of a computer screen.
With this in mind, here are 10 tips for writing web-friendly articles:
1- Create a title that is short and to the point.
Your readers will be scanning long lists of article titles, so your article title needs to catch their attention immediately. Avoid long titles and clever puns or metaphors. Your article title should tell exactly what your article is about.
2- Get to the point quickly.
Remember, people will be scanning your articles, so it's important to get into the meat of your topic early on. Rambling and long storytelling can lose an internet reader's attention. From the first sentence of your article, launch directly into your topic.
3- Limit your word count.
A good word count goal is 400-800 words. A word count goal you will help you keep on topic and not ramble on endlessly.
4- Keep your paragraphs short.
Reading from a computer screen is a challenge, so anything you can do to make your article easy on the eyes is a benefit. Shorter paragraphs allow the reader's eyes to rest and encourage them to keep on reading. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence. Organize your article's paragraphs so that there is a lot of breathing room in between each idea.
5- Use sub-headings to break up your article into sections.
Sub-headings are like road signs that instantly alert the reader to where they are in your article. Sub-headings separate different main topics within your article, and each sub-heading should clearly stand apart from the rest of the text. You can make your sub-heading stand out by having all capital letters, or by putting a star * or arrow => in front of the sub-heading.
6- If possible, include list items.
Lists are hugely popular on the internet, probably because they are easy to skim. Popular types of list articles are 'Top Tips' articles (such as this article), and 'How To' articles.
7- Limit your links.
It's fine to share a link in your article every once in a while if absolutely necessary, but keep in mind that excessive linking in an article is distracting. Really, you want the main link clicking to be the link in your resource box.
8- Keep your links after the fold.
If you must include a link in your article body, keep it 'after the fold'. Most computer monitors cannot show an entire web page--there is a point on the page when the reader will have to manually scroll down to see the rest of your article. That point is called the 'fold'. By keeping your links away from the first half of your article, you will give your readers a chance to get interested in your article before clicking away. There are also some publishers who require that all links be kept after the fold (after the first 3 or so paragraphs).
9- Leave something to the imagination.
Don't feel pressured to include every last bit of your knowledge in an article. Respect your word count goals and leave the reader wanting more. You can provide an excellent amount of value in an article without telling every last thing about your topic. Your article should whet your reader's appetite for your topic, and then they can click the link in your resource box for more info.
10- Edit relentlessly. Put your article away for a few days and then look at it again with fresh eyes. Remove any sentences/paragraphs that are not absolutely necessary. Each sentence should provide value and serve a purpose.
Following these 10 tips will allow your article to be most attractive to internet readers. The idea is to catch an internet reader's attention early on (with your title, and also with your first paragraph), to make your article visually easy to digest, to provide content of excellent value, and also to leave the reader wanting more.

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Dennis Myers: term limits limit smart lawmaking

I once knew a state legislator who served just one term. He was elected to the Nevada Assembly and made a good record. But he was young and serving wreaked havoc with his relatively new law practices. So after just two years, he stepped down.

That happens a lot in Nevada. Although Nevada has term limits, I think more lawmakers leave under their own power than by being pushed out, suggesting that we adopted a solution without a problem.

When term limits were on the ballot, there were warnings that the influence of lobbyists and legislative staffers – who are not elected or term limited – would grow under term limits. Both have happened. In the case of lobbyists, this has created a throwback.

During the 1960s, many state legislatures developed research, legal, and fiscal staff so that legislators did not need to rely on lobbyists so much for information, causing lobbyists to lose some of their influence. Term limits have returned them to their previous influence.

And legislators are accountable to voters. Lobbyists and staffers are not. Thus we have two groups that now have greater power and are not answerable to voters. That’s a great advance.

Nevada voters approved term limits in 1996, and officials elected in 1998 were the first elected under the new law, so term limits first took effect in 2010.

The number of women legislators did increase after term limits came in, though whether it had anything to do with senior officials being pushed out is uncertain because the same thing happened in states without term limits.

The departure of veteran legislators meant that some procedures and rituals were eliminated. That sometimes simplified legislative process. But between lawmakers who stepped down of their own volition and those who departed in response to term limits, legislators often leave office when they got really good at their jobs, getting things done for their districts and constituents with skill and ability.

In addition, there is my favorite quality in any legislator – institutional memory. I know of at least two legislators who called for new laws only to discover that the measures had already been enacted into law earlier. If there were more legislators with longer experience, that kind of thing would not happen. More important, experience means that a legislator knows what happened the last time this governing technique or that program was tried, whether it was successful or not.

U.S. Term Limits president Philip Blumel has said, “Under a seniority system where incumbents statistically cannot lose, change is not really possible.”

A legislative seniority system has nothing to do with elections. Voters are always free to defeat incumbents. If they choose not to, that is liberty. Enacting sweeping term limits that become permanent mean we have little faith in our system of government – and that we are willing to bind not just ourselves to undemocratic process, but that we feel our children and grandchildren should not be trusted with the vote. If we think terms should be limited, we can do it with our votes and getting other voters to join us. And if we fail, we can accept the democratic judgment of all voters.

And contrary to what Blumel said, change is always possible where there is seniority. It is rarely the first termers who accomplish things in parliamentary settings. And it is always the senior members they turn to for help. Blumel’s problem is that the change he wants does not come to pass under current legislators. He is trying to win with term limits victories he cannot win with democracy.

One of the peculiarities of this issue is that it is a classic strange bedfellows case.

Democrats and John Birchers agree, with the John Birch Society offering a smart argument: “While term limits may seem like a great idea to help limit the destructiveness of big-government politicians, term limits also force Constitution-abiding statesmen out of office. An educated electorate will elect genuine constitutionalists who abide by their oath of office. The short cut of term limits is not a long-term solution. The John Birch Society supports freedom at the ballot box and therefore opposes term limits.”

On the other hand, Republicans and libertarians agree on this. That is less surprising but paradoxical. Normally, nothing stops libertarians from supporting liberty.


pre purchase home inspectionTo avoid disappointment and heartache later you need to know the problems before you buy with a pre-purchase building inspection.

When you are looking to buy a new home you are rightfully looking for the reasons to buy. You will look at how many bedrooms it has. You will check if it has an en-suite. What about how well laid out the kitchen is. Does it have a cellar, a shed or a sewing room etc.

While focusing rightfully however on these positive points you may not notice defects that may exist in the house which could cause anxiety and/or grief after purchase.

To avoid later disappointment it is important to also know the problems before you buy.

It makes sense therefore to have a reliable home building inspector carry out a concise and detailed pre-purchase building inspection. To know the problems before you buy we can present you with a professional, personal, independent and unbiased pre-purchase building inspection report.

Reliable Home Inspections offers a premium service with all building inspections and related reports.

Because our inspection is so thorough we may not be the cheapest about town but we are also not the most expensive. We offer true value for money.

Rather than present just a tick sheet which identifies the faults in a list, our reports are descriptive, with the option to include photos for better clarification. Where appropriate, rather than just identify that a fault exists, we offer opinion, observation and advice on the impact that particular fault will have so that you might make a qualified judgement on the building you are setting your hopes and dreams on.

The building elements typically inspected (but not limited to) in a Reliable Home Inspections building inspection are listed below, each item being visually inspected to the extent possible by access limitations that may exist on site.

Interior of the building

We look for things like sagging ceilings, popping nails, defective lining, cracking, dampness and damp damage, amongst other things.

We look for things like bulging walls, popping nails, defective lining, cracking, dampness and damp damage (including rising damp), distortion, verticality, drummy plaster and render.

We look for things like timber floor damage, levelness, dampness and damp damage, floor movement such as spring and bounce, concrete floors cracking, surface damage.

Windows (whether timber or metal)
We look for things like integrity of putty, broken or cracked glass, sash operation (if access available), sash fittings and hardware, water staining, decaying frames and sashes (timber rot or metal corrosion).

Doors and frames
We look for things like binding, damaged, loose or badly fitting doors, defective door hardware, corroded or decaying frames.

Cupboards & Built in Wardrobes (including kitchen and vanities)
We look for things like bench top lifting or delamination, damage (including water), operation of doors and drawers, sink/taps (for operation, chips, cracks, leaking, etc).

We look for things like drummy, cracked, loose, or missing tiling, likewise for grouting and sealant, including internal corners (particularly in showers) and against adjacent surfaces (bench tops etc).

We look for things like adequacy of water supply to each item (including water hammer), leaking, cisterns, pans, baths etc for cracking, leaking, installation and stability, visual signs of leakage in showers, shower screens for function and broken glass, cracking or delaminating of mirrors, condition of tubs/cabinets etc.

We check that the house has adequate ventilation.

We check the stringer, handrails/balusters, newel posts, treads and risers (this applies to external stairs also).

We check that you have a safety switch or not, that you have a smoke detector/s and we check that lights and fans work and that power points (where accessible) have the correct polarity.

Termite Management
We check and advise on the existence and/or need for a termite management program. Refer later for comments on checking for termite activity.

Exterior of the building

We look for things like corrosion and adequate seating of lintels, integrity of external cladding (including any paint or protective coating), evidence of missing damp-proof course or flashings, doors and windows (as internally above), brickwork deterioration &/or cracking.

Safety issues
We check such things as the balconies, verandahs, patios, decks, suspended concrete floors, balustrades, pools etc.

Swimming Pools
For the safety of kids and others we look for things like the existence of and the workability of the correct fencing and the self-closing and self-latching gates.

Other exterior issues
We also look for things like the effectiveness of surface water drainage and ponding of water against structures, paths falling away from structures, integrity of paving (including looking for evidence of subsidence etc and identifying trip hazards etc), structural integrity and state of repair of retaining walls and fencing.

Roof exterior (whether roof tiles, shingles or slate, or sheet roofing)

We look for things like broken, loose or damaged tiles, decaying/rusting sheet roofing etc for possible water entry into the roof space, loose, absent, damaged or inadequate flashings, popping  (or missing) nails or screws, skylights, vents and flues, rusting or corroding valleys, guttering or downpipes, fascias and barges etc.

Roof space

Assuming the roof space is accessible we look for things like evidence of corroded roof covering, physical damage to or deterioration of roof framing, inadequate or poorly constructed framing (including missing elements), inappropriate modification, integrity of sarking, integrity of party walls/fire walls, identifying electrical wiring, absence or inadequacy of insulation, safety issues with down lights etc, evidence of past or present pest activity (including rodents, birds and termites (white ants).

Subfloor space

Where there is a subfloor space (and it is accessible) we typically look for things like the existence and adequacy of supports, deflection of bearers or joists, cracking, spalling, rusting, evidence of past or present termite activity, presence of termite caps, deterioration of flooring or support members (wood rot or metal corrosion), ventilation, drainage, existence of damp, rusting, delamination within suspended concrete floors or evidence of concrete cancer.

To make sure you know the problems before you buy, call Don now on 0414 820 773 or complete the enquiry form


A Step Above Speech-Language Pathology, LLC

"Private practice serving Northern Virginia.  We use evidence-based techniques to provide diagnostic and therapeutic speech and language services in the areas of articulation, social communication, expressive/receptive language and literacy development.  We cater to clients in Northern Virginia, specifically Falls Church, Arlington, Vienna, Mclean, Annandale, Fairfax and Washington, D.C."

Phone Numbers
(716) 432-7505


Posts Tagged ‘basketball’

Response to “The Thunder is Playing Well”

The media criticism show On The Media recently aired a radio segment on grammar issues with certain NBA team names like The Heat and The Thunder. The show notes that unlike most other team names that allow the regular plural suffix (-s), these names are treated as mass nouns. Semantically speaking, all team names denote a plural group of players. But when it comes to subject-verb agreement, copyeditors and sportswriters are confused whether The Heat and The Thunder should be treated as grammatically singular or grammatically plural.

In other words, which is correct?

1. The Heat are playing well.

2. The Heat is playing well.

As the show starts us wondering about how to resolve this issue of usage, I couldn’t help to think about how many times my students have asked me to give them the rule about all sorts of similar issues. I’ve always felt like no matter how I answer them, I’m not satisfied.

Show guest and sportswriter Tom Scocca observes that in actual usage, publications vary in treating these names as both grammatically singular and plural. At the end of the piece Scocca takes a fairly nuanced position: there’s no fixed rule about which way to treat these team names. Instead, you have to examine them in the context of the sentence they appear and judge which sounds better. (Here it strikes me that investigating usage disputes based on the judgments of native speakers on a case-by-case basis is the same methodology used by linguists.)

In my experience, this sort of answer leaves many writing students unsatisfied. Most want fixed rules and definitive answers. They want the safety of a bright red line that can be drawn across all contexts, clearly separating the correct from the incorrect. This is the worldview inculcated by an educational system overtaken by multiple-choice tests. And this is the certainty that many handbooks provide: always place a comma before coordinating conjunctions. Only use “whom” in the following situations.

If only language were so tidy. Although these maxims may work in the prototypical contexts, when you examine the messiness of usage across many contexts, you’ll find countless irregularities and idiomatic exceptions, you’ll find that respected writers vary in their preferences, and you may even find that different usages often correspond to subtle differences in meaning or style. For instance, #1 above sounds more British, while #2 sounds more American. In addition, Brock Haussamen takes the position that in cases where the verb morphology and the plural/singular morphology of the subject don’t agree in the normal way, the speaker may be conveying a slight meaning difference.[1] According to this view, the plural morphology on the verb in #1 entails that the playing described by the verb is being performed by separate entities, whereas in #2, the singular morphology on the verb entails that the playing is being performed by a single entity.

It refreshes me to see that contemporary commentators on language and usage are growing more nuanced and enlightened. Scocca bases his opinions on corpus research into actual usage, and he avoids dogmatic prescriptivism. Yes, he does tease some writers for their “poncy” Anglicized usage, but it’s done in good humor. If this same topic were covered a decade or two ago, I’m sure we’d get a different take: the guest would have insisted that there’s one right way to do it, and that those who deviate betray their illiteracy and ignorance. Next, the piece would have concluded with a cliched rant about sloppiness of writers nowadays, the failure of our schools, and the impending decline of civilization. That are what I call progress!

Coaching the Perfect Jump-Shot, Teaching the Perfect Sentence

Recently, I went to the gym with a friend to shoot hoops. After he crushed me 21-to-0 in a game of one-on-one, we decided to shoot around for fun. He observed my form, and he offered to coach me to improve my jump-shot

“Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Shoulders over toes.”

I looked down. Good. I shot. Clank, off the rim.

“You’re twisting your upper body to the left as you shoot. You’re jerking your head away from the ball. Keep it straight.”

I tried again. Clank. He shot me a disapproving look.

I realized then how much shooting a jump shot shares in common with writing an effective sentence: when things go well, many, many things need to synch up seamlessly, and we often don’t even notice. With a sentence, you need to execute skills of organization, reasoning, transitioning, parallelism, agreement, word choice, word endings, punctuation, etc. With a jump shot, each part of the body needs to be moving fluidly in synch. Your knees bend and spring. Your core explodes upwards. Your eyes focus on the basket. The shooting forearm swings forward. The wrist flicks with just the right amount of force to put slight backspin on the ball. Each motion contains infinite subtleties. Being slightly off with one can turn the shot into a brick, just as a brief lapse into clunky grammar can derail an otherwise excellent sentence.

“You need to be jumping straight up and down as you shoot.”

I shot again. As I landed, I noticed my body drifting to the left. Clank.

“Okay. Imagine drawing a line from the tip of each big toe to the top of your sternum. It forms a triangle. Now chop the triangle in half. It forms a line, running through the floor up through the center of your body. As you shoot, your body should move up and down along this line.”

I tried to visualize it, but I got lost trying to follow the imaginary geometry bisecting my body. I shot again. Clank.

“When you start, do you see how you’re holding the ball off to the right? Hold the ball directly over your head as you shoot. You’re holding it too far off to the right.”

“But I can’t get it there,” I protested. “My shoulder isn’t flexible enough.”

I shot again. Clank.

“You need your shooting arm to move in an axis straight towards the basket. It can’t be drifting to one side.”

I shot again. If I made it, maybe he’d back off. Clank.

“Try doing it again, but when you jump, try to land in the same place where you start.”

I shot again. In-and-out.

“Try to do a jump shot, but don’t jump. Just spring from your knees and hips, up and down, but keep your feet planted.”

I shot again. Airball.

As I was trying to process all the guidance, I grew more and more overwhelmed. The more I tried to focus on the technical details and the imaginary lines, the more I tensed up, the more my focus wandered, and the worse my shot became.

And then I wondered: is this how lots of students feel in the face of well-meaning but overly complex grammar instruction?

Just as grammar instruction posits all sorts of abstract structures that lace together the words we can actually see, my friend’s guidance depended on all this invisible geometry that underlies the mechanics of my jumpshot. To an expert who learned it an early age, the invisible stuff seems obvious and fundamental—and so necessary to improvement. But experts often forget how difficult it can be for the novice to visualize the invisible, let alone utilize it to improve their skills.

Teachers must acknowledge the limits to how much instruction any of us can process at once, especially when we ask students to grapple with the abstractions of grammar. After all, no matter how concrete they seem in handbooks, the phrases, and the clauses that comprise our sentences and the parts of speech are all abstractions, and most students will look at a sentence and only see the bare words themselves. It is difficult to move beginning students beyond this level of analysis. This is not to say that we cannot explicitly teach students how to analyze grammatical structures or improve their writing at the sentence level; it means that we face serious limits to how much we can hope to do. In our instruction, we need to be careful not to overwhelm students with more information than they can digest at one time, or more than what they can actually incorporate into their own writing.

We also need to acknowledge that students improve slowly. No basketball player goes from a bench-warmer to Jordanesque in three months. Nor can we expect a clunky writer to guild New Yorker caliber sentences in the course of a semester.

At the same time, huge chunks of the skills that go into crafting effective sentences (or executing a perfect jumpshot) cannot be explicitly taught. It’s infeasible. There’s not enough time in a semester. Effective coaches and teachers are targeted in their instruction. They break it into small pieces that are easy to digest. With writing, students require exposure to good examples and plenty of time for imitation and trial and error. The same goes for basketball. You can learn so much just by spending an hour in an empty gym goofing around with your form or scrimmaging with good players and copying their moves.


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Because of their abundance, resistance to proteolysis, rapid aggregation and neurotoxicity, N-terminally truncated and, in particular, pyroglutamate (pE)-modified Abeta peptides have been suggested as being important in the initiation of pathological cascades resulting in the development of Alzheimer's disease. We found that the N-terminal pE-formation is(More)
The membrane-bound glycoprotein dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV, CD26) is a unique multifunctional protein, acting as receptor, binding and proteolytic molecule. We have determined the sequence and 1.8 A crystal structure of native DP IV prepared from porcine kidney. The crystal structure reveals a 2-2-2 symmetric tetrameric assembly which depends on the(More)
Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) is a proline-specific oligopeptidase with a reported effect on learning and memory in different rat model systems. Using the astroglioma cell line U343, PEP expression was reduced by an antisense technique. Measuring different second-messenger concentrations revealed an inverse correlation between inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate(More)
Glucagon is a 29-amino acid polypeptide released from pancreatic islet alpha-cells that acts to maintain euglycemia by stimulating hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. Despite its importance, there remains controversy about the mechanisms responsible for glucagon clearance in the body. In the current study, enzymatic metabolism of glucagon was(More)
Mammalian cell lines were examined concerning their Glutaminyl Cyclase (QC) activity using a HPLC method. The enzyme activity was suppressed by a QC specific inhibitor in all homogenates. Aim of the study was to prove whether inhibition of QC modifies the posttranslational maturation of N-glutamine and N-glutamate peptide substrates. Therefore, the impact(More)
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV) inhibitors are currently being developed to prolong the biological activity of insulinotropic peptides as a novel approach in the treatment of diabetes. We hypothesised that DP IV inhibition could attenuate the satiety actions of peptide YY (PYY) by altering the conversion of PYY(1-36) to PYY(3-36). (More)
The enzymatic conversion of one chromogenic substrate, l-glutamine-p-nitroanilide, and two fluorogenic substrates, l-glutaminyl-2-naphthylamide and l-glutaminyl-4-methylcoumarinylamide, into their respective pyroglutamic acid derivatives by glutaminyl cyclase (QC) was estimated by introducing a new coupled assay using pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase as the(More)
Modified amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides represent major constituents of the amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome. In particular, N-terminal pyroglutamate (pGlu) following truncation renders Abeta more stable, increases hydrophobicity and the aggregation velocity. Recent evidence based on in vitro studies suggests that the cyclization(More)
A new inhibitor, H-Ala-Ile-pyrrolidin-2-yl boronic acid, was developed as an inhibitor against prolyl tripeptidyl aminopeptidase with a K(i) value of 88.1 nM. The structure of the prolyl tripeptidyl aminopeptidase complexed with the inhibitor (enzyme-inhibitor complex) was determined at 2.2 A resolution. The inhibitor was bound to the active site through a(More)
Inflammation is an integral part of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most prevalent form of hepatic pathology found in the general population. In this context, recently we have examined the potential role of Glutaminyl Cyclases (QC and isoQC), and their inhibitors, in the maturation of chemokines, for example, monocyte chemoattractant protein(More)


Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC

NOUS42 KCHS 161356

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
956 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

Oppressive heat and humidity is expected across much of the
region this afternoon. Now is a good time to review some safety
information on excessive heat. This information is provided by the
American Red Cross and the National Weather Service.

Excessive heat and humidity will make for dangerous conditions if
proper precautions are not taken. Excessive heat kills people by
taking away the capability of the human body to cool itself.
Approximately 175 Americans die each year from exposure to
excessive heat. If working outside, take frequent breaks and
drink enough water to remain hydrated.

Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light colored clothing.
Light colors will reflect away most of the sun`s energy. It is

Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously
dehydrate the body. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to
do so by a physicians.

Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid high protein foods
which increase metabolic heat.

Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous
work, do it during the coolest part of the day. This is usually
in the morning between 4 and 7 am.

Stay indoors when possible. If air conditioning is not available,
stay on the lowest floor out of sunshine. Remember that electric
fans do not cool, they simply circulate air.

residents in your neighborhood and those who do not have air

Pets can also succumb to the effects of excessive heat. Ensure
pets have adequate fresh drinking water and a shady place to
rest. Do not keep pets in cars with the windows rolled up, even
partially. Temperatures inside cars can reach well over
150 degrees.

Remember, the heat index is measured under shady conditions so
direct exposure to sunshine will increase the heat index by as
much as 15 degrees.

Never leave a child in a car with the windows rolled up, even for
a few minutes.

...Heat Cramps...
Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion.
Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are an early
signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.

...Heat Exhaustion...
Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or
work in a hot, humid place where bodily fluids are lost through
heavy sweating. Blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood
Signals of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale flushed or
and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.

...Heat Stroke...
Also known as sunstroke, heat stroke is life threatening. The
victim`s temperature control system, which produced sweat to cool
quickly. Signals include hot, red and dry skin. Changes in
consciousness. Rapid, weak pulse and rapid, shallow breathing.
Body temperature can be very high, sometimes as high as 105


World History > 2012 >

August 31

posted Aug 31, 2012, 5:57 AM by Peter Knowles
Vocabulary terms to learn & know: Today we begin with a quiz over how well you understand the terms from yesterday's class: prehistory, domestication, and nomadic

Last night's homework was to begin a personal history timeline with 5 significant events from your life. You should have already identified those events and illustrated them on your timeline sheet. Now it's time to finish the timeline.
1) First, write the year you were born in the small box at the left of your timeline
2) Then, write the current year (2012) in the small box at the right
3) Next, find the middle of your timeline by dividing your current age by 2. Add the result to the first year, and write the year above or below the line marking the middle of your timeline. This marks the halfway point of your timeline, and the halfway point of your life so far.
4) Now it's time to label the years for your 5 events. To the best of your ability, figure out the year when each of your events took place and write it neatly in or near the box where your event appears.
5) Once you have the year for each event identified, it's time to connect them to the timeline. Find the approximate location on your timeline where the event would have occurred. You've already marked the middle year of your timeline to help do this, but it sometimes helps to divide that line again, into quarters, or even smaller, to find the year you're looking for.
6) When you know where to connect each event to the timeline, draw a neat line between the event's illustration and the correct spot on the timeline. Repeat this for each of your events.
7) Take a few minutes to tidy up your work and make it look nice. Be ready to discuss your timeline with others, or turn it in, depending on the time available.

Choose 5 events from your life that are significant and that you don't mind sharing with others in class. Name and illustrate them on the 5 squares on the timeline sheet. We'll complete the timeline in class tomorrow by accurately connecting your events to the proper places on the timeline

Yesterday you were introduced to the four major filters of the Social Studies known as Strands:
  • Civics -- How people live in relation to each other
  • Economics -- How people meet their daily needs
  • Geography -- How people live in relation to their surroundings
  • History -- How events are related to each other in time.
Today we'll finish class by watching a video on the history of Domestication. As you watch, use a piece of scratch paper to take notes on the video, making note of any information that you find interesting OR that seems to fit any one of the Four Strands.


Calculating Life Years from Transplant (LYFT): Methods for Kidney and Kidney-Pancreas Candidates

* Corresponding author: Robert A. Wolfe,

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Kidney Committee is considering a proposal for a new deceased donor kidney allocation system. Among the components under consideration is a strategy to rank candidates in part by the estimated incremental years of life that are expected to be achieved with a transplant from a specific available deceased donor, computed as the difference in expected median lifespan with that transplant compared with remaining on dialysis. This concept has been termed life years from transplant or LYFT. Median lifespans could be calculated, based on objective medical criteria, for each candidate when a deceased donor kidney becomes available, based on Cox regression models using current candidate and donor medical information. The distribution of the calculated LYFT scores for an average nonexpanded criteria donor kidney is similar across candidate sex, race/ethnicity, insurance status and, with the exception of diabetes, diagnosis. LYFT scores tend to be higher for younger candidates and lower for diabetics receiving a kidney-alone rather than a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant. Prioritizing candidates with higher LYFT scores for each available kidney could substantially increase total years of life among both transplant candidates and recipients. LYFT is also a powerful metric for assessing trends in allocation outcomes and for comparing alternative allocation systems.