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Fox at TCA: Mariah Carey joins "American Idol" as a judge
Posted on July 25, 2012 by Terence Comments Off on Fox at TCA: Mariah Carey joins "American Idol" as a judge
Mariah Carey, new "American Idol" judge.
Fox became the first broadcast network to hold their presentation at the Television Critics Association Press Tour on Monday, with panels on Fox's three new shows, a X Factor press conference, and an introduction of a new judge on American Idol.
– Fox executive session: Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly met the press on Monday and revealed that Mariah Carey will be become one of the two new judges on American Idol this January (the second judge will be announced at a later date.) This comes as Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler were recently shown the door. Reilly points out the reported $18 million-a-year Fox threw at Carey is a good investment for get big-name talent (translation: we paid a lot of money just to reverse a ratings slide.)
Reilly also touched on other subjects: on Glee (which didn't have a panel at TCA this year), will switch back and forth from Ohio and New York City in the storyline this year; The Flintstones reboot is likely shelved for good (Seth McFarlane said at Comic-Con that the project wasn't dead – well, now it is); and Reilly said he wasn't with no Outstanding Primetime Emmy nominated drama on the schedule this year, but hopes to have one nominated next year (with Mob Doctor? Good luck with that…)
With CBS having the Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball Championship, AFC Championship Game in primetime, and a rebuilding year ahead for American Idol, Reilly acknowledged Fox would not win in the adults 18-49 demo for the first time in nearly a decade.
– Fox had panels for three of its new shows: first up was Mob Doctor, the-based-in-Chicago drama starring Jordana Spiro as a doctor who owes a debt to a mob figure. Series co-creator Josh Berman said Spiro's character should develop throughout the season (assuming it makes it that far), as her moral dilemma will come into play more.
Is there a future for Mob Doctor? Given Fox's lackluster performance in the second hour of primetime on Monday night in recent years, this practice will be shut down faster than you can say quack.
– Up next was the single-cam comedy Ben & Kate, which sounds like a 1980's sitcom throwback: stressful mom lets her freewheeling brother move in and help raise her impressible daughter. The series is actually based on producer-writer Dana Fox's real-life brother, who often got into trouble when he was younger. And guess who plays Ben, the bad-influence brother… none other than Oscar-winning (!) screenwriter Nat Fixon, who Ms. Fox locked in the show before Fixon realized he'd made a mistake.
Although Ms. Fox said this sitcom was based on her brother, this seems like a tired, stale formula we've seen over and over again in sitcoms and movies.
– Next up was The Mindy Project from former Office cast member Mindy Kaling, who plays a successful doctor whose not-so-successful in love (think Girlfriends – only with one lady instead of four.) She bases her exceptions too much on unrealistic romantic comedies – you know, where the girl purses the guy, girl gets the guy, and two boring hours later, everyone's happy. Said Kaling at TCA (via Dave Walker at NOLA.com): "I think a big, funny part of the series is the characters' expectations of how things should work out. How they actually work out in real life is so much of where the comedy comes from in this series."
"I'm someone who loves romance." Kaling continues. "I always have loved it. Most people who grew up as nerds, as I was, surprisingly, have loved romance. On "The Office", so much of the show is disguising your true feelings and your romantic feelings, because it was a documentary, a mock documentary. I think in a lot of ways, it's a reaction to that, because I just wanted to explore love and romance, but with people who are legitimately busy and have busy lives. Especially with women my age, too. I think if you have a career, you're thinking, 'When is this other side of my life going to click into place?"
The Mindy Project seems to be a great fit with New Girl in its Tuesday night time slot, and is my pick to click.
– Fringe held its final TCA panel as the series enters its fifth and final season with only thirteen episodes.
– Also at TCA was the X Factor panel, coming via satellite with creator Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, and new panelists Britney Spears and Demi Lovato (who?), replacing Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, both of whom bombed out as judges last year. This was a painful presentation for many critics, with Spears (much like David Geffen the previous day at the PBS panel for American Masters) not really experienced on handling the press. Cowell was quoted as saying that Spears was "quite mean" and Lovato is "a brat". But he said he was exicited and eager to work with both women. Spears is reportedly being paid $15 million to be a X Factor judge. Fox has yet to announce who the host of X Factor, which should be made in mid-August.
You have to wonder why Fox is throwing a lot of money at these superstars to plug up what is clearly a ratings leak for both shows. Ratings for X Factor and Idol will continue to decline, regardless of whose judging the panel – the audience is already tired of these type of shows. A better option would been to go after lesser-known talent at a lesser price – Kandi Burress (of Real Housewives fame – and a person with a lot of experience and smarts in the music business) would've been an excellent choice. Fans of Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Demi Lovato would rather see them perform rather than be a judge on two over-glorified karaoke contests. This is nothing more than wastes of money and only intended to please an ignorant media buying public.
– Fringe creator J.J. Abrams appeared via tape and thanked the critics and fans of the show for their support over its five seasons. During the panel, showrunner J.H. Wymans discussed about how the writers would end the series the last couple of years, saying the ending was always in flux. Fringe is expected to conclude in January.
– And the rest… Fox will preview the full pilots of The Mindy Project and Ben and Kate on most streaming platforms ahead of their Sept. 25 premiere date. Both shows will be available on-demand from Aug. 27 to Sept. 9…. Fox has promoted David Hill to the position of Senior Exec VP of News Corp. from his longtime position as head of Fox Sports Media Group… Masterchef, a cooking competition with Gordon Ramsey, which be back for a fourth season…Even though Fox did not hold panels on any of Fox's Sunday night animated fare at TCA this year, they did announce a lineup of A-listers to lend their voices. To see the list, click here.
Broadcast Networks, Television	American Idol, Ben & Kate, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Fox, Fringe, Glee, Jennifer Lopez, Kandi Burress, Mariah Carey, Masterchef, Mindy Kaling, Mob Doctor, New Girl, Seth MacFarlane, Simon Cowell, Steven Tyler, TCA Press Tour, The Flintstones, The Mindy Project, X Factor


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The SE2B Consortium
The Coordinator
Ombudswoman
EM Prof. Dr. Peter Horton
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Firth Court, Western Bank,
Sheffield S10 2TN
EM Prof. Dr. Alfred Holzwarth
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
Stiftstr. 34 – 36
Prof. Dr. Francis Andre Wollman
Sorbonne Universités
Physiologie Membranaire et Moléculaire du Chloroplaste
Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique
13, rue Pierre et Marie Curie
Prof. Dr. Jean-David Rochaix
Departments of Molecular Biology and Plant Biology
30 quai Ernest-Ansermet
CH-1211 Genève 4
Prof. Dr. Claudia Büchel
Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Institute for Molecular Biosciences Plant Cell Physiology
Max-von-Laue-Str. 9
Web | Homepage
The group has a long-standing expertise in the study of light-harvesting complexes of diatoms (FCPs) with special emphasis on the switch from light-harvesting to photoprotection. In the framework of several collaborations, also including members of SE2B, their structure, pigments, and the excitation energy transfer between pigments was studied. Further work concerns the photoreceptors involved in the regulation of gene expression in diatoms. Our expertise in diatom physiology and genetics is further used for biotechnological applications. Our tasks in SE2B include the coordination and management of the network and we will organise a workshop on transferable skills including a small scientific meeting in March 2017.
The Group Leaders
Dr. Diana Kirilovsky
Commisariat a L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
Institut de Biologie et technologie de Saclay (iBiTec's)
Regulatory mechanisms in photosynthetic organisms
91191 Gif sur Yvette
The group having a large experience in cyanobacterial molecular biology and physiology is specialized in cyanobacteria photosynthesis. They are interested on the role of light as source of stress and as a regulator, principally studying the mechanisms of photoinhibition, photoprotection and light acclimation in cyanobacteria. These studies were done by creating and characterizing cyanobacteria mutants with biophysical methods. They discovered and largely characterized the OCP-related NPQ mechanism. In the framework of this project, her group will study the state transition mechanism in cyanobacteria and its interaction with the OCP-related NPQ.
Dr. Bruno Robert
l'Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC)
Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Metalloproteins and Stress CEA Saclay
Bruno Robert heads a group of about ten people at Saclay, specialized in the development of innovative spectroscopic techniques and their application to photosynthesis. This group has developed resonance Raman studies in photosynthesis, for describing the molecular interactions in antennae and reaction centers, either isolated or still embedded in photosynthetic membranes, to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulations tuning the efficiency of the solar energy capture and transduction. In the recent years, they developed super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to characterize the organisation of photosynthetic membranes at resolutions as high as 30 nm.
Prof. Dr. Roberta Croce
Department for Physics and Astronomy
Biophysics of Photosynthesis/Energy
De Boelelaan 1081
1081 HV Amsterdam
The goal of our research is to understand at the molecular level the mechanisms of the light reactions of photosynthesis, with particular emphasis on light absorption, excitation energy transfer and photo-protection. For these studies we use an integrated approach from genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry to spectroscopy, steady-state and time-resolved.
The task in the project is to understand the changes in composition, organization and functionality in the photosystems during non-phorochemical quenching and state transitions in varous organisms.
Dr. Jan Dekker
I am involved in two groups: the Biophysics of Photosynthesis group (see also the descriptions of Roberta Croce and Ivo van Stokkum) and the Science, Business and Innovation group, both of VU University Amsterdam. The latter group investigates and teaches the complete trajectory from natural science-based innovations to the final products, services, society and market, using knowledge from natural sciences, business administration and social sciences. One of the most important themes is renewable energy.
I am involved in the modeling of photosynthesis in intact, living organisms in various conditions including stress, and am in charge of WP4: Training
Dr. Ivo van Stokkum
I am a member of the Biophysics of Photosynthesis group (see also the descriptions of Roberta Croce and Jan Dekker).
I am involved in the modeling of natural and artificial photosynthesis on the basis of time-resolved spectroscopic measurements. I have developed a global and target analysis methodology which enables us to quantitatively model energy transfer and charge separation in intact, living organisms in various conditions including stress. In SE2B, we will develop models for multi wavelength PAM measurements.
Prof. Dr. Roberto Bassi
University of Verona
Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy
15, Strada Le Grazie
The Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy, founded in 1993, develops research and teaching in the field of Physiology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Genetics and Biotechnology of photosynthetic organisms and include three professors: Roberto Bassi, Luca Dall'Osto and Matteo Ballottari, 3 post-doct and 5 PhD students. Targets include (i) the understanding of key steps of metabolic reactions involved in light energy conversion in biomass and (ii) the engineering of algae and crops for improvement of photosynthetic light energy conversion efficiency. R.B. is in charge of coordinating WP1: "characterization of gene products involved in the regulation of light use efficiency".
Prof. Dr. Herbert van Amerongen
Agrotechnology and Food Sciences
Laboratory of Biophysics
Dreijenlaan 3
6703 HA Wageningen
The mission of our lab is to study and develop an understanding of the physical aspects of life processes and to teach the fundamentals of (bio)physics and its application in the life sciences. One important aspect is the understanding of photosyntesis using dedicated, technologically advanced methodology.
In this project we want to elucidate the role of the thylakoid membrane flexibility in light use efficiency in vivo, by characterising the functional and structural (re)organization of thylakoid membranes during NPQ and ST in cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms, making use of time-resolved fluorescence (micro)spectroscopy.
Dr. Roman Kouřil
Palacký University Olomouc
Department of Biophysics CRH
Slechtitelu 11
The group is focused on a structural characterization of photosynthetic protein supercomplexes and thylakoid membranes using single particle electron microscopy and cryo tomography.
The tasks in the project are the structural characterization of photosynthetic supercomplex assemblies and thylakoid membranes isolated from different plants and microalgal species using electron microscopy, single particle image processing and cryo tomography.
Prof. Dr. Conrad Mullineaux
327 Mile End Road
E1 4NS London
We study the bioenergetics and cell biology of cyanobacteria, including the biogenesis, organization, dynamics, function and regulation of the thylakoid membranes. We address these problems with a combination of molecular biology, biochemistry, spectroscopy and cell imaging. We recently used fluorescent protein tagging and fluorescence microscopy to show that cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes are rather heterogeneous, with specialized zones dedicated to assembly, repair and specific electron transport functions. The SE2B ESR will further explore the organization and composition of these zones by a combination of biochemical approaches and higher-resolution structural studies.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Ruban
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
We study the role of the antenna in the adaptations of the photosynthetic membrane to light environment. Alexander Ruban was a participant of the two EU FP6 Marie Curie networks "INTRO2" and "Harvest". The ESR on the SE2B network will be engaged in time-resolved fluorescence experiments on membranes lacking photosystems in the presence of the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ); measurements of transient absorption (TA) spectra of LHCII complexes with altered carotenoid composition, as well as intact chloroplasts in order to gain the spectra of the NPQ quencher(s); coarse-grained modelling of the energy transfer in the photosynthetic membrane comprising the economic nature of the NPQ.
Prof. Dr. Eva-Mari Aro
Turun Yliopisto Univerity of Turku
Molecular Plant Biology
Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4 V
Our research aims at understanding the regulatory pathways that govern the biogenesis, performance and acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus to environmental cue but also at elucidation of the signaling pathways initiated by and relayed from chloroplasts into the nucleus to regulate the growth and development of plants. Arabidopsis, spruce, Physcomitrella, Selaginella, green algae and diatoms are under research focus in order to address the evolutionary aspects of regulation mechanisms under study. Research on cyanobacteria also focuses on regulation of photosynthesis but additionally on applied research for various bioeconomy purposes, making use of both the natural diversity of cyanobacteria, their genetic engineering and synthetic biology.
In this project, we focus on characterization of spruce photosynthetic apparatus during severe environmental changes in the Nordic climate.
Dr. Klára Panzarová
Photon Systems Instruments SPOL SRO
Drasov 470
66424 Drasov
Plant phenotyping refers to a quantitative characterisation of the plant's anatomical, ontogenetical, physiological and biochemical properties at regular time intervals, non-destructively and objectively. In past years plant phenotyping became increasingly automated by the development of novel imaging technologies and image analysis pipelines that allow for a characterization of plant traits in high-throughput and high-precission. In several past years PSI has developped and manufactured range of automated plant phenotyping systems for controlled and greenhouse conditions. The PlantScreen Phenotyping Systems are designed for in-depth phenotyping of small up to large-scale plants ranging from Arabidopsis to crop species by means of visible RGB, kinetic chlorophyll fluorescence, thermal infrared, 3D laser scanning and hyperspectral imaging systems. In Plant Biotechnology R&D department we focus on investigation and validation of current technological improvements and develop, optimize and standardize the phenotyping protocols for the given imaging sensors. The insights obtained are translated into actual applications in basic research and in agriculture research as in targeted breeding programs.
The PhD project will deal with "Phenotyping methods for non-invasive monitoring of plant fitness and growth performance in controlled and greenhouse environment". The main focus will be on the establishment, validation and further development of non-invasive techniques for monitoring plant fitness and growth performance by using unique greenhouse and controlled environment-based automated multi-sensoric phenotyping platforms.
Dr. Arezki Sedoud
Phycosource SARL
Phycology Departement
Boulevard de L'Hautil 13
Dr. Céline Bourcier de Carbon
Green gold, microalgae offer infinite potential in many fields such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, biofuel, etc. Their culture brings a new generation of active molecules and consistent with the preservation of the planet's wealth. Ecoresponsible, PHYCOSOURCE is an innovative biotechnology company founded in 2006, which specialises in the exploration and discovery of pharmaceutical and cosmetic biological active substances derived from microalgae. Specializing in the production of high-speed microalgae strains for pharmacological and cosmetic testing Phycosource discovers, reveals all the power of microalgae, most unpublished, which tomorrow will be great assets.The Ph.D. project will be to study, in Nostoc cell, the effect of changes in external factors, such as temperature, CO2 concentration and light stress, on the cryptophycin accumulation, a secondary metabolite with strong properties against cancer cells. Then a study of related changes in photosynthesis and photoprotection under these different stress conditions will be studied. Synechocystis and / or Escherichia coli strains synthesizing cryptophycin will be built.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Jansson
Department of Plant Physiology
Universitetomradet
901 87 Umea
The group has over the years working in two areas, one is the structure and function of the chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins and their role in the regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting. There we have used mainly Arabidopsis as model system. The second are is natural variation, genetics and genomics of forest trees, in particular aspen but lately also the conifer Norway spruce.
In this project we will study how spruce needles can be evergreen, even in the harsh winter conditions of the boreal forests. Have they unique mechanisms to deal with high light conditions in freezing temperatures or are they simply using the same mechanisms that annuals, perhaps in a "upgraded" form?
Prof. Dr. Egbert J. Boekema
University Groningen
Groningen Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute
Nijenborgh 7
Erhard Pfündel, PhD
Heinz Walz GmbH
Eichenring 6
91090 Effeltrich
The Walz Company is one of the world's top producers of photosynthesis measuring systems. Our leading position rests on three pillars: outstanding excellence in product quality, continuous improvement of existing technology, and development of new analytical systems in close cooperation with leading scientists. The current product line includes fiberoptics and imaging PAM fluorometers to evaluate photosystem II performance, dual-wavelength absorption analyzers to measure photosystem I efficiency, and a high-performance CO2 gas-exchange system to determine carbon assimilation. Our latest developments include a novel 3D scanner which produces three-dimensional images of photosystem II performance, and a setup for concomitant fluorescence and oxygen measurements.
Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund, Phd
Agrisera AB, Sweden
Agrisera is a Swedish company specializing in polyclonal and monoclonal antibody custom production and offers over 1000 catalog primary antibodies for research on plant and algal cell biology including most comprehensive antibody collection for photosynthetic research. Our products are thoroughly validated and developed in collaboration with many laboratories world-wide. Agrisera offers also over 2000 secondary antibodies with various labels as well as antibodies to tags (GFP, His, HA and more), high sensitivity chemiluminescent reagents for western blot and ELISA.
Prof. Dr. Sylvie Michel
Department of Pharmacognosy
Natural substances chemistry, Electrochemistry
U.M.R./C.N.R.S. n° 8638, COMETE
4 Avenue de l'Observatoire,
The laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Natural substances chemistry, Electrochemistry is focused on isolation, structural determination and synthesis of bioactive natural products like antitumor compounds. For this project, with PHYCOSOURCE in charge of the production of micro-algae strains, we will evaluate the accumulation of a secondary metabolite, cryptophycin, under various external factors, developing optimized analytical methodologies.
Christo Schiphorst
Universita degli Studi di Verona
Department for Biotechnology
P1: Structural and functional analysis LhcSR and PsbS proteins regulating photosynthetic light use efficiency. The project focuses on the structure/function of LHCSR and PSBS proteins and their interactions with photosynthetic supercomplexes. The work will include the mutation analysis of recombinant LHCSR and PSBS proteins regulating photosynthetic light use efficiency in unicellular algae and plants upon expression into homologous and heterologous systems. Identification of interactors of these two protein within photosystem I and II supercomplexes. Structural analysis of recombinant LHCSR expressed in Tobacco.
Francesco Saccon
P2: Changes in energy fluxes during NPQ in LHCII and PS II-LHCII complexes.
The goal of this project will be to establish whether the same mechanism of energy dissipation takes place in isolated LHCII and the photosynthetic membrane, and to find out the rate of energy trapping within the quenching carotenoid species.
Pushan Bag
Umeå Plant Science Centre
KBC-building, Lastplats KBC, Linnéus väg 6
P3: The role of certain proteins in quenching mechanisms in evergreens.
The most conspicuous, intriguing and important trait of spruce is its ability to maintain green needles over the winter, in other words to be an evergreen under extremely challenging conditions. The hypothesis that PsbS or a similar protein transforms the structure into a 'super-quenching winter state' that is stable regardless of lumenal pH will be tested.
Mirella Sorrentino
P4:Systems for non-invasive monitoring of plant fitness and growth performance.Further development of non-invasive techniques for monitoring plant fitness and growth performance by using the automated PlantScreen Phenotyping platform. The project aims to investigate and validate current technological improvements and develop, optimize and standardize the phenotyping protocols for the given imaging sensors. The insights obtained will be translated into actual applications in basic research and in agriculture research as in targeted breeding programs.
Alba Blázquez
Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main
Institut für Molekulare Biowissenschaften
P5: Using algal mutants for enhanced carotenoid production.
The work will focus on the pathway towards carotenoids, to improve production by direct manipulation within the pigment synthesis pathway. In addition, optimization of the photosynthetic carbon flux, to provide more biomass and thus more pigment, will be examined in collaboration with other partners of SE2B.
Vincenzo Mascoli
VU Amsterdam
P6: Changes in supercomplex formation related to functional changes (NPQ and ST).
The objective is to elucidate changes in supercomplex composition and organization in plants and green algae grown/acclimated/stressed under different conditions, with the aim to understand the molecular basis of inter-dependent regulation mechanisms (NPQ and ST).
Steffen Grebe
Tykistökatu 6A 6th Floor
ESR representative in SE2B Steering Board
P7: Dynamics of thylakoid pigment-protein complexes – consequences on functional genomics of the entire organism.
The regulatory dynamics that optimise the function of thylakoid membranes will be elucidated by dissecting how thylakoid protein phosphorylation and the thylakoid lipidome tune the distribution of protein complexes along the thylakoid membrane, how they determine the formation of PS II- and PS I-complexes and PS II/PS I-enriched areas of the membrane, and how such rearrangements in energy transfer are reflected in global gene and protein expression.
Claudio Calvaruso
P8: Dynamics of supercomplexes in the thylakoid membrane of diatoms.
The precise nature of the thylakoid structure of diatoms is still unknown. Thus, the exact distribution of photosystems and antenna proteins in these membranes will be determined and changes of thylakoid membranes and supercomplexes during regulation phenomena like NPQ will be analysed.
Fernando Muzzopappa
Institut de Biologie et technologie de Saclay (iBiTec's) CEA Saclay
P9: Mechanisms involving the antenna that regulate the energy flux to reaction centers in cyanobacteria.
"State Transitions" is induced by changes in light quality and involves a rearrangement of the antenna, the phycobilisome and the photosystems. State transitions are triggered by changes in the redox state of the plastoquinone pool; however, the cascade of events induced by these changes resulting in phycobilisome or photosystem movements is still unknown in cyanobacteria. In the framework of this project, we will revisit the most controversial points of the mechanism and we will look for the lacking element involved in signal translation. The interaction between state transitions and other photoprotective mechanisms (cyclic electron transport, OCP-related NPQ) will be also studied.
Rameez Arshad
Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute
P10/11: Molecular structure of supercomplexes under different conditions.
Structural-functional characterization of photosynthetic supercomplexes will be carried out using single particle electron microscopy and image analysis in order to understand their role and functional significance in photosynthesis of different plants and microalgal species under specific environmental conditions. In addition, the thylakoid membrane architecture in diatoms will be studied using the-state-of-the-art cryo electron tomography.
Simona Streckaité
P12: Photosynthetic Membranes: from molecular to membrane organisation.
Photosynthetic organisms must permanently adapt to their light environments to ensure their proper energetic balance. This involves structural reorganizations at different levels, which tune the fate of the absorbed solar energy in the photosynthetic membrane. The ESR 12 of the S2EB network will study the reorganisations accompanying the adaptation of plants and algae to light intensity and quality both at a molecular and cellular level, using advanced spectroscopic techniques.
At a molecular level, highly selective techniques such as resonance Raman and Fluorescence Line Narrowing allow the characterization of the structural changes occurring in the cofactor binding sites in isolated proteins, membranes and organelles.
At a cellular level, a novel super-resolution fluorescence microscopy technique, yet never applied to photosynthetic system will give access the details of the organization of the photosynthetic proteins in chloroplasts, live cells and algae.
Moontaha Mahbub
E1 4NS
P13: Regulation of the photosynthetic membrane landscape in cyanobacteria.
We have evidence from fluorescent protein tagging and fluorescence microscopy for a very heterogeneous distribution of protein complexes in the cyanobacterial thylakoid membrane, with microdomains dedicated to specific functions. A better understanding of the composition, structure and function of the membrane microdomains in the cyanobacteria Synechococcus 7942 and Synechocystis 6803 could pave the way to smarter solutions for re-engineering cyanobacteria for biotechnological purposes. The ESR will characterise the composition of the specific membrane zones and their high-resolution structure.
Ahmad Farhan
P14: Changes at the membrane level during NPQ and state transitions.
It is the goal of this project to study changes in the organization of thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms upon the induction of NPQ and ST in vivo and to directly relate the observed changes in fluorescence kinetics to spatial reorganizations in the thylakoids examined in WP2, making use of ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopic and microscopic methods.
Alexandros Polyzois
P15: Improvement of secondary metabolites production in cyanobacteria under external stress.
In cyanobacteria, temperature, CO2 concentration and light stress can increase the secondary metabolite concentrations, factors that are also involved in the regulation of photosynthesis. The effect of modified external factors on the accumulation of cryptophycin, a secondary metabolite with strong properties against cancer, in Nostoc cells will be related to changes in photosynthesis and photoprotection under different stress conditions. Results of modelling (project 16) will further be used to improve cryptophycin production. Synechocystis and/or E. coli strains synthesizing cryptophycin will be constructed.
Avratanu Biswas
P16a: Quantifying photosynthesis in intact photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria.
The objective is to combine results from PAM fluorescence and more advanced spectroscopies in a modelling approach to quantitatively describe and interpret regulation mechanisms in intact photosynthetic organisms. Target analysis of high resolution data will result in a model that makes use of the thermodynamic properties of pools of pigments and charge-separated states. Project 16a is more based on the measurement and project 16b more on the development of the model.
Xinpeng Huang
P16b: Quantifying photosynthesis in intact photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria.
Baboo Narottamsing Ramdour
Left SE2B on the 31.01.2018
P16: Quantifying photosynthesis in intact photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria.
The objective is to combine results from PAM fluorescence and more advanced spectroscopies in a modelling approach to quantitatively describe and interpret regulation mechanisms in intact photosynthetic organisms. Target analysis of high resolution data will result in a model that makes use of the thermodynamic properties of pools of pigments and charge-separated states.
Dr. Anett Kiss
Research Development
Research Development Officer
Anett Kiss is a former Marie Curie fellow who was also involved in the predecessors of the SE2B Network (INTRO2 and HARVEST projects). In SE2B she acts as an Ombudswoman to the Early-Stage Researchers to consult on confidential matters relating to their experiences in the network.
She works at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom as a Research Development Officer and her role focuses on supporting academic researchers in their applications for external research funding and their career development activities. She is also an active member of the Marie Curie Alumni Association and is experienced in various matters relating to Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships.
Dr. Bernd Märtens
Coordination and Science Management
Bldg. N200, room 304
The Research Service Center of the Goethe University supports scientists with research project management, proposal writing, event management, and information about funding opportunities.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Has anyone experienced moon roof squeaking issue on 10th gen Civic?
Mine is a 18 Si with under 2k miles. Yesterday the moon roof started to squeak even when i drove on well paved roads.
It is not the popping sounds that a lot of people reported on the 2016 Civic where the metal frame touches the plastic part. It is like a buzzing noise.
I fixed it temporarily by tapping the moon roof couple of times after closing it. It appears the seal is rubbing against the car frame. I am pretty sure the noise will come back sooner or later. Anyone has experienced this and came up with better permanent solution?
Mine did this when I first bought it.
It only happened when it was open. I bought some of the white Honda grease and lubed it up the best I could. It stopped making the noise - that was 8 months ago.


HIMSS Media is currently accepting speaking proposals for three events: The HIMSS Precision Medicine Summit in Washington, D.C., the HIMSS Big Data and Healthcare Analytics Forum in San Francisco, and the HIMSS Healthcare Security Forum in San Francisco. This is a great opportunity to share your research and digital health success stories.
There's still time but the clock is ticking to submit a speaking proposal for the in Washington DC, May 17 and 18. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5 p.m. ET on Friday, February 9.
Over two days, speakers will share their work, discuss industry trends, and, importantly, address what healthcare must do to make precision medicine – and personalized care – an everyday part of primary care.
The event will be attended by 150 healthcare clinical and IT leaders from hospitals, health systems, and other provider, payer, pharmaceutical, government organizations.
If your organization has a precision medicine success story to share, or you have expert insights into what's required to move precision medicine to the point of care, you're the perfect speaker for this event.
Topics of interest include: Technology and infrastructure, especially machine learning; big data and precision medicine; genomics; clinical integration; knowledge and expertise; reimbursement; the regulatory landscape; investment; and more.
HIMSS is accepting speaker proposals for the Big Data and Healthcare Analytics Forum on June 13 and 14 in San Francisco.
The forum is the leading industry event on this mission-critical topic, and it's attended by 250+ healthcare IT and clinical professionals from hospitals, health systems, and other provider and payer organizations.
What do attendees want? Information and insights to kick off their analytic programs or take them to the next level. They want information that will help them drive continuous process improvement, contain costs, and, most importantly, produce better outcomes. Presentations must demonstrate measurable value.
to submit a speaking proposal and for information on topics of interest and speaker requirements. The deadline to is 5 p.m. EST, Thursday, February 15.
The agenda fills up fast, so don't wait to submit your proposal.
HIMSS is accepting speaker proposals for the Healthcare Security Forum in San Francisco, June 11-12. The is Thursday, February 15, 5 p.m. ET.
There may be no topic more important in healthcare than securing data and maintaining business continuity in the face to today's mounting cyber threats.
Over the past few weeks, we talked to many healthcare CISOs and others to learn the most burning topics and issues in healthcare security.
to learn what they want see covered at this event — and to submit your speaking proposals.


Elevated 1009 Sqm Block with Subdivision potential with a Substantial Family Home on the Oceanside of the line.
The Ultimate Family Home or your next Development Project, you decide!
Become a Swanbourne Land Baron! Live in today, subdivide tomorrow [subject to all relevant approvals]. A home with limitless opportunities!
The BIG Backyard and a very accommodating and presentable home in one of Swanbourne's best streets walking distance to Allen park and the Beach!
Benefiting from recent renovations the residence provides an accommodating [4 Bed 3 Bath plus study] family style home for you to move straight into! Well maintained throughout and ready for immediate occupation the home is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens.
An expansive East facing rear garden of an enviable scale provides ample room for everything that your family may desire.
The residence is strongly influenced by solar passive design principals with the primary living zone maximising the northern and eastern light via walls of glass and 6 metre glass bi-fold doors. A substantial jarrah deck adjoins and flows out to the rear gardens to provide an impressive alfresco setting. Modern conveniences complement sound design principals to result in a home that is focused on light, space, comfort and livability.
A capacious open plan family room adjoins a state of the art kitchen with bespoke cabinetry featuring solid Tasmanian Blackwood timber benches and a full complement of quality appliances.
The Kitchen features induction cooking, a teppanyaki plate, a steam oven, a convection oven, an integrated dishwasher and a pair of Liebherr integrated refrigerators.
To the rear of the home is a newly constructed master suite with walk-in robes, a spacious ensuite bathroom and a stunning outlook onto the rear gardens.
The second storey of the home privates a second master suite with ensuite bathroom, kitchenette and a large adjoining living space which together provide ample separation or zoning opportunities, as with every family there are times when we need to be together and times when we need to be apart!
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The home provides two additional bedrooms [bringing the total to four], an additional utility room, a third Bathroom and provides ample storage. The home also caters to those with a 'Green conscious' via the provision of a 1600 litre rainwater storage system and a grey water recovery system that is connected to irrigate the gardens, a solar hot water system as well as an energy efficient thermal stable panel roof system.
Property Particulars : Total Area : 1009 sqm Frontage : 20.08 metres, Depth : 50.25 metres, Local Authority : City of Nedlands. The local authority of Nedlands has confirmed the potential to subdivide.
Landholdings of this size and subdivision potential are rare indeed in this ever popular precinct on the Oceanside of the line in Swanbourne, make it yours!
This outstanding property offers limitless opportunities, move in, rent out [with a faultless tenant currently occupying the home] or redevelop, the choice is yours! Truly an investment in your future lifestyle!


I bought this in 1995 because I had been sponsored by the Rivendell founder, Grant Petersen, when he ran Bridgestone Cycles USA and I wanted to show my support for his new enterprise, Rivendell Bicycle Works. This was the first bike I'd bought in thirteen years as I'd been sponsored by one company or another between 1984 and 1994. I paid the deposit in February of 1995 and took delivery in December of that same year.
As a historical note, this is the first All-Rounder sold to anyone after Rivendell was founded in 1994. As a surprise, Grant had an "extra" serial number added to the bottom bracket shell that include my initials, "AR" for All-Rounder, and "#1" because it was the first sold. The frame and fork were hand crafted by the artisans at Waterford Precision Cycles in Waterford, Wisconsin.
I didn't build this bike up, or ride it, until the fall of 1998 as it took some time to find all the parts I wanted to run on it. As soon as I assembled it, I flew to Seattle and rode from there to Mill Valley, CA in Marin County in a week. Although I primarily planned to use it off-road or for combined trail/road rides, its initial configuration was very roadie: the components you see here, but with Scott Drop-In handlebars, the 8-spd shifters mounted on the down tube, Spinergy Rev-X wheels, and V-brakes. I found those wheels flexed too much, I didn't much like the drop bars off-road, the V-brakes worked terribly and had to be run VERY close to the rims, and it was darn near impossible to reach the down-tube shifters while riding off-road. As a result, I reconfigured the bike as you see it the main slideshow below, pretty much identical to its predecessor in my stable, a 1993 Bridgestone XO-1. The "in action" shots below are from a week-long trip to Moab and The Maze in Canyonlands National Park in Utah in May 2003. I stopped riding it in about 2005, so, although it's 16 years old, it's only seen a few years of actual riding. The rest of the time, it's been indoors. Of course, I've treated the interior of the frame several times over the years with Weigle FrameSaver to protect against corrision.
Now, three years later, I still have not built it back up after that repaint. I love this bike, it's an amazing ride, its rich in Rivendell history, and I have a deep attachment to it, but I just don't have a need for it in my stable anymore. Therefore, I passed it along to a new owner in April of 2012.
In brief, the sizing is: 54.5cm seat tube with 72.5 degree seat angle and 57.5cm top tube. The All-Rounder was designed to fit a bit smaller than the same rider's appropriate road bike size (most of my road bikes have 57cm seat tubes, for example, but the same 57.5cm top tubes.) Full geometry and spec's, dozens of photos, and lots more information, are available here.
Dozens more photos, full geometry and spec's, and lots more information, are available here.


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Caterpillar, Cat Dealers Look to Recruit NHRA Techs
Thu September 13, 2007 - National Edition
Caterpillar and its dealers are working with David Powers Motorsports (DPM) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to sponsor a dragster in the popular motor sport circuit during the 2008 racing season.
The dragster will help recruit service technicians for Cat dealers in the United States and Canada.
The proposed agreement follows a successful technician recruiting pilot program already under way with Caterpillar, some of its dealers, DPM and the NHRA. A shortage of qualified service technicians prompted the pilot. Caterpillar and its dealers found the NHRA drag racing format offers a rich recruiting environment of highly skilled candidates with mechanical backgrounds.
"These races provide a venue for our dealers to meet one-on-one with these drag racing and engine enthusiasts who are also prospective employees," said Bill Mayo, vice president of Caterpillar's North American Commercial Division. "Recruiting — especially in this arena — is vital to the future growth of both Caterpillar and our dealers. We are constantly looking for creative investments like this to secure talent for Team Caterpillar."
As part of the pilot program, DPM has already worked with Mustang Cat, Fabick Cat, Wagner Cat, Peterson Cat and Ransome Cat. The events have yielded significant leads for dealer service technician candidates.
"We're thrilled Caterpillar and its network of dealers chose our team as a partner when entering the NHRA venue," said David Powers, DPM owner.
"Together, we will help Cat and its dealers find these much-needed service technicians. And, in turn, we'll strive to carry the Cat banner into the winner's circle time and time again."
NHRA events are attended by up to 125,000 people per event and the televised races reach more than 91 million viewers. DPM's driver, Rod Fuller, currently leads the NHRA Top Fuel standings in his third season with the race team. Fuller raced the Wagner Cat dragster to a win at the Denver race in July.
For more information, visit www.cat.com.


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Are the Saints Alive or Dead?
Many non-Catholics struggle with the concept of praying to saints because they think prayer and wors …
Jan 27th 2023 Trent Horn
Our Culture Is Facing a Reckoning
Despite the ruins of the Sexual Revolution being all around us, many Protestants are doubling down—n …
Jan 16th 2023 Donald J. Johnson
The Men Who Saved the World
There can be no doubt that the apostles' great work of evangelization took them to the ends of the e …
Jan 9th 2023 Rod Bennett
20 Answers: Good and Evil (Digital)
CBE493
A Map to the Moral Universe
What is morality and where does it come from?
Is it okay to do something "wrong" if in my conscience I believe it's right?
How do we know what actions are sinful, and whether they are venial or mortal sins?
Why do God and the Church give us so many negative commandments? Isn't the most important thing that we just love each other?
In this booklet you'll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more.
Do good and avoid evil, says the Lord. Yet sometimes, the question of how to live a good and upright life can seem more complicated than the mysteries of theology! But God's commandments are meant to be a pathway to happiness, not confusion. 20 Answers: Good and Evil explains the moral principles, both natural and revealed, that the Church proclaims as a sure guide to loving God and neighbor—and thereby becoming most fully human.
The 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers offers hard facts, compelling arguments, and clear explanations of the most important topics facing the Church and the world—all in a compact, easy-to-read package.
20 Answers: God (Digital)
"I Am Who I Am" Who...or What...is God? Does the universe provide clues to God's existence? Why would a loving all-powerful God permit suffering in the world? <
20 Answers: Mary (Digital)
Handmaid of the Lord How can a human woman be God's mother? Where in the Bible does it say that Mary was sinless and a perpetual virgin? Doesn't praying to Mary and c
20 Answers: The Bible (Digital)
God's Written Word What does it mean to say that Scripture is "inspired"? Why don't Catholics believe that the Bible is the sole rule of faith? Do Christi
20 Answers: The Church (Digital)
The Gathering Place of God's Family How do we know Jesus founded a visible, organized Church? Is today's Catholic Church the same as the church of the apostles and the early Christians?
20 Answers: Good and Evil
A Map to the Moral Universe What is morality and where does it come from? Is it okay to do something "wrong" if in my conscience I believe it's right? How do we kn
20 Answers: The Gospels (Digital)
The Good News Starts Here Can we really know who wrote the Gospels and when? What are some of the different ways that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of Jesus? Why are other ancient...
20 Answers: Baptism (Digital)
Born of Water and Spirit What does baptism do, anyway? Must we be baptized by immersion in water, or is sprinkling enough? Is it possible to be baptized if you don't already believe in...
The Mystery Box - Advent Edition
Want a great collection of Catholic books to read through Advent and into the New Year? We've outdone ourselves with our Advent Edition! What's in the box? It's a mystery! Build up your...
Get a two-in-one deal with these AirPods cases: an impact-absorbing protector for your earbuds and a stylish accessory you can attach to your clothes and bags with a metal carabiner. This case is...
Tough iPhone Case
Protect your phone with style using a durable, dual-layered case. The outer shell is made of impact-resistant polycarbonate, while the inner lining sports TPU lining for maximum impact absorption...
Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine
Heresies, schisms, culture of death, persecutions, excommunications … While reflective of headlines from today, these difficulties roiled Christians of the early Church as well. In fact, the...
Catechism of the Spiritual Life
In this dynamic and authoritative book on the spiritual life, Cardinal Robert Sarah shows us how to enter into and progress through the spiritual life. He notes that the goal of this book is...
Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith
Does intelligent life exist beyond earth?For more than half a century, the question of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) has been widely dismissed in our culture. That wasn't always the case...
Por Que Somos Catolicos
The runaway bestseller is now available in Spanish How can you believe all this stuff? This is the number-one question Catholics get asked—and, sometimes, we ask ourselves. Why do...
Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing
With the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs Wade, a powerful new book re-frames the current debate: Our fifty-year experiment with unlimited abortion has harmed everyone—even its most...


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The Appetizer
"… December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy …"
President Franklin D. Roosevelt in one of the most famous speeches given by any American president, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, which officially drew the U.S. into World War II.
Now, on to the numbers. Drum roll, please …
14.14%: The S&P 500's return during over the past two months … still in a bear market though.
35%-40%: The percentage of casual restaurant gift card redemptions that happen in the first quarter of the year.
$11.3 billion: How much Cyber Monday brought in for retailers, up 5.8% from last year.
19.9 million: The total number of TV/streaming viewers across FOX Sports and Telemundo Deportes for the U.S.-England World Cup game.
1,740%: The increase in searches for Merriam-Webster's word of the year, "gaslighting."
Freight Movement
With railroad unions threatening a strike on December 9, Congress stepped in to head off a potential supply chain disaster. The Railway Labor Act grants Congress the authority to intervene in railroad disputes that threaten to disrupt the economy – something the legislature has done 18 times since 1960.
The $80 billion railroad industry is vital to the U.S. economy, transporting nearly 40% of all long-haul freight on 140,000 miles of rails. The industry estimates a strike could cost the economy $2 billion per day, potentially affecting the supply – and prices – of everything from food and new cars to electricity and gas. In fact, 95% of the ethanol used for gas ships by rail.
Unlike passenger travel, freight shipping rebounded quickly during the pandemic. According to government figures, trucks handle most of those goods (46.2%), followed by rail (27.4%), pipeline (17.6%), water (10.3%), and air (0.4%). In recent months, more water shippers turned to other modes due to low river levels limiting barge traffic.
Lucky for us, stores already have their holiday inventory and Congress prevented more supply chain trouble. Whew!
While the Federal Reserve's Beige Book reported the economy has slowed down, last Friday's strong jobs report suggests there's still more work to do. The economy added 263,000 jobs in November, and many expect a 0.50% December rate hike. We'll see what happens, but Chair Jerome Powell's comments indicated the Federal Reserve's openness to a more measured approach to future rate hikes.
Many of us remember learning about the food pyramid as a guide to healthy eating. Any idea what replaced it? Didn't think so. The Agriculture Department introduced MyPlate, a dinner plate-shaped diagram emphasizing fruits and veggies, more than a decade ago. According to the National Center of Health Statistics, only 25% of adults know about it.
Why do Americans call it "soccer" when the rest of the world calls it "football?" Well, turns out the British are to blame, according to a professor of sports economics at the University of Michigan. The word is thought to be an abbreviation of 'asoccer' which stems from "association football." The British stopped using it in the early 20th century, but the U.S., along with Canada, Australia, and South Africa still call it soccer.
Corporate Lunch
When one door closes, another one opens. Netflix may be approaching the end of its DVD-by-mail service, but it is now taking an experimental approach to theatrical releases with the movies "Glass Onion" and "Matilda the Musical."
Lamborghini and "off-roading" don't normally belong in the same sentence, but their new supercar will now carry you across "loose or dirt surfaces." That counts, right?
After just reopening less than a week ago, Disneyland in Shanghai closed temporarily due to the city's pandemic prevention requirements.
Nestle may sell its peanut allergy treatment unit to help meet new profit and margin goals, raising its organic sales guidance between 8% and 8.5%.
Ford said that is has achieved its goal of becoming the second best-selling automaker of electric vehicles in the U.S. Will the company now aim for the number one spot?
Amazon is shutting down its wholesale distribution to small neighborhoods in India. Some are speculating Amazon is slowly scaling back operations in the South Asian market.
A Florida woman is suing Kraft for $5 million, saying Velveeta microwave mac and cheese takes longer to make than advertised. Perhaps this can be settled if Velveeta buys her a better microwave?
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text:
PLOS Medicine publishes research and commentary of general interest with clear implications for patient care, public policy or clinical research agendas.
Staff Editors
Research in Translation
Research in Translation Research in Translation articles discuss a particular drug, treatment, or public health intervention in the context of translation from early research to clinical research, or clinical evidence to practice.
See all article types »
Meat Consumption and Cancer Risk
Jeanine M Genkinger ,
Contributed equally to this work with: Jeanine M Genkinger, Anita Koushik
Anita Koushik
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: anita.koushik@umontreal.ca
Jeanine M Genkinger,
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040345
Jeanine M Genkinger Anita Koushik
Citation: Genkinger JM, Koushik A (2007) Meat Consumption and Cancer Risk. PLoS Med 4(12): e345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040345
Copyright: © 2007 Genkinger and Koushik. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this article.
Abbreviations: AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; NIH, National Institutes of Health
The large international variation in incidence rates of cancer, together with findings from migrant studies, suggest that environmental factors such as diet are associated with cancer risk. The intake of meats, such as beef, varies 3-fold across the world—consumption is highest in developed countries (23 kg/capita) compared to less developed countries (6 kg/capita) [1]. Based on Richard Doll and Richard Peto's work in 1981, it has been estimated that approximately 35% (range 10%–70%) of cancer can be attributed to diet, similar in magnitude to the contribution of smoking to cancer (30%, range 25%–40%) [2].
Meat consumption in relation to cancer risk has been reported in over a hundred epidemiological studies from many countries with diverse diets. The association between meat intake and cancer risk has been evaluated by looking both at broad groupings of total meat intake, and also at finer categorizations, particularly intakes of red meat, which includes beef, lamb, pork, and veal, and also more specifically processed meats, which includes meats preserved by salting, smoking, or curing.
Although the association of cancer and meat intake may be partially explained by high-energy or high-fat ("westernized") diets, of greater interest is a possible direct role of potentially carcinogenic compounds that are found in meats, including N-nitroso compounds, heterocyclic amines, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. N-nitroso compounds are broad-acting potent carcinogens in animal models [3] and include nitrosamines, which require metabolic activation to be converted to a carcinogenic form, and nitrosamides, which do not require activation. Similarly, heterocyclic amines are classified as mutagens and animal carcinogens [4–8]. These compounds and others present in meats (salts, nitrates, nitrites, heme iron, saturated fat, estradiol) have been theorized to increase DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, increase insulin-like growth factors, affect hormone metabolism, promote free radical damage, and produce carcinogenic heterocyclic amines [9–16], all of which may promote the development of cancer.
Linked Research Article
This Research in Translation article discusses the following new study published in PLoS Medicine:
Cross AJ, Leitzmann MF, Gail MH, Hollenbeck AR, Schatzkin A, et al. (2007) A prospective study of red and processed meat intake in relation to cancer risk. PLoS Med 4(12): e325. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040325
Using data from a large cohort study, Amanda Cross and colleagues found that both red and processed meat intakes were positively associated with cancers of the colorectum and lung.
The malignancy most extensively studied in relation to meat intake has been colorectal cancer. In ecological studies, correlations between international per capita meat intakes and colon cancer incidence (r > 0.85) and mortality (r > 0.70) rates have been high [17,18]. Similarly, raised colorectal cancer risks in relation to both red and processed meat intakes have been observed in case-control and cohort studies. A 1997 review of these studies, sponsored by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, concluded that the intake of red meat probably increases the risk of colorectal cancer, while processed meat possibly increases colorectal cancer risk [19]. A similar consensus was reported by the Colon Cancer Panel at the World Health Organization consensus conference [20] and the Working Group on Diet and Cancer of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy [21]. In recent meta-analyses of colorectal cancer that included studies published up to 2005 [22–24], summary associations indicated that red meat intakes were associated with 28%–35% increased risks while processed meats were associated with elevated risks of 20%–49%.
Other Types of Cancer
Additionally, a large number of studies have examined the association between meat intake and stomach cancer risk. In a recent meta-analysis, positive associations were observed between processed meat consumption and stomach cancer risk, although the results from case-control versus cohort studies were heterogeneous [25]. Fewer studies with less consistent associations have been reported for cancers of the bladder [26,27], breast [28,29], endometrium [30], glioma [31], pancreas [32–34], prostate [35], and renal cell [36]. There has been even less research on the association between meat intake and cancers of the lung [37,38], esophagus [39], oral cavity [40,41], ovary [42–44], cervix [45], and liver [41]. Most of the studies examining these sites have been case-control, and some of the earlier studies lacked adjustment for energy intake or body mass index, two key potential confounders.
A New Study of Multiple Cancer Sites
In this issue of PLoS Medicine, Amanda Cross and colleagues present their findings from a large prospective cohort study on the association between red and processed meat intake and cancer at several sites [46]. Their analysis is based on the prospective National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons) Diet and Health Study and includes almost 500,000 men and women in the United States, among whom over 53,000 incident cancers occurred.
For colorectal cancer, a 24% increased risk with red meat consumption of 62.5 g/1,000 kcal and a 20% increased risk with processed meat consumption of 22.6 g/1,000 kcal was observed among both men and women, which is similar in magnitude to the summary relative risks observed in previous meta-analyses [22–24]. The researchers also found that increasing intakes of red meat were significantly associated with elevated risks of 20%–60% for cancers of the esophagus, liver, and lung. For processed meats, a 16% increased risk of lung cancer was observed. Red and processed meat intake was associated with an increased pancreatic cancer risk in men only.
The results from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study corroborate previous findings for colorectal cancer. However, a positive association with stomach cancer, which has been seen mostly in previous case-control investigations, was not observed in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Relative risks for stomach cancer have been primarily null in previous cohort studies compared to case-control studies, and thus the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study results for stomach cancer are consistent with previous cohort studies.
Five Key Papers in the Field
Larsson et al, 2006 [22] A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies of meat and colorectal cancer that used a prospective design, which is less susceptible to recall and selection biases.
Larsson et al., 2006 [25] A thorough qualitative and quantitative review of case-control and cohort studies on stomach cancer, with a focus on intake of processed meat, which may contain higher levels of carcinogenic compounds compared to other meats.
Missmer et al., 2002 [28] In this study, meat intake and breast cancer risk were examined by pooling the original primary data from eight prospective cohort studies, allowing for the analysis of various exposures and population subgroups. A pooled analysis is less susceptible to publication bias compared to meta-analyses of the published literature.
Sinha R (2002) An epidemiologic approach to studying heterocyclic amines. Mutat Res 506–507: 197–204. This article describes the development of a database to estimate intakes of heterocyclic amines, a potentially important contributor to the association between meat and cancer risk, from food frequency questionnaire data.
Sinha R, Norat T (2002) Meat cooking and cancer risk. IARC Sci Publ 156: 181–186. A general overview of the association between meat and cancer risk, with a special emphasis on cooking techniques.
In Cross and colleagues' study, higher consumption of meat was positively associated with risk of cancer of the lung, liver, esophagus, and pancreas, similar to the findings from some [32,37–40,47–52] but not all [33,41,53–58], previous case-control and cohort studies. An inverse association with endometrial cancer was observed in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which is in contrast to the positive association reported in the recent meta-analysis by Elisa Bandera et al. [30]. This meta-analysis was based on 16 case-control studies, among which recall and selection biases cannot be ruled out.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the New Study
The NIH-AARP investigation is based on high-quality prospective dietary information obtained using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 124 items [59]. The analyses were conducted using only baseline FFQ data covering recent intakes; thus, changes in intakes of meat and other nutrients over time, as well as lifetime consumption patterns, could not be evaluated in the NIH-AARP study. Additionally, because the NIH-AARP study measured adult red and processed meat intake, it may not have captured the relevant exposure time for carcinogenesis, which may have occurred in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.
Nonetheless, in this study, diet was measured prior to diagnosis of cancer; thus, a cancer diagnosis would not have influenced the reporting of meat intake, minimizing the potential for recall bias. Additionally, the potential for selection bias was minimized as the cohort follow-up rate was very high (more than 95%). Furthermore, the NIH-AARP investigation is based on high-quality prospective measurement of other important environmental factors (e.g., smoking, body mass index), a long follow-up time (8.2 years), and a large number of cases of cancer. Because of the large population size, the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study was able to prospectively analyze several rare cancer sites, including brain, laryngeal, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic, pharyngeal, renal, and thyroid. The great variation in red and processed meat intake among the NIH-AARP population allowed for the examination of these specific cancer sites to be conducted with relatively sufficient power, thus greatly adding to the dearth of prospective literature to date on these rare cancers.
In interpreting the findings from studies of meat intake and cancer, it should be noted that individuals who consume a diet high in red and processed meat typically also consume large amounts of foods such as butter, potatoes, refined grains, and high-fat dairy, all components of a westernized diet [60]. Thus red and processed meat intake might not be solely responsible for higher cancer risk. Additionally, meat intake is usually correlated with higher energy intakes [61,62] and obesity [63], so residual confounding may be present. Research aimed at understanding how foods and nutrients interact to promote or prevent carcinogenesis may provide a better understanding of potential etiological pathways and may explain some of the heterogeneity of published results.
Next Steps in Research
Further knowledge would be gained from research examining differences in particular subtypes of specific cancers. For example, different histologies or cancer subsites, such as estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancers or cardia gastric cancers, may be more strongly associated with dietary risk or preventive factors. Similarly, risk variation according to specific genotypes at polymorphic sites, for instance in genes involved in the metabolism of carcinogenic compounds in meat, may add further to our understanding of the role of meat consumption in cancer risk.
In addition to investigating intakes of food items or groups (i.e., red or processed meat), future research should also examine particular nutrients within meats (e.g., iron) or carcinogenic components (e.g., heterocyclic amines, nitrosamines) that are created as a result of certain cooking techniques, particularly among the rarer and less studied cancers. Other factors, such as animal raising and feeding practices (exogenous sex steroids are used in farm-raised animals in the US and banned in the farming industry in the European Union), may also contribute to cancer risk [64,65]. Few studies have examined these practices in their analyses, which may explain some of the inconsistency in results across studies.
In summary, red and processed meat intake appears to be positively associated with risk of cancer of the colon and rectum, esophagus, liver, lung, and pancreas in a new, large US cohort study of 500,000 men and women. However, this study provided little support for an association with other cancer sites. Current dietary guidelines recommend selecting meats that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free [66], thus promoting limited consumption of red and processed meats. Overall, the strongest risk factors for cancer in the US are smoking and obesity [67]. However, understanding the complex interaction of diet with smoking and obesity, and how specific foods and nutrients are metabolized, may provide further clues into the etiology and, most importantly, the prevention of cancer.
1. Delgado CL (2003) Rising consumption of meat and milk in developing countries has created a new food revolution. J Nutr 133: 3907S–3910S.
2. Doll R, Peto R (1981) The causes of cancer: quantitative estimates of avoidable risks of cancer in the United States today. J Natl Cancer Inst 66: 1191–1308.
3. Lijinsky W (1999) N-nitroso compounds in the diet. Mutat Res 443: 129–138.
4. Ohgaki H, Hasegawa H, Kato T, Suenaga M, Sato S, et al. (1985) Carcinogenicities in mice and rats of IQ, MeIQ, and MeIQx. Princess Takamatsu Symp 16: 97–105.
5. Ito N, Hasegawa R, Sano M, Tamano S, Esumi H, et al. (1991) A new colon and mammary carcinogen in cooked food, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). Carcinogenesis 12: 1503–1506.
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7. Ghoshal A, Preisegger KH, Takayama S, Thorgeirsson SS, Snyderwine EG (1994) Induction of mammary tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats by the food-derived carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine and effect of dietary fat. Carcinogenesis 15: 2429–2433.
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another Friday is here. I can't believe how fast the time is running. I know I say it every week. But I really am surprised when it comes to the fact that I am living in London for the fifth consecutive month. Also, my twenty-fourth birthday is approaching inexorably. Sometimes I feel really old but not wise, unfortunately. Anyway, I still have lots and lots of books ahead of me and that is particularly nice prospect of future days. I am working this weekend but I hope that I can find some moments for reading The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork which I've just started. You know, how much I love this author, and this copy of the newest novel of his I received from him as a gift. Which makes this book especially precious... Tell me, what are you, guys, reading currently?


text:
namespace CIK.News.Framework.Extensions
{
    public static class ConvertorExtensions
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         public static int ToInteger(this string source)
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             int result;

             int.TryParse(source, out result);

             return result;
         }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


2005 VW Bug Beige Sherwin Williams paint.
Custom sprayed in bed liner that matches the paint.
tweed floor and head liner.
Custom step notch done by "LOW BUDGET CUSTOMS"
Chrome 8" front Cylinders and 10" Chrome back cylinders. 4 marine batteries.
8" custom made BASS tube.


text:
Application of Fiduciary Duty to Sustainable Investment Practices
Susan N. Gary, University of Oregon School of Law, Keith L. Johnson, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Megan K. Jackson, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. (November, 2015)
Trustees and directors who manage funds as fiduciaries have to consider their duties of loyalty and care when they create investment policies or make investment decisions. Two recent statements, one from the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") and one from the Federal Department of Labor (the "DOL"), provide guidance on the fiduciary rules, and confirm that fiduciaries can consider material environmental, social and governance ("ESG") factors as part of an investment strategy that combines ESG factors with traditional financial tools.
Trustees and directors who oversee investment of university endowments, pensions, charities and private trusts are all fiduciaries. They have a duty of loyalty to act in the best interests of their fund members, beneficiaries or charitable mission, and they have a duty of care to take care of the assets of the organization and manage the funds as a prudent investor would. These recent regulatory rulings provide important guidance on how to apply the duty of loyalty in today's investment market environment.
IRS Approves Aligning Investment Practices with Mission
One issue for fiduciaries of charities is whether they can adopt an investment strategy that reflects charitable mission goals—to provide competitive financial returns to the charity while deploying investment assets to promote charitable missions and either avoid or work to improve practices at investee companies which have a negative influence. Many fiduciary attorneys have advised nonprofit clients that an investment that furthers the charity's mission complies with the duty of loyalty, even if the investment results in a lower rate of return than would another investment. (See Susan N. Gary, Is It Prudent to be Responsible: The Legal Rules for Charities that Engage in Socially Responsible Investing and Mission Investing, 6 Nw. J.L. & Soc. Pol'y 106 (2011).) The IRS recently issued Notice 2015-62 (the "Notice"), confirming this view.
"Foundation managers are not required to select only investments that offer the highest rates of return, the lowest risks, or the greatest liquidity so long as the foundation managers exercise the requisite ordinary business care and prudence under the facts and circumstances prevailing at the time of the investment in making investment decisions that support, and do not jeopardize, the furtherance of the private foundation's charitable purposes."
The Notice applies to private foundations, a category of charities that typically has only one or a few donors. Under the Internal Revenue Code (the "IRC"), foundation managers must exercise "ordinary business care and prudence" in making investments. Treas. Reg. § 53.4944-1(a)(2)(i). Treasury Regulations set out factors to consider that are similar to the factors provided in state laws (i.e., the Uniform Prudent Investor Act or Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act). In other words, the IRC requires foundation managers to invest prudently, as do state laws.
The IRC provides special rules for program‑related investments ("PRIs"), defined as investments entered into primarily to accomplish one or more of the charitable purposes of the private foundation. IRC § 4944(c). PRIs may produce some financial gain, but any financial return is incidental to the primary purpose of carrying out the charity's mission.
However, until the Notice was issued, the treatment of mission-related investments, made for both charitable goals and financial return, had been uncertain. The Notice confirms that an investment that furthers a charity's purposes, but is also made to produce financial returns, does not run afoul of the IRC, even if the return on the investment is less than would be expected for an investment unrelated to the charity's purposes. The Notice explains that this result is consistent with state law, which is generally the same whether a charity is a private foundation or public charity, and is organized as a trust or nonprofit corporation.
The Notice supports the conclusion that a charity's trustees or directors can engage in mission-related investing without breaching their fiduciary duties.
DOL Affirms ESG Investing
ESG investing raises a slightly different question. For purposes of this comment, ESG investing, also called ESG integration, is an investment strategy that combines material ESG factors with traditional financial analysis and metrics. Questions have been raised about whether fiduciaries can engage in ESG investing without first determining whether the ESG factors relate directly to the mission of the charity or the purposes of the trust.
Two published statements that relate to an earlier form of investing, often called socially responsible investing ("SRI"), caused concern about investment strategies that consider any factors other than the traditional financial ones. A comment to the Uniform Prudent Investment Act, first published in 1994, stated that "[n]o form of so-called 'social investing' is consistent with the duty of loyalty" if it involves accepting below-market returns. At the time the statement was written, the assumption was that SRI necessarily resulted in below market returns.
Understanding of Fiduciary Duty has Evolved
Since 1994, several things have changed. One of the changes has been that the type of social investing referenced in the statement has evolved from use of negative screens that avoid certain investments on moral or ethical grounds to use of ESG or other sophisticated investment strategies that consider financially material issues that were outside traditional investment analysis in 1994. In addition, numerous recent studies have shown that returns on funds engaged in various forms of modern ESG investing can equal or exceed those of non-SRI (i.e., socially responsible investment) funds. A prudent investor now has access to studies, data and investment approaches that were not available in 1994. Financial analysts and investors increasingly use ESG data with the goal of managing investment risks and improving returns.
A second development was an interpretive bulletin issued by the DOL prior to the 2008 financial crisis, which provided confusing guidance for private section employee benefit plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA"). The investment standards applied to ERISA and endowment fiduciaries are patterned after trust law and intended to be generally consistent. The DOL had earlier issued Interpretive Bulletin 94-1 ("IB 94‑1") to clarify that investments that were selected for collateral (e.g., social or environmental) benefits as well as financial return were acceptable, so long as the financial returns were comparable to the expected returns of other investments available to the pension plan. IB 94-1 emphasized that plan assets could not be used to promote public policy interests at the expense of the financial interests of the plan's beneficiaries, and the fiduciaries could not accept lower expected returns.
In 2008, the DOL issued Interpretive Bulletin 2008-01 ("IB 2008‑1") which replaced IB 94-1. Although the DOL said that IB 2008‑1 did not alter the basic legal principles of IB 94-1, the DOL stated that consideration of "collateral, non-economic factors" in investment decision-making should be rare and well documented. This statement resulted in confusion about how to treat ESG factors that have current or long-term financial or risk implications.
"Environmental, social, and governance issues may have a direct relationship to the economic value of the plan's investment. In these instances, such issues are not merely collateral considerations or tie-breakers, but rather are proper components of the fiduciary's primary analysis of the economic merits of competing investment choices."
The DOL has now issued Interpretive Bulletin 2015-01 ("IB 2015‑01"), published as section 2509.2015-01. This new bulletin removes IB 2008-1, reinstates IB 94-1 and provides related guidance. IB 2015‑01 addresses economically targeted investments (ETIs), which are selected for economic benefits as well as financial returns, and ESG investing. The DOL issued the new guidance because it had become concerned "that the 2008 guidance may be dissuading fiduciaries from (1) pursuing investment strategies that consider environmental, social, and governance factors, even where they are used solely to evaluate the economic benefits of investments and identify economically superior investments, and (2) investing in ETIs even where economically equivalent."
This current guidance from the DOL makes it clear that, "fiduciaries should appropriately consider factors that potentially influence risk and return" and that "environmental, social, and governance issues may have a direct relationship to the economic value of the plan's investment." The DOL states, "In these instances, such issues are not merely collateral considerations or tie-breakers, but rather are proper components of the fiduciary's primary analysis of the economic merits of competing investment choices."
In addition, the DOL clarifies that "plan fiduciaries may invest in ETIs based, in part, on their collateral benefits so long as the investment is economically equivalent, with respect to return and risk to beneficiaries in the appropriate time horizon, to investments without such collateral benefits."
IB 2015‑01 has spurred ERISA attorneys to reframe advice to clients on integration of ESG factors into investment decisions. Since issuance of IB 2015‑01, many law firms have begun to recognize that prior legal concerns about socially responsible and economically targeted investments do not apply where ESG factors are being considered for the purposes of enhancing returns or managing exposure to potential financial risks.
Implications for Endowment Fiduciaries
The IRS and DOL guidance provide comfort to endowment fiduciaries seeking to align their investment practices with the mission of their institution or to use ESG investing with the goal of improving financial return. There is now clear regulatory direction that material ESG factors can be properly included as components of a fiduciary's primary investment analysis.


On Saturday, September 23rd, the brothers of Kappa Delta Rho, Xi Alpha chapter, held a backyard barbeque at the chapter house. The fraternity provided lots of hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken for grilling. The event was a great success with music playing and different Brothers working the grill. Many Brothers invited their roommates or other friends to the house to enjoy the hot afternoon outside. It was a great way for the fraternity to bond and meet new friends in the Temple community.


What is it about ducks in picture books that always seems so appealing? Are ducks really so unusually clever as portrayed in these books? Or charismatic? Or just sweet and fluffy? I think all of the above is true! I found myself reading a pile of duck featured picture books to my son one night when he randomly brought me a small pile that included Duck for President and Duck on a Bike. And then I started the list in earnest. Turns out that it's quite hard to find 10 excellent duck picture books so I had to add Little Bear, technically an easy reader to get 10. I hope that is OK with you! I guess what is stranger is that I happen to own most of these books and yet, no one in my family enjoys eating duck. Maybe that is what happens when you attach to an anthropomorphic character as appealing as a duck. My family also does not like to eat chicken. I wonder if we have 10 excellent picture books featuring chickens … stay tuned! How about you? What animal picture books are you reading over and over? Dogs, cats, mice, ducks, chickens?… Please share your favorites!