Welcome to Aria Kabab House & Grill located at 7405 Edmonds Street in Burnaby.
Aria Kabab House and Grill is a contemporary Afghan restaurant with a warm and inviting ambiance. We offer fresh, innovative Afghan cuisine at moderate prices. Experience the cuisine of Afghanistan and be instantly transported thousands of miles by the exotic flavours of Afghan cuisine. We invite you to come experience our carefully prepared authentic dishes. Aria Kabab features the culinary delights of the Afghan cuisine. Boasting a complete traditional menu of chicken, lamb, beef, vegetable and rice dishes. Many herbs and spices are used to create unforgettably tasty dishes. In accordance with traditional preparations, all dishes are made by hand with fresh ingredients only each and every day. If you have never tried Afghani food then Aria Kabab house is the perfect place to get acquainted with it. Afghani food is influenced by Turkish, Indian, Persian, and Mediterranean cuisines. It is a perfect mix of flavours, dishes, and spices.
The main dish of Aria Kabab House are our the most popular tender Kababs such Teka Kabab (Lamb ), Chicken Kabab, Shami kabab (Ground Beef) and Chopaan Kabab that are marinated in blend of organic herbs and spices. The other our famous dish is Qabeli Pallow, which consists of tender meat (usually lamb) domed under rice that's mixed with raisins and julienned carrots. The Bolani is a flatbread often stuffed with mashed potatoes, minced onion, chopped leeks, chopped cilantro and other vegetables. It's comparable to the Indian paratha.
We are proud to serve authentic, fresh, and delicious Afghani dishes. Please do not hesitate to call us should you have any questions about our menu, takeout orders, small and large events or private parties at the restaurant.
We look forward to seeing at Aria Kabab.


text:
Mouvement Mondial pour les Forêts Tropicales
En soutien aux luttes pour la justice sociale dans les forêts
Luttes pour les forêts
Luttes contre les monocultures d'arbres
Graines d'espoir
Femmes en résistance
Journée internationale de lutte contre la monoculture d'arbres
Déforestation : Causes directes
Exploitations forestières industrielles
Grands barrages et autres infrastructures
Exploitations minières intensives
Plantations d'arbres à grande échelle
Production d'énergie à grande échelle
Élevages industriels de crevettes
Déforestation : Causes sous-jacentes
Définition de la forêt par la FAO
Conservationnisme
Accords commerciaux
Spoliation foncière légale
Fausses solutions
REDD et autres Solutions fondées sur la nature
Compensation pour perte de biodiversité
Marchandisation de la nature
Systèmes de certification
Bioéconomie
Monocultures d'arbres
Femmes et monocultures d'arbres
Huile de palme
Stockage du carbone
Arbres génétiquement modifiés
FSC et RSPO
Politiques et Acteurs mondiaux
Politiques internationales sur les forêts
Banque mondiale et autres institutions financières
ONG conservationnistes
Bulletins antérieurs
A propos du WRM
URGENT: GE Eucalyptus to be approved in Brazil
Thèmes: Arbres génétiquement modifiés
Pays: Brésil
Section spéciale: Support Letter CTNBio
Disponible uniquement en espagnol, anglais et portugais.
As many of you will remember, last year we organized – together with various partner organizations in Brazil – a campaign urging the Brazilian National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) to turn down the request for the authorization of the commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus, submitted by FutureGene, a company fully owned by the pulp and paper company Suzano. On that occasion, the CTNBio did not grant authorization.
Now, however, we have been alerted that CTNBio will authorize the commercial release of GE eucalyptus next Thursday, March 5. That is why we are urgently calling for your support, once again, to prevent this authorization. We are asking each and every one of you to send the letter attached to the email addresses provided.
If possible, it is also important to send a copy of the letter to the Brazilian embassy in your respective countries. There are also plans in some countries for the letter to be submitted in person to the embassy on March 3. If you or your group can join in on this action and deliver a letter personally to your local Brazilian embassy, it would be especially helpful to alert the media and put up a poster or a banner at the embassy to draw even more attention.
If Brazil authorizes the commercial release of GE eucalyptus, it will not only be an unprecedented decision in Brazil, but will also have negative repercussions in the rest of Latin America and around the world.
The WRM team
To all Ministries represented at the CTNBio (Brazilian Biosafty Commision):
- Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation – Sr. José Aldo Rebelo Figueiredo
Email: ministro@mcti.gov.br
- Ministry of Agriculture – Sra. Kátia Abreu
Email: gm@agricultura.gov.br
- Ministry of Health – Sr. Arthur Chioro
Email : chefia.gm@saude.gov.br
- Ministry of Environment – Sra. Izabella Mônica Vieira Teixeira
Email: gm@mma.gov.br
- Ministry of Agrarian Development – Patrus Ananias de Sousa
Email: agendaministro@mda.gov.br
- Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade – Armando de Queiroz Monteiro Neto
Email: ministro@mdic.gov.br
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Mauro Luiz Icker Vieira
Email: ministro.estado@itamaraty.gov.br
- Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture – Helder Zahlut Barbalho
Email: gabinete@mpa.gov.br
CC: Maria Lucia Zaidan Zagli – President-substitute of the CTNBio – and all other members of the CTNBio
Email: ctnbio@mcti.gov.br
Your Excellency Ministers, and Ms. President-substitute of the CTNBio,
By way of this letter, we want to express our profound indignation with a possible decision of the CTNBio to authorize the commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus, requested by FuturaGene, a biotechnology company fully owned by pulp and paper company Suzano. Such a decision, which will merely benefit a segment of the country's private sector, could already be taken in the next meeting of the Commission, on March 5, 2015 in Brasilia. If this request is approved, it will be an unprecedented decision, not only for Brazil but also for Latin America and even at the global scale.
The CTNBio does not have sufficient scientific research on the serious impacts that this approval could cause for other equally important sectors of the economy, such as apiculture, in which exports of organic honey account for 80% of national production. The markets that import honey from Brazil require it to be free of GMOs.
Eucalyptus trees are the main source of nectar and pollen for apiculture in Brazil, particularly in the states in the south, southeast and northeast (southern Bahia). Honey contains around 1% pollen and in almost all of the honey produced in Brazil, eucalyptus pollen accounts for most of the pollen content. According to SEBRAE (2014), Brazil's current honey production is more than 40,000 tons annually, and the sector encompasses 500,000 honey producers, primarily small-scale family farmers, and two million beehives. The honey harvested on eucalyptus plantations is considered to be of high quality and is often classified as organic, as well as being a product of high medicinal and nutritional value. Some 80,000 honey producers operate in partnership with tree plantation companies, occupying approximately 400,000 hectares and 1.3 million beehives (IBGE, 2012). It should be stressed that these figures do not include the small farmers who produce honey for additional income and/or for their own use.
Brazil is the world's 10th largest producer of honey, and 50% of all of the honey produced is exported. The country's biodiversity and natural wealth are reflected in the national apiculture sector, and give rise to unique and distinctive products. The contamination of Brazilian honey would oblige producers to label their export products as containing GMOs, which could lead to their products being banned by other countries.
In addition, a representative of the Ministry of Agricultural Development itself has warned that the studies conducted to assess the effects of eucalyptus on bees and honey production are insufficient, because they took into account only five beehives from a single location. Close to 25% of the honey produced in Brazil comes from eucalyptus, and the research presented by FuturaGene/Suzano does not assess the nutritional aspects of honey produced from GE eucalyptus, nor its toxicity or allergenicity.
CTNBio has an obligation to respect the interests of all sectors of the national economy, as well as the interests of citizens and future generations, before taking a decision on a request that will only benefit FuturaGene/Suzano. If it fails to do so, the Brazilian government will not only be violating national legislation, but also the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which Brazil is signatory. In particular, any decision to approve the use of GE trees would contradict the precautionary principle, enshrined in the CBD, as well as decision UNEP/CDB/COP/9/IX/5, which states that before making any decision about the commercial release of GMO trees, the governments that are signatories of the convention - in this case the Brazilian government - MUST carry out exhaustive and rigorous risk analyses in all of the Brazilian biomes, and also develop protocols for the total segregation of GMO and non-GMOs, to prevent genetic contamination through seed, pollen or vegetative reproductive materials (e.g. twigs, shoots etc). None of this has been done yet in a thorough and sufficient way.
Serious uncertainties exist with respect to the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of genetically engineered trees for ecosystems and for different economic activities that depend on biodiversity for their survival. These economic activities generate income, jobs and wealth for Brazil, and should be taken into account by the CTNBio when adopting any decision in response to a request from a single sector.
One single public hearing has been carried out about the issue on September 4, 2014, in Brasilia. It clearly showed the insufficiency of the existing studies. Also at this hearing, a letter was presented to the President of the CTNBio from Brazilian and Latin American organizations (http://wrm.org.uy/pt/todas-as-campanhas/carta-aberta-a-comissao-tecnica-nacional-de-biosseguranca-ctnbio-do-brasil/) urging and demanding that CTNBio explicity do not authorize Futuragene/Suzano´s request. An international solidarity letter by organizations endorsing this demand was also presented at the same occassion. (http://wrm.org.uy/pt/acoes-e-campanhas/statement-in-support-of-the-open-letter-to-ctnbio/).
There are many reasons not to authorize this request, additional to the aforementioned risks. FuturaGene's claim of supposed environmental and socio-economic gains are in contradiction with the harm/impacts of the already experienced model of large-scale monocultures, applied for decades in Brazil. The insertion of GE eucalyptus in this model will not alleviate but only worsen the impacts on the environment, biodiversity and indigenous and local communities. The FuturaGene/Suzano claimed benefit of an enhanced yield of more than 20% will only be an incentive to expand this model further, exacerbating its negative impacts instead of reducing them. These impacts include the large-scale application of agrotoxins and the voracious water consumption by eucalyptus monocultures in a country that is facing right now one of its most serious water crises. Besides, many and serious conflicts over access to land already exist and continue increasing, and living conditions of communities surrounded by Suzano's operations have been destroyed to the point that these communities are now struggling to guarantee their food sovereignty and are increasingly at risk of losing their territories. Also, transgenic eucalyptus will specifically impact beekeepers. Because of GMO contamination and the impact on bees; honey exporters will be obliged to label their products, leading to the possibility of suffering caveats from other countries.
Because of all these reasons, we request the Brazilian government through the CTNBio and especially this Ministry to take all measures to not authorize the request of FuturaGene/Suzano for the commercial release of GE eucalyptus, or by any other company that also has, or will present in future, a request for such a release.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Welcome to the distance learning department at Beulah Heights University (BHU). The mission of BHU is to develop relevant Christian leaders for ministry and marketplace. As technological advances such as the internet, email, and blogging become necessary for successful living, what better way to train relevant Christian leaders than through online learning? Online learning allows students to pursue higher education who do not have the professional or geographical flexibility of the traditional student.
The online program at Beulah Heights University offers you an opportunity to pursue your degree on your schedule. We currently offer the AA in Religious Studies, AA in Leadership Studies, the MA in Religious Studies, and the MA in Leadership Studies fully online. The BA degrees in Religious Studies and Leadership Studies will be available by Fall of 2017. Already our program has been recognized as a top ten program for value in the Greater Atlanta Area, and we continue to grow and improve to provide a quality program for BHU students.
Attention: In an effort to ensure that BHU is able to meet all the scholastic requirements of an accredited institution, and because we understand the need for financial aid by many of our students, it has been determined that the online program will NOT be available in the 8-week format in the Fall and Spring Semesters. We regret that we will not be able to move ahead with the 8-week format as planned, but thankfully we were able to anticipate some impending challenges and forestall any negative consequences. Therefore, to ensure our continued pursuit of excellence we will offer all Fall and Spring online courses in the 15-week format to run concurrently with the standard campus courses. The only exception will be the 8-week summer schedules and the PhD program, which will continue to be offered in the 8-week format.
It is also highly recommended that you contact an Admissions Counselor to learn more about our degree programs as well as the rich tradition and diversity of the BHU community. This link will also contain all the necessary material needed to apply to the University. If you are a current student and interested in taking courses online, please contact the Admission department for more information.
Beulah Heights University combines technology and practical application with instant access to learning resources, professors and other students via the Internet. It is designed specifically for students with non-traditional education needs, but also provides a high- quality, convenient opportunity for anyone interested in advancing his or her education.
Beulah360™: Beulah Heights University utilizes E360, a comprehensive education technology platform that provides students with the tools and resources to achieve their online academic goals. E360 allows students who do not have the professional or geographical flexibility of the traditional student to pursue higher education.
Chat/Virtual Classroom: Chat/Virtual classroom is a collaboration software program that works with Beulah360 to create a live virtual classroom. Virtual classrooms at Beulah Heights offer exciting new approaches to instructor-led and peer-to-peer learning help while involving each student on an individual level. At Beulah Heights, interactive online learning experiences constantly evolve, and will keep everyone engaged.
Blackbaud Portal: Each student also has access to his or her individualized Beulah Heights University home page through Blackbaud. Students are required to use their BHU email account for ALL online communication with their instructor. Check your grades, email your instructors, check your business account. All official correspondence from your online course will come to that account.
Email: Upon registering for classes, Beulah Heights University issues each student his or her own email account. Students can access this account online and manage their email. Students are required to use their BHU email account for ALL online communication with their instructor. The library staff will gladly assist a student having difficulty with student email.
Because your email address does not include your personal name, please make sure you identify yourself on all email correspondence to your course instructor.
Help Desk: The Help Desk is a part of Beulah Heights University's Information Technology department. Visit the Help Desk with your questions about Edvance360, email, or any other Beulah Heights University computer system. In the Help Desk section, you will also find links to documentation and frequently asked questions. Our E360 support person is Susie Shanlian, please contact her if you have questions directly related to Beulah360; OnlineDepartment@beulah.edu.
Library: The Beulah Heights University Library offers numerous resources to distance students. Search databases, a number of which are full text, and the library catalog from the Beulah Heights University Library website. GALILEO provides access to multiple information resources, including secured access to licensed products.
Writing Center: One-on-one writing assistance is available through the University Writing Center. Email bhu.writinglab@beulah.org for help today.
Bookstore: Visit the University Bookstore (MBS) virtually. Order your textbooks online through our secure website, and have them delivered to your door.
Quality: Beulah Heights University online is a fully accredited program that uses the same rigorous curriculum as the on-campus programs. Our experienced and knowledgeable professors effectively integrate a Christian perspective into a high standard of academic rigor. In addition, you have access to hundreds of resources through the online library and will receive superior customer service from the Information Technology department.
Ministry Friendly: Studying at Beulah Heights University will quickly prepare you for ministerial advancement, new opportunities and an expanded sphere of influence, whether you maintain your current career or transition to ministerial life. Visit, call, or email today to find out more about our ministerial-friendly options.
Are you self motivated and self disciplined?
Do you have a desire to be a lifelong learner?
If you said yes to these questions then you are a candidate for online learning. Online learning differs from the traditional classroom in a variety of ways. The most obvious is that students will not be in the classroom. This results in a loss of accountability and forces the students to be self disciplined. The following test will help you determine if you would be a successful online student.
Use the scoring rubric below to determine how successful you would be in an online course.
Read the guiding documents carefully for the course.
The course syllabus contains all of the information the student needs to progress through a distance learning course. This includes information about the course description, objectives, and requirements, course meetings, assignments and testing, media and technology needed to successfully complete the course. The course schedule provides an overview for the material to be covered every week. This document will help the students to plan for the course. The grading rubric provides the students a detailed description of how each assignment will be accessed.
In a traditional onsite course the student is in class for approximately three hours. In addition to this, students are expected to invest two hours outside of the classroom. Since online students are not in the classroom, your time is much more flexible. Students should consult the course schedule as a guide for how to investment their time. Students who get behind will have a difficult time succeeding in the course.
Do not hesitate to contact your instructor if you have any questions or concerns during the course. It is much better to be safe than sorry.
It is wise to keep a calendar with all the assignments and due dates for each course you take. Your blackboard account has a calendar that could be accessed. This will prevent the student from falling behind in the course.
A little work on an assignment each day will allow you time to give attention to its quality. Your workload will be spread out, so you will avoid doing it at the last minute.
Students register for an online course the same as an onsite course. New students will be required to check their BHU email for a username and password access to the course(s) they are enrolled. Returning students may skip this step.
Once you have your username and password you may log onto BHU website and access your online course by clicking on the link named BHU360. You will be taken to screen where you are to enter your username and password. The following tutorial can provide further assistance.
Online work is self managed. You may complete the work when it is most convenient for you. However, most courses do have weekly course work that is required to be completed during a specified week. Students will not have access to weekly course material during the entire semester and therefore must plan to complete this material during the assigned week.
To view a sample online course please click on the following link. Enter "Guest" in the username box and "password" in the password box.


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In Fledglings
After a successful crowdfunding in 2022, Bricolage Dynamics now has a commercial-scale processing center that is busy recycling post-consumer glass into sand, for use in construction and landscaping. The plan for 2023 is to begin franchising their glass to sand model. If you know of a community that is not collecting glass, or any municipal recycling company that is sending most of their...
In Advice, Africa, Startup Ecoystem
"The Missing Middle" is what we call the gap in finance the majority of entrepreneurs face in getting from a viable prototype or early customers to a full-scale proven business. In Part 1, Luni explains who he is, and how he came to fill in this otherwise missing middle. In Part 2, Luni jumps back to the history of venture capital to explain the pervasive paradigm that leads to...
Every year, we collectively throw away 50 million tons of clothes and other textiles worldwide. With its 100% waste-based, fully recyclable NuCycl fiber, launched in April, Evrnu aspires to create a virtuous textile cycle. NuCycl is made by chemically liquefying old textiles into their essential molecules, purifying the liquid pulp, and then extruding the pulp into fibers to be spun into yarn...
In Conscious
Paniel Meat Processing and Livestock Bank, two companies created by the same founder merged back together in early 2022. Business is good, growing from $35,000 in annual revenues back in 2017 to over $1.5 million USD in 2022. In short… it works. Quite well. To see what that means in practice, below is a site visit video shot this month in Kigali, Rwanda. Share this:Click to share on Twitter...


AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the mandating reasons for draft amendments to the Penal Code that stiffen penalties against assailants of educators and medical personnel.
The amended law, which was referred to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, stipulates no less than one-year imprisonment for those who assault teachers, faculty members at colleges and universities, nurses and doctors while they are on duty, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni as saying.
The punishment also applies if the educators or healthcare workers are attacked for an action or decision they have taken in their professional capacity.
Talhouni said the amendment was introduced to respect these professionals, voicing readiness to amend any laws that can stop the "shameful" phenomena of assaults against educators, doctors and nurses.
The decision comes after the Council of Ministers directed the ministerial legal committee to study stiffening these penalties in light of recurrent assaults, Petra reported.
On Wednesday, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) reported two new cases of assaults on teachers.
In the Western Badia, a student's parent reportedly hit a teacher at Musharafeh Secondary School for Boys.
Teachers at the school observed a strike on Wednesday in protest against the attack, a JTA statement said.
In the second incident, a group of young men reportedly barged into the Mazraa Secondary School for Girls in Mafraq and prevented teachers from organising the morning assembly, levelling insults and threats against educators and students.
The teachers had to call the police to intervene, and the assailants escaped, another JTA statement said.
The syndicate condemned the incidents and called for immediate action to curb the phenomenon.
Over 70 assaults have been registered against teachers since the beginning of this year, according to the JTA.


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Q: Code book for Hamming Code For a natural nuber $d$ there are $N=2^d-1$ non-zero vectors in $\mathbb F_2^d$. Now I take these as the columns of a $d\times N$ matrix $S$. The kernel of $S$ is then the code book for a Hamming code $c:\mathbb F_2^{N-d}\rightarrow \mathbb F_2^N$ (Is this a clear result or is there anything to prove?)
$S$ is the Syndrome, we can use it to check whether a vector $x\in\mathbb F^N$ is a code word by cheking $Sx=0$ or not.
My question is why is each of these Hamming codes a 1-error correcting-code?

A: Suppose you have a valid message $x \in F_2^N$, i.e. $Sx = 0$. Suppose you modify it in one place to obtain $y$. Then $Sy = Sz$ where $z = y + x$. So we can restrict the question to messages with the form of $z$, i.e. messages which consists entirely of zeros apart from a single one.
Let the position of the error be $1 \leq n \leq N$. Then $Sz$ is a binary representation of $n$, because all the columns of $S$ are different. This allows us to find the error and correct it.
There are only $2^d$ possible values of $Sx$. One of these (zero) is interpreted as an indication that there are no errors, while the rest are interpreted as single errors. Therefore, if we receive a message with more than one error in it, we will certainly decode it incorrectly.
This proves that the code is a perfect 1-error-correcting code.

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Getting your yoga instructor certification from RightYoga might not be as hard as you think!
Does your performance of the posture have to be perfect?
Does your performance of the breathing techniques need to be perfect?
Does your performance of other yoga stuff need to be perfect?
Must you look glamorous like the yoga models in magazines?
Must you be ultra-flexible and twist yourself into a knot?
Answers: No. No. No. No. No. No.
However, you should have a decent ability in what you do. Authentic Yoga is about personal growth at your own pace, according to your body type and age. More mature practitioners due to various factors may not be as flexible as younger yogis.
Indian history is replete with great yogis who were either young or aged, fit or disabled, male or female, queen or cobbler.
True yoga has never rejected genuine practitioners just because they could not twist into a pretzel or did not attend a certain yoga school or fit a glamorized body image.
Yoga is not so much about looking great but being healthy and feeling great.
Are you a homeschooled or self-taught yogi? Join here! Have you attended a yoga school or course? Join here! You can also certify and register your Yoga School or Studio!
Why join RightYoga? Benefits of Getting Certified and Registering.


text:
Lending Updates
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LSTA Publishes Term SOFR Concept Document
By Michael O'Brien, Kevin Ryan & Aaron Levy on September 7, 2021
Posted in Lending Updates, LIBOR
On August 25, the LSTA published its Term SOFR Concept Document (the "Term SOFR Concept Document")[1]—the latest addition to its suite of SOFR-based Concept Documents.
Continue Reading LSTA Publishes Term SOFR Concept Document
ARRC Formally Recommends Term SOFR
By Michael O'Brien, Aaron Levy & Kevin Ryan on August 2, 2021
As expected, on July 28, 2021, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) formally recommended the CME's SOFR Term Rate. The SOFR Term Rate is known in advance of the related interest period and provides an indicative, forward-looking measurement of SOFR based on market expectations implied from leading derivatives markets. In this respect, the SOFR Term Rate functions in a manner similar to today's LIBOR rates. In contrast, the Daily Simple SOFR or Daily Compounded SOFR used for interest periods beyond overnight can only be determined in arrears. The SOFR Term Rate thus facilitates in a significant way the transition away from the current LIBOR markets.
Continue Reading ARRC Formally Recommends Term SOFR
Latest Milestone in LIBOR Replacement Passed
By Michael O'Brien & Aaron Levy on July 28, 2021
This past Monday, July 26, marked passage of the most recent major milestone in the replacement of LIBOR as the benchmark USD interest rate. Following the recommendation of the CFTC's Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC) Interest Rate Benchmark Reform Subcommittee, on July 26, 2021 interdealer brokers replaced trading in LIBOR linear swaps with SOFR linear swaps. This switch is a precursor to the recommendation of SOFR term rates. The switch does not apply to trades between dealers and their non-dealer customers.
Continue Reading Latest Milestone in LIBOR Replacement Passed
FHFA Releases Policy Statement On Fair Lending
By A.J. Dhaliwal & Moorari Shah on July 15, 2021
Posted in Lending Updates, National Lenders
On July 1, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released a Policy Statement on its commitment to comprehensive fair lending oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively, "regulated entities"). The FHFA addressed its position on: (i) monitoring and information gathering; (ii) supervisory examinations; and (iii) administrative enforcement related to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act. The FHFA added that the statement operates as a "foundation for future interpretations by the agency and its regulated entities." Comments on the policy statement are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Continue Reading FHFA Releases Policy Statement On Fair Lending
CFPB and Georgia AG Settle With Debt-Relief Company
By Moorari Shah & A.J. Dhaliwal on July 7, 2021
On June 29, the CFPB and the Georgia Attorney General's Office settled with a debt-relief and credit-repair company and its owners for allegedly deceiving consumers into hiring the company to lower or eliminate credit-card debts and improve consumers' credit scores. The complaint alleges that the plaintiffs' use of telemarketing and direct mail violated the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Consumer Financial Protection Act, and Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act by, among other things, falsely claiming that:
Continue Reading CFPB and Georgia AG Settle With Debt-Relief Company
DFS Settles with Indirect Auto Lenders to Resolve Fair Lending Violations
On June 29, NYDFS announced that two New York-charted banks engaging in indirect auto lending will pay civil money penalties for violating New York's fair lending law for engaging in practices that resulted in members of protected classes paying higher interest rates that were not based on creditworthiness. In particular, NYDFS asserts that the practice of allowing "dealer markup" in setting retail interest rates resulted in statistically significant differences in pricing, disadvantaging Hispanic and African-American consumers, with differences ranging from 20 to 59 basis points.
Continue Reading DFS Settles with Indirect Auto Lenders to Resolve Fair Lending Violations
Immediate Enactment Of Juneteenth As A Federal Holiday Will Have Significant Impact On Mortgage Lenders And Other Consumer Lenders
By Sherwin Root on June 18, 2021
Posted in Lending Updates
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed Senate Bill 475 into law, making "Juneteenth" a federal holiday. Because June 19th (tomorrow) falls on a Saturday this year, the day will be observed by federal government offices on June 18, 2021 (today).
Continue Reading Immediate Enactment Of Juneteenth As A Federal Holiday Will Have Significant Impact On Mortgage Lenders And Other Consumer Lenders
CFPB Issues Mortgage Servicing FAQs
By Moorari Shah & A.J. Dhaliwal on June 15, 2021
The CFPB recently released new FAQs regarding the Mortgage Servicing Rule and Regulation X and Regulation Z relating to escrow account guidance and analysis.
Continue Reading CFPB Issues Mortgage Servicing FAQs
CFPB Issues FAQs on Electronic Fund Transfers
By Moorari Shah & A.J. Dhaliwal on June 8, 2021
On June 4, the CFPB issued eight updated FAQs to the unauthorized transfer and error resolution provisions under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E. Highlights from the FAQs include the following:…
Continue Reading CFPB Issues FAQs on Electronic Fund Transfers
Farm Lending Pitfalls For Urban Lawyers
By Richard Brunette & Kenneth Fox on March 17, 2021
Posted in Lending Updates, National Lenders, Uncategorized, Uniform Commercial Code
OK, so you're a sophisticated lending attorney in Metropolis who is comfortable with everything from aircraft financing to syndicated loans secured by casinos in Macau. Yet you feel a twinge of uncertainty when a business loan is to be secured by wine inventory made from grapes grown in both California and Washington. You know intuitively that anytime farmers, ranchers or food processors are in the mix, either as a borrower or a supplier to the borrower, the underwriting and documentation challenges are not uniform on a state-by-state basis, and are compounded by an overlay of federal laws designed to protect growers of perishable crops and providers of livestock. To get a reality check, you sometimes will secretly call your law school classmate who oddly returned to Smallville and now represents its one bank.
Continue Reading Farm Lending Pitfalls For Urban Lawyers
It's Time to (Carefully) Secure that Guaranty
By Richard Brunette on March 8, 2021
The 2021 increase to California's homestead exemption to up to $600,000 stands to change the legal and economic relationship of guarantors with their lenders and vendors who make loans or sell goods or services on credit. Before examining this important change in California's homestead exemption and its effect on guaranties, some perspective is needed on guaranties themselves.
Continue Reading It's Time to (Carefully) Secure that Guaranty


Lovely bright contemporary ground floor flat to rent at £995pcm with 2 bedrooms, living-dining room, kitchen with dishwasher, washer/dryer, bathroom with shower and bath. The flat has downlighting and wooden floors throughout with french doors to a patio and private car parking in a small modern purpose built block and situated in a great location near the riverside and close to the BR train station. The town with cafes, bistros boutiques, Waitrose, Tesco all walking distance. Several nearby gyms. Henley is a beautiful town and a lovely place to live.


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MBN report features Mosul native's artistic response to ISIS propaganda
Islamic State militants invaded much of Iraq's north and west in 2014, occupying the country's second largest city, Mosul. Not only did they propagate a harsh and violent version of Islamic law through airwaves and print, but also marred the streets with Daesh's hate-preaching graffiti. As cities are liberated from the occupation of ISIS, Alhurra-Iraq aired a video story about an Iraqi artist who took back the streets and walls of his city, Mosul, painting over the messages of intolerance and violence left behind by the militant group that sought to supplant the peaceful culture of the city.
The report highlights Abdul Rahman Al Dulaimi's creative employment of his talents in response to the death of his brother at the barbaric hands of ISIS. He started painting over hateful Islamic State graffiti in the public view with messages of peace and beautiful thought-provoking art that reflects the richness of Iraq's culture. He painted over language which urges violence against those who don't agree with ISIS ideology of death and destruction and countered ISIS rhetoric with messages of love, bringing hope and beauty to a once ransacked town.
Abdul Rahman's story attracted the attention of Iraqi local news outlets. More than 20 Iraqi publications picked up the story, which provides a testimony to the strong desire to build a future of hope in Iraq that will cast away violence and extremism. Alhurra-Iraq consistently strives to share stories, untold elsewhere, highlighting the challenges and aspirations of Iraqis to build a more stable and secure country.
About MBN
MBN is non-profit corporate media outlet financed by the U.S. government through a grant from U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency. The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.
Mosul, Iraq
Iraqi paints murals to avenge his brother's death at the hands of Daesh
Alhurra report (Arabic)


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In the final minutes Stoke were awarded a penalty for a foul on Jese, and substitute Charlie Adam stepped up with his effort saved by Mat Ryan and then cleared by Lewis Dunk.
The Australia goalkeeper made a stunning 88th-minute penalty save from Charlie Adam at the bet365 Stadium, after Dale Stephens had pushed Jese Rodriguez, before Dunk denied the midfielder a tap in from the rebound with an excellent challenge.
This was surely a game Stoke should be winning if they are to navigate a route to safety, especially with matches coming up against Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs.
Stoke remained in the relegation zone, while Brighton is three points better off.
Time is running out for Paul Lambert to ensure his record of never being relegated as a Premier League manager remains untarnished.
More news: What Is Russia's Role in Downing of Israeli Warplane?
But Stoke could do little about the tricky winger's brilliant opener as Izquierdo played one-twos with Solly March and Stephens, before coolly slotting past Butland into the bottom-right corner.
Adam moved forward in slow motion and somehow contrived to see his shot blocked by Lewis Dunk in one of the most remarkable moments of the season so far.
The Potters' best attempt at a response came nearly instantly when Moritz Bauer broke down the right from kickoff, although new signing Badou Ndiaye sent his first-time volley over the crossbar.
Agonisingly for Stoke, Diouf's powerful header was goalbound but Knockaert did just enough to head off the line and preserve a point for the Seagulls.
- Jose Izquierdo has been directly involved in four of Brighton's last seven Premier League goals (2 goals, 2 assists).
It improved, as 40 investors sold MSFT shares while 952 reduced holdings. 114 funds opened positions while 708 raised stakes. The stock of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) earned "Buy" rating by Bank of America on Thursday, February 1. (NYSE:VMI).
Apg Asset Management Nv decreased Sealed Air Corp New (NYSE:SEE) stake by 229,500 shares to 362,214 valued at $15.47M in 2017Q3. This company shares are 18.77% off its target price of $26.96 and the current market capitalization stands at $3.24B.
Mr Johnson will also meet the chair of the Advisory Board on the Rakhine Advisory Commission, Surakiart Sathirathai. Johnson also reiterated the UK's support to the global Rohingya humanitarian response.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tried and failed to use the moment to secure a promise for a separate vote on immigration. But the push to pass the massive legislation early Friday underscored enduring divisions within both parties.
BidaskClub cut Cameco Corporation from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 17th. Finally, Rathbone Brothers plc acquired a new position in Cameco in the fourth quarter worth about $122,000.
Referring to the global association, IOC President Thomas Bach said he is "extremely anxious about the governance in AIBA". The court hearing on the appeals is scheduled for 04:00 GMT on Wednesday, the legal firm added.
The President did not express any sympathy for the women Porter allegedly abused, instead focusing on Porter's claim of innocence. You'll notice what - or more accurately who - is not mentioned in Trump quotes and tweet: The alleged victims.
Though Kansas made 8 of 9 free throws, it marked the team's fewest attempts in a league game (previously 13 against Iowa State). The Kansas Jayhawks are averaging 82.5 points on 49.3 percent shooting and allowing 70.1 points on 40.8 percent shooting.
On Friday, three Army jawans had been injured in intermittent firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Poonch. Pakistan has been frequently violating the ceasefire and the Army says that the current phase was an escalatory ladder.
The Eagles and most citizens of Philadelphia have been on a week-long party tour that has almost demolished the city. Even though they were the number one seed playing at home against the sixth seed, they were underdogs.
Everton fans pleased with enforcer's performance against Crystal Palace: "Absolutely class", "Outstanding"
The Eagles head to Everton without winger Wilfried Zaha, who faces around a month on the sidelines with a knee injury. He fired a shot towards the corner that visiting keeper Wayne Hennessey pushed away. "Results will change", he said .
Investors will commonly use Williams %R in conjunction with other trend indicators to help spot possible stock turning points. Many traders will use a combination of moving averages with different time frames to help review stock trend direction.
The accompanying caption to the message-driven image accused Parker of "exploiting" the tragedy as a crass attempt at image rehab. Kim , 61, shared the heartbreaking news on Twitter that her younger brother Chris had "unexpectedly passed away".
In a recent interview with Metro, actor Warwick Davis said that it's always a delight to be in a Star Wars film. Early reports indicated that Howard reshot up to 75% of Solo , even going as far as to replace Michael K.
The research firm rates the sentiment of media coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. OLD National Bancorp IN purchased a new position in Discovery Communications during the 3rd quarter valued at about $222,000.
Pillar Pacific Mgmt Limited Liability Com holds 1.33% of its portfolio in Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) for 70,841 shares. According to their observations and findings, the stock could provide a high EPS of $2.12/share and a low EPS of $1.62/share.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth managed to get going, shooting a five-under 66 on Monterey Peninsula to be tied for 23rd. McIlroy, a four-time Major victor , played the fifth hole like a weekend warrior on day two of the rich tournament.
Lopez said Bollinger told him she wanted to be killed "on her knees... executed from behind", according to the affidavit. Lopez eventually admitted to pulling the trigger, though he initially claimed he did not go through with the hit.
Kalanick was pressured by investors to step down as CEO a year ago , partly because of concerns about Waymo's lawsuit. The final value of the settlement could swing up or down, depending on how much Uber is worth when it goes public.
Some of the hits she has shepherded at the network include top broadcast drama This Is Us and the Chicago franchise. The unique, drawn-out and exhaustive process had been considered a potential deterrent to Hollywood candidates.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has extended a rare invitation to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang. When he was brought back to the USA however, he was comatosed and he died several days after returning home.
Mourinho added: 'He's been free of minor injuries for a few months which sometimes stops the evolution and I'm really happy'. Luke Shaw is set to be offered a new contract by Manchester United after forcing his way into Jose Mourinho's plans.
The last summit was held in October 2007 between Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Jong-il, the father of the North Korean leader. A special train had been prepared just for the visitors for the Winter Olympics, a Blue House pool report said.
Trump made a commitment to improving the lives of African Americans in this country", Manigault-Newman said. Winokur adds, "I put her in the hospital", but includes that she's going to be OK. "Mr.
Local fans had something to cheer as South Korea beat 9-4 at the curling centre in the coastal town of Gangneung. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Friday the CAS ruling was understandable but disappointing.
The shares price has positioned -5.06% over the past quarter while it has directed 10.70% throughout past six months. Guardian Capital Lp decreased Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Ltd ( TSM ) stake by 13.82% reported in 2017Q3 SEC filing.
In 2008, a speeding bus careered out of control at a Sai Kung roundabout, leaving 18 people dead and 44 injured. The driver has been arrested on two counts of causing death and grievous bodily harm by risky driving.


The new Grundfos company will be responsible for sales, service and after-sales support in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Guyana and Ecuador.
"We are establishing a company in Columbia to offer our customers and business partners in the Andes region improved support. I believe that, with the right Grundfos set-up in cooperation with local staff, we may make the region one of the most successful growth markets in South America and maybe in the entire Group," said Grundfos senior vice president Carlo Prola.
Grundfos already has a sales office in Lima, Peru.
Ebara Corp has established a new company in Colombia to sell pumps and provide related services and support.


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July 02, 2014 Music » Sound Stories & Interviews
Furr Trapper
Portland's alt-rock juggernauts Blitzen Trapper
By Brianna Brey
There's something very (David) Lynchian about the demeanor of Blitzen Trapper, Portland's rollicking alt-country golden boys. Dark glasses, uncut hair, and songs with a proclivity for trance-like interludes shattered with high-octane guitar fits. That, or the other end of the spectrum, stripped-down folk constructions about murderers and heavy drinkers.
In addition, the group played its first gig back in the early 2000s under the name Garmonbozia, a reference to the bizarre concept of pain and sorrow—embodied by cream corn—in the twisted small-town dreamscape of Lynch's "Twin Peaks."
Blitzen Trapper specializes in painting vivid portraits of the turmoil of small-town America, drowning in the bottoms of bottles in dark, rustic bars. All that, and the rural roots of the band, several of whose members grew up near Salem, Ore., a town that inflects the secretive and forested "Twin Peaks" aesthetic. Although the group has lived in Portland for over a decade, front man Eric Earley's pastoral storytelling hasn't lost any connection to the rural Oregon they came from.
"[Growing up in a small town] gave us time to play music. There wasn't a lot going on in the town," said singer and primary songwriter Earley in an interview with the Source. "I started playing when I was really young. I was able to play with others and figure out how to do that."
Since being Garmonbozia, Blitzen Trapper has released seven albums and made a name for itself as some of Portland's most well respected troubadour country rockers.
"We get to play rock music every night. I've had a lot of other jobs that were way worse," contended Earley. "I've done a lot of factory work, kitchen work, farm work in my 20s. The worst job I've ever done was working at the garbage incinerator outside of Salem. I turned 30 and we started touring."
The most recent release is 2013's aptly titled VII. The opening track titled "Feel the Chill" has a borderline disco funk-country vibe, a genre I had never conceptualized until listening to the album, and feels dancier and twangier than some of the band's previous releases.
"Those influences are coming from soul music and hip-hop," said Early. "I listen to hip-hop for lyrical content and I like the way they put beats together. I like Kendrick Lamar and I like Biggie, Public Enemy."
The track "Thirsty Man" returns to the full-fledged Americana and begins to stack up to the pure, hot-burning power of the band's 2008's stripped-down album Furr.
"There are always three or four songs that click," said Earley of the new album. "'Thirsty Man' is a really popular one and 'Don't be a Stranger' is another one that people really like."
When I ask him about why he thinks listeners and critics connect so well with one my favorite coming-of-age songs, the title track on "Furr," he's cavalier about his craft.
"I have no idea. I really don't know. People like it," he shrugs. "Why do people like anything? It's got verses and a chorus, but every song has those."
Perhaps it's the woodsy imagery, the idea of sheading responsibility like a coat of fur only to have it returned with age, the Simon and Garfunklesque construction, or the pounding-heart kick drum that enters at precisely the right second. Whatever makes the song loveable, it immortalizes a nearly perfect feeling of absurdity in a dreamlike four minutes. Very Lynchian of you, Blitzen Trapper.
Blitzen Trapper
5:30 pm. | Sun., July 6
Black Butte Ranch, 13899 Bishops Cap
Brianna Brey
Newspaper on the Radio 7/2
What To (Maybe) Look Forward to in 2021
The Smooth Sound of KENZI
10 Years of "Furr"
Here's What's Hot
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by Isaac Biehl
Triple Whammy
Eric Leadbetter helps bring joy to the music scene, food industry and hospital workers with the St. Charles Meal Mission
Toast & Jam at River's Place - River's Place
Wed., Jan. 20, 5-7 p.m.
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Author Brian Michael Bendis
Genre: Graphic Novels
Our score: 4.5
Jessica Jones Summary
Jessica Jones - Collects Alias #19. Meet Jessica Jones, one-time costumed heroine turned private investigator. After realizing that her powers were unremarkable compared to those of the icons in the Marvel Universe, Jones gave up being a super hero and eventually opened up a detective agency. While her intent to help others is intact, her personal behavior is anything but valiant: She is bitter, resentful and self-destructive. In lieu of professional help, Jessica battles her inferiority complex and depression with a chain-smoking habit and alcoholic tendencies. In spite of her self-imposed exile from the spandex crowd, Jessica's cases continually lead her back to her old circle of acquaintances, which only fuels her angst even more. Jessica is imperfect and human, and her textured personality is eloquently rendered by Bendis and Gaydos.
Jessica Jones Review
Brian Michael Bendis Book List
Avengers: Disassembled #1
Brian Michael Bendis & David Finch
The Avengers, Vol. 1
Brian Michael Bendis & John Romita, Jr.
DC Nation #0 (2018-) #1
James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Tom King, Brian Michael Bendis, Jorge Jimenez, Clay Mann & José L. García López
The New Avengers, Vol. 1: Breakout
The Avengers: Disassembled
The New Avengers, Vol. 2: The Sentry
Brian Michael Bendis & Steve McNiven
DC's Year of the Villain Special (2019-) #1
James Tynion IV, Tom King, Brian Michael Bendis, Francis Manapul, Jim Cheung & Alex Maleev
The New Avengers, Vol. 3: Secrets & Lies
Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch & Frank Cho
The New Avengers, Vol. 4: The Collective
Brian Michael Bendis, Steve McNiven & Mike Deodato
The New Avengers, Vol. 5: Civil War
Brian Michael Bendis, Howard Chaykin, Pasqual Ferry, Olivier Coipel, Leinil Francis Yu & Jim Cheung
Secret War
Brian Michael Bendis & Gabriele Dell'Otto
Brian Michael Bendis & Olivier Coipel
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 6: Venom
Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 3: Double Trouble
All-New X-Men, Vol. 1: Yesterday's X-Men
Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen
The New Avengers: Illuminati
Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed & Jim Cheung
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 5: Public Scrutiny
The New Avengers, Vol. 6: Revolution
Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Francis Yu & Alex Maleev
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 7: Irresponsible
Spider-Man: Died In Your Arms Tonight
Dan Slott, Mark Waid & Brian Michael Bendis
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 8: Cats & Kings
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 9: Ultimate Six
Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley & Trevor Hairsine
Castle, Vol. 1: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm
Brian Michael Bendis, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Richard Castle & Lan Medina
The New Avengers, Vol. 7: The Trust
The New Avengers, Vol. 8: Secret Invasion, Book 1
Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Cheung & Michael Gaydos
The New Avengers, Vol. 10: Power
Brian Michael Bendis & Billy Tan
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 10: Hollywood
The New Avengers, Vol. 11: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme
Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Bachalo & Billy Tan
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis Vol. 2
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 1
The Mighty Avengers, Vol. 2: Venom Bomb
Action Comics (2016-) #1000
Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder, Tom King, Brad Meltzer, Paul Dini, Louise Simonson, Peter J. Tomasi, Marv Wolfman, Dan Jurgens, Richard Donner, Jim Lee, John Cassaday, Clay Mann, José L. García López, Jerry Ordway, Patrick Gleason, Olivier Coipel & Curt Swan
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 11
The New Avengers, Vol. 12: Powerloss
Civil War: Iron Man
Brian Michael Bendis, Daniel Knauf, Charlie Knauf, Christos Gage, Alex Maleev, Mike Perkins, Jeremy Haun & Patrick Zircher
Spider-Men
The New Avengers, Vol. 1


With a large array of award winning hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and Local ingredients, El Charro Café is a passage to Tucson's Culinary History that has been won the dining icon acclaim from all over the world. People come from all corners of the globe to experience El Charro Café and we invite you to do the same.
The El Charro Café family is proud to be considered one of America's dining icons, but we will never rest on our laurels and will continue to develop delicious hand-crafted food and beverage recipes sure to please most any palate or dietary requirement. We are innovators and originators and have proven this with our efforts in maintaining old world quality with new found concepts such as recipes lower in trans fat or designing dishes for those who need to dine gluten free!
Whatever your needs, El Charro Café and family are prepared to show you that; "We are not the best because we are the oldest, We are the oldest because WE ARE THE BEST!"
The word "Charro" is "a name given to the peasants of the province of Salamanca." This word was adapted in 1857 and applied in Mexico to good, able horsemen, recognized by the costume or uniform they wear, especially the high-crowned, wide brimmed hat.
Our Legendary Tia Monica Flin, is well-known as "The Inventor of The Chimichanga." While frying her now famous El Charro ground beef tacos, she accidentally dropped a burro into the frying pan and when the oil splashed up she was about to lash out a common Spanish cuss word starting with "Ch" but because she was amongst her young nieces and nephews, changed it to "Chimichanga", the equivalent of "thingamajig." Thankfully for all of us, Monica was a controlled and creative cuss.
El Charro was honored when the United States Navy named the galley on the U.S.S. Tucson Submarine as "El Charro Down Under." Yes, you can eat at an El Charro at 1,000 feet below sea level, but you'll need to enlist first!
¡Bienvenidos a El Charro Café!
Back in those days, a woman owned business was rare enough, but El Charro was even more unique as it was truly a one woman operation, with Monica acting as hostess, waitress and chef all at the same time! Today, Carlotta Flores, our chef-author and great grandniece of Monica, carries on the tradition of Tia Monica! And while no longer a one woman operation, under her guidance El Charro has become one of the most critically acclaimed restaurant brands in the USA with features in Bon Appétit, Gourmet Magazine, USA Today, The NBC Today Show, Parade Magazine, the NY and LA Times and most recently; The NY Post.
Featuring Sonoran and innovative Tucson-style Mexican food, El Charro has won the Tucson Lifestyle Reader's Poll Gold Medal as Best Mexican Restaurant nine years in a row or since the award was began in the local lifestyle magazine and was named in 2010 as one of America's Top 50 Restaurant Icons by Nation's Restaurant News.
Chef Carlotta and family currently own and operate five Tucson-area locations, a full service catering division, and are the Official Mexican Food Restaurants of the UofA Wildcats. They are involved in countless charitable and non-profit efforts and believe that a business is only as good as what it gives back to its community.


Ceramics part 1: Cody Hoyt | Yayzine!
We've got this thing for ceramics… Cody Hoyt, ceramics artist, makes our hearts beat faster. He sends beautifully crafted vessels into this world from his atelier in Brooklyn. He combines the natural colors of clay to create graphic patterns and moulds them into geometrical shapes, perfect for housing your favorite plants. Yet another reason to pay that Big Apple a visit! We can't wait to add one of his creations to our home.


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Superkarts! USA
Tweets by @SuperKartsUSA
Next Great Lakes ProKart Challenge Event
PRE-ENTRY OPEN NOW
Will close on Weds July 31, 11:59 PM EST
Round 7/8 - NEw CaSTLE August 3-4, 2019
New Castle Motorsports Park
5816 South County 125 West
newcastlemotorsportspark.com
Pit Passes Sold On-Site
Next SKUSA Pro Tour Event
Will close Sun Aug 4,11:59 PM PDT
summernationals - Rounds 5&6 August 9-11, 2019
Grange Motor Circuit to Host Third Round of ProKart Challenge South
Now just a week away, the third round of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge South program is set for the Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley, California. The 8/10-mile course will be the perfect site to continue the championship chases in the six-round championship, mixing in well with the opening round facilities of CalSpeed and Willow Springs. Within the program, the Stock Moto package continues to grow, thanks in part to the new internal ladder system developed by the Superkarts! USA organization – while the TaG competition has certainly earned praises with a diverse group of drivers and engine packages.
To speak volume on the competitiveness of the series, no one driver in the 10 divisions has won back to back features. The headline S1 Pro Stock Moto category has seen Brett Felkins and Clinton Schoombee take the first two feature wins, though it is Tommy Thompson's early consistency that has him earning the top spot in the standings thus far. The racing in TaG Senior has been like no other class, with stacked fields in the opening rounds. It is a battle of young up-and-comers against karting veterans; Kyle Shriver currently has the early edge over Larry Fraser and Phil Giebler – along with the rest of the field – with two strong podium performances.
LeDuc and Giebler Impress in Exciting ProKart Challenge North Battle
After rain and wind kept the drivers of the ProKart Challenge North series in their trailers during the Friday's available practice day, they emerged ready for battle when Saturday dawned sunny and cool at the Jim Russell International Karting Center. As the temperature rose through the day, so did the excitement on the racetrack, as the Infineon Raceway facility provided the perfect venue for some close racing – including two of the races which were decided by less than four hundredths of a second. In the closest race of the day, Phil Giebler (FA Kart) won over a strong TaG Senior class when he nipped Bobby Kelley (Maddox) by a scant 0.008 seconds in a drag race to the line. In the S1 Pro Stock Moto class, Nic LeDuc (GP) scored his first PKC gearbox win by holding off a charging Brett Buckwalter (Italkart) at the end of the 20-lap run.
LeDuc's emergence in the PKC North program will put his name in the hat for the race win at the upcoming SKUSA SpringNationals, the opening round of the new Pro Tour. STA Racing's LeDuc wasn't the primary contender for the win this past weekend, however, as Fritz Leesmann (CRG) was certainly the man to beat. The Aluminos driver qualified on the pole ahead of Buckwalter by three tenths, and proceeded to score wins in both heat races to remain on the front row for the main. After getting off the line slowly and dropping to fourth, Leesmann worked his way back to the lead. It was not to last, however, as a broken shift arm put him on the sidelines, opening the door to the remainder of the field. Cameron Karting's Buckwalter would assume the point, but LeDuc had worked into the challenge position and eventually took over the top spot before stretching a small advantage. Buckwalter would pick up the pace over the final laps, but came up just short, taking second to LeDuc. Tommy Thompson (Energy) came out of a hard-fought battle for third with the final podium position, finishing ahead of Jason Toft (GP) and Brad Dunford (CRG).
Superkarts! USA Announces Pro Tour Awards Program
With the opening round of their new Pro Tour just five weeks away, Superkarts! USA officials have put the finishing touches on the prize package that they have assembled for the series. With a prize payout total worth more than $80,000, the cash segment of the program features both event purse money for all three races and a year-end championship prize fund for the top drivers in S1 and TaG Senior. SKUSA is also offering supported entry into this year's SuperNationals for the mid-season point leaders in TaG Junior and TaG Master, and paid entry into the entire 2011 Pro Tour for all nine class champions. SKUSA will also bring back the popular national number plates, and will offer up a very lucrative prize in the shape of guaranteed SuperNationals main event starting positions for the top-five in points heading into the biggest race of the year. The new TaG Cadet class is also in the prize mix with new Mini Rok engines being offered up to weekend event winners, leading up to a fully supported trip to the Rok International Finale for the category champion. The chase for these exciting offerings will begin at the SpringNationals at Infineon Raceway in mid-April, and as such, SKUSA is also pleased to release the host hotel information, which will no doubt be the epicenter of off-track action during the opener.
The Pro classes on SKUSA's new national tour – S1 and TaG Senior – will run for a weekend total of $3,500 in prize money at all three events. Each class will be awarded $1750 to the top three drivers in the overall cumulative point standings for the weekend. SKUSA President Tom Kutscher will present $1000, in cash, to the overall point winner in each class during the Sunday afternoon podium presentations. Second and third will receive $500 and $250, respectively. A championship point fund will be accumulated from race-to-race, and cash awards will be distributed to the top-three in the point standings for both S1 and TaG Senior. A driver's accumulated points from all five Pro Tour events will determine the final standings. The champion will receive $5000, while second and third will be awarded $2000 and $1000, respectively.
Online Shopping Cart Now Open For Pro Tour SpringNationals!
The SKUSA online shopping kart is now open for entries for the SKUSA ProTour SpringNationals to be held next month April 16-18, at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. Click HERE to submit your entry online with a credit card now. Don't forget to get your SKUSA membership, as well. NOTE: The TaG Cadet class is ROCKIN' and the free engine promotion is just about sold out!
Second Round of ProKart Challenge North Returns to Sonoma
Looking to build upon the momentum of the 2010 opener, the ProKart Challenge North returns this month for the second event of the season at the Jim Russell International Karting Center. Located on the grounds of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA the Superkarts! USA Northern California regional series will attack the 7/10-mile national circuit on March 12-13. With the organization's debut of the new SKUSA Pro Tour just around the corner – April 16-18 – this regional event will see a host of national contenders from outside the area looking to educate themselves on the facility and the MG Tires utilized in all Superkarts! USA events.
Included in the cast of guests for the second round of the ProKart Challenge North program is veteran karting announcer Rob Howden. The owner/publisher of eKartingNews.com was the official voice of SKUSA during its ProMoto Tour days, and now with the debut of the new Pro Tour, Howden will be in California to warm-up his voice for the April weekend.
"The opening round for the PKC North program was good, but we expect round two to be even better," stated ProKart Challenge promoter and Superkarts! USA CEO Tom Kutscher. "With our first SKUSA Pro Tour event scheduled for this facility next month, we have a number of outside competitors looking to grab some extra seat time before the April 16-18 weekend. SoCal, Colorado and the Midwest – they are all coming here and I couldn't be more excited."


Telfairia occidentalis is a vegetable food crop that is indigenous to West Africa. The leaves and seeds are the edible parts of the plant and are used in everyday meals by incorporation into soups and stews. Previous studies have attributed improved haematological indices to the vegetable and have advocated the use of T. occidentalis in the treatment of anemia. This study investigates the ameliorative effects of T. occidentalis when compared to FeSO4 as a reference salt in anaemic mice. It also compares the bioavailability of test iron and hepatic hepcidin expression for the estimation of iron absorption in the mice. Non-haem iron was determined in the liver of mice after the experimental feeding treatments. Hepcidin mRNA expression was carried out by quantitative RT-PCR. Administration of T. occidentalis leaves led to a modest increase in haemoglobin (Hb) levels in anaemic mice that were comparable to the Hb repletion in anaemic mice given FeSO4. Hepatic iron increase in the mice given either T. occidentalis or FeSO4 led to a corresponding enhancement of hepcidin mRNA expression. Induced hepcidin mRNA expression was enhanced by the addition of ascorbic acid to the test dose of iron. Hepatic hepcidin mRNA expression was found to be responsive to increase in the relative bioavailability of iron from test diets.
Iron deficiency anaemia is a nutritional disorder afflicting large population groups in the world. It is prevalent amongst vulnerable infants, adolescent girls and pregnant women particularly in populations subsisting largely on plant food sources. Remarkably, however, some leafy vegetables have been identified and used locally in treating anaemia. These include Telfairia occidentalis a member of the family Cucurbitaceae commonly known as the fluted gourd, fluted pumpkin or ugwu which is widely cultivated in countries such as Nigeria in West Africa.
Some investigators have proposed the use of T. occidentalis in the treatment of anaemia . Studies have reported a number of haemoglobin (Hb) regeneration effects of the vegetable . Osuntoki et al  reported the stabilization of human erythrocyte membranes in subjects given an extract of T. occidentalis. Moreover, T. occidentalis leaf protein incorporated in infant weaning foods had significant effects on iron status indices . Olaniyan et al served thirty anaemic pregnant women from rural communities with an oral mixture of T. occidentalis leaves, milk and raw egg three times a day for seven days and observed a significant rise in mean packed cell volume (PCV). Similarly, Oyedeji et al served the T. occidentalis extract sweetened with milk to two severely anaemic paediatric patients and reported an increase in PCV. However, the reliability of these human studies is questionable, arising from the limited number of subjects, lack of statistical tests, poor study designs and limited use of haematological markers of iron status. Animal studies have been a useful source of evidence for understanding the effects of T. occidentalis. For example, Alada et al studied haematological parameters and histological changes in the liver, intestine and testes of rats and observed hypertrophy of the intestinal propria and reduction in globlet cells. Haematological biomarkers are useful for investigating the nutritional status of mice and by comparing to normal values they can be used to determine the effect of the diet. Moreover, FeSO4 as in haemoglobin repletion assays was used as a reference salt of high bioavailability. It is against this background that the current study was conducted to determine the effect of T. occidentalis leaf extract on Hb regeneration response in iron-depleted mice. This study investigated further the molecular mechanisms of iron bioavailability measurement using this vegetable as an example.
Chemicals and biochemical reagents were of Analar grade and either from BDH-Merck Ltd., (Poole, Dorset, U.K.) or Sigma Chemical Company Ltd., (Poole, Dorset, U.K.).
Leaves of Telfairia occidentalis (100 g) were homogenized in a blender with de-ionised water on an equal volume per gram weight basis. Subsequently, the homogenate was filtered through layers of muslin cloth to obtain an extract. Samples of fresh leaves and their aqueous extracts were analysed using Association of Official Analytical Chemists  protocol for Fe analysis.
T. occidentalis leaves and 10 ml of their extracts were weighed in crucibles with lids. The crucibles were labelled with porcelain marker and dried in an oven at 70°C overnight and cooled in a desiccator. The vegetables were charred over a bunsen burner at a low heat before placing them in a muffle furnace at 525°C for three hours during which all the organic matter was burnt leaving remnants of clean white ash. Samples were oven-dried for 48 hours, cooled in a desiccator and reweighed. Iron concentration in the samples was analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), and values in ppm were extrapolated from the standard curve.
CD1 mice in groups of 4-8 were used for all experiments. Dietary iron deficiency was induced by feeding 3-weeks old CD1 male mice with a low-iron diet (Formula TD 80396, Harlan-Teklad; Madison, WI, U.S.A.; elemental iron concentration: 3 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. All mice were provided with food and water ad libitum throughout the experimental period.
Haematinic response of T. occidentalis was investigated by comparing with that induced by ferrous sulphate. Mice in groups of 4-8 were randomly allocated to the control group and two other experimental groups and administered the extract for 10 days. T. occidentalis extract and ferrous sulphate solution were formulated to contain 1.78 mg/L of iron. Mice were given fresh T. occidentalis extract or FeSO4 solution ad libitum daily and the record of daily consumption was taken. No precipitation was observed in the drinkers and total iron intake was equal among the experimental groups. Mice were maintained on low-iron diet during the duration of the experiment. After the experimental period, blood samples were collected and the mice were sacrificed for tissue collection. Liver samples were removed and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for subsequent analysis. A second set of experiment studied the effect of iron and ascorbic acid on liver iron levels and hepcidin mRNA expression in anaemic mice. Mice were grouped into control (normal mice), iron deficient mice, iron deficient mice administered iron (10 mg/L), and iron deficient mice administered iron (10 mg/L) + ascorbate (10 mg/L). Blood and liver samples were collected for determining haemoglobin (Hb), and liver tissues for analysis of iron and hepcidin mRNA expression studies.
All procedures were conducted in accordance with methods approved by the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986.
Haemoglobin concentrations were calculated from the change in optical density at 540 nm, following the addition of 5 μl of whole-blood to Drabkin's reagent  and centrifugation (Heraeus Biofuge Pico, U.K.) at 13000 rpm for 5 minutes.
Serum iron concentration of mice was determined using the QuantiChrom iron assay kit (DIFE-250, Bioassay Systems, USA) for quantitative colorimetric iron determination at 590 nm. The protocol was as described by the manufacturer.
The Spectro Ferritin MT Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Kit was used for the ferritin assay. Serum ferritin concentrations were extrapolated from a standard curve as described in the manufacturer's protocol.
Tissue non-haem iron levels were measured as previously described by Simpson and Peters . Tissue samples were weighed and homogenized (1:5 w/v) in 0.15 M NaCl in 10 mM NaOH-Hepes buffer (pH 7.0) using a 1 ml glass dounce homogenizer (Wheaton Scientific, Millville, N.J., U.S.A.). An aliquot of the homogenate was then analysed for non-haem iron using a modification (Simpson & Peters, 1990 ) of the original method of Foy et al. The iron values are expressed as either content (μmol Fe/organ) or concentration (nmol Fe/mg wet weight).
The duodenal mucosa samples were scraped with a glass slide and homogenised (in a buffer containing 50 mM mannitol, 2 mM Hepes, 0·5 mM PMSF and pH 7·2) with an Ultra Turrax (IKA, Staufen, Germany) homogeniser (3 × 30 s pulses at full speed). The homogenate was centrifuged at 1500 g for 5 min and the supernatant was centrifuged for 1 h at 15 000 g to obtain the crude membrane fraction. Protein concentration was determined using Bio-Rad reagents (Bio-Rad Laboratories, U.S.A.). Fifty (50) μg of membrane extracts were loaded on a 12% gel in a Bio-Rad SDS-PAGE kit. The proteins separated were then transferred to Hybond ECL-nitrocellulose membrane (Amersham Biosciences, Bucks, UK) using a Bio-Rad semidry transfer apparatus (Bio-Rad Trans-BlotR SD Semi-Dry Transfer Cell). Membrane was blocked with 5% milk for 1 h and probed with DMT1-IRE polyclonal, (Novus Biologicals) or β-actin (Sigma) antibodies diluted in 0.01% milk in TBS. Cross-reactivity was observed with peroxidase-linked anti-IgG by using SuperSignal West Pico (Thermo Scientific, U.S.A.).
Total RNA was isolated using the Trizol reagent (Invitrogen, Life Technologies, Paisley, U.K.) according to manufacturer's instructions. Quantitative RT-PCR was carried out using two-step ABI Prism 7000HT Sequence Detection System. First strand synthesis was performed using the ABI cDNA Synthesis Kit using 2 μg total RNA template according to the manufacturer's protocol. RNA quality was verified by running aliquot samples in formaldehyde gel that revealed distinct 18S and 28S ribosomal bands. In the second step, transcripts of the various genes were amplified with the specific primer sequences (Table 1) using the ABI SYBR Green supermix protocol. The efficacy of the amplification was confirmed by a melting curve analysis and gel electrophoresis to confirm the presence of a single product.
Primer sequences used for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis.
Quantitative measurement of each gene was derived from a standard curve constructed from known concentrations of PCR product. The results were calculated by the ∆Ct method that expresses the difference in threshold for the target gene relative to that of 18S ribosome. Sequences of gene specific primers were designed across intron-exon boundaries using the ABI design software. Forward and reverse primers sequences respectively are shown in Table 1.
The values are presented as means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). One way ANOVA (analysis of variance) was used to determine whether treatment groups differed significantly with a post-hoc Tukey's test to establish specific differences in group means. Differences were considered significant when P < 0.05. Statistical evaluations were calculated with SPSS statistics 17.0.
There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in haemoglobin levels found in the mice administered ferrous sulphate when compared to the control group fed on iron-deficient diet (Table 2). This represents a 39.8% increase in haemoglobin levels when compared to the control mice. Haemoglobin levels in mice given T. occidentalis treatment was 23.0% higher than the control group. This difference, unlike that of FeSO4, was not statistically significant (P < 0.05). Mice maintained on control purified (normal) diet containing 48 ppm iron had Hb value of 17.50 ± 0.55. However, the average Hb maintenance efficiency of mice that were fed on the iron deficient (3 ppm iron) diet and given T. occidentalis extract was 58% relative to those that were given FeSO4 in this study. Ferritin levels in the mice administered T. occidentalis or FeSO4were not significantly different from that in the control group as the mice were anaemic and still repleting their haemoglobin concentration during the period of the study (Table 2). Although serum iron increased slightly in mice administered T. occidentalis or FeSO4, the differences were not significant (Table 2).
Haemoglobin and tissue iron levels of mice administered Telfairia occidentalis extract or FeSO4.
Statistical significance is indicated relative to the control treatment group, ** P < 0.05. Data are shown as means ± SEM, n = 4 replicates, typical of two experiments.
The mean non-haem iron level in the liver was lowest in the control group when compared with mice administered T. occidentalis extracts or FeSO4 (Figure 1). The differences in non-haem iron levels between each treatment group were not statistically significant.
Liver iron levels of anaemic mice administered T. occidentalis extract or FeSO 4 solution for 10 days. Data are shown as means ± SEM, n = 4 replicates, typical of two experiments.
Western blot analysis of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) protein expression in duodenal extracts of mice given T. occidentalis or FeSO4is shown in Figure 2. DMT1 protein expression was reduced in both treatment categories due to iron absorption in the duodenum of the mice.
Western blot analysis of DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1) protein expression in duodenal extracts of mice administered Telfairia occidentalis or FeSO 4 . 100 μg of protein was loaded for the triplicate samples. Beta-actin protein was probed on the blot as a loading control.
In order to ascertain the use of this approach in iron bioavailability studies, the effect of ascorbate, a potent enhancer of iron absorption, was studied. Haemoglobin levels after the experiment were 15.9, 14.4, 17.9 and 18.2 dL for mice in the control (normal diet), control (iron deficient diet), iron deficient + FeSO4 and iron deficient + FeSO4 + ascorbic acid categories respectively. Iron and ascorbate administered jointly to anaemic mice significantly enhanced haemoglobin regeneration after 10 days. As expected, hepatic iron level was significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) after 3 week on the iron deficient diet. The administration of FeSO4 significantly increased liver iron in the mice. Moreover the addition of ascorbic acid enhanced (P ≤ 0.05) the increase in hepatic iron level (Figure 3).
Liver iron levels of anaemic mice administered FeSO 4 and ascorbic acid solution for 10 days. Statistical significance is indicated relative to the control treatment group, ** P < 0.05. Bars bearing different superscript letters are significantly different. Data are shown as means ± SEM, n = 4 replicates, typical of two experiments.
Hepcidin mRNA levels in the hepatic tissues of the mice in both sets of experiments mirrored liver iron levels (Figures 4 and 5). This observation demonstrates the responsiveness of hepcidin expression to iron modulation. It is reasonable to suggest a positive relationship between hepcidin expression in liver samples and the relative amount of bioavailable iron from the gastrointestinal tract of mice.
Hepcidin mRNA expression in liver of anaemic mice administered T. occidentalis or FeSO 4 solution for 10 days. Statistical significance is indicated relative to the control treatment group, ** P < 0.05. Data are shown as means ± SEM, n = 4 replicates, typical of two experiments.
Hepcidin mRNA expression in liver of mice administered FeSO 4 and ascorbic acid solution for 10 days. Statistical significance is indicated relative to the control treatment group, ** P < 0.05. Data are shown as means ± SEM, n = 4 replicates, typical of two experiments.
The iron content of the T. occidentalis fresh leaf samples used in this study was 0.6 mg/100 g, which was lower than the value (0.9 mg/100 g) reported by Fasuyi . This leafy vegetable is commonly processed and added to stews and soups. Processing techniques such as blanching and homogenisation have been shown to significantly reduce the iron content of some vegetables . The primary objective of the study was to compare the haemoglobin (Hb) regeneration response of anaemic mice to leaf extracts of T. occidentalis and FeSO4 using haemoglobin levels as a biomarker as compared to hepcidin mRNA expression.
Haemoglobin level is an acute response parameter and was shown to increase significantly, by 39.8% in the ferrous sulphate treatment group in this study when compared to control mice (Table 2). This finding is in agreement with the results of recent animal and human studies in which ferrous sulphate was effective as an oral iron supplement in the treatment of anaemia [13, 14]. Ferrous sulphate is highly bioavailable when compared to other iron salts and it is used as a standard, after extrapolating to 100 percent, for measuring relative bioavailability of iron from foods. The use of iron salts as supplements and in food fortification is hindered by cost implications and sustainability in developing countries. Consequently, efforts have shifted towards the enhancement of iron bioavailability from food sources in alleviating the problem of iron deficiency anaemia. Telfairia occidentalis which is used in some traditional setting to treat anaemia exhibited a modest response in regenerating Hb level in the anaemic mice. In the current study, after 10 days of administration, T. occidentalis extract effected an iron bioavailability enhancement that was comparable to FeSO4 as judged by haemoglobin level. Emeka et al.  reported haemoglobin values of 12.8 g/dL when rats were fed T. occidentalis over a longer duration. Other studies have also shown that long-term intake of T. occidentalis-supplemented diet significantly increased haemoglobin concentration in rats . Moreover, an air-dried T. occidentalis preparation significantly raised haemoglobin levels  in rabbits. This is presumably attributable to the supply of increased level of iron in a moderately bioavailable form. Thus T. occidentalis might be efficacious when administered over a long-term duration. In comparison, the current study had a shorter (10-day) duration. Moreover, its use as dried leaves will ensure significantly high intake of iron in soups and other traditional meals.
Studies investigating the use of vegetables in the treatment of anaemia measured Hb regeneration using haematological indices such as haemoglobin level, red blood cell count and packed cell volume [1, 17]. These parameters respond to changes within a short duration of dietary treatment. Changes in serum iron and tissue iron, although not statistically significant, showed a similar trend to Hb levels when anaemic mice were given T. occidentalis or FeSO4 treatment (Figure 1). Changes in serum iron and iron parameters (such as ferritin that was measured in this study) are expected to be more significant with longer exposure of anaemic mice to iron administration.
Protein expression of the non-haem iron transporter, DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1) responded to iron exposure in the duodenum of mice given T. occidentalis or ferrous sulphate (Figure 2). DMT1 expression is regulated via the transcriptional modulation of the iron response element and iron regulatory protein (IRE-IRP) mechanism . Duodenal and hepatic iron levels tended to increase in both treatment groups. Administration of T. occidentalis was not as efficacious as FeSO4 judging by the parameters of Hb level, DMT1 down regulation and hepatic hepcidin elevation used in this study. This might be due to the presence of inhibitors such as polyphenols and fibre in the vegetable. Processing techniques that prevent loss of ascorbic acid in the vegetable could enhance iron bioavailabilty. Furthermore, there are differences in iron absorption regimes that limit extrapolation of results from mice studies on to human subjects .
Hepatic iron levels increased in mice after ten days of iron administration (Figure 3) in this study. Analysis of serum iron increase after meal intake has been advocated as an efficient method of comparing post-prandial iron absorption between groups in humans . Recent advances in iron molecular research and the discovery of hepcidin have introduced templates that can be considered as indices of functional food bioavailability . Plasma hepcidin, is an obvious non-invasive biomarker correlates strongly with serum ferritin that is analysed routinely in most laboratories. Differences in iron absorption were accounted for by variation in circulating plasma hepcidin [22, 23]. However, it is expensive. In the current study, Hb repletion and hepatic hepcidin mRNA expression exhibited a trend that reflected responsiveness to bioavailability of the test doses in mice (Figures 4 and 5). It was observed in humans that differences in diets that vary in bioavailability are apparent in iron-deficient rather than in iron-replete subjects . Moreover, iron absorption in the rat was shown to be dependent on serum iron levels rather than iron turnover or storage, as is the case in humans . It is not known if the increase in hepcidin expression in anaemic mice is a quantitative function of serum iron increase after a test dose of iron. Furthermore, enhanced hepcidin expression will exert a negative feedback regulation on iron absorption which will culminate in the degradation of ferroportin over time. As with haemoglobin repletion assay, a pivotal issue is equimolar concentration of iron in test diets to ensure that relative bioavailability is comparable. This was ascertained in the current study as equal amounts of iron were ingested by mice in the different experimental groups. Consequently, the measurement of bioavailable iron will be influenced by the relative amounts of enhancers and inhibitors interacting in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract.
Dietary inulin was shown to influence enterocyte expression of genes such as DMT1, Dcytb (duodenal cytochrome b) and ferroportin  which encode iron transport proteins. Dietary and luminal components exert effects on mucosa gene expression indirectly through their modulation of available iron . Although different forms of iron can influence the expression of their respective transporters in the apical duodenum, systemic homeostatic mechanism might be rather complex and multifactorial . Further research is needed in optimising the doses, duration and the kinetics of these variables in iron nutrogenomic and metabolomic studies.
Haemoglobin repletion was higher with FeSO4 than with T. occidentalis extracts in the current study. However, as problems arising from gastric and intestinal intolerance are manifest in large numbers of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) patients administered with FeSO4 or other forms of redox-active iron, less reactive sources of the nutrient, such as from plants, are required as an alternative. Judging by our results, it is reasonable to suggest that T. occidentalis extract could be adopted in an alternative, longer-term, plant food-based supplementation strategy for IDA treatment.
The study was supported by a Research Grant award from the Royal Society. We thank Dr Adekunle A. Desalu for helpful suggestions.
FH performed the dietary iron analysis, haematological assays and statistical analysis and GOLD carried out the gene expression studies. Both authors had input into the writing of the manuscript, read and approved the final manuscript.


The 3D-BionicSphere® System, efficiently positioned on the chest, works without the sensation of wetness or heat and no risk of overcooling during recovery.
On the skin, for cooling.
In the Evaporation Surface Expander™, where the excess is finally evaporated.
are channels that store air in the interior of the 3D-BionicSphere® System. Their surface lies up to 5 mm from the skin and from there leads into the Evaporation Surface Expander™.
These channels deliver fresh air into the 3D-BionicSphere® System, ventilating the SweatTraps™. The air which, is warmed here, quickly becomes saturated with moisture and is replaced continuously by the subsequent flow of cold, fresh air; the ventilation circulates actively for as long as the body continues to sweat. Evaporation Surface Expander™ can absorb and evaporate a great deal of moisture. The use of fragmented fibres greatly increases the evaporation surface. With fresh air streaming through, significant amounts of moisture are forced away through the dynamic of the body's heat.


i have recently partnered up with dove to try out their new dove dermaseries collection. and i have to say, i truly love them. i've never been one to actually moisturize my skin until very, very recently. i've always had problem, blemished skin with random dry patches. i naively just accepted that was my reality and never took any action to actually better my skin.
i recently went to the dermatologist and she gave me a $40 cream that made my dry patches sting and i felt was making them worse. i decided to stop using that prescription cream and give regular lotion a try. why not, right?! so i decided to actually try and lotion my skin twice daily after my morning and evening showers. and can i say, what a difference! especially during these dry winter months where my skin really needs that extra love.
i love that these products are fragrance free and are great for people with sensitive skin, like me! i use the body lotion all over right after i get out of the shower. this ensures that all the moisture is locked in and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth. then i go back in with the repairing balm and massage that into each dry patch, on my elbows, knees and heels of my feet.


With a refined atmosphere rich in gourmet history, the Mandarin Oriental Shops continue The Oriental's much-loved tradition of gastronomic creativity, presenting a wonderful selection of patisseries, viennoiserie, cakes and chocolates.
The Mandarin Oriental Shop offers a range of mouth-watering homemade delicacies including breads, pastries, macarons and seasonal favourites including exquisite hampers and mooncakes.
With an array of delicate flavours and sublime textures on offer, our wonderful delights are true taste sensations. Visit one of our Mandarin Oriental shops located at Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, The Emporium, Gaysorn Village and the lobby counter at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, to taste the delicacies on offer.


Ikenobo Shimbashi Wafu-Kai will present the 50th Anniversary Flower Arrangement Exhibition this weekend at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo.
The event will celebrate Kazuko "Shunho" Shimbashi's 50th anniversary as head teacher of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Ikenobo School. Her members' flower arrangements will be displayed.
On Saturday, June 1, the ribbon-cutting will be held at 9:30 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony with music by Kokoro Daiko.
The exhibition will be on view at the JACCC's George J. Doizaki Gallery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
An anniversary banquet will start at 6 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 120 S. Los Angeles St. Professor Mayumi Chino will give an ikebana demonstration.
The exhibition will continue on Sunday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, call the JACCC at (213) 628-2725 or Kazuko Shimbashi at (323) 295-7424.


Nick's short attention span means there's never a dull moment ... Just when you think all is calm and quiet he's disappeared below and is pulling things out of cupboards to find ... the sextant! Of course :) It's time to take sights!
Ah, back in beautiful Espalmador! BBQs, hammock and stunning turquoise waters! What more could you ask for?
Well, a visit from Spanish customs of course! And a friendly seagull that adopted our radome as it's home and despite Wally's attempt he could not be dislodged!
Whilst Britain was celebrating in the rain, HMS Ootnic donned the appropriate attire for such an occasion (a big thank you to mummy Stackpool for the signal flags!), minus the rain, and lit the BBQ in honour of Liz!
Although it seemed like we could spend forever in Espalmador, eventually adventure called and we decided to get underway again. The next port of call, Ibiza. We spent some lovely time there last year and were looking forward to seeing more of what the island had to offer.


The Les Mills Releases App is not only a useful one-stop-shop storing your music, chorey notes and masterclass in one place, but it's also home to an ever expanding collection of education – both program specific and generic. "Can high intensity exercise be enjoyable?" Um yes we will definitely be watching that education for the verdict.
Unlike previous quarters where your education dropped at the same time as your quarterly releases – with the App education is available as soon as it's ready; so you could find new education in your App on any given day at any given time.
The beauty of this format of education them is that they are available as video clips of various durations: got 4m 26sec? Get a quick fix on the Mastery of Layer 2 Coaching. Need notes? No problem – each video has a transcript for later reference.
As soon as you open the App, scroll down and you will see Recommended Education, or hit the Education icon at the bottom of your screen and you will find the education catalogued under your specific programs.
The above education is only available via the App – so even if you don't choose to learn via the App, we do encourage you to download the Les Mills Releases App simply for the education.
The App is designed to be an Education tool in any case – so please continue downloading your music and notes as you previously have via the music portal (it is not recommended to teach the class direct from your App).
Simply go to the App Store (if you have an iphone) or the Play Store (for any other smart phone) and search for Les Mills Releases App. Once downloaded you will need to enter your Les Mills Customer ID and password and from there follow the prompts.
Now that we have some brain-space after cramming chorey (not that we would ever do that…) and pumping out launches, now is a great time to download the Les Mills Releases App and have a play. And if you get stuck your friendly Instructor Specialist team is happy to help you out.
Now how can High Intensity Training be fun???