Sabetha citizens can expect to see construction begin soon on the Health and Wellness Center to be located on the Sabetha Community Hospital facility campus at 14th and Oregon streets, which is city-owned property.
At the City Commission meeting Monday, June 25, Commissioner Norm Schmitt said drawings are complete and AHRS Construction will begin work soon.
In September 2017, the commissioners approved an agreement with SCH for a Center to be constructed and managed by SCH, using funds already raised by the Sabetha Health and Wellness Committee (SHWC). AHRS Construction was hired to design the facility to fall at or below the $2.1 million budget. During the design process, it was requested that AHRS add in two endless pools. Fundraising commenced to raise the additional funds needed for this addition.
Schmitt, who is a member of the SCH Board, said the addition of the two pools came in between $385,000 to $400,000. Schmitt requested the city commit to $100,000 of this price as he had already received word that the remaining $300,000 had been secured toward this portion of the project.
These exercise pools can hold up to five individuals per water aerobic class and also can be used for rehabilitation.
Commissioners looked to City Administrator Doug Allen on the availability of $100,000 toward the project. Allen said it has been a fairly good year, so the funds would be available. Commissioners approved the $100,000 toward the endless pools for the Center.
In further discussion, commissioners expressed some concerns over talk throughout the community suggesting this facility would be operated and run by the SHWC. Commissioner Julie Burenheide emphasized that this was taxpayer money that was going into this facility and it will be located on city land, and therefore, it was the taxpayers' facility.
The Center will be staffed by the SCH. A board consisting of representatives from the city commission, SHWC, SCH board and donors would govern the Center's operation. All board members would be recommended by their organizations, but would be subject to final approval by the commission.
Schmitt also noted that a manager candidate has been selected, and a decision will be made within the next few weeks.
The Sabetha City Commission met at 6 p.m. Monday, June 25. Present were Mayor Doug Clark, Commissioners Nick Aberle, Norm Schmitt, Maridel Wittmer and Julie Burenheide, City Administrator Doug Allen, Assistant City Administrator Bill Shroyer and City Clerk Steve Compo. Also present was patron Bob Ruddick and the city's attorney, Martin Mishler.
Mayor Clark opened a hearing on vacating a portion of Sunset Drive between Lots 16 and 20, in the Kellenberger Addition. Hearing no comment from the public, the hearing was closed. Ordinance No. 1528 was approved, reverting said land to the adjacent land owners.
Mayor Clark opened a hearing on code violations at 403 N. 6th Street. Hearing no comment from the public, the hearing was closed. Resolution No. 2018-15 was approved, allowing the city to remedy and abate said nuisance (the garage), 20 days after the publication of the resolution if improvements were not made before that time.
Commissioners discussed problems at the lake. Going forward, Sabetha Police Department will send officers out twice per shift to circle the lake. In addition, the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office has agreed to send officers out.
Additionally, the city will implement a "quiet zone" after 11 p.m. Lake visitors will not be allowed to have loud music or loud conversation after this time. Swimming will not be allowed after dark.
Commissioners discussed fee increases and City Administrator Allen will look into this before the next meeting. Currently, the fees are $7 per night or an annual fee of $30. Allen said ordinances will likely need to be passed for these regulations and he will have those drawn up for the next meeting.
Commissioners entered into a 20-minute executive session with Mishler, Allen and Shroyer, regarding personnel matters. Upon returning to regular session, no binding action was taken.
• Minutes from the June 11 meeting.
• Board appointments for Lynn Hartter for the Planning Commission and Christy Sibold for the Tourism Board.
• Wage Resolution No. 13 for lifeguards for wage increases and No. 14 for Cole Lehwald for general services.
The commissioners canceled their regular meeting scheduled for Monday, July 9, due to vacation conflicts. The commission's next regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, July 23.


text:
IBM quits facial recognition, joins call for police reforms
IBM says it is getting out of the facial recognition business over concern about how it can be used for mass surveillance and racial profiling
By MATT O'BRIEN AP Technology Writer
FILE- In this April 26, 2017, file photo, the IBM logo is displayed on the IBM building in Midtown Manhattan, in New York. IBM says it is getting out of the facial recognition business over concern about how it can be used for mass surveillance and racial profiling. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM is getting out of the facial recognition business, saying it's concerned about how the technology can be used for mass surveillance and racial profiling.
Ongoing protests responding to the death of George Floyd have sparked a broader reckoning over racial injustice and a closer look at the use of police technology to track demonstrators and monitor American neighborhoods.
IBM is one of several big tech firms that had earlier sought to improve the accuracy of their face-scanning software after research found racial and gender disparities. But its new CEO is now questioning whether it should be used by police at all.
"We believe now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies," wrote CEO Arvind Krishna in a letter sent Monday to U.S. lawmakers.
IBM's decision to stop building and selling facial recognition software is unlikely to affect its bottom line, since the tech giant is increasingly focused on cloud computing while an array of lesser-known firms have cornered the market for government facial recognition contracts.
"But the symbolic nature of this is important," said Mutale Nkonde, a research fellow at Harvard and Stanford universities who directs the nonprofit AI For the People.
Nkonde said IBM shutting down a business "under the guise of advancing anti-racist business practices" shows that it can be done and makes it "socially unacceptable for companies who tweet Black Lives Matter to do so while contracting with the police."
Krishna's letter was addressed to a group of Democrats who have been working on police reform legislation in Congress fueled by the mass protests over Floyd's death. The sweeping reform package could include restrictions on police use of facial recognition.
The practice of using a form of artificial intelligence to identify individuals in photo databases or video feeds has come under heightened scrutiny after researchers found racial and gender disparities in systems built by companies including IBM, Microsoft and Amazon.
IBM had previously tested its facial recognition software with the New York Police Department, although the department has more recently used other vendors. It's not clear if IBM has existing contracts with other government agencies.
Many U.S. law enforcement agencies rely on facial recognition software built by companies less well known to the public, such as Tokyo-based NEC or the European companies Idemia and Cognitec, according to Clare Garvie, a researcher at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology.
A smaller number have partnered with Amazon, which has attracted the most opposition from privacy advocates since it introduced its Rekognition software in 2016.
Krishna's letter called for police reforms and noted that "IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling" and human rights violations.
Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns in recent weeks about the use of surveillance technology to monitor protesters or to enforce rules set to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
Even before the protests, U.S. senators this year had been scrutinizing New York facial recognition startup Clearview AI following investigative reports about its practice of harvesting billions of photos from social media and other internet services to identify people.
Joy Buolamwini, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose research on facial recognition bias helped spur IBM's re-examination of the technology, said Tuesday she commends the congressional police reform package for seeking restrictions on the use of police body cameras to scan people's faces in real time.
But she said lawmakers can go further to protect people from having governments scan their faces on social media posts or in public spaces without their knowledge.
"Regardless of the accuracy of these systems, mass surveillance enabled by facial recognition can lead to chilling effects and the silencing of dissent," Buolamwini wrote in an email sent from Boston's city hall, where she was testifying in support of a proposed ban on facial recognition use by municipal agencies. San Francisco and several other U.S. cities have enacted similar bans over the past year.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: WSO2 API Authentication for multiple users I need to add multiple credentials for one API in wso2 MI. How to achieve this?

A: If you want to allow a selected set of users to access an API you may have to use role-based authorization. Where you can create a role in MI and assign this role to the users you wish to give access to, then white list this role in the API. For this, you can use this Custom Handler and engage it like shown below.
<handler class="com.ycr.auth.handlers.AuthorizationHandler">
      <property name="roles" value="admin,test" />
      <property name="authorize" value="true" />
</handler>

You can read more on this here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Eighty thousand Kansans served in World War I. Two hundred and twenty-seven thousand served in World War II. We pay tribute to all Kansas soldiers, past and present, by telling the story of one Kansas soldier, James Clark Hughes.
Hughes' story is both common and exceptional. He was born in Topeka in 1888. The timing of his birth, the influence of his military father, and the impact of world politics shaped his life. He began his service as a member of the Kansas National Guard and was sent to the Texas border with the American Expeditionary Forces in 1916. As a member of the U.S. Army he served from 1917 to 1948 and fought in both world wars. He left many detailed records of his time in service. He photographed battlefields and towns in Europe, recorded his daily survival as a Japanese Prisoner of War (POW), and saving many belongings from the wars that were later donated to this museum. In essence, he captured his life.


The 2019 Shanghai Business Conference just revealed that a large duty-free store will be opened in Shanghai this year.
The duty-free shop will be located in Lujiazui and is expected to open this year. It will serve overseas visitors providing them with duty-free shopping and pick-up service at the airport. Shanghai Zhongmian City Tax-free Shop Co., Ltd. completed the registration in Pudong New Area on October 9, 2018, with a registered capital of 20 million yuan.
In July 2015, Shanghai began to implement tax refunds for overseas visitors, leading to an increase in sales. After the first CIIE in 2018, Shanghai has refunded more than 24,000 orders for 17,500 overseas visitors, and sales of tax refund commodities exceeded 400 million yuan, an increase of 35% over the same period of last year. Since July 2015, Shanghai has issued 63,000 tax refund forms for more than 40,000 overseas passengers, and sales of tax refund commodities have reached nearly 1 billion yuan.
This year, Shanghai will also promote the upgrade and expansion of the departure tax rebate policy, set up a number of tax rebate shopping centers and improve the recognition and influence of Shanghai's shopping brands.


President Trump is pressing ahead with his wall to secure the border with Mexico and stop a major source of illegal immigration into the United States. It's not a nice gesture towards a neighbour and one wonders how it will actually work.
Will desperate migrants fleeing poverty and drug lords try to scramble over it or burrow under it, like the East Berliners did for nearly three decades last century?
Will they be shot, or otherwise die in the attempt, as 139 people did at the Berlin Wall?
Will it even last as long as that wall of inglorious memory, and not be torn down by the next American president? If indeed it gets built?
And what will happen to US-Mexico relations in the meantime?
If a wall is old enough it usually inspires respect, admiration and even affection. Tourists are in awe of the Great Wall of China, a 2000-year-long project to keep out warring nomads. Hadrian's Wall, built by Roman imperialists against British tribes, is now a cultural icon and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Old walled cities are generally charming.
Then there's Wall Street, America's great financial centre, with high-rise buildings forming solid walls either side, but which seems to take its name from a structure that Dutch settlers put up, possibly to protect them against native Americans back in the 1600s. Distance lends enchantment to that scenario too.
Modern walls, however, are usually controversial and ugly. There's a sample of them at, appropriately, The Wall Street Journal . Most of them consist of fences and barbed wire and occasionally sundry other items like old oil drums - as in this photo of the Cyprus Buffer Zone.
The most extensive is probably the so-called Korean Demilitarised Zone, 2.5 miles wide and 150 miles long and bristling with soldiers and anti-tank landmines.
The most recent are the European migrant fences erected by Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria and other countries to turn back the flood of asylum seekers from the Middle East and elsewhere since 2014. These popular measures provide a sort of precedent for Trump's project.
Probably the most controversial walls today are those built by Israel around the Palestinian territories: the Gaza barrier, in place since the 1990s; and the West Bank barrier, consisting of wire fencing and concrete walls, begun in 2002 and still under construction - covering 283 of a projected 441 miles, according to WSJ.
President Trump's wall policy is not just controversial; it's more like a declaration of war. He seems to want concrete on the 2000-mile-long US-Mexico border. Already there is 700 miles of fence, begun under George W. Bush and completed under Obama. Trump wants to extend it to 1000 miles, the rest of the terrain being impossible to build on or impassable by anyone.
The cost could be astronomical - three times the $8 billion figure thrown out by Trump, with high maintenance costs -- but he says Mexico will pay for it - by having a 20 percent tax imposed on its exports to the US, according to his latest message on the issue.
"Border security yes, tariffs no. Mexico is 3rd largest trading partner. Any tariff we can levy they can levy. Huge barrier to econ growth. Simply put, any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad."
"Build the wall! Build the wall! Build the wall!" is a great electioneering war cry, but one heck of a policy to implement. If it's done at all there will be no glory in it. One of the lessons of history is that a border wall has to be a thousand years old before anyone regards it as a wonderful thing, and even then only if it is picturesque - as slabs of concrete surely will not be.
Illegal immigration from Mexico is a problem, but a diminishing one. In any case, as this writer says, insulting and humiliating a good neighbour is not the way to keep that neighbour friendly and stable. There must be other ways to increase border security and remove the causes of illegal movement.


text:
Juan Ignacio Londero (* 15. srpna 1993 Jesús María, Córdoba) je argentinský profesionální tenista. Ve své dosavadní kariéře na okruhu ATP Tour vyhrál jeden singlový turnaj. Na challengerech ATP a okruhu ITF získal šest titulů ve dvouhře a sedm ve čtyřhře.

Na žebříčku ATP byl ve dvouhře nejvýše klasifikován v březnu 2019 na 64. místě a ve čtyřhře pak v červenci 2017 na 209. místě. Trénuje ho Andrés Schneiter.

V argentinském daviscupovém týmu neodehrál do listopadu 2019 žádné utkání.

Tenisová kariéra
V rámci hlavních soutěží událostí okruhu ITF debutoval v červnu 2010, když na turnaj v argentinském Neuquenu obdržel divokou kartu. V úvodním kole podlehl krajanu Nicolasi Pastorovi a ve čtyřhře postoupil s Diegem Schwartzmanem do čtvrtfinále. Premiérový singlový titul na challengerech si odvezl ze CDMX Open 2018 v Mexico City po finálovém vítězství nad Ekvádorcem Robertem Quirozem. Druhou trofej přidal na Marburg Open 2018.

Ve dvouhře okruhu ATP World Tour debutoval na červencovém úvodním ročníku Claro Open Colombia 2013 v Bogotě. Jako postoupivší kvalifikant vypadl v prvním kole dvouhry s pozdějším vítězem Ivem Karlovićem z Chorvatska. Následně prohrál úvodní zápasy na Claro Open Colombia 2014 a bastadském Swedish Open 2018.

Premiérový vyhraný zápas v rámci túry ATP dosáhl až na únorovém Córdoba Open 2019, kde celý turnaj ovládl. Stal se tak prvním hráčem od Belgičana Steva Darcise a jeho triumfu v Amersfoortu 2007, jenž do zisku titulu nevyhrál ani jedno utkání na předchozích turnajích ATP. V argentinské Córdobě startoval na divokou kartu z pozice 112. muže žebříčku. Po semifinálovém vítězství nad krajanem Federicem Delbonisem zdolal v závěrečném duelu dalšího Argentince Guida Pellu po třísetovém průběhu. Přes nepříznivý vývoj zápasu, při poměru gamů 3–6 a 2–4, dokázal jeho průběh otočit. Bodový zisk jej poprvé posunul do elitní světové stovky na 69. místo žebříčku ATP.

Debut v hlavní soutěži nejvyšší grandslamové kategorie zaznamenal v mužském singlu French Open 2019. V prvním kole přehrál gruzínskou turnajovou patnáctku Nikoloze Basilašviliho, ve druhém Francouze Richarda Gasqueta a poté v pětisetové bitvě Corentina Mouteta, startujícího na divokou kartu. V osmifinále však nenašel recept na světovou dvojku a dvojnásobného obhájce titulu Rafaela Nadala.

Finále na okruhu ATP World Tour

Dvouhra: 1 (1–0)

Tituly na challengerech ATP

Dvouhra (2 tituly)

Čtyřhra (1 titul)

Odkazy

Reference

Externí odkazy

Argentinští tenisté
Narození v roce 1993
Narození 15. srpna
Narození v Córdobě (argentinská provincie)
Žijící lidé
Muži

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Located in City Center, Hi Chiangrai Hotel is a perfect starting point from which to explore Chiang Rai. The Hi Chiangrai Hotel offers guests a range of services and amenities designed to provide comfort and convenience. Facilities like free Wi-Fi in all rooms, 24-hour security, daily housekeeping, fireplace, taxi service are readily available for you to enjoy. Guestrooms are fitted with all the amenities you need for a good night's sleep. In some of the rooms, guests can find complimentary tea, closet, towels, complimentary instant coffee, in-room tablet. To enhance guests' stay, The Hi Chiangrai Hotel offers recreational facilities such as indoor pool. Discover all Chiang Rai has to offer by making Hi Chiangrai Hotel your base.


For the last five five years, I have been going camping with my friends to Spruce Run Recreation Area. This year was special for a couple of reasons: we got a lake view camping lot for the first time, and the weather was perfect. The temperature was around 91 degrees Fahrenheit (about 33 degrees Celsius), unlike the previous year when we were barbequing with our jackets on.
Thanks to the perfectness of the weather, we took advantage of the outdoor activities, kayaking and biking. I honestly have to say that I am not in the best shape; I got super tired riding a bicycle. Thanks to the two cooks, my friends Tomas and José, the food was beyond delicious.
In my case, going camping gave me the opportunity to appreciate the little things that life give us, and we do not take enough time to enjoy. When was the last time you looked at the sunset or watched the majesty of the moon? Sometimes the fast pace of major cities prevents us from seeing the simple and beautiful things of life.


Now this portrait is of my Facebook friend Kennedy. I used a color pallet that is a bit similar to Shepard Fairey's Obama "hope" poster. I find the colors quite interesting. Nice pop art feel. I'll see if I can come up with other color combos.


text:
TheGCCollegian October 1, 2019 Entertainment, GC News
Tonin' creators give ProfTalk
The Students Honors Organization (SHO) hosted the first ProfTalk of the fall 2019 semester, presented by Robert Brewer, Ashley Hyers and Perry Morgan-Hall. Brewer is campus chaplain and assistant professor of religion, Hyers is an assistant professor of theatre and dance and Morgan-Hall is an associate professor of theatre. They all spoke about the "Tonin'" series that the department has hosted for three years.
Morgan-Hall explained that he always has a visualization of what he wants his productions to be like, even though sometimes it is not possible to achieve everything. For example, he wanted a waterfall in the middle of the stage for "Tonin'." Brewer and Hyers already knew that was not going to happen, but Hall made it possible by instructing the actors to use a handkerchief and drop it onto the stage to symbolize a waterfall instead.
Hyers expressed her admiration for the "Tonin'" series, as it used dance to communicate a story to the audience without words, though it was sometimes difficult to match choreography to Hall's brilliant direction. Hyers explained that she and Brewer choreographed all of the dance variations themselves, and that that they had to make sure that it would be safe for students to execute on their own.
Students are encouraged to attend ProfTalks, as the events provide new perspectives on education and art through professors' lenses. Opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback are given to students at the end of the session.
The next ProfTalk will be hosted by father-daughter duo Dr. Rich and Ms. Amanda Mayes on Nov. 14 at 12:15 p.m. in the Lea Center.
Robert Brewer, Ashley Hyers and Perry Morgan-Hall (back) sporting the "Tonin'" series' signature tie-dye.
By Imaya Parks
Posted in Entertainment, GC News. Bookmark the permalink.
9/11 memorial
SGA president plans to unite students


Do you need a licensed and insured fence contractor to build a new fence on your property in Dania Beach, FL? Well, look no further. Xtreme Fence of South Florida is currently the highest rated fence company in Dania Beach.
Whether you need vinyl fence, aluminum fence, wood fence or chain-link fence installation in Dania Beach, we've got you covered.
When we founded Xtreme Fence years ago, we had a goal of providing the absolute best fencing installation services in Dania Beach. We noticed that most fence companies were slow, provided low quality services and low quality customer service - we did NOT want to be like them. Since we've been in business, we've gone out of our way to ensure that every fence installation job we sell is as perfect as you expect it to be. When you sign a contract with us - you can be 100% certain that you're getting the best your money can buy.
Unlike other fence companies in South Florida, Xtreme Fence is licensed and insured to install residential fences in both Broward County and Palm Beach County. We take fence installation very seriously, so we pull permits for every single fence installation job that we sell. We don't cut corners. All of the materials that we buy are top of the line and are installed according to South Florida building codes and the building codes specific to Dania Beach.
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Sarah Fine is a litigator with a passion for the intersection of medical and legal issues. Before she graduated law school, she prosecuted seven cases to decision and represented the State of Oregon in dozens of civil commitment hearings in a variety of hospitals. As an attorney, Sarah brings knowledge, empathy, and good ethics to every case.
Raised in Oregon, Sarah is excited to live in Seattle and continue her exploration of the Pacific Northwest. In her free time, she enjoys boxing, cooking stew, and playing video games with her cat.


text:
April 2021 Development of a risk indicator score for the identification of interstitial lung...
Pages 207-211 (April 2021)
DOI: 10.1016/j.reumae.2019.05.006
Development of a risk indicator score for the identification of interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Desarrollo de una regla de predicción clínica para identificar enfermedad pulmonar intersticial en pacientes con artritis reumatoidea
Francisco Paulina,b,
francisco_paulin@yahoo.com.ar
, Tracy Jennifer Doylec, Juan Francisco Mercadod, Leandro Fassolaa, Martín Fernándeza, Fabián Caroa, María Laura Albertia, María Elena Crespo Espíndolae, Emilio Buschiazzoe
a Hospital María Ferrer, Buenos Aires, Argentina
b Hospital Juan A. Fernández, Buenos Aires, Argentina
c Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
d UPMC, PA, USA
e Hospital Señor del Milagro, Salta, Argentina
Table 1. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of RA Patients With and Without ILD.
Table 2. Univariate and Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis With the Presence of ILD as Dependent Variable in Patients With RA.
Clinically evident interstitial lung disease (ILD) affects 10%–42% of RA patients with prognostic implications. The aim of this study was to discern which factors are associated with the presence of ILD in RA patients and to develop a score that could help to stratify the risk of having ILD in RA patients.
Case–control study. We included RA patients recruited from ILD and rheumatology clinics. We retrieved the following data: gender, age, presence of extra articular manifestations, disease activity scores, antibodies status, ESR, and medication use. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. A risk indicator score was developed.
Of 118 patients included in this study, 52 (44%) had RA-ILD (cases) and 66 (56%) had RA without ILD (controls). Twenty-six patients were male (22%), the mean age was 56.6±15.6 years. Five variables were significantly associated with the presence of ILD: male gender, smoking, extraarticular manifestations, a CDAI score>28, and ESR>80mm/h. The AUC of the final model curve was 0.86 (95%CI 0.79–0.92). Two potential cut-off points of the risk indicator score were chosen: a value of 2 points showed a sensitivity of 90.38% and a specificity of 63.64%, while a value of 4 points showed a sensitivity of 51.9% and a specificity of 90.9%.
This study identified risk factors that could help identify which RA patients are at risk of having ILD through the development of a risk indicator score. This score needs to be validated in an independent cohort.
Risk indicator score
La enfermedad pulmonar intersticial (EPI) clínicamente evidente afecta al 10-42% de los pacientes con Artritis Reumatoidea (AR), con impacto en el pronóstico. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar factores asociados y desarrollar una regla para estratificar el riesgo de EPI en pacientes con AR.
Estudio de casos y controles. Se incluyeron pacientes con AR de una clínica de enfermedades intersticiales y un servicio de reumatología. Se consignaron datos demográficos, manifestaciones extraarticulares, scores de actividad de la enfermedad, autoanticuerpos, tratamiento. Se analizó con regresión logística multivariada.
Se incluyeron 118 pacientes con AR, 52 (44%) con EPI (casos) y 66 (56%) sin EPI (controles). Veintiséis (22%) hombres, media de edad 56±15.6 años. Cinco variables se asociaron significativamente con la presencia de EPI: género masculino, tabaquismo, manifestaciones extraarticulares, CDAI> 28, y eritrosedimentación> 80mm/h. El área bajo la curva del modelo final fue 0.86 (IC 95% 0.79-0.92). Se escogieron dos potenciales puntos de corte del score: 2 puntos con una sensibilidad del 90.38% y una especificidad del 63.64%, y 4 puntos con una sensibilidad del 51.9% y una especificidad del 90.9%.
Nuestro estudio identificó variables que podrían ayudar a identificar que pacientes con AR se encuentran en riesgo de presentar EPI.
Enfermedad pulmonar intersticial
Score de riesgo
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most frequent autoimmune disease worldwide, with a prevalence ranging from 0.5 to 1%.1 Airway, lung interstitium and vessels can be affected by the disease, with different prevalence and severity.2 Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most severe of these manifestations, with great impact on overall survival and quality of life.3,4 Clinically evident ILD affects 10%–42% of RA patients.5–7 Patients with ILD have three times the risk of death compared with those RA patients without ILD, and ILD is responsible for 7% of all RA associated deaths.6 Given these prognostic implications, it would be useful to identify which patients are at risk of having ILD to facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Previous studies have shown clinical, demographic and serologic factors are associated with the presence of ILD, including increased age, male gender, smoking, higher disease activity scores, higher values of health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) score, increased erythro sedimentation rate (ESR), positive rheumatoid factor (RF) and antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP). However, available information is not conclusive, and contradictory results are common.8–12 Clinical prediction rules are a useful resource in order to know which patients are at risk of having a specific outcome. The knowledge of isolated risk factors is often not sufficient to determinate the probability of having a specific event in an individual patient. In RA patients with ILD, although prediction rules to identify patients with a progressive fibrosis phenotype have been published,13 to our knowledge, a risk score to identify which RA patients have ILD is lacking. This study aimed to discern which factors are associated with the presence of ILD in RA patients and to develop a score that could help to stratify the risk of having ILD in RA patients.
This was a case control study. Cases (RA-ILD patients) were recruited in the ILD clinic of a hospital, in Buenos Aires city, while controls (RA patients without ILD) were recruited in the Rheumatology Division of another hospital, in Salta city during the period between May 2017 and May 2018. The diagnosis of RA was established by ACR 2010 criteria. The diagnosis of ILD in the case patients was defined by HRCT, evaluated by an experienced radiologist. The presence of ILD was excluded in the control patients by directed anamnesis, physical examination, and chest x-ray performed as part of the study. The following data were retrieved from the medical record: gender, age, duration of RA, presence of extra articular manifestations, disease activity scores used in RA (CDAI and DAS28), RF and anti-CCP antibody status, ESR, and medications. The articular evaluation was performed by two independent rheumatologists. It included the number of swelling joints, number of tender joints, and a visual analog scale of the activity of the articular disease. Auto-antibodies determination was made by ELISA CCP2 and immunoturbidimetry for anti-CCP and RF respectively. Extra articular manifestations evaluated were dry eye, dry mouth, and rheumatoid nodules. We recorded medications received for more than 1 months at moment of the evaluation. Smoking status was analyzed including former and past smokers in the "ever smokers" category.
Comparisons between groups were performed using a T-test, Mann–Whitney test, and chi square. Univariate logistic regression was performed, with the presence of ILD as dependent variable. Other variables were analyzed in as independent variables. Continuous variables were categorized according to cut-off points defined by receiver operating curve. Statistical significance was analyzed with Wald test. Variables with P<.1 were considered candidates for the multivariate analysis. The decision to include a variable in the definitive model was guided with the likelihood ratio test. Clinical significance was defined with a P<.05. The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit test was used to evaluate the model calibration. A risk indicator score was developed, and values were assigned to the included variables according to regression coefficients and their corresponding odd ratios. The discrimination accuracy of the score was expressed as area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). A minimum of 50 cases were included in order to have enough power to build a score with 5 risk factors according to the "one variable per ten events" rule.14
The manuscript was written according to the STROBE initiative for the communication of observational studies.15 The Institutional Ethics Committee of our hospitals reviewed and approved the study.
In the period between May 2017 and May 2018, 118 patients with RA were seen in the ILD and rheumatology clinics. These were divided into 52 cases (44%) and 66 controls (56%). Baseline characteristics are presented in Table 1. Twenty-six patients were men (22%) and 92 were female (78%). The mean age was 56.6±15.6 years with a median duration of RA of 6 years (IQR 3–11). Ninety-three patients had positive results for anti-CCP (97.8%) and 92 for RF (97.8%).
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of RA Patients With and Without ILD.
RA-ILD Patients (n=52)
RA Patients Without ILD (n=66)
Age, mean (SD) 56.69 (15.66) 61.84 (13.51) 52.63 (16.13) .001
Female, n (%) 92 (77.9) 34 (65.34) 58 (87.88) .003
Years since RA diagnosis, median (IQR) 6 (3–11) 6 (2–10.5) 6.5 (3–15) .29
Ever smoker, n (%) 52 (44.07) 34 (65.38) 18(27.27) <.001
DAS28, mean (SD) 3.42 (1.12) 3.66 (1.23) 3.29 (1.04) .106
CDAI, median (IQR) 7 (4–17.25) 6.5 (4–24) 7 (4–15) .49
ESR, median (IQR) 35 (24–50.5) 43.5 (34–68) 29.5 (20–42) <.001
RF, n (%) 90/95 (94.74) 39/41 (95.12) 51/54 (94.44) .88
Anti-CCP, n (%) 91/95 (95.79) 45/47 (95.74) 46/48 (95.83) .98
Extraarticular manifestations, n (%) 49 (41.53) 31 (59.62) 18 (27.27) <.001
Methotrexate, n (%) 76 (64.41) 27 (51.92) 49 (74.24) .012
Anti-TNF agents, n (%) 22 (18.64) 6 (11.54) 16 (24.24) .079
Regarding the HRCT pattern of patients with ILD, 14 patients (26.92%) had a typical usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern, 18 (34.62%) a possible UIP pattern, and 20 (38.46%) a pattern inconsistent with UIP. With respect to the lung functional tests of patients with ILD, the mean (SD) of FVC% was 71.96 (19.48), FEV1/FVC relation 84.6 (8.35), TLC% 77.27 (15.21), and DLCO% 54.77 (23.28).
Patients with ILD were more likely to be older, male and ever smokers. Also, they had higher values of ESR, and more extraarticular manifestations. Patients without ILD were more likely to have received methotrexate and anti-TNF agents. Three patients received rituximab (1 with ILD), 7 received abatacept (1 with ILD) and 10 received tocilizumab (3 with ILD). With respect to the dose of steroids, patients with ILD were receiving higher doses of prednisone than patients without ILD [mean (SD) 9.76 (1) vs 5.19 (0.93); P<.001). We found no difference between groups in years since RA diagnosis, disease activity scores and anti-CCP and RF status. The articular evaluation was performed by two independent rheumatologists, with an interobserver correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.84 (CI95% 0.81–0.87).
Six variables were associated with the presence of ILD in univariate analysis (Table 2): age>65 years, male gender, ever smoking, extraarticular manifestations (sicca syndrome and/or rheumatoid nodules), a CDAI score>28, and ESR>80mm/h. All these significant variables were included in the initial multivariate analysis, but the variable age was removed in the final model as it lost statistical significance. Although CDAI did not have a significant P-value in the final model, it was included because the likelihood ratio test showed that its exclusion implied a loss of discriminative power to the final model.
Univariate and Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis With the Presence of ILD as Dependent Variable in Patients With RA.
Unadjusted OR
CI 95%
Adjusted OR
ESR>80mm/h 11.36 3.59–35.93 <.001 13.89 3.37–57.27 <.001 4
Male gender 3.83 1.5–9.76 .005 3.94 1.2–12.91 .023 1
Ever smoker 5.03 2.29–11.06 <.001 5.85 2.12–16.09 .001 2
Extraarticular manifestations 3.93 1.81–8.54 .001 3.96 1.47–10.68 .006 1
CDAI>28 5.71 1.75–18.62 .004 4.20 0.98–17.97 .052 1
Development of the score. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showing unadjusted and adjusted OR with their corresponding P value. Values were assigned to the included variables according to regression coefficients and their corresponding odd ratios.
The final clinical model included 5 variables with an AUC of 0.86 (CI 95% 0.79–0.92). In Fig. 1 we show the values assigned to the included variables according to regression coefficients and their corresponding odd ratios. Two potential cut-off points of the score were chosen based on the optimal sensitivity and specificity. A value of 2 points showed a sensitivity of 90.38% and a specificity of 63.64%, while a value of 4 points showed a sensitivity of 51.9% and a specificity of 90.9%. The calibration accuracy of the final model showed good results (Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit test P=.84). An assessment of internal validation with Bootstrap method demonstrated that after 1000 replications, the test demonstrated an AUC of 0.86 (CI 95% 0.80–0.92; P<.001).
Receiver operating characteristic curve of the RA ILD risk indicator score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.86 (CI 95% 0.79–0.92) showing a good discriminatory capacity. A value of 2 points showed a sensitivity of 90.38% and a specificity of 63.64% (black arrow), while a value of 4 points showed a sensitivity of 51.9% and a specificity of 90.9% (white arrow).
This study suggested that certain clinical and demographic factors, including older age, male gender, ever smoking, extraarticular manifestations of RA, elevated CDAI score, and elevated ESR, are associated with the presence of ILD in patients with RA. A risk indicator score based on these risk factors had an AUC of 0.86, demonstrating a good discriminatory capacity to help stratify the risk of having ILD in RA patients. To our knowledge, this is the first risk model developed to help identify the presence of ILD in an RA population and may help clinicians discern which patients could benefit from additional pulmonary screening, such as a high resolution chest CT scan or pulmonary function testing.
Demographic factors associated with the presence of ILD in this RA population are similar to those reported by other authors. Koduri and coworkers carried out a cohort study that showed association between ILD and older age.16 That study showed an increase of 64% of the likelihood of having ILD for each 10 years increase in age. In the study conducted by Kelly and colleagues, male gender and age at RA onset were associated with the presence of ILD.9 Mori and coworkers reported older age as a potent risk factor for ILD with a relative risk ratio of 4.6.17 The association of male gender and ILD has been reported in several studies; however in some of them it did not reach statistical significance.5,16–18 The relationship between smoking and the presence of ILD has also been described by different authors.5,9,19 A group of researchers also found association between subclinical ILD and smoking in RA patients.20 The smoking status not only enhances the risk of having an ILD, but also has impact on functional tests.21 Our study confirms the association between having ILD and these demographic factors (older age, male gender and smoking). However, in the multivariate analysis the variable age lost statistical significance and was removed from the final model.
Controversial results have been reported between the duration of RA and the presence of ILD. Kelly and colleagues reported a median duration of RA at the time of ILD diagnosis of 9 years. In our study, as well as in the one conducted by Koduri, that period was shorter (6 and 3 years respectively). A study that analyzed extraarticular manifestations in RA showed that they are more common in patients with a longer disease duration.22 This contrasts with our results, since we found no difference in the time since the diagnosis of RA between patients with and without ILD.
Factors related to RA activity and/or severity have been reported by different authors as risk factors for ILD. Erosive joint disease, high values of Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), high levels of ESR and presence of rheumatoid nodules have shown association with ILD in two studies.16,23 Disease activity scores (DAS) that evaluate the number of tender and swollen joints together with other activity indicators have shown association with ILD in some but not in all studies.9,16,23,24 Our data shows that patients with high values of CDAI and ESR are at risk of having ILD.
The association between auto-antibodies status (in particular RF and anti-CCP) and ILD is controversial. Although Koduri and coworkers found no association between them, a study conducted by Kelly and colleagues found that patients with ILD were more frequently positive for RF and anti-CCP. Recently, in a case control study with more than 600 patients in each group, the auto-antibodies status sowed no association with the presence of ILD after adjusting for confounding variables.8 The results of this study should be taken into account, considering that it was a multicentric study with a significant number of patients. Yin and collaborators found that anti-CCP (but not RF) was associated to ILD in RA patients.25 Our study found no association between anti-CCP or RF and ILD. This fact may be related to the high prevalence of positive antibodies in control patients.
The inclusion of the control population was made in a consecutive manner in order to avoid selection bias. However, the fact that our rheumatology clinic is a derivation center in this region of the country, could have led to the occurrence of derivation bias, which could explain the high prevalence of positive antibodies and the severity of these patients.
To our knowledge, our study represents the first approach to the development of a score that stratifies the risk of having ILD in RA patients. This is relevant because it can help to determinate witch patients should be submitted to screening tests (HRCT, pulmonary function tests, etc.). A value of 2 points of our score showed a sensitivity of 90.38% and a specificity of 63.64%. This value may be the best cut-off point with the porpoise of using the score to define which patients are candidates to a more specific screening test (i.e. HRCT). The lack of scores designed to guide this decision may be related to the relatively low incidence of clinically evident ILD in this population, which makes difficult to carry out a prospective cohort study. There are few situations in which the screening of ILD is well established. Clear guidelines for screening of ILD in scleroderma has had a great impact on patient management and outcomes, given that ILD is one of the leading causes of death in that population.26–28 ILD may have similar implications in RA patients. An earlier diagnosis could help guide treatment, and more important, avoiding the utilization of potentially harmful agents.29,30 As more data becomes available regarding the optimal treatment of different types of RA-ILD, the timely identification of this extraarticular manifestation of RA will become critical. According to these arguments, we consider that our study can be a contribution of value in this field and that future validation studies are necessary.
This study has the following limitations: (1) A case–control study has inherent limitations when determining the risk of having an event. While a prospective cohort would have been ideal, considering the prevalence and incidence of ILD in this population and the fact that it is not clear at what moment in the evolution of RA ILD develops, a prospective cohort study is difficult to conduct. In this scenario, we believe a case–control study is an acceptable initial approach to build a risk indicator score.2 Our definition of the absence of ILD in control patients may not have enough sensitivity as any ILD below the level of detection with a CXR would have been misclassified. As consequence, it is possible that some of the control patients had subtle ILD, but this would bias the results toward the null and should not affect the significance of our results.3 This score, although internally validated, has not been applied to an external cohort, which may limit the generalizability of our results.4 The utilization of ROC curves to define cut-off points for continuous variables allowed us to make a better categorization of quantitative variables, but implies risk of overfitting.31
In summary, we identified novel risk factors associated with the development of RA-ILD and proposed a risk indicator score to identify those at risk for ILD. Future validation studies in external cohorts are necessary.
The authors declare that this study didn't receive support from any organization that needs to be declared.
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
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Home / SR EXCLUSIVES / X-Men: Dark Phoenix – All The Confirmed Heroes And Villains
Adam Meintzer May 11, 2018	SR EXCLUSIVES Leave a comment 1,476 Views
Jean Grey a.k.a. Phoenix
One could argue that the greatest mistake made by X-Men: The Last Stand was not telling the story through the eyes of Jean Grey — instead opting to make Hugh Jackman's Wolverine the protagonist. Thankfully, this will not happen with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, as it's been confirmed that Sophie Turner's version of the telepathic telekinetic will be the central character in the movie.
Developing as a much more faithful adaptation of the comics, Jean Grey will be on a space mission at the start of X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but everything will start to go wrong when they encounter a mysterious cosmic force. It's a serious disaster, but, more importantly, the incident awakens something within the young mutant, as she starts to see her powers grow stronger and stronger — to the point where she becomes seriously dangerous. This is the emergence of the Phoenix, who in the comics is one of the most powerful beings in the universe, with the ability to open stargates, destroy matter at the subatomic level, and generate cosmic fire amongst other things. Despite Jean's moral heart, she becomes an incredible threat that Professor X and his team must deal with.
Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops
As a member of the X-Men, Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) will obviously be very much tied up in all of the action discussed — but, as fans know, there is an important emotional factor in the whole thing for him. Scott Summers is not just a key member of Professor X's team, but the true love of Jean Grey. We only witnessed the characters first meeting and starting to get to know one another in X-Men: Apocalypse, but X-Men: Dark Phoenix will be set a full 10 years after those events, and that's a lot of time to develop a deeper relationship.
Of course, being in love with Jean Grey as she turns into Phoenix should ultimately provide some serious moral conundrums for Cyclops, especially as she becomes too powerful and dangerous. If the film addresses the idea of killing her before she gets too out of control, Scott might be a serious roadblock in terms of getting the horrible deed done. If not, the other possibility is that we see him make a terribly sad sacrifice.
Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm
Played by Alexandra Shipp in X-Men: Apocalypse, Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm had a complex re-introduction to the franchise post-Days of Future Past. Rather than being introduced as a hero, her first scene in the film instead saw her bend the knee for the titular villain and agree to serve as one of his Four Horsemen. The good news is that by the end of the film she had a serious change of heart, deciding to join the X-Men in battle, and presumably that's what she has been doing for the last 10 years when we catch up with her in X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
While there isn't a great deal known about her specific role in the narrative of the film, it will be interesting to see how her powers have developed. In the comics Storm is one of the most powerful mutants alive (being able to control the weather is kind of a big deal), but we have not yet seen this fully explored on the big screen yet. Going up against some scary threats in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the Goddess of the Plains may find her moment to demonstrate the full scale of what she can do.
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T-Rex opening at Downtown Disney Tomorrow
_MG_7084 Originally uploaded by lilabrooke Update: Not so much a rumor, there is a sign out front saying it opens tomorrow. Rumor is that T-Rex will be opening to the public tomorrow. It's the new Dinosaur themed restaurant at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney shopping… Read More »T-Rex opening at Downtown Disney Tomorrow
Disney World Restaurants No Longer Serve Fois Gras
Although it was only served in four fine dining restaurants (Victoria & Albert's, California Grill, Citricos and Les Chefs de France) in the Walt Disney World Resort, Foie Gras has been quietly removed from the menus. This has generated glee in activists who believe the… Read More »Disney World Restaurants No Longer Serve Fois Gras
Giant Dinosaur Attacks Walt Disney World
Does that Dinosaur look hungry? He's going to be housed inside a restaurant with his own name on the door and plenty of human sacrifices to fill his belly on a daily basis. Oh sorry, that's the wrong memo. That's actually a photo from this… Read More »Giant Dinosaur Attacks Walt Disney World
NY Times on Fine Dining at Walt Disney World
I can pretty much pinpoint the exact moment when food prices for sit down restaurants at Walt Disney World elevated beyond the reach of my budget. It was just following the first off-season offering of the free meal plan with your Walt Disney World vacation.… Read More »NY Times on Fine Dining at Walt Disney World


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Black EPs say, 'we're not just a production company, we're a creative movement.'
Since the murder of George Floyd brought the #BLM movement into sharp focus, the industry's push to give greater opportunities to BIPOC directors, along with other production and post production artists and creatives, has gotten considerable attention. Industry trade groups like AICP and AMP have created robust DE&I initiatives, as have agency networks, advertisers, awards competitions and media companies.
But for all the attention that's been paid to Black directors, editors, colorists, etc., what about the industry's Black EPs and company owners? While they've been busy taking part in various agency and brand 'diversity fairs' and other events designed to raise their awareness, how much has this actually benefited their companies or their rosters of talent?
To get a better insight into the Black EP experience, Simian reached out to five leading EPs and company owners for this Q&A feature, examining the pressures and challenges they face on a daily basis. Collectively, their companies represent a growing trend in the industry, as more minorities are launching or building their own production brands.
We're turning the focus on Black owners and EPs for a good reason: The director – or editor or artist, on the post side of the equation – represents one part of the food chain. Executive producers can impact a project across numerous avenues, from hiring crew and various suppliers to shaping budgets, schedules, deliverables and more. Says Jay Sherrard, CEO and EP at the L.A.-based Mass Media Films, "When an agency hires a Black or minority-owned production company, this means that the EP has the power to hire a diverse workforce. This workforce can include the director, but more so the diversity of the production support crew and team is what's important."
In addition to Sherrard (second from right in the photo above), others taking part are (from left) Qadree Holmes, Founder and EP at the Chicago and L.A.-based Quriosity Productions; Taj Critchlow, Co-Founder and EP at the Toronto and L.A.-based FELA; Adiclere Evans, Co-Founder and EP at Atlanta and L.A.-based The Funnel Creative; and Antonio "Tronic" McDonald, Founder, EP and Director at the New York-based KUAMP.
Tell us a bit about your company. What are some of your major accomplishments over the past two years?
Antonio "Tronic" McDonald, KUAMP: We thankfully managed to thrive during these unprecedented times. Our client list has grown to feature several fortune 50 tech companies, as well as blue chip global agencies. We've even managed to bring home an award. We've truly been blessed, and don't take that lightly. It's amazing to see our hard work and talent being noticed by top partners all over the world.
Adiclere Evans, The Funnel Creative: We launched in the pandemic and since then, we have a lot of successes that we're very proud of. A spot we produced for a Leo Burnett campaign for Wingstop called "Thighstop" recently won Best of Show at the AICP Next Awards Campaign award and also won the Grand Prix for Creative Commerce at Cannes Lions. Additionally, we proudly have been aligned with content that tells stories from an underrepresented perspective. We're expanding our directors roster and are excited to offer a great home to six talented directors and many more non-roster directors who we continue to work with. Some of our recent clients include Viacom, BET, The Carol H Williams Advertising Agency, the ACLU, Warner Music, Sony Music, North Carolina Department of Tourism, WHTWRKS, AP Studios and more.
Jay Sherrard, Mass Media Films: Mass Media Films won a Bronze Addy for our COVID-19 vaccination awareness campaign we produced in 2021. We also shot and produced a season-long campaign for the NFL's New Orleans Saints. We're currently working on a post-Super Bowl promotional campaign with the City and Mayor of Inglewood, California, home to SoFi Stadium. And Mass Media Films has recently signed some new directing talents: Jonny Zeller, Mexico-based director Gustavo Garzon and dynamic director/DP Francis Dreis.
Qadree Holmes, Quriosity Productions: Ironically, I feel the first major success during the pandemic was Quriosity's ability to survive a pandemic and grow as a company. We've been very fortunate that many of our clients still wanted to create content and tell authentic stories. We all know after the tragic events of George Floyd there was a heightened sense of wanting to make amends with the Black community. Many brands doubled down on their efforts. Some of our recent highlights include adding Mark Conley as our L.A.-based Executive Producer and picking up Silver and Bronze Clios and a Bronze Telly. We've been on fire.
Taj Critchlow, FELA: One of the major highlights for us was starting up a new Black-owned production company with my co-founding partner and best friend Director X in the summer of 2020 during the peak of the pandemic and George Floyd protests. It was uncertain times, but we bet on ourselves and our amazing team. And we signed award-winning directors Jackson Tisi and Kajal to the roster. In addition, we won three Bronze Clios for our Toyota "Featuring You." And more recently, we won a Wood Pencil at the 2022 D&AD Awards for Lego's "Rebuild The World." I am very proud of this award because of the subject matter that highlights a Black artist's journey and purpose – because we're not just a production company, we're a creative movement.
What's been the biggest challenge for you as a Black-owned production company in gaining traction with agencies and brands?
"Tronic" McDonald: For us, it's been getting that initial meeting. As you know, people are creatures of habit. They work with who they know. Getting in the door, and building those relationships, has been the biggest challenge. KUAMP has been fortunate enough to have been given some opportunities to "show and prove," which we love. Our partners have been pleasantly surprised with how we've been able, with little time and sometimes challenged budgets, to still deliver great work. We're a full-service shop, so they love that they can collaborate with us through every phase of a concept, from development to delivery. We're involved in it all, if asked.
Adiclere Evans: In certain instances we may feel like we have traction with an agency or brand - and then, if we don't win the bid, we're left very uncertain as to how to improve, due to lack of feedback. And that's critical for our future approach and growth. Additionally, a lack of capital makes it difficult to grow and gain traction. Lastly, due to a limited amount of Black mentors available in this space, it's difficult to gain advice on how to navigate corporate relationships.
Qadree Holmes: The biggest challenge I see is performative behavior from some potential agency partners and brands. As the owner of Quriosity, I am very quick to point this out to an agency when we get a sense of tokenism happening in the bid process. I often find myself reminding potential partners that as a company, we can say no. It is also our choice to engage or pass. I want to be hired because you truly believe in our work and our process. The fact that we are a minority-owned business should be the cherry on top.
Jay Sherrard: This is a big question! The challenges black/minority-owned production companies face are multi-faceted. Getting the proper representation and exposure is very challenging. Finding a rep that has experience in selling the services of a black/minority run production company is very difficult. I'm not aware of many reps of color, which could be helpful in selling our services, especially to those agencies looking to work with more diverse talent. On the direct-to-brand side, this is quite different because most brands have a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) outreach component or division, which helps get the conversation started. Mass Media Films has received high marks and compliments about our work, talent, and capabilities, which I'm very proud of but more proactive action is needed.
Taj Critchlow: The biggest challenge we have is the fact we are a new company, so sometimes agencies tend to want to work with the production companies they have a history with. In addition, much of our roster is emerging talent, so the same applies to them as well. People generally like to go with the safe bet, so they lean towards what's tried and proven, versus going with something fresh and new. However, there are some agencies that have embraced the fact we are new and bring a fresh perspective to the game, and I applaud them for trusting in us to execute their campaigns.
There's been a lot of interest in agencies and brands working with more BIPOC talent. Has that translated into actually awarding jobs to Black-owned companies?
Qadree Holmes: Unfortunately, not always. Many times we've seen requests for women and diverse artists go to white males. It can be discouraging, but this shows the community which clients are performative versus those that are actively trying to get on the right side of advertising history. If we're doing the right thing, do we need to tell the world we're doing the right thing? Let the work speak for itself. The project that Quriosity recently won several Clios for was the result of an agency pushing to work with a minority-owned production company. It works! We can help you win awards too.
"Tronic" McDonald: We haven't seen that. #FreeTheWork is a great organization, and we love what they stand for. They've truly been amazingly supportive of KUAMP. Agencies, however, seem to be the last ones to the party. We've seen the most lack of interest to "build" from them. Again, we're not looking for performative talk, we want real opportunities. Some agencies hide behind the 'well, the director just doesn't have what we're looking for on their reel' excuse. And in some cases that makes sense, but in order for us to move forward in an innovative way, they'll have to find other ways to assess talent. Just like they've done in the past with my Non-BIPOC counterparts. A lot of times, those decisions are made on potential or the "buddy system." So we're just asking to be considered through a similar lens.
Taj Critchlow: Honestly, it's more talk than action. A lot of agencies and brands claim they're pushing for more diversity and inclusion as a sound bite, but they still tend to resort to their old ways. It's bizarre that we're still talking about this – diversity should be normalized, not a mandate or initiative. But unfortunately, the advertising world is stuck in its ways, so we have a lot of work to do in terms of representation on all fronts.
Jay Sherrard: Agencies showing more interest in working with BIPOC talent is great, but this doesn't always translate to Black or minority-owned production companies getting the job. If this interest were more focused on the executive producer side, I believe the positive impact would be greater on all levels of the production.
Adiclere Evans: In our experience no, we have yet to see a significant increase. Until incentives are put in place, I believe companies won't follow through with their pledges. Fortunately, we've been able to secure most of our business through existing relationships.
Do you feel at times you're being asked to bid on a job just to satisfy an agency or brand's diversity directives or specs? If so, do you embrace that opportunity, or do you feel it in any way diminishes you as a resource?
Adiclere Evans: Without a doubt there are instances where we're only being selected to meet a diversity quota. However, it's up to us to take advantage of these situations and create relationships that will give us meaningful opportunities in the future.
Taj Critchlow: That's a tough question, because if there wasn't a push for diversity directives in the advertising world, I would have fewer pitch opportunities. But it feels weird that it has to resort to that 'ticking off-the-box' mandate versus normalizing diversity, period. Race and gender shouldn't be a factor, the creative work should be the focal point, but unfortunately, Black and BIPOC creatives tend to be overlooked, hence why we're having this discussion. And we need more diversity on the executive levels at the agencies and brands, because that will change the 'Mad Men' culture of white male dominance.
"Tronic" McDonald: Yes, it's counterproductive. Being asked to create a bid and treatment for a job you know you won't get is one of the biggest mistakes an agency or brand can make. You're better off explaining to your client or shareholder that you're just not interested in working with BIPOC entities for whatever reason. By being upfront, you don't waste our time or yours. Our work is certainly not diminished by this, and we'll continue onward. Clean competition is part of the game, you don't win them all, so we don't expect to be awarded every job we bid on. But we find there's always something special that happens when we do.
Qadree Holmes: I love these moments, and I fight extra hard to win these jobs. You must find the positives, even if the cards are stacked against you. If it doesn't work out, you still have an opportunity to take someone through your process and teach them what you bring to agencies and brands besides the color of your skin or your sexual orientation.
Jay Sherrard: The majority of these bid requests are mostly focused on Black or minority directing talent and not the ownership of the production company. As an EP/Owner, I don't always view this as an opportunity for my company or my roster of directors. In my opinion, the focus should be shifted toward the ownership structure of these production companies, and the diversity of the labor force and production support team they hire.
How do you ensure that your Black directors can work on projects with strong representation of diverse faces among the crew? How are you making sure that opportunity extends to all departments, not just to the role of the director?
Taj Critchlow: As an Owner/EP, it's always been a part of our company mandate that our crews are diverse. Especially in Canada, where the numbers are lacking heavily, due to the industry's history and population density. Like Spike Lee and John Singleton, we have to do our part to make the changes we seek.
Adiclere Evans: The Funnel Creative has a goal of hiring the most Black and brown crews in the industry. Since this is our mission, we don't have a problem making sure there are diverse faces among our crews.
Jay Sherrard: As the EP and owner of a production company, I have a lot of say when it comes to the diverse makeup of the crew. On one of the last projects I produced, I made sure to hire as many qualified diverse crew members in the different departments as possible, especially in key positions, such as the gaffer and key grip. As for the director, he or she has the choice to bring on crew support he or she feels will get the job done in the way they've envisioned it.
"Tronic" McDonald: At KUAMP, ALL of our productions have diverse faces and representation. It's ingrained in everything we do. Supporting our Black directors, as well as other ethnicities, is paramount, and crucial to our work. Every department on and off set is diverse and includes BIPOC talent. We truly believe that we go further together, and the creative is always better for it.
Qadree Holmes: Not only have I made a conscious decision to only sit on the boards and advisory committees of organizations that promote change (AICP, Illinois Production Alliance, Chicago Ad Federation Diversity Thought Leadership Council, Shiny Awards, Chicago International Film Festival Black Perspectives Board, Free Spirit Media, Emeritus), but I've also tried to use this as a pipeline for new talented diverse faces. Anyone that has ever worked with Quriosity knows that we are interested in changing what production looks like as a whole. There are great careers created in other areas of the industry outside of being a director or producer. I feel the weight and cultural responsibility to utilize my platform to open doors to young women and minorities. We have to make these changes with purpose. Join us on set and you'll see the difference.
Given what you've experienced, what's your outlook for the coming year or so? How optimistic are you about future opportunities and the ability of your company to grow and flourish?
Adiclere Evans: We created The Funnel to provide jobs to Black filmmakers, so we see our company providing many jobs on a consistent basis over the next several years. More specifically, our aim is to help Black directors and filmmakers gain access and opportunities in the advertising space. We've pledged to do $100 million worth of payroll in the next 10 years, which will directly benefit our community. And we want to be an outlet for brands and agencies that are making commitments to utilize minority owned businesses.
"Tronic" McDonald: Ours is positive, and will be anchored by authentic, emotive work that truly resonates with audiences. KUAMP has been growing tremendously, and we don't see that slowing down. Our partners' creative needs are growing exponentially, and they look to us to be an ongoing collaborator in this new content-driven world. Flourishing is certainly in the plans!
Taj Critchlow: Our objective is to continue breaking down barriers and make great work and position ourselves in the marketplace as one of the most progressive production companies in the industry and a force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, we plan to expand into more long-form content in the near future. More blessings to come!
Qadree Holmes: I feel the outlook for Quriosity is extraordinary. I was at Cannes this year, and there were two topics you simply could not get around in every conversation: sustainability and diversity and inclusion. These topics go hand in hand. Because this is such a focus, I think it will present a unique opportunity for Black-owned businesses like Quriosity. Clients and brands want to make a commitment to make sure minority businesses survive. They're beginning to understand that this is a full investment into the culture and the true sustainability of minority communities.
Jay Sherrard: Just like every business, we're looking to grow and scale our operations over the next few years. We believe that going after B2B contracts and working direct to brand is the path forward. Forming a partnership with small to medium-sized agencies may also be very beneficial.
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FX's 'Fargo' Nabs Oscar Winner Billy Bob Thornton As Lead
FX, News
FX revealed today that Oscar Winner Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade) will star in their 10-episode event series Fargo, inspired by Joel and Ethan Coen's 1996 classic film. Thornton will play Lorne Malvo who is described as "a rootless, manipulative man who meets a small town insurance salesman and sets him on a path of destruction." Production on the limited series begins this Fall with an eye toward a Spring 2014 debut.
Written by Noah Hawley, FX's Fargo is set to feature all new characters and a new case while maintaining the Minnesota niceties that made the film so darkly funny. Meanwhile, the Coens will serve as executive producers on the project.
Thornton is an acclaimed writer and actor, having won the Best Screenplay Oscar for Sling Blade as well as nabbing a Best Supporting Actor nod for the film. Additionally he has starred in a number of projects including A Simple Plan, Bad Santa, The Man Who Wasn't There and Bandits.
What do you think of Thornton venturing into television? Sound off in the comments.
Billy Bob ThorntonFargoFXNews
'American Horror Story: Cult' Season 7 Finale- Making "AHS" Great Again
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'American Horror Story: Cult' Episodes 8 & 9- Ally Ally Oxen Free


It will be a great thing to have some trees in your backyard as they will bring some aesthetic beauty to your home. The other right side of the trees is that they will offer the perfect shade that you would like for your compound. It is a good idea if you will practice caution with the trees that are at your compound as they might have some form of risks.
For the tree that might grow out of place it will be great to take care of them before the disaster strives. It will be necessary if you will take the initiative to have all of the trees that have some element of risk removed from the compound as soon as you see any indicators. By eradicating the trees it will be a good idea to ensure that you take the value of the lives and the properties at your concern.
Finding one of the known experts in the removal of the risky hanging trees will be critical for your work. For peace of mind you should bring one of the top experts for your work. If you don't have the immediate experts that you can turn to today, it will be great if you will be able to research on the best that you can have at your area.
It will also be possible to have all of the services that the area offers where you will choose the one that will compare best with the rest. You will realize that you will need to have the support of the referrals as well before you choose the services. For your project, you will need a real specialist in the hazardous tree removal and by having some contacts of the people that he or she has helped in the past will help a lot to remove the doubts that you might have in the work of the same expert.
Also you can visit the site of the services provider to confirm if the reputation is dependable as the recommendations will say. Given that trees are risky to remove you should confirm that the remover will bring the right insurance cover. Removing the hazardous trees will be necessary for the sake of the things that you will protect at your home.
Automated external defibrillator can help save the life of a victim of a cardiac arrest. Very few people can afford AEDs because of their high price. Refurbished AEDs are cheaper compared to a new one, and they will offer you the same quality of services. When buying refurbished AEDs, it is important you buy them from a reputable supplier. There are several suppliers in the market and it can be challenging to choose one among the many. In this article, we will give you a guide on how to choose the best supplier for refurbished AEDs.
When choosing a refurbished AEDs supplier go for that has several of them that you can choose from. People have different preferences when it comes to refurbished AEDs.
When buying refurbished AEDs, buy them from a supplier that does not compromise on the quality. Good quality refurbished AEDs will serve you for a long duration of time and they will still be in good condition.
What budget have you set aside for the purchase of the refurbished AEDs? All suppliers don't sell their refurbished AEDs for the same price. Go for a supplier that is selling the refurbished AEDs at an affordable price without compromising on the quality.
It is important you buy the refurbished AED from a supplier that will give you a warranty. If the supplier you were prospecting does not issue a warranty, look for another supplier.
Also, it is important you check the duration of time the supplier has been selling the refurbished AEDs. It is important you deal with a supplier that has been in the market for a long duration of time. The supplier has diverse knowledge about the refurbished AEDs from their many years of experience. It is advisable you inquire from the supplier how long they have been selling the refurbished AEDs.
When choosing a supplier for refurbished AEDs, it is important you choose one that has built a good reputation in the market over the years. It is important you check what people are saying about the supplier on the internet. This will give you an honest opinion about the supplier. A reputable refurbished AEDs supplier will always have many positive reviews.
You may be a very busy person and you may not be able to be preparing meals for your family every time that you would want. It is also possible for you not to be able to prepare even one meal for yourself because of how you might be busy in your business or in the place that you have been employed also. Another thing is that you may have some people over at an expected time and you may not have enough time to prepare a meal for them.
What we are trying to get to hear is that all these people will definitely need to look for and also find a service that is capable of preparing the kind of a meal that a person would want and to prepare it fast enough and after preparing that service should be able to deliver the meal to them. For you to be able to find out how you can go about looking for a lot of finding meal delivery services that can be able to prepare the kind of a music you request them to prepare for you and to also deliver the mail to you make sure that you have continued reading this article appeared in the end because it has got some of the best tips that will help you do this successfully.
In case you would like to order Indian food then it would be better to find a service that specialises in Indian food. On the other hand make sure that you look for a service that specialises in preparing and delivering Chinese food if it is Chinese food that you would want to have and that you would want delivered for you in case you would want to have Chinese food prepared and delivered to you. If you want to find a meal delivery service that can be able to do what we are talking about all this article and that is near you make sure that you go to the internet and research on it depending on its location and their quality services that are offered there.
The kind of baby products you will get will be determined by which company you are getting them from. If you search on the internet for companies that sell baby products, it will give you several options to choose from. It can be challenging to choose one company among the many to buy the baby products from. However, these companies don't sell the same quality of baby products. In this article, we will give you a guide on how to choose the right company for baby products.
Does the company have a wide range of baby products to choose from? A reputable company should have a wide range of baby products to meet the needs of their various clients. Does the company have the baby products in different designs and colors? A company that does not have various types of baby products limits your options.
Does the baby products company have experience. The longer the duration of time the company has been selling the baby products the better. The company has continued to exist for this long, because they are meeting the needs of their clients when it comes to baby products. Inquire from the company the duration of time they have been dealing with the baby products.
Through word of mouth you can get a reputable company to buy baby products from. It is important you ask them what kind of experience they had dealing with the company.
It is important you consider cost when choosing a company to buy baby products from. The cost for baby products vary among companies. Go for a company that is selling their baby products at an affordable price without compromising on the quality.
Does the company selling the baby products serve clients that are based in your area? It is economical and time saving to get the baby products from a company that is near you compared to one that is another area. Most companies will indicate on their website the different areas they operate from.
What kind of reputation has the company selling the baby products built in the market over the years? Read the customer reviews and ratings of the company on the internet. By doing so, you will know if the company is the right fit or you should look for another alternative. A company that meets the needs of its clients when it comes to baby products will always have many positive reviews.
A good baby products company will not miss recognition awards.
Does the company have good customer services? A good company will train their staff on how to deal with clients.
A runner's jewelry is a perfect gift to reward somebody for finishing a marathon. It is important you get the running jewelry from a reputable company. Not all companies that deal with runner's jewelry will meet your needs. So, how do you choose the right company for runner's jewelry? Here is a guide on how to choose the right company for runner's jewelry.
Variety is an important factor you should consider when choosing a company to buy the runner's jewelry from. The company should have jewelry for people who have participated in full and half a marathon. Does the company have the runner's jewelry in different designs? You can check on the website of the company to see the different types of runner's jewelry they have.
Quality is another factor you should consider when buying runner's jewelry. A good runner's jewelry should not fade or loss its shine when it comes in contact with water.
Does the company have experience in making runner's jewelry? A company that is new in this industry you cannot be guaranteed they have good quality jewelry. The company has continued to exist for this long because they are meeting the needs of their clients when it comes to runner's jewelry. You can know how long the company has been selling the runner's jewelry by checking on their website.
How much is the company selling the runner's jewelry? There are companies that sell their runner's jewelry at a much higher price compared to others. Get the jewelry from a company that is selling them at a reasonable price without compromising on the quality. Go for a company that will issue you with a warranty of at least 1 year for the jewelry.
If you have friend or a family member who has bought runner's jewelry in the past, ask them which company they got them from. If they liked the quality of the jewelry, they will recommend the company to you.
It is important you get the runner's jewelry from a company that has built a good reputation in the market over the years. Check what people are saying about the quality of the jewelry, the customer service and the pricing. Also, check if there any unresolved complaints that have been filed against the company on sites such as better business bureau. A reputable runner's jewelry company will always have positive reviews.
If you are buying the jewelry from an online company, it is important you read the terms of the company before you make your order. There companies that will take more time to deliver the jewelry compared to others. How much will the company charge you for shipping?
A car wrap is a vinyl covering that is hi-tech and is stuck on your car directly. This is done so precisely that it can be mistaken for a paint job. Auto and car wraps are terms commonly used in the description of the digital graphics that are printed on the highly conformable films that are used in fleet livery and vehicle adverts.
Because the old method of branding of vehicles would fade, discolor the original paint work the introduction of car wraps was the best deal. Car wraps are applied on the original paintwork and has different sizes. The high conformable film vinyl is applied carefully on the vehicle and soonest it is ready to peel off it comes off and leaves the original paintwork as fresh as new.
Car wraps are also used for personal cars however this is mostly for commercial use, to transform a vehicle into an advertising board. The common type of advertising is fleet livery truck side advertising and company cars and more viable ways to reach out to several customers always.
When you advertise using a vehicle, it is good as you can create awareness on your brand, easily reach the target market and incur minimal costs. Apart from just being visible on the road advertising cars can be driven to areas where they can market directly to the target audience and trade shows, campuses, sporting events, and specific events. Customers would develop interest if they see a brand on fleet livery when it is going to an already existing customer.
Car wraps are preferred because they are easy to transform an old vehicle to a new one. Car wraps are loved because if someone wants to remove them and retain the main color of the vehicle this is done easily, and the main color is intact. With the best wraps the look of your car can be changed.
But, the wraps are not only for beauty rather mostly for marketing. It is easy to reach your target audience everywhere you go if your vehicle is branded with your services and products. Car wraps cover your whole car, or it can be done partially as per your vehicle's condition or needs.
Marketing using car wraps is effective however it is not aggressive, it is cheap and mobile compared with different methods of advertising. If you have a good car wrap, it is possible to run an advert or product awareness for years. In case of a fleet, the car wraps are good as they are uniform and also still pass messages to a target market.