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GT Briefing December 2012: 10 Key Trends to Watch in 2013
A Top Ten for Business Leaders in The Economist
Cambodia: From killing fields to middle class = development?
2nd December 2012	by Tracey Keys	in Monthly Briefings
December 2012: Why care about Global Trends? Think about Kodak. They invented the digital camera, but side-lined it to focus on their core consumable film business – only to realize too late that their competitors were not who they thought they were and that consumer behavior had shifted. Take Hurricane Sandy, a deadly reminder of the world's shifting climate patterns, following droughts across the globe – emphasizing the need for new ways to manage the world's resources and environment. Or take the growing levels of social unrest over rising inequality, austerity, jobs, political ineptitude, institutional failure and more. Power is being redistributed away from traditional institutions that have failed to deliver progress, towards communities and individuals, as well as businesses.
It's an uncertain and unstable world, one where leaders and organizations need to have a point of view on the future and to act today to address long-term trends. Access to resources, power, value creation, and values and beliefs are all becoming more distributed. The business of the future will not be at the center of the playing field – the consumer will, as cross-industry competition, distributed production and networks become the norm, underpinned by social technologies. Let's look at 10 key trends to watch for the next year, highlighted in The Global Trends Report 2013.
If you want the quick summary to share with your colleagues, you can find it in The Economist here.
To access the related presentation, 10 Key Trends to Watch in 2013 click on this icon.
1.Social everything: New generations and their digital world stepping forward
Social technologies are now a central part of everyday life and work. The social generations are reshaping firms from the inside, helping companies to build broader, more agile networks to create and deliver value to customers. Mobility and connectedness will be at the heart of the future business environment: Relationships, communications and marketing are moving from a focus on one-to-one, to many-to-many relationships.
Did you know: If Facebook were a country it would be the world's 3rd largest and 2 times the size of the U.S. population. The Ford Explorer launch ad on Facebook was more effective than a Super Bowl ad. Every second 2 new members join LinkedIn. Social gamers will buy US$6 billion in virtual goods by 2013; movie goers only buy US$2.5 million in concessions. If Wikipedia were made into a book it would be 2.25 million pages long. 97% of PinterestFacebook fans are women. 53% of people on Twitter recommend products in their tweets. 90% of people trust online recommendations from people they know. Only 14% trust traditional TV advertisements. 93% of marketers use social media for business. Did it tickle your interest for more fast facts? Check out this cool video from Socialnomics.
Social activism: In case you missed out on last month's brief! Along with the rise of the internet and social media a new form of activism has seen the light of day. Hit a button or write a few sentences in whatever online platform you choose and you have raised your voice and participated in a cause you care about. Social activism comes in many shape and forms. Some examples are donating time/money/fundraising, e.g. Big Help Mob in Australia which is a group of people who team up to lend a helping hand to local good causes like planting 10,000 trees in a few hours, renovating a community center or cleaning up a place that's long been forgotten. Another example is Benelab, a search engine that donates 100% of revenues to charity, founded by Seattle teenager Jack Kim. Another form of activism is social media based protest, with Coca-Cola , for example, recalling 1.4 billion cans of a holiday product due to a Facebook and Twitter outcry. Bank of Americahas also felt the downside of social everything: After announcing a monthly US$5 debit fee during the bank's US$45 billion bailout, tremendous negative reactions were immediately recorded via Change.org and Facebook. The result: Bank of America and three other major banks dropped their debit card fees. As social everything evolves, expect more social activism!
Look Out For…
Video marketing: In the good old days marketing was all about the four Ps and mediums like newspapers, magazines, yellow pages, posters, billboards, mailers, leaflets, TV and radio spots. These mediums will certainly still be around for a while but things are changing fast as technology advances. In a fast-paced and information-overloaded reality brands need to consider emerging communications and interaction platforms especially when marketing to the ne(x)t generations – generations constantly connected and on-the-move craving real-time information and immediate gratification. Video marketing could be the next big thing (or at least one of them) – this once costly medium is becoming an increasingly easy and affordable way for brands to communicate with consumers online. The 2012 Social Media Marketing IndustryReport (from Social Media Examiner) found that 76% of marketers plan on increasing their use of YouTube and video marketing. Big brands are already doing so, e.g. Zappos, Dominos Pizza, Apple, Nikeand The University of Phoenix.
Gamification: The integration of online game design concepts into non-game scenarios is increasingly popular in the business world. Though still in its infancy research from Gartnerindicates that by 2015, 50% of organizations that manage innovation processes will gamify those processes and that by 2014 more than 70% of Global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application. M2 Researchsuggests that it will generate US$ 2.8 billion in consumer spending by 2016. Last year Xerox decided to look at gamification across the organization. The main reasons: to engage users, simplify processes, and compete for mindshare. Also last year Coca-Cola launched the game "Happiness Quest" through its vending machines in Japan. Users are asked to scan the QR code on their favorite vending machine and create its virtual identity. German GreenPocket's has developed a smartphone app, which "helps consumers share their carbon footprint in a competitive and entertaining way on Facebook." (Source: Springwise). Great inspiration for energy, utility and monitoring companies around the world!
2. Redefining value: The consumer is winning the fight to own the new consumer
The notion of value is being redefined for the 21st century. Consumers have choice. They want personalization, and to participate in value creation, shifting the mindset to "made with me." Value will also be about "shared with me," as the ownerless economy expands, driven particularly by younger generations who value experiences they can share over possessions – ones that also deliver benefits for society.
The personalized internet – but filtered: First we had human gatekeeper in the form of editors controlling the information flow, then the internet conquered our lives with a new world of uncontrolled information. However, according to Eli Pariser, gatekeeping is back. This time it is algorithmic gatekeeping. He calls it "The filter bubble". In December 2009, Google began tailoring its search results for each user. Now we get search results based on, e.g. our previous search patterns, what browser and computer we are using and many other things. Basically it means that our searches show us what "it" thinks we want to see not necessarily what we need and want to see. However Google is not the only one doing it – Facebook, Bing and Yahoo News have jumped on the wagon too – although it is possible to opt out personalized search. (Source: TED Talks). Does this mean we have fewer choices as services, products or information are automatically filtered out?
Mobile apps rock: Apps are the road to immediate gratification and real-time information, as time becomes an increasingly valuable resource. According to the latest estimate from Gartner free apps will account for 89% of total downloads in 2012. Worldwide mobile app store downloads will surpass 45.6 billion in 2012, with free downloads accounting for 40.1 billion, and paid-for downloads totaling 5 billion. As we all know there is an app for everything and if there is not, it will be here soon! We can't mention them all but if you want to save time and money this app is one for the shoppers: Westfield, the world's largest shopping center operator, added Google Commerce's search functionality to its in-mall mobile app. Shoppers can now search and compare prices across retailers in their local Westfield shopping mall, and then call the local retailers to check availability with one click. (Source: Trendwatching)
Social sharing: The French website LaMachineDuVoisin is taking social sharing to a new level by bringing together people whose washing machines are sitting unused during the day, with those who need a handy place to wash their clothes. The site invites machine-owners to sign up and set the days and hours when their machine is available. People nearby can then book a time slot where they'll pop in to do the weekly wash. (Source: Iconoculture). In the UK the easyCar Car Club scheme already helps vehicle owners to lend out their car to others when not in use. Now in the US, FlightCar aims to put vehicles left in airport parking lots to use by offering them up for short-term loans.The customer can expect a 20 to 50% discount compared to traditional rental opportunities, while the car owners receive 65% of the agreed fee. (Source: Springwise) More moves towards the ownerless economy?
Embracing virtual reality experiences: More brands are jumping on the wagon providing consumers with virtual reality shopping experiences in order to facilitate the decision-making process. Marks & Spencer's Virtual Manicure is a free online and in-store service which enables customers to test the retailer's nail polish range on their own nails. Shoppers upload an image of their hands and then click on a nail color to see what it would look like before they purchase it. (Source:Trendwatching). Will frustrations in the fitting-room soon belong to the past? High-tech fitting and sizing machines are popping up in many places. The shopper steps fully clothed into a sizing machine, their body is measured, and then matched with specific styles of clothing brands fitting the person's body type. Unique Solutions Design operates size-matching stations in 65 shopping malls across the U.S. In Bloomingdale's 59th Street Store in New York it has teamed up withFaceCake, which is the maker of Swivel virtual fitting room by using Microsoft's Kinect sensor and camera attached to a TV. The result: Walk into the store, try on the clothes you want without even taking off your clothes. (Source: abc NEWS and Los Angeles Times)
3. Distributed everything: Mobility in production and consumption
Mobility is entering a new stage, where not only consumption occurs anywhere, anytime but also the tools and resources to create and capture value are more broadly distributed. Work has been becoming more distributed for years. Smart machines now tap the global brain. Small-scale manufacturing, including 3D printing, will reshape production. Renewable technologies are distributing energy production, while mass teaching platforms are revolutionizing education. Ask what can't be distributed, not what can.
Mass teaching: Get used to it because the world of learning is changing in radical ways. Massive Open Online Classes (MOOC) is reinventing education. Ventures like Udacityand Skillshare are lowering barriers to higher education, while Big Picture Learning schools and Science Leadership Academy are emerging players in primary and secondary education. M-learning is in and you will find an app for everything; it is exploding and the global market for mobile learning products and services could triple from 2010 to 2015 reaching US$9.1 billion. (Source: Ambient Insight) The countries with the highest mobile learning growth rates (all over 60%) are China, India, and Indonesia.
Distributed energy: Typically, distributed energy technologies focus on renewables. Projects are often small in scale, closer to the consumer which lowers environmental impacts, improved security of supply and wastage of cost. Distributed energy can also bring low cost power to the 25% of people worldwide who have no access to electricity. In India Simpa Network sells energy on a pay-to-go basis. The customer must make an initial down payment and then pre-pay for the service. Each payment counts towards the final purchase price. When fully paid, the system produces clean energy, free and clear for the rest of the system's expected 10-year useful life. (Source: Springwise). In the spring we wrote about the Swedish company Hexicon building the world's largest floating wind farm. Now California Makani Power has created an airborne windmill able to produce 50% more energy than windmills on the ground. It generates power by flying aloft in large circles, much the way a kite does. Just in case you are wondering – it does stay well below normal commercial and civilian aviation! (Source: Springwise). We have seen hotels and cinemas using pedal power. Now add the Santa Rita do Sapucaí prison in Brazil – here prisoners can shave a day off their sentence for every 16 hours pedalling they complete (Source: Springwise)
Crowd labor: Crowdsourcing opened up the way ideas for innovation are gathered; crowdfunding is opening up new ways to support of a wide variety of new ventures and projects. Now crowd labor is opening up the way work is done. Once technological and organizational barriers to the approach are resolved, there will be benefits to both businesses and professionals. Crowd labor is similar to crowd funding as it connects the buyer and seller in cyber space. For now crowd labor has its limitations because most offerings depend on specific platforms from individual vendors. However according the report Sector RoadMap: Crowd labor platforms in 2012 by Joseph Turian, Ph.D., published by GigaOm Pro: "The promise of crowd labor is that it is inexpensive, on-demand, and elastic outsourced labor." Examples of crowd labor platforms areAmazon Mechanical Turk (AMT),MobileWorks, CloudFactory,Samasourceand Clickworker.
3D printing: 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize manufacturing as well as bringing power into the hands of consumers! It is also launching new businesses that do it for you if you don't want a 3D printer of your own.Shapeways recently opened a 25,000-square-foot "Factory of the Future" in Long Island City, U.S. Customers will be able to create and print out newly designed products within a matter of days at the facility. According to Kegan Fisher, director of industrial engineering for Shapeways, "When fully up and running our factory will become the largest consumer-facing 3D printing manufacturing facility in the world." It will house 30 to 50 high definition, industrial-sized 3D printers. Each is capable of producing more than 100 products on a daily basis, and three to five million products on annual basis. The factory will support Shapeways' community of nearly 200,000 users. (Source: Smart Planet)
4. The next "industrial" revolution: Robots and smart machines reshaping work
Smart machines and robots will redefine society, by taking on any job that can be reduced to repetitive steps. Robots are now being deployed as receptionists, banking assistants and even prison guards, while technology allows amateurs to do what professionals once did. The upside: Addressing issues such as caring for ageing populations. The downside: Huge job losses. Yet the next wave of deployment of smart machines will also create new kinds of jobs. The challenge will be to ensure a workforce that is ready and skilled for them.
Replacing human workers: Earthbound Farms in California has robot arms that put organic lettuce into clamshell containers. They are so fast that each robot can replace two to five workers at the company.At C&S 168 "rover" robots the size of go-carts race around a warehouse at 25 miles per hour, manipulated wirelessly by a central computer. They drive right up to their destination, get the item, then move to a central chute where all the items are collected. The central computer can pack items in the exact unpacking order they need to be in to go onto the supermarket shelves. Thanks in part to texting, email and apps like smartphone banking, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 181,800 U.S. Postal Service workers will lose their jobs between 2010 and 2020, 28% of the total. (Sources: Smartplanet and Money MSN). For an interesting TED talk about how technology and droids are impacting our lives click here.
Positive robotic impact: The report "Positive Impact of Industrial Robots on Employment" from the International Federation of Robotics states that it is not all about negative impact when firms deploy robots. In 7 industries including robotics, robotics operation, food and drink, chemicals, pharma and plastic, foundries, electrical and electronics, and automotive, the total number of jobs created (direct and indirect employment) due to use of robotics is in the order of 8-10 million. It is estimated that 700,000 – 1 million new jobs will be created by robots in the next five years. Examples of firms where robots have saved jobs are Odense Steel Shipyard, Denmark and Marlin Steel, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Replacing HR: Firms are increasingly turning to smart machines when hiring new staff. Human bias is being replaced by algorithmic software to achieve precision during the hiring process. Companies large and small are using it, e.g. Xerox uses it to staff call centers; Bon-Ton Inc. to screen applicants for hourly wage jobs in stores and distribution centers; waste-disposal firm Richfield Management LLC in Flint, Mich. to screen out applicants who are likely to get hurt and abuse workers' compensation. Moreover, big tech companies believe in the technology. Recently IBM paid US$1.3 billion for Kenexa Corp. which uses data analysis to help companies recruit and retain workers. Oracle has acquired the job-applicant tracking system company Taleo for US$1.9 billion in February, and SAP has boughtSuccessFactors, which specializes in performance tracking, recruiting and compensation, for US$3.4 billion. Globally, spending on talent management software rose to US$3.8 billion in 2011, up 15% from 2010, according to research firm Gartner. (Sources: Singularity Hub and WSJ)
Meet your new professor/teacher: For the most part we are still teaching kids using a 20th century paradigm. However there is no doubt that advances in computing and technology will change the role of the teacher in the 21st century. Instead of being the teacher we know, the teacher will become a guide, a coach and an educator in the classroom helping students to learn at their own pace. The computer or smart machine becomes the textbook, the research device, the advanced math calculator, the word processor and the portal to a world of information for every class. Check out the impact of new technologies in education in a new visualization by Michell Zappa at Envisioningtech.
5. The new space race: Pushing the frontiers of technology once again?
Scientific advances from national space programs have had a significant impact on how we live and work, from advanced materials to global telecommunications. Now, commercial space travel and exploration is a reality and a new space race is hotting up particularly between the US, China and Europe. New advances will surely result, as will questions over the ownership of space "assets," and whether advances will be shared for public benefit.
The rise of space tourism: Virgin Galactic has already signed up well over 500 people willing to pay US$200,000 each to fly into space in 2013 on the SpaceShipTwos suborbital flights. Another player in the industry is the XTAR space plane that will take a pilot and one passenger/co-pilot up nearly 60 km for about half the price of a Virgin Galactic flight. The Zero G Corporation offers weightless experiences on flights while it is possible to take cosmonaut training at Star City near Moscow. Hypersonic transport is most likely the new commercial space enterprise where the "big bucks" are. This type of transportation could be flying transcontinental at speed such as Mach 6 or even Mach 10 and could potentially allow executives and high-flying jetsetters to move from one continent to another in a few hours' time. (Source: The Futurist – The New Age of Space Business). Many players are entering the race so the future of space tourism seems promising!
Adventure capitalists: Planetary Resources, backed by investors including Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, billionaire Ross Perot Jr. and software executive Charles Simonyi, plans to go asteroid mining as asteroids could yield precious metals such as platinum, gold and rare earths – with soaring prices on earth making the venture positive on the hopes of future profitability. (Source: NBCNEWS) While the U.S. has shut down its space shuttle program, nations countries like China and India are revealing new plans to explore Mars. Other billionaires planning to conquer space include Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen; PayPal billionaire Elon Musk; Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos; owner of Budget Suites hotel chain Robert T. Bigelow; and computer game developer John Carmack. (Source: The Futurist – The New Age of Space Business). Who will win?
Building a space elevator using crowdfunding: Is a dream as old as human civilization itself (not the crowdfunding part though!). In 2000 scientists from NASA had plans for a space elevator but funding was cut. Now a group of companies aiming to build the first space elevator have come together with a campaign on Kickstarter to fund the project. The LiftPort Group launched the project in mid-August with an US$8,000 goal but managed to raise US$110,353. But why a space elevator instead of just using good old rockets, you could ask yourself? Rockets require an enormous amount of chemical energy to be released and massive quantities of fuel. However, a space elevator provides a mechanical or even an electromagnetic means for ascending into orbit. It could be a safer and cheaper way to launch satellites, probes, and spacecraft into orbit, and also a very successful way for humans to pass to and from a tethered spaceport with ease. (Source: Singularity Hub)
Controlling space: The U.S. and Russia, fierce competitors since the dawn of the space age, have in the last five years seen a major new competitor – China. While it is unclear how much China is spending on its space programs, and it remains many years behind in developing the technology required – according to some, 40 years – the gap is getting narrower. China is seeing huge investments in R&D and have indicated that by 2020 they hope to spend around 2.5% of GDP on R&D, up from 1.8% in 2010. There is no doubt that it could easily make big strides in developing space technology. (Source Global Post). Success in space will require international collaboration, but geopolitical tensions may get in the way as countries race to capitalize on the job creation potential of this new industry. Another key question is how the advances from space research will be shared – for example nanotechnology advances around making equipment smaller and lighter. NASA's advances offered significant public benefits, but will other countries and the adventure capitalists do the same?
6. Geopolitical wars: The fight to control the future
The BRICS and Beyond (other rapidly growing economies) will be where the fight to control future economic growth and social development will take place. It's a multipolar market landscape, based on dramatically different economic, social and political systems. Politicians, along with companies, are still trying to find and control their place in the new world order, even as trust in governments' falls, nationalism rises, and power shifts towards the people. The potential for radical political shifts at home and between nations is rising.
Rising nationalism and protectionism – can we fight it? As we have mentioned before, Global Trade Alert has found a 36% increase in the number of protectionist measures implemented during 2010 and 2011 and is warning about further increases in the future. The forthcoming 2013 Index of Economic Freedom confirms the conclusions from GTA showing that even though the average trade freedom score (max score 100) has risen steadily since 1995 (the score then was 56.7) it has remained flat since 2011 (score 74.5). However many positive developments in trade policy are taking place around the world, e.g. Canada is unilaterally phasing out tariffs on more than 1,500 materials; many African countries are pursuing a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) modeled after other successful continental trade deals; and the U.S. and 10 other countries are engaged in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks. (Source: The Heritage Foundation)
Global inequality and unrest: The financial meltdown and aftermath has led to an increase in poverty rates in half of advanced economies and one-third of developing economies. Inequality has also increased, although not in as many countries; inequality is up in less than one-half of advanced economies and one-quarter of emerging and developing economies. These widening inequalities are evident in terms of access to education, food, land and credit. It's a challenging economic and social picture. In 57 of 106 countries, the Social Unrest Index increased in 2011 compared to 2010. Around 50 million jobs are missing relative to the pre-crisis situation and the global employment rate, at 60.3% in 2011, is 0.9% lower than before the crisis. Employment in advanced economies will most likely not reach pre-crisis levels until late 2016. (Source: ILO, World of Work Report 2012)
Accelerating economies: The BRIC countries are among the largest and most influential economies of the 21st century. Together they are home to 40% of the world's population and produce more than 25% of global GDP. Beyond the BRIC, opportunities also abound. Indonesia is the 16th largest economy in the world with 45 million members of the consuming class and a US$0.5 trillion market opportunity. McKinsey Global Institute forecasts that it will be the 7th largest economy in 2030 with 135 million members of the consuming class, offering a US$1.8 trillion market opportunity. Over the past decade its government debt as a share of GDP has fallen by 70% which means that it is in a better financial position than 85% of OECD countries. Six African countries – Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda – have been among the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world over the past decade; and seven African countries are forecast to be among the 10 fastest in future: Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria. The 54 countries that make up Africa account for 3% of global GDP, about the same as Russia or Brazil, with the average African economy expected to grow faster than its Asian counterpart in the future. (Sources: Ernst &Young – a Rapid Growth Markets , The Economist – The hopeful continent)
Changing the game of governance? According to IMFestimates based on the comparative purchasing power of China and the U.S., the "age of America" will end in 2016, when the IMF predicts that China's economy will surpass that of the U.S. In 2010, when the IMF last increased its financial resources, emerging economies agreed to the deal only if their voting share within the IMF was increased by around 6%, with Europe losing around 4%. (Source: Project Syndicate). According to the U.S. government's National Intelligence Council the whole international system as constructed following WWII will be revolutionized. Not only will Brazil, Russia, India and China have a seat at the international table, they will bring new stakes and rules of the game. Look out for geopolitical shifts and tensions ahead.
7. Resource wars escalating: From a world of abundance to shortage
As the world's population moves towards 9 billion by 2050, resources are under pressure, exacerbated by climate change. By 2030, we will demand twice as many resources as the planet can supply – risking social unrest and conflicts as people and nations compete for ever scarcer resources. Scarcity is already driving resource price volatility, and cross-border investments. New technologies and rethinking consumption will be critical in future – with businesses rather than governments likely to be leading the way.
Educating consumers: In the quest for resource sustainability, organizations from governments to NGOs are educating consumers to use less – it is a huge challenge to change consumer behaviors, both in the high-consumption developed world and as the emerging global middle class starts to use their growing wealth. To support World Water Day 2012 Levi's challenged employees to wear the same pair of pants five days in a row without washing them. (Source: Ecosalon). Levi Strauss also recommends that eco-minded consumers wash their jeans "rarely," and instead put their jeans in the freezer to kill the germs that cause them to smell. (Source: Huffington Post). Duke Energy is using web-videos to promote lower energy use by, for example using a clothesline to dry clothes instead of a dryer.(Source: New York Times)
Eat or drink your wrapping: As mentioned in an earlier brief, a team from Harvard University has developed the edible packaging technology WikiCells to hold for instance pumpkin soup in a spinach membrane, lemon juice in a lemon membrane ad melted chocolate in a cherry membrane. (Source: FoodProductionDaily.com). Now MonoSol has developed an edible film that is soluble, biodegradable and can even be flavored. The firm is developing oatmeal where the package would add the brown sugar, maple syrup, or apples-and-cinnamon taste instead of being pre-flavored. Coffee/hot chocolate packets that could be cream- or marshmallow-flavored, eliminating the single-serve packaging and reducing waste on the landfill.Drink sticks, instead of the narrow pouch, which slides easily into water bottles are an easy way to make powdered drinks. (Source: Fast Company)
Building our own resources: Toyota Motor Corp has developed a way to make hybrid and electric vehicles without using expensive rare earths in which China has close to a monopoly, and which have been subject to export reductions in recent years. According to the company it continues to research new ways to reduce rare earth usage but has yet no time frame for commercialization. (Source: Reuters). In Singapore, a country short of arable land, the company Sky Green has built aluminum towers, up to nine meters high, with 38 tiers of troughs in which vegetables are grown. The result: It produces and sells vegetables from its first vertical farm. If proven sustainable – both technologically and economically – it could provide a much desired supplement to Singapore's locally grown food and serve as a model for farming in other land-challenged areas. The company claims that the artificial system is 5 to 10 times more productive than traditional farms. (Source: Singularity Hub)
From trash to energy: Wouldn't it be great if landfills were a thing of the past, and we could become a zero waste society by reusing or transforming trash into new products? Waste Management, the biggest trash collection company in the U.S., is investing heavily in companies doing exactly that. Recently it has invested in Agnion Energy, a company that turns trash (or "solid biomass feedstock") into synthetic gas used in heating. That idea is not new but Agnion has developed a small-scale device that allows users to perform on-site gasification for a low upfront cost. In practical terms, this means that hospitals, shopping malls, and every other building or institution that collects large amounts of waste – like Waste Management – can get high-quality gas out of garbage. Waste Management has also invested in startups like Enerkem, which turns trash into transportation fuel; and Agilyx, a company that is attempting to turn plastics into crude oil. If any of these solutions are commercially viable Waste Management will have the ability to turn trash to power – and be in the enviable position of having already cornered the market. (Source: Fast Company)
8. Business stepping up: From profit to purpose
Many businesses are stepping up to a new role, often with partners, to tackle societal and economic challenges. In many areas, corporations are seeking to build legitimacy – and the license to operate – in the eyes of demanding consumers, employees and stakeholders who care about the impact and motivations of companies with whom they associate. But it's also good business as companies realize mutual benefits with society. Look for more businesses redefining their corporate purpose as they step up to this new role. Are you ready to take your business to the next step?
Healthymagination: In May 2009 GE announced its "Healthymagination" initiative, committing to spending US$3 billion over six years on healthcare innovation to help deliver better care to more people at lower cost. In addition, the company committed US$2 billion of financing and US$1 billion in related GE technology and content to drive healthcare information technology and health in rural and underserved areas. Two years into GE's six-year commitment the company had 43 validated products and services supporting their mission and they have touched more than 234,000,000 lives. (Source: Healthymagination 2010 Annual Report) A key to the success of this initiative is involving as many people as possible in innovation and sharing knowledge – whether through Facebook campaigns or by establishing challenges to find breakthrough ideas to tackle breast cancer.
The purpose-led business: Mahindra & Mahindra has over the past 10 years demonstrated high growth, enjoying leadership positions in utility vehicles, IT, tractors, and vacation ownership. Today they have growing presence in many different industries. What guides both investment decisions and the company's operations on a daily basis is its core purpose. Outstanding financial results suggest that being purpose-led and achieving high growth is compatible. "Our motivation to give our best every day comes from our core purpose: we will challenge conventional thinking and innovatively use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across the world, to enable them to Rise." "Companies that don't engage in projects that also create value for society are quickly eroding their brand, and they are losing the trust of the public." "If I had gone out and said, you must be purpose driven, others would likely to say, go preach to somebody else. But now, they are curious and want to know, why are they doing so well?" Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director. (Source: Mahindra)
TheB Corp certification: Is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building or Fair Trade certification is to coffee. B Corporations are for-profit organizations that wish to "redefine success in business" by "not just being the best in the world, but being the best for the world." About 650 companies have embraced the status so far, including Patagonia and Etsy. Ben & Jerry's, one of the original socially driven companies, now owned by Unilever, has obtained B Corp certification, making it the first wholly owned subsidiary of a publicly traded company to receive the status. Today, there is a growing community of more than 600 Certified B Corps from 15 countries and 60 industries working together towards the goal of redefining success in business. B Lab, the non-profit American organization that certifies B Corporations has promised to certify 100 businesses outside the U.S. in 2013. (Source: Urban Times).
Taking responsibility: South African insurance firm Dial Direct has launched the Pothole Brigade, a road maintenance initiative that has repaired over 50,000 potholes in and around Johannesburg, as drivers reported them. (Source: dialdirect). In Russia, Martini brand vodka partners with a taxi firm to promote responsible drinking by addressing concerns over getting home safely. It has installed "TakeMeHome" machines in bars: When a customer buys a cocktail with Martini, he or she receives a straw that connects to a Breathalyzer. Blood alcohol too high? Get 30% off taxi services. (Source: JWT Anxiety Index). McDonald's has worked with Conservation International for years to develop environmentally and socially responsible food-sourcing guidelines for agriculture and fish products. In 2012 an undercover video from a Californian slaughterhouse showing bad treatment of cows led McDonald's (and other companies) to sever ties with the meat producer. (Source: Yahoo News)
9. Information is power: The security challenge
Cyberspace is the new frontline for security. Knowledge and information is a source of competitive advantage, for organizations, nations and individuals. But it's a growing challenge to retain control as mobility and the democratization of everything (commerce, politics, and societies) increases – along with cyber crime and cyber war. Look for a rising tide of litigation, policies and regulation. Digital freedom or a "big brother" society?
Global threats – did you know: That less than 1/3 of the information in the digital universe can be said to have at least minimal security or protection and only 1/2 the information that should be protected is protected. (Source: IDC Digital Universe 2011 sponsored by EMC). While no one really knows the correct number McAfee has estimated the annual cost of cyber crime worldwide at US$1 trillion (Source: Computerworld). Symantec's Norton group has released another cyber crime study finding cyber crime has cost consumers about US$110 billion in the last 12 months, affecting more than 556 million people. There is no doubt that cyber crime, cyber espionage and acts of cyber war is happening every day but the exact scale is unclear and the financial costs are difficult to calculate as solid data is hard to get! Are you and your business ready for the world of cyber crime?
Are we prepared at all? According to the report "Cyber-security: The vexed question of global rules" from the security and defense think-tank SDAwith the support of McAfee 57% of global experts believe that an arms race is taking place in cyber space; 36% believe cyber-security is more important than missile defense; 43% identify damage or disruption to critical infrastructure as the greatest single threat posed by cyber-attacks with wide economic consequences. 45% of respondents believe that cyber-security is as important as border security. The state of cyber-readiness of the United States, Australia, UK, China and Germany all ranked behind smaller countries such as Israel, Sweden and Finland (23 countries ranked in report).
Risking free speech: In the Philippines a controversial cyber crime law has been suspended after a public outcry. It was initially put in place to protect against Internet crimes like hacking, identity theft, spamming, and online child pornography. In January 2012 a similar public outcry swept the Internet and shook the power structure of Washington, D.C aiming to stop PIPA (Protect IP Act) and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). According to Freedom House recent revisions to the United Arab Emirates' cyber crime law will not only restrict internet freedom but are in violation of citizens' rights to freedom of expression. (Sources: Global Post and Freedom House). The need for cyber crime laws are rising. In most countries cyber laws are meant to protect people but many believe a proliferation of regulation could stifle free expression and speech?
Getting more malicious and targeted: Cyber crime is increasingly dangerous for governments, businesses and ordinary people alike. As the malware Flame was discovered, the UN urged co-operation and peaceful resolutions among countries to prevent a global cyber war. Symantec is predicting that 2013 will be a year where cyber conflicts become the norm with nations, organizations, and individuals involved. Also expect more targeted attacks on individuals and non-government organizations. Ransomware will be the new scareware. Mobile adware, or "madware," will be a nuisance that disrupts the user experience and can potentially expose location details, contact information, and device identifiers to cybercriminals.
10. Who needs banks anyway? Reshaping the financial system
The financial system is broken. Regulators want change, businesses want new means of financing and consumers want alternatives. The "banks" of the future will include state-owned entities, and firms that simply don't use cash: Think bartering and community currencies. Digital wallets and mobile banking are opening the door for telcos and software players, while trust is the entry point for retailers and crowdfunding communities. In an increasingly crowded and cashless financial system, banks may no longer be key players.
Alternatives to cash: Loyalty point, coupons, community currency, time banks, social network currencies, gamer currencies plus many, many more. Many of these alternatives to cash have existed for years, while others are relatively new. Bitcoins are an experimental new (2009) digital currency that enables instant payments to anyone, anywhere in the world. It is a currency that is not issued by any government, bank or organization, relying instead on cryptographic protocols and a distributed network of users to mint, store, and transfer the currency, using peer-to-peer technology. It is the most widely used alternative currency and has a total market value of more than 100 million US dollars according to Block Chain.
Bartering: It has been around for centuries, but is seeing new life as a medium of exchange. According to the International Reciprocal Trade Association over 400,000 companies worldwide used bartering to earn an estimated $12 billion on unwanted or underused assets in 2011. Honda,Kia and Subaru have bartered cars for media trade credits. Haymarket Exhibitions made part payment for advertising using tickets to their exhibitions. Leading electronics firms have bartered discontinued stock, placing it in leading hotels in exchange for media and trade credits — gaining a potential new client in the hotel group in the process. Food manufacturers have bartered excess inventory in exchange for media credits or trade certificates allowing them to purchase other services such as hospitality and cleaning. Lufthansa has bartered real estate for media credits and aviation fuel. What could your firm barter?
Mobile wallets: The age of mobile payments is well and truly here and picking up steam. Many companies are developing mobile wallet solutions, although no single mobile-wallet standard or technology has yet emerged, suggesting there will be standards/technology wars ahead. So retailers are naturally being cautious about investing in the technology required to upgrade terminals as they may end up with the wrong one (i.e. needs replacing) if they jump in too early. In August a group of American leading merchants announced they had formed Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a company dedicated to offering consumers a versatile mobile-commerce experience that will combine the convenience of paying at the register with customizable offers. It is still under development but will be available through virtually any smartphone. The MCX includes merchants such as: 7-Eleven; Alon Brands; Best Buy; CVS/pharmacy; Darden Restaurants; HMSHost; Hy-Vee; Lowe's; Publix Super Markets; Sears Holdings; Shell Oil Products US; Sunoco; TargetandWal-Mart. Combined, these initial members serve nearly every smartphone-enabled American and account for approximately $1 trillion in annual sales. (Source: MCX and Mobile Wallet Media). Expect more companies to join!
Crowdfunding: Is a growing industry controlled by the masses and having the potential to disrupt established financial systems. It does not have the advantage of being "too big to fail" but it has come with a set of challenges that policy makers cannot afford to ignore. In the U.S. crowdfunding has technically always been legal, but in the spring President Obama signed the JOBS Act into law ushering in what will likely become a new paradigm for investment opportunities and alternate avenues for start-up funding. The act allows business owners and entrepreneurs to raise up to US$1 million from small investors online. Since then many players have jumped in to launch new crowdfunding sites. Regulations are also needed in Europe, which raised around €300 million in crowdfunding or one third of the world market, across all types of crowdfunding. At the end of 2011, there were around 200 crowdfunding platforms active in Europe. Their number is expected to increase by 50% by the end of 2012. (Sources: Inc. and A Framework for European Crowdfunding)
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Comparison of an immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line with Vero cells in the isolation of Herpes simplex virus-1 for the laboratory diagnosis of Herpes simplex keratitis
Sreedharan Athmanathan1,
Sesha B Reddy1,
Rishita Nutheti2 &
Gullapalli N Rao3
Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is a sight threatening ocular infection often requiring a specific and prompt laboratory diagnosis. Isolation of Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) in culture provides the most reliable and specific method and is considered as the "Gold Standard" in the laboratory diagnosis of HSK in spite of its low sensitivity. Using "cell lines of corneal origin" for virus isolation may be beneficial under such circumstances, since these cells have been shown to be excellent substrates for the growth of HSV-1 isolated from the cornea. We report a comparative study of a novel human corneal epithelial cell line (HCE) and the Vero cell line in the isolation of HSV-1 from corneal scrapings employing a shell vial assay.
Corneal scrapings were obtained from 17 patients with a clinical diagnosis of HSK. All the cases were confirmed by virological investigations (PCR and viral antigen detection positive, n = 15, PCR positive, n = 1, Viral antigen positive, n = 1). Scrapings obtained from 10 patients with infectious keratitis of non-viral origin were included as controls. All the scrapings were simultaneously inoculated into shell vials of HCE and Vero cells. Cultures were terminated at 24 h post-infection. Isolation of HSV-1 was confirmed using an indirect immunofluorescence/ immunoperoxidase assay.
Virus could be isolated using both or either of the cell lines in 10/17 (58.82%) patients with HSK. HSV-1 was isolated from 10/ 17 (58.82%) and 4/17(23.52%) specimens in HCE and Vero cells, respectively (P = 0.036). None of the controls yielded HSV-1. While all the 10 (100%) strains were isolated in HCE, Vero yielded only 4/10 (40%) strains in the shell vial culture (P = 0.014).
HCE showed a statistically significant difference in the virus isolation rate with respect to Vero cells. HCE may be an excellent alternative cell line for the isolation of HSV-1, especially from corneal scrapings, for the laboratory diagnosis of HSK.
Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK), a leading cause of corneal blindness, is a sight threatening ocular infection often requiring a specific and prompt laboratory diagnosis [1]. A variety of techniques have been employed for the rapid diagnosis of HSK [2–5]. Isolation of Herpes simplex virus-1(HSV-1) in culture provides the most reliable and specific method and is considered as the "Gold Standard" in the laboratory diagnosis of HSK. However, the sensitivity of this technique has been found to be low [6]. The reasons for this low sensitivity, especially for the isolation of HSV-1 from corneal scrapings, may be attributed to the sensitivity of the cell line used and the small volume of the specimen available. A number of cell lines are currently being used for the rapid isolation of HSV-1 in cell culture including primary rabbit kidney cells, human fetal foreskin fibroblasts, human embryonic lung fibroblasts and Vero [7].
A recent study has reported that isolates derived from herpetic keratitis grow better in corneal epithelial cells and rabbit corneal epithelial cells may be more suitable for isolating HSV from the cornea [8]. Therefore, we performed a prospective study comparing the efficacy of a recently described novel immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line [9] and Vero cells in the isolation of HSV-1 from corneal scrapings obtained from patients with HSK.
Corneal scrapings were obtained following informed consent, from 17 patients with a clinical diagnosis of HSK. All the cases were confirmed by virological investigations (PCR and Viral antigen detection positive, n = 15, PCR positive, n = 1, Viral antigen positive, n = 1). Scrapings obtained from 10 patients with infectious keratitis of non-viral origin (Bacterial keratitis: n = 4, Mycotic keratitis: n = 3, Acanthamoeba keratitis: n = 1, Keratitis due to Nocardia spp: n = 1, and Mycobacterium spp: n = 1), were included as controls. Specimens were transferred to a vial containing 1 ml of viral transport medium (VTM), transported to the virology laboratory immediately and frozen at -70° C until they were processed for virus cultures.
HSV-1 was isolated employing a shell vial assay. HCE (fig. 1) (Kind gift from Dr. Araki-Sasaki, K., Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan) and Vero (National facility for animal tissue and cell cultures, Pune, Maharashtra, India) shell vials were prepared as per standard protocols. The HCE cell line has been established by immortalizing primary cultured human corneal epithelial cells (obtained from a donor cornea) with a recombinant SV40-adenovirus vector and cloned three times to obtain a continuously growing cell line. This cell line has been shown to have properties similar to normal human corneal epithelial cells [9]. HCE cells were grown using the supplemented hormonal epithelial medium (SHEM) consisting of equal volumes of MEM and Ham's nutrient mixture F-12 supplemented with 5% (vol./vol.) heat inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS), 5 μg/ml insulin, 0.1 μg/ml Cholera toxin, 10 ng/ml human epidermal growth factor, 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide and 40 μg/ml gentamicin. All the reagents were obtained from Sigma, St. Louis MO. Vero cells were grown using MEM supplemented with 5% FBS.
Monolayer of HCE. Shell vial culture, Phase contrast microscopy, × 100.
Suitability and susceptibility of HCE for the isolation of HSV-1 by a shell vial assay and tube culture
The HCE was assessed for its suceptibility to HSV-1 and its suitability for the isolation of HSV-1 by a shell vial assay and conventional tube culture, since such aspects of this cell line have not been described earlier. Briefly, a strain of HSV-1 (HSV-1, McIntyre, ATCC, V-539, Vero culture supernatant, 100 PFU in 500 μl) was inoculated into a shell vial and tube culture of HCE. The tube cultures were observed for the evidence of cytopathic effect (CPE) everyday for 4 days. Shell vial cultures were examined the next day (12–16 h) following the day of specimen inoculation. Shell vial and tube cultures were terminated and the cells harvested at 24 h and 96 h post-infection, respectively. HSV-1 isolation was confirmed using an indirect immunofluorescence/ immunoperoxidase assay.
Shell vial cultures using clinical specimens
For the shell vial cultures, specimens collected in VTM were thawed, vortexed vigorously for 30 seconds and an equal volume (0.5 ml/ vial) of the sample was inoculated into a vial of HCE and Vero cells. The vials were then centrifuged at 700 × g for 1 hour at room temperature and were incubated at 36°C for 1 hour for adsorption. The supernatant was discarded and 1 ml of maintenance medium (SHEM Supplemented with 1% FBS for HCE and MEM with 1% FBS for Vero cells) was added. The vials were incubated for 24 hours at 36°C. Based on our suceptibility assay results, routine examination of the cell cultures were done the next day (12–16 h) following the day of specimen inoculation, for any evidence of CPE. Cultures were terminated at 24 h post-infection. Isolation of HSV-1 was confirmed employing an indirect immunofluorescence assay using a polyclonal antibody to HSV-1 (Dako, Capinteria, LA). Two types of positivity were observed: qualitative (presence of cells with specific fluorescence) and quantitative (number of infectious foci (IF) present in each shell vial), as described previously [10].
Statistical analysis was performed on results using a computer assisted statistical program (Epi Info, Version 6.04 b, CDC, USA). Chi square test for proportions (with Yates correction when required) was used. All P value were considered significant if less than 0.05.
Susceptibility of HCE to HSV-1 and its suitability for the isolation of HSV-1
The HCE was found to be suceptible to HSV-1 as determined by both the shell vial and tube cultures. Cytopathic effect (CPE) (fig. 2) was seen in the tube cultures at 48 h (>50% of the cells were refractile, showed rounding and ballooning). Shell vial culture showed such changes in few cells (< 10%) at 12–16 h post-infection. Nevertheless, both the cultures showed the presence of infected cells as determined by the Immunofluorescence/ Immunoperoxidase assay (figs. 3,4) suggesting that the HCE was suitable for use in the shell vial assay and tube cultures, for the isolation of HSV-1.
HCE showing CPE. Conventional tube culture, Phase contrast microscopy, × 100.
HSV-1 (McIntyre) infected HCE. Note the virus-infected cells showing apple green fluorescence. Uninfected cells are stained red due to the counterstain. Indirect immunofluorescence assay, × 400.
HSV-1(McIntyre) infected HCE. Virus infected cells are stained brown. Uninfected cells are stained blue due to the counterstain. Indirect immunoperoxidase assay, × 500.
Virus could be isolated using both or either of the cell lines from 10/17 (58.82%) specimens collected from patients with HSK (figs. 5,6,7,8). None of the controls yielded HSV-1. HSV-1 was isolated from 10/ 17 (58.82%) and 4/17(23.52%) specimens obtained from patients with HSK in HCE and Vero cells, respectively (P = 0.036) (Table 1). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV are shown in Table 1. While all the 10 (100%) strains were isolated in HCE, Vero yielded only 4/10 (40%) strains in the shell vial culture (P = 0.014) (Table 2). The HCE showed a statistically significant difference in the virus isolation rate with respect to Vero cells. An unexpected finding in this study was that two of the specimens inoculated into the HCE showed CPE during routine examination of cultures at 12 h and 16 h, respectively (fig. 5). Such an observation was not seen in Vero cells.
HCE inoculated with a clinical specimen showing CPE at 12 h in the shell vial assay. Note the presence of some rounded and refractile cells on the cover slip. The edge of the cover slip is also seen. Phase contrast microscopy, × 40.
HCE inoculated with a low viral load clinical specimen positive for HSV-1. Note the presence of very few infected cells showing apple green fluorescence. Indirect immunofluorescence assay, × 250.
HCE inoculated with a low viral load clinical specimen positive for HSV-1. Note the presence of very few infected cells, which are stained brown. Indirect immunoperoxidase assay, × 500.
HCE inoculated with a high viral load clinical specimen positive for HSV-1. Note the presence of many infected cells showing apple green fluorescence. Indirect immunofluorescence assay, × 125.
Table 1 Qualitative results of HSV-1 isolation in HCE and Vero cells (n = 27, Cases: 17 [true positives], Controls: 10 [true negatives])
Table 2 Details of HSV-1 isolation in HCE and Vero cells (n = 10)
Considering the quantitative analysis (Table 3), HCE performed better than Vero cells, based on the number of IF present in the monolayers. HSV-1 was isolated in both the cell lines (3/ 3), when the viral load was high (> 20 IF). In contrast, HCE yielded more number of isolations (7/7) than Vero (1/7) when the viral load was relatively low (< 20 IF) (P = 0.0069, Table 3). It is interesting to note that the virus could not be isolated in vero cells when the viral load was very low (< 10 IF) while there were 4 isolations in HCE (Table 3).
Table 3 Quantitative results of HSV-1 isolation in HCE and Vero based on number of IF present in each shell vial.
This study was performed to assess the relative sensitivity of a recently described HCE and the Vero cells based on an earlier observation that corneal epithelial cells may be more suitable for the isolation of HSV from the cornea [8].
Vero cells were chosen for comparison since our earlier observations over a two-year period (unpublished data) suggested that this cell line performs better than HEp2/ BHK-21/ HeLa or A549 in the isolation of HSV-1 from patients with HSK. We employed the shell vial assay since this technique has been shown to be a rapid and sensitive method for the isolation of HSV [11] and adenovirus [12] from ocular specimens when compared to the conventional tube cultures.
Assays done to determine the performance characteristics of HCE show that this cell line is susceptible to HSV-1 and suitable for the isolation of the virus from corneal scrapings in a shell vial assay.
Our results show that the HCE is superior to Vero in the isolation of HSV-1, both in the qualitative and quantitative analysis. Considering the qualitative analysis, it is interesting to note that HCE yielded the maximum number of isolations. There were no cases where HSV-1 was isolated only in Vero cells (Table 2), which suggests the increased sensitivity of the HCE. While there was a statistically significant difference in the sensitivity of these two cell lines for virus isolation, the specificity and PPV were very good (100 %, Table 1). However, the low NPV of both the cell lines (Table 1) suggests that there is a need for better cell lines, especially for the isolation of virus from corneal scrapings. Further, it is worthwhile to note that CPE can be observed in HCE earlier than in conventional tube cultures, in some specimens, as seen in this study. Such specimens can be processed for imunofluorescence/ immunoperoxidase assay immediately leading to a "reduced turn around time" of reporting the results.
Analysis of the quantitative results showed that HCE had the greatest sensitivity irrespective of the viral load, while vero had similar sensitivity to that of HCE only when the load was high (Table 3). HCE proved to be very beneficial, especially when the viral load was low (< 10 IF) (Table 3).
It is obvious from the results that HSV-1 can be more often isolated in HCE than Vero. This has been shown both by qualitative and quantitative analysis.
In general, the isolation rates of HSV-1 in cultures from corneal specimens have been low [6], irrespective of the cell line used. Our earlier report showed a similar trend wherein we could isolate HSV-1 in Vero cells only in 5/15 (33.3%) specimens obtained from patients with HSK [13]. This study demonstrates that using HCE can further increase the virus isolation rate.
The rate of isolation of HSV-1 from corneal scrapings has increased from 33.3% to 58.82% in our laboratory employing the HCE, as seen in this study. We have used an inoculum size of 0.5 ml of the specimen in our study. It has earlier been shown that increasing the inoculum size of the specimen can further increase the sensitivity of the shell vial assay [14]. Such studies are being done at our laboratory.
We have shown the superiority of HCE over Vero cells in the isolation of HSV-1 from corneal scrapings for the laboratory diagnosis of HSK, in this preliminary study. However, the results should be interpreted with caution, since the sample size is small. Further studies are warranted using an adequate sample size. Such a study is being pursued in our laboratory.
To the best of our knowledge based on a "MEDLINE" search, this is the first report of the HCE being used for the isolation of HSV-1 in a shell vial assay for the laboratory diagnosis of HSK. We believe that the inclusion of this cell line, when available, in the routine culture protocols of ocular virology laboratories would result in a significant increase in the diagnostic yield.
Commercial interests
Yamamoto SY, Shimomura Y, Kinoshita S, Nishida K, yamamoto R, Tano Y: Detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in human tear film by polymerase chain reaction. Am J Ophthalmol. 1994, 117: 160-163.
Espy MJ, Uhl JR, Mitchell PS, Thorvilson JN, Wold AD, Smith TF: Diagnosis of herpes simplex virus infection in the clinical laboratory by Light Cycler PCR. J Clin Microbiol. 2000, 38: 795-799.
Kowalski RP, Gordon YJ: Evaluation of immunologic tests for the detection of ocular herpes simplex virus. Ophthalmology. 1989, 96: 1583-1586.
Thiel MA, Bossart W, Bernauer W: Improved impression cytology techniques for the immunopathological diagnosis of superficial viral infections. Br J Ophthalmol. 1997, 81: 984-988.
Asbell PA, Torres MA, Kamenar T, Botone EJ: Rapid diagnosis of ocular herpes simplex infections. Br J Ophthalmol. 1995, 79: 473-475.
Kaye SB, Baker K, Bonshek K, Maseruka H, Grinfeld E, Tullo A, Easty DL, Hart CA: Human herpes viruses in the cornea. Br J Ophthalmol. 2000, 84: 563-571. 10.1136/bjo.84.6.563.
Buthod LM, Schindler NL, Rogers HW: Determination of cell line suitability for rapid isolation of herpes simplex virus. J Virol Methods. 1987, 18: 37-46. 10.1016/0166-0934(87)90108-X.
Mori Y, Shimomura Y, Inoue Y, Kinoshita S: Susceptibility of cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cells to various herpes simplex virus isolates. Jpn J Ophthalmol. 1996, 40: 367-370.
Araki-Sasaki K, Ohashi KY, Sasabe T, Hayashi H, Watanabe H, Tano Y, Handa H: An SV40 immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line and its characteriaztion. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995, 36: 614-621.
Reina J, Fernandez-Baca V, Blanco I, Munar M: Comparison of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK) with a green monkey continuous cell line (Vero) and human embryonated cells (MRC-5) in the isolation of Influenza A virus from nasopharyngeal aspirates by shell vial culture. J Clin Microbiol. 1999, 35: 1900-1901.
Walpita P, Darougar S, Thaker U: A rapid and sensitive culture test for detecting herpes simplex virus from the eye. Br J Ophthalmol. 1985, 69: 637-639.
Kowalski RP, Karenchak LM, Romanowski EG, Gordon YJ, the community Ophthalomologists of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania: Evaluation of the shell vial technique for the detection of ocular adenovirus. Ophthalmology. 1999, 106: 1324-1327. 10.1016/S0161-6420(99)00718-6.
Athmanathan S, Sesha Reddy B, Rao GN: Collection of impression cytology directly on a sterile glass slide for the detection of viral antigen: An inexpensive and simple technique for the diagnosis of HSV epithelial keratitis – A pilot study. BMC Ophthalmology. 2001, 1: 3-10.1186/1471-2415-1-3. [http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2415/1/3]
Johnson FB, Visick EM: A rapid culture alternative to the shell vial method for the detection of herpes simplex virus. Diag Microbiol Infect Dis. 1992, 15: 673-678. 10.1016/0732-8893(92)90070-A.
This study was supported by the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, Hyderabad, India.
We thank all the patients for participation in this study, Dr. Prashant Garg, Dr. Nibaran Gangopadhyay for the clinical evaluation and collection of corneal scrapings from the patients with HSK and Mr. S. B. N Chary for excellent photography.
Jhaveri Microbiology Center, Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Center, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, L. V. Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
Sreedharan Athmanathan & Sesha B Reddy
International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye care, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, L. V. Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
Rishita Nutheti
Cornea services, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, L. V. Prasad Marg, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
Gullapalli N Rao
Sreedharan Athmanathan
Sesha B Reddy
Correspondence to Sreedharan Athmanathan.
Athmanathan, S., B Reddy, S., Nutheti, R. et al. Comparison of an immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line with Vero cells in the isolation of Herpes simplex virus-1 for the laboratory diagnosis of Herpes simplex keratitis. BMC Ophthalmol 2, 3 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2415-2-3
Vero Cell
Corneal Epithelial Cell
Infectious Focus
Human Corneal Epithelial Cell

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I could just give him my laptop's user name & password.
I did: In moments he'd inserted a LOT of files.
Having slower MiFi (& no cable access), I go to a lot of WiFi cafes.
Without us giving it to them.
What does LORD God say ??
"GUARD your heart /= mind... with ALL diligence."
DESTROY all wrong thoughts that come into your mind.
refuse to do or believe what is wrong.
No registration needed to use music website!
©2015 DianaDee Osborne (all material), all rights reserved. FREE personal usage; see website.
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format.
"Show me all the places you can find that B note you just played."
And there's always the same result: Only one piano key out of the 88.
Few people think about fact that guitars and basses are Sonically 3D instruments.
to get the same musical note.... DUPLICATES.
BUT: Pianos are linear, 2D.
If you play a note to the right, its sound is a higher tone.
Play a note to the left, and the sound goes lower. And... No duplicates.
in the World Thru HISTORY ...... or thru the FUTURE!
"You are the only 'you' that has ever existed.
God knows the name of each, unique star: And He knows yours.
What does LORD God say ?? Psalm 147 EXCITEMENT!
3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;His understanding is infinite.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
11 The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.
Ohhhhh.... what a Marvelous Parable idea via a DC snowplow driver!
News reporter just asked the driver beside the ditch why he HAD been on road.
... a roadside interview... !
sheepishly smiled & dodged the Q.
& then our lives will get better!
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
'til He tells me it's safe to get going again.
I'd just turned on ION TV to hear 1 of Michael Youssef's 2015-related real-life sermons.
The station intro'd his show.
Sunday School classes with clips like these as PARABLES to God's topic of day.
Then: Pastor Y began preaching on that very topic of Standing.
Another Evidence of God's working to help us understand His Word.
Sometimes we think, "I'm too dumb to understand the Bible."
from the moment God first began teaching us people what is right, including Exodus 20.
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.
all things that I said to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.


Spread blueberries in bottom of baking dish. Mix together margarine, flour, oats, brown sugar and salt; spread over berries.
Bake for 45 minutes in 350-degree oven. Serve warm topped with dollop of whipped topping, if desired.


Small and medium sized businesses are facing challenges in their product development. Ever more complex systems, teams spread across the world, fragmented IT, increasing product complexity and ever more rigorous time, cost and regulatory requirements are all making it harder to address the challenges of product development.
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Q: Stuck with end of life ubuntu 15.04 My old windows xp was giving me lot of problem so I thought of installing ubuntu. I searched for ubuntu and found out that latest released version required 2gb of ram but I have only 1 gb ram. So I searched for old release ubuntu and downloaded 15.04 vivid version and then replaced windows xp with this. Now I came to know that it's end of life for vivid and I am unabel to download and install any software on this ubuntu 15.04. Now I want to use linux lite latest version how can I do that .I don't have any other laptop or pc other than this.

A: Wikipedia and Ubuntu websites will provide you useful information about maintained versus end of life ubuntu versions.
For example this graph (from Wikipedia) shows that 15.04 is indeed not maintained since 2016:

With 1GB RAM and depending on your processor and disk space, you might consider the following flavours of ubuntu 18.04 (the latest Long Term Support version):

*

*Lubuntu, that is the lightest flavour,

*Xubuntu, a bit heavier than Lubuntu,

*Ubuntu Mate and Ubuntu Budgie, a bit heavier than Xubuntu. If so you would probably meet the minimal system requirements, but not the recommended system requirements. So it's up to you to give them a try or not. And if you do, try with a live USB first to check it works properly.

Also, I recommend you to use light applications to make your experience smoothier e.g. avoid Libre Office and prefer Abiword and Gnumeric, use Midori or Falkon rather than Chrome (more ideas on Wikipedia)...

A: Possible duplicate of How to install software or upgrade from an old unsupported release?
You need to change your apt sources list and change the current Ubuntu domains to old-releases.ubuntu.com
After that, you can install update-manager and do do-release-upgrade.
You will first upgrade to 16.04, and if you want to, from there you can continue to upgrade to 18.04.

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Knowledge Bank / Pig Industry Matters / 2014 / February / Pig numbers up
Pig numbers up
The results of the latest census showed an increase in pig numbers in Denmark. Although production is expected to show a small increase in 2014, exports of weaners are likely to be maintained at high levels. A recently published DAFC survey showed that, while most pig meat sold in the UK market originates from independently assured supply chains, significant differences still exist from country to country.
The results of the December pig census showed a modest 1% increase in overall pig numbers in Denmark. Perhaps the most interesting statistic was the 2% increase in the breeding herd and a 10% increase in the numbers of 'maiden gilts', which may be an indication that Danish pig farmers now have a more confident view of future market prospects.
Danish pig production was virtually unchanged during 2013 at just over 29 million pigs, and is forecast to grow to 29.4 million in 2014. However, exports of weaners increased to 9.6 million head in 2013 and current forecasts suggest that the total may rise to 10 million head in 2014. Germany remains the principal market for Danish weaner exports but sales to Poland rose significantly during last year, following a significant drop in sow numbers in the country. As a result, the availability of pigs for slaughter in Denmark is expected to fall, albeit modestly, to 18.9 million head in 2014.
There is still much debate about differing pig production standards in the EU Member States. The Danish Agriculture and Food Council recently updated its report, comparing standards among the main pig meat suppliers to the UK market – Denmark, England, Holland and Germany. The report is based upon information in the public domain about pig and pig meat production in these four countries. Most pig meat arriving on the UK market comes from assured farms and production sites, which are subject to independent third-party auditing,
However, there are still significant differences in the approaches adopted in each countries. British producers would highlight welfare standards and the absence of confinement systems for pregnant sows since 1999.Danish producers would point to the action taken to eliminate unnecessary use of antibiotics in pig production and the whole chain approach to control zoonoses, such as salmonella, as well as the stricter environmental legislation applying in their country.
A copy of the report ('A view of European pig production') may be downloaded from the DAFC website.
Dette print er foretaget fra http://agricultureandfood.co.uk/knowledge-bank/pig-industry-matters/2014/february/1-pig-numbers-up d. 18/7-2019 klokken 15:32.


This is a spicy/sweet turkey sandwich that is a tradition at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our family loves spicy/hot foods... and this one is a family favorite! It is a change from the ho-hum boring left overs. Each ingredient is important for this sandwich.
Writing this recipe has me longing for the holidays to arrive!
Add the cranberry sauce to one of the slices of bread with mayo.
Put giardinara on the other slice of mayo bread.
Place desired amount of turkey on the side with giardinara (it helps hold it on the bread when you make it a covered sandwich).
Put the two slices of bread and fillings together to form the best sandwich on the planet! Cut on a diagonal and serve!
This is a messy sandwich... and an all time family favorite! (But it is too spicy for kids.... sorry.... this is for grown ups who like spicy!


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Designmatters
Designmatters for Students
Designmatters for Partners
Designmatters for Alumni
USGS Wildfire Studio
In an ongoing partnership with USGS, this Graphic Design studio was asked to design a visual identity and branding strategy for the Wildfire Scenario, a set of scientific data foretelling the natural disaster that is both devastating and a reality of life in Southern California.
"The USGS Wildfires studio has been yet another wonderful partnership between the USGS and Art Center. The results the students created are so innovative and exciting, and they help move us closer to our ultimate goal: bringing hazard science to the communities of Southern California."
— John Bwarie, USGS
"Having the fresh perspective of our students is such a valuable asset to an organization like the USGS. These students represent the very group that USGS is trying to reach."
— Gloria Kondrup, Graphic Design Faculty
"Because I grew up in the wildland-urban interface of San Diego County, wildfires were an important subject to me. Getting to work with the USGS and utilizing technology to drive adaptive design was an experience I greatly enjoyed and grew from as a designer."
—Tyler Paulson, Graphic Design Student
Design Brief / Challenge:
On the edges of our cities and towns, there is a living, dynamic relationship between our man-made environments and the omnipresent forces of nature. A peaceful, symbiotic existence exists when this relationship is thoughtfully and carefully nurtured—yet a potentially destructive, and even violent, environment can quickly emerge if not.
Understanding how to successfully manage these shared boundaries between mankind and nature is crucial to preventing full-scale fire emergencies. Maintaining a peaceful relationship between urban development and the unique natural environments so treasured as part of the Southern California landscape is a necessity.
For this studio, the U.S. Geological Survey charged students with establishing an identity system for their Wildfire Scenario, a compendium of scientific knowledge to address wildfire prevention and education through research and governmental advocacy.
About the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):
A bureau of the United States Department of the Interior, the USGS is a governmental scientific agency that provides impartial information on the country's landscape, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it.
Multi-Hazard Demonstration Project Mission:
The USGS Multi-Hazard Project is improving our resiliency to earthquakes, floods, wildfires, landslides, tsunamis, and coastal erosion in southern California by applying science to community decision-making and emergency response.
Research and Project Development:
Before they could begin developing solutions, students had to research the work of the USGS and, specifically, the Multi-Hazard Demonstration Project–its mission and the issues it faces. Through extensive research and interviews with USGS researchers and scientists, they began to comprehend the multi-tiered approach a campaign to address wildfire prevention in Southern California would need to have.
The students continued by doing field research—visiting and documenting the very areas most impacted by wildfires. Students documented and researched native chaparral and drought-resistant areas to better understand why these areas have an exponentially higher risk of wildfire hazards than neighboring areas.
Outcomes / Projects:
Each student developed a solution for the USGS that included a unique identity system and marketing strategy. Students recognized that individuals use very different ways to digest information—from reading books to visiting websites to downloading mobile applications—and designed their campaigns to reflect this. All campaigns mindfully utilize real-time scientific data, in order to provide audiences with the most up-to-date information on their specific area. This "as-it-happens" approach proves crucial on a day-to-day basis as well as during a wildfire hazard.
THE WUIS
Xian Shane
A WUI is a frequently used term for those in fire science and management, and stands for the "Wildlife/Urban Interface," or the borders where urban environments and the wild landscape mingle. This campaign puts forth the concept of a person as a "WUI" or an individual living in a community that is situated on the edge of wildlife—in other words, an area that is at high risk of wildfires. The WUI campaign is designed specifically for these communities, and envisioned as a grassroots effort to foster community pride in WUI residents and build collaboration around mitigating wildfire devastation in these most-vulnerable communities. Materials created include a brochure, newsletter and an "Are You A Wui?" bumper sticker. An interactive mobile application provides wildfire tips, reminders, contacts and news. This makes for a very personalized experience, which can be modified for individual neighborhoods. In the summer and fall of 2011, USGS commissioned graphic design alumna Xian Shane to further develop her "Are you a Wui" campaign. The Designmatters and USGS teams, with faculty mentorship from Gloria Kondrup, worked closely with Xian to produce several updated additional outcomes of her original idea, including: WUI bumper stickers, buttons, a brochure and a website landing page for the campaign. Plans to implement these outcomes are underway with USGS over the next several months. To see the WUI website click here.
Ricky Valerio
The Firesafe identity imagines a partnership between the USGS and Southern California gardening stores. Because planting the wrong types of plants in a wildfire-prone area can make a wildfire more volatile and spreading, this system influences home gardeners at the point of purchase, educating them on fire-resistant landscape options. A brand logo and retail tags were designed for plants, with different color palates representing varying plant profiles—for instance, one plant might be fire resistant, another drought resistant and yet another a native plant. Some are a combination of all three. The value of these tags in garden centers is that they can raise awareness of wildfire prevention, reminding consumers that wildfires are an issue in all of Southern California that they can help mitigate. In addition to plant markers inserted inside their pots, a mobile application was created advising which plants will work best for a particular area code.
Bianca Fuchs
The FUSE identity partners the USGS with an outdoor clothing company to produce fire-safe attire in order to promote awareness and generate funding for the cause. FUSE stands for "Fire Understanding Saves Ecosystems." The campaign could form partnerships with sportswear retailers to create and brand fire-resistant clothing made of such materials as nomex and templar. A heavy emphasis was placed on saving both people and the environment from wildfires; and also on making quality, durable and desirable clothing that can be worn in times of a wildfire hazard. Clothing tags display what traits a particular product features (such as being heat or fire resistant) and heavy emphasis is placed on producing functional clothing and accessories that are durable and stylish. In addition to a book and a website around the identity, a series of posters and bus shelter graphics were also designed.
Ed Schofield
SCORCH (Southern California Organization for the Research of Chaparral Hazards) is an institution identity aimed at coordinating the many agencies that partner to combat wildfires. With an "S" standing for SCORCH, the logo was designed in a way to represent both fire flames (in particular the Crown Fire which occurred last summer) and the grasslands present in the ecosystem. Brochures, outdoor banners, letterhead and a website were also created, with an emphasis on keeping the campaign scalable and cost-efficient.
Tyler Paulson
The Wildfire identity was designed for the digital world, engaging the public through digital spaces. Its primary goal is to educate users in situations where a growing wildfire hazard may be emerging. The Wildfire application is based on a modular logo that was created to dynamically change (in size and color palette), in response to real-time wildfire hazard data. This technological and adaptable campaign seeks to push USGS to the public education forefront, as the primary authority on wildfires. In addition to a mobile application, a desktop PC application and a public service announcement were also created, showcasing various elements of the campaign and its function.
MBR — MAJOR BURN REGION
Jim Bogenrief
This campaign focused on developing regional governmental groups within an over-arching identity. A strategy for conventions and inter-agency communications was also created. MBR ("ember") is tailored to be region-specific, providing people of a particular area with wildfire hazard news relevant to them. The identity and brand was designed with this in mind, taking care to present the program as knowledgeable and trustworthy. Mobile applications geared around GPS were created, showing live satellite imagery, illustrated maps, videos and live Twitter feeds specifically tailored to the location where the application was being used. A website was created supporting region-specific branding. Ways in which a branding campaign could be implemented in an office environment were also explored.
Jinsub Shin
The Control identity sought to develop the wildfire scenario within the context of larger multi-hazards, developing multiple ways of communicating disaster information digitally. Using primary colors, each representing a specific hazard—wildfire, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes—the campaign aimed to be simple yet informative. The website and materials produced took into account the entire series of multi-hazard scenarios, how these natural disasters are interrelated, and how to mitigate them.
Designmatters at
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, CA, 91103
ArtCenter college of Design visit website
© 2005-2021 Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design. All Rights Reserved.
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For one of our client we are looking for a Senior Development Engineer to support him on one of his current projects.
- Solid experience in optical measurement system development, test and analysis.
- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment with interfaces to other R&D teams and other stakeholders, e.g. operation, customer support, business area, etc.


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Q: Getting blank page using RequireJS and Grunt I'm going a bit crazy here. I'm trying to use Grunt to go through a large RequireJS-based project and combine and minify the results during the deployment process. Here is my grunt process (using grunt-contrib-requirejs):
requirejs: {
        compile: {
            options: {
                baseUrl: "public/js",
                mainConfigFile: "public/js/config.js",
                name: 'config',
                out: "public/js/optimized/script.min.js",
                preserveLicenseComments: false
            }
        }
    }

Initially, I was taking the outputted script and placing it in the HTML -- but this lead to the 'define is undefined' error that means that RequireJS wasn't evoked. So instead, I'm putting in the HTML like this:
<script data-main="js/optimized/script.min" src="js/vendor/require.js"></script>

However, now I'm only getting a blank page.
The closest thing I can find out there that sounds like this is here, but's not being super helpful right now. For reference, I was using this as a starting point of my project -- however, when I run it, everything seems to be working for them but I can't find the differences.
Here is my config.js file:
require.config({

//Define the base url where our javascript files live
baseUrl: "js",

//Increase the timeout time so if the server is insanely slow the client won't burst
waitSeconds: 200,

//Set up paths to our libraries and plugins
paths: {
    'jquery': 'vendor/jquery-2.0.3.min',
    'underscore': 'vendor/underscore.min',
    'backbone': 'vendor/backbone.min',
    'marionette': 'vendor/backbone.marionette',
    'mustache': 'vendor/mustache.min',
    'bootstrap': 'vendor/bootstrap.min',
    'bootbox': 'vendor/bootbox.min',
    'jquery-ui': 'vendor/jquery-ui-1.10.2',
    'app-ajax': '../conf/app-ajax',
    'common': 'common',
    'moment': 'vendor/moment.min'
},

//Set up shims for non-AMD style libaries
shim: {
    'underscore': {
        exports: '_'
    },

    'backbone': {
        deps: ['underscore', 'jquery'],
        exports: 'Backbone'
    },

    'marionette': {
        deps: ['backbone', 'underscore', 'jquery'],
        exports: 'Marionette'
    },

    'mustache': {
        exports: 'mustache'
    },

    'bootstrap': {
        deps: ['jquery']
    },

    'bootbox': {
        deps: ['jquery', 'bootstrap'],
        exports: 'bootbox'
    },

    'jquery-ui': {
        deps: ['jquery']
    },

    'jquery-layout': {
        deps: ['jquery', 'jquery-ui']
    }

}
});

//Initalize the App right after setting up the configuration
define([
    'jquery',
    'backbone',
    'marionette',
    'common',
    'mustache',
    'bootbox',
    'controllers/GlobalController',
    'routers/GlobalRouter'
],
function ($, Backbone, Marionette, Common, Mustache, bootbox) {

    //Declare ECMAScript5 Strict Mode first and foremost
    'use strict';

    //Define the App Namespace before anything else
    var App = Common.app_namespace || {};

    //Create the Marionette Application
    App.Application = new Marionette.Application();

    //Add wrapper region, so we can easily swap all of our views in the controller in and out of this constant
    App.Application.addRegions({
        wrapper: '#wrapper'
    });

    // Set up Initalizer (this will run as soon as the app is started)
    App.Application.addInitializer(function () {

        //Reach into Marionette and switch out templating system to Mustache
        Backbone.Marionette.TemplateCache.prototype.compileTemplate = function (rawTemplate) {
            return Mustache.compile(rawTemplate);
        };

        var globalController = new App.Controllers.GlobalController();

        var globalRouter = new App.Routers.GlobalRouter({
            controller: globalController
        });

        //Start Backbone History
        Backbone.history.start();

    });

    //Start Application
    App.Application.start();

}
);

A: Okay, so this is the crazy simple fix:
In the module that's declared after the require.config, use 'require' instead of 'define' when declaring the module.
If you use 'define', it added 'config' as a dependency of that module, which broke the whole thing. Craziness!


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Adam Putnam annpunces new Florida off-highway vehicle park
Published on April 18, 2015 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Phil Ammann
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced the state's newest off-road vehicle park in Santa Rosa County.
An event celebrating the opening, attended by Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael and hosted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Florida Forest Service, inaugurated Clear Creek Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park in the Blackwater River State Forest outside of the Panhandle town of Milton.
State Forester Jim Karels, represented the department at the event.
Carmichael, a native of Clearwater, is a leading figure in both Motocross and Supercross circuits, as well as a 2013 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee.
This park will be the third OHV area – including Tate's Hell State Forest and Withlacoochee State Forest – available on state forestland.
"The Clear Creek OHV Riding Area at Blackwater River State Forest is yet another example of the many exciting recreational opportunities available in Florida's state forests," said Putnam, who oversees the Florida Forest Service, in a statement. "We encourage residents to get out and enjoy the outdoors, taking full advantage of the diverse recreational opportunities provided by the Florida Forest Service."
Clear Creek OHV Riding Area will offer 27 miles of trails for off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. There is designated beginner areas, a training trail, restrooms and a parking area enough to accommodate 60 vehicles and rigs. Admittance to the OHV riding area requires an entrance fee, and all riders and spectators must adhere to established safety guidelines.
"I am excited to participate in the grand opening of this new Florida OHV Riding Area because it provides a public riding opportunity for all ages," Carmichael said. "I began my riding career at Croom Motorcycle Area at Withlacoochee State Forest and understand how important public OHV riding areas are to Floridians."
Clear Creek is a public/private enterprise between the Florida Forest Service and Coastal Concessions, a Gulf Breeze-based firm owned by Scott Rayner, Joe Bryant and Steve Hancy.
Information about the park, hours, rules and regulations, are at the Clear Creek OHV Facebook page. More state forest recreational opportunities are at the State Forest At-A-Glance Map.
Photos courtesy Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Right, Ricky Carmichael signs autographs for fans.
Left, Ricky Carmichael and team, along with State Forester Jim Karels, cut the ribbon for the new OHV park on Saturday.
Tags: Adam PutnamAMA Motorcycle Hall of FameClear Creek Off-Highway Vehicle ParkOHVRicky CarmichaelTate's Hell State ForestWithlacoochee State Forest
Is Adam Putnam indirectly in bed with Germany's far-right?
In his bid for Florida governor, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has noticeably leaned right, a not-too-unsurprising
State prepares for influx from Puerto Rico
From schools to shelters, Florida is readying for an influx of people struggling for food, water
Incoming Puerto Rican students eligible for free school meals
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced Friday that Puerto Rican students displaced by Hurricane Maria will be able
Phil Ammann
Phil Ammann is a St. Petersburg-based journalist and blogger. With more than three decades of writing, editing and management experience, Phil produced material for both print and online, in addition to founding HRNewsDaily.com. His broad range includes covering news, local government and culture reviews for Patch.com, technical articles and profiles for BetterRVing Magazine and advice columns for a metaphysical website, among others. Phil has served as a contributor and production manager for SaintPetersBlog since 2013. He lives in St. Pete with his wife, visual artist Margaret Juul and can be reached at phil@floridapolitics.com and on Twitter @PhilAmmann.
Ed Hooper nabs Mike Fasano endorsement for SD 16
Firefighters, first responders continue lining up behind Jack Latvala
AT&T working overtime to help connect with friends, family in Puerto Rico
Previous Story Previous post: Glad we could help jog your memory, Susan Glickman
Next Story Next post: Lightning finally wins one in the post-season
In his bid for Florida governor, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam
From schools to shelters, Florida is readying for an influx


text:
Iran Arms Syria With Radar
System Could Help Tehran Dodge Israeli Strike; a Blow to U.S. Strategy on Damascus
Charles Levinson
Updated June 30, 2010 12:01 am ET
JERUSALEM—Iran has sent Syria a sophisticated radar system that could threaten Israel's ability to launch a surprise attack against Iran's nuclear facilities, say Israeli and U.S. officials, extending an alliance aimed at undermining Israel's military dominance in the region.
The radar could bolster Syria's defenses by providing early warning of Israeli air-force sorties. It could also benefit Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon and widely believed to receive arms from Syria.


How it Works – Don't Call it "Grinding ... quite by accident, ... is so easy because grinding machines hold to less than a thouh.
Posts Related to grinding machine accidents pictures » safety videos of belt conveyors in hindi » free construction equipment ... article accident grinder machine.
WORK ACCIDENT PHOTOS ... The young worker was using an angle grinder with wire disc. He didn't use protective glasses, when the spark sprang into his eyes.
Machine guarding Bench-mounted and pedestal grinder safety. June 20, 2013. Reprints Bench-mounted grinder Grinder safety Pedestal grinder.
Home › Workers Comp Claims › Grinding Wheel Accidents. Grinding Wheel Accidents and Workers Compensation. A grinding wheel workers compensation claim is one that stems from injuries that are brought about by an accident on the job that involves a grinding wheel.
Since 2011, 16 metal and nonmetal miners have died in accidents involving machinery and non-haulage mobile and quarry equipment, and many more have been seriously injured or disabled.
Cutting and Grinding Safety. ... plugging in. Carrying tools with your finger on the switch or plugging in tools that have the switch on invites accidents.


This light and delicious meal is perfect for lunch or dinner. The parsley, chilli, rocket and squid bring a vibrant touch to the dinner table whilst the lemon juice adds a refreshing zest to the finished recipe. You can even serve as a starter if you're having guests over.
Place the prepared squid pieces into a bowl and drizzle with the 4 tablespoons olive oil to cover, then season with salt and pepper. Put the parsley, garlic and chilli into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and add the olive oil to make a loose sauce. Set aside while you preheat your frying pan or grill pan for cooking the squid. Place a grill pan or large frying pan on a high heat and allow to get really hot, this may take 10 minutes. Transfer the squid from the bowl to the hot pan, in a single layer, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until slightly browned around the edges. The edges will curl up a little while cooking.
Once the squid is cooked, transfer it to warm plates, drizzle with the chilli and parsley oil, scatter each plate with a few rocket leaves. Add a squeeze of lemon juice (and wedges) if you wish. Serve straight away.
*Assuming the recipe yields 4 servings.


TOTTERING-BY-GENTLY: Annie Tempest's iconic cartoon strip is 25 years old – we celebrate with 10 of the best cartoons and talk to the artist herself.
CONSERVATORIES: And orangeries, greenhouses and timer-framed extensions.
DOGS: The breeds considered endangered by the Kennel Club. Is your dog on the list?
CLEVER PIGEONS: Bird-brained they most certainly are not, as Gordon Corera reports.
ARCHITECTURE: Broomhall in Fife, a house which has seen 40 years of improvements.
DAFFODILS: Felley Priory is a riot of early spring colour as Jacky Hobbs discovers.
PANNA COTTA: Melanie Johnson gives her spin on the classic dish.
THEATRE: Can there ever be such as thing as too many Macbeth productions, asks Michael Billington.
TRAVEL: A trip to India.
PROPERTY: The finest country houses on the market in Britain.
CARS: Charles Rangely-Wilson takes a spin in the Skoda Kodiaq 4×4.
LIVING NATIONAL TREASURE: This week, the mole catcher.


somehow I missed this one about the signatures of foods. This is wonderful! *Thank you!!!* Hoping to send this link to my daughter, who's especially very into wellness.
so interesting… i'd actually never heard of this! really intriguing!
Hello Beauty through Balance and Nature!
I found your blog yesterday when I noticed you had 'liked' one of my posts (thank you!)…what a beautiful woman you are. Certainly radiant. I am so impressed by you.
I started reading your posts late last night when I got home and looked forward to this moment tonight to look deeper. I am absolutely fascinated by this post! I have been focused on 'signatures' for several years now. In fact, I have a blog called http://mysignature.tv.
I find signatures to be a very holistic notion, but before reading this post, I didn't know about "The Doctrine of Signatures". This reaches my sole on so many levels. Spiritually, medicinally/nutritionally…there is so much more that I'm conceptualizing in my mind. but I think I need to digest it further before I can even put words to these thoughts. I'm excited to do some further study on the topic!
From what I've read so far, it appears that experiences have ushered us both down the road to holistic change and a life beyond the surface. I don't often find women who I see myself in, but I do in you. I really look forward to reading more of your blog in the next week and learning more about your mission.