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Queen of Noise: Floria Sigismondi on The Runaways
The director of the proto-grrrl band pic discusses working with Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Joan Jett and Cherie Currie
by Luke Goodsell | July 16, 2010 | Comments
Short-lived LA band The Runaways were in many ways ahead of their time: predating punk and the riot-grrrl movement that would later claim them as their own, the all-girl quintet, led by guitarist Joan Jett and singer Cherie Currie, dared to play their own instruments and cover sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll from a female perspective in a world dominated by stadium rock machismo. That they were seen by some critics as a manufactured jailbait stunt — the band members were all underage — seems almost beside the point in retrospect. This year's film The Runaways, written and directed by Floria Sigismondi from Currie's memoir Neon Angel and Jett's recollections, explores the band's 1975 creation and turbulent not-quite-rise and fall at the hands of svengali producer Kim Fowley, while vividly capturing the bond between Currie (Dakota Fanning) and Jett (Kristen Stewart), two "dead end kids" clinging to each other in the media storm. With the movie opening in Australia this week, we spoke to Sigismondi about the film and just whose version of the controversial events it depicts.
RT: A film can sometimes live or die on its opening shot, and yours — Cherie's first menstrual blood hitting the pavement — is a killer. What inspired that?
FS: Well, one of the things I was drawn to about making this film was that it was about young girls coming of age, and I thought, 'How can I make a statement in the beginning of the film that personifies that time when a young girl is turning into a woman?' — and there was that very physical body change that leads to other kinds of body changes. [laughs] The film is about girls, and that seemed to me to kind of jump out as an interesting way of starting the film, to tell people where they're at and what kind of film they're gonna see — about these girls who are young and their bodies are changing. It also gave me the chance to set the tone and the exterior of the Valley at the same time.
You also got to set the musical tone of the time with that great track, "Roxy Roller."
Yeah, that totally brought me back to when I was a kid. It was one of those tracks they played on the radio all the time.
It's such a cool song. Was that the first time that you heard The Runaways, when you were a kid?
I actually heard them a bit later. I'd moved to Toronto as an arts student and I heard them at the clubs. I was working at a club and they played them all the time. So I heard them then, a little bit later — I only would've been, I think, 10 [at the time], so it wouldn't have been on my radar.
What was it that appealed to you about the band?
I mean, I loved the rawness but I loved that the girls played their instruments; they were super cool and they wrote their own songs. So there was a lot of appeal, you know. I guess I became a fan straight away.
At what point did the idea of turning Cherie's book [Neon Angel] into a movie come about?
I was approached by Brian Young, who manages me now, and he took me to see [producers] the Linsons, and John and Art had bought the rights to the book. I read the book and I came back in. The film isn't strictly, or solely, based on her book. It's based on the book for Cherie's side and then it's based on a bunch of interviews that I had with Joan and Kim and other people. Then there was also all of my research that I had. Luckily for me there was a big sort of media explosion, here in the US and in Japan, so there were a lot of interviews that were really great to read because they were in the girls' voices, in the first person, so I was really able to get a sense of how they spoke and all that stuff. That was really fun, to research all that stuff; and especially Kim's interviews, if you could imagine.
Did you get a lot of feedback from Joan and Cherie during the process?
I got a little bit of feedback once they'd read the script, and it was mostly in details, you know — "I drank this" or "I did that kind of drug," [laughs], you know what I mean, details of certain things. But I had taken license into dramatising certain things. When you have peoples' lives but you have an hour and a half to tell them, you've got some constraints to deal with. So for me it was like, how do I, after meeting these people and reading about them, how do I personify the characteristics in a scene? So a lot of the times I was using scenes to do that — they weren't necessarily scenes that they could comment on, but I did use them, especially for Cherie and her relationship with her sister, and that was quite important, but also in their relationship to Kim. I mean, I had this challenge of Kim being this character that helps them but in Cherie's eye is quite intimidating, and in Joan's eye he's like funny and a friend and a partner in crime; so his character has to weave that delicate line between those two, because they both had extremely different views on him, and still do.
Between that and seeing [former bassist] Vicki Tischler-Blue's documentary Edgeplay, there seem to be very different views as to just how creepy or manipulative Kim Fowley was. What's your take — did you get speak to him directly?
Yeah I did. I had a couple of interviews with him and they lasted a long time. I think the first one I had was five hours. What I gathered from him, and how he also explained it to me, was that he was a different person to different people. If he walked in to a record company he'd be that guy, and if he walked in to meet some of the girls' parents, he was another guy; and then when he was alone with them and he was the club guy, he was very different. I think he was a little bit of a chameleon, and I wish I had time to have more of that scene where he comes to meet the mum, the "I want to take her on tour" thing. It would have been fun to watch him do that. So I gathered that in life he was different kind of people. I think for Cherie she looked to him as possibly a father figure, because her father was not around; and I think he could not be that figure, although I'm sure he was very persuasive to the mum, in having her leave home and go on tour. And Joan just thought he was hysterical. [laughs]
Kristen and Dakota give really fantastic performances — particularly Dakota. What drew you to those two actresses?
Dakota wasn't on our radar right away because she was too young when I was writing; she was probably 13. Then she kind of grew up. When I found out she was interested I really was excited because she's a great actress and I feel like she's quite mature for her age, so I felt confident that I was able to talk to her about some subjects and stuff that maybe you wouldn't necessarily, you know- you'd have to talk about differently, if she hadn't had all this experience. I mean, she had done, I think, 40 films before she'd done my film; so she's incredibly experienced. But there's something so fresh about her, in her eyes; I thought that what was so great is that she'd be good at both the more innocent Cherie and then the fallen Cherie. Her arc was tremendous so I was grateful to have her. Kristen Stewart I'd seen in Into the Wild, and the Twilight movies hadn't come out, and there was something quite captivating about her. Although she was in that film for such a short period, there was something captivating when she came on the screen, and strong. She really emotes a lot with her eyes; both actresses do, and I think that was important because there was a lot of stuff said in looks in my film and I knew that I needed that. She also has this sort of toughness that Joan has.
They seemed to really get along so well, too.
They really did, they really bonded on the film which was great because in real life they are like that, you know. The two women, when we did our recording sessions for the music: Cherie came in and did backup vocals and it was like no time had passed once they got into a room together; it was like the good old days.
So Cherie sang backing vocals on the movie tracks?
Yes. And then Joan came in with her band and put all the musical tracks down.
Another great scene in the film is Dakota, as Cherie, performing David Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul." You've actually directed clips for David — have you shown him that piece?
Yeah, you know I emailed him telling him that the main character in this film has been incredibly influenced by David Bowie, just to let him know that musicians are still being affected by his music and how great it is. He was just amazing to work with. I've not spoken to him about that scene but we were arranging a screening for him. I really don't know if he went to see it or not. It would be interesting to see what he thought. Cherie was really taken by him and if you look at her whole image it's sort of like, where he kind of went more feminine, she gets more masculine and it's the whole idea of this androgynous kind of character.
Did you see any films from the era that influenced the way you put The Runaways together? I'm thinking of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, or films of that calibre.
Yeah I saw The Fabulous Stains; I don't know how much that film influenced me — and that's a cool film — but I was more influenced by Christiane F., the German film about a junkie, although it was darker. I loved the way it was shot and I thought the young girl [Natja Brunckhorst] was really great. And Sid and Nancy, you know. I always went back to those two films. There was something about those two films that really grabbed me.
And Christiane had the obsession with Bowie, too.
Yes, I know! There were certain similarities there.
Do you think it's difficult for an "all girl film," as it were, to make it in the movie world, just as the band found it difficult to make it as an all-girl band in the male-dominated rock industry at the time?
I don't know, you know. I think girls wanna go watch films about girls, so I don't know that it's that. It might be the distribution, just being a limited distribution. Being on limited distribution, you really have a limited amount of people that can see it. I really wouldn't have thought that would be a hinderance. Also, it's about young girls and being rated R makes it more difficult for the young girls to go see it.
Would you say it's an appealing film for adolescent audiences?
I think it would be appealing. I don't know if they could get out to see it because it's restricted, so you'd have to have someone 17 or older, or a parent, to go see it. I don't think a 15-year-old kid could just go and see it. The kids that I spoke to that had seen it were really kind of excited by it. You don't see a lot of films — not that we're promoting it — of young people being a bit raw, so I would think that that would be appealing.
There should be more of them.
[laughs] Yeah, I just make 'em.
You're corrupting the youth one film at a time, Floria.
Oh dear, don't give me that! [laughs] I think that because it's restricted you kind of have to educate your kids going in; not everyone who sees those images is gonna go do stuff, you know. But I am telling the true lives of these people, and that's what happened to them — you've gotta be true to that.
Click here to read Floria Sigismondi's Five Favorite Films.
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Google's recent disclosure that it was the target of a highly sophisticated cyber attack has brought renewed attention to the growing problem of cyber security threats. Officials and security experts say that while past cyber attacks focused largely on national secrets and defense technologies, that focus is changing.
Speaking at a recent congressional hearing on future threats to U.S. national security, FBI Director Robert Mueller said cyber attacks are increasingly taking a wider aim. [Director Mueller's Testimony to Senate Committee on Intelligence] "As the global economy integrates, many cyber threats now focus on economic or non-government targets as we have seen with the recent cyber attack on Google," he explained. "Targets in the private sector are at least as vulnerable and the damage can be just as great."
• Terrorists show a growing understanding of the critical role that information technology plays in the day-to-day operations of our economy and national security.
Internet Security Alliance President Larry Clinton says online enterprises face enormous threats because in the world of cyber security all of the incentives favor the attackers. "Cyber attacks are currently comparatively cheap, they are comparatively easy to launch; the amount you can steal is enormous. The chances of getting caught are fairly small," says Clinton.
He adds that, with attackers enjoying a virtually limitless range of targets, and defense a generation behind the attacker, the annual economic losses from cyber threats are great.
"The situation is extremely serious. Last year, American business probably lost a trillion dollars in intellectual property theft, there were billions more that were lost due to down time, inefficiency, et cetera."
Randy Vickers, acting director of the U.S. Homeland Security Department's Computer Emergency Readiness Team, says one of the biggest challenges with cyber attacks is that there is never a single muzzle flash that tells you where the attack originated.
"With a cyber event, because there are multiple hot points, multiple places where it could be coming from," Vickers stated. "You cannot say that IP [Internet protocol] address or that workstation or that host or that Web site or that technological capability is the first place it originated from."
Vickers says intent is a key fingerprint used to track down attackers. "We are trying to understand those types of fingerprints so we can tie back to attribution," he said. "But it is long and arduous, and it comes back to: what is the intent? Is it a hack-tivist, is it a nation state, is it a terrorist, is it just a person out to prove that they can do something like the old days used to be?"
President Barack Obama has made cyber security a top priority for his administration, and has listed the threat from cyber weapons along with other weapons of mass destruction - such as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Last year, he appointed Howard Schmidt as the country's cyber czar [see White House's recently released National Cyber Security Initiative] to watch over the nation's networks, from systems that direct planes to those that help Americans pay their bills online.
ISA's Clinton says that such attention is helping, but he notes that the key to building more security is to give businesses more incentives to protect themselves from attacks.
"There is a public benefit that would come to everybody if we could substantially increase our cyber security, because even if I do everything to secure my system, if it interacts with your system and you are not secure, the attackers will get into your system, and through you, get to me," Clinton explained.
Clinton says one way to boost cyber security is by encouraging smaller companies to do more to protect themselves from attacks by using tax incentives, government contracts, and small business administration assistance.


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AJMB Vol.10 No.3 , July 2020
Evaluation of HBsAg Quantification as Surrogate to HBV DNA Viral Load in Hepatitis B Infected Patients in Anambra State, Nigeria
Chinwe Obiomah1, Grace Amilo2, Israel Ndulue1
1 Department of HIV Care, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria.
2 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus, Nnewi, Nigeria.
Abstract: Hepatitis B is an infectious disease of great public health importance. Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest incidence of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection worldwide. However, the accessibility and affordability of HBV DNA quantification (viral load) assay is the key laboratory test for therapy initiation, and monitoring is a challenge to HBV management. This study aimed at determining the relationship between HBV DNA quantification and routine haemato-serological parameters in order to develop a more cost-effective diagnostic algorithm for Hepatitis B management. Cross sectional study design was used with a total of 264 subjects comprising of 88 HBsAg seropositive treatment naïve subjects, 88 HBsAg seropositive subjects on antiviral therapy as case subjects and 88 age-matched apparently healthy HBsAg seronegative individuals were recruited as control subjects. Hepatitis B Virus DNA assay was performed using real time PCR technique while ELISA technique was used for Hepatitis B surface antigen quantification. HBsAg quantification showed strong positive correlation with HBV DNA viral load both in treatment and non-treatment groups (r = 0.673; p < 0.001). However, the Receiver Operation Characteristics curve indicated a very poor performance characteristics (AUC = 0.537, p = 0.002). The non-treatment group has higher viral load (M = 805.50 IU/ml) compared with treatment group (M = 65.50 IU/ml) (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in HBV DNA levels among the four serological patterns observed in the study (p < 0.001). This study has revealed that HBsAg quantification has strong correlation with HBV viral load but might not be efficient in clinical practice as a predictor of serum HBV viral load due to its poor performance characteristics in identifying high positive viral load.
Keywords: Hepatis B Virus, HBsAg Quantification, HBV DNA
Hepatis B is a top health priority worldwide and a devastating cause of morbidity and mortality [1]. Hepatitis B is an infectious disease of great public health importance caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is an enveloped DNA virus that infects the liver and causes hepatocellular necrosis and inflammation [2]. This virus belongs to the family hepadnaviridae and genus orthohepadnavirus and it is the only hepadnavirus that causes infection in humans [3]. It is 100 times more infectious than the most dreaded human immunodeficiency virus infection and 10 times more infectious than hepatitis C virus [4]. Hepatitis B virus is one of several viruses known to cause viral hepatitis and continues to be the major cause of viral hepatitis in the developing and underdeveloped world. In addition to causing chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, it has a formidable track record of being linked to primary hepatocellular carcinoma. It is estimated that HBV and HCV are the root cause of about 80% of all hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) by promoting cirrhosis which significantly reduced the life expectancy of the infected patients [5].
About 257 million people are chronically infected annually and about 2 in 3 people with Hepatitis B do not know they are infected [6]. Recent statistics indicate that not less than 23 million Nigerians are estimated to be infected with the HBV, making Nigeria one of the countries with the highest incidence of HBV infection in the world [7]. A national study done in Nigeria in 2016 shows a prevalence rate of 12.4 percent [8]. This worldwide burden of hepatitis B mandates accurate and timely diagnosis of patients infected with HBV and the use of treatment strategies derived from evidence-based guidelines. Most hepatitis B patients are asymptomatic in the early stage as specific clinical symptoms often occur at advanced disease stages, which are usually irreversible. Hence, the prognosis of the infection to liver disease is very crucial. The presence of derangement in specific laboratory analytes at the early stage of infection may signal a risk of fibrosis, cirrhosis and ultimately HCC.
Among all the several clinical diagnostic tests which have been developed for the detection of HBV infections, the serum HBV DNA level is a key factor affecting the initiation of antiviral therapy and evaluation of its efficacy [9]. Evaluation of the relationship between the serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic pathology is a current hotspot in the diagnosis and treatment of CHB [10]. Quantification of the HBsAg levels has received renewed attention because of its diagnostic potential in predicting the response to antiviral treatment and identifying the infection status of an individual [11]. Determination of the circulating levels of HBsAg could provide crucial information that could complement the measurement of HBV DNA. Studies of HBV infections conducted under various clinical settings have suggested that serum HBsAg could be used as a combinative or substitutive marker of HBV DNA levels [12]. Hepatitis B is an expensive disease to manage and numerous challenges exist for its effective management, particularly in resource-limited regions where Nigeria falls. Accessibility, affordability and high turnaround time of HBV DNA Viral load test have been a challenge to most Hepatitis B patients. This study sets to evaluate the relationship between HBV DNA quantification and HBsAg quantification.
2.1. Study Area
The study was carried out at the Gastroenterology Unit of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), a tertiary institution in South Eastern Nigeria which is a referral center for Hepatitis B care in Nigeria.
2.2. Study Design
Cross sectional study design was used in the study. A total of 264 subjects were recruited which comprised of 88 HBsAg seropositive treatment naïve subjects, 88 HBsAg seropositive subjects on antiviral therapy (Tenofovir 300 mg daily/Entecavir 0.5 mg daily or Pegylated interferons 180 μg weekly) as case subjects and 88 age-matched apparently healthy HBsAg seronegative individuals were recruited as control subjects.
2.3. Sample Size Determination
Using G* Power software version 3.0.10, power analysis for a one-way ANOVA with three groups was conducted to determine a sufficient sample size using an alpha of 0.05, a power of 0.96, and a medium effect size (f = 0.25). Based on the aforementioned assumptions, the calculated sample size of 264, with 88 subjects per group has 96% power to detect a difference of 0.25 at significance level of 0.05 [13].
2.4. Sampling Technique
Purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting the participants based on the inclusion criteria. Patients that gave their consent who also met the selection criteria were recruited as they come to the clinic until the sample size was completed.
2.5. Sample Collection
After obtaining informed consent, 10 ml of venous blood was collected from the fore arm of each subjects using a disposable syringe; 7 ml was dispensed to a sterile K2-EDTA vacutainer (1.2 mg/ml concentration) for hepatitis B DNA Viral load, hepatitis B panel, complete blood count, retroviral screening (RVS) and anti HCV screening while 3 ml was added to a sterile plain container for HBsAg quantitation, HBcAb IgM titre quantitation, HDV IgG assay, Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and liver function tests. The plasma and serum samples were separated into sterile plastic containers and preserved at –86˚C.
2.6. Ethical Approval
Ethical approval was sought and obtained from the Ethics Committee of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi before the commencement of this study (Reference: NAUTH/CS/66/VOL.10/187/2017/096).
Participants included in this study were hepatitis B seropositive subjects aged 18 to 65 years attending Gastroenterology Clinic of NAUTH, Nnewi and apparently healthy HBsAg seronegative individuals (NAUTH staff, students and others) who gave their consent.
Those patients who were co-infected with HIV, HDV and HCV including HBsAg seronegative subjects who have received HBV vaccination were excluded from the study with those less than 18 years and above 65 years.
2.9. Laboratory Diagnosis
HBV DNA Viral Load using Cobas Ampliprep/Taqman Real Time PCR Technique (Roche Molecular System Inc., USA as described by Iregbu and Nwajiobi-Princewill (2016) [2]
Principle: Molecular biology technique based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneously amplification and quantification of target HBV DNA. The test permits automated specimen preparation followed by automated PCR amplification and detection of HBV target DNA and HBV Quantitation Standard (QS) DNA. The HBV DNA in the plasma sample is extracted in the Cobas Ampliprep using Magnetic Glass Particle technology which is based on the affinity of DNA for silica gel-covered magnetic beads. The extracted HBV DNA is transferred to Taqman analyzer alongside Master Mix reagent which contains primer pairs and probes specific for both HBV DNA and HBV QS DNA. The detection of amplified DNA is performed using a target-specific and a QS-specific dual-labeled oligonucleotide probes that permit independent identification of HBV amplicon and HBV QS amplicon. The quantitation of HBV viral DNA is performed using the HBV QS added to each specimen at a known copy number and is a non-infectious DNA construct that contains HBV sequences with identical primer binding sites as the HBV target DNA and a unique probe binding region that allows HBV QS amplicon to be distinguished from HBV amplicon. The COBAS TaqMan Analyzer calculates the HBV DNA concentration in the test specimens by comparing the HBV signal to the HBV QS signal for each specimen and control.
The frozen plasma was placed at room temperature until completely thawed before use. The High Positive, Low Positive and Negative controls were removed from 2˚C - 8˚C storage and brought to room temperature before use. All reagent cassettes were removed from 2˚C - 8˚C storage and loaded immediately onto the COBAS AmpliPrep Instrument and allowed to equilibrate to ambient temperature on the instrument for at least 30 minutes before the first specimen was processed. The appropriate number of reagent cassette racks, sample racks with Input S-tubes, SPU racks, K-tip racks, K-tube racks and K-carriers on K-carrier racks were loaded onto the respective rack positions of the COBAS AmpliPrep Instrument. Sample rack was prepared by attaching a barcode label clip to each sample rack position where a specimen (S-tube) was to be placed. The specific barcode label clips for the controls were attached to each sample rack position where the controls (S-tube) were to be placed. One Input S-tube was placed into each position containing a barcode label clip.
The Amplilink software was used to create specimen orders for each specimen and control in the Orders window Sample folder and HBV test definition file was selected and saved. The specimen and controls were vortexed for 5 seconds and 650 μL added to the S-tubes. The tubes were then inserted in the sample rack and loaded to the Ampliprep. The Amplilink software was used to start the COBAS Ampliprep. At the completion of the COBAS TaqMan Analyzer run, the Results Report was validated and printed [14].
HBsAg Quantification by ELISA Technique (Fortress Diagnostics Limited United Kingdom as described by Bhatnagar et al., 1982) [15]
Principle: Antibody sandwich ELISA method in which polystyrene microwell strips pre-coated with monoclonal antibodies reacts with specific HBsAg in the Patient's serum to form specific immunocomplex and is captured on the solid phase during incubation. During the second incubation, the second antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme binds to any anti–HBs-HBsAg complexes previously formed during the first incubation and the unbound HRP-conjugate is then removed by washing. The complex then reacts with the enzyme substrate to generate a coloured solution whose intensity is proportional to the amount of the specific antigen present in the sample.
The wells were marked and 20 μl of Specimen Diluent were added into each well except the blank. Then 100 μl of Positive control, Negative control and Specimen were added into their respective wells except the blank. The plate was covered with plate cover and incubated for 60 mins at 37˚C. At the end of the incubation, the plate cover was removed and discarded, 50 μl HRP-Conjugate were added into each well except the blank and mixed by tapping the plate gently. The plate was then covered and incubated at 37˚C. At the end of the second incubation, each well was washed times with diluted buffer allowing microwells to soak for 30 - 60 secs each time. After the final washing cycle, the plate was turned down onto blotting paper and tapped to remove any remnant. After the washing, 50 μl of Chromogen A and 50 μl of Chromogen B solutions were added into each well including the blank incubated in the dark at 37˚C for 30 mins. After the incubation, 50 μl of stop solution was added into each well using multichannel pipette and mixed gently. The blank was then used to calibrate the plate reader and the absorbance was read at 450 nm.
3. Statistical Analysis
Data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20) software. Data were expressed as mean ± SD and median. The significance of differences in mean values among groups was analyzed using one-way ANOVA for normally distributed variables, while Kruskall Wallis was used to analyze the significant differences in median values among different groups for variables not normally distributed. Mann-Whitney was also used to analyze significant differences between groups. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the levels of relationship between two variables. Regression analysis and receiver Operators curve were also used appropriately. The level of significance was considered at p < 0.05.
Median serum levels of HBV-DNA concentration and HBsAg Titers of the hepatitis B subjects
Table 1 shows that the median serum HBV DNA level observed in the whole cohort (n = 176) was 422.50 IU/mL, whereas the median serum HBsAg titer was 1350.50 IU/mL. There was no significant difference in the median HBV DNA level in the male group compared with the female group patients; 475 IU/mL) versus 337 IU/mL); p = 0.523. A similar pattern was observed for the HBsAg titer whose median values did not show significant gender differences.
Correlation between serum HBsAg titers and HBV-DNA in: 1) the whole hepatitis B patient cohort, 2) drug treatment group, 3) the treatment naïve group
Pearson's linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA among all patients at r = 0.627, p < 0.001 as shown in Figure 1(a). Similarly, there were significantly positive correlations between HBsAg and HBV DNA for both the treatment and non-treatment groups, (Figure 1(b), r = 0.565, p < 0.001 and Figure 1(c), r = 0.673, p < 0.001).
Status of Hepatitis B subjects based on HBV DNA and HBsAg cut-off values
The 2 × 2 contingency table shows that HBsAg titration indicated a greater number (n = 54; 30.7%) of patients with abnormally high positive viral load. The same trend was observed in the drug treatment group (n (%), 76 (43.2%) vs. 21 (11.9%)) and the non-treatment group (n (%), 91 (51.7%) vs. 33 (18.8%)) respectively (Table 2).
(a) (b) (c)
Figure 1. Correlation between serum HBsAg titers and HBV-DNA levels in: (a) the whole hepatitis B patient cohort (n = 176); (b) drug treatment group (n = 88); (c) the treatment naïve group (n = 88).
Table 1. Median serum levels of HBV-DNA concentration and HBsAg Titers of the hepatitis B subjects.
Key: HBV DNA = Hepatitis B Viral DNA Quantification, HBsAg = Hepatitis B surface antigen quantification.
Table 2. Status of Hepatitis B subjects based on HBV DNA and HBsAg cut-off values.
Viral load cut-offs; HBV-DNA Test, abnormal = ≥2000; normal = <2000; HBsAg Titration, abnormal = ≥1000; normal = <1000.
The ROC curve evaluating the quality or performance of HBsAg quantitation compared with the serum HBV-DNA test for the detection of hepatitis B patients' status.
The area under the curve, 0.537; p = 0.002 (Figure 2) showed that HBsAg quantitation indicated a very poor performance in discriminating or distinguishing between low positive and high positive viral loads in hepatitis B subjects, when compared with the serum HBV-DNA test.
Mean Age and Sex Distribution of Test Subjects
Figure 3 shows the total number of female test subjects was 76 (42.7%) while their male counterparts were 100 (57.3%). The female subjects with ages less than 20 had the lowest frequency of 3 (3.9%), this was followed by those female subjects greater than 50 years of age. Those females within the age bracket of 21 - 30 had the highest frequency of 32 (42.9). Those females within the ages of 31 - 40 were second to the highest with the frequency of 20 (26.9%) while those within ages 41 - 50 were 13 (16.9%). The male subjects with ages less than 20 also had the lowest frequency of 4 (3.9%), this was followed by those male subjects greater than 50 years of age with frequency of 12 (11.8%). Those male subjects within the age bracket of 31 - 40 had the highest frequency of 42 (43.1%). Those within the ages of 21 - 30 were second to the highest with the frequency of 26 (25.5%) while those within ages 41 - 50 were 16 (15.7%).
Figure 2. Receiver Operation Characteristics curve and area under curve indicating the diagnostic performance of HBsAg quantitation compared with the serum HBV-DNA test for the detection of high positive (abnormal) hepatitis B viral load.
Figure 3. Mean age and sex distribution of test subjects (N = 176).
This study hypothesized that quantification of HBsAg could be used to predict HBV viral load and thus be used to manage and monitor HBV patients. Quantification of HBsAg indirectly reflects the number of infected hepatocytes and is known to change over the natural course of chronic HBV infection (Seth et al., 2012) [16]. Also, during antiviral therapy, it could be used to differentiate true inactive carriers from patients in remission who are likely to progress to cirrhosis (Martinot-Peignoux et al., 2013) [17]. The HBsAg quantification in this study, showed a strong positive correlation with HBV viral load both in treatment and non treatment groups. This finding is in consonance with earlier reports of Alghamdi et al. (2013) [18] in Saudi Arabian population. Similar results were also recorded by Togo et al. (2011) [19] (r = 0.586, p < 0.001). Kim et al., 2011 [20] also reported a high significant correlation (r = 0.657, p < 0.001). On the contrary, Ganji et al. (2011) [21] reported negative correlation between HBsAg and HBV viral load among chronic HBV infected individuals. The variations could be due to differences in disease stage, HBeAg status and HBV genotypes involved.
The above finding also agrees with Kim et al. (2010) [22] and supports the fact that hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is an important diagnostic marker, generally detectable in patients with acute and chronic infection; positive testing indicates high HBV replication in the liver, elevated blood HBV titers and greater infectivity to others. Level of HBsAg correlates with covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) level in the liver and reflects the amount of cccDNA inside hepatocytes. Furthermore, it correlates with the transcriptional activity of cccDNA and is considered a surrogate marker of infected cells. Although this study demonstrates a relationship between serum HBsAg titers and HBV DNA levels in the whole cohort of HBsAg positive patients and in its clinical subgroups, the area under the curve (0.537; p = 0.002) showed that HBsAg quantitation indicated a very poor performance in discriminating or distinguishing between normal and abnormal viral loads in hepatitis B subjects, when compared with the serum HBV-DNA test. This suggests that HBsAg quantitation may not be an effective alternative to serum HBV-DNA quantification in hepatitis B virus infected patients. This finding is similar to the report of Mathia et al. (2017) [23]. HBV DNA is the template for gene transcription and replication and level is the most important and most direct etiological evidence for HBV.
The sex distribution of the subjects in this study showed that there were more males 100 (57.2%) males and 76 (42.8%) females. This shows that HBV infection is more prevalent in males than females and the finding is in keeping with the findings of Yewande et al. (2018) [24] which reported that males are 2.8 times more likely to get infected with HBV compared to their female counterparts. This could be due to the fact that males are more prone to risk factors and behaviours sexual intercourse, injection drug use, barbing et ce tera which predispose them to HBV infection. Regarding the age distribution, highest frequency of HBsAg seropositivity was found among the younger age group 21 - 30 followed by 31 - 40 group for both males and females. This agrees with the findings of Kolou et al. (2017) [25] carried out among age range 20 - 30 years old in Lome, Togo. Also another work done by Gheorghe et al. (2013) [26] gave a similar report. Considering the modes of transmission of HBV, the high sexual activity of individuals within these age brackets might explain this high frequency. The age group < 20 had the least frequency both among males and females (3.9 both). The >50 age group were the second to the least of the subjects (9% females and 12% for females). This finding is in agreement with that of Yewande et al., (2018) [24]. The children (<20) and the aged (>50) are less prone to risky behaviours than the middle aged (21 - 30, 31 - 40).
This study has revealed that HBsAg quantification has strong correlation with HBV viral load but might not be efficient in clinical practice as a predictor of serum HBV viral load due to its poor performance characteristics in identifying high positive viral load.
Cite this paper: Obiomah, C. , Amilo, G. and Ndulue, I. (2020) Evaluation of HBsAg Quantification as Surrogate to HBV DNA Viral Load in Hepatitis B Infected Patients in Anambra State, Nigeria. American Journal of Molecular Biology, 10, 129-140. doi: 10.4236/ajmb.2020.103009.
[1] WHO (2015) Guidelines for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Persons with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection.
[2] Iregbu, K. and Nwajiobi-Princewill, P. (2016) Viral Load Pattern among Hepatitis B Surface Antigen-Positive Patients: Laboratory Perspective and Implications for Therapy. Annals of Medical and Health Science Research, 6, 95-99.
https://doi.org/10.4103/2141-9248.181835
[3] Fairley, C. and Read, T. (2012) Vaccination against Sexually Transmitted Infections. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 25, 66-72.
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[4] CDC (2003) Guidelines for Laboratory Testing and Result Reporting of Antibody to Hepatitis C Virus. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, 52, 1-16.
[5] Crossan, C., Tsochatzis, E.A., Longworth, L., Gurusamy, K., Davidson, B., Rodríguez-Perálvarez, M., Mantzoukis, K., O'Brien, J., Thalassinos, E., Papastergiou, V. and Burroughs, A. (2015) Cost-Effectiveness of Non-Invasive Methods for Assessment and Monitoring of Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Economic Evaluation. Health Technology Assessment, 19, 1-410.
https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19090
[6] CDC (2018) What Is Viral Hepatitis?
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/abc/index.htm
[7] WHO (2017) Epidemiological Update: Increasing Mortality Calls for Action. Hepatitis B Global Report 17, 1-11.
[8] Olayinka, A.T., Oyemakinde, A., Balogun, M.S., Ajudua, A., Nguku, P., Aderinola, M., Egwuenu-Oladejo, A., Ajisegiri, S.W., Sha'aibu, S., Musa, B.O., Gidado, S. and Nasidi, A. (2016) Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Infection in Nigeria: A National Survey. American Journal of Tropical Medicine Hygiene, 95, 902-907.
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0874
[9] Demiroren, K., Kocamaz, H. and Dogan, Y. (2015) The Importance of the Serum Quantitative Levels of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Hepatitis B e Antigen in Children with Chronic Hepatitis B. The Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology, 26, 36-41.
https://doi.org/10.5152/tjg.2015.4636
[10] Cornberg, M., Wong, V.W., Locarnini, S., Brunetto, M., Janssen, H.L.A. and Chan, H.L. (2017) The Role of Quantitative Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Revisited. Journal of Hepatology, 66, 398-411.
[11] Li, J., Sun, X., Fang, J., Wang, C., Han, G. and Ren, W. (2017) Analysis of Intrahepatic Total HBV DNA, cccDNA and Serum HBsAg Level in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Undetectable Serum HBV DNA during Oral Antiviral Therapy. Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology, 41, 635-643.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinre.2017.03.004
[12] Chan, H.L., Thompson, A., Martinot-Peignoux, M., Piratvisuth, T., Cornberg, M., Brunetto, M.R., Tillmann, H.L., Kao, J.H., Jia, J.D., Wedemeyer, H., Locarnini, S. and Janssen, H.L. (2011) Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Quantification: Why and How to Use It? A Core Group Report. Journal of Hepatology, 55, 1121-1131.
[13] Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A. and Lang, A. (2013) G*Power Version 3.1.7 [Computer Software]. Uiversitat Kiel, Kiel.
http://www.psycho.uni-duesseldorf.de/abteilungen/aap/gpower3/download-and-register
[14] Saldanha, J., Gerlich, W., Lelie, N., Dawson, P., Heermann, K. and Heath, A. (2001) An International Collaborative Study to Establish a World Health Organization International Standard for Hepatitis B Virus DNA Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques. Vox Sanguinis, 80, 63-67.
[15] Bhatnagar, P., Papas, H., Blum, D., Milich, D. and Nitecki, M. (1982) Immune Response to Synthetic Peptide Analogues of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Specific for the Determinant. Proceedings of National Academy of Science, 79, 4400-4404.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.79.14.4400
[16] Seth, A. (2012) HBV Quantification in Clinical Practice. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 2, 75-80.
[17] Martinot-Peignoux, M., Lapalus, M., Asselah, T. and Marcellin, P. (2014) HBsAg Quantification: Useful for Monitoring Natural History and Treatment Outcome. Liver International, 34, 97-107.
https://doi.org/10.1111/liv.12403
[18] Alghamdi, A., Aret, N., Hazmi, E., Hamoudi, W., Alswat, K., Helmi, A., Sanai, F. and Abdo, A. (2013) Correlation between Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Titers and HBV DNA Levels. The Saudian Journal of Gastroenterology, 19, 252-257.
[19] Togo, S., Arai, M., Tawada, A., Chiba, T., Kanda, T. and Fujiwara, K. (2011) Clinical Importance of Serum Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Levels in Chronic Hepatitis B. Journal of Hepatology, 18, 508-515.
[20] Kim, Y., Cho, H., Choi, M., Lee, J., Koh, H. and Yoo, B. (2011) The Change of Quantitative HBsAg Level during the Natural Course of Chronic Hepatitis B. Liver International, 31, 817-823.
[21] Ganji, A., Esmaeilzadeh, A., Ghafarzadegan, K., Helalat, H., Rafatpanah, H. and Mokhtarifar, A. (2011) Correlation between HBsAg Quantitative Assay Results and HBV DNA Levels in Chronic HBV. Hepatitis Monthly, 11, 342-345.
[22] Kim, B.K., Kim, D.Y., Park, J.Y., Ahn, S.H., Chon, C.Y., Kim, J.K., Paik, Y.H., Lee, K.S., Park, Y.N. and Han, K.H. (2010) Validation of FIB-4 and Comparison with Other Simple Noninvasive Indices for Predicting Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Patients. Liver International, 30, 546-553.
[23] Mathia, F., Ngayo, M., Karanja, S., Kalebi, A. and Lihana, R. (2017) Correlation of Quantitative Assay of HBsAg and Hepatitis B Virus DNA Levels among Chronic HBV Patients Attending Pathologist Lancet Laboratory in Nairobi, Kenya. Archives of Clinical Infectious Diseases, 12, 13306.
https://doi.org/10.5812/archcid.13306
[24] Yewande, N., Adedayo, O., Babatunde, O., Solomon, B., Adebowale, O. and Babatunde, M. (2018) Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Sexually Active Individuals in Nigeria: A Cross-Secondary Study. Pan African Medical Journal, 30, 155.
https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2018.30.155.14886
[25] Kolou, M., Katawa, G., Salou, M., Gozo-Akpako, K., Dossim, S., Kwarteng, A. and Prince-David, M. (2017) High Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the Age Range of 20-39 Years Old Individuals in Lome. Open Virology Journal, 11, 1-7.
https://doi.org/10.2174/1874357901710011001
[26] Gheorghe, L., Csiki, I., Iacob, S. and Gheorge, C. (2013) The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in an Adult Population in Romania: A Nationwide Survey. European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 25, 56-64.
https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0b013e328358b0bb

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
I visited the flagship stores of Nike and Adidas in NYC to compare the shopping experiences and it was clear which store was more popular
Sarah Belle Lin
Sarah Belle Lin/Insider
I visited the flagship stores of two of the world's largest athletic brands, Nike and Adidas, to see which shopping experience was better.
Adidas' flagship store was soccer heaven and paid homage to the FIFA World Cup.
Nike's store took me to an otherworldly space and wowed me with its Sneakerlab collection.
You don't need to be a sneakerhead to own at least one pair of Adidas or Nike shoes — or maybe one of each — as well as a cache of athletic apparel from both brands. The two multibillion-dollar, multinational corporations have continuously blazed trails and faced challenges as they continue building their respective empires.
Nike remains the industry powerhouse, with $46.7 billion in sales in its most recent fiscal year. Adidas reported $21.2 billion in 2021 sales.
The companies' Manhattan stores are at the leading edges of their bricks-and-mortar retail strategies and often preview technologies and features that will roll out to other locations.
With that in mind I felt it was worth visiting both flagship locations to compare the shopping experience. Follow my trek through these retail palaces.
I first stopped by the Adidas flagship store.
Adidas flagship store on 565 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
The store is equidistant from Times Square and Grand Central Station. It's on the corner of 46th Street and Fifth Avenue in a bustling neighborhood that drives much of the city's tourism. The store opened in December 2016 and spans 45,000 square feet.
The entrance tunnel might bring some visitors back to their high school football days.
An Adidas store associate greets customers at the end of a short, glowing tunnel.
The store's design is based on Adidas' "stadium retail concept," which takes inspiration from US high school sports stadiums, Insider previously reported. The Adidas store's tunnel, albeit a little underwhelming, did make me feel like I was about to enter a stadium.
The first floor was covered with soccer jerseys for fans planning on cheering on their team at the World Cup.
'World Cup Couture' on display.
I visited in late October and again in early November, and upon exiting the tunnel, I saw the theme was not football, but soccer, in anticipation of the FIFA World Cup, which kicked off Nov. 20 in Qatar. Adidas, which is an official FIFA World Cup supplier, had outfitted its first-floor displays and mannequins with soccer jerseys of all stripes and colors. I'd safely assume every team playing for the cup was well-represented inside the Adidas flagship store during my visits.
The first floor is where you'll find the most personalized Adidas shopping experience.
There are four levels inside the Adidas flagship store.
The Adidas flagship store offers real-time fitness consultations from EXOS trainers, healthy juices and snacks co-created with Brooklyn-based Grass Roots Juicery, a concierge desk, a same-day hotel delivery service, personalized shopping experiences such as the Run Genie gait analysis tool, and more.
The customization lab allows walk-ins. Prices range from $10 to $35 depending on the service.
There is an area on the first floor for customers to customize their own Adidas apparel.
Customers could customize World Cup national team jerseys or shorts by adding names or numbers for $35.
The Adidas customization area is modest in size and approachable.
As someone who enjoys table sports, I loved seeing a foosball table on the first floor.
A foosball table awaits players at the flagship store.
An employee told me the foosball table was there for the World Cup.
Adidas was having a sale on women's pants at the moment and there were a lot of good deals: $40 tights for $16, and $75 track pants for $53.
These mannequins were wearing apparel representing Mexico's national soccer team.
It's fall in New York City and I'm sporting black joggers and sweats everywhere I go. I've always been a fan of the Adidas tracksuit look, and how it's evolved within popular culture in the US: from Run-DMC to the deep-teal tracksuits on Netflix's "Squid Game."
Some of Adidas' shoe collections: NMD_V3, Stan Smith, Superstar, Nizza, and Y-3.
Adidas' popular shoe collections on display.
In my opinion, both the Superstar and Stan Smith are classics that will live on.
The Adidas Superstar shoe in a display case.
In 2016, the Superstar was the top-selling sneaker in the US in terms of dollar sales, according to The NPD Group. But its popularity diminished. Sales of the Superstars fell by $565 million from 2017 to 2018, Insider reported.
Still, I say nothing beats timeless style.
I'm not really on board with this whole purposely dirtied look.
Forum 84 Low AEC shoes
Adidas has given its Forum 84 Low AEC shoes a "well-loved look" to reflect a bygone era.
I noticed this Adidas shopper wearing Yeezys.
Adidas shopper wearing Yeezys.
Adidas reportedly is expected to lose $246 million in profit this year after terminating its Yeezy partnership, Insider reported. It's estimated that Yeezy generated $1.7 billion in annual revenues for Adidas — 8% of Adidas' total sales in 2021.
The soccer section was the busiest area on both days that I visited.
The soccer section with its jerseys took the most real estate at the flagship store.
I saw several people carrying Argentina national team jerseys. The men's section had far more variety, tracksuits, and foot traffic compared with the other floors. I'd almost describe the environment as lively.
The women's section had various interpretations of the traditional sweatpants.
Purple was a dominant color in some of the displays.
There were birds of paradise designs, pants with crisscross seams on the sides, yoga tracksuit pants, and sky-blue pants with three orange stripes.
I saw these Adidas-branded wireless bluetooth earbuds that piqued my interest, but not enough for me to convince me to drop my over-the-ear, noise-canceling headphones.
Adidas earbuds.
There were a few clothing options for youth. Many items were marked with the brand's signature three stripes.
The youth section at the flagship store.
The youth section carried several different soccer cleats and running-shoe options.
Shoes for youth, including options for soccer players and runners.
These were the most fashion-forward shoes I saw at the Adidas store.
The Adidas x Ivy Park mule shoes go for $150.
Growing up I didn't associate Adidas with high fashion, but seeing these shoes showed me that the brand is evolving, for better or worse.
I thought these "Rick and Morty" soccer cleats had the coolest colors out of all the cleats I saw in the soccer section.
The X Speedportal soccer cleats, in partnership with "Rick and Morty."
Knowing that "Rick and Morty" is such a popular show across the world, I think these collaborations are a smart idea for Adidas.
The bleachers, with a statue of Adidas founder Adolf Dassler, were cool and unexpected.
The interior design was built to match a high school stadium.
There are also elevators on each floor for customers who have mobility challenges or prefer to skip the extra steps.
The all-black ensemble has grown on me, so I liked the vision of Adidas' newest clothing release.
Adidas Y-3 is the company's latest collection.
I thought this was the most innovative pair of shoes I saw at Adidas. Would I wear it? Probably not.
The Human Made x NMD cheetah-print shoes from the Pharrell Williams x Adidas collection.
I thought that the golf section was hidden towards the back of the third floor and harder to spot from the main walking area. It could have been better lit, as well.
The golf section was small and towards the store's corner.
The checkout section had grab-and-go items including sliders and socks.
The checkout area.
I think it's great that Adidas invites customers to round up their total costs to support charities like the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Customers can round up their total to donate to the Boys & Girls Club.
After my Adidas visit, I walked up five blocks to 650 Fifth, where Nike's flagship House of Innovation occupies most of the block.
The Nike flagship store at 650 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Nike's flagship store has two more floors than the Adidas store. It occupies 68,000 square feet of prime real estate on Manhattan's famed Fifth Avenue.
I visited the Nike flagship store twice: once in the morning and again in the late afternoon.
A very busy Nike flagship store entrance.
At 4:30 p.m. the store was almost overflowing with people going in and out.
Nike also had an archway. This one transported shoppers to an out-of-this-world dimension.
Nike entrance archway leading to the first floor.
While Adidas had a founder's statue to commemorate its history, Nike placed tons of mementos within the entranceway.
Nike history was captured in memorabilia items within the archway walls.
The display features Nike cofounders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, and honors the legacies of female athletes like world-famous runners Jacqueline Hansen and Joan Benoit. I liked seeing the mishmash of Nike artifacts, but think they could have been strategically placed elsewhere in the store. Because they're located at the entrance, you can't really stop for too long without potentially disrupting traffic flow.
Staff were more approachable and greeted people. Music was a big part of the experience, playing at a much louder volume than in Adidas.
Nike associates and shoe displays greet customers at the store's entrance.
Once I made it into the first floor of the Nike flagship, I realized that space was a huge theme.
Seeing this Nike display, I felt transported to the inside of a spaceship.
Shoe models were incorporated into futuristic displays that looked like they could belong on the surface of Mars. I felt like this theme could be enjoyed by all athletes, as opposed to Adidas' soccer setup.
There was a small booth on the first floor to make purchases, and two employees checking customers out.
The checkout area on the first floor was small relative to the size of the store.
It seemed like a small area relative to the rest of the store, and I wondered if bottleneck situations are common at this checkout point.
There are free Essex Squeeze drinks for Nike members.
Nike's House of Innovation for performance running shoes.
It seems like Adidas and Nike are going head to head with their apparel, with Nike also offering New York City-branded clothing, but with what I felt like are bolder designs.
The flagship store has six levels for customers to explore, and on both visits, sometimes it felt like I was competing for roaming space with throngs of visitors.
There are six levels in the Nike flagship store.
Many of the visitors were international tourists. I most often heard French and Spanish being spoken at the store.
I found out that there were self-checkout kiosks located on each floor, which I guess helps ease the flow of traffic. However, these kiosks are only for people who have the Nike app.
There is a self-checkout kiosk for Nike app users on the second floor.
Nike has far more sports bra selections and they are displayed in a more spread-out fashion, really utilizing the space.
Sports bras are arranged by size and support level.
The sports bras seemed to be made with better materials, and were pricier than the Adidas sports bras.
Nike had its own tech display, featuring the Apple Watch Nike.
Nike flexes its partnership with Apple Watch in the women's section.
These watches are aesthetically different from other Apple Watches, with unique bands and watch faces. I thought it was interesting that the watches were placed on the second floor in the women's section and wondered if they were trying to target women.
Similar to the Nike-wearing customer at the Adidas flagship, I saw a Nike shopper wearing Adidas apparel, reaffirming my belief that both brands are held up almost equally in public perception.
A shopper wears an Adidas backpack in the Nike flagship store.
The men's apparel section on the third floor wasn't heavily frequented, so I continued to follow the crowds as they meandered up the stairs.
The men's section is on the third floor of the flagship store.
I did notice that black and neon green were common color schemes for men's apparel.
I knew I'd reached the hot spot once I hit the fourth floor and Nike's Sneakerlab, holding the largest assortment of Nike shoes in the world.
Nike's Sneakerlab is on the fourth floor of the flagship store.
The music seemed more deafening here, and the chatter was at its loudest in the store on my visit so far.
The Sneakerlab was the busiest part of the flagship store.
One of the pickup areas at the Nike Sneakerlab.
The bright-white light really brought out the displays and kept my energy level up. There were shoppers waiting around for their shoes, while others were checking out the displayed models. It looked like a museum.
I spent the most time examining the Nike Air Maxes and VaporMaxes, which I felt like were the boldest and most inventive.
There was a dizzying array of Nike Air shoes – from the VaporMax Plus to the Air Max 1.
I found the Nike Air Force 1 section, which was almost blindingly white, the signature color for Air Force 1s. Each shoe boasted ample display space and each Sneakerlab area felt like an exhibit.
The Nike Air Force 1 shoe section.
I passed through a section with mirrored walls and an animated display featuring sneakers that were soon to be released.
This Nike mirror offers a sneak peek of sneakers coming down the line.
It was one of my favorite parts of the Sneakerlab because of its ingenuity and innovation. I thought it was a great way to engage with customers.
I made an effort to glance down at customers' shoes while walking around and wasn't surprised to see many people wearing Nikes. But I also saw Adidas, Reebok, Vans, and Pumas.
Nike-wearing customers don't seem to get enough of Nike.
While Adidas had its slips hung up next to the checkout counter, Nike's slips had their own displays just like the sneakers.
Nike's sliders and slip-ons had their own spot in the Sneakerlab.
Nike's customization lab has its own floor and is only available for NikePlus members.
The top floor is the spot to get your Nike products customized.
The lab takes same-day appointments for 30-minute time slots, but you have to schedule in-person on the 5th floor. The costs run from $3 for small graphics, to $7 for medium, and $8 for large.
On both of my visits, the fifth floor had only a few people mingling about the customization lab. I wonder if it's by virtue of the appointment system the store has set up.
The top floor was less frequented and swathed with Nike basic essentials.
I still enjoyed checking out what amenities were offered for NikePlus members.
I passed by these fitting rooms, which I thought elevated the shopping experience. The fitting rooms on this floor look like futuristic space yurts.
Fitting rooms on the fifth floor of the flagship.
The Nike By You bar came with different designs people could use to customize outfits.
Nike customers looking to get a little creative with their clothes.
Both times I visited, there were people in the middle of their projects and designing sweatshirts with small graphics.
In a city like New York, customized items are all the buzz. I saw a sweater for $130 and a t-shirt for $61.
Examples of customized sweatshirts and Air Force 1s.
The stairs to the kids section were tucked at the back of the first floor, which took me some time to find. It actually felt out of the way.
The kids section is on the basement level.
Youth had an entire floor to explore – plenty of clothing and shoes to mix and match. There were many more options for children than what Adidas offered at its flagship store.
There were several racks of clothing on the kids floor.
I got a real kick out of seeing this wall of preschool and toddler shoes.
Teeny-tiny 1s and Js for preschoolers and toddlers.
The integrity of the AF1s, Js, and Dunks were preserved in these teeny-size versions.
After my visits, I could easily see how distinct the store experiences were between Adidas and Nike.
Customers can do returns and exchanges on the kids floor.
The interior designs, for one, were vastly different: Adidas went for stadium appeal — clearly catering to its soccer fans — while Nike went for multidimensional outer-space vibes.
As for retail offerings, I felt like I could go to Adidas for fitness wear and Nike for their street style and shoes.
Nike Adidas NYC


text:
Brigadir (izvirno ; kratica BRIG) je najvišji častniški čin Novozelandske kopenske vojske in je neposredni naslednik britanskega čina brigadirja.

Je enakovreden činu komodorja Kraljeve novozelandske vojne mornarice in činu zračnega komodorja Kraljevega novozelandskega vojnega letalstva. V Natovi strukturi činov spada v razred O-6, ki pa velja za najnižji generalski čin, kljub temu da je novozelandski brigadir najvišji častnik. Podrejen je činu generalmajorja (najnižji generalski čin) in nadrejen činu polkovnika.

Oznaka čina generala so tri trikotno razporejene zvezde (red kopeli), nad katerimi se nahaja krona svetega Edvarda; torej ista kot je oznaka čina britanskega brigadirja, pri čemer ima novozelandska oznaka na spodnjem delu še napis NEW ZEALAND.

Viri in opombe

Glej tudi

 Čini Novozelandske obrambne sile
 seznam novozelandskih častnikov

Vojaški čini Novozelandske kopenske vojske

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A Group Discussion is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss it among themselves for 15-20 minutes.
Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.
It gives you the chance to hear other students' ideas.
Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions as well as more structured/formal discussion. Start by making small contributions to tutorial discussions; prepare a question to ask, or agree with another speaker's remarks.
Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to generalize too much.
Introducing the topic and purpose of the discussion.
Making sure all members have approximately the same time, (i.e. no one dominates the discussion by taking too much time).
Thanking group members for their contribution.
Being objective in summarizing the group's discussion and achievements.
Is dependence on computers a good thing.
Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing.
Is it necessary to ban COCO COLA in India.
A debate is an organized clash of good ideas. Each side employs worthwhile evidence to promote their viewpoint and to rebut the "flawed" evidence advanced by the other side. Debating is a formal intellectual contest and there are endless ways it can be played. However, a good debate is like a tennis match where each side, following the rules set down, bats ideas back and forth to defeat the other team. As in any other subjective sport, debaters have to persuade the judges that they have won. Yet, debating can be an exciting even dangerous activity because emotions often run high.
What makes a good debater?
Debaters challenge ideas, they do not attack each other. Like other sports, fair play is critical. Regular debaters will be transferred to play on the other side later in their careers, so it does not pay to be too emotionally tied. A debater is a spokesperson for the moment for or against a motion and is not a fanatic for a cause.
Because debating is a team event, it is important that the three speakers work together as a team. The TEAM LINE is the basic statement of "why the topic is true" (for the affirmative) and "why the topic is false" (for the negative). It should be a short sentence, presented by the first speaker of each team and used by the other two speakers to enforce the idea of teamwork.
In a debating team each speaker has specified roles that they must fulfill to play their part in the team. They are laid out below in the order that the speakers will speak.
Accept or reject the definition. If you don't do this it is assumed that you accept the definition.
Rebut a few of the main points of the first affirmative speaker.
The 1st negative should spend about one quarter of their time rebutting.
Present the first half of the negative team's case.
Reaffirm the affirmative's team line.
Rebut the main points presented by the 1st negative.
The 2nd affirmative should spend about one third of their time rebutting.
Present the second half of the affirmative's case.
Reaffirm the negative's team line.
Rebut some of the main points of the affirmative's case.
The 2nd negative should spend about one third of their time rebutting.
Present the second half of the negative's case.
Rebut all the remaining points of the negative's case.
The 3rd affirmative should spend about two thirds to three quarters of their time rebutting.
Present a summary of the affirmative's case.
Round off the debate for the affirmative.
Rebut all the remaining points of the affirmative's case.
The 3rd negative should spend about two thirds to three quarters of their time rebutting.
Present a summary of the negative's case.
Round off the debate for the negative.
Rule 1. The team doing the better debating is the winner.
Rule 2. The team doing what the proposition requires is the winner.
Debate topics are worded so that one team must succeed and one team must fail in meeting the requirements of the proposition. The successful team, having done the better debating, is declared victorious.
Rule 3. The decision is given to the affirmative if it succeeds in showing that the proposed plan should be adopted. The decision is given to the negative if the affirmative fails to show that the proposal should be adopted.
Rule 4. The judge must base his decision entirely on the material presented, without regard for other material which he may happen to possess.
Arguments or evidence which occur to the judge, but which are not employed in the debate, have no place in the decision. However, if the judge happens to possess some significant facts not employed in the debate, it would be helpful for him to mention them after his decision, as a suggestion for future use.
Rule 5. The judge is required to accept as true all arguments backed by reasonable proof (as defined above) until such arguments are overthrown by the opposing team.
The judge has no right to consider an argument weak unless the opposing team shows that it is, or unless the team making the argument badly asserts it and fails to support it with adequate evidence or reasoning.
Rule 6. The judge must not accept ideas which are not backed by reasonable proof.
Unsupported assertions and purely emotional appeals must not be considered. The use of emotion is legitimate in driving home a point, and is to be encouraged in many instances, but the point must also be supported by evidence or logic if it is to be considered.
Rule 7. The judge must not be partial to any of the team.
Each team has the right to make use of whatever arguments it desires, and the judge may not penalize a team for failing to make use of an argument or type of case he considers good. The entire decision must be based on what the teams accomplish, not on what the judge personally believes a good debate case on that subject to be.


I've been doing a bit more "painting" today using Corel Painter & Photoshop.
A few people have asked me when am I going to do some Corel Painter Workshops… the answer is early next year.
There will be sit down face to face workshops and online tutorials, so watch this space.
Sign up for more details regarding these workshops/on line tutorials by filling in the contact form below.
This entry was posted in Corel Painter 2016, Digital Painting, Fine Art Nudes, Portraits, textures. Bookmark the permalink.


The Junior League of Greenwich (JLG) is supporting 40 new mothers through its annual Baby Bundles project, in partnership with Neighbor to Neighbor. Neighbor to Neighbor is a Greenwich based non-profit food and clothing resource for residents, and has been a vital member of the Greenwich community for over 40 years.
Neighbor to Neighbor relies on the generosity of donations to provide these essential services. The goal is to supply new mothers with a baby bundle, which is a starter set of supplies to assist them in welcoming a new baby home. The Baby Bundles project will provide new mothers with supplies not available to them at the food and clothing pantry.
On Saturday, May 5, Junior League members will provide the new mothers with their Baby Bundles. If you would like to help support this impactful project, please feel free to take a look at the Amazon Wish List at http://a.co/fRYqbTB. The items can be mailed directly to the Junior League from Amazon. Or, one may stop by the Junior League of Greenwich Headquarters located at 231 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich to drop off any donations. The Junior League will be accepting donations until April 30, 2018.


I have had a rough few days for several reasons, and find myself even more growly than usual. As a result I need to force some more plain silliness in my diet and shake the grumpies off. And, wallah, it turns out it is again time for The 100 Word Challenge for Grownups, providing just the seed I needed. This week the challenge is to create a recipe worthy of a witch. I borrowed a classic, manhandled and thoroughly mangled it, and came up with this bit o' silly nonsense. Hope you all enjoy!
Calories burn, just do the math.
Fillet of a lean lean steak.
Full of flavor, oh and pet the dog!
Gizzards beg to taste this thing.
Might burn like hell and add some stubble.
I like your mangled version of the classic. Great silliness. Thanks for that.
A PC Macbeth. The mind boggles.
The banquet a children's tea party? The importance of washing our hands? And we all learn to share.
Lucky Shakespeare's times weren't politically correct.
it's a brave man(or woman) who messes with Shakespeare; but I'm sure the bard would read this and smile 🙂 Good one.
Very likable mangling indeed. But I am almost hungry after this one.
Made me laugh! I'm not sure what some of the ingredients are, so I don't think I'll try this one, but it sounds like it might even taste good.


The aftermath of a car accident can be overwhelming as you have entered unfamiliar territory and no doubt have a lot of unanswered questions. Whether you suffered a spinal cord injury, brain injury orfractures, you need to know your rights immediately – before you discuss the matter with an insurance adjuster and before signing any documents.
Insurance companies scrutinize and defend claims vigorously and are looking out for their own interests, not yours. There are many strict time frames (some as short as 7 days after a car accident) as well as many procedures which need to be followed. Insurance companies complicate the process further by demanding in-person meetings and requiring complex forms to be completed within a very short timeframe. Understanding how to navigate through all of these issues, while trying to recover from an injury or mourning the loss of a loved one, is often too much to handle without help.
We will explain your rights in simple terms and take on the insurance companies and at-fault parties so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries, rather than fighting a legal battle.
You need a personal injury lawyer that specializes in car accidents since this type of law is complex and is constantly changing. Our extensive experience in complicated litigation will ensure you get the fullest compensation available to you. We will do whatever is necessary to achieve this including engaging the right medical experts, rehabilitation specialists, accident reconstruction engineers and financial analysts to assist us in the discovery and development of your claim. We will confront the responsible party's insurer with the facts of your case, and fight for your right to collect damages and recover lost income all the way to trial if necessary.


text:
2019 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League
Second edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League
Naftali Temu
2019 London Marathon
Vladimir Kuts
Janusz Kusociński
Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification
Pyotr Bolotnikov
Ilmari Salminen
Alberto Cova
Billy Mills
Emily Infeld
Lasse Virén
Ville Ritola
Miruts Yifter
Emily Sisson
Christie Hefner
Niantic drove $249 million in tourism revenue with its walking events in 2019
venturebeat.com
'City So Real' Is an Election Story Pulsing With Life
Why Did So Many Favorites Bomb, Meet Molly Seidel's 25-Year-Old Coach, & More Odds & Ends from the…
Three Thoughts on Mo Farah's Return to the Track for the 2020 Olympics - LetsRun.com
Sports Season
FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League
competition class
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
Argentina Men's National Volleyball Team
Brazil Men's National Volleyball Team
China Men's National Volleyball Team
Germany Men's National Volleyball Team
France Men's National Volleyball Team
Iran Men's National Volleyball Team
Italy Men's National Volleyball Team
Japan Men's National Volleyball Team
Poland Men's National Volleyball Team
Russia Men's National Volleyball Team
Serbia Men's National Volleyball Team
United States Men's National…
Australia Men's National Volleyball Team
Bulgaria Men's National Volleyball Team
Canada Men's National Volleyball Team
Portugal Men's National Volleyball Team
number of matches played/races/starts
Spanish Wikipedia
es.wikipedia.org
sports season of league or competition
FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League
The 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League was the second edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League, an annual international men's volleyball tournament contested by 16 national teams. The competition will be held between May and July 2019 and the final round will take place in the Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago, United States. This will be the first edition of the World League or the Nations League to have the Final Round hosted in North America. Following the results of the 2018 Nations League and 2018 Challenger Cup, South Korea were replaced by debutants Portugal in this edition. Portugal were the last placed challenger team after the preliminary round and will be replaced by Challenger Cup winners Slovenia in the 2020 edition. Russia successfully defended its title, defeating hosts, the United States, in the final.
fa.wikipedia.org
it.wikipedia.org
pl.wikipedia.org
pt.wikipedia.org
th.wikipedia.org
zh.wikipedia.org


Rosemary A. McGowan is an Associate Professor in the Business Technology Management and Leadership Programs at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a published case writer. Her teaching interests include leadership, organizational behaviour, project management and organization theory.
Academic Background: PhD (Schulich School of Business, York University), MBA (Graduate Gold Medal, School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University), MA (Psychology, University of Waterloo), BA (Psychology, University of Toronto), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM - Project Management Institute).
McGowan's research explores organizational discourse and uses qualitative approaches to examine issues related to leadership and leadership development, women in leadership and management, perceptions of employment equity, work and family/eldercare challenges, careers of millennials in the public service sector, as well as managerial roles and identities. In addition, she has co-authored papers on the experiences of college transfer students attending university.
Outstanding Research Paper Award. McLaren, P., McGowan, R.A., Gerhardt, K., Diallo, L., & Saeed, A. "Business without the math: Competing discourses and the struggle to develop an undergraduate Leadership program." Association of Leadership Educators Annual Conference. Key West, Florida, 2012.
Burns Endowment Fund Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Management, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge Alberta, 2011.
Graduate Gold Medal Recipient, MBA, Wilfrid Laurier University.
I have supervised independent research projects (graduate and undergraduate) and have served as an external examiner for projects examining issues related to leadership development and education, women in management, case writing, as well as work and family issues.
2016 Henstra, D., & McGowan, R.A. "Millennials and public service motivation: An exploratory analysis of graduate student career motivations and expectations." Public Administration Quarterly (Forthcoming).
2013 McLaren, P., McGowan, R.A., Gerhardt, K., Diallo, L., & Saeed, A. "Business without the math: Competing discourses and the struggle to develop an undergraduate Leadership program." Journal of Leadership Education, 12(2), 1-17.
2013 McGowan, R.A. "Handbook of gender, work, and organizations." Book review for "Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal," 32(3), 338-342.
2012 Ng, E., & McGowan, R.A. "Work/life choices of women in senior leadership positions: Contrarian views from the top." Published in the Conference Proceedings of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Conference, Toulousse, France.
2011 McGowan, R.A., & Runte, M. "Women managers in high tech: A discursive perspective." Published in the Conference Proceedings of the 17th Annual Americas Conference on Information Systems, Detroit, Michigan.
2009 McGowan, R.A. "Managerial discourses of work and eldercare: (Re)producing, resisting and negotiating boundaries between private and public." Culture and Organization, 13(3), 307-329.
2009 McGowan, R.A. "John Hamilton's work and eldercare dilemma: Break the silence? Sustain the silence?" Invited for republication in: E. Raufflet & A.J. Mills (Eds.), The dark side: Critical cases on the dark side of business (pp. 24-35). Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishing Limited.
2009 Bladowski, M. & McGowan, R. A. "The international career opportunity: From dream to nightmare in eight weeks." Invited for republication in: E. Raufflet & A.J. Mills (Eds.), The dark side: Critical cases on the dark side of business (pp. 72-87). Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishing Limited.
2006 McGowan, R. A., & Gawley, T. "The University side of the college transfer experience: Insights from University staff." College Quarterly. Summer, 2006, 9(3).
2006 Gawley, T., & McGowan, R.A. "Learning the ropes: A case study of the academic and social experiences of college transfer students within a developing university-college articulation framework." College Quarterly. Summer, 2006, 9(3).
Office hours: For the Spring 2017 term: By appointment.