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Capacity building for think tanks: advice from Goran Buldioski
By Goran Buldioski
Developing the capacity of think tanks in developing countries has emerged as a key concern and objective for many international development agencies. Efforts by the Think Tank Initiative, the Open Society Foundations' Think Tank Fund, and now AusAid's Indonesian Knowledge Sector Initiative all focus on developing the capacity of think tanks (among other actors. Goran Buldioski, from the Think Tank Fund, has published a list of very interesting recommendations based on his own experience:
You should go to the original blog, Capacity building for think tanks, but here are the highlights:
Goran offers some principles (copy-pasted excerpts) that are all worth paying attention to:
Training is provided only to those who demand it.
If donors want to raise awareness, it is best to invite TT leadership to exchange practices, discuss issues and hopefully realize gaps in their own performance (and perhaps request some training as a follow-up from the donors).
Interventions need adaptive designs
Mentoring, on-the-job training and learning, peer-to-peer and expert exchanges should take precedent
Mid- and long-term time horizon is a must
Skills-building has to be linked with development (design / production) of a concrete product
Most of the capacity building efforts will need a wider organizational buy-in
(This one is worth copy-pasting entirety) The efforts should have clear calculation / benchmarks of the cost per participant ($USD or EUR/ participant). To date, I have seen quite a few costly activities, where the investment per participant has gone over 10,000 $USD. As a colleague of mine put it some time ago, this is the cost of an average one-year master program at a solid university in Europe (and not only in Eastern Europe). While, the MA degree and the capacity building are not directly comparable, it useful to keep this and similar parallels in mind.
Donors should charge a participation fee almost as a rule!
Demand / competition for offered places
Overall, Goran places an increasing emphasis on real demand from the think tanks. This is very much in line with what I have written before on capacity development. Goran's principles are important because they ensure that there is real buy-in from the think tanks rather than this being just an exercise driven by the funders and the consultants brought in to do the job.
Goran also recommends that capacity building is organised in a such a way that responds to different levels of organisational development. He is right. It makes no sense to put highly capable think tanks with those struggling with basic tasks. He recommends at least 2 tiers: basic and intermediate.
Equally, there are different forms of capacity building that could be taken into account. Not everything can be done with a single mechanism.
And the skills that are necessary for each think tank are also different. Again, this demands that each organisation is treated separately and allowed to demand the support they really need.
Getting to this point in the process is hard and can take some time but, as I have found, it is worth while. Not only is the work more interesting but the results of the support provided are far more significant and faster to achieve. The alternative, to plough through with external consultants and expensive interventions with little buy-in from the think tanks themselves, is far less effective.
Other relevant blog posts on capacity development can be found below:
Think Tank Initiative 2012 exchange: on building research capacity for 'young' think tanks
Research communications support: why do donors, think tanks and consultants keep making the same mistakes?
Capacity development: it is time to think about new ways of generating and sharing knowledge,
Developing research communication capacity: lessons from recent experiences
INASP's reflections on lessons from recent research communication capacity building experiences
Read more from: Goran Buldioski
Related topics: Capacity Development Funding Funding and supporting think tanks Supporting think tanks Think Tank Fund
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Chapter 1 provides a perspective of synthetic organic chemistry as a discipline involved in the design, synthesis and evaluation of complex molecules. The reader is introduced with a brief history of synthetic organic chemistry, all the while dealing with different aspects of synthetic organic chemistry. These aspects include design, synthesis and evaluation of complex molecules, which are described with representative examples. For instance, chapter 1 described different strategies to design antibiotics like penicillin. Furthermore, efforts at the interface of chemistry and biology has led to the emerging of a new subdisciplines such as chemical biology. Although this discipline is relatively new, the scientific community has witnessed many breakthrough discoveries and some of these discoveries are highlighted in this chapter. After the general introduction presented in chapter 1, the following chapters of this thesis focus on the design, synthesis and evaluation of small molecular probes towards the study of proteins and glycans in plant and mammalian cells. Most of these probes are complex glycomimetic small molecules that in many instances are prepared with a nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition as a key step.
In chapter 2, a novel nitrone is presented for the nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition reaction. This reaction is a powerful tool in synthetic organic chemistry for the synthesis of a wide range of complex molecules. The versatile nature of the reaction is illustrated by the synthesis of several classes of natural product such as vitamins and alkaloids – all complex molecules containing multiple neighboring chiral centers – through the nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition. However, most nitrones that show good regio- and stereoselectivity are limited in their synthetic versatility, as subsequent synthetic modification of the cycloaddition products are limited. The nitrone described in chapter 2 is a novel masked aldehyde-containing nitrone. This nitrone is prepared by a simple and scalable procedure and can be combined with a diverse set of olefins and other dipolarophiles to afford a broad range of cycloadducts. These cycloadducts can be considered as a masked form of amino-aldehydes, which makes them interesting from a synthetic point of view as illustrated by several postcycloaddition modifications.
The nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition is also utilized in chapter 3 for the synthesis of glycomimetic building blocks. Glycomimetics such as iminosugars and pipecolic acids are found in nature and possess a variety of biological activities. The potential of glycomimetics have led to the development of drugs for the treatment of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Gaucher disease and HIV. Chapter 3 describes how glycomimetic building blocks can be obtained through a nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition, providing different bicyclic isoxazolidines. These cycloadducts are synthetically versatile, as we report a set of reactions that allow selective modification at each functional position. Accordingly, these versatile bicyclic isoxazolidines enable the synthesis of different glycomimetic building blocks. For example, we were able to make a library of pipecolic acid derivatives – a popular drug-motif – via a one-pot Staudinger/aza-Wittig/Ugi three-component reaction.
The bicyclic isoxazolidines, discussed in chapter 3, are also reported in chapter 4. This chapter describes the development of a synthetic route towards an activity-based probe (ABP) to study the enzymatic activity of neuraminidases. Neuraminidases are a class of enzymes found in a range of organisms including mammals. The importance of neuraminidases is illustrated by the existence of a neuraminidase-related genetic disease, sialidosis. With no cure for this fatal disease being very limited, there is keen interest in the discovery of novel mechanisms to restore neuraminidase activity. The poor enzyme-activity of a different enzyme-related disease, Gaucher disease, could be improved through the identification of a small molecule that stabilizes and/or promotes the folding of the active enzyme. The validation of this small molecule was aided greatly by the development of a sensitive ABP targeting this disease specific enzyme. Accordingly, the development of a neuramidase-ABP would provide a diagnostic tool to study the activity of neuramidases and ultimately help identify small molecules that could increase the activity of mutant-neuraminidase molecules by stabilizing and/or promoting the folding of this enzyme. The synthesis of a carbocyclic neuraminidase ABP was the goal of chapter 4 and was approached by starting with the nitrone-olefin [3+2] cycloaddition as the key-step. This reaction provided a bicyclic cycloadduct that was used for the development of a synthetic route, which led to a high yielding and practical synthesis of an advance intermediate possessing the majority of the stereochemistry of the required carbocyclic neuraminidase ABP.
Chapter 5 describes the synthesis and evaluation of chemical tools to study phoshatidyl ethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs). This family of proteins is found in a variety of organisms including mammals and plants. This family includes FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), a signaling protein that acts as a vital flowering hormone in plants. No small molecule inhibitors for FT are known, but an inhibitor called locostatin has been reported to bind in the highly conserved ligand binding site of a structurally related protein. Based on this conservation and overall structurally similarity with FT it was hypothesized that locostatin or derivatives thereof could covalently bind in the ligand binding pocket of FT and hence affect flowering. Chapter 5 reports on the synthesis of novel locostatin-based chemical PEBP probes, followed by evaluation for their ability and selectivity towards FT and a mammalian PEBP.
Chemical tools were also used to study plants in chapter 6, although different aspects of plants were investigated. This chapter describes the direct molecular imaging of carbohydrates (glycans) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Glycans play a crucial but not fully understood role in plant health and development. The formation of glycans is not genetically encoded, which makes it impossible to image them in vivo using genetically encoded fluorescent tags and related molecular biology approaches. A solution to this problem is the use of tailor-made glycans that are metabolically incorporated in plants via the roots, which may then be visualized with copper-catalyzed click labeling. However, this labelling-technique is toxic to plants and future applications would benefit from bio-orthoganol copper-free labeling techniques. Chapter 6 shows, for the first time in metabolic labeling and imaging of plant glycans, the potential of two copper-free click chemistry methods. These methods are bio-orthogonal and lead to more uniform labeling. Furthermore, this chapter also describes the metabolic incorporation of five novel monosaccharide probes in Arabidopsis thaliana roots and their imaging after (copper-free) fluorescent labeling.
Finally, chapter 7 contains a general discussion, critically summarizing the body of this thesis along with additional ideas and recommendations for further research.
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): Martien Cohen Stuart, co-promotor(en): Joris Sprakel. - Wageningen : Wageningen University - ISBN 9789462576971 - 136 p.
Supramolecular systems are solutions, suspensions or solids, formed by physical and non-covalent interactions. These weak and dynamic bonds drive molecular self-assembly in nature, leading to formation of complex ordered structures in high precision. Understanding self-assembly and co-assembly is crucial to unravel and mimic many processes occurring in nature. However, the challenge cannot be easily addressed especially in biological systems as it involves many dynamic interactions which may cooperatively, noncooperatively or competitively generate a complex manifold of interaction pathways. In this thesis, we employed two techniques to understand these complex interactions in various supramolecular systems at the nanoscale 1) multiple particle tracking microrheology to study thermoreversible assembly of triple helices in a collagen-inspired recombinant polypeptide in the form of a triblock copolymer gel former; and 2) polyfluorene-based conjugated polyelctrolyte mechosensors to monitor electrostatic co-assembly dynamics of (i) a recombinant diblock copolypeptide which encapsulates the conjugated polyelectrolyte like a protein capsid and (ii) various synthetic diblock copolymers which forms complex coacervate micelles; and finally the orthogonal self-assembly dynamics of (iii) a recombinant viral coat protein which mimics natural rod-like viruses. These novel polymeric mechanosensors work as versatile, non-invasive tools to detect even low degrees of analyte binding or complex formation due to the stress applied on their conjugated backbone. This mechanical stress causes the polymeric backbone to stretch which can be detected by a shift in its fluorescence spectra.
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): Michiel Kleerebezem, co-promotor(en): P.A. Bron. - Wageningen : Wageningen University - ISBN 9789462576858 - 183 p.
Lactobacillus plantarum is found in various environmental habitats, including fermentation products and the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, and specific strains are marketed as probiotics, which are defined as 'live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host'. Throughout the studies of the mechanisms underlying probiotic activity, it became apparent that the probiotic effects are often species and/or strain specific. This situation has led more researchers to focus on the molecular characteristics of probiotic strains intending to link specific molecular structures to specific probiotic functions, and thereby deduce the mechanisms of molecular communication of probiotics. This thesis focuses on potential cell envelope effector molecules involved in interaction with the mammalian host cells, including lipoteichoic acid (LTA), lipo- and glyco-proteins, and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), of L. plantarum WCFS1, a model strain for probiotic lactobacilli with a well-annotated genome sequences and sophisticated genetic engineering tools. First, existing research regarding the potential roles in probiotic functionality of Lactobacillus surface molecules in terms of their biosynthesis pathways and structure variations as well as interaction with host Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) and immunomodulatory properties of these molecules are summarized and compared to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in probiotic effector molecule research. Subsequently, specific molecules that reside in the cell envelope of L. plantarum WCFS1 were study for their role in bacterial physiology, as well as their role as ligands in Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 signaling and immunomodulatory properties using human-cell co-incubation models. Our results showed that the deficiency of LTA had a drastic impact on cell division, cell morphology and growth in L. plantarum WCFS1, while LTA-deficient cells also elicited more pro-inflammatory responses in PBMCs rather than the expected loss of pro-inflammatory capacity as was observed with similar mutants of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. Further studies on the signaling capacity of the purified LTA from L. plantarum WCFS1 revealed that these molecules are poor TLR2 activators, which is in clear contrast to the highly potent TLR2 stimulatory capacity of LTA obtained from Bacillus subtilis, implying that structural differences of the LTA produced by different bacteria are prominent determinants of their TLR2 signaling capacity and immunomodulatory properties. Lipoproteins of L. plantarum WCFS1 were studied using a derivative strain that is deficient in prolipoprotein diacylglyceryltransferase (Lgt), which transfers acyl chain moieties onto lipoproteins. The lipid moiety was shown to be important for proper anchoring of lipoproteins and TLR1/2 signaling capacity, but did not affect TLR2/6 signaling, suggesting that lipoproteins of L. plantarum WCFS1 are predominantly (if not exclusively) triacylated. The Lgt deficient strain elicited more pro-inflammatory responses in PBMCs as compared to the wild type, indicating that the native lipoproteins could play a role in dampening inflammation upon host-probiotic interaction. In addition, we explored the protein glycosylation machinery in L. plantarum WCFS1, responsible for the glycosylation of the major autolysin (Acm2) of this bacterium, which was previously shown to be O-glycosylated with N-acetylhexosamine conjugates. Using sequence similarity searches in combination with a lectin-based glycan detection and mass spectrometry analysis, two glycosyl-transferases, GtfA and GtfB (formerly annotated as TagE5 and TagE6, respectively), were shown to be required for the glycosylation of Acm2 and other unidentified L. plantarum WCFS1 glycosylated proteins. These results provide the first example of a general protein-glycosylation machinery in a Lactobacillus species. Finally, extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) in L. plantarum were studied in two strains that produce large amounts of EPS: L. plantarum SF2A35B and Lp90, in comparison to the lowly producing model strain WCFS1. Based on genome sequence comparison, both of the high producer strains were found to possess strain-specific and unique polysaccharide gene clusters. These gene clusters were deleted and the mutants were shown to have lost the capacity to produce large amounts of EPS, and were studied in relation to their properties in host-bacteria interaction. The results illustrate strain-specific and variable impacts of the removal of the EPS in the background of individual L. plantarum strains, supporting the importance of EPS in L. plantarum strains as a strain-specific determinant in host interaction. Overall, this thesis showed that surface molecules not only play important roles in bacterial physiology, but also in the interaction with the host mucosa through pattern recognition receptors expressed by the host cells. With the growing amount of evidence of structural variations in surface molecules, which are influenced by genetic background, physiological status, environmental factors, and other biological processes, these molecules form a unique signature associated with each strain that as a consequence elicits a strain-specific response when interacting with host cells.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 137 (2015)31. - ISSN 0002-7863 - p. 9800 - 9803.
Semiconducting polymers owe their optoelectronic properties to the delocalized electronic structure along their conjugated backbone. Their spectral features are therefore uniquely sensitive to the conformation of the polymer, where mechanical stretching of the chain leads to distinct vibronic shifts. Here we demonstrate how the optomechanical response of conjugated polyelectrolytes can be used to detect their encapsulation in a protein capsid. Coating of the sensor polymers by recombinant coat proteins induces their stretching due to steric hindrance between the proteins. The resulting mechanical planarizations lead to pronounced shifts in the vibronic spectra, from which the process of capsid formation can be directly quantified. These results show how the coupling between vibronic states and mechanical stresses inherent to conjugated polymers can be used to noninvasively measure strains at the nanoscale.
In De bouwstenen van het leven wordt - ook voor leken - op een toegankelijke wijze een overzicht gegeven van de basale kennis van de biochemie en de moleculaire celbiologie (ook wel Life Sciences genoemd). De wereld van DNA, RNA en eiwitten, van energiemetabolisme tot en met genetica, is door Jan Prinsen en Feike van der Leij op een overzichtelijke manier begrijpelijk gemaakt. Niet alleen voor Bachelor-studenten een goed alternatief naast Engelstalige standaardwerken, maar voor iedereen die wil weten hoe de processen in ons lichaam en in de natuur om ons heen op moleculair niveau verklaard kunnen worden. De auteurs hebben daarbij een klassieke kijk gecombineerd met de laatste inzichten en maken op een heldere manier gebruik van de soms onvermijdelijke vaktaal. Het is daarmee oprecht een introductie tot de moleculaire celbiologie te noemen. De informatie wordt in lagen aangereikt: de lezer kan zelf de mate van diepgang en detail bepalen.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 65 (2014)1. - ISSN 0963-7486 - p. 42 - 47.
A detailed comparative study on chemical and bioactive properties of wild and cultivated Ganoderma lucidum from Serbia (GS) and China (GCN) was performed. This species was chosen because of its worldwide use as medicinal mushroom. Higher amounts of sugars were found in GS, while higher amounts of organic acids were recorded in GCN. Unsaturated fatty acids predominated over saturated fatty acids. GCN revealed higher antioxidant activity, while GS exhibited inhibitory potential against human breast and cervical carcinoma cell lines. No cytotoxicity in non-tumour liver primary cell culture was observed for the different samples. Both samples possessed antibacterial and antifungal activities, in some cases even better than the standard antimicrobial drugs. This is the first study reporting a comparison of chemical compounds and bioactivity of G. lucidum samples from different origins.
Proteins : Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics 81 (2013)3. - ISSN 0887-3585 - p. 510 - 518.
HADDOCK is one of the few docking programs that can explicitly account for water molecules in the docking process. Its solvated docking protocol starts from hydrated molecules and a fraction of the resulting interfacial waters is subsequently removed in a biased Monte Carlo procedure based on water-mediated contact probabilities. The latter were derived from an analysis of water contact frequencies from high-resolution crystal structures. Here, we introduce a simple water mediated amino acid - amino acid contact probability scale derived from the Kyte-Doolittle hydrophobicity scale and assess its performance on the largest high-resolution dataset developed to date for solvated docking. Both scales yield high-quality docking results. The novel and simple hydrophobicity scale, which should reflect better the physico-chemical principles underlying contact propensities, leads to a performance improvement of around 10% in ranking, cluster quality and water recovery at the interface compared to the statistics-based original solvated docking protocol.
ChemPhysChem 13 (2012)17. - ISSN 1439-4235 - p. 3973 - 3980.
WageningenWorld 4 (2012). - ISSN 2210-7908 - p. 34 - 39.
Een elektronische tong, zeefjes die binnen een uur ziekmakende bacteriën detecteren, of moleculen die helpen bij het vinden en doden van tumoren. Wageningen UR timmert hard aan de weg met nanotechnologie – en onderzoekt meteen de mogelijke risico's voor mens en natuur.
PLoS ONE 7 (2012)10. - ISSN 1932-6203 - 8 p.
Fluorescence spectroscopy is an important tool for the characterization of protein folding. Often, a protein is labeled with appropriate fluorescent donor and acceptor probes and folding-induced changes in Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) are monitored. However, conformational changes of the protein potentially affect fluorescence properties of both probes, thereby profoundly complicating interpretation of FRET data. In this study, we assess the effects protein folding has on fluorescence properties of Alexa Fluor 488 (A488), which is commonly used as FRET donor. Here, A488 is covalently attached to Cys69 of apoflavodoxin from Azotobacter vinelandii. Although coupling of A488 slightly destabilizes apoflavodoxin, the three-state folding of this protein, which involves a molten globule intermediate, is unaffected. Upon folding of apoflavodoxin, fluorescence emission intensity of A488 changes significantly. To illuminate the molecular sources of this alteration, we applied steady state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The results obtained show that tryptophans cause folding-induced changes in quenching of Alexa dye. Compared to unfolded protein, static quenching of A488 is increased in the molten globule. Upon populating the native state both static and dynamic quenching of A488 decrease considerably. We show that fluorescence quenching of Alexa Fluor dyes is a sensitive reporter of conformational changes during protein folding.
Effect of natural and chimeric haemagglutinin genes on influenza A virus replication in baby hamster kidney cells.
Journal of Biotechnology 162 (2012)2-3. - ISSN 0168-1656 - p. 197 - 201.
Baby hamster kidney (BHK21) cells are used to produce vaccines against various viral veterinary diseases, including rabies and foot-and-mouth-disease. Although particular influenza virus strains replicate efficiently in BHK21 cells the general use of these cells for influenza vaccine production is prohibited by the poor replication of most strains, including model strain A/PR/8/34 [H1N1] (PR8). We now show that in contrast to PR8, the related strain A/WSN/33 [H1N1] (WSN) replicates efficiently in BHK21 cells. This difference is determined by the haemagglutinin (HA) protein since reciprocal reassortant viruses with swapped HAs behave similarly with respect to growth on BHK21 cells as the parental virus from which their HA gene is derived. The ability or inability of six other influenza virus strains to grow on BHK21 cells appears to be similarly dependent on the nature of the HA gene since reassortant PR8 viruses containing the HA of these strains grow to similar titres as the parental virus from which the HA gene was derived. However, the growth to low titres of a seventh influenza strain was not due to the nature of the HA gene since a reassortant PR8 virus containing this HA grew efficiently on BHK21 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the HA gene often primarily determines influenza replication efficiency on BHK21 cells but that in some strains other genes are also involved. High virus titres could be obtained with reassortant PR8 strains that contained a chimeric HA consisting of the HA1 domain of PR8 and the HA2 domain of WSN. HA1 contains most antigenic sites and is therefore important for vaccine efficacy. This method of producing the HA1 domain as fusion to a heterologous HA2 domain could possibly also be used for the production of HA1 domains of other viruses to enable the use of BHK21 cells as a generic platform for veterinary influenza vaccine production.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78 (2012)1. - ISSN 0099-2240 - p. 185 - 193.
ChemBioChem 13 (2012)6. - ISSN 1439-4227 - p. 829 - 836.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 77 (2011)1. - ISSN 0939-6411 - p. 139 - 147.
PEGylation has proven useful for prolonging the plasma half lives of proteins, and since approval of the first PEGylated protein drug product by the FDA in 1990, several PEGylated protein drug products have been marketed. However, the influence of PEGylation on the behavior of proteins at interfaces is only poorly understood. The aim of this work was to study the effect of PEGylation on the adsorption of glucagon from aqueous solution to a hydrophobic surface and to compare the effects of PEGylation with a linear and a branched PEG chain, respectively. The 3483 Da peptide glucagon was PEGylated with a 2.2 kDa linear and a branched PEG chain, respectively, and the adsorption behaviors of the three proteins were compared using isothermal titration calorimetry, fixed-angle optical reflectometry and total internal reflection fluorescence. PEGylation decreased the number of glucagon molecules adsorbing per unit surface area and increased the initial adsorption rate of glucagon. Furthermore, the results indicated that the orientation and/or structural changes of glucagon upon adsorption were affected by the PEGylation. Finally, from the isothermal titration calorimetry and the reflectometry data, it was observed that the architecture of the PEG chains had an influence on the observed heat flow upon adsorption as well as on the initial rate of adsorption, respectively.
PLoS ONE 6 (2011)1. - ISSN 1932-6203 - 20 p.
Background- The innate immune system relies upon a wide range of germ-line encoded receptors including a large number of immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) receptors. Different Ig-like immune receptor families have been reported in mammals, birds, amphibians and fish. Most innate immune receptors of the IgSF are type I transmembrane proteins containing one or more extracellular Ig-like domains and their regulation of effector functions is mediated intracellularly by distinct stimulatory or inhibitory pathways. Methodology/Principal Findings - Carp SITR was found in a substracted cDNA repertoire from carp macrophages, enriched for genes up-regulated in response to the protozoan parasite Trypanoplasma borreli. Carp SITR is a type I protein with two extracellular Ig domains in a unique organisation of a N-proximal V/C2 (or I-) type and a C-proximal V-type Ig domain, devoid of a transmembrane domain or any intracytoplasmic signalling motif. The carp SITR C-proximal V-type Ig domain, in particular, has a close sequence similarity and conserved structural characteristics to the mammalian CD300 molecules. By generating an anti-SITR antibody we could show that SITR protein expression was restricted to cells of the myeloid lineage. Carp SITR is abundantly expressed in macrophages and is secreted upon in vitro stimulation with the protozoan parasite T. borreli. Secretion of SITR protein during in vivo T. borreli infection suggests a role for this IgSF receptor in the host response to this protozoan parasite. Overexpression of carp SITR in mouse macrophages and knock-down of SITR protein expression in carp macrophages, using morpholino antisense technology, provided evidence for the involvement of carp SITR in the parasite-induced NO production. Conclusion/Significance - We report the structural and functional characterization of a novel soluble immune-type receptor (SITR) in a teleost fish and propose a role for carp SITR in the NO-mediated response to a protozoan parasite.
Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data 56 (2011)4. - ISSN 0021-9568 - p. 1602 - 1612.
Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 128 (2011)3. - ISSN 0931-2668 - p. 183 - 191.
Reduced oestrus behaviour expression or its absence (silent oestrus) results in subfertility in high-producing dairy cows. Insight into the genomic regulation of oestrus behaviour is likely to help alleviate reproduction problems. Here, gene expression was recorded in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of high milk production dairy cows differing in the degree of showing oestrus behaviour (H – highly expressing versus L – lowly expressing), which was then analysed. Genes regulating cell morphology and adhesion or coding for immunoglobulin G (IgG) chains were differentially expressed in VTA between cows around day 0 and 12 of the oestrus cycle, but only in cows that earlier in life tended to show high levels of oestrus behaviour (H0 versus H12). The comparisons between H and L groups of cows also revealed differential expression of several genes (e.g. those of the IgG family or encoding for pro-melanin-concentrating hormone). However, any significant changes in VTA genes expression were detected in the comparison of L0 versus L12 cows. Altogether, the genes expression profile in VTA of cows highly expressing oestrus behaviour changes together with phases of the oestrus cycle, while in case of cows expressing oestrus behaviour lowly it remains stable. This supports the existence of genomic regulation by centrally expressed genes on the expression of oestrus behaviour in dairy cows.


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Aprio, LLP (previously known as Habif Arogeti and Wynne LLP (HA&W)) is an accounting firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.  Based on 2021 revenue, it is one of the 100 largest firms in the United States and the fourth largest firm in the Southeastern United States.  The firm's services include audit, tax, business advisory, COVID relief assistance, outsourcing, and staffing in Finance, Accounting, and IT..  The firm serves clients in industries including as health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, retail, and technology and blockchain.

In 2021, it posted revenues of $171 million and employed 754 people.

History

Isaac Habif and Jimmy Arogeti created the firm in 1952.  Merrill Wynne later joined the firm in 1962, becoming a Partner in 1970.

In late 2013, the firm added commercial real estate tax consulting to its services and announced it was merging with JRZ, LLC, an Atlanta-based real estate tax firm.

In 2015, HA&W began a re-brand to the name Aprio, LLP.

Controversies
Aprio gained notoriety in the Georgia court case Lechter v. Aprio, in which the firm was accused of racketeering.

Many of Aprio's clients have complained in Google Reviews that the firm drags projects out over multiple years, resulting in IRS late fees.

For more than five years, Aprio has provided Bitcoin and crypto services to clients, touting these offerings on Aprio.com. Despite the crises in Crypto, Aprio continues to facilitate Bitcoin and Crypto transactions.

References

6. "Investor seeks $4 million; alleges fraud, negligence." Wall, Michael. Atlanta Business Chronicle. 11/15/99.

7. "Investors seek $13 million in stock dispute." Molis, Jim and Michael Wall. Atlanta Business Chronicle. 11/15/99.

8. "Doctor says friendship led him to invest with broker." Molis, Jim. Atlanta Business Chronicle. 11/15/99.

External links

Accounting firms of the United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home Breaking News Ukraine: Armed men seize police station in Sloviansk
Ukraine: Armed men seize police station in Sloviansk
According to Ukrainian officials, gunmen dressed in camouflage clothing have seized a police station in Sloviansk, near the Russian border.
Police said the gang fired shots and used stun grenades to seize the offices in Sloviansk.
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov called the gunmen "terrorists" and said special forces would repel the attack.
Pro-Russian protesters have taken over government buildings throughout eastern Ukraine. Kiev says the unrest is being orchestrated from Moscow.
Protesters in the eastern city of Donetsk, 80 miles from Sloviansk, have been occupying government buildings for days and demanding a referendum on becoming part of Russia.
A similar move prompted a Russian takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region earlier this year.
Gunmen dressed in camouflage clothing have seized a police station in Sloviansk, near Russian border
The US and EU have put sanctions on Russian and Crimean people they say were connected with the takeover.
Russia has denied responsibility for the protests in eastern Ukraine, but Western nations have expressed concern over a build-up of Russian troops along the border.
Ukraine's interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk visited Donetsk on Friday and attempted to placate anti-government groups by guaranteeing that no restrictions would be put on the use of the Russian language.
The Kiev government had set a deadline of Friday for all occupations to end, but trouble continued in several cities in the east.
Regional police spokesman Ihor Dyomin described how armed men were bused to the police station in Sloviansk.
"Six or seven unknown persons got out. They fired several shots in the air and attempted to storm the police department," he said.
He added that "people in camouflage uniform" and with weapons" were inside the building.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov promised to deal with the attackers.
"The response will be very tough because there is a difference between protesters and terrorists," he said in Ukrainian on his Facebook page.
In Donetsk, pro-Russian groups continued to occupy the local government building.
ukraine unrest
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Roy Siemens
Roy likes politics. Knowledge is power, Roy constantly says, so he spends nearly all day gathering information and writing articles about the latest events around the globe. He likes history and studying about war techniques, this is why he finds writing his articles a piece of cake. Another hobby of his is horse – riding.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The roller coaster of events this school year has students looking back with mixed emotions and a hearty drive to get involved in issues of social justice and reform. As the school year comes to a close, instead of watching that "end of year movie" that's always so tempting, try instead to give students space to read, reflect on, and write about memorable events from this past school year. Help them grapple with current events so that their reading and writing activities in class feel purposeful to them. This could aid in keeping them engaged well into June! You could even collaborate with the history teacher down the hall or adapt this project for younger students in middle and elementary schools. I also really love Anderson Cooper's book Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival to get students interested in news and journalism!
Today we've collected one 10th grade student's thoughts on what she holds as the most memorable and influential events of the past year. You can read her thoughts below for today's "Friday Five" entry. She was asked to brainstorm important events, research five of them, and then write both a summary and a personal reflection for each event. This is just one example of a mini-research assignment you could use this week to keep your students interacting with text, but there are many ways to use reading, writing, and literacy standards to engage students in thinking critically about current events during this challenging last week of school!
In 2017 NFL players would refuse to stand for the National Anthem because they thought white cops were treating black people wrong. Later in the year, President Trump spoke up to say that he is completely opposed to kneeling during the Anthem.
This event had a lasting effect on me and will have a lasting effect on me. Its come up many times in my Public Safety course at votech school. My classmates and I disagree with kneeling during the Anthem. Since we're all in a Public Safety class, we all really respect those who serve and those who did serve. To us, kneeling feels disrespectful.
The Las Vegas shooting was one of the biggest mass shootings in modern U.S. history. The shooter killed almost 60 people.
This event is important because I remember scrolling through social media and finding out what had happened the night before. When it comes to shootings or terrorism it is a horrible topic to talk about but effects everyone in our nation. This event was so horrific that I will remember this shooting.
On February 4, 2018 the Philadelphia Eagles won Superbowl LII in Minneapolis versing the New England Patriots. They won 41-33 and it's their first win ever!
I remember this event because it was a huge deal for the Eagles to go into the Superbowl. They have not been there since 2004. I am a big fan of the Eagles and it was very exciting to watch franchise history happen. I was with family that night squeezed into a living room closely and carefully watching the game. We were all anxious for the win, but when it happened we all were jumping up and down while celebrating the win! After the game I remember the celebratory riots that occurred and the city seemed destroyed. Now waiting for the 2018/2019 season to happen we all have high hopes for the Eagles this year.
Another sports event also happened a few days after the SuperBowl. This one grabbed the attention of millions of people around the world. The 2018 Winter Olympics occurred in PyeongChang Korea. The last Winter Olympics took place four years ago in Russia.
I remember one certain sport from the rest of the sports, snowboarding. I enjoy watching extreme sports and snowboarding is one of those sports. The most exciting part for myself was watching Shaun White get the gold medal. I have been watching Shaun White for a long time. He is one of my favorite snowboarders along with others. He didn't get a medal in Sochi Russia. I am glad he pulled through this time and did not disappoint!
Another event that occurred in February was a very devastating shooting in Florida at a high school.
I remember coming home with my best friend from school that Wednesday afternoon. We decided to turn on the TV after a long day from school and we see another school shooting has occurred. The silence in the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Scrolling through social media it was breaking news and nothing else was happening. I remember having a 2-3 day discussion about how we felt and how it should be prevented in school. Between the walkouts and the conversation all I could feel was anger and sadness. February had good times such as the Superbowl and Winter Olympics, but something bad can always happen and unfortunately this was one of those moments.


text:
Ephorus of Cyme (; , Ephoros ho Kymaios; c. 400330 BC) was an ancient Greek historian known for his universal history.

Biography
Information on his biography is limited. He was born in Cyme, Aeolia, and together with the historian Theopompus was a pupil of Isocrates in rhetoric. He does not seem to have made much progress as a speaker, and at the suggestion of Isocrates himself he took up literary composition and the study of history. According to Plutarch, Ephorus declined Alexander the Great's offer to join him on his Persian campaign as the official historiographer. His son Demophilus followed in his footsteps as a historian.

Main works
Ephorus' magnum opus was a set of 29 books recounting a universal history. The whole work, edited by his son Demophilus—who added a 30th book—contained a summary description of the Sacred Wars, along with other narratives from the days of the Heraclids up until the taking of Perinthus in 340 BC by Philip of Macedon, covering a time span of more than seven hundred years. According to Polybius, Ephorus was the first historian to ever author a universal history. For each of the 29 separate books, Ephorus wrote a prooimion. The work was probably simply named Historiai, and followed a thematic, rather than a strictly chronological order in its narrative.  These writings are generally believed to be the main or sole source for Diodorus Siculus' account of the history of Greece between 480 and 340 BC, which is one of only two continuous narratives of this period that survive.

It is clear that Ephorus made critical use of the best authorities. His history was highly praised and read in antiquity, and later ancient historians freely drew upon his work. Large parts of the history of Diodorus Siculus may have originated in Ephorus's history. Strabo attached much importance to Euphorus's geographical investigations, and praised him for being the first to separate the historical from the simply geographical element. In his Geographica, Strabo quoted Ephorus at length. Polybius, while crediting him with a knowledge of the conditions of naval warfare, ridiculed his description of the 362 BCE Battle of Mantinea as showing ignorance of the nature of land operations.

Additional works

Besides the universal history, Ephorus wrote an Epichorios logos (Ἐπιχώριος λόγος), a patriotic essay in which he praised the traditions of Cyme. He also wrote Peri heurematon (Περὶ εὑρημάτων), a book about inventions, and  (Περὶ λέξεως), "On Style".
Other works attributed to him were:

 A Treatise on Discoveries
 Respecting Good and Evil Things
 The Remarkable Recipes
 On Remarkable Things in Various Countries (it is doubtful whether these were separate works, or just extracts from the Histories)
 A Treatise on my Country, on the history and antiquities of Cyme
 The Book of Goodness, his manual on achieving happiness and pleasing others.
 An Essay on Style, his only rhetorical work, which is occasionally mentioned by the rhetorician Theon (rhetorician).
Despite having written all these works, nothing but isolated fragments survived from the ancient world. His entire work has been lost.

Critiques

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, his surviving writings all show a certain lack of passion, in spite of his keen interest in matters of style, and of political partisanship, except for his enthusiasm for Cyme. According to ancient writers, he was respected as an able and thorough, though somewhat dull historiographer. He was commended for drawing (though not always) a sharp line of demarcation between the mythical and historical; he even recognized that a profusion of detail, though lending corroborative force to accounts of recent events, is ground for suspicion, in reports of far-distant history. His style was high-flown and artificial, as was natural considering his early training, and he frequently sacrificed truth to rhetoric effect. However, according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, he and Theopompus were the only historical writers whose language was accurate and complete.

Ephorus and astronomy

Ephorus reported that a comet split apart as far back as the winter of 372–373 BC.

The Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger, whose Naturales quaestiones is the ancient source for Ephorus's comet report, is severe in his judgment (7.16):

References

Bibliography

Classical-era Greek historians
4th-century BC historians
Historians from ancient Anatolia
Aeolians
330 BC deaths
Year of birth unknown


text:
Norman Kalle (* 7. August 1973 in Bremen) ist ein deutscher Schauspieler.

Werdegang
Nach dem Abitur zog Norman Kalle nach Hamburg, um Betriebswirtschaftslehre zu studieren. Er nahm mehrere Jahre privaten Schauspielunterricht bei verschiedenen Schauspiellehrern und absolvierte diverse Camera Acting Trainings, unter anderem arbeitete er mit dem Method-Acting-Lehrer John Costopoulos vom Actors Studio New York.

Die erste größere Rolle hatte er bei Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten, wo er von 2000 bis 2002 als zweiter Darsteller Martin Wiebe spielte. Von 2004 bis 2007 übernahm er die Rolle des Bodyguards Leo Bachschuster in der ZDF-Produktion "Der Fürst und das Mädchen" an der Seite von internationalen und nationalen Schauspielern wie Maximilian Schell, Franco Nero, Daniela Ziegler, Hans-Peter Korff und Rike Schmid.

Norman Kalle war 2007 in den Folgen 156–270 in der RTL-Daily Alles was zählt als Oliver Sommer zu sehen. Nach einer Pause stieg er im Dezember 2007 in Folge 323 wieder ein und schied 2010 aus, um wieder in seine Heimat Hamburg zurückzukehren, wo er neben der Schauspielerei als Fotograf arbeitet und Inhaber einer Model- und Schauspielagentur ist.

Am 29. Januar 2009 spielte Kalle eine Gastrolle in der Serie 112 – Sie retten dein Leben. Dort verkörperte er die Person Robert Kroll.

Ende 2014 und Anfang 2015 sowie im Juni 2017 war er in der ARD-Telenovela Rote Rosen als Kunstdieb Justus Hillebrand zu sehen.
Kalle war von 2007 bis 2010 festes Ensemble-Mitglied beim Mund Art Theater in Neu-Isenburg bei Frankfurt am Main. Sein Theaterdebüt gab er in Der kühne Schwimmer von Franz Arnold und Ernst Bach an der Seite und unter der Regie von Thorsten Wszolek im Oktober 2007. Mit Die vertagte Hochzeitsnacht war er im März und April 2009 auf Deutschlandtournee.

Seit 2000 lebt Kalle in Berlin und Hamburg.

Filmografie
 1997–1998: Geliebte Schwestern
 1998: City Express
 2000–2002: Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten
 2003: Im Namen des Gesetzes, Gastauftritt
 2003: Eine kleine Reisegeschichte (Kurzfilm, HdM Stuttgart) (Einladung zum Max-Ohpüls-Film-Festival 2004)
 2003: Sailaway
 2004: Der Fürst und das Mädchen
 2005: Augenblick
 2006–2007: Der Fürst und das Mädchen
 2007–2010: Alles was zählt
 2009: 112 – Sie retten Dein Leben
 2011: Inga Lindström: Svens Vermächtnis
 2012: Inga Lindström: Ein Lied für Solveig
 2012: Notruf Hafenkante (Fernsehserie, Folge Am Ende alles auf Anfang)
 2012: Dora Heldt: Bei Hitze ist es wenigstens nicht kalt
 2013: War of Conscience
 2014–2015, 2017: Rote Rosen

Mund Art Theater
 2007: Der kühne Schwimmer, Comedy von Franz Arnold und Ernst Bach
 2008: Die Lokalbahn, Musical von Thorsten Wszolek
 2008: Die vertagte Hochzeitsnacht, Comedy von Franz Arnold und Ernst Bach
 2008–2009: Die vertagte Hochzeitsnacht (Deutschland-Tournee)
 2009: Friedhofsgärtner, Satire von Thorsten Wszolek
 2009: Der keusche Lebemann, Comedy von Franz Arnold und Ernst Bach
 2010: Mundart Deluxe – Surprime (Solo-Gesangsauftritt), große Jubiläumsgala anlässlich 15 Jahre Mund Art Theater
 2010: Stöpsel, Comedy von Franz Arnold und Ernst Bach

Weblinks

 Norman Kalle Homepage
 Schauspielagentur SAM – Screen Actors Management

Einzelnachweise

Filmschauspieler
Theaterschauspieler
Deutscher
Geboren 1973
Mann


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The number one thing customers want with their takeout isn't a side of fries. It's convenience.
A recent study on the rise of online ordering systems revealed that 51% of Americans use delivery services to purchase meals, and 26% order at least once a week.
Research by the National Restaurant Association shows that for nearly one-third of all adults and 41% of people aged 18 to 34, the availability of technology options is an important factor when choosing restaurants.
In an era of right now or never, customers have come to expect that food delivery be effortless, available at all hours, and at their fingertips. The online ordering business overall was worth $5 billion for the first two quarters of 2018 alone, a 55% increase from the same period in 2017. Customers are spending more money on takeout more often than ever before.
For the majority of restaurants, online ordering is now a must-have. An online ordering system can help streamline this new takeout process, helping you cash in on the opportunity for increased traffic and revenue.
But because we know getting started involves a lot of operational overhaul, we're ready to help you break it down.
Online ordering for restaurants is the option for customers to place a takeout food and/or beverage order through a restaurant's website, app, or third-party app, either on a mobile device or desktop – often with delivery included.
An online ordering system collects all the necessary information about the order (customer info, items, payment) and allows a restaurant to receive and process these orders – either directly or indirectly – through their POS.
There are three main types of online ordering systems restaurants can use.
An online ordering system that lives on your website allows customers to order takeout from you directly, which means you keep all the revenue. But you also get all the work.
You have to set up your website, which means building your own interactive online menu, integrating payments (eliminating the financial risks of placed orders that never show), and organizing delivery (adding labor costs and assuming additional insurance risks).
There are third-party organizations that can help you build an online ordering website from scratch or add a section onto your existing site – like OrderDirect, MenuDrive, ChowNow, and even Wix – which often have flat monthly fees.
With this option, someone within your restaurant needs to monitor your online orders closely, paying attention to your POS inventory and/or communicating with the kitchen to make sure items are taken down when they're no longer available – or you'll end up needing to contact the customer directly to offer an alternative item or refund. Not a fun call to make.
But the biggest consideration with this type of online ordering is audience. Odds are, your diners are ordering from other mobile apps already, so they won't be looking to your website to place an order. This means the in-house website route may not give you the volume you need to justify the investment of time and money required to set up and run everything.
Main takeaway: Online ordering through your own website grants convenience to existing customers, but you won't bring in a lot of new ones.
Third-party online ordering apps, like Uber Eats and Grubhub, house an extensive list of restaurants, sorted by location and food type, so that customers can browse and order from individual menus on their phone or desktop.
A virtual food hall, a third-party app gets you in front of hungry customers in your area who are ready to buy.
While some of these apps focus on order-ahead takeout that customers pick up, many also offer independent contractors to deliver food from your restaurant directly to the customer, which means you don't have to hire, train, and pay for that labor.
So how do they work in your restaurant?
A staff member monitors orders that come in through the third-party app iPad or tablet.
They accept or decline the order.
Then they manually add the order to the restaurant's own POS.
They also deal with the independent delivery drivers, communicating with the kitchen to get an order ready and out the door with the correct person.
The biggest consideration here is cost, since most third-party apps charge restaurants on a per transaction basis. The increased exposure – and therefore traffic – has to be at a high enough volume to offset the cost, which we'll talk about more below.
Main takeaway: Your customers (existing and new) get convenience, and you get new traffic plus increased takeout revenue – but you have to give another company a piece of the pie.
A third-party online ordering app with POS integration, such as Checkmate, is a centralization of all the third-party apps you use in one location: your POS.
*Based on TouchBistro's estimate of a restaurant's average annual online ordering revenue.
Customers order from your restaurant using the third-party online ordering app of their choice.
Because the two systems – third-party app and your POS – can talk to each other, your takeout staff doesn't have to stress over orders getting lost or entered incorrectly.
Staff acknowledge the order directly on your POS.
Staff don't have to stay glued to third party tablets – they get to engage in other tasks, like boosting sales and making sure customers are getting a great experience.
You can measure how each of your online ordering platforms is performing through your POS reporting, together in one single view (without a POS integration, you have to view each platform's separate reports).
You're able to make informed decisions about which platforms are best for your restaurant.
This POS integration creates an online ordering system for businesses that are ready to scale this revenue stream, making the most of all available platforms.
Again, the biggest consideration here is cost, because you'll have per transaction fees from both the third-party app and integration app. It's important to consider what your takeout volume is – or has the potential to be – when looking into this option. Third-party online ordering with POS integration is ideal for restaurants that anticipate high volumes of orders from one or multiple apps.
Main takeaway: You and your customers get convenient online ordering that's easy and streamlined on both sides of the transaction – but at a slightly higher cost. But if you have the volume, the convenience points are worth it.
What does that add up to for your restaurant? Incremental revenue – revenue earned by increasing production.
Translation? You make more money.
Okay, maybe it is all about the Benjamins.
More customers: Stop chasing after more traffic for your restaurant – third-party apps bring the traffic to you. The State of Full Service Restaurants in 2019 report found that FSRs that implemented online ordering saw an impressive 11 to 20% increase in sales. Plus, a recent study by Grubhub found that, on average, restaurants using their online ordering service grew their revenue by 30%. One in five doubled their takeout revenue.
More sales: Because people tend to order more when using a self-serve ordering system – both with kiosks and third-party apps – your average check size for takeout orders will likely increase. Our annual report also found that customers spend up to 20% more on online orders – due to both more add-ons and more menu items per check. A higher volume of orders and more sales per order.
More efficient ordering: Nobody wants to pick up the phone to place a takeout order anymore. With a third-party app, you get the detailed order and customer information instantly.
Better customer experience: Third-party apps give customers the ability to order when and where they want to, without any communications issues that can happen on a call. Apps make it easy to customize and pay for an order, no matter how long or complicated. The customer gets a digital receipt for their custom order and the ability to track their delivery or pick-up time.
Since cost is a major factor to consider for any third-party online ordering system, let's take a look at the fee structure for these apps to help you navigate the costs.
Most of these third-party apps work on a three-tiered fee structure.
1. Set-up: This is usually a one-time fee to get everything up and running on the map, add your online menu to the app, and includes the hardware and software to your restaurant.
2. Transaction: Most apps charge a per transaction fee, usually a percentage of each order or of net online sales made through the app. The fees are different depending on your restaurant's area, with busier areas typically having higher fees. Some apps charge a flat monthly fee, but it's not as common.
3. Marketing: On top of your listing as a local restaurant on the app, you can also get in-app marketing services, like priority placement, promoted listings, and featured offerings that make it easier and/or more appealing for customers to choose your restaurant. These services are optional, best for restaurants looking to really ramp up takeout volume.
Range: These fees vary widely, depending on the third-party app and the marketing service.
If you're new to online ordering, the process can seem overwhelming. We're here to break down the steps you need to take to set yourself up for success with this new source of incremental revenue.
You'll want to think about more than just price when you're choosing an online ordering system/third-party app. First you need to know which ones are the most popular in your area.
And every area is different.
Restaurant Business studied the five most popular third-party apps – Grubhub, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Eat24, and Postmates – and broke down their share of each market for some of the biggest cities across the U.S.
Popular online ordering apps in L.A.
Popular online ordering apps in Washington D.C.
Depending on where your restaurant is – and therefore which app or apps people are using the most – you may only need to focus on one to capture the majority of the market (like in New York where Grubhub claims more than 85% of the market) and a high volume of orders. Or, you may need three or four to get the volume increase you need (like in LA, where the market share is pretty evenly spread).
That's why it's important to do your homework: research online and investigate each third-party app to see how many customers are using it in your area. Use that information to determine the best way to capture as much of this audience as possible.
Full Service Restaurant Looking for Online Ordering Trends?
In The State of Full Service Restaurants in 2019, we looked at which online ordering platforms are used most commonly by full service restaurants (FSRs) in some of the biggest cities in the U.S. Our report findings echo the larger consumer trends discussed above.
FSRs That Use Online Ordering Platforms in L.A.
Once you've completed your research and chosen your third-party app(s), you'll need to inform and train your staff for the coming changes – to their roles, to the influx of new customers, and for all those glowing reviews that are bound to come pouring in.
Decide how you want customers to move through your restaurant, knowing you'll have a lot more takeout traffic. Train your front-of-house staff to manage this flow, checking in with customers and on the status of their orders.
Help your staff manage the flow of traffic by designating a specific waiting area for customers and delivery drivers who are picking up. The waiting area should be away from your restaurant's main flow of traffic, to avoid any bottlenecks during your busiest times.
Put up clear, visible signage that helps customers and delivery drivers easily find the waiting area, instead of ending up in the wrong line.
Carve out a new role at your restaurant for takeout orders, so at least one person per shift is dedicated to entering orders from third-party apps into your POS. (If you've opted for an online ordering integration that streamlines orders directly into your POS, this staff member may be able to take on other responsibilities as well).
Look for someone with a keen eye for detail. They have to pay close attention to the incoming orders and double, triple, quadruple check that it's entered correctly.
They also have to be fast and efficient. On average, it takes about one to two minutes to manually type in an order. The faster these orders are entered (without mistakes), the faster the kitchen can start making them, and the faster they get to the customer. And fast, convenient service will get you happy customers and more sales.
Train your takeout specialist for tasks beyond monitoring and manually entering orders, such as coordinating with delivery drivers and communicating with the kitchen on order times and 86'd items.
If you track inventory using your POS, items will automatically get 86'd in your system when you're out of stock. But make sure your staff know to update the third-party apps with this info, so customers can only order what's in stock.
Put a "declined order" process in place for staff to follow, so they know what to do if an out-of-stock order from a third-party app comes in before they're able to 86 it. They'll be able to "decline" the order easily on the third-party tablet, so the customer won't be charged, but you'll also want to send a message through the app with an apology and some effort to make up for the inconvenience: a comparable item, a rain check, a special offer, etc.
Training for back-of-house staff will be less focused on different roles and workflows, and more focused on the increased workload.
Online ordering will definitely boost the number of orders your back of house needs to prepare. But what kind of volume increase are you looking at? Every restaurant will be different.
Before you jump into hiring more cooks, maximize the efforts of your current staff. Prior to launch, look for ways to be as efficient as possible in the kitchen: optimize your layout, prep takeout packaging, time orders to maintain consistency, etc.
Use the first few weeks of online ordering as your trial period for back of house, which will help you determine who you need to hire and for what role. The rate of sales growth will also help you predict future hiring needs.
Monitor online sales during this trial period and its impact on your kitchen staff, taking advantage of on-the-go reporting apps that keep you on top of what's happening from wherever you are. Also talk to staff and get their feedback on any backlogs or issues that are occurring during specific hours of operation. They're your eyes and ears on the ground – so use 'em!
If you do need to hire, consider starting with an expediting role, someone dedicated to organizing and prioritizing online orders, as well as communicating with their front-of-house counterpart.
Optimizing your menu for this online format is a super important step. Why? You already have a menu, right?
Not this kind of menu.
An online menu will not only be read differently than your printed version, customers will also interact with it differently. It has to be designed for easy navigation and upselling.
Showcase your delicious food and drink with high-resolution photos, helping you stand out on the app. Consider investing in a professional photographer to capture your menu at its best.
We often order with our eyes, so having drool-worthy visuals of each dish on your menu will help convince customers to bite – especially for new customers who aren't yet familiar with how great your food is.
Your written description helps customers decide what to order. You want these words to be clear and concise, but also as tempting as possible.
Have an angle in mind when crafting these titles and description, something that fits with your brand. Focus on taste, local ingredients, health benefits, etc., and incorporate this angle into how you describe the dish, the way it's cooked, etc.
Organic micro-greens, napa cabbage, cucumber, cilantro, and carrot, with slow-roasted zucchini and hand-crafted croutons, dressed with our house balsamic (served on the side).
Like in the example above, the description should also list all ingredients, which helps prevent frustrated customers who open up their delivery order and find cilantro (when they hate it) or peanuts (when they're allergic).
Similar to what you did with the photos, consider hiring a professional writer to help with your descriptions. Remember that you are competing with other local restaurants on these apps, so you want any advantage you can get.
Your current menu design may already have categories, but you may need to rethink your structure. Think about how your menu will appear on a small screen. The more you can separate your menu into distinct categories, the easier it will be for customers to navigate – and for you to track sales. The less scrolling a customer has to do, the better.
Make sure to include a "most popular" or "recommended" category that helps customers choose your biggest sellers (and hopefully highest profit margin items) as quickly as possible.
Design your online ordering menu so that each item provides a list of extras customers can add or upgrade. In one tap, customers can customize their order. Instant upsell.
On average, customers spend about $4 more on digital orders. Capitalize on that trend by presenting options that add more to your sales without adding much to your workload.
Thirsty? Add a gourmet soda.
They get customized orders and you get a higher average check size. There's no downside!
Note: Not all items on your regular menu have to be available for online ordering. If certain dishes don't travel well or cost too much to package for takeout, reserve these for dine-in only. These exclusive dishes may create an incentive for customers to ditch the digital and visit your restaurant in person.
The great thing about third-party online ordering is that the system in and of itself provides a ton of marketing, getting your restaurant attention through the app's listing and search function. Plus, companies like Grubhub and Uber Eats invest a lot of time and resources into marketing their platforms to increase the number of users, which in turn helps you get in front of more eyeballs.
But beyond organic marketing and third-party efforts, you'll want to prepare your own marketing strategy for online ordering before you get onboard. This will help maximize your potential for new revenue through your chosen platform(s).
Set up street-facing signage that advertises which apps you're on. Potential customers walking by will know where they can find you and place an order with a few taps. Work with your third-party apps to create personalized signs and menu cards for your restaurant's foot traffic.
Add a banner, blog post, or button that shows which online ordering platforms you're on, letting customers know they can easily get takeout and delivery from you. Plus, make sure your website is mobile friendly, which will make it easier for customers on their phones to see what your restaurant is all about.
Get the word out on Facebook and Instagram, along with some of those tantalizing, high-quality photos of your food – the same photos you used on your online ordering menu. Consider investing in paid ads on these platforms as well, targeting users in your area and letting them know your online takeout and delivery options.
A great way to attract users in the app and start building your takeout volume is through coupons and promotions. Work with your third-party app to introduce promotional codes or automatic discounts on a customer's first order or on a new menu item. Providing an extra incentive may give someone the push they need to try out your restaurant.
This is where the marketing services we mentioned (in the fee structure section) come into play. Work with account representatives from each platform you're on to help you optimize where and how your restaurant appears in search results. It comes at a cost – of course – but can be a really effective part of an overall marketing strategy, especially when you first launch online ordering.
Online ordering is a great way to grow your customer base – and your sales. By following the steps we've outlined here, you'll set up your restaurant for success with this new technology that's here to stay.


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Q: How to check how much percent of scrollview is visible? I've used following code to get scroll percentage but I'm getting this only after scrolling. How can we get scroll percentage visible without scrolling. For eg. in onCreate() method.
  scrollView.setOnScrollChangeListener(new NestedScrollView.OnScrollChangeListener() {
                @Override
                public void onScrollChange(NestedScrollView v, int scrollX, int scrollY, int oldScrollX, int oldScrollY) {
                    float scrollPercent = (scrollY + scrollView.getMeasuredHeight()) / (webView.getBottom() * 1f);
}
}

A: You can just call scrollView.getScrollY(); without the OnScrollChangeListener, using the calculation you already have.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Georgian to become first woman to compete in nine Olympics
By Nick ZaccardiApr 25, 2019, 7:42 AM EDT
The first time Nino Salukvadze competed at the Olympics, it was for the Soviet Union. Next year, the shooter is expected to become the first woman in any sport to participate in nine Olympics.
Salukvadze, 50, clinched an Olympic quota place for her native Georgia by finishing fifth at a 10m air pistol world cup in Beijing, according to the International Shooting Sport Federation.
She is expected to fill that quota in Tokyo next year and break her tie with Italian canoeist Josefa Idem-Guerrini and Canadian rower Lesley Thompson-Willie for Olympic appearances.
Salukvadze competed in every Olympics since the 1988 Seoul Games, representing the Soviet Union, then the Unified Team and then Georgia for the last seven Olympics. She earned gold and silver medals as a 19-year-old in 1988, then a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games, where she famously exchanged a kiss on the cheek with a Russian medalist while the nations were at war.
In Rio, Salukvadze and Tsotne Machavariani became what was believed to be the first mother and son to compete at the same Olympics.
Canadian equestrian Ian Millar holds the overall record with 10 Olympic appearances from 1972 to 2012.
Follow @nzaccardi


Director of Finance, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. Finance/policy expert on coal and alternatives to fossil fuels.
Will Russian President Vladimir Putin get richer thanks to a sweetheart government coal deal in Montana? Last month the Treasury Department informed Congress that Mr. Putin personally held an interest in an international oil and gas investment fund called the Gunvor Group, run out of Geneva, Switzerland. Team Putin adamantly denied his involvement, but the Treasury Department insisted it was right.
The Gunvor Group is a large and profitable enterprise, producing $91 billion in revenues in 2013, but unlike U.S. companies, it publicly reports very little detail about the source of its revenues and profits or how they are divided. In 2011 the Gunvor Group bought into the partnership that is working the Signal Peak coal mine in Montana.
Signal Peak is a productive coal operation that leases mines from the U.S. government and State of Montana. Signal Peak benefits from a robust base of export customers and is a source of coal for U.S. power plants. The partnership that operates Signal Peak has received approval from the U.S government to double the size of the mine. Environmental and landowner groups oppose the mine expansion as harmful to surface and spring water and the climate.
This planned expansion comes at the same time that two recent audits of the federal coal program show it to be a huge giveaway to industry. Although the law says coal on federal land must be sold at market prices, a study released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis showed it's being sold to the mining companies for more than 200 percent below market prices. So the Signal Peak partners and other government coal lease holders get the coal, owned by U.S. citizens, at a low price and then sell it at much higher market prices, pocketing the difference. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) have questioned why revenues from coal mined in the U.S. and exported out of the country are not subject to royalty collections for the benefit of U.S. taxpayers. Coal mined and used in the U.S. is subject to royalty payments.
In short, the lease program is a heavy, hidden subsidy for the coal industry and those who invest in it.
The State Department has said that with Russia's military takeover in the Crimea, Vladimir Putin has violated international agreements signed by Russia, the United States and others. The U.S. government has personally sanctioned several of Mr. Putin's inner circle, including Gennady Timchenko, until recently a principal owner of Gunvor. (Mr. Timchenko sold his interests in Gunvor to his partner, Torbjorn Tornqvist, specifically to protect Gunvor from the sanctions.) President Obama's sanctions presumably freeze all U.S.-held assets owned by the named individuals.
The United States has not sanctioned Vladimir Putin personally. But the Department of the Treasury insists that Mr. Putin has an interest in Gunvor. Thus any federal action that improves Gunvor's profits, such as the approval of the Signal Peak mine expansion, would enhance Mr. Putin's personal wealth. The U.S. government does not need to sanction Mr. Putin in order to call into question the wisdom of providing such an enhancement at the expense of United States taxpayers and the people of the State of Montana.


This dish, prepared in a skillet, has all the qualities of a stew but takes only 10 minutes to make.
Trim any excess fat from the steak and slice the steak thinly. Salt and pepper each slice and dredge in flour. Heat a large, heavy frying pan, preferably cast iron. Add the olive oil, quickly sear both sides of the steak pieces (do not crowd the pan), and remove to a dish. Add the mushrooms to the hot pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft. Remove from the pan and add to the platter. Add the onion and garlic to the hot pan and gently saute until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove to the platter. Add the wine to the hot pan, turn up the heat, stir to deglaze, and cook until reduced by half. Add the beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cooked mushrooms, onions, and garlic and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add the basil and beef and cook for several minutes, just to warm the beef thoroughly. Serve immediately.


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The Littlest Monkey
By: Sarah E. Turner
Publisher:Sono Nis Press
Age Groups:NF Picture Book
The arrival of a new baby is exciting, but it also changes family dynamics forever. In this endearing true-to-life story, we meet Tombo, a young Japanese macaque, who lives with his mother, sister, and extended family near Japan's Awaji Island Monkey Center. Primatologist Sarah Turner's deep respect for her subjects and her sparkling photographs illuminate this universal tale of growing up, moving over, and finding our way in the world.
"First-hand research, an appealing setting, first-rate photography and the desire to bring a universal message to young readers: this winning combination led to primatologist Sarah Turner's creation of a delightful picture book…This charming story will satisfy the reader's need for both knowledge and a comforting message…Highly Recommended."
"This book could complement studies of animal behaviour and wildlife conservation...[or] in social studies, in studying family relationships, roles and changes, students could compare similarities and differences between monkey and human families...I highly recommend The Littlest Monkey as it has many possible applications in the classroom."
– Resource Links


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LEAGUE INFOwebmaster2020-01-10T09:19:01+08:00
APAC was founded in 1995 with the purpose of providing a well-rounded extra-curricular program for international schools in the Asia-Pacific area. Every year schools in different locations in Asia and the Pacific hosts various APAC tournaments throughout the year, thus students from these schools get the opportunity to travel within Asia-Pacific to not only compete in sports and in the visual and performing arts, but also experience new cultures and destinations.
The APAC program consists of two categories and each category consists of different events:
Visual and Performing Arts:
APAC will:
Encourage socialization and camaraderie among participants.
Promote intercultural cooperation and understanding.
Develop a sense of fair play among participants.
Develop self-control and discipline among participants.
Promote the value of participation to the best of one's ability.
Strive for organizational excellence.
Be organized to maximize international diversity.
Promote appropriate involvement for all participants.
APAC Codes
The APAC program has established a code of conduct for students participating in APAC activities. The purpose of this code of conduct is to encourage students to engage in healthy and responsible behaviors that enhance performance. Activities that are hazardous to the health and safety of a student and those around him or her cannot be condoned. Policies have been developed to help students make responsible and appropriate choices. The following are some of the general policies.
Rules of Infraction
When a student commits an infraction while at an APAC activity relating to alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, cheating, deceit, flagrant curfew violations, and violations of the "off limits" areas, as well as aiding and abetting any of the above, the following shall apply:
The student may no longer participate in that APAC activity.
The student will be sent home at the parents' expense if it is feasible to do so.
The student's school will apply appropriate disciplinary action.
Should a student commit two infractions during a school year, then the student will be excluded from all APAC events for one calendar year, including the same event the following year.
If at any time a student is suspended from further competition or involvement in an event, then the only results affected will be those happening after a decision is made on the infraction. Results prior to that decision will stand.
With reference to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, this section includes use or possession or supplying or selling.
Should several players from a team be affected, then all games must be continued with as per the schedule, provided there are sufficient players to legally continue play.
Should a homestay family not wish to continue providing housing, then the host school Activities Director together with the visiting school Activities Director or Administrator of the student concerned will help facilitate a housing alternative.
Ensure communication with homestay families/coach/and event director/and students takes place vis-à-vis meal and transportation plans and needs.
Curfew Times
10:00pm: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night.
Saturday night curfew to be set by the host school at the closing ceremonies. The recommended target time is 10:00pm.
NOTE: If the final APAC activity ends after or less than one hour before the established curfew time on any night, the curfew will then be one hour after the end of that activity.
Telephone Curfew Calls
Telephone checks for all participants, including host school participants, must be made by each school on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of the APAC tournament/festival to enforce the curfew. Students and host families should be aware that second curfew calls might be made on any night of the event. Coaches must speak to each individual student.
All APAC coaches, directors, and chaperons, including those of the host school, will enforce the rules and regulations. Curfew calls will be made each night of the tournament/festival.If there is a suspected rules infraction, it should be reported immediately to the Host Tournament/Festival Director who will, in turn, notify the Administrator of the school concerned as soon as is practically possible.The Tournament/Festival Director, will confer, investigate, and make a decision on whether the infraction actually occurred and will impose specific penalties as listed in the APAC Handbook. All action and decisions shall be communicated immediately to the chaperons and Activities Director of the school involved.If the coaches are found condoning the violation of the rules by team members or their improper behavior, they are to be reported to their respective Activities Director or School Head.
Final Activity
All participating students, coaches and chaperons are required to attend all opening assemblies and to attend and remain until the end of the final activity on Saturday night.
These rules must be presented to all teams before traveling. Each student plus at least one parent (or legal guardian) must sign a copy of these rules to signify that they have been read, understood and agreed to.
Coaches Behavior
All coaches are expected to behave in an educationally appropriate manner. Any blatant violation of this code may result in a formal disciplinary report to the School Director of the coach in violation.
Codes of Behavior
The codes of behavior listed in this section are to be communicated to all APAC constituents. The Players, Parents and Spectators Codes are expected to be in plain sight at all APAC competitive events. These codes were reproduced with permission from the Australian Sports Commission.
Players Code of Conduct
Play by the rules.
Never argue with an official. If you disagree, have your captain or coach approach the official during a break or after the competition.
Control your temper. Verbally abusing officials, belittling other players, and deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent are not acceptable or permitted behaviors in any sport.
Work equally hard for yourself and/or your team. Your team's performance will benefit and so will you.
Be a good sport. Applaud all good plays whether they are made by your team or the opposition.
Treat all participants in your sport as you like to be treated. Do not bully or take unfair advantage of another competitor.
Cooperate with your coach, teammates and opponents. Without them, there would be no competition.
Participate for your own enjoyment and benefit, not just to please your parents and coaches.
Respect the rights, dignity and worth of all participants regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
Encourage children to participate, do not force them.
Focus on your child's efforts and performance rather than whether they win or lose.
Encourage children to play according to the rules and to settle disagreements without resorting to hostility or violence.
Remember that children learn best by example. Appreciate good performance and skillful plays by all participants.
Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities.
Respect officials' decisions and teach children to do likewise.
Show appreciation for volunteer coaches, officials and administrators. Without them, your child could not participate.
Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
Remember that young people participate for pleasure, and winning is only part of the fun.
Never ridicule or yell at a young player for making a mistake or not coming first.
Be reasonable in your demands on players' time, energy and enthusiasm.
Operate within the rules and spirit of your sport and teach your players to do the same.
Ensure that the time players spend with you is a positive experience. All young people are deserving of equal attention and opportunities.
Avoid overplaying the talented players; the 'just average' need and deserve equal time.
Ensure that equipment and facilities meet safety standards and are appropriate to the age and ability of all players.
Display control, respect and professionalism to all involved with the sport. This includes opponents, coaches, officials, administrators, the media, parents and spectators. Encourage players to do the same.
Show concern and caution towards sick and injured players. Follow the advice of a physician when determining whether an injured player is ready to recommence training or competition.
Obtain appropriate qualifications and keep up to date with the latest coaching practices and the principles of growth and development of young people.
Any physical contact with a young person should be appropriate to the situation and necessary for the player's skill development.
Remember that young people participate in sport for their enjoyment and benefit, not yours.
Applaud good performances and efforts from all individuals and teams. Congratulate all participants on their performance, regardless of the game's outcome.
Respect the decisions of officials and teach young people to do the same.
Never ridicule or scold a young player for making a mistake. Positive comments are motivational.
Condemn the use of violence in any form, whether it is by spectators, coaches, officials or players.
Show respect for your team's opponents. Without them, there would be no game.
Encourage players to follow the rules and the officials' decisions.
Do not use foul language, belittle or harass players, coaches or officials.
Officials Code of Conduct
Compliment and encourage all participants.
Be consistent, objective and courteous when making decisions.
Condemn unsporting behavior and promote respect for all opponents.
Emphasize the spirit of the game rather than the errors.
Be a good sport yourself. Actions speak louder than words.
Keep up to date with the latest trends in officiating and the principles of growth and development of young people.
Remember, you set an example. Your behavior and comments should be positive and supportive.
Place the safety and welfare of the participants above all else.
Give all young people a 'fair go' regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
Administrators Code of Conduct
Involve young people in planning, leadership, evaluation and decision-making related to the activity.
Give all young people equal opportunities to participate.
Create pathways for young people to participate in sport, not just as a player but also as a coach, referee, administrator, etc.
Ensure that rules, equipment, length of games and training schedules are modified to suit the age, ability and maturity level of young players.
Provide quality supervision and instruction for junior players.
Remember that young people participate for their enjoyment and benefit. Do not over emphasize awards.
Help coaches and officials highlight appropriate behavior and skill development, and improve the standards of coaching and officiating.
Ensure that everyone involved in junior sport emphasizes fair play, rather than winning at all costs.
Give a code of behavior sheet to spectators, officials, parents, coaches, players and the media, and encourage them to follow it.
Make it clear that abusing young people in any way is unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action.
Modify rules and regulations to match the skill levels and needs of young people.
Encourage and promote rule changes that will make participation more enjoyable.
Give all young people a "fair go" regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.


The feeling is natural. Inevitable perhaps. On the bridge from spring training to the regular season, players all across baseball feel that optimism, the sense that the year ahead will be better than ever. Thus it's no surprise that White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson sees opening day in Kansas City nearing and acknowledges the adrenaline surge.
After spending the last seven weeks at the Sox's spring facility at Camelback Ranch, Anderson is convinced 2019 can be a special season on the South Side. He knows his own grind through February and March is paying dividends. And he's a big-time believer in the enthusiastic vibe that has been pulsing through the clubhouse.
Now, as the White Sox rebuild steers into a new phase, Anderson understands his confidence stems from two key components. First and foremost, he's feeling far more comfortable — both in the field and at the plate. "The game is slowing down a lot for me," he says.
On top of that, the 25-year-old infielder believes the chemistry within the team is becoming fuel.
Anderson knows his words last month were emphatic, perhaps even surprising from a self-proclaimed quiet leader. But he couldn't help himself. "Manny Watch" — the seemingly nonstop sideshow that tracked the Sox's aggressive but ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Manny Machado — had become annoying to Anderson.
The idea of Machado landing in Chicago and swiping his job at shortstop was irritating enough. But add the continual barrage of questions Anderson had to field and the whole saga was like a gnat humming in and out of his ear for weeks.
"It was just one of those things, man," Anderson says now. "I got tired of answering certain questions. It got old answering questions about my job that don't concern me. Whatever he was signing for, whatever he was doing, that doesn't concern me. I'm here to do one job and that's play shortstop and be the best teammate I can be. So at that point, I felt like I shouldn't have had to answer questions for him or about him.
So on the day Machado picked the Padres and the White Sox front office picked itself up off the mat to explain away its disappointment, Anderson answered emphatically when asked if he was glad the soap opera had ended.
A month later, Anderson reiterates those sentiments.
White Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez appreciates Anderson's fire. Sanchez understands Anderson's demeanor is far different from his own. While Sanchez is zestful and always fully caffeinated, Anderson is more reserved and businesslike. But Sanchez also knows they share a comparable passion and he has grown to admire the way Anderson approaches his craft.
That's part of the reason there's such a strong belief among the Sox that Anderson will take a significant step forward this season. Last year's 20 home run-26 stolen base achievement offered a snapshot into his potential. Anderson also has become more fluid and reliable at shortstop.
Plus, as he begins his fourth season in the majors, Anderson says he feels more at ease in the batter's box than he ever has.
For Renteria, Anderson's spring progress at the plate goes beyond his stat lines.
Anderson also is willing to take on a bigger leadership role, understanding he can be a tone-setter with the focus he puts into his work and the effort he displays on the field. If, as expected, his production spikes again this season, Anderson has few reservations about steering that White Sox boat no matter what's in the way.
His smile is genuine and again adds the unspoken punctuation. Either ride with us or get run over.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson takes the field on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, during spring training in Glendale, Ariz.
White Sox infielders Jose Rondon, left, and Tim Anderson finish practice Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, during spring training in Glendale, Ariz.


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