Turks & Caicos Islands: Inside One of the World’s Largest Asset Recovery Pro- grams – Video

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Turks Caicos Islands: Inside One of the World #39;s Largest Asset Recovery Pro- grams
British attorney Laurence Harris will talk about his experiences leading one of the world #39;s largest civil asset recovery programs, which has recovered substantial assets for the people of the...

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Turks & Caicos Islands: Inside One of the World's Largest Asset Recovery Pro- grams - Video

Islands (King Crimson album) – Wikipedia, the free …

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Islands is the fourth studio album by King Crimson. The album was released in 1971.

The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band's 'traditional' progressive and symphonic sound.

The album received mixed reviews. There are four tracks with lyrics on this album, and three of them concern women. One of them, "Ladies of the Road", has been criticised for perceived misogyny.[citation needed]

The original United Kingdom and European cover depicts the Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius and displays neither the name of the band nor the title. The original United States and Canadian album cover (as released by Atlantic Records) was a Peter Sinfield painting of off-white with coloured "islands". This was used as an internal gatefold sleeve in the UK. When the King Crimson catalogue was re-issued by EG, they standardised on the "Trifid Nebula" cover world-wide.

The fifth release in King Crimson's 40th Anniversary series featuring new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and copious extra tracks and alternative versions. The CD presents a complete stereo remix by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp alongside a group of additional tracks representing a near complete alternative album of studio takes, run-throughs and mixes. The DVD-A presents a complete 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson, a hi-res stereo version of the 2010 mix, a hi-res stereo version of the original album mix taken from the 30th anniversary master source and almost 90 minutes of additional material, the vast majority of it previously unreleased, including many studio takes mixed from the original recording sessions specifically for this release. The material covers everything from early rehearsals of "Pictures of a City" (one of the final new songs performed by the 1969 lineup) to the previously unheard "A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls" (showcasing early ideas and elements that would appear in fully realised form on later KC albums), a fragment of Fripp playing the tune of "Islands" on a mellotron, a blistering live "Sailor's Tale" from the Zoom Club and much more.[5][6]

All songs written by Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield, unless otherwise indicated.

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Islands (band) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Islands Background information Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada Genres Indie rock, indie pop, art rock Years active 2005present Labels ANTI-, Rough Trade, Tomlab Associated acts The Unicorns, Th' Corn Gangg, Small Is Beautiful, Juiced Elfers, Human Highway, Sister Suvi, The Magic, Mister Heavenly Website islandsareforever.com Members Nicholas Thorburn Evan Gordon Geordie Gordon Adam Halferty Past members Jim Guthrie Aaron Harris Kate Perkins Mike Feuerstack Jamie Thompson Patrice Agbokou Patrick Gregoire Sebastian Chow Alexander Chow Luc Laurent

Islands is an indie rock band formed in 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and currently based in Los Angeles, California.

In mid-2005 Islands recorded a debut album titled Return to the Sea, which was released in April 2006. The album was recorded in Montreal, Canada, at Breakglass Studio and in Jamie Thompson's bedroom, and was produced by audio engineer/record producer Mark Lawson.

Return to the Sea was re-mastered in England for the European version of the album, and was released there by Rough Trade Records on April 3, 2006. In North America, the album was released on the upstart label Equator Records on April 4, 2006. The cover of the album is one of Caspar David Friedrich's famous paintings, The Wreck of the Hope.

The album features numerous guest appearances, including members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. Two songs, "Flesh" and "Abominable Snow", were released to the public through The Simple Mission in June 2004, though neither appeared on the debut album. "Abominable Snow" had begun life as a song performed live by the Unicorns prior to their breakup.

Return to the Sea has been described by Nick as having "some dancehall influences, some calypso... It's more diverse and sprawling and ambitious",[1] and is "A bit more mature than The Unicorns... More of a Neil Young / Brian Wilson vibe running through it." [2]

The band played various shows around the US and Canada throughout mid-late 2005, followed by an opening slot for Metric on their early 2006 tour. After Return to the Sea was released in April 2006, the band embarked on their first full headlining tour, playing small clubs around the US and Canada throughout May. They were joined by Cadence Weapon and Why? on the first half of the tour, and Cadence Weapon and Busdriver on the second. The band generally received critical acclaim for their live shows, which sometimes ended with the band leading the audience out of the venue "pied piper style" and onto the surrounding streets.

Positions in Islands consist of Nicholas Thorburn (main vocals, synthesizer, guitar), Aaron Harris (drums), Sebastian Chow (xylophone, violin), Alex Chow (synthesizer, violin), Patrick Gregoire (guitar, bass clarinet) and Patrice Agbokou (bass guitar).

On May 28, 2006, it was announced that Thompson would be leaving the band. He stated, "I'm just not sure that being in a successful band is all that important to me anymore. I'm not leaving because of any problems with people in the band. It's very hard to do this, Nick and I have been creating together for quite a long time now... our relationship, both creative and personal is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life." Of Islands' future he said, "I think Islands is one of the best, if not the best band out there these days, and I have every confidence that they will do incredibly well." This quote was displayed on the band's website for a short time, before being taken down. Islands decided to continue on without Thompson, and a European tour was scheduled, and further recordings confirmed.

Diamonds commented upon Thompson's departure, saying "Jamie has left Islands, but the band waltzes on! We wish Jamie the best in his new life. Islands are forever."[3]

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How Have Changing Sea-Levels Influenced Evolution on the Galapagos Islands? (VIDEO)

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May 8, 2014

Wiley Research News

The Galapagos Islands have an iconic status in the history of evolutionary study, now new research shows that the islands own geological past may have influenced the evolution of the chains native species.

Writing in the Journal of Biogeography, Jason Ali and Jonathan Aitchison explore how fluctuating sea level changes over thousands of years impacted the island chains ecology. They estimate that when the sea retreated, most recently 20,000 years ago, the water would have been 144m below its current level.

As a result, Santa Cruz, the island in the center of the archipelago, would have expanded, enveloping many of the smaller islands, while creating a series of shallow land bridges between the volcanic outcroppings. Such bridges explain the range and diversity of the islands species, such as snakes, geckos and iguanas, which appear landlocked to modern eyes.

As soon as I saw that that half the islands in the archipelago were sat on a single, shallow, submarine platform, I realized that the implications for biology could be significant, said Dr. Ali. My geological knowledge told me that sea-level falls must have regularly re-connected the islands, and that this must have profoundly shaped the landlocked biotas distribution, and very likely its composition.

Source: Wiley Research News

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Australia's Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands cost $2.6 billion: report

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A new report has found that Australia's decade-long assistance mission to Solomon Islands achieved some results but at a 'massive and disproportionate' cost to Australia.

The Lowy Institute's report on the country's Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) says the whole operation cost Australia $A2.6 billion.

Launched on Thursday, its report is the first to put a price tag on the whole operation.

The report's author and director of the Myer Melanesia Program, Jenny Hayward Jones, says the costs built up largely because there was no clearly defined exit strategy at the beginning of the mission.

"(This) could have enabled the mission to draw down after some early successes," she told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program.

"There was also a bit of a sense of 'mission drift' as the mission took on more and more tasks the longer it stayed."

Ms Hayward Jones says that before she started her research, there was no breakdown of expenditure across RAMSI's three main areas - law and justice, economic governance and the machinery of government.

"The breakdown that I publish in my paper is something that I asked for from the government," she said.

"This in itself is problematic because it shows the Australian Government was probably not doing the best job it could have of measuring its performance over the decade."

The research shows that the bulk of funds were spent on law and justice, which consumed just over $A2.1 billion or 83 per cent of the total cost.

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Australia's Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands cost $2.6 billion: report

China Loses Contact With 11 Fishermen Off Disputed Islands

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Tensions flared in the South China Sea today as armed Philippine police arrested Chinese fishermen near a disputed shoal and Vietnam said Chinese boats rammed into Vietnamese vessels during a confrontation in waters close to islands claimed by the two countries.

The Chinese fishing boat and its crew were detained by the Philippines near the Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in Chinese, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, demanding the release of the fishermen. Vietnam separately said Chinese vessels intentionally collided with its boats near an exploration rig placed by China close to the Paracel Islands.

The incidents come as China takes a more assertive stance on maritime territorial issues that are souring relations with neighbors from Vietnam to Japan. U.S. President Barack Obama last month visited Asia to reassure key allies of U.S. support in the face of Chinas rising economic and military power, while Asian countries have been pushing China to agree to a code of conduct to avoid conflicts in the South China Sea.

It shows the regional concern that China has yet to agree or commit to a timetable with respect to the code of conduct -- frustration that China hasnt done that, said Terence Lee, an assistant professor of political science at National University of Singapore, referring to the Philippine and Vietnamese actions. Finding some way forward concretely without the use of force is imperative for the countries in the region.

At a briefing in Beijing, Hua accused the Philippines and Vietnam of violating its sovereignty over the island chains. She accused Vietnam of being disruptive.

China has 80 vessels in the area, including seven military craft, some of which fired water at Vietnamese ships backed by low-flying Chinese aircraft, Ngo Ngoc Thu, Vice Commander of Vietnams Coast Guard, said at a briefing. Six Vietnamese officers were hurt by broken glass during the clash, he said.

The situation is extremely tense, Thu said. While Vietnam seeks to resolve the dispute through negotiations, all endurance has limits. If China vessels continue to hit ours, we will have similar moves to respond in self-defense.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is seeking the code for the oil-and gas-rich waters in the South China Sea, through which some of the worlds busiest shipping lanes run. The talks have made little progress since China agreed last July to start discussions, before introducing fishing rules in January requiring foreign vessels to seek permission before entering waters off its southern coast.

China has said it is prepared to hold bilateral talks over territorial issues. It has rejected a Philippine move for international arbitration on their claims to parts of the South China Sea.

Philippine police confirmed they detained a Chinese vessel carrying 11 crew. The fishermen were on board the boat Qiongqionghai 09063, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Tanmen fishing association in the Hainan island city of Qionghai. Another fishing boat fled the scene, it said.

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Statistical test increases power of genetic studies of complex disease

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-May-2014

Contact: Tracey DePellegrin Connelly tracey.depellegrin@thegsajournals.org 412-760-5391 Genetics Society of America

BETHESDA, MD May 7, 2014 The power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to detect genetic influences on human disease can be substantially increased using a statistical testing framework reported in the May issue of the journal GENETICS.

Despite the proliferation of GWAS, the associations found so far have largely failed to account for the known effects of genes on complex disease the problem of "missing heritability." Standard approaches also struggle to find combinations of multiple genes that affect disease risk in complex ways (known as genetic interactions).

The new framework enhances the ability to detect genetic associations and interactions by taking advantage of data from other genomic studies of the same population. Such information is increasingly abundant for many human populations.

The authors demonstrated that their method improves performance over standard approaches. They also re-examined real GWAS data to find promising new candidates for genetic interactions that affect bipolar disorder, coronary artery disease, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

"We think practically everyone who's ever done a case-control GWAS could benefit from reanalyzing their data in this way," said author Saharon Rosset, associate professor of statistics at Tel Aviv University.

"This paper offers a significant advance in mapping genes involved in disease. The approach makes use of available data to substantially improve the ability to identify genetic components of disease," said Mark Johnston, Editor-in-Chief of the journal GENETICS.

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Highlights from "The Frontlines of Health Care IT: War Stories and Lessons Learned" Event – Video

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Highlights from "The Frontlines of Health Care IT: War Stories and Lessons Learned" Event
Efforts to solve most serious health care challenges - quality, cost, racial and gender disparities, or the implementation of "Obamacare" - rely on major investments in new information technology....

By: Simmons School of Management

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Highlights from "The Frontlines of Health Care IT: War Stories and Lessons Learned" Event - Video

Communicating Through the Cancer Journey: Can We Talk? — Wayne Beach and Deborah Mayer – Video

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Communicating Through the Cancer Journey: Can We Talk? -- Wayne Beach and Deborah Mayer
Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Talking about cancer is difficult for all involved, whether it is the person with cancer, their family or their health care providers. Why is this so hard? Communicatio...

By: University of California Television (UCTV)

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Communicating Through the Cancer Journey: Can We Talk? -- Wayne Beach and Deborah Mayer - Video

Experts say 'insourcing' innovation may be the best approach to transforming health care

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-May-2014

Contact: Katie Delach katie.delach@uphs.upenn.edu 215-349-5964 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Philadelphia - A group of health care and policy experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is urging health care institutions to look more to their own in-house personnel, including physicians and nurses, as a source of new ideas for improving how care is delivered. The practice referred to as insourcing relies on an organization's existing staff to drive needed transformations. The team also suggests a four-stage design process which, when adopted internally, may help organizations implement more efficient health care delivery solutions.

In a Perspective piece published in the May 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the Penn authors David Asch, MD, MBA, professor of Medicine and executive director of the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation; Christian Terwiesch, PhD, professor of Operations and Information Management at Wharton; Kevin B. Mahoney, chief administrative officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System; and Roy Rosin, chief innovation officer for Penn Medicine argue that too often organizations look to external consultants to create health care change. Lessons from other industries are often "translated into health care" as easily as if they were "translated into French," the authors write, leading to misinformed recommendations.

"In order to identify and effectively solve a problem, you have to be willing to immerse yourself and try things out," said Asch, lead author on the piece. "Management gurus and experts from other industries can lend tremendously valuable expertise, but it's the physicians and nurses who combine the passion and the knowledge necessary to move ideas into implementation and testing, where the real value lies."

The Penn team argues that copy and paste solutions derived from other settings are not likely to work well in health care because health care is not one problem but thousands of problems. Instead, they urge hospitals and other health care institutions to consider adopting a four-stage design process for use in the specialized health care environment.

The four stages, which together help health care professionals to identify issues and create more effective solutions in a timely manner are: 1) contextual inquiry: understanding the way things currently work and seeing the nuances others have missed by immersion in the work; 2) problem definition: reexamining what the organization should be solving for in a way that avoids incremental improvement to a current process; 3) divergence: exploring alternatives to initial solutions; and 4) rapid validation: testing critical assumptions and proposed solutions quickly at low cost.

The authors write that each of the four stages of the design process can be applied by people already inside the health care setting. An advantage, they say, is that in contrast to many industries where the thought leaders are secluded in corporate headquarters, many of the thought leaders in health care organizations, including physicians and nurses, are right up front interacting with the "customers."

"Sometimes organizations think it's easier and more effective to spend a large sum of money on an outsourced shrink-wrapped solution when the expertise needed to identify and solve problems is already in the building," said co-author Roy Rosin, Penn Medicine's chief innovation officer. "Clinicians are mission driven to help their patients, and are constantly thinking of ways to improve health care delivery. If the focus were shifted toward creating and protecting time for staff to drive change from the inside, we could see the implementation of more successful solutions."

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Experts say 'insourcing' innovation may be the best approach to transforming health care

Scientists add new letters to bacteria's genetic 'alphabet'

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For possibly billions of years, the DNA blueprints for life on Earth have been written with just four genetic "letters" -- A, T, G and C. On Wednesday, scientists announced that that they added two more.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, bio-engineers at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla said they had successfully inserted two synthetic molecules into the genome of an Escherichia coli bacterium, which survived and passed on the new genetic material.

In addition to the naturally occurring nucleotides adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine, which form the rungs of DNA's double-helix structure, the bacterium carried two more base-pair partners, which study authors have dubbed d5SICS and dNaM.

For more than a decade, scientists have been experimenting with so-called unnatural base pairs, or UBPs, saying they may hold the key to new antibiotics, future cancer drugs, improved vaccines, nanomaterials and other innovations.

Until now, however, those experiments have all been conducted in test tubes.

"These unnatural base pairs have worked beautifully in vitro, but the big challenge has been to get them working in the much more complex environment of a living cell," lead study author Denis Malyshev, a molecular and chemical biologist at Scripps, said in a prepared statement.

The new genetic material did not appear to be toxic to the bacteria, and it only remains in the organism's genome under specific lab conditions. In a natural environment, the molecules -- nucleoside triphosphates -- degrade and disappear in a day or two. Once they disappear, the bacterium reverts back to its natural base pair arrangement.

Still, experts said insertion of the synthetic materials into E. coli's genome was a milestone.

"This definitely is a significant achievement," said Ross Thyer, a synthetic biologist at the University of Texas at Austin, who was not involved in the research. "What I'm most excited about is how this will help us answer some bigger evolutionary questions: Why has life settled on a specific set of bases."

Malyshev and colleagues went about creating the semi-synthetic bacterium by genetically engineering a stretch of ring-like DNA known as a plasmid.

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Scientists add new letters to bacteria's genetic 'alphabet'

Weird Engineered Organism Has 6-Letter DNA

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The first report of a bacterium whose genome contains man-made DNA building blocks opens the door for tailor-made organisms that could be used to produce new drugs and other products.

All living creatures have a DNA "alphabet" of just four letters, which encode instructions for the proteins that perform most of the key jobs inside cells. But expanding that alphabet to include artificial letters could give organisms the ability to produce new proteins never seen before in nature.

The man-made DNA could be used for everything from the manufacture of new drugs and vaccines to forensics,researchers say.

"What we have done is successfully store increased information in the DNA of a living cell," study leader Floyd Romesberg, a chemical biologist at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., told Live Science. Yet many steps remain before Romesberg and his colleagues can get cells to produce artificial proteins. [Biomimicry: 7 Clever Technologies Inspired by Nature]

DNA alphabet

The field of synthetic biology involves tinkering with DNA to create organisms capable of novel functions in medicine, energy and other areas.

The DNA alphabet consists of four letters, or bases: adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine (A, T, G and C). Adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine. RNA is a genetic material similar to DNA, except it has a different chemical backbone and replaces the base thymine with uracil (U).

Living things translate DNA into proteins through a series of steps. First, enzymes "transcribe" the DNA into RNA. Then, structures called ribosomes translate the DNA into proteins, which are made up of strands of molecules called amino acids.

Ultimately, the researchers aim to create organisms that can produce artificial proteins. But first, they need to show that the DNA containing the man-made letters can be transcribed into RNA, and that this RNA can be translated into proteins.

In the study, Romesberg and his team created an new pair of DNA letters not found in nature and inserted the pair into cells of Escherichia coli bacteria. Getting the DNA into the cells is not easy, but the researchers were able to do it by way of a transporter, a protein that moves materials across cell membranes.

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Weird Engineered Organism Has 6-Letter DNA