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Joint Statement by President Rousseff and President Obama
At the invitation of President Dilma Rousseff, the President of the United States of America , Barack Obama, paid a State Visit to Brazil on March 19, 20 and 21, 2011.
BRAZIL AND THE UNITED STATES AS GLOBAL PARTNERS
Noting the interdependence among peace, security and development, President Rousseff and President Obama reaffirmed their desire to build a just and inclusive world order, which promotes democracy, human rights and social justice.
Recognizing the need of reforming international institutions to reflect the current political and economic realities, the two leaders welcomed the designation of the G20 as the premier forum for coordinating economic policy, and efforts to reform the governance of international financial institutions. The Presidents agreed that just as other international organizations have had to change to be more responsive to the challenges of the 21st century, the United Nations Security Council also needs to reform, and expressed their support for a modest expansion of the Security Council that improves its effectiveness and efficiency, as well as its representation. President Obama expressed appreciation for Brazil ’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the Security Council, and acknowledged its assumption of global responsibilities. The two leaders agreed to continued consultation and cooperation between the two countries to achieve the vision outlined in the UN Charter of a more peaceful and secure world.
They highlighted the maturity and depth of the relationship between Brazil and the United States, which is based on shared values and principles and characterized by the ties of friendship that have brought their multicultural nations closer throughout their histories as independent States.
They decided to elevate to the Presidential level the major dialogues between the two countries, including the Global Partnership Dialogue, the Economic and Financial Dialogue, and the Strategic Energy Dialogue. The leaders directed the ministers involved to convene and report to them regularly.
Economy, Trade, Investment, G20 and Doha Round
The Presidents stressed the mutual benefits created by greater economic, financial and commercial cooperation. While recognizing the high quality and diversification of trade between Brazil and the United States , they emphasized the importance of building on, deepening, and broadening that relationship. They acknowledged the great potential of reciprocal investments, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, energy and high technology.
They underscored the relevant work of the Economic Partnership Dialogue, the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism on trade policy, and the Commercial Dialogue. They also highlighted the importance of enhanced private sector engagement, through both the VI CEO Forum meeting and the launching of the Business Summit, which were held in the context of this presidential visit and welcomed with interest their contributions and recommendations.
The leaders welcomed a series of important agreements reached today, including an Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation; and an Agreement on Air Transportation and an associated Memorandum of Consultations on Air Transportation. They also expressed their expectation about the entry into force of the Agreement on Maritime Transport and of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement in the near future.
The Presidents noted that good regulatory practices and improved regulatory cooperation can contribute to competitiveness and the economic well-being of both Brazil and the United States , such as the initiatives being considered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with the Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial (INMETRO).
Considering that Brazil will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and recalling the US experience in organizing events of this magnitude and the interest of the US Government in sharing this experience with Brazil, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Major Global Sporting Events, aimed at intensifying bilateral cooperation, particularly on infrastructure, safety, and security.
The Presidents reiterated the importance of consolidating the G20 and its role in coordinating actions for international economic cooperation, including encouraging the adoption of policies needed to avoid large economic and financial imbalances.
Building on the strong cooperation achieved in coordinating the global response to the global economic crisis through the G20, the Presidents decided to formalize a Brazil-US Economic and Financial Dialogue. The dialogue will seek to coordinate positions on global economic policy and find opportunities for greater bilateral economic cooperation. They also recommended that the senior officials in charge of the G20 in both countries, including Finance Ministers and the Sherpas, continue to conduct regular consultation on the topics of the group’s agenda, as a means to enhance bilateral coordination.
They reaffirmed the imperative to modernize the international financial institutions in a way that reflects the changes in the world economy and moves towards global financial stability, sustainable development and poverty reduction.
In relation to the G20 discussions about volatility in agricultural commodities’ prices, they recognized the need for greater transparency in commodity markets, and for improved regulation of financial mechanisms that affect pricing. They recommended caution when considering measures that could distort the operation of commodity markets.
The Presidents reaffirmed their strong commitment to bring the WTO Doha Round to a successful, ambitious, comprehensive and balanced conclusion. Pursuant to the conclusion from the Seoul G20 Summit, they directed their negotiators to intensify and expand their direct engagement to complete the negotiations, building on the progress made to date. They agreed that a successful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations could increase the credibility and legitimacy of the multilateral trading system and could play a useful role in spurring global economic growth, particularly in creating jobs.
Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development
The Heads of State agreed that the two countries have converging interests in energy-related matters, including in oil, natural gas, biofuels and other renewables. President Obama stated that the United States seeks to be a Strategic Energy Partner of Brazil. They praised the Working Group on Energy and the Memorandum of Understanding to Advance the Cooperation on Biofuels and decided that their work will be carried out under the umbrella of a bilateral Strategic Energy Dialogue.
They supported the progress achieved under the Memorandum of Understanding to Advance the Cooperation on Biofuels, particularly in relation to cooperation in third countries. They welcomed the participation of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Development Bank in such trilateral cooperation. They underscored the importance of mobilizing public and private research institutions in the two countries to intensify cooperation in developing innovative technologies to produce advanced biofuels, and committed to enhance the bilateral and multilateral dialogue on sustainable production and use of bioenergy.
The Presidents took note, with satisfaction, of the launching, under the Memorandum of Understanding to Advance the Cooperation on Biofuels, of the Partnership for the Development of Biofuels for Aviation, which provides for coordination in establishing common standards and specifications, and strives to facilitate bilateral cooperation by convening experts from research institutions, academia, and the private sector.
They welcomed the strengthening of the collaboration on environment and climate change, including under the Common Agenda on Environment and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Regarding Climate Change, and agreed to include in the Common Agenda a discussion on the concept of green economy.
They agreed on the importance of a green economy in the context of sustainable development as a means for generating economic growth, creating decent jobs, eradicating poverty and protecting the environment. In this sense, they agreed to initiate a dialogue on a joint initiative on urban sustainability cooperation which will serve as a platform for actions addressing the challenges and opportunities of developing urban infrastructure that promotes sustainable development with concrete economic, social and environmental benefits.
They expressed their satisfaction with the conclusion, in September 2010, of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act, which provides for converting foreign debt into credits for the conservation of tropical forests.
They underscored the importance of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) and recognized the relevance of the project “Sustainable Urban Planning and Energy Efficient Construction for Low-Income Areas of the Americas ”. Brazil conveyed its intention to host an ECPA Ministerial Meeting in the future.
The Heads of State reiterated their satisfaction with the Cancun agreements at the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. They affirmed their commitment to the implementation of outcomes of the Cancun Meeting and to enhance efforts in anticipation of a successful outcome in Durban , South Africa .
They reiterated the importance of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, in 2012, and committed to work closely together to ensure its success.
Democracy, Human Rights, Racial Equality and Social Inclusion
The leaders stressed the shared commitment to promote and protect human rights and to support the consolidation of democracy around the world. In keeping with the Inter-American Democratic Charter, they reaffirmed that democracy is essential to political, economic, and social development. They reiterated that the values of liberty, equality, and social justice are intrinsic to democracy, and that the promotion and protection of human rights is a basic prerequisite for the existence of a democratic society.
They agreed that Brazil ’s experience in constructing a successful model of democratic development could be useful to countries in the process of building their own democracies and addressing historic social inequities. In this regard, President Obama applauded Brazil ’s success in fashioning policies and programs to fight poverty, inequality, and marginalization. President Rousseff welcomed the possibility of enhancing international cooperation activities by replicating Brazilian best practices in social development.
The Presidents decided to work closely to enhance global food security. They highlighted the importance of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program as an innovative multilateral mechanism to finance country-led agriculture plans. President Rousseff emphasized Brazil ’s willingness to provide leadership on international food issues, including at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The Presidents welcomed the achievements of the 2008 Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality, encompassing issues pertaining to justice and public safety, labor relations, health, education and environmental fairness, with the engagement of the civil society and the private sector in combating discrimination.
They stressed that human rights violations of children and adolescents will not be tolerated by the two countries and that the recognition and empowerment of women is a priority of both governments. They noted with satisfaction the progress under the Memorandum of Understanding for the Advancement of Women, and pledged to enhance cooperation in gender issues both bilaterally and multilaterally. In this context, they highlighted the project “Women and Science.”
They agreed to cooperate in advancing democracy, human rights and freedom for all people bilaterally and through the United Nations and other multilateral fora, including ensuring respect for human rights in the context of the democratic movements and transitions; strengthening the UN Human Rights Council as recently demonstrated in the case of the creation of the Commission of Inquiry on Libya; promoting respect for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals through the establishment of a Special Rapporteur at the OAS; and improving the conduct of free and fair elections regionally and globally, including through the promotion of human rights in the context of elections and increasing their accessibility to disabled persons.
They reaffirmed their commitment to transparency and accountability in government as key elements in strengthening democracy, including good governance and corruption prevention, and promoting and protecting human rights, and committed to launch a Brazil-US Anti-Corruption Dialogue to facilitate closer cooperation in international efforts to combat corruption. They recalled their commitment to the G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan and welcomed their role as co-chairs of a global initiative to advance open government, building on the commitments President Obama called for at the United Nations General Assembly last September.
Education, Health and Culture
The Heads of State directed the creation of a dialogue on education and research, within the appropriate Ministerial mechanism, to review the existing bilateral cooperation programs and propose an action plan aimed at improving and expanding them. They emphasized, in particular, the importance of enhanced exchanges in both directions for students engaged in the study of science, health, technology, engineering, computer science, and math and agreed on the need to increase the availability of scholarships, at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
They recommended enhancing the links between educational institutions from both countries, and decided to strengthen bilateral partnerships through, among others, the Fulbright Foundation, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, the National Science Foundation, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and encourage additional contributions by the private sector in both countries to foster bilateral cooperation on education.
President Obama noted, with satisfaction, the Brazilian interest in implementing a broad program for distance learning of English, ranging from teachers’ education to projects aimed at training professionals and other service providers for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
The Heads of States recognized the positive results of the III Meeting of the Working Group on Health. They praised the wide-ranging action plan being prepared on topics that are pertinent to public health in both countries.
They highlighted the importance of culture as a factor for bringing nations closer together. They decided to enhance bilateral cooperation on culture and to review the existing initiatives, under the appropriate Ministerial mechanism, to encourage the exchange of collections, exhibits and educational programs between cultural institutions.
Science, Technology, Innovation and Space Cooperation
The Presidents affirmed that innovation and investment in science and technology, and associated human capital are keys to sustained economic growth and competitiveness. They expressed their support for the work of the Joint Commission for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and praised the results of the Innovation Summits. They encouraged further communication between these initiatives.
President Rousseff welcomed the emphasis the US National Space Policy has placed on international cooperation and expressed her wish to expand the dialogue with the United States bearing in mind the guidelines of the Brazilian space policies, aimed at technological capacity building and the commercial use of infrastructure and technology.
In this context, they welcomed the signing of a new bilateral Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and expressed their desire to commence negotiations of a new agreement to protect launching operation technologies.
Furthermore, they affirmed the commitment of their countries to security in space and decided to initiate a dialogue in that area. They also instructed the appropriate agencies in the two countries to discuss the establishment of a Brazil–US Working Group on satellite-based earth observations, environmental monitoring, precipitation measurement, and natural disaster mitigation and response that would facilitate future dialogue and cooperation in these fields.
Defense, Disarmament, Nonproliferation and Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
The Presidents recalled the progress achieved on defense issues in 2010, with the signing of the Defense Cooperation Framework Agreement and, more recently, the General Security of Military Information Agreement. They committed to undertake efforts to follow up on the established dialogue in this area, primarily on new opportunities for cooperation.
They recognized the importance of enhanced regional disaster relief and crisis management coordination efforts and took note of the proposal presented to the IX Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas for coordinated military support for civilian disaster response in the Americas .
They reaffirmed both countries’ commitments on disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, with a view to achieving the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. In this regard, the Presidents welcomed the opportunity to build on the successes of the recent Nuclear Security Summit, the VII Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference and the ratification of the New START Treaty between the United States and Russia . They also decided on the need to bring into force the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, start negotiations on a Fissile Material Treaty, and to achieve a successful Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference in December 2011 and underscored the importance of compliance with and full implementation of all disarmament and non-proliferation related international obligations, including relevant UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions calling for countries to demonstrate the exclusively peaceful nature of their nuclear programs.
They noted, with satisfaction, that the Plan of Action on Energy Cooperation includes nuclear energy, focusing on the following aspects: probabilistic risk assessment, reactor life sustainability, development of human resources, licensing, management of serious accidents, emergency response, prevention, and combustion efficiency.
The leaders agreed to strengthen the dialogue and bilateral and multilateral cooperation on nuclear security and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In this context, they decided to commence talks on Brazilian participation in the “Partnership for Nuclear Security”, which could provide support for experts from both countries in activities related to research and development and to training and education in the areas of physical protection of installations and nuclear security and took note of Brazil’s interest in joining the United States to support the IAEA“Peaceful Uses Initiative” (PUI), a campaign launched last year to foster nuclear applications in the developing world for human health, food security, water management, and infrastructure. The Leaders also proposed to explore cooperation on a regional Center for Excellence that would serve as a forum for sharing information, best practices and training in partnership with relevant multilateral organizations, and noted the intention of the two governments to pursue a Memorandum of Understanding on the Megaports Initiative to prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials.
Communities Abroad
The Presidents noted with satisfaction the growing ties between the peoples of both countries and directed the Bilateral Consular Dialogue to consider measures to facilitate travel for business, educational and tourist purposes.
They agreed to enhance the dialogue on the implementation, both in Brazil and in the United States , of the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Cooperation in Third Countries
The Presidents highlighted the significant role of trilateral cooperation with Least Developed Countries on the priority and cross-cutting aspects of the global partnership between the two largest democracies in the Americas .
They expressed their satisfaction with the projects that have been carried out within the scope of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Implementation of Technical Cooperation Activities in Third Countries, particularly in Haiti , in other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and in Africa .
They also welcomed an expanded Brazil – US partnership to build research development and regulatory capacity in East and West Africa to encourage innovation, support science-based transparent regulation, and facilitate clear pathways to agricultural biotechnology, while protecting the public and the environment.
They expressed the interest of both countries in strengthening their dialogue to promote the Decent Work Agenda, with a view to developing projects in cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and share Brazilian best practices in combating child labor, especially in Africa . They welcomed the progress in the negotiations of a joint project for technical cooperation between Brazil , the United States , Haiti and the ILO, to prevent child labor and generate income for vulnerable workers in that Caribbean country.
Haiti
The Heads of State highlighted the importance of having a second round of voting in Haiti , in accordance with popular demand expressed at the voting polls and the election calendar released by the Provisional Electoral Board. In this context, they recognized the important support of the OAS and the OAS-Caribbean Community Mission of Election Observers in organizing the elections. They reiterated their commitment to maintain the stability, to strengthen democratic institutions, and to the long-term development of Haiti . They underscored the importance of the timely delivery on the pledges made by the international community in supporting the reconstruction of Haiti , and the role played by the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Committee and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
They reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to an approach that could link the stabilization work carried out by MINUSTAH to the support for Haiti ’s political and institutional strengthening and social and economic development.
OAS, Summit of the Americas , MERCOSUL and UNASUL
The Presidents reiterated the commitment of both countries to the OAS and welcomed the efforts that have been made towards making it more transparent and efficient, capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century, and thus being able to meet the expectation of its member states. They underscored the importance of the Summit of the Americas as a regional coordination body at the highest level. They stressed the need to promote better coordination among the Summit of the Americas , the OAS and the other bodies of the inter-American system, with the aim of providing greater cohesion to regional efforts and of strengthening the synergies among the institutions of the Americas .
The leaders affirmed the valuable contributions towards democracy, peace, cooperation, security and development made by regional and sub-regional integration efforts and agreements, including the Union of South American Nations (UNASUL) and the Southern Cone Market (MERCOSUL), and valued the dialogue between UNASUL and the United States .
A SHARED VISION OF THE FUTURE
President Rousseff and President Obama expressed their satisfaction with the status of the relationship between Brazil and the United States as global partners, fully committed to establishing an international world order that is more democratic, fair and sustainable. In this context, the Brazilian President accepted an invitation to visit the United States in the second half of 2011.
Driving Change: Gender-Responsive Practices in Business
Driving Change: Gender-Responsive Practices in Business brought together distinguished figures from business, politics and leading research institutes. The panellists discussed the growing need for companies to innovate and embrace diversity within their organisation and their customer base in order to remain competitive in times of economic turbulence, both at home and internationally.
Award Ceremony -
Since 2005, the discussion panel has been followed by a Women in Business awards ceremony. The 2015 awards were presented to three winners from the EBRD region who have proved to be the most advanced in applying gender diversity measures in their businesses.
This year the discussion panel and awards ceremony was complemented by a signing ceremony for the EBRD’s Women in Business programme in the Eastern Partnership countries. Local financial institutions signed letters expressing their interest in participating in the programme, which combines finance and advice for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme will be launched in Georgia in 2015 as part of a regional drive that will benefit more than 2,000 women entrepreneurs.
Thursday, 14 May 2015, 14.00 – 16.15, Room 2, Parliament Building
Moderator:
Tanya Beckett, @bbctanyabeckett Presenter, World Business Report, BBC World News
Speakers:
Mariam Valishvili, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy, Georgia
Julia Dawson, Managing Director of Thematic Research, Credit Suisse Securities
Dana Denis-Smith, @ddenissmith, Founder and CEO, Obelisk Support.
The experts looked at key questions including:
How do firms need to innovate and embrace diversity both within their organisation and their customer base?
Why has the solution for advancing gender diversity not been found yet?
Responsive drawing exercise on top of watercolor background. Creative bug class with Pam Garrison. #CBSketchbooking
Driving Change: Gender-Responsive Practices in Business
Driving Change: Gender-Responsive Practices in Business brought together distinguished figures from business, politics and leading research institutes. The panellists discussed the growing need for companies to innovate and embrace diversity within their organisation and their customer base in order to remain competitive in times of economic turbulence, both at home and internationally.
Award Ceremony -
Since 2005, the discussion panel has been followed by a Women in Business awards ceremony. The 2015 awards were presented to three winners from the EBRD region who have proved to be the most advanced in applying gender diversity measures in their businesses.
This year the discussion panel and awards ceremony was complemented by a signing ceremony for the EBRD’s Women in Business programme in the Eastern Partnership countries. Local financial institutions signed letters expressing their interest in participating in the programme, which combines finance and advice for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme will be launched in Georgia in 2015 as part of a regional drive that will benefit more than 2,000 women entrepreneurs.
Thursday, 14 May 2015, 14.00 – 16.15, Room 2, Parliament Building
Moderator:
Tanya Beckett, @bbctanyabeckett Presenter, World Business Report, BBC World News
Speakers:
Mariam Valishvili, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy, Georgia
Julia Dawson, Managing Director of Thematic Research, Credit Suisse Securities
Dana Denis-Smith, @ddenissmith, Founder and CEO, Obelisk Support.
The experts looked at key questions including:
How do firms need to innovate and embrace diversity both within their organisation and their customer base?
Why has the solution for advancing gender diversity not been found yet?
Coachwork by H.J. Mulliner
Chassis n° BC39D
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 360.000 - 400.000
Sold for € 391.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
"The vocabulary of motoring being a lame and limited thing, it is difficult to put into words the gulf that separates a Continental from the average car in all the qualities that have a bearing on safety at speed. In acceleration, in braking, in cornering power, in roadholding, in responsiveness to the controls, this Bentley is the equal of modern racing cars, and superior to some." – Raymond Mays, The Autocar, 2nd October 1953.
Described by The Autocar as, "A new stage in the evolution of the post-war Bentley," the magnificent Continental sports saloon has been synonymous with effortless high speed cruising in the grand manner since its introduction in 1952 on the R-Type chassis.
The Continental raised this already superlative combination of high performance and exceptional refinement to hitherto unattained levels. Unlike the ordinary 'standard steel' R-Type, the Continental was bodied in the traditional manner and first appeared with what many enthusiasts consider to be the model's definitive style of coachwork - the lightweight, aluminium, wind tunnel-developed fastback of H J Mulliner, as seen here. In developing the Continental, Bentley Motors made every effort to keep its weight to the minimum, knowing that this was the most effective way to achieve the maximum possible performance.
Rolls-Royce's six-cylinder engine had been enlarged from 4,257cc to 4,556cc in 1951, and as installed in the Continental benefited from an increase in compression ratio - the maximum power output, of course, remained unquoted but has been estimated at around 153bhp. Power was further increased with the introduction of a 4,887cc engine on the 'D' and 'E' series cars, commencing in May 1954. The Continental's performance figures would have been considered excellent for an out-and-out sports car but for a full four/five-seater they were exceptional: a top speed of 120mph (193kph), 100mph achievable in third gear, 50mph (80kph) reached in a little over 9 seconds, and effortless cruising at the 'ton' (161kph).
Built for export only at first, the Continental was, once delivery charges and local taxes had been paid, almost certainly the most expensive car in the world as well as the fastest capable of carrying four adults and their luggage. "The Bentley is a modern magic carpet which annihilates great distances and delivers the occupants well-nigh as fresh as when they started," concluded Autocar.
Chassis number 'BC39D' was completed on 7th September 1954 and left the factory finished in Silver Metalescence with red interior trim and equipped with automatic transmission. Other notable features specified included slit pockets in doors; armrests; overlay carpet; a backlight blind; and compartments in back of seats with notebook, mirror, compact, brush and comb. First registered in the UK as 'PYP 254', the Continental also came with a set of six Victor fitted suitcases.
Sold via Jack Barclay Ltd, the car was invoiced on 25th January 1955 and delivered to first owner C H Dracoulis on 21st March 1955. The Hueber & Sulzberger Bentley Continental Sports Saloon Register lists a further four owners in England before the car was sold to Count Bertil Bernadotte in Sweden on 1st January 1965. The Count was to paint the car in the current shade of blue and applied a discreet monogram on each door and tail.
'BC39D' then had two further custodians in Sweden before passing to committed motoring enthusiasts Gunnar and Helen Elmgren on 18th March 1985. Gunnar, former CEO of the Swedish Automobile Sport Federation and subsequently President of the FIA Historic Motor Sport Commission would regularly be seen racing his Veritas and Maserati 250F and 6CM on the European circuit in the 1980s/90s, whereas Helen is still the custodian of her mother's Austin-Healey 100 that the family bought new. While with the Elmgrens, 'BC39D' would be used and enjoyed and attended the model's 50th Anniversary Celebration at Silverstone in August 2002, winning the Driver's Trophy. It was not uncommon to see the Elmgrens arrive at a circuit in their Continental, towing their race car!
Sadly, Gunnar died in 2007 but Helen kept the Bentley and has continued to enjoy it as she and Gunnar did. However, the time has now come for the car to be sold. Driven recently by a Bonhams specialist, the Continental handled very well; oil and water maintained good temperature readings while the precise steering, good brakes and balance, and smooth gear change were all to be appreciated. The car has exceptionally straight panels with matching shut lines and has always been well maintained, even returning to renowned UK marque specialists P&A Wood for extensive servicing and a gearbox overhaul. The interior is gently and charmingly patinated, with excellent woodwork, while the paintwork presents very well having benefitted from a respray just 10 years ago. Registered in Sweden and offered with a comprehensive history file.
With its outstanding aerodynamic coachwork, developed by Rolls-Royce stylist John Blatchley in collaboration with coachbuilder H J Mulliner, the R-Type Continental fastback remains the pinnacle of Bentley's achievements in the post-war era.
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The 641st Regional Support Group, an Army Reserve logistics and transportation brigade based in St. Petersburg, Fla., conducted a Best Warrior Competition and Officer Challenge Jan. 24 at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
Both competitions took place during the final full day of Operation Responsive Sentinel, a sustainment training and disaster relief field exercise comprising approximately 20 units and 900 Soldiers. Resolve Sentinel's operational and tactical missions at Port Canaveral, Patrick AFB and the Air Force's Malabar Transmitter Annex offered numerous opportunities for the troops to apply their military and civilian skills to plan, organize and execute objectives on land and sea.
The Best Warrior Competition featured six enlisted Soldiers representing several companies and battalions attached to the 641st RSG. The half-dozen men and women faced off in a various warrior-oriented tasks ranging from a written exam and sergeants major interview board to a ruck march and a rifle and pistol qualification round.
The top two competitors will represent the 641st RSG in the 143d Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary)'s Best Warrior Competition planned for March 9-13 at Camp Blanding, Fla.
While specialists and sergeants shot, sang, ran and marched their way to the finish line, scores of junior officers formed at Patrick AFB's Education and Training Center to test their strength, dexterity, memory and morale in the 641st RSG's officer challenge. Teams of five officers competed at six unique
stations spread along a six-mile route. The challenge began with map reading and rank recognition events, continued with casualty evacuation scenario and a ethical dilemma, and concluded with a physical challenge and rifle marksmanship.
Photos by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC
Geoff Cutmore, Anchor, CNBC, United Kingdom speaking during the session: Responsive and Responsible Leadership in 2017 at the Annual Meeting 2017 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 20, 2017
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Greg Beadle
It's an enjoyably quick and informative read, but there's something ironic about how the tables in Responsive Design appear on my Kindle.
Outside of the Town Hall theater on West 43rd Street in Manhattan, a crowd of smiling and optimistic people Friday overflowed into the one-way street. Delivery trucks and yellow taxi cabs creeped by, their engines engaged in a shouting match with Bennet Weiss, a man who bore a fleeting resemblance to the Democratic presidential candidate they were all there to support.
"We don't have billions of dollars! All we have are people wearing Bernie pins," Weiss yelled, a large black umbrella covered in Bernie Sanders campaign pins at his feet, catching drops of sweat from his brow. The Occupy Wall Street protester-turned-Sanders supporter urged the crowd to wear the pins at all times with no exception -- even in the shower -- and gave them away freely to anyone who said they didn't have enough cash to afford to pay the suggested donation.
That's the kind of populist support Sanders' campaign has steadily been attracting since the U.S. senator from Vermont formally announced his candidacy in late April. Friday was no exception, with passion-filled people who think Sanders has proved himself the worthy champion of causes they care about the most, such as income inequality, climate change, Wall Street reform and further healthcare reforms. But, perhaps most importantly, they also think he can win the White House.
"Absolutely" he can win, said Joe Trinolone, 30, a former finance industry worker from Long Island, New York, who is studying mathematics at St. Joseph's University. "I mean, he's winning right now."
Sanders, during a fundraising speech Friday, ticked through the policies he cares about and areas of change he wants to see in Washington should he become president. At each turn, his blend of outrage, optimism and sly sarcasm brought raucous cheers from the crowd of 1,100. He rejected recent Wall Street Journal criticism of the high price tag of his proposals, including making public colleges and universities free, lowering so-called real unemployment by pumping funding into infrastructure repairs for the nation’s roads and bridges and implementing a universal healthcare system.
Instead, he pointed to European nations that already have those programs. He implored the crowd to think about what many of them were already talking about: that taking on the big-money interests in the United States that impede those sorts of policy changes is a shared moral obligation.
“Welcome to the revolution,” Sanders said, describing what he believes must happen to American politics. “We can accomplish all of this and more.” And the crowd ate it up.
When asked why they support Sanders, many described his candidacy as a movement. They love his policies, and have a hard time thinking of much they don’t like about him. They especially like that he has been a consistent voice during his time in Washington. That’s a big perceived difference between Sanders and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Those "feeling the Bern" were split on whether they would consider voting for her if she becomes the nominee. Many were newcomers to political action but felt compelled to join the fray when they heard Sanders and his message.
“I’ve never been excited about a politician my entire life,” said Meira Marom, 34, a Brooklyn third-grade teacher with a master's degree in creative writing. When Marom started seeing social media posts about Sanders and reading about him, she decided to stop focusing her personal time on writing for herself. She now writes and publishes something about Sanders every day -- Dr. Seuss themes every Sunday, poems and parodies. “I decided this is the most worthy cause to put my rhymes to use.”
Sanders has seen an unexpected rise in the polls since he joined the race for the Democratic nomination shortly after the current national front-runner Clinton announced her candidacy. While Sanders was trailing Clinton by 21.4 percent in national averages of polls compiled by Real Clear Politics, a look at early nominating states like Iowa and New Hampshire paints a different picture of vulnerability for Clinton and strength for Sanders.
The two candidates are tied in Iowa, which constitutes a dramatic drop for Clinton and an impressive surge for Sanders, who has been distancing himself from Clinton in New Hampshire at the top of the Democratic pack since Aug. 25, when he jumped past her in the state for the first time. He currently leads there by 10.5 points.
The candidates are noticeably different in many ways, from policy prescription to fundraising strategy.
Clinton has moved leftward since announcing her candidacy, but she is still threatened by the populist appeal of Sanders, who has long championed the causes that seem to be coming into grace for the Democratic Party. While the candidates currently hold some very similar positions on issues such as immigration reform, gay rights, gun control and campaign finance reform, Sanders has been able to stake out positions to the left of Clinton on other issues that excite some vocal voters.
Among them are his strong anti-war and anti-government surveillance positions as well as his distaste for President Barack Obama's Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal. Sanders also has been a vocal critic of Wall Street and champion of financial reforms, and his stance on those issues has drawn attention to Clinton's cozy relationship with Wall Street executives and the huge paychecks she has received for speeches to large banks since leaving the U.S. State Department. For some Sanders supporters, though, the perception that Sanders has been a consistent proponent of these liberal policies, and cares about them more than winning, is key.
“It’s the message that supporting Bernie Sanders is not just voting on a horse in the race” that attracts Brian Dillon, a 28-year-old self-employed Web designer and developer for e-commerce, said Friday. Dillon has voted just one time in his life, but he has been organizing meetings to drum up support for Sanders.
Sanders's fundraising portfolio also is the reverse of Clinton's. While the former secretary of state is expected to spend somewhere north of $1 billion should she win the primary and head into the general election for 2016, the same has not been said of Sanders. Currently, Clinton has raised, through her campaign committee and super PACs associated with the campaign, $47.5 million, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Sanders, on the other hand, has raised just shy of $16.5 million, according to CRP data.
Their most startling difference in fundraising, however, can be seen in the size of the donations they're receiving. The Clinton campaign received 82 percent of its donations from large contributors, and her top industry donors, not including retired people, so far have been lawyers, business services and the financial industry.
In contrast, Sanders relies much more on small donations, which are defined as donations totaling $200 or less. So far, 69 percent of his contributions have come from small donors, and the biggest industries that have given to his campaign have been from the education, legal and healthcare sectors.
Who are those small donors? The types of people who showed up Friday. Some said they donate $25 to $30 a month to Sanders. Some said they have donated several hundred dollars since he jumped into the presidential race. Nearly all of them mentioned they don't earn a ton of money personally. One in particular, Machumu Sakulira, said he donated $500 before attending Friday’s event.
There is “no way” he would support a Clinton ticket, said Sakulira, a 31-year-old senior political science student at the University at Buffalo. He got on a bus Thursday night at 11 p.m. and arrived in New York at 7 a.m. for the Sanders speech. He said he was going back Friday night. “Bernie represents my interest. My vote is a moral choice, I don’t give it to somebody who doesn’t deserve it.”
www.ibtimes.com/election-2016-bernie-sanders-nyc-fundrais...
“We are the children of our landscape; it dictates behavior and even thought in the measure to which we are responsive to it”
- Lawrence Durrell
Fluonalp, September 2012
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Driving Change: Gender-Responsive Practices in Business
Driving Change: Gender-Responsive Practices in Business brought together distinguished figures from business, politics and leading research institutes. The panellists discussed the growing need for companies to innovate and embrace diversity within their organisation and their customer base in order to remain competitive in times of economic turbulence, both at home and internationally.
Award Ceremony -
Since 2005, the discussion panel has been followed by a Women in Business awards ceremony. The 2015 awards were presented to three winners from the EBRD region who have proved to be the most advanced in applying gender diversity measures in their businesses.
This year the discussion panel and awards ceremony was complemented by a signing ceremony for the EBRD’s Women in Business programme in the Eastern Partnership countries. Local financial institutions signed letters expressing their interest in participating in the programme, which combines finance and advice for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme will be launched in Georgia in 2015 as part of a regional drive that will benefit more than 2,000 women entrepreneurs.
Thursday, 14 May 2015, 14.00 – 16.15, Room 2, Parliament Building
Moderator:
Tanya Beckett, @bbctanyabeckett Presenter, World Business Report, BBC World News
Speakers:
Mariam Valishvili, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy, Georgia
Julia Dawson, Managing Director of Thematic Research, Credit Suisse Securities
Dana Denis-Smith, @ddenissmith, Founder and CEO, Obelisk Support.
The experts looked at key questions including:
How do firms need to innovate and embrace diversity both within their organisation and their customer base?
Why has the solution for advancing gender diversity not been found yet?
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Art Hearts Fashion Week 2015 - Nicole Miller Collection
After completing studies at the L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienneand graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design,Miller interned with legendary dress designer Clovis Ruffin in New York City. Miller began working as head designer at P.J. Walsh, a dress manufacturer. There, she was hired by the president of the company, Bud Konheim.Konheim said one of the reasons he hired Miller was for her belief that design and business can be successful combination.In 1982, Konheim started the company Nicole Miller with Nicole.
In 1986, Miller opened her first shop on Madison Avenue. Miller's fashion line launched in the mid 1980s with a conversational print men's tie collection that became a hit in the fashion world for a number of years.Miller made headlines in September 1998 by presenting her spring 1999 clothing line one week ahead of her French counterparts, becoming the first American to do so.
In 2002, Miller designed costumes for the Houston-based Stages Repertory Theatre production of García Lorca's "Blood Wedding,"
In a departure from designing adult fashions, Miller designed a Sesame Street line of clothing for babies and toddlers in 2004. She also created a line of makeup products for Melaleuca.
Since 2005, Miller has designed a line of affordable clothes, handbags, footwear, fashion jewelry and other accessories for J.C. Penney. J.C. Penney credits this collaboration as result of extensive customer input. Miller also designs a home furnishings collection that is distributed through Bed Bath and Beyond.
Celebrities of varying ages including Anjelica Huston,Beyoncé Knowles, Angelina Jolie,Brooke Shields,LeAnn Rimes,Lauren Hutton, Jennifer Stone, Susan Sarandon and Eva Longoria have worn, and continue to wear, her designs. Miller designed clothes for singer Cyndi Lauper's world tour.She created gowns for Sheryl Crow to wear at the Grammys.
Orange County Fashion Week 2015
Orange County, CA – The California Riviera is no stranger to luxury or style and this year’s OCFashion Week (OCFW) will exude both those traits during its full week of events, beginning with World of Fashion Photography Exhibit and gala at Newport Lexus on Friday, February 27th and culminating in the Couture Designer event at Dawson Fine Art on Thursday, March 5th.
Each night holds something magical and fashionable, beginning at 6 pm with cocktails. Showtime on the runway begins at 7 pm, with after-parties at 10 pm. Each night is presented by Newport Lexus with signature sponsors by Toni & Guy Academy Manna Kadar Cosmetics, runway styling by Betinnis in Brea and will spot light a different charity each night. Orange County Fashion Week is produced by Hauteoc Inc. Discover the World You've Been Missing. Discover the World of Orange County.
NEWPORT BEACH, FEBRUARY 28th, 2015 – OC Fashion Week is proud to announce that this season’s 2015 presenting sponsor, Newport Lexus of Newport Beach, will be the site for this year’s SUGAR RUSH. The event will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm and will showcase makeovers, a celebrity runway show and the Fashionably Responsible Awards Reception. The night will also feature models from popular television show America's Next Top Models.
Beginning at 7 pm, Brit B of BeachCandy Swimwear will open the presentation showcase of Orange County Sugar Rush designers with a preview of her latest collection of swimwear, followed by the Fabulous Life of Claire Farewell’s London designer wear. As the night continues, designers Victoria by Elizabeth, According to Kimberly and Men’s Undercover Underwear debuts an exciting runway tribute to OC Fashion Week’s to retailers and fashion designers that embrace both cause and commerce in their business practices. Jewelry, handbag and accessories designers will showcase their goods, alongside pop-up shops with a portion of the proceeds donating to Working Wardrobes, which has helped more than 70,000 victims of abuse and addiction regain control of their lives by helping them dress for success.
Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to receive makeovers throughout the evening by Manna Kadar Cosmetics founder and CEO Manna Kadar. A noted industry expert, beauty editor and makeup artist to an impressive roster of celebrity clients, Manna has made her mark as a true trendsetter in the world of beauty.
Other evening highlights include a runway show featuring past contestants from America’s Next Top Model and up-and-coming designers that give back to this fashion-studded evening.
Meet the Designers:
Brit B. of BeachCandy Swimwear: A native of Orange County, with her signature store in Corona del Mar, Brit B. creates custom swimsuits for clients with the goal of making every woman feel beautiful and comfortable.
Claire Farwell of Claire Farwell London: A former model and survivor of cancer, Farwell has not only succeeded in one of the toughest industries she has also been a tireless supporter of women fighting cancer.
Manoni Handbags and Accessories: Hand-crafted out of full-grained ostrich and crocodile, every handbag is designed for the chic, fashion-forward-thinking woman.
Victoria by Elizabeth: Pencil Skirt Designers innovating style bringing the elegance of women, by heart and soul.
Kimberly Luu of According to Kimberly: Born and raised in Orange County, the multitalented Luu is a clinician, blogger and designer whose first design won Top Five at OC Fashion Week’s 2011 Designer competition. That was just the beginning of her success story.
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What a Betty
What A Betty designs have been seen everywhere from gorgeous brides, to celebrities on the red carpet and has been on hit TV Shows such as “Revenge” and "VH1", and high fashion and bridal magazines.
Undercover Underwear
Adriana Viano is the owner and founder of UnderCover MensWear Inc. Adriana always had the vision that the privilege of the right, sexy and comfortable underwear and loungewear should not only be for women. She always believed that men were in need of their own "Victoria's Secret". UnderCoverMensWear.com is an on line only boutique with unique and innovative products carefully chosen from around the world. All items sold in the on line store will not be found in any department stores.
Expert Group Meeting on Strategies to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls through the Gender-responsive Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development held at UN Headquarters on 30 May 2017.
Presenters included: E. Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations; Jan Kickert, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations; Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women; Juwang Zhu, Director, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA;
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Dot Com Infoway (DCI) has recently unveiled its latest infographic which puts the spotlight on one of the most recent and advanced techniques used in the web design industry. Titled “Responsive Web Design: A Paradigm Shift in the Industry”, the infographic provides insights on the concept of responsive web design and the reasons for its rising popularity. Read more www.dotcominfoway.com/blog/responsive-web-design-infographic
Chardonnay - The white grape of Burgundy, and probably the most familiar white wine name to savvy Chinese speaking wine lovers and consumers. In Burgundy, the name of the grape generally does not appear on the label-only the place where it was grown (e.g. Meursault, Puligny Montrachet, etc.). It is also the grape of Chablis, where it's habit of early ripening puts it at risk for Spring freezes and hailstorms. It is responsive to a wide variety of wine-making techniques, and use in Champagne as well.
Of recent, there has been a trend towards winemakers putting Chardonnay fully through a secondary, malolactic fermentation, producing a wine that is often fat and rich. In Burgundy, by contrast, Chardonnay produces white wines of great power, but also of great acidity and crispness. It usually maintains a high level of alcohol, and the tremendous diversity of Chardonnay winemaking styles across the globe make wines from this grape one the most interesting and popular varietals.
If Chardonnay was the theme of the play, Pinot Noir played its best supporting role with Burgundy Marsannay and Kiwi Pinot Noir which cheered your palate hoarse with stark distinct characteristics. You will read more about our flavorings in the below English published tasting notes on 酒友 (Jiu You) 品酒记录) forum.
Despite the higher rate of non-attendance at the onset of this highly anticipated event, The King of Whites / 白葡萄酒之皇品酒会 held on Friday 24.10.2008 was deemed a success where the group learnt, shared and sipped together. On behalf of Singapore 酒友, both myself and the ever present team would like to thank you all for your support and participation, and also the support of Singapore's Richfield Brands & Services, a provider of wine storage services and fine wines, including exceptionally hospitality. Not forgetting the best of the best White Chicken Rice with richly sauced and textured grains plus revitalizing fine coffee at the end of the program.
The full compliment with additional photos/images with full Chinese Translation will be published on the main page at a later date.
2004 Picardy Chardonnay 庇卡底酒庄
Australia, Western Australia, Pemberton
13.5%. 100% Chardonnay from Burgundian clones 76, 95, 96 and 277, also referred to as Bernard clones. The last bottle coming from my cellar, after surrendering some precious to Singaporean wine lovers Gary Ong and Weng Thong. Delicate aromas of intense green fruit, butter menthol and clove spice and oak. Medium-bodied, classy with releases of cream, lemony acid and melon with a short dry finish. As compared to previous tasting, it lacks sense of freshness and vibrancy. Drink by 2008.
2002 François Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 酒厂家; 弗朗索瓦-约巴
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune
A 5 hectares family estate run by Father Jobard and son Antoine. Francois Jobard owns sites in some of the most desirable vineyards of Meursault, En la Barre for village wine and a trio of Premier Crus from Charmes, Genevrieres to Poruzots. Traditional winemaking still persists here. Winemaker Jobard abhors the excessive use of new oak and extended lees stirring which he feels merely serve to flatter the wines when young, yet add little to their long-term ageing potential. The wines of Jobard, one of Meursault's finest is known to be graceful and steely and display astonishing mineral intensity and finesse. Only 2,000 cases is produced annually.
13.0%. 100% Meursault Chardonnay. Charismatic butterscotch with dominating honey malt aroma. Apart from its front acute acidity, it is medium-bodied, creamy, with mineral laced chalk and slate bitterness, but one dimensional. Short woody dry finish. Drink between 2008 to 2010.
2002 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune
13.0% Meursault Chardonnay. A very pleasant and floral nose. On the palate, medium to full-bodied with concentration and integration, with pear and mineral, rounded sweet acidity, and a much needed and better medium finish. Very tasty. Drink from 2008 to 2012. Good stuff.
2001 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series 露纹酒园
Australia, Western Australia, Margaret River
14.0%. Australia Chardonnay. Intense and aromatic with oak induced butterscotch aroma. A superb full-bodied white wine, with restrained ripe citrus, melon and pear flavors, weighty and acute acidity, and a lovely medium to long finish. Drink from 2008 to 2014.
2004 Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen Chardonnay Blauw
Belgium, Haspengouw
Planted with just Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this estate is named as the largest winery in Belgium with 16 hectares of vineyard.
Castle Genoels-elderen is with its 16 ha of vineyards the largest winery in Belgium.
13.0%. 100% Belgium Chardonnay. Extremely fresh like a face blown with sea breeze. Has clarity and cleanliness on the nose. Medium-bodied, this exotic wine robs your senses with notes of pear, melon-like sweetness, its acidity amazes with balance, grip and finesse. Good long and clinical finish.
2006 Millton Riverpoint Chardonnay 米尔顿酒庄
New Zealand, North Island, Gisborne
Hmm an estate which believes in En Primeur for its wines. Poor white, served after some of Australia and Burgundy finest white examples. 12.5%. 100% New Zealand Chardonnay. Is it a Sauvignon Blanc? At first sniff it was. A Medium-bodied combining long crisp acidity, with grapefruit and light gooseberry flavors. Simple and one dimensional.
2005 Auntsfield Heritage Pinot Noir 酒母场
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Press sample. 14.5%. 100% New Zealand Pinot Noir from 100 year old vines. At least 12 months in French oak. The wine is only made in exceptional years from this 28 hectares 18th century estate by brothers Ben and Luke, who recently reestablished themselves with its first planting in 1998, commercial release in 2003. An exceptional living example of just how good Pinot Noir may impress you from New Zealand. Fresh and fleshy with subtle spice and hedonist version of dark raspberry and black cherry. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe yet balanced acidity, layered with rustic cherry texture and a long dry finish. Drink from 2008 to 2018. I hope Barney, and the rest were pretty aroused by this rich wine, from the second helpings where pours went on and on ... till a full stop to it.
2002 Philippe Roty Marsannay Champs Saint Etienne 菲利普-柔弟酒庄
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
A humor-filled special wine which relates how a wine lover will never retire from buying, especially if this offering was priced at an irresistible value which made buyer(sss) splurge and sip. 13.0%. 100% Burgundy Pinot Noir from 40 to 50 year old vines. Mature and aromatic red cherry spiced with pepper and tea. Well integrated, this balanced Medium-Bodied wine humbugged us with its delicious and clean cherry scent, plus a sustained medium finish. If Tze Moh was with us, he would have remarked, "Sibeh Ho" ... Drink from 2008 to 2009.
2003 Château Coutet 小档案
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Often rivaling and compared with its twin, Château Climens; this 16th century estate has a vineyard area extending 38 hectares with grape varieties of 75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon blanc and 2% Muscadelle. Near 5,000 cases is made annually. Today it is managed by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, which also owns a list of distinguished properties; Bordeaux Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Clerc Milon, Château d'Armailhac, Mouton Cadet, Opus One in California, Almaviva in Chile.
14.0%. Flower blossom, pineapple and oak induced coconut aroma. Full-bodied with a thickly gravy texture of caramel, honey and pear, near absent acidity, and a viscous finish. Drink from 2008 to 2021.
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Scaled Composites ARES - Model 151 - sn 90001 - N151SC
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AGILE RESPONSIVE EFFECTIVE SUPPORTS (ARES)
The ARES, Scaled Model 151, was designed initially in response to a U.S. Army request for a Low Cost Battlefield Attack Aircraft (LCBAA). A design study was performed by Rutan Aircraft Factory in 1981 for such an aircraft. Its mission goals were low-altitude, close air support, with long endurance, and with adequate field performance to operate from roads.
Scaled followed up with the concept, and ultimately decided to build a demonstrator aircraft with internal funds. The ARES first flew on February 19, 1990. ARES has flown more than 250 hours, and demonstrated all of its design performance and handling qualities goals, including departure-free handling at full aft stick. During November of 1991, tests of the GAU-12/U gun system installed in ARES were performed, with outstanding results.
Movie buffs may also remember the ARES in its role as the secret ME-263 jet in the screen classic Iron Eagle III.
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Scaled Composites ARES - Model 151 - sn 90001 - N151SC
----------------------------
AGILE RESPONSIVE EFFECTIVE SUPPORTS (ARES)
The ARES, Scaled Model 151, was designed initially in response to a U.S. Army request for a Low Cost Battlefield Attack Aircraft (LCBAA). A design study was performed by Rutan Aircraft Factory in 1981 for such an aircraft. Its mission goals were low-altitude, close air support, with long endurance, and with adequate field performance to operate from roads.
Scaled followed up with the concept, and ultimately decided to build a demonstrator aircraft with internal funds. The ARES first flew on February 19, 1990. ARES has flown more than 250 hours, and demonstrated all of its design performance and handling qualities goals, including departure-free handling at full aft stick. During November of 1991, tests of the GAU-12/U gun system installed in ARES were performed, with outstanding results.
Movie buffs may also remember the ARES in its role as the secret ME-263 jet in the screen classic Iron Eagle III.
----------------------------
More info:
www.ares.info/turbofan-killer-bee-rutan-ares-mudfighter-f...
Jellyfish, also known sea jellies, are the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria.
Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella-shaped bells and trailing tentacles, although a few are anchored to the seabed by stalks rather than being mobile. The bell can pulsate to provide propulsion for highly efficient locomotion. The tentacles are armed with stinging cells and may be used to capture prey and defend against predators. Jellyfish have a complex life cycle. The medusa is normally the sexual phase, which produces planula larvae; these then disperse widely and enter a sedentary polyp phase, before reaching sexual maturity.
Jellyfish are found all over the world, from surface waters to the deep sea. Scyphozoans (the "true jellyfish") are exclusively marine, but some hydrozoans with a similar appearance live in freshwater. Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. The medusae of most species are fast-growing, and mature within a few months then die soon after breeding, but the polyp stage, attached to the seabed, may be much more long-lived. Jellyfish have been in existence for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal group.
Jellyfish are eaten by humans in certain cultures. They are considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, where species in the Rhizostomeae order are pressed and salted to remove excess water. Australian researchers have described them as a "perfect food": sustainable and protein-rich but relatively low in food energy.
They are also used in research, where the green fluorescent protein used by some species to cause bioluminescence has been adapted as a fluorescent marker for genes inserted into other cells or organisms.
The stinging cells used by jellyfish to subdue their prey can injure humans. Thousands of swimmers worldwide are stung every year, with effects ranging from mild discomfort to serious injury or even death. When conditions are favourable, jellyfish can form vast swarms, which can be responsible for damage to fishing gear by filling fishing nets, and sometimes clog the cooling systems of power and desalination plants which draw their water from the sea.
Names
The name jellyfish, in use since 1796, has traditionally been applied to medusae and all similar animals including the comb jellies (ctenophores, another phylum). The term jellies or sea jellies is more recent, having been introduced by public aquaria in an effort to avoid use of the word "fish" with its modern connotation of an animal with a backbone, though shellfish, cuttlefish and starfish are not vertebrates either. In scientific literature, "jelly" and "jellyfish" have been used interchangeably. Many sources refer to only scyphozoans as "true jellyfish".
A group of jellyfish is called a "smack" or a "smuck".
Definition
The term jellyfish broadly corresponds to medusae, that is, a life-cycle stage in the Medusozoa. The American evolutionary biologist Paulyn Cartwright gives the following general definition:
Typically, medusozoan cnidarians have a pelagic, predatory jellyfish stage in their life cycle; staurozoans are the exceptions [as they are stalked].
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines jellyfish as follows:
A free-swimming marine coelenterate that is the sexually reproducing form of a hydrozoan or scyphozoan and has a nearly transparent saucer-shaped body and extensible marginal tentacles studded with stinging cells.
Given that jellyfish is a common name, its mapping to biological groups is inexact. Some authorities have called the comb jellies and certain salps jellyfish, though other authorities state that neither of these are jellyfish, which they consider should be limited to certain groups within the medusozoa.
The non-medusozoan clades called jellyfish by some but not all authorities (both agreeing and disagreeing citations are given in each case) are indicated with on the following cladogram of the animal kingdom:
Jellyfish are not a clade, as they include most of the Medusozoa, barring some of the Hydrozoa. The medusozoan groups included by authorities are indicated on the following phylogenetic tree by the presence of citations. Names of included jellyfish, in English where possible, are shown in boldface; the presence of a named and cited example indicates that at least that species within its group has been called a jellyfish.
Taxonomy
The subphylum Medusozoa includes all cnidarians with a medusa stage in their life cycle. The basic cycle is egg, planula larva, polyp, medusa, with the medusa being the sexual stage. The polyp stage is sometimes secondarily lost. The subphylum include the major taxa, Scyphozoa (large jellyfish), Cubozoa (box jellyfish) and Hydrozoa (small jellyfish), and excludes Anthozoa (corals and sea anemones). This suggests that the medusa form evolved after the polyps. Medusozoans have tetramerous symmetry, with parts in fours or multiples of four.
The four major classes of medusozoan Cnidaria are:
Scyphozoa are sometimes called true jellyfish, though they are no more truly jellyfish than the others listed here. They have tetra-radial symmetry. Most have tentacles around the outer margin of the bowl-shaped bell, and long, oral arms around the mouth in the center of the subumbrella.
Cubozoa (box jellyfish) have a (rounded) box-shaped bell, and their velarium assists them to swim more quickly. Box jellyfish may be related more closely to scyphozoan jellyfish than either are to the Hydrozoa.
Hydrozoa medusae also have tetra-radial symmetry, nearly always have a velum (diaphragm used in swimming) attached just inside the bell margin, do not have oral arms, but a much smaller central stalk-like structure, the manubrium, with terminal mouth opening, and are distinguished by the absence of cells in the mesoglea. Hydrozoa show great diversity of lifestyle; some species maintain the polyp form for their entire life and do not form medusae at all (such as Hydra, which is hence not considered a jellyfish), and a few are entirely medusal and have no polyp form.
Staurozoa (stalked jellyfish) are characterized by a medusa form that is generally sessile, oriented upside down and with a stalk emerging from the apex of the "calyx" (bell), which attaches to the substrate. At least some Staurozoa also have a polyp form that alternates with the medusoid portion of the life cycle. Until recently, Staurozoa were classified within the Scyphozoa.
There are over 200 species of Scyphozoa, about 50 species of Staurozoa, about 50 species of Cubozoa, and the Hydrozoa includes about 1000–1500 species that produce medusae, but many more species that do not.
Fossil history
Since jellyfish have no hard parts, fossils are rare. The oldest unambiguous fossil of a free-swimming medusa is Burgessomedusa from the mid Cambrian Burgess Shale of Canada, which is likely either a stem group of box jellyfish (Cubozoa) or Acraspeda (the clade including Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa). Other claimed records from the Cambrian of China and Utah in the United States are uncertain, and possibly represent ctenophores instead.
Anatomy
The main feature of a true jellyfish is the umbrella-shaped bell. This is a hollow structure consisting of a mass of transparent jelly-like matter known as mesoglea, which forms the hydrostatic skeleton of the animal. 95% or more of the mesogloea consists of water, but it also contains collagen and other fibrous proteins, as well as wandering amoebocytes which can engulf debris and bacteria. The mesogloea is bordered by the epidermis on the outside and the gastrodermis on the inside. The edge of the bell is often divided into rounded lobes known as lappets, which allow the bell to flex. In the gaps or niches between the lappets are dangling rudimentary sense organs known as rhopalia, and the margin of the bell often bears tentacles.
Anatomy of a scyphozoan jellyfish
On the underside of the bell is the manubrium, a stalk-like structure hanging down from the centre, with the mouth, which also functions as the anus, at its tip. There are often four oral arms connected to the manubrium, streaming away into the water below. The mouth opens into the gastrovascular cavity, where digestion takes place and nutrients are absorbed. This is subdivided by four thick septa into a central stomach and four gastric pockets. The four pairs of gonads are attached to the septa, and close to them four septal funnels open to the exterior, perhaps supplying good oxygenation to the gonads. Near the free edges of the septa, gastric filaments extend into the gastric cavity; these are armed with nematocysts and enzyme-producing cells and play a role in subduing and digesting the prey. In some scyphozoans, the gastric cavity is joined to radial canals which branch extensively and may join a marginal ring canal. Cilia in these canals circulate the fluid in a regular direction.
Discharge mechanism of a nematocyst
The box jellyfish is largely similar in structure. It has a squarish, box-like bell. A short pedalium or stalk hangs from each of the four lower corners. One or more long, slender tentacles are attached to each pedalium. The rim of the bell is folded inwards to form a shelf known as a velarium which restricts the bell's aperture and creates a powerful jet when the bell pulsates, allowing box jellyfish to swim faster than true jellyfish. Hydrozoans are also similar, usually with just four tentacles at the edge of the bell, although many hydrozoans are colonial and may not have a free-living medusal stage. In some species, a non-detachable bud known as a gonophore is formed that contains a gonad but is missing many other medusal features such as tentacles and rhopalia. Stalked jellyfish are attached to a solid surface by a basal disk, and resemble a polyp, the oral end of which has partially developed into a medusa with tentacle-bearing lobes and a central manubrium with four-sided mouth.
Most jellyfish do not have specialized systems for osmoregulation, respiration and circulation, and do not have a central nervous system. Nematocysts, which deliver the sting, are located mostly on the tentacles; true jellyfish also have them around the mouth and stomach. Jellyfish do not need a respiratory system because sufficient oxygen diffuses through the epidermis. They have limited control over their movement, but can navigate with the pulsations of the bell-like body; some species are active swimmers most of the time, while others largely drift. The rhopalia contain rudimentary sense organs which are able to detect light, water-borne vibrations, odour and orientation. A loose network of nerves called a "nerve net" is located in the epidermis. Although traditionally thought not to have a central nervous system, nerve net concentration and ganglion-like structures could be considered to constitute one in most species. A jellyfish detects stimuli, and transmits impulses both throughout the nerve net and around a circular nerve ring, to other nerve cells. The rhopalial ganglia contain pacemaker neurones which control swimming rate and direction.
In many species of jellyfish, the rhopalia include ocelli, light-sensitive organs able to tell light from dark. These are generally pigment spot ocelli, which have some of their cells pigmented. The rhopalia are suspended on stalks with heavy crystals at one end, acting like gyroscopes to orient the eyes skyward. Certain jellyfish look upward at the mangrove canopy while making a daily migration from mangrove swamps into the open lagoon, where they feed, and back again.
Box jellyfish have more advanced vision than the other groups. Each individual has 24 eyes, two of which are capable of seeing colour, and four parallel information processing areas that act in competition, supposedly making them one of the few kinds of animal to have a 360-degree view of its environment.
Box jellyfish eye
The study of jellyfish eye evolution is an intermediary to a better understanding of how visual systems evolved on Earth. Jellyfish exhibit immense variation in visual systems ranging from photoreceptive cell patches seen in simple photoreceptive systems to more derived complex eyes seen in box jellyfish. Major topics of jellyfish visual system research (with an emphasis on box jellyfish) include: the evolution of jellyfish vision from simple to complex visual systems), the eye morphology and molecular structures of box jellyfish (including comparisons to vertebrate eyes), and various uses of vision including task-guided behaviors and niche specialization.
Evolution
Experimental evidence for photosensitivity and photoreception in cnidarians antecedes the mid 1900s, and a rich body of research has since covered evolution of visual systems in jellyfish. Jellyfish visual systems range from simple photoreceptive cells to complex image-forming eyes. More ancestral visual systems incorporate extraocular vision (vision without eyes) that encompass numerous receptors dedicated to single-function behaviors. More derived visual systems comprise perception that is capable of multiple task-guided behaviors.
Although they lack a true brain, cnidarian jellyfish have a "ring" nervous system that plays a significant role in motor and sensory activity. This net of nerves is responsible for muscle contraction and movement and culminates the emergence of photosensitive structures. Across Cnidaria, there is large variation in the systems that underlie photosensitivity. Photosensitive structures range from non-specialized groups of cells, to more "conventional" eyes similar to those of vertebrates. The general evolutionary steps to develop complex vision include (from more ancestral to more derived states): non-directional photoreception, directional photoreception, low-resolution vision, and high-resolution vision. Increased habitat and task complexity has favored the high-resolution visual systems common in derived cnidarians such as box jellyfish.
Basal visual systems observed in various cnidarians exhibit photosensitivity representative of a single task or behavior. Extraocular photoreception (a form of non-directional photoreception), is the most basic form of light sensitivity and guides a variety of behaviors among cnidarians. It can function to regulate circadian rhythm (as seen in eyeless hydrozoans) and other light-guided behaviors responsive to the intensity and spectrum of light. Extraocular photoreception can function additionally in positive phototaxis (in planula larvae of hydrozoans), as well as in avoiding harmful amounts of UV radiation via negative phototaxis. Directional photoreception (the ability to perceive direction of incoming light) allows for more complex phototactic responses to light, and likely evolved by means of membrane stacking. The resulting behavioral responses can range from guided spawning events timed by moonlight to shadow responses for potential predator avoidance. Light-guided behaviors are observed in numerous scyphozoans including the common moon jelly, Aurelia aurita, which migrates in response to changes in ambient light and solar position even though they lack proper eyes.
The low-resolution visual system of box jellyfish is more derived than directional photoreception, and thus box jellyfish vision represents the most basic form of true vision in which multiple directional photoreceptors combine to create the first imaging and spatial resolution. This is different from the high-resolution vision that is observed in camera or compound eyes of vertebrates and cephalopods that rely on focusing optics. Critically, the visual systems of box jellyfish are responsible for guiding multiple tasks or behaviors in contrast to less derived visual systems in other jellyfish that guide single behavioral functions. These behaviors include phototaxis based on sunlight (positive) or shadows (negative), obstacle avoidance, and control of swim-pulse rate.
Box jellyfish possess "proper eyes" (similar to vertebrates) that allow them to inhabit environments that lesser derived medusae cannot. In fact, they are considered the only class in the clade Medusozoa that have behaviors necessitating spatial resolution and genuine vision. However, the lens in their eyes are more functionally similar to cup-eyes exhibited in low-resolution organisms, and have very little to no focusing capability. The lack of the ability to focus is due to the focal length exceeding the distance to the retina, thus generating unfocused images and limiting spatial resolution. The visual system is still sufficient for box jellyfish to produce an image to help with tasks such as object avoidance.
Utility as a model organism
Box jellyfish eyes are a visual system that is sophisticated in numerous ways. These intricacies include the considerable variation within the morphology of box jellyfishes' eyes (including their task/behavior specification), and the molecular makeup of their eyes including: photoreceptors, opsins, lenses, and synapses. The comparison of these attributes to more derived visual systems can allow for a further understanding of how the evolution of more derived visual systems may have occurred, and puts into perspective how box jellyfish can play the role as an evolutionary/developmental model for all visual systems.
Characteristics
Box jellyfish visual systems are both diverse and complex, comprising multiple photosystems. There is likely considerable variation in visual properties between species of box jellyfish given the significant inter-species morphological and physiological variation. Eyes tend to differ in size and shape, along with number of receptors (including opsins), and physiology across species of box jellyfish.
Box jellyfish have a series of intricate lensed eyes that are similar to those of more derived multicellular organisms such as vertebrates. Their 24 eyes fit into four different morphological categories. These categories consist of two large, morphologically different medial eyes (a lower and upper lensed eye) containing spherical lenses, a lateral pair of pigment slit eyes, and a lateral pair of pigment pit eyes. The eyes are situated on rhopalia (small sensory structures) which serve sensory functions of the box jellyfish and arise from the cavities of the exumbrella (the surface of the body) on the side of the bells of the jellyfish. The two large eyes are located on the mid-line of the club and are considered complex because they contain lenses. The four remaining eyes lie laterally on either side of each rhopalia and are considered simple. The simple eyes are observed as small invaginated cups of epithelium that have developed pigmentation. The larger of the complex eyes contains a cellular cornea created by a mono ciliated epithelium, cellular lens, homogenous capsule to the lens, vitreous body with prismatic elements, and a retina of pigmented cells. The smaller of the complex eyes is said to be slightly less complex given that it lacks a capsule but otherwise contains the same structure as the larger eye.
Box jellyfish have multiple photosystems that comprise different sets of eyes. Evidence includes immunocytochemical and molecular data that show photopigment differences among the different morphological eye types, and physiological experiments done on box jellyfish to suggest behavioral differences among photosystems. Each individual eye type constitutes photosystems that work collectively to control visually guided behaviors.
Box jellyfish eyes primarily use c-PRCs (ciliary photoreceptor cells) similar to that of vertebrate eyes. These cells undergo phototransduction cascades (process of light absorption by photoreceptors) that are triggered by c-opsins. Available opsin sequences suggest that there are two types of opsins possessed by all cnidarians including an ancient phylogenetic opsin, and a sister ciliary opsin to the c-opsins group. Box jellyfish could have both ciliary and cnidops (cnidarian opsins), which is something not previously believed to appear in the same retina. Nevertheless, it is not entirely evident whether cnidarians possess multiple opsins that are capable of having distinctive spectral sensitivities.
Comparison with other organisms
Comparative research on genetic and molecular makeup of box jellyfishes' eyes versus more derived eyes seen in vertebrates and cephalopods focuses on: lenses and crystallin composition, synapses, and Pax genes and their implied evidence for shared primordial (ancestral) genes in eye evolution.
Box jellyfish eyes are said to be an evolutionary/developmental model of all eyes based on their evolutionary recruitment of crystallins and Pax genes. Research done on box jellyfish including Tripedalia cystophora has suggested that they possess a single Pax gene, PaxB. PaxB functions by binding to crystallin promoters and activating them. PaxB in situ hybridization resulted in PaxB expression in the lens, retina, and statocysts. These results and the rejection of the prior hypothesis that Pax6 was an ancestral Pax gene in eyes has led to the conclusion that PaxB was a primordial gene in eye evolution, and that the eyes of all organisms likely share a common ancestor.
The lens structure of box jellyfish appears very similar to those of other organisms, but the crystallins are distinct in both function and appearance. Weak reactions were seen within the sera and there were very weak sequence similarities within the crystallins among vertebrate and invertebrate lenses. This is likely due to differences in lower molecular weight proteins and the subsequent lack of immunological reactions with antisera that other organisms' lenses exhibit.
All four of the visual systems of box jellyfish species investigated with detail (Carybdea marsupialis, Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, Tamoya haplonema and Tripedalia cystophora) have invaginated synapses, but only in the upper and lower lensed eyes. Different densities were found between the upper and lower lenses, and between species. Four types of chemical synapses have been discovered within the rhopalia which could help in understanding neural organization including: clear unidirectional, dense-core unidirectional, clear bidirectional, and clear and dense-core bidirectional. The synapses of the lensed eyes could be useful as markers to learn more about the neural circuit in box jellyfish retinal areas.
Evolution as a response to natural stimuli
The primary adaptive responses to environmental variation observed in box jellyfish eyes include pupillary constriction speeds in response to light environments, as well as photoreceptor tuning and lens adaptations to better respond to shifts between light environments and darkness. Interestingly, some box jellyfish species' eyes appear to have evolved more focused vision in response to their habitat.
Pupillary contraction appears to have evolved in response to variation in the light environment across ecological niches across three species of box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri, Chiropsella bronzie, and Carukia barnesi). Behavioral studies suggest that faster pupil contraction rates allow for greater object avoidance, and in fact, species with more complex habitats exhibit faster rates. Ch. bronzie inhabit shallow beach fronts that have low visibility and very few obstacles, thus, faster pupil contraction in response to objects in their environment is not important. Ca. barnesi and Ch. fleckeri are found in more three-dimensionally complex environments like mangroves with an abundance of natural obstacles, where faster pupil contraction is more adaptive. Behavioral studies support the idea that faster pupillary contraction rates assist with obstacle avoidance as well as depth adjustments in response to differing light intensities.
Light/dark adaptation via pupillary light reflexes is an additional form of an evolutionary response to the light environment. This relates to the pupil's response to shifts between light intensity (generally from sunlight to darkness). In the process of light/dark adaptation, the upper and lower lens eyes of different box jellyfish species vary in specific function. The lower lens-eyes contain pigmented photoreceptors and long pigment cells with dark pigments that migrate on light/dark adaptation, while the upper-lens eyes play a concentrated role in light direction and phototaxis given that they face upward towards the water surface (towards the sun or moon). The upper lens of Ch. bronzie does not exhibit any considerable optical power while Tr. cystophora (a box jellyfish species that tends to live in mangroves) does. The ability to use light to visually guide behavior is not of as much importance to Ch. bronzie as it is to species in more obstacle-filled environments. Differences in visually guided behavior serve as evidence that species that share the same number and structure of eyes can exhibit differences in how they control behavior.
Largest and smallest
Jellyfish range from about one millimeter in bell height and diameter, to nearly 2 metres (6+1⁄2 ft) in bell height and diameter; the tentacles and mouth parts usually extend beyond this bell dimension.
The smallest jellyfish are the peculiar creeping jellyfish in the genera Staurocladia and Eleutheria, which have bell disks from 0.5 millimetres (1⁄32 in) to a few millimeters in diameter, with short tentacles that extend out beyond this, which these jellyfish use to move across the surface of seaweed or the bottoms of rocky pools; many of these tiny creeping jellyfish cannot be seen in the field without a hand lens or microscope. They can reproduce asexually by fission (splitting in half). Other very small jellyfish, which have bells about one millimeter, are the hydromedusae of many species that have just been released from their parent polyps; some of these live only a few minutes before shedding their gametes in the plankton and then dying, while others will grow in the plankton for weeks or months. The hydromedusae Cladonema radiatum and Cladonema californicum are also very small, living for months, yet never growing beyond a few mm in bell height and diameter.
The lion's mane jellyfish, Cyanea capillata, was long-cited as the largest jellyfish, and arguably the longest animal in the world, with fine, thread-like tentacles that may extend up to 36.5 m (119 ft 9 in) long (though most are nowhere near that large). They have a moderately painful, but rarely fatal, sting. The increasingly common giant Nomura's jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, found in some, but not all years in the waters of Japan, Korea and China in summer and autumn is another candidate for "largest jellyfish", in terms of diameter and weight, since the largest Nomura's jellyfish in late autumn can reach 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in bell (body) diameter and about 200 kg (440 lb) in weight, with average specimens frequently reaching 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) in bell diameter and about 150 kg (330 lb) in weight. The large bell mass of the giant Nomura's jellyfish can dwarf a diver and is nearly always much greater than the Lion's Mane, whose bell diameter can reach 1 m (3 ft 3 in).
The rarely encountered deep-sea jellyfish Stygiomedusa gigantea is another candidate for "largest jellyfish", with its thick, massive bell up to 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) wide, and four thick, "strap-like" oral arms extending up to 6 m (19+1⁄2 ft) in length, very different from the typical fine, threadlike tentacles that rim the umbrella of more-typical-looking jellyfish, including the Lion's Mane.
Desmonema glaciale, which lives in the Antarctic region, can reach a very large size (several meters). Purple-striped jelly (Chrysaora colorata) can also be extremely long (up to 15 feet).
Life history and behavior
Life cycle
Jellyfish have a complex life cycle which includes both sexual and asexual phases, with the medusa being the sexual stage in most instances. Sperm fertilize eggs, which develop into larval planulae, become polyps, bud into ephyrae and then transform into adult medusae. In some species certain stages may be skipped.
Upon reaching adult size, jellyfish spawn regularly if there is a sufficient supply of food. In most species, spawning is controlled by light, with all individuals spawning at about the same time of day; in many instances this is at dawn or dusk. Jellyfish are usually either male or female (with occasional hermaphrodites). In most cases, adults release sperm and eggs into the surrounding water, where the unprotected eggs are fertilized and develop into larvae. In a few species, the sperm swim into the female's mouth, fertilizing the eggs within her body, where they remain during early development stages. In moon jellies, the eggs lodge in pits on the oral arms, which form a temporary brood chamber for the developing planula larvae.
The planula is a small larva covered with cilia. When sufficiently developed, it settles onto a firm surface and develops into a polyp. The polyp generally consists of a small stalk topped by a mouth that is ringed by upward-facing tentacles. The polyps resemble those of closely related anthozoans, such as sea anemones and corals. The jellyfish polyp may be sessile, living on the bottom, boat hulls or other substrates, or it may be free-floating or attached to tiny bits of free-living plankton or rarely, fish or other invertebrates. Polyps may be solitary or colonial. Most polyps are only millimetres in diameter and feed continuously. The polyp stage may last for years.
After an interval and stimulated by seasonal or hormonal changes, the polyp may begin reproducing asexually by budding and, in the Scyphozoa, is called a segmenting polyp, or a scyphistoma. Budding produces more scyphistomae and also ephyrae. Budding sites vary by species; from the tentacle bulbs, the manubrium (above the mouth), or the gonads of hydromedusae. In a process known as strobilation, the polyp's tentacles are reabsorbed and the body starts to narrow, forming transverse constrictions, in several places near the upper extremity of the polyp. These deepen as the constriction sites migrate down the body, and separate segments known as ephyra detach. These are free-swimming precursors of the adult medusa stage, which is the life stage that is typically identified as a jellyfish. The ephyrae, usually only a millimeter or two across initially, swim away from the polyp and grow. Limnomedusae polyps can asexually produce a creeping frustule larval form, which crawls away before developing into another polyp. A few species can produce new medusae by budding directly from the medusan stage. Some hydromedusae reproduce by fission.
Lifespan
Little is known of the life histories of many jellyfish as the places on the seabed where the benthic forms of those species live have not been found. However, an asexually reproducing strobila form can sometimes live for several years, producing new medusae (ephyra larvae) each year.
An unusual species, Turritopsis dohrnii, formerly classified as Turritopsis nutricula, might be effectively immortal because of its ability under certain circumstances to transform from medusa back to the polyp stage, thereby escaping the death that typically awaits medusae post-reproduction if they have not otherwise been eaten by some other organism. So far this reversal has been observed only in the laboratory.
Locomotion
Jellyfish locomotion is highly efficient. Muscles in the jellylike bell contract, setting up a start vortex and propelling the animal. When the contraction ends, the bell recoils elastically, creating a stop vortex with no extra energy input.
Using the moon jelly Aurelia aurita as an example, jellyfish have been shown to be the most energy-efficient swimmers of all animals. They move through the water by radially expanding and contracting their bell-shaped bodies to push water behind them. They pause between the contraction and expansion phases to create two vortex rings. Muscles are used for the contraction of the body, which creates the first vortex and pushes the animal forward, but the mesoglea is so elastic that the expansion is powered exclusively by relaxing the bell, which releases the energy stored from the contraction. Meanwhile, the second vortex ring starts to spin faster, sucking water into the bell and pushing against the centre of the body, giving a secondary and "free" boost forward. The mechanism, called passive energy recapture, only works in relatively small jellyfish moving at low speeds, allowing the animal to travel 30 percent farther on each swimming cycle. Jellyfish achieved a 48 percent lower cost of transport (food and oxygen intake versus energy spent in movement) than other animals in similar studies. One reason for this is that most of the gelatinous tissue of the bell is inactive, using no energy during swimming.
Ecology
Diet
Jellyfish are, like other cnidarians, generally carnivorous (or parasitic), feeding on planktonic organisms, crustaceans, small fish, fish eggs and larvae, and other jellyfish, ingesting food and voiding undigested waste through the mouth. They hunt passively using their tentacles as drift lines, or sink through the water with their tentacles spread widely; the tentacles, which contain nematocysts to stun or kill the prey, may then flex to help bring it to the mouth. Their swimming technique also helps them to capture prey; when their bell expands it sucks in water which brings more potential prey within reach of the tentacles.
A few species such as Aglaura hemistoma are omnivorous, feeding on microplankton which is a mixture of zooplankton and phytoplankton (microscopic plants) such as dinoflagellates. Others harbour mutualistic algae (Zooxanthellae) in their tissues; the spotted jellyfish (Mastigias papua) is typical of these, deriving part of its nutrition from the products of photosynthesis, and part from captured zooplankton. The upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea andromeda) also has a symbiotic relationship with microalgae, but captures tiny animals to supplement their diet. This is done by releasing tiny balls of living cells composed of mesoglea. These use cilia to drive them through water and stinging cells which stun the prey. The blobs also seems to have digestive capabilities.
Predation
Other species of jellyfish are among the most common and important jellyfish predators. Sea anemones may eat jellyfish that drift into their range. Other predators include tunas, sharks, swordfish, sea turtles and penguins. Jellyfish washed up on the beach are consumed by foxes, other terrestrial mammals and birds. In general however, few animals prey on jellyfish; they can broadly be considered to be top predators in the food chain. Once jellyfish have become dominant in an ecosystem, for example through overfishing which removes predators of jellyfish larvae, there may be no obvious way for the previous balance to be restored: they eat fish eggs and juvenile fish, and compete with fish for food, preventing fish stocks from recovering.
Symbiosis
Some small fish are immune to the stings of the jellyfish and live among the tentacles, serving as bait in a fish trap; they are safe from potential predators and are able to share the fish caught by the jellyfish. The cannonball jellyfish has a symbiotic relationship with ten different species of fish, and with the longnose spider crab, which lives inside the bell, sharing the jellyfish's food and nibbling its tissues.
Main article: Jellyfish bloom
Jellyfish form large masses or blooms in certain environmental conditions of ocean currents, nutrients, sunshine, temperature, season, prey availability, reduced predation and oxygen concentration. Currents collect jellyfish together, especially in years with unusually high populations. Jellyfish can detect marine currents and swim against the current to congregate in blooms. Jellyfish are better able to survive in nutrient-rich, oxygen-poor water than competitors, and thus can feast on plankton without competition. Jellyfish may also benefit from saltier waters, as saltier waters contain more iodine, which is necessary for polyps to turn into jellyfish. Rising sea temperatures caused by climate change may also contribute to jellyfish blooms, because many species of jellyfish are able to survive in warmer waters. Increased nutrients from agricultural or urban runoff with nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus compounds increase the growth of phytoplankton, causing eutrophication and algal blooms. When the phytoplankton die, they may create dead zones, so-called because they are hypoxic (low in oxygen). This in turn kills fish and other animals, but not jellyfish, allowing them to bloom. Jellyfish populations may be expanding globally as a result of land runoff and overfishing of their natural predators. Jellyfish are well placed to benefit from disturbance of marine ecosystems. They reproduce rapidly; they prey upon many species, while few species prey on them; and they feed via touch rather than visually, so they can feed effectively at night and in turbid waters. It may be difficult for fish stocks to re-establish themselves in marine ecosystems once they have become dominated by jellyfish, because jellyfish feed on plankton, which includes fish eggs and larvae.
As suspected at the turn of this century, jellyfish blooms are increasing in frequency. Between 2013 and 2020 the Mediterranean Science Commission monitored on a weekly basis the frequency of such outbreaks in coastal waters from Morocco to the Black Sea, revealing a relatively high frequency of these blooms nearly all year round, with peaks observed from March to July and often again in the autumn. The blooms are caused by different jellyfish species, depending on their localisation within the Basin: one observes a clear dominance of Pelagia noctiluca and Velella velella outbreaks in the western Mediterranean, of Rhizostoma pulmo and Rhopilema nomadica outbreaks in the eastern Mediterranean, and of Aurelia aurita and Mnemiopsis leidyi outbreaks in the Black Sea.
Some jellyfish populations that have shown clear increases in the past few decades are invasive species, newly arrived from other habitats: examples include the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Baltic Sea, central and eastern Mediterranean, Hawaii, and tropical and subtropical parts of the West Atlantic (including the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Brazil).
Jellyfish blooms can have significant impact on community structure. Some carnivorous jellyfish species prey on zooplankton while others graze on primary producers. Reductions in zooplankton and ichthyoplankton due to a jellyfish bloom can ripple through the trophic levels. High-density jellyfish populations can outcompete other predators and reduce fish recruitment. Increased grazing on primary producers by jellyfish can also interrupt energy transfer to higher trophic levels.
During blooms, jellyfish significantly alter the nutrient availability in their environment. Blooms require large amounts of available organic nutrients in the water column to grow, limiting availability for other organisms. Some jellyfish have a symbiotic relationship with single-celled dinoflagellates, allowing them to assimilate inorganic carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen creating competition for phytoplankton. Their large biomass makes them an important source of dissolved and particulate organic matter for microbial communities through excretion, mucus production, and decomposition. The microbes break down the organic matter into inorganic ammonium and phosphate. However, the low carbon availability shifts the process from production to respiration creating low oxygen areas making the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus largely unavailable for primary production.
These blooms have very real impacts on industries. Jellyfish can outcompete fish by utilizing open niches in over-fished fisheries. Catch of jellyfish can strain fishing gear and lead to expenses relating to damaged gear. Power plants have been shut down due to jellyfish blocking the flow of cooling water. Blooms have also been harmful for tourism, causing a rise in stings and sometimes the closure of beaches.
Jellyfish form a component of jelly-falls, events where gelatinous zooplankton fall to the seafloor, providing food for the benthic organisms there. In temperate and subpolar regions, jelly-falls usually follow immediately after a bloom.
Habitats
Most jellyfish are marine animals, although a few hydromedusae inhabit freshwater. The best known freshwater example is the cosmopolitan hydrozoan jellyfish, Craspedacusta sowerbii. It is less than an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, colorless and does not sting. Some jellyfish populations have become restricted to coastal saltwater lakes, such as Jellyfish Lake in Palau. Jellyfish Lake is a marine lake where millions of golden jellyfish (Mastigias spp.) migrate horizontally across the lake daily.
Although most jellyfish live well off the ocean floor and form part of the plankton, a few species are closely associated with the bottom for much of their lives and can be considered benthic. The upside-down jellyfish in the genus Cassiopea typically lie on the bottom of shallow lagoons where they sometimes pulsate gently with their umbrella top facing down. Even some deep-sea species of hydromedusae and scyphomedusae are usually collected on or near the bottom. All of the stauromedusae are found attached to either seaweed or rocky or other firm material on the bottom.
Some species explicitly adapt to tidal flux. In Roscoe Bay, jellyfish ride the current at ebb tide until they hit a gravel bar, and then descend below the current. They remain in still waters until the tide rises, ascending and allowing it to sweep them back into the bay. They also actively avoid fresh water from mountain snowmelt, diving until they find enough salt.
Parasites
Jellyfish are hosts to a wide variety of parasitic organisms. They act as intermediate hosts of endoparasitic helminths, with the infection being transferred to the definitive host fish after predation. Some digenean trematodes, especially species in the family Lepocreadiidae, use jellyfish as their second intermediate hosts. Fish become infected by the trematodes when they feed on infected jellyfish.
Relation to humans
Jellyfish have long been eaten in some parts of the world. Fisheries have begun harvesting the American cannonball jellyfish, Stomolophus meleagris, along the southern Atlantic coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico for export to Asia.
Jellyfish are also harvested for their collagen, which is being investigated for use in a variety of applications including the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Aquaculture and fisheries of other species often suffer severe losses – and so losses of productivity – due to jellyfish.
Products
Main article: Jellyfish as food
In some countries, including China, Japan, and Korea, jellyfish are a delicacy. The jellyfish is dried to prevent spoiling. Only some 12 species of scyphozoan jellyfish belonging to the order Rhizostomeae are harvested for food, mostly in southeast Asia. Rhizostomes, especially Rhopilema esculentum in China (海蜇 hǎizhé, 'sea stingers') and Stomolophus meleagris (cannonball jellyfish) in the United States, are favored because of their larger and more rigid bodies and because their toxins are harmless to humans.
Traditional processing methods, carried out by a jellyfish master, involve a 20- to 40-day multi-phase procedure in which, after removing the gonads and mucous membranes, the umbrella and oral arms are treated with a mixture of table salt and alum, and compressed. Processing makes the jellyfish drier and more acidic, producing a crisp texture. Jellyfish prepared this way retain 7–10% of their original weight, and the processed product consists of approximately 94% water and 6% protein. Freshly processed jellyfish has a white, creamy color and turns yellow or brown during prolonged storage.
In China, processed jellyfish are desalted by soaking in water overnight and eaten cooked or raw. The dish is often served shredded with a dressing of oil, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, or as a salad with vegetables. In Japan, cured jellyfish are rinsed, cut into strips and served with vinegar as an appetizer. Desalted, ready-to-eat products are also available.
Biotechnology
The hydromedusa Aequorea victoria was the source of green fluorescent protein, studied for its role in bioluminescence and later for use as a marker in genetic engineering.
Pliny the Elder reported in his Natural History that the slime of the jellyfish "Pulmo marinus" produced light when rubbed on a walking stick.
In 1961, Osamu Shimomura extracted green fluorescent protein (GFP) and another bioluminescent protein, called aequorin, from the large and abundant hydromedusa Aequorea victoria, while studying photoproteins that cause bioluminescence in this species. Three decades later, Douglas Prasher sequenced and cloned the gene for GFP. Martin Chalfie figured out how to use GFP as a fluorescent marker of genes inserted into other cells or organisms. Roger Tsien later chemically manipulated GFP to produce other fluorescent colors to use as markers. In 2008, Shimomura, Chalfie and Tsien won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work with GFP. Man-made GFP became widely used as a fluorescent tag to show which cells or tissues express specific genes. The genetic engineering technique fuses the gene of interest to the GFP gene. The fused DNA is then put into a cell, to generate either a cell line or (via IVF techniques) an entire animal bearing the gene. In the cell or animal, the artificial gene turns on in the same tissues and the same time as the normal gene, making a fusion of the normal protein with GFP attached to the end, illuminating the animal or cell reveals what tissues express that protein—or at what stage of development. The fluorescence shows where the gene is expressed.
Aquarium display
Jellyfish are displayed in many public aquariums. Often the tank's background is blue and the animals are illuminated by side light, increasing the contrast between the animal and the background. In natural conditions, many jellies are so transparent that they are nearly invisible. Jellyfish are not adapted to closed spaces. They depend on currents to transport them from place to place. Professional exhibits as in the Monterey Bay Aquarium feature precise water flows, typically in circular tanks to avoid trapping specimens in corners. The outflow is spread out over a large surface area and the inflow enters as a sheet of water in front of the outflow, so the jellyfish do not get sucked into it. As of 2009, jellyfish were becoming popular in home aquariums, where they require similar equipment.
Stings
Jellyfish are armed with nematocysts, a type of specialized stinging cell. Contact with a jellyfish tentacle can trigger millions of nematocysts to pierce the skin and inject venom, but only some species' venom causes an adverse reaction in humans. In a study published in Communications Biology, researchers found a jellyfish species called Cassiopea xamachana which when triggered will release tiny balls of cells that swim around the jellyfish stinging everything in their path. Researchers described these as "self-propelling microscopic grenades" and named them cassiosomes.
The effects of stings range from mild discomfort to extreme pain and death. Most jellyfish stings are not deadly, but stings of some box jellyfish (Irukandji jellyfish), such as the sea wasp, can be deadly. Stings may cause anaphylaxis (a form of shock), which can be fatal. Jellyfish kill 20 to 40 people a year in the Philippines alone. In 2006 the Spanish Red Cross treated 19,000 stung swimmers along the Costa Brava.
Vinegar (3–10% aqueous acetic acid) may help with box jellyfish stings but not the stings of the Portuguese man o' war. Clearing the area of jelly and tentacles reduces nematocyst firing. Scraping the affected skin, such as with the edge of a credit card, may remove remaining nematocysts. Once the skin has been cleaned of nematocysts, hydrocortisone cream applied locally reduces pain and inflammation. Antihistamines may help to control itching. Immunobased antivenins are used for serious box jellyfish stings.
In Elba Island and Corsica dittrichia viscosa is now used by residents and tourists to heal stings from jellyfish, bees and wasps pressing fresh leaves on the skin with quick results.
Mechanical issues
Jellyfish in large quantities can fill and split fishing nets and crush captured fish. They can clog cooling equipment, having disabled power stations in several countries; jellyfish caused a cascading blackout in the Philippines in 1999, as well as damaging the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California in 2008. They can also stop desalination plants and ships' engines.
Viet Fashion Week 2015
The Red Carpet
The evening will begin with a 1 hour red carpet event for our VIP guests to pose for photos with the press.This exclusive hour allows our VIP guests time to arrive early; have photo opportunities with the press; network with other VIPs; take a sneak peek behind-the-curtains and meet the designers, models, and stylists; enjoy some complimentary hors d’oeuvres; and get situated before the arrival of the general audience.
Fashion Show
The Rose Center in Westminster, CA will be transformed into a model’s dream runway showcasing almost 200 of the latest looks from 8 Vietnamese designers over a 2 day period. Vocal artists Andy Quach and Helena Ngoc Hong will be performing their latest hits.
After Party
Guests are invited to Bleu Lounge for the after party celebrating Viet Fashion Week’s kick-off. Guests will have the opportunity to take photos with the designers and models. Opportunity for networking and socializing to connect designers with buyers, editors, and others in the fashion industry.
International Exposure
Viet Fashion Week will be aired on Vietface TV – Direct TV channel 2076 nationwide and Vietface TV – OC channel 57.2 for Orange County in a series of episodes airing each week. The weekly series will showcase each designer and will include clips of the behind-the-scenes leading up to the main event, highlighting the models’ auditions, designer fittings, stylist consultations, dress rehearsal, VIP guests arriving on the red carpet, backstage preparations, post-mixer, and exclusive interviews with designers, models and sponsors.
Scaled Composites ARES - Model 151 - sn 90001 - N151SC
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AGILE RESPONSIVE EFFECTIVE SUPPORTS (ARES)
The ARES, Scaled Model 151, was designed initially in response to a U.S. Army request for a Low Cost Battlefield Attack Aircraft (LCBAA). A design study was performed by Rutan Aircraft Factory in 1981 for such an aircraft. Its mission goals were low-altitude, close air support, with long endurance, and with adequate field performance to operate from roads.
Scaled followed up with the concept, and ultimately decided to build a demonstrator aircraft with internal funds. The ARES first flew on February 19, 1990. ARES has flown more than 250 hours, and demonstrated all of its design performance and handling qualities goals, including departure-free handling at full aft stick. During November of 1991, tests of the GAU-12/U gun system installed in ARES were performed, with outstanding results.
Movie buffs may also remember the ARES in its role as the secret ME-263 jet in the screen classic Iron Eagle III.
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More info:
www.ares.info/turbofan-killer-bee-rutan-ares-mudfighter-f...