The origin of the EIFS with drainage goes back to the 1990s. The idea of adding drainage came about due to a rash of water intrusion problems on houses in the southeast. Water had gotten behind the EIFS and ruined the supporting wood structure, causing a flurry of lawsuits and repairs, and sparking the interest of building code officials.

Since when did architects become responsible for ensuring occupant health resulting from exposure to building material ingredients?

TellSpec and SCiO are about to release devices which will allow you “to get instant relevant information about the chemical make-up of just about anything around you.

The energy saving contributions of thermal mass are well known but not always implemented in an ideal way.

The organisation, which has 160 employees, says it is still trying to understand how staff will be affected

Resolution Engineering Inc., Hudson, Wis.,is a provider of RF/wireless and embedded systems design services, while sister company Resolution Products produces a wide range of common use and wireless security devices. Until recently, “green” qualities weren’t on the radar for these types of products, so today, Resolution Engineering is thrilled to see increased attention focused on sustainability. The company’s products, services and operations have incorporated sustainable attributes for years. John Bergman, one of the founders of the company, is the driving force behind the company’s sustainable practices. 

Columbus, OH — People who incorrectly believe they have “all the facts” may remain overly confident in their beliefs or decisions, a recent study suggests.

Arlington, VA — Mine operators should train miners on recognizing highwall hazards and following procedures for their safe control, the Mine Safety and Health Administration advises in a recent safety alert.

The program invited cross-functional employee teams to submit projects completed during Conagra's fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Each submission was evaluated by a panel of peers, with the final winners selected by the company's sustainability leaders.

Flexco introduces Natural Elements, a new line of wood vinyl plank products available in 4” by 36” formats in 18 colors and a luxury vinyl stone tile available in 18” by 18” sizes in eight colors.

The Designer Series from Royal Sealers is the industry's first sealer with Micro Crystals. This premium impregnating sealer is embedded with eye-catching, multi-faceted light reflecting Micro Crystals that enhance the appearance of any surface, adding dimension and character.

Metallika from Surfaces brings “the beauty of pure aluminum, transformed in sophisticated patterns and color combinations with stone and glass.”

Tile Redinow offers Redi Trench, an incredibly exciting marriage of design and function for the commercial construction sector, in particular for the hospitality industry.

The Reclaimé Collection’s new line extensions offer the visual and charm of a floor constructed from reclaimed, vintage wood in a laminate flooring construction, according to Quick-Step.

These are the FE editorial picks from the past year that best exemplify advances in the alternative protein space, from facilities to flavor.

From their founding, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) educated as many as 90 percent of Black college students in the United States. Although many are aware of the significance of HBCUs for expanding Black Americans’ educational opportunities, much less attention has been paid to the vital role that they have played in enhancing American democracy. Drawing on six years of mixed-method research that informs The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy, this book talk considers the history of HBCUs and the unique role they have played in shaping American political development since 1837. Moreover, it considers the lessons that HBCUs offer the broader higher educational landscape as we consider the essential role that colleges and universities can play in helping to promote democracy.Deondra Rose is the Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, with secondary appointments in the Department of Political Science and the Department of History. Her research focuses on U.S. higher education policy, political behavior, American political development, and the politics of inequality, particularly in relation to gender, race, and socioeconomic status. In addition to her newest book, The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy, Rose is also the author of Citizens by Degree: Higher Education Policy and the Changing Gender Dynamics of American Citizenship, which examines the development of landmark U.S. higher education policies and their impact on the progress that women have made since the mid-twentieth century. A summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia, Rose received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University, with a specialization in American politics and public policy.

by Taylor Griggs

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

Good morning, Portland! There's rain on the menu for today, but you probably didn't need me to tell you that. Hopefully you know how to layer for November in Portland by now. Anddddd that's all the small talk we have time for this morning, so chop chop. It's news time. 

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• Portland City Council is set to vote today on a five-year contract renewal for the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe district, as well as a major expansion of the service area it covers and a fee hike. A couple weeks ago, when this item was first brought to the council, many Portlanders testified against the contract renewal. Now, four incoming city councilors (Mitch Green, Sameer Kanal, Tiffany Koyama Lane and Angelita Morillo)—along with community organizations and dozens of residents, have penned a letter to the current City Council asking them to postpone the contract renewal. 

Why the negativity for Clean & Safe? Well, as an excellent new article from our Courtney Vaughn details, the Clean & Safe district is overseen by an organization that has significant overlap in its management with the Portland Metro Chamber, AKA the Portland Business Alliance. The new contract would funnel a good portion of the $58 million contract to the Metro Chamber, which they will spend on lobbying efforts for private business interests. The program is also convoluted and lacks oversight, and it contributes majorly to the criminalization of homeless people in downtown Portland. So there's a lot wrong with it. Read the article for more of the details, and stay tuned for City Council's decision today. 

• The Portland Auditor's Office has released a much-anticipated (by me, at least) report on the Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Vision Zero Action Plan, which the city adopted in 2016 in an effort to eliminate traffic crash fatalities and serious injuries. But in the eight years since the Vision Zero plan was adopted (and been updated twice), traffic crash deaths have increased in Portland, especially in the last four years. In 2023, 69 people were killed in traffic crashes on Portland streets. Given the current reality, it's understandable that people are questioning how effective the Vision Zero program is. 

While the Auditor's Office isn't seeking an overhaul of the program, the report recommends PBOT makes several key changes to improve Vision Zero outcomes. The audit report says PBOT should create a better project evaluation system, install more speed cameras, and use more qualitative data to determine the most equitable safety projects. According to PBOT, most of the concerns expressed in the audit report have already been addressed in the most recent Vision Zero update.

PBOT leaders did say they are hopeful more traffic safety improvements will be possible when Portland finally (fully) transitions to its new, less-siloed form of government in January. The report just came out this morning, so there hasn't been much in the way of community response yet, but I'm sure it will spark some Thoughts, capital "T." 

•  On a related note, the World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims is this Sunday, an annual day to honor the many lives lost prematurely to traffic violence. Community organizations Families for Safe Streets, BikeLoud PDX, and Oregon Walks will join PBOT, elected leaders, and community members for a gathering at Portland City Hall. Find out more about the event here. 

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A post shared by Families for Safe Streets PDX (@fss_pdx)

• Here's a painful fact, courtesy of a new investigation from OPB and ProPublica: Despite President Biden's repeated promises to save old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, the Bureau of Land Management is allowing timber companies to log such forests now more than in the last 10 years. Biden's BLM is on track to log 47,000 acres of public lands during his four years in office— about the same amount that Trump oversaw during his first term in office. And, get this: This is after Biden made an executive order to protect mature and old-growth forests in 2022! Considering the rare beauty of these forests—and, more importantly, their importance to ecosystems and ability to mitigate carbon emission—this is very unfortunate. The Biden administration hasn't answered for the BLM's actions, or if they're planning to take steps to further protect old growth forests in preparation for the next Trump administration. Let's hope he makes some changes while he still can, because we all know Trump will be a lot worse. 

• Rene Gonzalez, after losing his bid for mayor, is seeking donations of up to $579 because his campaign is in debt. I wonder if anyone will pay him. 

Stealing this from the other site because y’all need to see it. Anyone gonna donate $579 to Rene Gonzalez’s failed campaign for mayor??? @pradapdx.bsky.social

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— Taylor Griggs (@taylorgriggs.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 5:11 PM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: 

• President-elect Donald Trump (ouch) has asked Vivek Ramaswamy (ouch again) and Elon Musk (commentary unnecessary here) to lead a new government agency that he plans to create in order to regulate federal spending. The new agency will be called the Department of Government Efficiency, which just happens to create the acronym DOGE, a reference to the Shiba Inu meme of the mid-2010s and the joke cryptocurrency by the same name that Musk promoted. Apparently, a Department of Government Efficiency needs to be run by two people. I hope I am adequately conveying my tone of contempt here. 

As ridiculous as this all is, it's also extremely bad. Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy's plan is to fire thousands of federal employees, cut necessary regulations, and ultimately destroy many of the most crucial components of the federal government. All we can do is hope that SOME Republicans in Congress (we don't need all of them!) will realize how idiotic this is and block Trump's attempt to create a new government agency, which he can't do without congressional approval. Or can he? The limit to this idiocy knows no bounds.

However, given these men's volatility—which is replicated in many others in Trump's sphere—it does seem pretty likely that they'll all be in a huge fight by the time Trump takes office. I do think there are some major catfights on the horizon, if that gives you any comfort in these trying times. 

fundamentally this is what Trump administrations are all about: the guys. there will be new guys every week. they will startle you, you'll be astounded by them, and then as quickly as they appeared they will fade into an indistinguishable mass, leaves on the forest floor.

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— Peter (@notalawyer.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 4:39 PM

• Here's something that will NOT give you comfort in these trying times: Despite the hope last year would mark a global carbon dioxide emissions peak, humans are burning more fossil fuels this year than we did last year. The world is on track to put 0.8 percent more carbon into the atmosphere than in 2023. Though this is not surprising, it IS actually crazy behavior from humanity (and let me be clear, it's a tiny minority of humans leading the charge on this, though a substantially larger minority are eagerly/mindlessly participating in burning fossil fuels at a rate incompatible with the future of life on this planet). Good thing we will have strong climate leadership in the White House come January. NOT!!!! 

• One way people are attempting to #resist Elon Musk after he helped Trump get into office and will now seemingly play a key role in his administration? Leaving Twitter, AKA X, the social media site he bought and ruined. Bluesky may be the place to be now. (I am finding it much more pleasant.) 

In the week since the U.S. presidential election, Elon Musk has used X, the social media platform he owns, to reiterate his support for President-elect Donald Trump. Some of X’s users have decided they want to post elsewhere. Among the largest beneficiaries of that desire is Bluesky. nyti.ms/48JtYAt

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— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) November 12, 2024 at 10:46 PM

• Okay, here's some actual good news: The U.S. House voted down a bill that would've helped Trump censor and persecute his political opponents. The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act had previously received bipartisan support, but after Trump was elected, some Democratic lawmakers (and The Intercept) raised alarm bells. The bill would give the U.S. Treasury Department complete authority to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it deems are "terrorist supporting organizations," which Trump could use to enable the destruction of nonprofits that the future president doesn't politically align with. WHEW. 

• Finally, please watch this video of a little boy and his crow friend. ???????? Bye bye! 

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A post shared by Dogs | Puppies | Family (@yourpaws.global)

January 16, 2015 Demonstrators shutdown 1-93 near Boston this week crippling traffic for hours, putting the black lives matter and I can't breathe protests back on the front page. The latest actions occurred days after the opening of the critically acclaimed movie Selma.Selma's social justice campaign is on the big screen just as current protests push the conversation about race and civil rights beyond the teachable moment to a more forceful, uncomfortable demand for change. We look at the artistry and history portrayed in Selma against a backdrop of contemporary social justice movements.


Panelists:
- Callie Crossley, host, Under the Radar with Callie Crossley, WGBH News
- Kim McLarin, Assistant Professor of Writing, Literature, and Publishing, Emerson College
- Brandon Terry, Prize Fellow in Economics, History, and Politics at Harvard University
- Sarah Jackson, Assistant Professor in Communication Studies, Northeastern University
- Brenna Greer, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences and History, Wellesley College (Italics: from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech at the March on Washington 1963. Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijimi)

April 10, 2015 It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Dudley Square is experiencing something of a renaissance. The dedication of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building and the re-opening of Tropical Foods grocery store are the latest examples of what is hoped to be the beginnings of an economic turnaround for Roxbury and Mattapan. We’ll talk about Mayor Walsh’s plans with two chiefs in his administration: John Barros and Daniel Koh. Later in the show, in South Carolina and closer to home, a shift in official police responses to the deaths of African American men at the hands of law enforcement.

Panelists:
- Callie Crossley, Host, Under The Radar with Callie Crossley, 89.7 WGBH
- Daniel Koh, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office, City of Boston
- John Barros, Chief of Economic Development, Mayor’s Office, City of Boston
- Yawu Miller, Senior Editor, The Bay State Banner

April 24, 2015

Air pollution has been linked to eczema before, and now a study of more than 280,000 people has strengthened the association

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for the sixth test flight of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket. It aims to conduct the launch as early as 18 November. Here’s everything we know so far

Months after his successful solo exhibition featuring a compelling selection of his religious paintings billed “The Lord was There” in New York earlier this year, Christian master portrait artist Zimou Tan is now on a mission to make his work more accessible to art lovers of faith and he launched a Kickstarter campaign Tuesday to help him reach it.

After a comprehensive two-year follow-up, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that MRI-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer significantly reduced long-term side effects and improved quality of life, particularly in bowel and sexual health, compared to conventional CT-guided treatment.

Los rayos X son un componente habitual de las pruebas diagnosticas y el monitoreo industrial, y se utilizan para todo, desde el control de los dientes hasta el escaneo de maletas en el aeropuerto. Sin embargo, los rayos de elevada energia tambien producen radiacion ionizante, que puede ser peligrosa tras exposiciones prolongadas o excesivas. Ahora, investigadores que publican en ACS Central Science han avanzado hacia rayos X mas seguros con la creacion de un detector altamente sensible y plegable que genera imagenes de buena calidad con dosis mas pequenas de estos rayos.

A la mayoria de la gente no le gusta aplicarse vacunas o inyecciones para recibir tratamientos. Por eso, los investigadores trabajan para crear mas medicamentos, como los que se fabrican a partir de ARN mensajero (ARNm), que puedan pulverizarse e inhalarse. Un estudio publicado en la revista Journal of the American Chemical Society informa sobre los avances para hacer posible los medicamentos de ARNm inhalables. Los investigadores indican que la nanoparticula de polimero lipidico, que es estable cuando se nebuliza y libera aerosoles (gotitas liquidas) en los pulmones de ratones de forma satisfactoria, se optimizo para contener el ARNm.

Research findings from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami will be presented at the Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego, Dec. 7-10.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and BJC Health System have launched the joint Center for Health AI. The center will focus on making care more personalized and effective for patients and more efficient and manageable for physicians, nurses and all those striving to ensure patients receive the very best care.

The University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Director Linda Van Eldik, Ph.D., hopes to shed light on how specific brain cells may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease, paving the way for potential new therapeutic approaches.Van Eldik recently received a three-year, $300,000 award from the BrightFocus Foundation to support her research project, "Relationship between astrocyte p38 MAPK, neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer pathology.

University of Kentucky Co-Executive Vice Presidents for Health Affairs Eric N. Monday and Robert S. DiPaola sent the following message to the UK HealthCare community on Nov. 6, 2024: We are very pleased to announce that Chris DeSimone and Tim Slocum have accepted the positions of Executive Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, respectively.

Today, Tufts University announced that Loring Tu, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, has made a substantial gift to name the Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) in honor of his late grandfather, Tsungming Tu, who was a world-renowned doctor and expert on pharmacology, toxicology, and medical education. Going forward, the SEC will be known as the Tsungming Tu Complex (TTC).

Hematology researchers from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami are authors or co-authors on more than 70 posters to be presented at the Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego, Dec. 7-10. Links to each abstract are included in this tip sheet.

Um estudo da Mayo Clinic sugere que um stent em forma de ampulheta poderia melhorar o fluxo sanguineo e aliviar a dor toracica intensa e recorrente em pessoas com microangiopatia.

A new book, Nurses' Extraordinary Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: There was Something in the Air, offers a poignant and firsthand account of the challenges and triumphs faced by nurses during the most devastating pandemic of our generation.

Recent advances in bladder cancer treatments may offer hope of curative care to more patients, including those with high-risk localized, muscle-invasive disease, according to a New England Journal of Medicine editorial published by Matthew Milowsky, MD, FASCO, a bladder cancer expert at UNC School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers Identify Neurobiological Changes Leading to Increase Release of the Brain Chemical Dopamine and Its Target Neurons Linked to Addiction-Like Behavior With the increased legalization of recreational cannabis, as many as 1 in 5 pregnant women in the U.S. are now using the drug to help with morning sickness, lower back pain or anxiety.

Vulnerable populations without access to green space and exposed to higher temps were most affected

A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors. Conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a therapy designed by WashU Medicine researchers, the trial is the first to report results for this type of vaccine -- known as a neoantigen DNA vaccine -- for breast cancer patients.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers at McMaster University have identified a potential treatment for Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs diseases--two rare, often fatal lysosomal storage disorders that cause progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. After years of investigating the diseases' underlying mechanisms, the research team has identified an existing FDA-approved drug that could significantly improve quality of life for affected patients and their families.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and BJC Health System have launched the joint Center for Health AI. The center will focus on making care more personalized and effective for patients and more efficient and manageable for physicians, nurses and all those striving to ensure patients receive the very best care.

University of Kentucky Co-Executive Vice Presidents for Health Affairs Eric N. Monday and Robert S. DiPaola sent the following message to the UK HealthCare community on Nov. 6, 2024: We are very pleased to announce that Chris DeSimone and Tim Slocum have accepted the positions of Executive Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, respectively.

Today, Tufts University announced that Loring Tu, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, has made a substantial gift to name the Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) in honor of his late grandfather, Tsungming Tu, who was a world-renowned doctor and expert on pharmacology, toxicology, and medical education. Going forward, the SEC will be known as the Tsungming Tu Complex (TTC).

Um estudo da Mayo Clinic sugere que um stent em forma de ampulheta poderia melhorar o fluxo sanguineo e aliviar a dor toracica intensa e recorrente em pessoas com microangiopatia.

The Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL) has named two Florida State University faculty members part of its 2024 class of "Rising Stars."

A new book, Nurses' Extraordinary Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: There was Something in the Air, offers a poignant and firsthand account of the challenges and triumphs faced by nurses during the most devastating pandemic of our generation.