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SAN DIEGO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the North American Development Bank (NADB), released a Request for Proposals (RFP) through the Border 2020 Program.

The April jobs report showed the true devastation of the coronavirus pandemic on the workforce.

Tahnée Seagrave provides some insight into her thought process during the 2018 Val di Sole World Cup.
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Estudo da Fiocruz aponta aumento em torno 50% de novos casos nos municípios com até 20 mil habitantes nas duas últimas semanas.

Valparaiso Vikings were set up for a tournament run before defection of star guard, who has offers from IU and Purdue.

Purdue coach Matt Painter and staff will explore the July evaluation period over the next three weeks. But the recruiting foundation for 2019 is set.

Perhaps you've read somewhere or other that there are over 3,000 traditional Peruvian festivals held throughout the year? It's a popular claim that pops up time and again in guidebooks and on websites, and though we ourselves haven't verified the number, it certainly wouldn't surprise us! Peru is a country that holds onto its traditions while increasingly embracing innovation as well, a perfect storm for festivals and fiestas of all types to flourish and to grow.

If you're planning to visit Peru, you might find yourself intrigued by the prospect of observing, or even participating in, one of these many different Peruvian festivals. If that's the case, you're in luck--we've taken the liberty to compile a list of some of our favorite Peruvian festivals, including one for each month of the year in hopes that you'll find something that corresponds with the dates of your trip. Keep in mind that this is very much just the tip of the iceberg--all of these Peruvian festivals are fantastic, but there are many more that we've had to leave out simply due to the nature of our list. If we haven't included any options that work out with your travel itinerary, don't fret--get to researching and we're sure you'll find the festival for you.

So without further ado, let's get to it! Here is our list of twelve awesome Peruvian festivals, one for each month of the year:

1. January--Trujillo Marinera Festival

Trujillo, a coastal city in northern Peru, is the traditional home of the marinera, an elegant couple's dance making use of handkerchiefs as props. Since 1986 it's been the official national capital of this dance, a status celebrated annually in a month-long marinera festival held throughout the city! The Festival de Marinera, as it's known in Spanish, features dance competitions, parades, and even exhibitions of the Peruvian Paso, a breed of horse also recognized as part of the cultural patrimony of the Trujillo region. One of our favorite Peruvian festivals, this one is a can't miss if you find yourself in the area during January.

2. February--Fiesta de la Candelaria

The Fiesta de la Candelaria is not only the largest and most famous festival in Peru, but also one of the largest in South America as a whole--in fact, throughout the continent, it's only dwarfed by the world-famous Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and the Carnaval de Ouro in Bolivia. The first of many religious Peruvian festivals on our list, the Fiesta de la Candelaria celebrates the Virgin of Candelaria, the patron saint of the town of Puno where the festivities are held. Music and dance are at the core of this festival, all of it performed by elaborately-costumed participants numbering well over 40,000. An incredible two week-long synthesis of indigenous and Catholic traditions, this is one of the most iconic Peruvian festivals.

3. March--Festival Internacional de la Vendimia

Depending upon where Easter falls during a given year, the month of March can either be very busy or very quiet as far as major Peruvian festivals are concerned. That said, we figured we may as well take a break from the religious festivals to focus on something else with a different sort of appeal--wine! The Ica Region of Peru is famous for a number of things, the Nazca Lines and the desert oasis of La Huacachina among them, but those in-the-know also recognize it as the finest wine-producing region in the country. This role has been celebrated annually in March since the 1950s during the Festival Internacional de la Vendimia, or the International Harvest Festival, in which a queen is famously chosen to ceremoniously stomp the first grapes of the season.

 4. April--Festividad del Señor del los Temblores del Cusco

El Señor de los Temblores, or the Lord of the Earthquakes, is the patron saint of Cusco and the celebratory focus of this major Holy Week celebration. The story goes that during an earthquake here in 1650, a canvas image of Jesus Christ was held to the sky as prayers were offered, causing the tremors to subside and saving the town from ruin. Since then, this statue commemorating the original image has become the focal point of an important annual celebration. Each Easter Monday at 7 PM, the statue is removed from Cusco's cathedral and paraded throughout the city. Amazingly, it's said that the statue was not originally black, but rather that its color is due to years of exposure to smoke from incense during religious ceremonies.

5. May--Fiesta de las Cruces

First of all, let's be clear: the Fiesta de las Cruces, or the Festival of the Crosses, is not a uniquely Peruvian celebration. However, the way the Peruvians celebrate it does make it one of the most important Peruvian festivals. You see, the Festival of the Crosses is not held in just one spot in the country. Rather, the festival is celebrated in towns and cities throughout Peru, each putting their own unique spin on things. Though the name may conjure up solemn images, don't worry--festivals throughout the Peruvian highlands include music, dancing, and even events such as bullfighting as part of the celebrations.

6. June--Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi, the ancient Inca Festival of the Sun, is one of the most traditional Peruvian festivals on our list, indigenous in design and untouched by Catholic tradition. Held annually on June 24th, Inti Raymi is meant to celebrate the Winter Solstice--remember that we're in the Southern Hemisphere here! Banned by the Spanish and the Catholic Church after 1535, the modern incarnation of the celebration began in 1944 based on the few historical records of the festivities that managed to survive. Since then it has grown in size and scope, and though sometimes derided as tourist pageantry by detractors, its historical and cultural significance definitely make it worth checking out among the many Peruvian festivals.

7. July--Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen

Another fine example of traditional Andean culture blended with Catholicism, the Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen is held annually around the 16th of July in the relatively small town of Paucartambo, some four hours outside of Cusco. This three or four day festival is nominally religious but also one of the biggest and wildest parties in Peru, drawing visitors from all over the country, many of whom pass the nights sleeping under the stars as there's simply not enough space in town! If you know what you're looking for, you'll actually notice some serious Peruvian history depicted in the festival's songs, costumes, and dance--for example, black-masked dancers represent African slaves imported to work the silver mines here during the colonial era.

8. August--Día de Santa Rosa de Lima

Santa Rosa de Lima was the first native-born American saint canonized by the Catholic Church, and her legacy is celebrated throughout the world. However, it should come as no surprise that the grandest festivities take place in her home country of Peru. On August 30th, the anniversary of her death, celebrations and memorials take place throughout the country, the most famous being in Santa Rosa de Quives just outside of the capital city itself.

9. September--Mistura Culinary Festival

As you should know by now, Peruvian cuisine is some of the world's best and Lima in particular features what is probably South America's most impressive culinary scene. And as if the food wasn't enticing enough year round, the prospect of eating your way through Peru becomes even more appealing each September when the Mistura Culinary Festival rolls around. Featuring over 200 restaurants and bars not to mention plenty of outdoor vendors and food carts, well over half a million visitors stop by to enjoy the festival's offerings over the course of some ten days in mid-September. Though certainly not one of the most traditional Peruvian festivals on our list, this is without a doubt the most delicious.

10. October--Procesión del Señor de los Milagros

The story might sound a bit familiar--an 18th Century earthquake destroyed a good part of town leaving only this iconic image of Jesus Christ standing. This was considered a miracle, the image became even more venerated, and with time the celebration of its feast day became the largest religious celebration in Peru featuring one of the longest processions of any religious gathering in the world. If you're just looking to have fun, this one probably isn't for you--however, this considerably more solemn celebration is one of the most important Peruvian festivals and we couldn't leave it off our list.

11. November--Puno Week

Perhaps the name Puno rings a bell? If so, you've got a good memory--this is the same city where our February festival choice of the Fiesta de la Candelaria took place! Puno Week takes place during the beginning of November and centers around November 5th, also known as Puno Day. The purpose of Puno Day, and by extension Puno Week, is to celebrate the legendary birth of one Manco Cápac, said to be the first Inca. This involves a very interesting reenactment of his arrival on the shores of Lake Titicaca bordering the city--and it's also just a great excuse to party the whole week long.

12. December--Santuranticuy

As we wind down our list, a few things should by now be obvious: the first is that Peruvians love their festivals, and the second is that many of these Peruvian festivals feature religious--and here that means Catholic--themes. The final entry on our list is of course no exception--Santuranticuy is held exclusively in the city of Cusco each year on Christmas Eve, December 24th, and is essentially a massive outdoor marketplace set up to celebrate the holiday. The festival's name, which means "sale of saints," is quite appropriate, as the primary draw here are dolls, sculptures, and figurines used to decorate the nacimientos, or Catholic nativity scenes, found in many Peruvian homes during the Christmas season. However, even if you aren't religious, you're sure to find something of interest at this most shopper-friendly of Peruvian festivals.

The fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi says Newcastle United and the Premier League must put moral values ahead of financial gains.

Google Chromebook Now Available for $299

Google Chromebook Now Available for $299

The fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi says Newcastle United and the Premier League must put moral values ahead of financial gains.

Filed under: Skiing, North America, United States

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Where to Ski In Every State and 16 Ski Vacations Near Big U.S. Cities originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 05 Dec 2013 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The city says couples can book its Helena Gutteridge Plaza at City Hall for just $85 and bring eight guests to have an outdoor, physically distant wedding ceremony.

17 May 2016

gali_nette posted a photo:

Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) is activated by secreted proteases from immune cells or fungi. PAR-2 is normally expressed basolaterally in differentiated nasal ciliated cells. We hypothesized that epithelial remodeling during diseases characterized by cilial loss and squamous metaplasia may alter PAR-2 polarization. Here, using a fluorescent arrestin assay, we confirmed that the common fungal airway pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus activates heterologously-expressed PAR-2. Endogenous PAR-2 activation in submerged airway RPMI 2650 or NCI–H520 squamous cells increased intracellular calcium levels and granulocyte macrophage–colony-stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin (IL)-6 secretion. RPMI 2650 cells cultured at an air–liquid interface (ALI) responded to apically or basolaterally applied PAR-2 agonists. However, well-differentiated primary nasal epithelial ALIs responded only to basolateral PAR-2 stimulation, indicated by calcium elevation, increased cilia beat frequency, and increased fluid and cytokine secretion. We exposed primary cells to disease-related modifiers that alter epithelial morphology, including IL-13, cigarette smoke condensate, and retinoic acid deficiency, at concentrations and times that altered epithelial morphology without causing breakdown of the epithelial barrier to model early disease states. These altered primary cultures responded to both apical and basolateral PAR-2 stimulation. Imaging nasal polyps and control middle turbinate explants, we found that nasal polyps, but not turbinates, exhibit apical calcium responses to PAR-2 stimulation. However, isolated ciliated cells from both polyps and turbinates maintained basolateral PAR-2 polarization, suggesting that the calcium responses originated from nonciliated cells. Altered PAR-2 polarization in disease-remodeled epithelia may enhance apical responses and increase sensitivity to inhaled proteases.

Contact between inflammatory cells and endothelial cells (ECs) is a crucial step in vascular inflammation. Recently, we demonstrated that the cell-surface level of endomucin (EMCN), a heavily O-glycosylated single-transmembrane sialomucin, interferes with the interactions between inflammatory cells and ECs. We have also shown that, in response to an inflammatory stimulus, EMCN is cleared from the cell surface by an unknown mechanism. In this study, using adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a tagged EMCN in human umbilical vein ECs, we found that treatment with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) or the strong oxidant pervanadate leads to loss of cell-surface EMCN and increases the levels of the C-terminal fragment of EMCN 3- to 4-fold. Furthermore, treatment with the broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor batimastat (BB94) or inhibition of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10) and ADAM17 with two small-molecule inhibitors, GW280264X and GI254023X, or with siRNA significantly reduced basal and TNFα-induced cell-surface EMCN cleavage. Release of the C-terminal fragment of EMCN by TNF-α treatment was blocked by chemical inhibition of ADAM10 alone or in combination with ADAM17. These results indicate that cell-surface EMCN undergoes constitutive cleavage and that TNF-α treatment dramatically increases this cleavage, which is mediated predominantly by ADAM10 and ADAM17. As endothelial cell-surface EMCN attenuates leukocyte–EC interactions during inflammation, we propose that EMCN is a potential therapeutic target to manage vascular inflammation.

MANCHESTER, England (AP): Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are expected to be available for Manchester United whenever the Premier League is allowed to resume after the suspension caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Whether United manager Ole Gunnar...

Cavalier’s technical director, Rudolph Speid, says the recent positive ranking by CIES (International Centre for Sports Studies) Football Observatory, a research group based in Switzerland, is a reflection of the work the club is doing in trying to...

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has resulted in many opportunities for the health technology industry. Our usually technophobic population has been embracing technology more and more since the start of the restrictions due to the spread of...

The enactment of President Clinton’s Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Executive Order, issued in 2000, triggered a proliferation of efforts to provide services to individuals who cannot speak, understand, read, or write English fluently. With increased service provision, state and local government agencies have expressed a strong and growing interest in assuring the quality and cost-effectiveness of language access services. This paper attempts to catalog and describe some of those tools and practices.

Researchers at MIT have developed a new method of electrically stimulating deep brain tissues without opening the skull

Since 1997, more than 100,000 Parkinson’s Disease patients have been treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS), a surgical technique that involves the implantation of ultra-thin wire electrodes. The implanted device, sometimes referred to as a ‘brain pacemaker’, delivers electrical pulses to a structure called the subthalamic nucleus, located near the centre of the brain, and effectively alleviates many of the physical symptoms of the disease, such as tremor, muscle rigidity, and slowed movements.

DBS is generally safe but, like any surgical procedure, comes with some risks. First and foremost, it is highly invasive, requiring small holes to be drilled in the patient’s skull, through which the electrodes are inserted. Potential complications of this include infection, stroke, and bleeding on the brain. The electrodes, which are implanted for long periods of time, sometimes move out of place; they can also cause swelling at the implantation site; and the wire connecting them to the battery, typically placed under the skin of the chest, can erode, all of which require additional surgical procedures.

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Why did right-winger Yosemite Sam have problem with the leftist Bugs Bunny?

Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish, Kenan Thompson and Byron Allen are set to co-host Sunday's Feeding America Comedy Festival.

Taping of Season 11 of "Valerie's Home Cooking" was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, but host Valerie Bertinelli can't wait for viewers to see the 10 episodes she finished.

Sweden’s strong economic record continues to be marred by its struggles to integrate immigrants, especially those who come through humanitarian or family channels. This report describes how Sweden is trying to overcome these labor market integration challenges and analyzes how successful its workforce development and integration policies have been in helping immigrants progress from low-skilled work to middle-skilled jobs.

The NHL is about as old-school as it gets, and Evander Kane is pushing to change that.

Taulia Tagovailoa (date: 5/10/2020 - Rank: 7)

1. India's research body partners with vaccine manufacturing company to develop indigenous vaccine for COVID-19  China.org.cn
2. India to develop ‘fully indigenous’ Covid vaccine as ICMR partners with Bharat Biotech  ThePrint
3. ICMR teams up with Bharat Biotech to develop Covid-19 vaccine  Times of India
4. ICMR partners with Bharat Biotech to develop an indigenous coronavirus vaccine  Times Now
5. ICMR joins with Hyderabad firm to develop COVID-19 vaccine  Northeast Now
6. View Full coverage on Google News

Composer Vayu''s new song ''Mummy'' an ode to mothers  Outlook India

1. Ajit Doval showers praise on Kashmir forces for Riyaz Naikoo Op, then stern advice  Hindustan Times
2. Fearing retaliatory strike by India after Handwara terror attack, Pakistan increases aerial exercise  Times Now
3. Why Pakistan’s proxy war will now intensify  The Tribune India
4. Ajit Doval dissects Imran Khan’s terror moves in Kashmir, preps India’s counter  Hindustan Times
5. Indian Army retaliates to Pakistan`s ceasefire violation along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir`s Poonch  Zee News
6. View Full coverage on Google News

Would a vaccine for the new coronavirus wind up offering long-lasting immunity? Or will the virus prove to be a shape-shifter, mutating quickly enough that people need annual vaccines like those for seasonal strains of influenza? Researchers are probing for answers in the rush to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

OM Italy organises an annual summer camp for children in Torre Pellice, where many hear the gospel for the first time.

An Italian girl receives a vision of Jericho that guides her to speak with a woman on Transform 2013 outreach day.

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A young couple who met on the Internet answers God’s call to missions to help others find Christ using their IT and web design skills.

OM Philippines hosts micro-business workshops that offer a future with hope.

A Roma man’s cry to God for mercy to spare his son’s life transforms his future and the future of his small town.

First MENA travelling team shares stories from a year of adventures around the Arab world.

OM workers explain, their home has become a mix of Latin American and Middle Eastern cultures.

Five years of displacement has taken its toll on Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, but many have met Jesus and discovered eternal hope.

By James Campbell

2012 marked the end of 30 years of OM under the leadership of Mauricio Hernandez, who has now handed over to Daniel Caballero.