For a supplier’s perspective—and potential industry solutions—on the impacts of soaring cocoa prices,Prepared Foods interviewed PROVA’s President & CEO Muriel Acat and Senior Product Manager Marie Le Beller.

As inflation slowly moderates, US consumers continue to feel the pinch of higher food costs. Value retailers are seeing more foot traffic as shoppers shift to store brands and cut back on non-food expenses. According to Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, consumers are looking for ways to make their budgets stretch, from canceling subscriptions to favoring at-home meals over dining out.

Earlier this year, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that spending on food-ordering apps for deliveries from full-service restaurants quadrupled between pre-pandemic months and 2022. 

Data is valuable because it helps manufacturers make better decisions. But there’s a big difference between collecting data and being able to actually use it. If you don’t have a system in place to be able to understand what the data is telling you, then you’re going to be overwhelmed by it.

The new ECOsurfaces Desert & River commercial flooring line from Ecore, a company that transforms reclaimed materials into high-performance products that make people’s lives better, offers the architect and design community an innovative solution that fuses aesthetics and sustainability with ergonomics, acoustics and safety.

Victoria CEO Phillipe Harners reported that while the flooring sector is experiencing the most severe and longest decline in demand in the last 30 years, the company is optimizing productivity and reducing operational costs while maintaining production capacity to prepare for future demand. 

Emmy-winning sportscaster Bob Costas will deliver the keynote address at the CCA Global Partners Retail Group's annual ConneXtion convention in January 2025.

AssurGrip Rx vinyl flooring provides support and safety for commercial surfaces. 

The USDA says 2022 will be a great year for agriculture, and climate-smart farming practices can help.

Abstract This article explores the emergence of cocktail culture in interwar Singapore. Mixed alcoholic drinks were consumed by British men in Singapore from at least the 1910s, including the famous “Singapore Sling.” However, it was not until the 1920s that cocktails became the drink of choice for elite men and women from Singapore’s Chinese, British, […]

The post The Cosmopolitans: Cocktail Culture, Gender, and Social Status in Interwar Singapore was curated by information for practice.

The pandemic’s effects on South Florida’s real estate industry are well documented. Prices for homes and land skyrocketed, as did apartment, retail, office and industrial rents. Dozens of cranes filled the skyline. Billionaires moved to or expanded their holdings in the region.  This “flight to Florida” will continue, experts said at The Real Deal’s South […]

The post “Flight to Florida” will continue despite high costs, limited inventory: takeaways from The Real Deal Miami forum appeared first on The Real Deal.

The post How much does long COVID cost individuals, informal carers, and society? was curated by information for practice.

The post States’ Share of Medicaid Costs Remains Low but Is Set to Increase was curated by information for practice.

The post Health and Social Care Committee launches inquiry into cost of inaction on adult social care reform was curated by information for practice.

Palliative care is becoming an essential component of healthcare, but there is insufficient research on how integration across different levels of care (micro, meso, and macro) is realized in practice. Without… Read the full article ›

The post Addressing integration in the organization of palliative care in belgium: a multilevel ecosystems approach using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was curated by information for practice.

In Narrative Arc: Volume II, MOUS crafts a collection that merges ancient architectural influences with celestial inspiration in new, unexpected ways.

A table collection from Cosentino and Modular, designed by Justine Kegels, celebrates the unique capabilities of modular lighting and stone.

For decades, Cologne-based violinist Geoffry Wharton has played jazzy crowd-pleasing encores written in the 1930s by an obscure composer, Audrey Call. Then Wharton discovered a spooky connection with her.

Older homes are the only ones many Americans can afford, but they are costly to fix and maintain, especially for seniors. A patchwork of programs to help are underfunded and have years-long waitlists.

On October 5, SpaceX Crew Dargon blasted off to the International Space Station. Anna Kikina, a woman cosmonaut from Russia, was on board the SpaceX spacecraft. "A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon Endurance spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann as mission commander, and Josh Cassada, pilot. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, also aboard the Dragon, will serve as mission specialists for their science expedition in microgravity aboard the space station," NASA wrote. The participation of a Russian cosmonaut in the launch launch was made possible owing to the cross-flight programme: a Russian cosmonaut boarded SpaceX, and an American astronaut flew to the ISS on board a Soyuz spacecraft.

Septiembre se considera la etapa cumbre de la actividad ciclónica, pero es importante recordar que la temporada de huracanes se extiende hasta noviembre.

The first launch of the Angara-A5 heavy launch vehicle from the newly built launch complex at the Vostochny Cosmodrome was aborted two minutes before lift off. The rocket with the Orion upper stage and test payload was supposed to take off for the first time from Vostochny on Tuesday, April 9, at 12:00. The launch was postponed. The launch of the Angara rocket was postponed till Wednesday, April 10, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov said.

Cosmonaut candidate Andrei Babkin, who was dismissed from his flight position in September due to a runny nose, wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his address to the head of state, Babkin wrote that he would like independent experts to assess his health condition. In response, the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Training Center (CTC) said that an extended consultation was held on July 12. Members of the ENT section of the Main Medical Commission, as well as specialists who had previously treated the cosmonaut, were present at the meeting. As a result, no grounds were found for revising the previous medical conclusion in relation to the cosmonaut candidate.

TrueCommerce, provider of supply chain and trading partner connectivity, integration and omnichannel solutions, has been selected by Costa Coffee, The European coffee chain, to spearhead their global EDI expansion.

Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, has released findings from its 2024 Consumer Trust Premium Report, which explores the evolving relationship between consumer shopping habits and brand trust, based on 2,000 survey respondents in the US and UK.

By Jo Bradley, Business Development Manager at Sparck Technologies.

Companies can be schizophrenic about packaging and its costs. On the one hand, product packaging is closely scrutinised – a battleground between buyers seeking to drive costs down and marketers looking for ever greater impact and ‘shelf appeal’.

Smart Volution is launching a new addition to its Register family of POS solutions at the National Convenience Show at the NEC Birmingham on the 25th to the 27th of April 2022.

Despite ongoing efforts to improve safety, many cities in the United States continue to face high crime rates, posing significant challenges for the residents and city officials. But which are the most dangerous cities in the U.S.?

Viscose, a semisynthetic fiber, is the most common type of rayon fabric. It's become a staple in the textile industry due to its versatility and affordability. Derived from cellulose and wood pulp, viscose can mimic the luxurious feel of silk while offering the practicality of cotton.

Halloween is around the corner, and it’s time to brainstorm the best group costume ideas for you and your friends. Whether you’re going to a Halloween party, trick-or-treating or entering a costume contest, the key to success is creativity, coordination and a dash of humor.

We've all been there: Spooky season has arrived, and you don't have any costume ideas for Halloween. Whether you're a casual fan of the holiday who is looking for a good Halloween costume, or a long time devotee of All Hallow's Eve who wants to top last year's effort, we've got you covered with some great Halloween costume ideas.

You probably don't need to change your ceiling fan direction if you only use it to cool the room, but you can switch the direction for a wintertime hack.

Explore Aquarius Season's unique energy, from innovation to social connection. Learn how this zodiac period influences creativity, relationships, and self-expression.

Understanding Nottinghamshire’s groundwater microbial ecosystems  British Geological Survey

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the first enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway. It has been extensively studied by biochemical and structural techniques. 13 X-ray crystal structures and five electron cryo-microscopy structures in the PDB are focused on in this topical review. Two F420-dependent glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (FGD) structures are also reported. The significant differences between human and parasite G6PDs can be exploited to find selective drugs against infections such as malaria and leishmaniasis. Furthermore, G6PD is a prognostic marker in several cancer types and is also considered to be a tumour target. On the other hand, FGD is considered to be a target against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and possesses a high biotechnological potential in biocatalysis and bioremediation.

A 6D structure model for face-centred icosahedral quasicrystals consisting of so-called pseudo-Mackay and mini-Bergman-type atomic clusters is proposed based on the structure model of the Al69.1Pd22Cr2.1Fe6.8 3/2 cubic approximant crystal (with space group Pa3, a = 40.5 Å) [Fujita et al. (2013). Acta Cryst. A69, 322–340]. The cluster centres form an icosahedral close sphere packing generated by the occupation domains similar to those in the model proposed by Katz & Gratias [J. Non-Cryst. Solids (1993), 153–154, 187–195], but their size is smaller by a factor τ2 [τ = (1 + (5)1/2)/2]. The clusters cover approximately 99.46% of the atomic structure, and the cluster arrangement exhibits 15 and 19 different local configurations, respectively, for the pseudo-Mackay and mini-Bergman-type clusters. The occupation domains that generate cluster shells are modelled and discussed in terms of structural disorder and local reorganization of the cluster arrangements (phason flip).

This study introduces a compact, portable femtosecond fibre laser system designed for synchronization with SPring-8 synchrotron X-ray pulses in a uniform filling mode. Unlike traditional titanium–sapphire mode-locked lasers, which are fixed installations, our system utilizes fibre laser technology to provide a practical alternative for time-resolved spectroscopy, striking a balance between usability, portability and cost-efficiency. Comprehensive evaluations, including pulse characterization, timing jitter and frequency stability tests revealed a centre wavelength of 1600 nm, a pulse energy of 4.5 nJ, a pulse duration of 35 fs with a timing jitter of less than 9 ps, confirming the suitability of the system for time-resolved spectroscopic studies. This development enhances the feasibility of experiments that combine synchrotron X-rays and laser pulses, offering significant scientific contributions by enabling more flexible and diverse research applications.

In-vacuum undulators (IVUs), which have become an essential tool in synchrotron radiation facilities, have two technical challenges toward further advancement: one is a strong attractive force between top and bottom magnetic arrays, and the other is a stringent requirement on magnetic materials to avoid demagnetization. The former imposes a complicated design on mechanical and vacuum structures, while the latter limits the possibility of using high-performance permanent magnets. To solve these issues, a number of technical developments have been made, such as force cancellation and modularization of magnetic arrays, and enhancement of resistance against demagnetization by means of a special magnetic circuit. The performance of a new IVU built upon these technologies has revealed their effectiveness for constructing high-performance IVUs in a cost-effective manner.

The technique of time-resolved macromolecular crystallography (TR-MX) has recently been rejuvenated at synchrotrons, resulting in the design of dedicated beamlines. Using pump–probe schemes, this should make the mechanistic study of photoactive proteins and other suitable systems possible with time resolutions down to microseconds. In order to identify relevant time delays, time-resolved spectroscopic experiments directly performed on protein crystals are often desirable. To this end, an instrument has been built at the icOS Lab (in crystallo Optical Spectroscopy Laboratory) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility using reflective focusing objectives with a tuneable nanosecond laser as a pump and a microsecond xenon flash lamp as a probe, called the TR-icOS (time-resolved icOS) setup. Using this instrument, pump–probe spectra can rapidly be recorded from single crystals with time delays ranging from a few microseconds to seconds and beyond. This can be repeated at various laser pulse energies to track the potential presence of artefacts arising from two-photon absorption, which amounts to a power titration of a photoreaction. This approach has been applied to monitor the rise and decay of the M state in the photocycle of crystallized bacteriorhodopsin and showed that the photocycle is increasingly altered with laser pulses of peak fluence greater than 100 mJ cm−2, providing experimental laser and delay parameters for a successful TR-MX experiment.

β-Glucosidase from the thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor saccharo­lyticus (Bgl1) has been denoted as having an attractive catalytic profile for various industrial applications. Bgl1 catalyses the final step of in the decomposition of cellulose, an unbranched glucose polymer that has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years as it is the most abundant renewable source of reduced carbon in the biosphere. With the aim of enhancing the thermostability of Bgl1 for a broad spectrum of biotechnological processes, it has been subjected to structural studies. Crystal structures of Bgl1 and its complex with glucose were determined at 1.47 and 1.95 Å resolution, respectively. Bgl1 is a member of glycosyl hydrolase family 1 (GH1 superfamily, EC 3.2.1.21) and the results showed that the 3D structure of Bgl1 follows the overall architecture of the GH1 family, with a classical (β/α)8 TIM-barrel fold. Comparisons of Bgl1 with sequence or structural homologues of β-glucosidase reveal quite similar structures but also unique structural features in Bgl1 with plausible functional roles.

Crystal formation of penta­sodium nona­deca­cesium tetra­cosa­tungstate(VI) heneikosahydrate, Na5Cs19[W24O84]·21H2O, was successfully achieved by the conversion of [H2W12O42]10− through the addition of excess Cs+. The crystal structure comprising the toroidal isopolyoxidometalate is presented, as well as its Raman spectrum. Na5Cs19(H2O)21W24O84 crystallizes in the rhombohedral space group Roverline{3} with an obverse centering. The title compound represents the addition of a new member to the isopolytungstate family with mixed alkali counter-ions and contains rarely observed five-coordinate tungsten(VI) atoms in the [W24O84]24− anion (site symmetry C3i) arising from the conversion mediated by Cs+ counter-ions.

The compounds 2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-gluco­pyranosyl N'-cyano-N-phenyl­carbamimido­thio­ate (C22H25N3O9S, 5a), 2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-galacto­pyranosyl N'-cyano-N-phenyl­carbamimido­thio­ate, (C22H25N3O9S, 5b), 2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-galacto­pyranosyl N'-cyano-N-methyl­carbamimido­thio­ate (C17H23N3O9S, 5c), and 2',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-galacto­pyranosyl N'-cyano-N-p-tolyl­carbamimido­thio­ate (C23H27N3O9S, 5d) all crystallize in P212121 with Z = 4. For all four structures, the configuration across the central (formal) C=N(CN) double bond of the carbamimido­thio­ate group is Z. The torsion angles C5—O1—C1—S (standard sugar numbering) are all close to 180°, confirming the β position of the substituent. Compound 5b involves an intra­molecular hydrogen bond N—H⋯O1; in 5c this contact is the weaker branch of a three-centre inter­action, whereas in 5a and 5d the H⋯O distances are much longer and do not represent significant inter­actions. The C—N bond lengths at the central carbon atom of the carbamimido­thio­ate group are almost equal. All C—O—C=O torsion angles of the acetyl groups correspond to a synperiplanar geometry, but otherwise all four mol­ecules display a high degree of conformational flexibility, with many widely differing torsion angles for equivalent groups. In the crystal packing, 5a, 5c and 5d form layer structures involving the classical hydrogen bond N—H⋯Ncyano and a variety of ‘weak’ hydrogen bonds C—H⋯O or C—H⋯S. The packing of 5b is almost featureless and involves a large number of borderline ‘weak’ hydrogen bonds. In an appendix, a potted history of wavelength preferences for structure determination is presented and it is recommended that, even for small organic crystals in non-centrosymmetric space groups, the use of Mo radiation should be considered.

The original cast of The Cosby Show. ; Credit: Frank Carroll/Associated Press

Thirty years ago, on September 20,"The Cosby Show" debuted on NBC and went on to dominate our screens for almost a decade.

The award-winning sitcom introduced us to the Huxtables, an upper-middle class black family  made up of Heathcliff, Clair and their five children. Plus a cast of ugly sweaters.

"The Cosby Show" covered familiar territory; from children getting body piercings, bad boyfriends and maintaining a long term relationship as parents with professional lives.

Speaking to Take Two's Alex Cohen, Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African and African American Studies at Duke University said "The Cosby Show" broke down racial stereotypes.

"It  really was the first program to present not just a middle class, or upper-middle class black family, but a professional family. Clair and Heathcliff Huxtable were educated, they had advanced degrees. It was an image we hadn't seen before."

From 1985 to 1990, "The Cosby Show" held the number one spot in the TV ratings war, appealing to audiences across color lines. Black viewers in particular welcomed a broader representation of African American life on screen, building on the success of shows such as "The Jeffersons", "Sanford and Son" and "Good Times". 

"Bill Cosby was very honest about the fact that when he conceived the character of Heathcliff Huxtable, he was looking for images that countered, say, Fred Sanford who was a junk dealer, or James Evans, Jr. in 'Good Times' who was always struggling to find a job. Bill Cosby wanted to bring a different view of the black family into the mix."

Despite its popularity, some people took issue with how "The Cosby Show" tackled race issues.

"It's not that black Americans didn't enjoy the show, but there were criticisms because it didn't explore the broader world of African Americans." says Professor Neal. "The Huxtable family became a stand in for the successes of the civil rights movement. It became the rationale that if the Huxtables can do it, why can't other African Americans do it?"

Today's media landscape is very different to the one "The Cosby Show" existed in. For this reason, says Professor Neal, its success has been difficult to replicate.

"Right after it went off the air, cable TV takes hold and we get this niche programming.  Many African American programs ended up on Fox, UPN and the WB, so there was no incentive for the major networks to do any Cosby-like programming with a black family at the center."

With the debut of ABC's "Blackish" on September 24, it's hoped this will go some way to fill the Cosby-shaped void. In the meantime there's always YouTube and re-runs. Just be thankful Heathcliff's ugly sweaters are a thing of the past.

Bill Cosby exits the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Saturday, June 17, 2017. ; Credit: Matt Rourke/AP

Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned. Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction Wednesday after finding an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case.

Cosby has served more than two years of a three- to 10-year sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia. He had vowed to serve all 10 years rather than acknowledge any remorse over the 2004 encounter with accuser Andrea Constand.

We dive into how this all happened, through the lens of law, celebrity and the MeToo movement. 

With files from the Associated Press

Guests: 

Ambrosio Rodriguez, former prosecutor; he is currently a criminal defense attorney at The Rodriguez Law Group in Los Angeles; he led the sex crimes team and was in the homicide unit in the Riverside D.A.’s office; he tweets at @aer_attorney

Laurie L. Levenson, professor of criminal law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and former federal prosecutor

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

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Bill Cosby gestures outside his home in Elkins Park, Pa., on June 30, 2021, after being released from prison when the Pennsylvania's supreme court overturned his sexual assault conviction. Cosby expressed support for former TV co-star Phylicia Rashad's freedom of speech after she defended him in a tweet.; Credit: Matt Rourke/AP

Bill Cosby called on Howard University to support former co-star Phylicia Rashad's freedom of speech after she expressed support for him when his sexual assault conviction was overturned.

In a statement, Cosby also lashed out at the media, comparing journalists to the rioters who stormed the Capitol in January.

"Howard University you must support ones Freedom of Speech (Ms. Rashad), which is taught or suppose to be taught everyday at that renowned law school, which resides on your campus," Cosby said in a statement provided to NPR by his spokesman Andrew Wyatt.

"This mainstream media has become the Insurrectionists, who stormed the Capitol," Cosby continued in his statement. "Those same Media Insurrectionists are trying to demolish the Constitution of these United State of America on this Independence Day."

Cosby concluded by saying, "WE THE PEOPLE STAND IN SUPPORT OF MS. PHYLICIA RASHAD" in all caps.

Cosby's support of Rashad comes after the actress, who played his TV wife in The Cosby Show, defended the comedian in a tweet. Cosby was released from prison last week when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated his sexual assault conviction on the grounds that his due process rights were violated.

"FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!" Rashad said last week.

The tweet has since been removed and Rashad later backpedaled, writing that she "fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward." She also sent a letter of apology to Howard students

Many Howard alumni had expressed disappointment at the remarks. Howard University responded with its own tweet, stating that Dean Rashad's "initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault."

Rashad was recently named Dean of Howard University's Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts.

Rashad, an acclaimed stage and screen artist, graduated from Howard magna cum laude in 1970 with a bachelor's in fine arts. She returned as a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty member.

In a statement announcing her appointment in May, Provost Anthony K. Wutoh said Rashad's "passion for the arts and student success makes her a perfect fit for this role."

One of the students Rashad mentored at Howard was the late actor Chadwick Boseman, for whom the school's College of Fine Arts is named.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Immigration benefits the U.S. economy overall and has little negative effect on the income and job opportunities of most native-born Americans, says a new report by a panel of the National Research Council.

The high rate of premature births in the United States constitutes a public health concern that costs society at least $26 billion a year, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.