Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

     Are you looking to invest money?

     Smart investments are made via Exchange Traded Funds.

     Your investment account may be large or small.  ETFs aren't biased.  They have been compared, functionally, with mutual funds.

     Compared with a mutual fund, an ETF is a collection of stocks or bonds.

     ETFs are track indexes, for example, NASDAQ-100 Index, S&P 500, Dow Jones, etc. When you buy shares of an ETF, you are purchasing shares of a portfolio.  The portfolio tracks the yield and return of its native index.  ETFs don't try to outperform their corresponding index, but simply replicate its performance. They don't try to beat the market, they try to be the market.

     ETFs have been around since the early 1980s, but they've become popular within the past 10 years.

     How are ETFs priced?

    "An ETF’s underlying net asset value is calculated by taking the current value of the fund’s net assets (the value of all securities inside minus liabilities) divided by the total number of shares outstanding. The net asset value, or NAV, is published every 15 seconds throughout the trading day (http://guides.wsj.com/personal-finance/investing/how-to-choose-an-exchange-traded-fund-etf/)."

     "Unlike mutual funds, ETFs can also be used for speculative trading strategies, such as short selling and trading on margin. In short, the ETF allows investors to trade the entire market as though it were one single stock (http://www.investopedia.com)."

     Etfs are smart investments.

CUPPING THERAPY

     The USA medal count for the 2016 Rio Olympics was outstanding.  There were numerous types of competitors.  They were extremely conditioned.

     Some of the athletes were bruised with dark circles on a variety of locations on their bodies.  At first, the bruising was a little startling.  It had to be medical. There were more than just a couple of athletes with the same bruising.

     The circular bruises on their muscles were a result of the, message therapy, Cupping Method.

     It is also called Cupping Therapy.  This technique isn't new.  This has been practiced all over the world for hundreds of years.  The bruising kept the technique from becoming too popular, though.

     Special cups are strategically placed on different muscles.  A suction is generated in order to create blood flow and stimulation.

     The cupping method treats pain, inflammation, and circulation.  It can sensually promote well being, relaxation, and deep tissue message healing.

     "The cups resemble miniature gold fish bowls made out of glass, bamboo, earthenware, and sometimes silicon (www.webmd.com)."

     This method hasn't been completely hard wired with solid effects.  The results are somewhat controversial.  Research studies haven't connected a steady stream of documented ramifications.  The method dates back to ancient cultures from China, Egypt, and other places. A textbook entitled, "Ebers Papyrus", traversed the technique in 1,550 B.C.

     Repeat Gold Medal Olympian Micheal Phelps wasn't the first one to try the cupping method.

     "Cupping has been characterized as pseudoscience. There is no good evidence that it has any benefit on health and there are some concerns it may be harmful (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupping_therapy)."

     Although, there is no obvious, real benefits from the cupping method, it still sprung up during the recent 2016 Rio Olympics.

     In the 2008 book, written by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst, "Trick or Treatment", it was written that, "no evidence exists of any beneficial effects of cupping for any medical condition."

     Why is it not proven to be effective you might ask.  The effectiveness of cupping therapy is difficult to determine as it is difficult to construct double blind or placebo-controlled clinical trials.

     It is reported that cupping may result in bruising, or skin infection. The discoloration forms via blood capillary expansion.  Excessive fluid accumulates in tissues.  Then, the blood vessels rupture.

     Individuals have been performing the action for over 3,000 years.

     There are two types of cupping: dry cupping and wet cupping.  

-Dry cupping-  the suction of skin with controlled bleeding.  

-Wet cupping- common cupping which involves creating a small area of low air pressure to epithelial tissue. 

     Wet cupping was the method displayed in the 2016 Olympics.  The cups can be a small variety of shapes.  

     There are cupping balls or cupping bells.  The cups range 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76 millimeters) across the opening.

     Today, plastic and glass are the most common materials used.  The ancient cupping therapy involved the horn, pottery, bronze, and bamboo cups.

     There is a low air pressure required.  Pressure is created by heating the cup, which, in turn, heats the air inside of it.   After the heating, apply scented oils, and then place the cup against the skin.  As the air inside the cup cools, it contracts and sucks the skin slightly inside.

     Vacuums can be created with mechanical suction pumps acting through valves located at the top of the cup.

     Rubber cups are also available.  They squeeze the air out and adapt to uneven or bony surfaces.

     Depending on the specific treatment, skin marking is common after the cups are removed.  Usually, the marking may be a simple red ring that disappears quickly. The discoloration left by the cups is normally from dragging them, while suctioned, from one muscle to another.  Dragging is done in order to break down muscle fiber.  Treatments should not be too agonizing.

     Cupping was mentioned in the news recently as being used in a manner that helps increase blood flow.
https://nccih.nih.gov/news/cupping

     Cupping was also in the news recently, and was implicated as a relaxation practice in a variety of sports.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rio-2016-cupping-what-is-it-olympics-athletes-suction-cups-skin-marks-a7178731.html

     "Cupping therapy treatment creates hyper-localized suction on an athlete’s body. The hope is to help mobilize blood flow, drawing more blood to over-used muscles to help relieve muscle pain and promote faster healing ( http://www.si.com/tech-media/2016/08/11/cupping-therapy-michael-phelps-rio-olympics)."

     Overall, the bruising looks painful, but some popular/normal massages can be painful, also.  "Normal", as in a back message applied with hands. The pain is meant to target specific muscle groups for long term purposes. Cupping is another alternative. If you are up for new and adventurous relaxation techniques, voila.

     Consult with your licensed medical
practitioner before undergoing Cupping Therapy.

Food Trucks

     Food Trucks, over the last decade, have popped up everywhere.  They are a great alternative to going to your regular fast food establishment.

     In business, food trucks are a restaurant alternative.

     Food trucks can also be food trailers.  Food trailers are slightly cheaper.  In general, food trucks should be purchased used. The customization options are complete, and you can use the leftover change from purchase to add your own customizations.  

Price-    ~     $50,000.00 - $125,000.00

Kitchen ware, license fees, insurance, fuel, employee training, rent, and legal fees -   

              ~      $20,000.00 - $50,000.00

     You can spend a long time configuring your mobile eatery.  You can choose from outlandish paint jobs, to HD wraps that include your web address.  Before things get out of hand, make sure your kitchen is functional. List all of your required appliances.  Maybe, your station will have big screen t.v.s.  Plan, accordingly.

     The startup options can be simplified by seeking out your local food truck commissary. These places provide storage, preparation kitchens, and other paraphernalia that aren't small enough to ride in the truck.  

Food truck commissaries-

“are commercial kitchens where food truckers go to prepare and store their food. Food truckers will often rent space in a commissary, which saves a ton of money over renting your own private commercial kitchen facility (http://www.bostonfoodtruckblog.com/food-truck-commissary/).”

     Using your own private kitchen would give your menu an awesome edge. Your ideas should be original, for example, pizza stones for the pizzas, pre-packaged omelettes, zesty vegetables, and other ideas you came up with which made you the world's greatest chef.  Great food produces repeat customers.  

     Pick your name. Bring your best customer service to the best local events.  Word of mouth marketing will follow with a worthy supply to meet the hungry-customer demand.  Your marketing strategies should include being on a plethora of social media, having giveaways, and shooting some commercials that inform the customer of your product.  Your website will connect to video sites where your “YouTube” videos will be.  Make certain you can be found on GPS.  Keep your ratings in check, too.  

“There is literally a food truck for everyone, including those among us who have dietary restrictions. Gluten-free? Vegan? Kosher? Don’t worry, there’s a food truck for that (http://www.bustle.com/articles/116185-10-best-food-trucks-in-the-us-to-visit-on-national-food-truck-day).”

     Food Trucks are a palette to express your epicurean tastes, and art decor.  Make your truck compliment its surroundings.  Tow a mobile restroom.  Customers want to be able to wash their hands. Provide a clown that makes balloon art.  Turn up the sports games.  Put out a table.  Let your customers tell you what they want.  Use being mobile and outside to your advantage.

5 customers@10 minutes, each spending approximately $5.50 = $100,00.00 / year.

25 customers@35 minutes, each spending approximately $14.00 = $380,000.00 / year.

     What are your expectations on the flow of business?  Reach for the clouds.

     The average food truck schedule of hours, in a day, is around 17 hours.  This includes prep for the next day, and washing the truck.  You will have your work cut out for you.

“The food truck was a creative response to particular economic conditions and an absence of government regulations preventing their formation. The confluence of these factors meant that the cost of creating a  food business was lower than ever before. As a result, thousands of food trucks flourished and created a new model.  Food trucks can launch fast and cheap, instantly get customer feedback, and iterate quickly to improve their product. Restaurants can’t do any of this (http://blog.priceonomics.com/post/45352687467/food-truck-economics).”

     Food Trucks, mobile restaurants, haven’t been main-stays that long.  They are a cool alternative to going to your regular fast food places. Give it your best shot, if you plan to go open a food truck business.  The market hasn't been saturated, yet.

     Entrepreneurs, start your engines!

Recombinant DNA

     In the field of genomics, including cellular biology and molecular biology, cloning is possible.  Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is manufactured, and genetic engineering takes place. Genetic engineering is the science of making changes to the genes of a plant or animal to produce desired results.

     Recombinant DNA is commonly known as cloned DNA.  It is a copy of the backbone of who we are as human beings.

     Recombinant DNA is possible because DNA molecules from all organisms share the same chemical structure. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. Human genetics teaches, and the Watson-Crick team found, that there is a repeating sugar-phosphate-nucleotide base structure. These sequences make up a map of who we are as individuals.

     If we were using a "genetic copy machine", recombinant DNA would be the ink. 

     Biologically active DNA, in use experimentally since 1977, forms by the individual joining of segments of DNA.  It includes the recombination joint edge of a heteroduplex duplex region where two recombining DNA molecules are connected.

     Recombinant DNA is also called cloned DNA.  This rDNA biotechnology produces many copies of a single fragment of DNA.  A single fragment of DNA is a gene which creates identical copies that constitute a DNA clone.

     In DNA cloning, a DNA fragment is inserted into a small DNA molecule.  This allows a molecule to replicate inside a simple living cell, such as bacteria.  Once the molecule begins replicating it is called a DNA vector/carrier.  Plasmids are circular DNA molecules that originated from bacteria, viruses, and yeast cells.  Plasmids can carry genes that provide the host cell, the cell where the original DNA fragment was inserted, with useful property.  cellular improvements are made.  Some examples are drug resistance, mating ability, toxic production, etc. Plasmids, in the lab, are great because they are small enough to be manipulated, and they will carry out splicing.

     Recombinant DNA has many uses as of 2016.  It is used in research and biotechnology.  It is also used in over-the-counter medicine, as well as prescription medicine.  Using rDNA for positive purposes has become a huge market. There are stacks of applications.

     Chymosin rDNA is commonly referred to as rennin.  The stomach of a cow naturally produces this enzyme. Since 1990, it has been considerably cheaper to clone chymosin.

    "Chymosin splits the casein protein of milk at a specific point and thereby effects clotting.  Casein clumps together to form curd and separates from the watery whey. Subsequently, the ripening process of cheese may begin."(http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/stomach/rennin.html)

     Golden rice has been bioengineered with beta-carotene.  It also has the potential to reduce the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency worldwide.

     Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, antioxidant, that protects cells from damage.  Beta-carotene naturally occurs in carrots, fruits, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, squash, and fresh fruit.

     Insulin is the product of rDNA engineering, too.  Insulin is the medication injected by diabetics which regulates glucose uptake in the blood stream.  Recombinant DNA human insulin is spawned from humans.  The pharm industry has been ecstatic about it.

     Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Glucose, with the help of insulin, is able to be absorbed into the body.

     Type 1 diabetics have damaged beta cells in their pancreas. They require "sugar".

     Type 2 diabetics conditions aren't as extreme.  They will perform well with oral medications, simple diets, and exercise.

     Biotechnology, and rDNA have made many advances including: recombinant blood clotting factor 8, recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, herbicide-resistant /insect-resistant crops, and others.

     Proteins were first bioengineered as recombinant proteins in 1986.
 
     Recombinant human growth hormone (HGH) is used to support normal growth and development for patients with malfunctions in the pituitary gland. This offers a noticeable benefit when contrasted to previously used methods of obtaining the hormone. 

     Human growth hormone was developed in 1985 and approved by the FDA.

     Vaccines are the result of rDNA technology, too.  Vaccines are r-vectors.  They encode antigens.  These disease fighting antigens are introduced into the host cell.  The host cell, in turn, introduces the antigen to the immune system. 

     With the vector, there isn't a need for formulations, or delivery agents.  The plasmid functions via buffer, and saline solution.  These were established in 1997.

     "DNA cloning/rDNA technology is moving towards synthetic biology techniques.  These advances should enable faster DNA construction of the DNA clones. There will be drastic changes in the production of gene therapy vectors, recombinant protein production processes, and new vaccines."(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/68019444)

     Recombinant DNA (rDNA) involves the science of making changes to the genes of a plant or animal to produce desired results.  The technology has developed in small amounts over time, but it has a wide array of possibilities.

PACs/ SUPER PACs

     We're electing a new president.

     Who are you voting for?

     Republican or Democrat?

     What issues are you rooting to find?

     The political process is very complex.  The issues are fragile.  Our votes are detrimental.  As individuals our votes are important. As groups, we can cause waves.

     Organizations come together to fund politicians.

     According CNN.com, PACs, "may skew the legislative process in the next Congress in favor of the interests of large Super PAC contributors."

     In the image below you will find a list of organization names connected with a PAC.

Political action committees (PACs)-
A group that is formed to give money to the political campaigns of people who are likely to make decisions that would benefit the group's interests

Super political action committees (super PACs)-
established in 2010, both corporations and unions are allowed to make independent expenditures from their general treasuries; and nonconnected PACs, which are independent of corporations, unions, and political parties which make contributions and expenditures to support a particular ideology or issue.

     "The first PAC was created in 1944 by the Congress of Industrial Organizations, which sought to raise funds to assist the reelection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. PACs were an ancillary part of political campaigns in the U.S. until the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (and its amendment in 1974). Ostensibly, the law was established to reduce the influence of money in campaigns by setting strict limits on the amount a particular corporation, union, or private individual could give to a candidate. By soliciting smaller contributions from a much larger number of individuals, however, PACs were able to circumvent these limitations and provide substantial funds for candidates. Following the reforms, the number of PACs proliferated, from about 600 in the early 1970s to more than 4,000 by 2010. With this proliferation came a massive escalation in the cost of running for federal office in the United States (http://www.britannica.com/topic/political-action-committee)."

     Under Federal law, an organization is considered a PAC when it receives or spends more than $2,600 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.

     Donald Trump, Republican businessman, has yet to establish which one of his PACs to support. Donald Trump is backed by MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, a non-profit organization headed by his daughters-in-laws.

     Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democratic former Secretary of State, is backed by PRIORITIES USA ACTION, and CORRECT THE RECORD, headed by top Clinton allies.

     Democracy is awesome.  We should research our political leaders, and inform ourselves on the issues as much as possible.

     "Few developments in campaigning have been as vilified and misunderstood as independent expenditure PACs, or, as they are colloquially known, super PACs (http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/02/17/why-super-pacs-are-good-for-democracy).

     VOTE 2016

NADPH

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

    Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, is abbreviated as NADP⁺ . It is a cofactor used in anabolic reactions, such as lipid and nucleic acid synthesis, which require NADPH as a reducing agent (http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)

     NADP is oxidized and NADPH is reduced.

Nadp
Formula: C₂₁H₂₉N₇O

Nadph
Formula:C₂₁H₂₉N₇O₁₇P₃

Let's take a look at each component.

Nicotinamide- 
also known as niacinamide, is a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble solid.
C ₆ H ₆ N ₂ O
, is the amide of nicotinic acid, and a component of the vitamin-B complex,found in meat, liver, fish, whole wheat, and eggs.  It is a primary amide. This chemical is not related to nicotine.

Adenine- 
a compound that is one of the four constituent bases of nucleic acids. Adenine is a purine derivative. It is paired with thymine in double-stranded DNA.

Dinucleotide- 
a nucleotide is a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides form the basic structural units of nucleic acids such as DNA. The prefix "di-" means the nucleotide consists of two units.  Each unit is composed of a phosphate, a pentose, and a purine or pyrimidine base.

Phosphate- A salt of phosphoric acid (http://www.chemspider.com/).

The Biology of NADPH-

     Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate acts as a reducing agent in certain anabolic reactions.  NADPH is the reduced form of NADP⁺.  It is a coenzyme.  NADP⁺ has an additional phosphate on the 2' position of the ribose ring, attached to the adenine. NADPH forms when NADP⁺ molecules gain an electron from hydrogen.

     NADP + H¹-> NADPH

     It is an electron carrier in a number of reactions, including lipid synthesis, cholesterol synthesis, fatty acid chain elongation, and nucleic acid synthesis. The electron carrier is alternately oxidized (NADP-) and reduced (NADPH).

Chemical name-
adenosine 5'-(trihydrogen diphosphate), 2'-(dihydrogen phosphate), P'-5'-ester with 3-(aminocarbonyl)-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylpyridinium, inner salt.

Why this chemical is important?

     In plants, NADPH is present during photosynthesis.  NADPH is produced by ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductase  in the last step of the electron chain of the light reactions.

     It is also used as reducing power for the biosynthetic reactions in the Calvin Cycle to assimilate carbon dioxide.

     In animals, NADPH is abundant during the pentose phosphate pathway.

     In fat, and liver, the isocitrate dehydrogenase mechanism has vast quantities of NADPH.

     In mitochondria, NADH kinase produces NADPH and ADP, using NADH and ATP as substrates.

     NADPH provides the reducing equivalents for biosynthetic reactions and the oxidation-reduction involved in protecting against the toxicity of ROS (reactive oxygen species), allowing the regeneration of GSH (reduced glutathione).

     The NADPH system generates free radicals in immune cells. These radicals are used to destroy pathogens in a process termed the respiratory burst. It is the source of reducing equivalents for cytochrome P450 hydroxylation of aromatic compounds, steroids, alcohols, and drugs.

NADPH

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

Large Cash Positions

     Predict the economy's next move. 

     That is difficult.  The economy is unpredictable. Diversification is the safety net.

     Currently, March 2016, the economy is very volatile.  It is smart to keep a strong cash position.

     Cash position- 
     A cash position is the amount of cash that a company, investment fund, or bank has on its books at a specific point in time. The cash position is a sign of financial strength and liquidity. In addition to cash itself, it will often take into consideration highly liquid assets such as certificates of deposit, short-term government debt, and other cash equivalents. (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cash_position.asp)

     The beginning of 2016 has marked 21 times that the Dow gained or lost 200,or more, points through March 1 compared to only nine in 2015. That has prompted investors to maintain large cash positions. A large cash reserve, in our early 2016 economy is found to be a reassuring cushion. The stock market has remained volatile up to this point in the year.

     In 2015, "The total cash held by high net households, or those who have $1 million or more investable assets in North America is cited as $3.8 trillion (Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management)."

     "Out of that total, $3 trillion to 3.5 trillion of those assets are estimated to be in the U.S. (Gary Zimmerman, CEO of MaxMyInterest)."

     All portions of the economy aren't tracked. When we are nervous about the economy, we attempt to find a detour from the current financial route. Consumer  checkings, savings accounts, and CDs are not tracked.

     It is a smart investment move, for the low income and high income sectors, to acquire large sums of their assets in cash.

     The trend is aiming towards nesting against market volatility while others want to have cash available to invest. Investors feel more comfortable holding cash, particularly if they have a near-term need for funds to apply towards an upcoming purchase, capital calls on private equity funds, or tax bills.

     The Millenial generation eyewitnessed the Great Recession, and they're wary. The Great Recession lasted from December 2007 to June 2009.  The 8 trillion dollar housing bubble loss of wealth led to sharp cutbacks in consumer spending. Now, investors are investing large portions of their funds in fixed income investments and cash, rather than stocks.  Investors who entered the market during the trough in March 2009 would have tripled their return by the end of 2015.

     "If we recognized the opportunity that the recessionary price drop created, we could have exploited other people's folly. Instead of losing money by selling, we could have bought Johnson & Johnson and increased our long-term total return on our new purchase to just short of 14% per annum (SeekingAlpha, 6/10/15, Chuck Carnevale)"

     Some investors have sought a more conservative approach.  The cause of this approach is the result of potential interest rate hikes, weak economic growth, and an upcoming presidential vote.

     "One of the most important things you can do to help manage the risk of volatile markets is to diversify. While it won't guarantee you won't have losses, it can help limit them. It was put to the test during the extreme market volatility in 2008 (https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/investing-ideas/strategies-for-volatile-markets)."

     There isn't a perfect point in time to make the switch towards this prudent cash holding strategy. Investors often tend to mistakenly calculate cash deployment positions and negatively impact their long term goals.

     The alternatives to a large cash position are other assets such as fixed income or stocks. These alternatives may generate greater returns.

     In general, keep 2% to 4% of investment funds in cash, in order to take advantage of opportunities as they appear.  Be prepared for market rebounds. Moving away from short-term volatility means investors decrease their chances of selling stocks at the wrong time.  You could go into short/intermediate bond funds, or low-volatility growing dividend stock funds.  Volatility,  is minimized, but there is some room for growth.

     Investors are keeping large sums of money in cash positions.  This is a smart plan to deal with the economy.