Methow Valley News May 1, 2025 by Methow Valley News Margaret Kingston and Lauren Iida have been selected as the 2025 Mary Kiesau Community Fellowship award recipients The fellowship fund was established in 2020 from gifts by friends and family to honor the life and legacy of Mary Kiesau Two fellowships of $1,000 each are awarded to support independent and creative educational projects led by artists Photographer Jack McLeod and multi-media artist Claire (Cal) Waichler were winners of the 2024 awards Previous recipients were Rosalee de la Forêt; Suze Woolf; David Lukas; David Moskowitz; and Estuko Ichikawa Kingston is an oil painter and art educator “Mary Kiesau became one of Margaret’s first friends when she moved to the Methow Valley 13 years ago and continues to inspire her dedication to capturing the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and our local landscape,” the release said The award will support Kingston’s development of plein air painting skills and to begin teaching painting classes for others with similar goals Her work is shown regularly at the The Confluence: Art in twisp Examples can be seen at www.mkoilpaintings.com Lauren Iida is a Japanese American paper cut artist and arts administrator who has spent several chapters of her life in the Methow Valley She graduated from Liberty Bell High School in 2003 She has used her ongoing installation project “Memory Net” to engage with people around the world and bring attention to important issues including Japanese American incarceration during WWII Iida will add a new layer of meaning to “Memory Net” with a temporary installation that invites public participation Examples of her work can be seen at www.laureniida.com who died in April 2020 after a battle with melanoma was the Educational Programs Director with the Methow Conservancy for 13 years She was renowned for her photography and environmental education business She was also a seven-year board member at TwispWorks For more information visit www.twispworks.org/programs/mary-kiesau-community-fellowship-fund/ or email tkarpenko@twispworks.org Filed Under: ARTS © 2025 · Methow Valley News Registration is now open for the fifth annual “Design Your World” program, organized by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) the two-week summer program immerses students in the fundamentals of design with instruction provided by experienced design professionals Chicago section instructor Chelsea Jackson-Greene, an associate and interior designer with Perkins&Will recently shared with i+s the importance of connecting students with the environment where Design Your World programs are held the program expands their awareness of their creative potential and the tangible impact that the design profession can make across all walks of life as IIDA put out a call for design professionals to lead multiple city programs Jackson-Greene’s reputation for academic volunteering and networking led colleagues at Perkins&Will (a corporate sponsor for Design Your World) to recommend her as an instructor for the 2024 Chicago session “I’m passionate about design education,” she said “I was excited about the opportunity to bring professional experience to how the curriculum was taught and I’m excited they asked me to come back this year.” Connecting students with specialists during a two-week intensive exposes them to real-world challenges and offers practical insights they might not have access to in a general art education setting As the inaugural case, Chicago’s program has been running since 2021, when it first launched as a virtual opportunity. Since then, Design Your World’s in-person education has expanded to Miami, St. Louis, and now Dallas in 2025. Details of the various host sites and instructors will be added to the IIDA’s Design Your World information page as they are finalized city section facilitators start with a shared curriculum formula “Similar to when students go to art and design school we start with big general ideas—the foundations of design—before diving into anything specific for their final project,” she explained While the core educational framework remains consistent each city adapts the final project to incorporate locally relevant sites that students can physically visit she said location makes a big difference in the project site selection The 2024 Chicago section was held at Columbia College where the students were tasked with redesigning zones of the student center “We can walk to the site and experience the city’s energy Students can see what their future might look like if they decide to apply to an art and design school and it relates directly to their final project It’s really engaging for them to see something tangible they can reimagine themselves.” Chicago’s Design Your World section will be hosted downtown at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and showroom staff also participate in the program giving students a well-rounded view into the design industry while they discover and find confidence in their creativity Applying what they learn during Design Your World programs has proven to open up students’ post-secondary school considerations This opportunity creates a pipeline to design education with plenty of examples of past students later attending design schools success stories come in the form of those who didn’t even have a design education or career on their radar “We had a student last year [Ethan Garza] who joined the program because a friend was participating… He said ‘'I don’t know anything about design I’m not into it.’ Yet he ended up having one of the most interesting projects of all,” Jackson-Greene recalled ‘I didn’t know this was possible for me let alone that I could learn this from others or be inspired by them.’” Now an architecture student at Harold Washington College Garza is returning to the Chicago Design Your World program this summer as a teaching assistant “Representation in our industry is really important It’s crucial for students to see possible futures for themselves when planning their educational and career goals,” Jackson-Greene noted “It’s hard to imagine a future when you might not know anyone who looks like you or comes from a similar background who has done something like this.” Design professionals interested in opportunities can reach out to program coordinator Sheena Lewis at [email protected] For parents, teachers, and students who are interested in learning more about programs and for registration, visit the IIDA’s main information page for Design Your World For sponsorship opportunities that can support this pathway program, contact IIDA director of strategic sales Tracey Thomas at [email protected] Jackson-Greene also cited the program’s reputation for excellence as motivating outreach from others who are eager to join in the excitement and share their knowledge “Since last year’s launch and the social media coverage several design educators have reached out to me personally How do I come to the city and volunteer?” Cross-promoting Design Your World across other allied professional associations and events has also increased the network of potential volunteers and supporters The overall growth and future contributions of the design profession demand participation in the mentorship and leadership cycle “I often say that when you figure out your path the best practice as a designer is to go back and help people who might not have had the same opportunities and show them the path you took I’m thrilled that’s happening again this year.” « Back You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The American Library Association (ALA) and the International Interior Design Association are pleased to present the winners of the 2024 Library Interior Design Awards are judged by industry professionals based on aesthetics The winners were recognized in June at ALA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego Make no mistake: The American people need to brace for more waves of uncertainty and oppression And in our role as stalwart information warriors we shall hold the front lines of democracy to ensure that intellectual freedom and the First Amendment are held in the highest regard.” American Libraries column, May Marshall Breeding writes: “The library technology industry showed its maturity in 2024 Businesses have become increasingly stable and robust products delivered rich functionality But decades of consolidation have created a narrower slate of competitors resulting in a smaller number of products available for each type and size of library The marketplace is seeing more specialized solutions but fewer options Companies continue to tailor products to the diverging service needs and collections of public Library services platforms designed for academic libraries This stratification further narrows customers’ choices.” American Libraries feature, May AL: The Scoop, May 2 Charlie Osborne writes: “As a professional photographer I know that photo editing software is critical to my workflow to bring out the best in my images whether to make changes to exposure and add bokeh [the aesthetic blurring of out-of-focus areas] or other creative effects Adobe Lightroom is the gold standard for many photographers but many alternative online photo editors are also excellent options We have a great selection of options for you to test out depending on your online photo editing needs.” ZDNet, Apr. 28 Veronica Fu writes: “At first glance, libraries might appear to be unaffected by Trump’s tariffs. The official list of exempt items released by the White House includes [printed books] But the reassurance this offers libraries is limited For libraries that depend on international vendors to supply books the ripple effects of Trump’s tariffs could include disrupted shipping routes and a growing pile of administrative red tape this is a moment in which libraries must lead with intention.” Katina, Apr. 24 Jennifer Peterson writes: “In my time as a youth services librarian I visited with thousands of school children each school year in the fall and spring months to promote books Here are my top five tips I can offer as you get ready to promote your summer reading program to students this spring.” ALSC Blog, Apr. 26 Hannah Weinberg writes: “This week marks 100 days since President Trump’s January 20 inauguration. It has also been approximately 45 days since Trump signed the March 14 executive order that called for stripping the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) down to its ‘non-statutory and component functions.’ Censorship attempts persist previously granted IMLS funding has been canceled and library staffers continue to make difficult decisions about how to best maintain services for their communities Following is American Libraries’ update on the challenges libraries and librarians continue to fight under the Trump administration.” American Libraries feature, Apr. 30 A publication of the American Library Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601 © 2009–2025 American Library Association Free NewsletterUK Join the newsletter that everyone in finance secretly reads Iida Group Holdings is making waves in the US housing market by launching Arnest One America in Georgia – a significant move into the nation’s expanding residential scene For markets: Capturing opportunities in housing hotspots The bigger picture: International expansion in stable markets Theodora Lee Joseph, CFA The Great Wealth Transfer Is Coming – Here’s How To Profit From ItStéphane Renevier, CFA Markets Could Pick A Direction This Week – Here's WhyJonathan Hobbs, CFA Why GameStop Might Actually Be Worth A Look Right NowTheodora Lee Joseph, CFA Political Risk Is Part Of A Stock’s Value Now – And, No, You Can’t Afford To Tune It OutTheodora Lee Joseph, CFA Apple And Amazon’s Results Were Sturdy, But Their Future Looks A Little Less SoREAD NEXTNews Skechers Goes Private In $9.4 Billion Deal With 3G CapitalFinimize Newsroom Edgewell Braces For 2025 Challenges As Tariffs BiteFinimize Newsroom A Defensive Portfolio Prepared For The Wealth Effect’s ReversalStéphane Renevier, CFA One Common Hedge-Fund Trade Could Bring Down Financial Systems – And It Nearly Backfired This WeekRussell Burns Coinbase’s Steep Drop Might Make It Interesting, But It Hasn’t Made It CheapRussell Burns Tariffs Are Spooking Investors Into Panic-Selling – Here’s What to Do InsteadReda Farran, CFA Threats Are Rising. So Here’s How To Invest In Cybersecurity.Theodora Lee Joseph, CFA Apple And Amazon’s Results Were Sturdy, But Their Future Looks A Little Less SoTheodora Lee Joseph, CFA Disclaimer: These articles are provided for information purposes only an opinion about whether to buy or sell a specific investment may be provided The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product or to adopt any investment strategy as it is not provided based on an assessment of your investing knowledge and experience your financial situation or your investment objectives You may not get back all the money that you invest The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment advisor This article is based on reporting by MT Newswires This article may contain AI-edited content While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy AI may not capture the nuances of the subject matter resulting in errors or inconsistencies This scholarship honors the legacy of Hazel Siegel an acclaimed textile designer and chapter member who held numerous leadership positions and received multiple honors over 40 years of dedicated service to the chapter IIDA NY initiated a program to honor her enduring contributions to the industry also a respected professor at Pratt Institute was recognized as an industry icon by Interior Design magazine's 75th-anniversary issue for her unwavering commitment to the design field The scholarship celebrates Siegel's legacy and the significant impact she made on the design community "We are thrilled to recognize the talent and dedication of this year's recipients," said Jillian Allerton and Michelle Schutt Co-Chairs of the IIDA NY Hazel Siegel Scholarship Committee and Jiayin exemplify the spirit of innovation and community engagement that Hazel championed throughout her career This scholarship honors Hazel’s legacy and empowers these emerging designers to pursue their passions and make meaningful contributions to the future of design We are excited to see the impact they will have on our industry and beyond." The winning Hazel Seigel Scholarship winners were selected based on their community engagement Ali is focused on creating transformative spaces that enhance well-being and inclusivity A first-generation immigrant from Trinidad she aims to design socially impactful projects like civic structures and community centers inspires to mentor underrepresented individuals in design and foster an inclusive community Her long-term goal is to become a professor inspiring future designers to use design as a tool for social impact Lydia Mudd New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) Mudd encourages younger students to explore their passions and get involved She believes that discovering and nurturing individual interests is key to personal and professional growth Her senior thesis focuses on redesigning workplaces to foster intuitive collaboration between neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals which reflects her passion for creating personalized Committed to addressing inclusivity and accessibility gaps Mudd aims to explore the intersection of cognitive productivity and design in a research-based firm Looking to create spaces that support health particularly in health facilities and senior living environments Li seeks to make a positive impact by designing spaces that make individuals feel valued and included she aims to foster create a pluriversal world that fosters inclusivity and respect for all Her involvement in the Pluriversal Design Lab reinforces her commitment to making interior design more accessible to marginalized groups she plans to pursue a master's degree to deepen her understanding of spatial design and environmental impact Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site Your comment will be visible once approved 032c Gallery is pleased to present “doomscrolling,” a group exhibition with works by Angélique Aubrit & Ludovic Beillard Doomscrolling is the act of continuously scrolling through large quantities of news and social media content The exhibition is not only interested in endless gloomy scrolling but the general state of a compulsive consumption of images no longer being able to distinguish between a “good” and “bad” image “Doomscrolling” explores in what ways the meaning of an image is no longer defined through its actual content 2025; (left) Iida Jonsson & Ssi Saarinen Iida Jonsson & Ssi Saarinen Night (1) and Night (2) Content Industrial Complex at 032c Gallery The Split Between the Self and Its Image: Jonas Wendelin Finding Romance in the Grotesque: JON RAFMAN Attitude: HUGO COMTE Shoots KRIS GRIKAITE for 032c Three aspiring interior design professionals were honored as winners of the fourth annual Hazel Siegel Scholarship presented by the International Interior Design Association’s New York Chapter (IIDA NY) Lydia Mudd from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) and Jiayin Li from Cornell University will receive an all-expense-paid three-day trip to IIDA’s SHIFT Conference in Dallas on February 12–14 and a one-year IIDA student membership to the New York chapter The IIDA Texas and Oklahoma chapter organizes SHIFT a multi-day professional enrichment experience for students The conference invites participants to engage in various events designed to grow their knowledge of interior design through presentations and conversations with practicing professionals SHIFT’s 25th annual conference will take place at the Renaissance Hotel in Dallas Lydia Mudd is a student leader at NYIT where she encourages students to get involved and find their passions by nurturing interests vital to personal and professional development Inspired by her passion for making personalized Mudd’s senior thesis explores redesigning workplaces to create intuitive collaboration among neurodiverse and neurotypical people She seeks to explore the intersection of cognitive productivity and design in a research-based firm to tackle inclusivity and accessibility gaps Mudd said she looks forward to attending the conference where she can speak with professionals and gain insights about the industry Having an opportunity to attend this conference and being able to speak with differing professionals is so valuable to gain insight within this objectively small community of people,” she said “After curating a lot of my design mindset and practices off of the NYC industry I'd love to know about different niches within national design culture itself along with what topics are up and coming as I officially step into the field this summer.” Khadeine Ali attends The New School at Parsons School of Design As a first-generation immigrant from Trinidad she wants to create transformative spaces by designing socially impactful projects that enhance well-being and inclusivity through storytelling Ali’s long-term goal is to become a professor where she can mentor underrepresented people and inspire future designers who can use design as a tool for social impact Ali looks forward to attending the conference where she can gain more understanding of the interior design industry through hands-on activities “The conference's mission to ‘LEAD UNITE.’ resonates deeply with my aspirations as an emerging designer,” she said “I value the unique opportunity to learn from established professionals and exchange ideas with fellow students creating a rich collaborative learning environment.” focusing on health and senior living centers She wants people to feel valued and included regardless of age or physical health something she seeks to impact through design Li wants to have a pluriversal world by incorporating empathy and diverse cultural perspectives into her designs She is involved in the Pluriversal Design Lab which supports her interest in making interior design more accessible to marginalized groups Li will pursue a master’s degree to study spatial design and environmental impact Li noted how her attendance at the conference will connect her with interior designers whose interests span interiors “As a new designer entering the industry I am hoping to gain critical insights and resources for professional development while engaging with talented individuals to bring forward new ideas,” said Li “Whether it's guidance on securing my first internship or finding the next steps in my research the knowledge gained from this opportunity will extend beyond my academic foundation and help me transition effectively into the real world and I am excited to explore a new city and create lasting memories through the travel.” The Hazel Siegel scholarship honors acclaimed textile designer and IIDA NY chapter member Hazel Siegel who held several leadership roles and garnered many honors throughout her 40 years of service to the chapter IIDA NY started a program in her honor after she passed in 2020 Siegel was also a professor at Pratt Institute and was recognized as an industry icon by Interior Design magazine’s 75th-anniversary issue due to her unwavering commitment to the design field The annual scholarship continues to recognize Siegel’s legacy and impact on the design community and support the aspirations of future design professionals Hazel Siegel Scholarship applicants had to be currently enrolled in New York State’s undergraduate or graduate interior design programs and students must be in good academic standing This year’s three winners were selected for their community engagement Mudd expressed gratitude as a scholarship recipient for the inclusivity of the design community and how it exemplifies her professional aspirations “As I near the end of my more regimented education within the school system I'm looking forward to reinforcing my joy within interior design,” she said “My goal has always been to create a positive impact whether it's seen within the spaces I create and curate or the greater part of this industry  Being awarded this scholarship and the opportunities it brings feels like a great addition to the first steps taken in that direction." Ali said this scholarship is transformative as it allows her to attend the SHIFT conference to expose her to industry professionals who can support her professional development “As someone who aspires to practice and eventually teach interior design this conference experience will be invaluable in helping me build the foundation for these goals,” Ali said “The scholarship's support allows me to step beyond the classroom environment and immerse myself in the professional design community helping me develop the skills and connections necessary for a successful career in practice and education.” Li echoed Ali’s sentiments about the transformative opportunities that being a Hazel Siegel Scholarship recipient presents “Being recognized for my ideas and aspirations is truly transformative as it reinforces my belief that I am on a viable path to bring positive change to the health and well-being of the wider community through design,” she said “The scholarship has further motivated me to continue exploring my potential and pushing the boundaries of what I can achieve to the best of my abilities in both my current pursuits and future endeavors.” Lauren Brant is an editor at both i+s and BUILDINGS she served as deputy news editor at a daily and editor of a weekly newspaper Place, space, and community sit at the center of the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) guide for designers, manufacturers, and Chicago’s vibrant design community as they come June 9–11 to attend NeoCon 2025 and Fulton Market Design Days one of the world’s largest gatherings of the interior design industry “Connectivity is a key part of NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days and IIDA is ready to celebrate this vibrant intersection of all things Design: designers insights (and foresight!)—and a lot of truly wonderful design work for all of us to enjoy,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO “IIDA is particularly proud to celebrate design in our own home city and the confluence of these two major events creates a centerpoint for the global design community and connecting around the joy-inducing practice that is design.” Those attending “Chicago Design Week” shows within THE MART and Fulton Market District have a range of events to take part in and immerse themselves in the world of design As a city that prides itself on the diversity of its built spaces IIDA is also encouraging Chicago residents to explore these areas throughout the year IIDA looks to continue elevating the city’s status as a global creative and economic hub for the interior design industry Leading up to and during much of NeoCon at THE MART and of Fulton Market Design Days IIDA will be welcoming its members and the design industry at large Their goal is to bring competitive flair to showcase design’s capabilities for the public produce educational programming for practitioners and rally the community within the profession and the industry it advocates for Jurying of 21st Annual IIDA Showroom and Booth Design Competition: This design competition honors original interior design and the visual impact of showrooms and pop-up exhibitors at NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days with an emphasis on the innovative use of product Entries will be reviewed onsite by a jury of influential design leaders and specifiers from the commercial interior design industry All winning spaces will be exhibited throughout the show Submissions are open from March 3 to May 30 on IIDA.org Winning spaces will be exhibited throughout the NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days’ shows The Best of Competition winners for both shows will be announced and celebrated live during IIDA’s private black-tie event 2025 IIDA Annual Meeting: The IIDA Annual Meeting is a yearly gathering for IIDA members to celebrate and connect in-person Presented by IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO along with outgoing International Board of Directors President Erika Moody the program includes the induction of the 2025 IIDA College of Fellows as well as the presentation and celebration of IIDA’s International Honors and Awards Revel in Design: IIDA’s annual celebration event is hosted by IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO and features prominent international interior designers and global manufacturers gathering to celebrate global design professionals and the industry and revelry will honor the winners of the 51th annual Interior Design Competition the 32th annual Will Ching Design Competition The Best of Competition for the Interior Design Competition and the 21th Annual IIDA Showroom and Booth Design Competition will be announced live during the private event Individual tickets will go on sale May 2025 on IIDA.org NeoCon Monday Keynote presented by IIDA: “Designing for Global Innovation.” Today innovation in design is critical to the lifeblood of creators and a top priority for clients and consumers alike Creating and designing inclusive spaces and experiences doesn't happen by accident Keynote speaker Annie Jean-Baptiste is a business disrupting tech executive who builds for the 21st century needs of consumers She transforms companies into human centered authentic brands that can tap into unlocked growth opportunities data driven approach to game-changing products serving billions of customers globally Her talk will demonstrate how designers of all kinds can leverage lived experiences to fuel innovation creating more holistic experiences for everyone IIDA’s Executive Vice President and CEO FIIDA will introduce Jean-Baptiste and lead the Q&A session Programming registration is available to NeoCon attendees on NeoCon.com starting April 1 Collective Design LIVE: How to Design a More Inclusive Future IIDA’s Collective Design LIVE series brings together top minds in design who approach experiential design through a variety of lenses from neuroscience to hospitality to future forecasting Programming registration available to NeoCon attendees on NeoCon.com starting April 1 Fulton Market Design Days: IIDA will meet and greet its members and the residents of Chicago as they gather and explore the West Loop area as a burgeoning design district IIDA Student Design Charette: The annual IIDA Student Design Charette brings together students from across the nation for a day of design The day of the Charette – students are assigned to a team given collaborative time to create a design solution and then present it to a panel of esteemed jurors Student attendees are privately nominated through IIDA’s network of design educators with the Charette Awards Ceremony immediately following in the same location For more information on IIDA programming during NeoCon or to register for select events, visit IIDA.org IIDA is the commercial interior design association with global reach and their clients through our global network of members across 58 countries and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well- being of people’s lives every day Step into a world where fashion meets innovation, and every piece tells a story. Welcome to Iida Keawe and a love for Moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi Our journey began with a simple idea: to transform the way you perceive fashion Each collection promises to be a blend of timeless elegance and cutting-edge design Join us on Instagram @iida.keawe to get behind-the-scenes looks and sneak peeks of our debut collection Hoʻololi a collection that tells the personal story of my journey through depression Witness the artistry that went into each stitch and the vision that drove the designs Save the date for our highly anticipated fashion show on Dec Be the first to experience our debut collection where tradition meets modernity in an unforgettable display The event promises to be a night of glamour set at the iconic Hawaiʻi Hall at Bishop Museum 100% of the proceeds from tickets will be donated to Lahaina Strong to help our brothers and sisters who were affected by the wildfire Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see our creations come to life on the runway and an insider’s look into the world of Iida Keawe Let’s embark on this stylish journey together Because fashion is not just what you wear—it’s an experience It’s no secret that the design industry is evolving fast. From demographic shifts to technological advancements, designers are navigating a world that demands adaptability and, well, foresight. That’s where IIDA’s Certified Design Futurist (CDF) program comes in The certification course is based on the methods of renowned quantitative futurist Amy Webb founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute (FTI) which partnered with IIDA to create an innovative curriculum for design professionals 12-week course equips designers with foresight skills and tools to anticipate future challenges and create solutions that meet the needs of a changing world Strategic foresight isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a key business advantage that dovetails with the work designers are already doing Designers are inherently creating spaces for the future but those skills of foresight have never before been formalized and shaped into a recognized competency that is career-building and scope-enhancing for firms an advisory firm specializing in foresight uses its proven quantitative model to help organizations develop strategies that drive long-term success and resilience—and has now adapted its methodology to fit within the design process “Which is better? The ability to see the future, or the ability to create and execute the right strategy?” asks Webb in a Harvard Business Review article She says the answer is clear: “Strategy and foresight were once the same discipline And they should be again.” She’s right Here’s why foresight is crucial for designers The pace of change in today’s business environment often outstrips the ability of organizations to keep up Foresight equips designers and clients to anticipate and adapt allowing them to ride the waves of change rather than be swept away Every design project looks ahead—delivery may take years and the best designs stay relevant for years beyond The CDF program quantifies design’s inherent foresight Foresight is a method to break free from “task prison.” Foresight frees designers from the reactive cycle of immediate tasks It’s about cultivating a vision that drives informed strategic choices for you and your clients Keeping up with change and future-proofing projects is key to design work. The U.S. centenarian population is projected to more than quadruple over the next 30 years, according to the Pew Research Center designers will need to create spaces that accommodate aging populations—prioritizing accessibility Another notable recent finding: Technology is everywhere, but stats confirm growing wariness surrounding it—about half of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI’s growing role in daily life Savvy designers will find ways to integrate advanced technology into spaces without losing the human touch Public demand for sustainable practices is only growing and designers are increasingly finding innovative ways to reduce environmental impact while maintaining functionality and aesthetics making sustainability a cornerstone of future-ready spaces The CDF program trains participants to identify and address environmental and societal shifts by examining 11 macro sources of change—from shifts in demographics and wealth distribution to climate and technological changes—to foresee Western Kentucky University Libraries is thrilled to announce the recipients of the Connie Foster Student Scholarship Endowment for the 2024-2025 academic year: Cal McDermott (right) and Cyrus Adkisson (left) WKU Libraries is proud to announce that The Commons at Helm Library has been honored with the 2024 ALA/IIDA International Interior Design Association award for Outstanding Historic Renovation Project Our library website has recently undergone an update that brings a modern and streamlined look Western Kentucky University Libraries is excited to announce that Joshua Vossler will be joining as the new Dean of University Libraries City donates historic Shake Rag artifacts to WKU Special Collections Library Visitors are invited to explore a wide array of primary sources that provide unique insights into this pivotal period in American history The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are now available to the entire WKU community providing a wealth of information and entertainment to enrich academic and professional endeavors Western Kentucky University students Avery Pope and Tameka Ferguson have been awarded the 2023-2024 WKU Libraries Connie Foster Student Scholarship Endowment The scholarship aims to provide financial support to students pursuing their academic goals a WKU senior from Springhill Tennessee with a major in Technical writing and a minor in History reached her goal and started her internship journey at the Special Collections Library Katie King and Veronica Pierre have been awarded the Connie Foster Student Scholarship for the 2022-23 academic year View Archive Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view Please enable JavaScript to view this page correctly Trumpeter Jun Iida grew up in St and had his first experiences on stage turning music pages for his mother a semi-professional koto player who encouraged a connection to music and the family’s Japanese heritage Iida’s love of music gradually overtook his education and early career as an engineer where he worked his way into the jazz scene The pandemic hit while Iida was in Southern California working on the music destined for his debut album, Evergreen The album title (and song title) refers to his move to Seattle during that time though it was actually an engineering job that led to his relocation Inspired by musicians, including those in his studio session band – guitarist Martin Budde, pianist Dylan Hayes bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Xavier LeCouturier – Iida made his commitment to life as a professional musician Evergreen’s original songs include Iida’s trumpet matched by guitar on the album and in the studio creating an upper range for the songs that lends them a lightness equaled by clear melodic and harmonic ideas Iida also blends the Japanese folk, classical and blues music he heard as a kid in St. Louis with the hip-hop of his teen years to bring a modern perspective to mainstream jazz reminiscent of his trumpet hero, Roy Hargrove The strength of his first album has earned Iida plenty of positive attention from critics “being able to share the music with everybody who’s closest to me.” With musical connections in Seattle that seem built to last we’re sure to keep this now New York-based trumpeter coming back to share music with his close friends and fans in the Northwest Studio Sessions is sponsored by the University of Washington Continuum College Situated in the valley between Japan’s Chuo and Southern Alps but scenic castle city with plenty of natural and historical attractions my wife and I embarked on a five-hour drive from Yokosuka City to Iida Iida is known for its apple crop and the fruit is designated as its symbol the area orchards start to ripen to reddish hues Several streets in the city center are lined with countless apple trees of different varieties According to an official of the city’s tourism bureau planting and harvesting apples is part of the local middle school curriculum sake and wagyu beef are some of Iida’s specialties The city center is also home to many wagashi sweets shops located near the classical-looking 95-year-old Outemachi Elementary School we bought mamedaifuku (bean daifuku mochi) and kusamochi (rice-flour dumpling mixed and flavored with mugwort) for 110 yen each Our wagashi made from lightly sweetened bean paste wrapped with springy we also dropped by bento shop “Take-out no Gyu” to buy our beef steak lunch boxes for 1,190 yen each The bento shop kept us waiting for nearly 30 minutes It was one of the best bentos in our lives – the hot and juicy beef was extremely tender and matched well with the special garlic-flavored soy-based broth while all vegetables on the side were fresh and well salted Iida has developed since Iida Castle was built in the 13th century You can still find a few remains from the feudal age such as Akamon (red castle gate) and Osahime Jinja (Shinto shrine) but compared with other castle cities in Japan Iida seemed rather new and modern with Western-style buildings and shopping arcades The Tourism Bureau official explained that most of the Iida City’s center was destroyed by a massive fire that swept through the city in 1947 most of the city center was rebuilt in the 1950s or later Although there are only a few old buildings that help us trace back to the golden time of the city Iida still accommodates the tradition of the Bunraku Puppet Show There are four puppet troupes still active in the area so you can enjoy a traditional show when you visit and tasteful wagashi and bento lunch made our trip one that we won’t easily forget Plan to visit the impressive apple city of Iida Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan My Hero Academia Season 7 released the incredible Episode 19 yesterday and the latest illustration by the manga creator Kohei Horikoshi features Shoto Todoroki and Iida Tenya The episode was titled “I Am Here” and put an end to the Todoroki family’s tragic story is set to premiere in North America on October 11 Source: Kohei Horikoshi on X© Kohei Horikoshi / Shueisha a respected member of the international design community based in Germany has launched the preliminary jurying round for the 2025 iF DESIGN AWARD Regarded as one of the world's most prestigious design accolades the award features an international jury of highly respected experts This year's jury will also pioneer the application of new sustainability criteria making environmental and social impact central to the evaluation process one of the oldest independent design institutions globally has organized the iF DESIGN AWARD since 1953 The 2025 edition attracted nearly 11,000 entries from 70 countries across 9 design disciplines and 82 categories The newly announced jury comprises 131 professionals representing diverse regions and disciplines This milestone year also marks the first anniversary of iF Design's U.S further strengthening ties with North America has been named iF's first Global Head of Sustainability & Impact emphasizing the organization's focus on responsible design Prominent U.S.-based jurors include Chris Down (Mattel) International jurors of note include Daisuke Ishii (Sony Group The rigorous jury process begins with an online pre-selection phase in December where 50% of the top-scoring entries advance jurors meet in Germany for two and a half days of in-person evaluation Sustainability accounts for 20% of the score emphasizing critical social and environmental factors A Sustainability Working Group will guide jurors on these new standards reinforcing iF Design's commitment to driving positive change in the industry impartial jury and transparent process ensures its reputation as one of the most respected design awards With a blend of established icons and emerging talents the 2025 jury reflects iF Design's leadership in the global design community the globally recognized authority on design excellence has unveiled the winners of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025 a respected member of the international design community since 1953 and host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD Entertainment Art Awards Corporate Social Responsibility Do not sell or share my personal information: An 82-year-old atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima has been diligently improving his English in the belief that a rise in global conflicts makes his mission to communicate the horrors of nuclear weapons to the world more pressing than ever Kunihiko Iida was just a toddler when a uranium bomb devastated Hiroshima on Aug leaving him with long-running health problems he recently began taking one-on-one English lessons His goal is to communicate with the growing number of foreign visitors to his hometown to share his belief in the necessity of nuclear disarmament Iida has long spoken to Japanese visitors to Hiroshima and is often asked to talk about his experiences to students but was inspired to reach out to a wider audience after leaders at the Group of Seven summit in the city last year agreed to work toward a world without nuclear weapons and stand by Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's invasion despite Moscow's threats of nuclear strikes "It will be tough to abolish nuclear weapons without spreading awareness of the reality of what happened (in Hiroshima) and everyone will be incinerated," he said Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Museum saw a record 670,000 foreign visitors in fiscal 2023 "With more overseas tourists coming to Japan I want more opportunities to tell my story in English Relying solely on Japanese is limiting," Iida said atomic bombs in the closing days of World War II first in Hiroshima and then three days later in Nagasaki so do first-hand memories of the attacks and the horrors they brought the number of survivors stood at around 107,000 as of March were actively providing testimonies as of April he had been playing in his grandparent's garden just moments earlier 900 meters away from the blast's hypocenter and I was thrown into the air," he recounted with wounds from broken glass and "everything going silent," he was eventually rescued by a family member The aftermath was etched into his memory -- survivors with peeling skin or barefoot seeking shelter His mother and sister succumbed to atomic bomb disease a month later while he continues to suffer from persistent physical and mental health issues "I don't remember a single day when I was healthy as a child -- I had constant headaches and dizziness," he said recalling he was told at one point he would not be able to go to high school I never even really had an appetite for food," he said Iida pursued English from junior high school and continued as an adult to better communicate with international colleagues at a machine manufacturing company While he took periodic classes after retirement his lessons were suspended in early 2020 due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and Iida could not continue them for another three to four years "I lost a lot of my English ability from being unable to use it for so long," he said determined to convey the grim details of the bombing Iida engages with tourists at the Rest House which withstood the atomic bomb and now serves as a tourist information center within the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park He also studies at the peace museum's library to deepen his understanding of the bombing's impact Despite a sense of hope kindled by the Hiroshima G-7 summit Iida feels an urgent need for global awareness and political action against nuclear weapons citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons and calls made by an Israeli minister for striking the Gaza Strip with a nuclear bomb amid the ongoing conflict there "Nuclear weapons are often used as threats there are no winners in their use," he said Statue of Hiroshima A-bomb victim Sadako Sasaki stolen from park in Seattle Oppenheimer reportedly apologized in 1964 meeting with A-bomb victim Atomic bomb survivor who met G7 leaders gets U.S. honorary doctorate To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible This article was written by Lauri Alasaukko-oja, co-founder of Frisbeegolfmedia, a Finnish disc-golf-focused media outlet. For more news on disc golf in Europe and coverage of the Disc Golf Pro Tour’s European events, check out their website: frisbeegolfmedia.fi. The Finnish disc golf community has had to blink twice this season as a 15-year-old has made a big splash at professional tournaments in Finland and across Europe The Silver event win earned Lehtomäki an invitation to the prestigious Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship (TPWDGC) in the United States Lehtomäki is preparing for the invitational tournament in the U.S alongside 48 of the world’s top female players Other Finnish players on the starting line include Eveliina Salonen I thought I’d just play some of the Finnish Pro Tour events and stub like that but then I ended up in a couple of those (Disc Golf Pro Tour events) And this is how it turned out,” Lehtomäki laughs Lehtomäki isn’t putting too much pressure on herself: “I see it as an experience I’ll try to make everything work in a way that I can play at a good level but I’m not putting too much pressure on it,” Iida Lehtomäki explains “I’m just going to see how things are done in the bigger world Everything You Need to Know about Disc Golf Network’s Coverage of the 2024 USDGC & TPWDGC Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest from the Disc Golf Pro Tour We create and curate the world’s grandest stages at premier venues for the world’s best disc golfers in order to transmit the story of professional disc golf as an engaging high-quality experience that inspires and grows fans of the sport on-site and online DGPT is a registered trademark of Disc Golf Pro Tour  Library funding is under threat. Find out how you can show up for libraries: ala.org/showup Futures and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Library Interior Design Awards This biennial competition recognizes excellence in library interior design and promotes examples of extraordinary design reflected through innovative concepts in nine categories The recipients of the 2024 ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards are: Academic Libraries—30,000 Square Feet and Under Project: Georgia State University Library North Study CommonsFirm: PRAXIS3 Architecture + Multidisciplinary DesignLocation: Atlanta Academic Libraries—Over 30,000 Square Feet Project: Weldon Library RevitalizationFirm: Perkins&WillLocation: London Project: Tec de Monterrey CCM BiblioTecFirm: The Beck GroupLocation: Ciudad de México Project: Gateway Public LibraryFirm: Richärd Kennedy Architects / White Baux StudioLocation: Mesa Project: Columbus Metropolitan Library Marion-Franklin BranchFirm: EVOKE Studio + Schooley CaldwellLocation: Columbus Project: Western Kentucky University Commons at Helm LibraryFirm: Gensler in collaboration with Luckett & FarleyLocation: Bowling Green Public Libraries—30,000 Square Feet and Under Project: Pleasant Hill LibraryFirm: Bohlin Cywinski JacksonLocation: Pleasant Hill Project: The Indianapolis Public Library – West Perry BranchFirm: HBM Architects Public Libraries—Over 30,000 Square Feet Project: The Shanghai Library EastFirm: Schmidt Hammer LassenLocation: Shanghai Project: Missoula Public Library Downtown Flagship Library & Culture HouseFirm: MSR DesignLocation: Missoula Project: Robarts Library Reading RoomFirm: SuperkülLocation: Toronto Winners will receive their awards on Saturday, June 29 at 1pm PST during the 2024 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, CA. For questions or more information, contact competitions@iida.org IIDA is the commercial interior design association with global reach and their clients through our network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries District Court for the District of Columbia granted a temporary restraining order to block the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services The American Library Association (ALA) today released the highly anticipated Top 10 Most Challenged Books List An executive order issued by the Trump administration on Friday night calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries The American Library Association launched a new supporter program on February 10 inviting the public to join the fight to protect libraries and library professionals at a pivotal moment in our country’s history The American Library Association responds to the Department of Education's dismissal of complaints about censorship and discrimination: the "effort to terminate protections.. advances the demonstrably false claim that book bans are not real." Today the American Library Association (ALA) launched Show Up for Our Libraries a campaign to harness the collective power of library advocates to influence elected leaders and policymakers The American Library Association extends our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by and to those who have lost everything during the Los Angeles area fires The Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 139 public libraries across 42 states to host digital literacy workshops powered by a generous $2.7 million contribution from AT&T Lewis has made the largest individual bequest to the American Library Association in the association’s history © 1996–2025 American Library Association Voice actor Riho Iida announced she had given birth to twins on Thursday The voice actor reported she “gave birth to twins on a sunny day when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.” Iida also included a photo of what appears to be her twins fist-bumping each other: ご報告です。桜が満開の、よく晴れた日に双子を出産しました。小さなふたりに毎日癒されながら、幸せな時間を過ごしています。支えてくださった皆さま、本当にありがとうございます。これからもあたたかく見守っていただけたら嬉しいです🌸🌸 pic.twitter.com/haURiNu1u8 As of press time, Iida received nearly 1,000 replies, most of which are congratulations from their fans and colleagues. Notably, fellow voice actor and Love Live! School idol project cast member Nozomi Yamamoto ふ、双子〜〜！凄い！！里穂ちゃんおめでとう〜〜！！体を大事に幸せな時間を過ごしてね☺️💓 Iida announced her pregnancy in late December 2024 In her announcement she stated she had underwent infertility treatments but made no mention of being pregnant with twins Iida has appeared in Dropkick on My Devil! as Persephone the Second, Love Live! School idol project as Rin Hoshizora, World’s End Harem as Akira Tōdō, among others. Her agency lists her full résumé Voice actor Riho Iida announced on her X (formerly Twitter) account on December 25 皆様へ pic.twitter.com/QxMGcZgSfv As of press time, Iida has received over 1,300 responses to her announcement, most of which congratulated the voice actor. One reply of note is from animator and character designer Yūhei Murota (best known for the character designs of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian): Iida has appeared in Dropkick on My Devil! as Persephone the Second, Love Live! School idol project as Rin Hoshizora, World’s End Harem as Akira Tōdō, among others. Her agency lists her full résumé Update: Rin Hoshizora's spelling corrected Sources: Riho Iida's X/Twitter account (link 2), Hoeishinsha's website, Yūhei Murota's X/Twitter account This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Metrics details The efficient detection of protein biomarkers is critical for public health the sensitivity of conventional antigen test kits is relatively low for early diagnosis and laboratory immunoassays require complex pretreatment processes overnight If target nanomaterials could be remotely guided to the detection site simpler and faster methods would be developed we reveal the mechanism of light-induced immunoassay that anti-spike-protein antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were coated on our developed nanoparticle-imprinted plasmonic substrate (NPI-PS) over the submillimeter area within one minute and nanoparticles modified with spike proteins can be selectively detected within a few minutes at one or two orders of higher sensitivity via a two-step optical condensation using NPI-PS NPI-PS exhibits high-performance optical condensation with high photothermal properties even under milliwatt-class nonresonant laser irradiation enabling a wide range of quantitative measurements These findings support an innovative strategy to mitigate pandemic threats and various diseases through the high-throughput detection of protein biomarkers there is no current report on using photothermal fluidic effect and bubble for optical condensation targeting biological nanoparticles we deemed it necessary to develop a biochip that can guide nanoparticles to the detection site mediated by light-induced convection and bubble with a low-power laser and versatile system that affords high speed and sensitivity while maintaining functionality Selectivity is crucial when identifying the virus type; this can be achieved by developing a trap site modified with probe molecules such as antibodies to serve as a detector Schematic diagram of optical condensation of protein-modified biological nanoparticles using light-induced convection and light-induced bubble from an NPI-PS Our research is motivated by the need to devise a detection technology sensitive enough to detect biomarker proteins or biological nanoparticles such as viral surface antigens before the onset of symptoms if possible The shortened turn-around time of detection could significantly interrupt not only the transmission of these pathological entities but also the risk of various diseases The results are presented and discussed in the following sections the fundamental mechanism of optical condensation with NPI-PS was discussed and the survival rate of bacteria was discussed the application potential for nanoparticles modified with S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 was investigated an enhancement mechanism of detection sensitivity with optical condensation was discussed considering the shrinkage of light-induced bubble and the simple high-sensitivity detection was also proposed with LSP resonance spectroscopy under optical condensation without fluorescent labeling a Overall picture of NPI-PS at real scale without microscope, and (b) scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a part of NPI-PS. c Schematic diagram of optical condensation using an NPI-PS from side view. d–g Fluorescence image of nanoparticles assembled via optical concentration using NPI-PS (see also Movie S1) The laser irradiation spot is at the center of each observed area h Relationship between assembly area and concentration of nanoparticles The aggregation area calculated from the fluorescence images is plotted on the vertical axis and the concentration of the dispersion liquid before optical condensation is plotted on the horizontal axis as a logarithmic plot The assembly area was calculated via image analysis By estimating the survival rate from the SYTO9-stained area (green fluorescence) by that stained by PI (red fluorescence) we identified the conditions for optical condensation that can accumulate bacteria with high survival rates ( > 90%) VMNPs may be able to accumulate at the trap site by optical condensation without damaging the spike proteins on the surface which are necessary for selective detection a Schematic diagram of two-step optical condensation detection of viruses using an NPI-PS b Fluorescence images of VMNPs (match) and unmodified nanoparticles (mismatch) at different concentrations after optical condensation c Relationship between assembly area and concentration of nanoparticles for VMNPs (match red plots) and unmodified nanoparticles (mismatch where the assembly area was calculated via fluorescence image analysis the assembly area of VMNPs were also measured without 2nd laser as the negative control (green plots) a Conceptual diagram of a high-sensitivity detection method using bubble shrinkage b Fluorescence image of optical condensation aggregates c Relationship between assembly area and concentration of nanoparticles The aggregate area calculated from the fluorescence image of fluorescent nanoparticles after optical condensation is plotted on the vertical axis and the concentration of nanoparticles in dispersion liquid before optical condensation is plotted logarithmically on the horizontal axis a Optical reflection image before and after optical condensation b Comparison of reflectance spectra before and after optical condensation c Relationship between peak shift and estimated number of NPs around the laser spot after optical condensation The reflectance spectrum of NPI-PS shows a redshift after optical condensation d.Calculated reflectance spectra calculated via FDTD simulation where e cross sections of the computational models were shown with refractive indices of respective materials at 600 nm wavelength without NP (left) and with NPs film (right) f Calculated distribution of magnitude of the electric field at 600 nm wavelength without NP (left) and with NPs film (right) We developed an NPI-PS with bowl structures of 500 nm in diameter arranged at intervals and the nanoparticles underwent successful optical condensation with low-level mW laser irradiation we demonstrated a positive correlation between the area of aggregates and the concentration of nanoparticle dispersion due to optical condensation we achieved highly sensitive and selective detection of VMNPs with spike proteins on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus via laser irradiation within 5 min even in the case of taking into account the coating process of antibodies on the substrate (1 min) and washing process with vortex (10 sec) This reveals the possibility of ultra-sensitive and rapid specific detection of viruses in a small amount of droplet of microliter-level (106–107 viruses in 5 μL) with 100 times sensitivity mediated by optical condensation The NPI-PS also exhibited spectral modulation that is sensitive to changes in the ambient refractive index as 1000 nm/RIU and when combined with optical condensation it reveals the possibility of detecting nanoparticles at low concentrations without fluorescent label based on the peak shift in the reflection spectrum Our findings provide an important basis for the development of compact biochips for future portable light-induced acceleration systems these findings are expected to contribute to innovations in not only high-throughput on-site testing of viruses but also ultrafast immunoassay for nanomaterials secreted from cells as biomarkers of various diseases A glass-bottom dish (GBD, D11130H; Matsunami Glass, Osaka, Japan) consisting of a glass substrate surrounded by a 1.4-cm diameter cylindrical plastic wall was used to fabricate the periodic bowl-shaped structure of the NPI-PS (Fig. 2b) A thin gold film (thickness: 50 nm) was deposited on a GBD using an ion sputtering system (E-1010; Hitachi Carboxyl group-modified polystyrene particles (09836; Polysciences USA) with an average diameter of 500 nm were self-assembled on a thin gold film and used as templates for the bowl-shaped NPI-PS The polypyrrole covering the mould was applied by pyrrole electropolymerisation (167-05662 Japan) over a self-assembled periodic array of polystyrene particles using platinum wire as a cathode and a gold-coated GBD as an anode the polystyrene particles were dissolved using chloroform (035-02616; Wako) to obtain a bowl-shaped structure The NPI-PS structure was observed via scanning electron microscopy (JSM-IT100; JEOL Artificial Saliva for pharmaceutical research (BZ108 Biochemazone) was used for investigating the effect of foreign substances where the VMNPs were dispersed into the mixture of equal volumes of the artificial saliva and the diluted phosphate buffer (10 mM a halogen lamp equipped with an optical microscope was used as a white light source; reflectance was calculated with respect to a protected silver mirror (PF10-03- P01-10; Thorlabs v1.54 f) as following steps; <1> The fluorescence image (RGB) was converted into grayscale image using “Split Channels” (function of ImageJ) Each grayscale image in 8 bits was quantified as luminance by splitting the color (0 for black Each image was divided into 1280 × 960 pixel) <2> in “Threshold” (function of ImageJ) pixels above the threshold setting 50 (red area in the original color image) were considered as VMNPs <3> the region beyond the threshold selected in <2> larger than 8 pixels was counted as the sum of fluorescence area of VMNPs using “Analyze Particles” (function of ImageJ) <4> When the weighted area should be calculated the averaged luminance of selected pixels in <2> (value between 0 and 255) was multiplied with the fluorescence area in <3 > where the product was finally divided by 255 All data needed to evaluate the conclusions reported in this article are presented in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials Additional data related to this paper may be available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request Structures and distributions of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins on intact virions Multilevel proteomics reveals host perturbations by SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks Primer-directed enzymatic amplification of DNA with a thermostable DNA polymerase Near Field Optics Surface Plasmon Polaritons (Springer Light scattering study of surface plasmon resonances in very thin silver films Localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and sensing Surface plasmon resonance in gold nanoparticles: a review Dual-functional plasmonic photothermal biosensors for highly accurate severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 detection An optofluidic nanoplasmonic biosensor for direct detection of live viruses from biological media Enhanced detection of virus particles by nanoisland-based localized surface plasmon resonance Optical biosensors for virus detection: prospects for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Observation of a single-beam gradient force optical trap for dielectric particles Force control between quantum dots by light in polaritonic molecule states Theory of resonant radiation force exerted on nanostructures by optical excitation of their quantum states: From microscopic to macroscopic descriptions Review: Novel sensing strategies for bacterial detection based on active and passive methods driven by external field Development of Innovative Bio-Measurement Technology by Micro-Flow Light-Induced Acceleration” Control of plasmonic superradiance in metallic nanoparticle assembly by light-induced force and fluctuations Design of photosensitive gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications based on self-consistent optical response theory Thermo-plasmonics: Using metallic nanostructures as nano-sources of heat Control of submillimeter phase transition by collective photothermal effect Development of a rapid bacterial counting method based on photothermal assembling Submillimetre network formation by light-induced hybridization of zeptomole-level DNA Attogram-level light-induced antigen-antibody binding confined in microflow Microflow-mediated optical assembly of nanoparticles with femtogram protein via shrinkage of light-induced bubbles Ultrafast sensitivity-controlled and specific detection of extracellular vesicles using optical force with antibody-modified microparticles in a microflow system Surfactant-controlled photothermal assembly of nanoparticles and microparticles for rapid concentration measurement of microbes Light-induced condensation of biofunctional molecules around targeted living cells to accelerate cytosolic delivery Light-induced assembly of living bacteria with honeycomb substrate Development of bowl-shaped plasmonic substrate for optical assembly based on template of self-assembled microspheres Damage-free light-induced assembly of intestinal bacteria with a bubble-mimetic substrate Optical trap-mediated high-sensitivity nanohole array biosensors with random nanospikes Rasband, W. S., ImageJ, U. S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/ High sensitivity refractive index sensing with strong light confinement in high-aspect-ratio U-cavity arrays Optical absorption and dispersion analysis based on single-oscillator model of polypyrrole (PPy) thin film Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (Academic Press Download references These authors contributed equally: Shiho Tokonami Research Institute for Light-induced Acceleration System (RILACS) Department of Materials Engineering Science initiated the research and contributed equally to the study design developed the nanoparticle-imprinted plasmonic substrate and performed the light-induced assembly experiment All the authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript The authors declare no competing interests Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44328-024-00004-z Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma. The 33-year-old gained global stardom as the voice of Rin Hoshizora – one of the members of the original 'Love Live! School Idol Project' franchise. Japanese voice actress Riho Iida recently announced on social media that she has given birth to twins. (Photos: Instagram/rippi_ii) On Thursday (Apr 24), Japanese voice actress Riho Iida, 33, took to her social media pages to announce that she recently gave birth to twins – her first children with her husband, whom she married in 2022. A former child model, Riho Iida gained global stardom as the voice actress of Rin Hoshizora, one of the members of the original 'Love Live! School Idol Project' franchise, which spanned TV shows, games, songs and concerts. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RIHO IIDA/飯田 里穂 (@rippi_ii) According to Iida, she gave birth "on a clear day when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom". "I am spending happy days, being healed by these two little ones every day," she wrote on Instagram. "To everyone who supported me, thank you so very much. I would be delighted if you would continue to watch over us warmly from now on as well." Congratulations have poured in from fans and friends, including Love Live comrades Suzuko Mimori, who voiced Umi Sonoda, and Pile, who voiced Maki Nishikino. "Twice the adorableness, twice the exhaustion! I’ll give you twice the encouragement!" wrote Mimori. Following her stint in Love Live, Iida went on to voice roles in other anime shows such as Odd Taxi and World's End Harem. The Love Live project has generated billions of yen in revenue. In 2016, Love Live was reportedly the top-selling media franchise in Japan. Its popularity continues till today with the franchise earning over 2.4 billion yen (US$16.7 million) in 2024. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ラブライブ！スーパースター!! / Liella! 公式 (@lovelive_superstar_staff) In 2025, the Love Live franchise experienced yet another spike in popularity among international audiences after a clip of the sub-unit AiScReam went viral online. This then led to the 'Nani Ga Suki' trend, which has seen the likes of K-pop idols and political leaders using audio from AiScReam's clip for short-form videos. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TWICE (@twicetagram) Copyright© Mediacorp 2025. Mediacorp Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with CNA to be fast, secure and the best it can possibly be. To continue, upgrade to a supported browser or, for the finest experience, download the mobile app. Volume 15 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.684873 This article is part of the Research TopicTiming the Brain: From Basic Sciences to Clinical ImplicationsView all 9 articles Although the illusion that the mirror image of a hand or limb could be recognized as a part of one’s body behind the mirror the effect of adding tactile stimulation to this illusion remains unknown examined how the timing of tactile stimulation affects the induction of body ownership on the mirror image right-handed participants (mean age = 23.0 ± 1.0 years no medical history of neurological and/or psychiatric disorders) were enrolled and a crossover design was adopted in this study Participants’ right and left hands were placed on the front and back sides of the mirror then they were asked to keep looking at their right hand in the mirror All participants experienced two experiments; one was with tactile stimulation that was synchronized with the movement of a mirror image (synchronous condition) and the other one was with tactile stimulation that was not synchronized (asynchronous condition) The qualitative degree of body ownership for the mirrored hand was evaluated by a questionnaire an illusory shift of the felt position of the real hand toward the mirrored hand was used for quantitative evaluation of body ownership and measured at “baseline,” “immediately after stimulation,” “2 min after stimulation,” and “4 min after stimulation.” The results of the questionnaire revealed that some items of body ownership rating were higher in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition (p < 0.05) We found that PD occurred from immediately after to 4 min after stimulation in both conditions (p < 0.01) and there was no difference in the results between the conditions we interpreted that body ownership could be elicited by different mechanisms depending on the task demand Our results may contribute to the understanding of the multisensory integration mechanism of visual and tactile stimulation during mirror illusion induction whether the mirror illusion technique can be induced using a passive tactile stimulation remains unknown previous studies on body ownership documented the illusion occurrence but did not investigate its duration Understanding these aspects may help elucidate the mechanisms involved in body ownership illusions it has not been determined whether the illusion of body ownership could be transferred to the mirrored hand using tactile stimulation and it is unclear how long the induced illusion lasts When applying the RHI paradigm to the mirror illusion we predicted that not only would the illusion be induced but also that it would last for some time in the synchronous condition this study aimed to clarify how synchronous or asynchronous tactile stimulation to the mirror image during mirror illusion technique affected body ownership illusion occurrence we also aimed to investigate the relationship between the induction of body ownership and its awareness We hypothesized that (1) for inducing body ownership the qualitative and quantitative evaluations would reveal that the synchronous condition is better than the asynchronous one and that only the synchronous condition induces a lasting effect of body ownership; (2) a correlation between the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of body ownership would be found only in the synchronous condition Twenty-one right-handed healthy participants (12 female and nine male participants; mean age = 23.0 ± 1.0 years) participated in this study. The inclusion criteria were as follows; healthy volunteers, whose ages were from 20 to 35 and were right-handed, with a score of + 8 or higher in the Japanese version of the FLANDERS handedness questionnaire (Okubo et al., 2014) if any of the following seven items were applicable they were excluded from participants; physical and/or cognitive dysfunctions that disturb task performance in our study a poor vision which is difficult to correct and interferes with daily life a current or medical history of neurological and/or psychiatric disorders orthopedic disease or skin disease on both hands experience with substance abuse or the use of hazardous substances and refusal to participate in the experiment or withdrawal of the consent This experiment employed a 2 × 4 factorial design combining stimulation timing (synchronous and asynchronous) and measurement time (baseline, immediately after stimulation, 2 min after stimulation, and 4 min after stimulation). A priori power analysis was performed using G∗Power (Faul et al., 2007). The effect size was estimated to be moderate because there was not enough previous study (Cohen, 1988) We conducted a priori power analysis assuming a Cohen’s f = 0.25 and Non-sphericity correction ε = 1 This yielded a total sample size of 19 and we enrolled 21 participants per condition as we adopted a crossover design and considered dropout The position of the chair was fixed after the participants adjusted it back and forth so that they could see the mirror image of their right hand and the range of movement of the marker for PD measurement well The participants’ left upper limb was covered with a black curtain to prevent participants from seeing it the participants were asked to relax and not move either of their hands until instructed by the experimenter (A) Hand position for the tactile stimulation and their right hand was placed in the front of the reflective surface whereas their left hand was positioned behind the mirror The broken lines illustrate the mirror image seen by the participants Tactile stimulation was delivered by rotating a pole with the brushes The angle of the brushes behind the mirror could be adjusted according to the stimulation conditions This figure shows the asynchronous condition The ruler with a marker was attached to the front of the mirror box While looking at the mirror image of the horizontally moving marker the participants verbally responded to the position where their left index finger and the marker vertically aligned repeated tactile stimulation was given to one side approximately 500 ms following stimulus to the other side in the asynchronous condition as a control one The participants were instructed to keep their gaze on the hand in the mirror and not to move their fingers during the stimulation period All participants performed both conditions and the conditions were executed in a pseudo-random order to consider counterbalance A 5-min rest period was set between trials to avoid the carryover effect We used a ruler and marker to measure PD as per previous studies (Tsakiris and Haggard, 2005; Shibuya et al., 2017; Smit et al., 2017). Each participant sat in front of the mirror box as described above, and the experimenter attached the ruler to the mirror box and sat in front of the participant across from the box (Figure 1C) The participants practiced the finger position judgment task as follows: They were asked to place their left hand behind the mirror and their right hand on their lap they were required to judge and report the perceived position of the visually occluded left index finger by projecting a parasagittal line from the mirror to the estimated fingertip position They were required to respond verbally when they perceived that the sliding marker appeared to align with their index finger The marker was manually moved at a speed of approximately 1 cm/s away from the mirror surface by the experimenter The distance from the mirror surface to the aligned place was measured to the nearest mm This practice was carried out five times in total changing the position of the left hand arbitrarily the participants’ left index finger was placed 30 cm to the left The participants were instructed to keep this position and rest for 1 min to pay attention to the position of their index fingertip the experimenter removed the stimulation device and attached the ruler to the mirror box while asking participants to close their eyes and place their right hand on their lap The experimenter asked the participants to open their eyes and measured the estimated position at which the marker aligned with the participants’ left index fingertip as the “immediately after stimulation” measurement this measurement was repeated 2 and 4 min after stimulation in the same way The measurement method was the same as in the baseline measurement and the participants closed their eyes between the measurements After completion of all trials, the participants answered a questionnaire regarding body ownership for each condition. The questionnaire comprised four items (Table 1) based on previous studies (Botvinick and Cohen, 1998; Ide and Wada, 2016) The participants reported their subjective experience during each stimulation condition via a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (disagree strongly) to 7 (agree strongly) and data from all participants were used for analysis Questionnaire data for each item rating in each condition were analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test The distance from the mirror to the estimated left index finger position (PD data) was analyzed by a two-way [stimulation condition (2) × measurement time (4)] repeated measures ANOVA Greenhouse-Geisser correction was used where appropriate we report the uncorrected degrees of freedom The post hoc test was analyzed by Sidak’s multiple comparison test Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed between the ratings of all questionnaire items and PD values to clarify the correlation between the qualitative and quantitative changes in body ownership PD values were calculated by subtracting the positions of each of the three measurements after the stimulation from that of the baseline Positive and negative values represent approaching and moving away from the mirror Data were analyzed with SPSS Statistics version 25 (IBM Corp. United States) and p values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the body ownership ratings of three items except Q4 were significantly higher in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition (Q1, Z = −2.668, p = 0.008; Q2, Z = −3.443, p = 0.001; Q3, Z = −2.841, p = 0.004; Q4, Z = −1.912, p = 0.06) (Figure 2) Questionnaire results: Boxes display interquartile data (IQR) Whiskers represent either extra data points or extend to 1.5 times IQR Median and Mean are represented as horizontal lines and crosses within the box The small circle denotes the outlier outside the whisker The normality of the distribution of the PD data from all measurement time points was assessed with the Shapiro–Wilk test (p ≥ 0.05) Mauchly’s test of sphericity showed a significant difference for measurement time (p < 0.0005) and stimulation condition × measurement time (p = 0.04) Finger position judgment task (proprioceptive drift data) Relationship between PD values and Questionnaire in the synchronous condition: The vertical and horizontal lines indicate the rating scale and the PD value The PD values were calculated by subtracting each position after stimulation from the baseline (mm) Relationship between PD values and Questionnaire in the asynchronous condition: The vertical and horizontal lines indicate the rating scale and the PD value we investigated for the first time whether passive tactile stimulation could induce a body ownership illusion in the mirror image and whether this illusion was persistent Qualitative evaluation using a questionnaire showed that the degree of body ownership was significantly higher in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition (Q1–3) quantitative evaluation by PD measurement revealed that body ownership was elicited and lasted for at least 4 min in both the synchronous and asynchronous conditions there were correlations between the PD values and some questionnaire items in the asynchronous condition and then there was no correlation but only one marginally significant one in the synchronous condition Our study is similar to other studies in that synchronized visual and tactile stimulation was provided and the illusion that body ownership of the participants’ actual hand transfers to the object was induced illusory feelings of body ownership were transferred to the mirror image of the right hand rather than the rubber or virtual hand and tactile stimulation was performed on both hands instead of one These elements differed from those of previous RHI studies interpreted that our illusion is different from RHI which has new insights into multisensory integration considered that the participants easily had the illusion that the mirror image was their left hand Since the rating of Q3 in the synchronous condition was higher than that in the asynchronous one it is plausible that in addition to the property of the mirror image matching tactile and visual stimulation timing might have contributed to strengthening the illusory recognition Q4 might be a control question even in the study of mirror hand illusion If the question in Q4 was changed from “I felt as if my hand were drifting toward the mirrored hand” to “I felt as if my hand were near the mirrored hand,” we might have had a different result all participants in those studies were stimulated on a unilateral hand only Those two points differ from the asynchronous condition in our experiment; hence we interpreted that the asynchronous condition could have the same effect as the synchronous condition when high frequency constant tactile stimulation is repeatedly administered to both fingers Our results differed from those reported by Medina et al. (2015) They examined the mirror illusion tapping both fingers simultaneously (synchronous tapping condition) tapping the left and right fingers alternately to the 170-Hz rhythm of a metronome (asynchronous tapping condition) and watching the reflected hand in the mirror (no movement condition) the largest illusory displacement was found in the synchronous tapping condition with the smallest illusory displacement occurring in the asynchronous tapping condition the temporal coincidence of the repetitive finger movement appears to play an important role in the induction of body ownership illusion in the mirror image whereas stimulating the same spot on the participant’s left and right fingers (as performed in our study) is important to induce the mirror illusion it is presumed that body ownership may be less likely to decline when the hand is visible in front of the mirror The relationship between the questionnaire and the PD value showed correlations between some question items and the PD values showed most of the correlations were found in the asynchronous condition which showed a difference in ratings between the conditions only one study has discussed the correlation between the subjective judgment by questionnaire and PD in both the synchronous and the asynchronous conditions though results of three question items were combined into one for analysis In the synchronous condition, no correlation was found between the results of Q1–3 and any PD value. The results of Q1–3 ratings scored 5 or higher in most participants, regardless of PD value and the variability was small as shown in Figure 4 This means that the synchronous condition may have strongly affected the subjective judgment of the illusion which may be the reason why the correlation did not occur They demonstrated that the realistic hand was more effective in inducing illusion than the mechanical hand though the illusion was induced in both hands there was a correlation between PD and questionnaire only in the synchronous condition with the realistic hand This result suggests that using the mirrored hand image may be one factor that caused the correlation between subjective and objective judgment in our asynchronous condition the result of Q1 did not correlate with any PD values “It seemed as if I were feeling the touch of the paintbrush in the location where I saw the mirrored hand touched.” In this question participants required comprehensive judgment based on the position of the mirrored hand and that of one’s left hand as well as the timing of tactile stimulation for those hands the variability of the subjective judgment became large among participants; then it is presumed that Q1 did not correlate with PD values some correlations were found with some PD values in the asynchronous condition then a marginally significant correlation was found with the PD value immediately after tactile stimulation in the synchronous condition the illusion that their left hand had moved toward the mirror image of the right may reflect the result of the estimation based on the PD regardless of stimulation conditions Samad used Bayesian causal inference to propose that when participants inferred that both temporal (temporal coincidence of tactile stimulation to the rubber hand and participants’ hand) and spatial information (locational coincidence between the rubber hand and the invisible participants’ hand) were related to a common cause both sources of information were integrated even if one of the factors related to the mirror illusion is weak the other factors including the properties of the rubber hand such as texture and orientation compensate for the weakness and provide information on the common cause PD was induced to the same extent in both the synchronous and asynchronous conditions the visual and tactile information did not match but the appearance of the mirrored hand and its orientation closely resembled the hand behind the mirror the stimulation intervals were consistent with those of the synchronous condition we concluded that these factors might have contributed to the illusion of PD rated lower for illusion induction in the asynchronous condition which was difficult to explain using Samad’s model the explanation in Tsakiris’ model may be more suitable These interpretations suggest that quantitative evaluation using PD and qualitative evaluation using the questionnaire may each evaluate different aspects of body ownership The findings of this study have to be seen in the light of some limitations First, since the present study targeted healthy young participants, the effect of aging on our experiment is not clear (Marotta et al., 2018; Riemer et al., 2019) we did not control the intellectual function of the participants since we adopted a bilateral stimulation approach it is unclear how tactile stimulation of the right hand alone or no tactile stimulation of both hands affects the PD and subjective judgment the quantitative evaluation was performed until 4 min after stimulation unknown if the illusion can last longer than 4 min Participants were asked to maintain their eyes closed between PD measurements We do not know whether continuous looking at the mirror with and without the image of the right-hand affects the degree of PD and its persistence Finally, it was not possible to rule out that the participants’ suggestibility (Lush, 2020) might affect their results because no appropriate control question was set for our questionnaire in advance we did no control whether each item of our questionnaire could properly evaluate the state of the illusion in the mirror image which can quantitatively evaluate body ownership revealed that the same degree of body ownership was induced in both of the synchronous and asynchronous conditions and that it lasted for at least 4 min the body ownership ratings by the questionnaire showed higher in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition We suggest that the difference between qualitative and quantitative evaluations may involve different mechanisms in addition to examining points mentioned in Limitations introducing neuroimaging research will provide clues for understanding the effect of the tactile stimulation on illusory body ownership and the mechanism of multisensory integration The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s All procedures were conducted in accordance with the Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Subjects and the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments (seventh revision Written informed consent was obtained from all participants included in this study The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Sapporo Medical University (30-2-35) and HO contributed to conception and design of the study AI organized the database and performed the statistical analysis All authors contributed to manuscript revision The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest No causal link between changes in hand position sense and feeling of limb ownership in the rubber hand illusion The use of realistic and mechanical hands in the rubber hand illusion and the relationship to hemispheric differences Rubber hands ‘feel’ touch that eyes see PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences Google Scholar The rubber hand illusion: sensitivity and reference frame for body ownership Temporal limits on rubber hand illusion reflect individuals’ temporal resolution in multisensory perception Activity in premotor cortex reflects feeling of ownership of a limb G∗Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social Losing one’s hand: visual-proprioceptive conflict affects touch perception Philosophical conceptions of the self: implications for cognitive science CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Proprioceptive drift without illusions of ownership for rotated hands in the “rubber hand illusion” paradigm When mirrors lie: “visual capture” of arm position impairs reaching performance Reaching with alien limbs: visual exposure to prosthetic hands in a mirror biases proprioception without accompanying illusions of ownership Visual bias of unseen hand position 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hand illusion My body in the brain: a neurocognitive model of body-ownership doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.09.034 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar The role of the right temporo-parietal junction in maintaining a coherent sense of one’s body doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.06.004 The rubber hand illusion revisited: visuotactile integration and self-attribution Neural signatures of body ownership: a sensory network for bodily self-consciousness Crossmodal congruency measures of lateral distance effects on the rubber hand illusion doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.10.028 Viewing and feeling touch modulates hand position for reaching doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.02.012 Saito H and Ota H (2021) Did My Hand Move in a Mirror Body Ownership Induced by the Mirror Hand Illusion Copyright © 2021 Iida, Saito and Ota. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Akihiro Iida, aWlkYWFraUBzYXBtZWQuYWMuanA= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish The Center for Strategic and International Studies is pleased to host Yoichi Iida Assistant Vice Minister for International Affairs at the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) for a discussion on next steps for advancing the G7’s Hiroshima AI Process in 2024 and beyond Director of the Wadhwani Center for AI & Advanced Technologies Yoichi Iida is at the heart of international AI governance efforts as Chair of the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP) Chair of the Executive Committee at Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) and former Deputy Director General for G7/G20 Relations at the Japanese MIC Iida led the G7 Digital and Technology Working Group which drove the launch of the Hiroshima AI Process at the Hiroshima Summit Allen will examine the G7 Hiroshima AI Process and next steps for developing the Code of Conduct in 2024 This event is made possible through the generous support of the Japanese government See Media Page for more interview ©2025 Center for Strategic & International Studies HELSINKI FINLAND A taxi driver who assaulted at least 12 women in Finland operated for years without detection despite victims contacting authorities and evidence being available entered the taxi in central Helsinki five years ago She was raped on a remote road after the driver diverted the route and isolated her The driver continued attacking women for nearly 18 months after the incident he offered alcohol to obscure victims’ memory and took their phones to prevent them recording identifying details Ketola had flagged down what appeared to be a normal taxi displaying a standard yellow sign The driver quickly began touching her and ignored her intended destination “There he raped me. At that moment I was sure I wouldn’t survive,” Ketola told Yle She planned to photograph the licence plate provided a DNA sample and described the attacker Her phone’s location data and CCTV footage tracked the car Court records state he operated an independent taxi service registered in Lohja and tried to lure several victims to his home He relied on victims' trust in the taxi system exploiting their impaired condition and disorientation The Helsinki District Court convicted him of multiple offences involving 12 women The Helsinki Court of Appeal is expected to issue its final ruling by the end of May Ketola gave up sports and was left physically and emotionally exhausted “Everything collapsed in a single day,” she said Ketola’s case was confirmed in appeals court two years ago She credits a support centre for sexual violence victims for her recovery Police finally apprehended Rezaji in April 2021 after he raped a 16-year-old girl Rezaji’s own phone held images of victims’ IDs and other evidence The case linked previously unconnected incidents Several victims came forward only after police released a public statement citing shame and fear as reasons for earlier silence Chief Inspector Ritva Elomaa of Helsinki Police said Rezaji avoided detection by not using traditional taxi stands or apps picking up passengers directly from streets These young women had no idea where they were,” Elomaa said and drove at speeds that blurred camera footage His earlier offences were only discovered after his arrest when police found photographs on his phone Finland’s 2018 taxi reform deregulated the sector removing mandatory training and loosening licensing The number of reported sexual assaults involving taxi drivers rose significantly after the change police received 40 such reports in Helsinki but also legal boundaries and customer safety “All problems come from not understanding the culture here,” said trainer Tanja Tervalahti Despite app-based bookings and GPS tracking Some traditional companies review drivers’ language and conduct but a criminal conviction during the licence period is not automatically shared with dispatch companies Bolt and Yango rely on in-app safety features They do not offer training but say dangerous drivers are permanently removed from the platform after confirmed reports Bolt has proposed automatic alerts from authorities if a driver’s licence is revoked This would help ensure only qualified drivers remain active Elomaa stressed the importance of integration to align behaviour with societal norms “If someone doesn’t feel part of the society The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency checks criminal records only when a licence is first granted during which new convictions are not always communicated to employers he covered his face and presented handwritten notes accusing officials of mistreating immigrants I accepted that I’m allowed to be shattered by this Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Kyana Iida earns her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Master of Science in Global Medicine from USC From the first moment speaking with Kyana Iida selected as the student speaker at the Keck School of Medicine undergraduate graduation ceremony this year has made a habit of serving others – both through research and activities at USC and volunteering with outside organizations Iida has always loved connecting with others and had a keen interest in health The pre-med student originally entered USC as a biology major but her desire to relate health to daily life led her to switch to health promotion and disease prevention so this is all very applicable to our lives,” says Iida As a progressive degree student in the Master of Science in Global Medicine program with opportunities to learn about various populations and cultures and that’s what is super special about Keck,” she says “It’s very unique and there’s so many different opportunities.” Iida has used her time at USC to get involved in research and volunteer activities that make a difference in the lives of others. She currently assists with clinical cancer research at the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine Iida helps patients with various types of cancer enroll in studies exploring treatments As President of Keck Student Ambassadors – the undergraduate student association at Keck School of Medicine – Iida facilitates outreach to undergraduates at the school and hosts events like networking opportunities Iida has volunteered in multiple capacities with kids, which has fueled her desire to go into pediatrics. She works with USC Science Outreach providing science enrichment at local elementary schools in underserved communities “They don’t have a lot of STEM-based learning and there’s not a lot of resources… we do science experiments and different projects like that with them so that they’re able to have the science enrichment that they might be missing from their traditional curriculum,” she says Iida also spends time with pediatric cancer patients through an organization called Project Sunshine She fondly recalls playing games with the kids over Zoom during the pandemic It was tutoring in Alaska that confirmed for Iida that she would build a future working with children and the Hawaii native stays in her new hometown during school breaks she volunteered at a local elementary school “[The kids] all came from underserved families who couldn’t afford to hire a tutor so it was through the state… A lot of them were a little bit behind in school so it was fun to help them with their developmental foundations for education and learning,” says Iida “And just working with the kids – they were so sweet – and the families were so receptive That was one of the experiences that helped me want to go into pediatrics Iida finds working with underserved populations extremely rewarding and she sees abundant opportunity to be of service in Los Angeles “I think working with underserved communities that don’t have a lot of access to healthcare – and there are so many barriers that everybody faces – I think it’s very special to be able to help people,” says Iida She specifically looks forward to making a difference for children and parents I feel like you can really make a huge impact on their life early on… I think I could be a good support for [the parents] as well,” says Iida Iida will take a few gap years before going on to medical school She will continue to work in research at the Ellison Institute and also hopes to hold another clinical position “It was my dream school since I was little,” she says Favorite memories include reuniting with friends in person as the pandemic began to ease and taking Professor Avol’s environmental health classes Iida’s advice for her fellow graduates is both wise and optimistic “You can’t really control what life throws at you but you can control the way you respond to things and what you make of every situation,” she says “A positive mindset is super important and checking up on the people close to you as well.” Phone: (323) 442-1900 Copyright © 2025 University of Southern California Kunihiko Iida was three years old when he was seriously injured in the blast He feels an urgency to speak not only to fellow Japanese “It will be tough to abolish nuclear weapons without spreading awareness of the reality of what happened,” he said About 107,000 survivors (Hibakusha) are still alive today their existence marked forever by the two US bombs Tokyo (AsiaNews) – A 82-year-old survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima has begun taking one-to-one lessons to improve his English in the belief that the increase in global conflicts makes his mission to communicate the horrors of nuclear weapons to the world more urgent than ever The Japanese Kyodo News agency reports that Kunihiko Iida was just a toddler when the United States dropped an atomic bomb that devastated Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 leaving him with long-lasting health problems Iida has been talking regularly to Japanese visitors to Hiroshima and is often asked to talk about his experiences to students but he was inspired by the G7 summit in Hiroshima last year to reach a wider audience “It will be tough to abolish nuclear weapons without spreading awareness of the reality of what happened (in Hiroshima) the number of survivors of the two atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is dwindling and so are first-hand memories of the attacks and horrors they brought the number of survivors stood at about 107,000 in March Iida was 3 years old and a few moments earlier he was playing in his grandparents' garden 900 metres from the hypocentre of the explosion and surrounded by "everything going silent,” he was saved by a family member "I don't remember a single day when I was healthy as a child -- I had constant headaches and dizziness," he said noting he was told at one point he would not be able to go to high school Iida studied English in junior high school and continued to learn the language as an adult to better communicate with international colleagues at a machine manufacturing company “I lost a lot of my English ability from being unable to use it for so long," he said to explain his reason to learn the language again Despite the sense of hope aroused by the G7 summit in Hiroshima Iida feels the urgent need for global awareness and political action against nuclear weapons citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons and calls by an Israeli minister to hit the Gaza Strip with a nuclear bomb during the ongoing conflict “Nuclear weapons are often used as threats there are no winners in their use," Iida said Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences Acclaimed architect and interior designer Lauren Rottet celebrated this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair by inviting members of the International Interior Design Association’s New York chapter and the press to join her team at the Rottet Collection booth in the Javits Center on May 19 for a special preview and exclusive cocktail event To kick of Rottet’s installation at the fair hosted a discussion titled “Good Design for All” from the ICFF stage to a full house The well-received reception showcased select pieces from Rottet’s cutting-edge collection including two new additions: the Cake lamp and Luminosa screen The designs were introduced to the American market during the fair.  mingled and explored Rottet Collection’s booth which was pied-à-terre-inspired by the designer’s living room as featured at L’Appartamento by Artemest during Milan Design Week including IIDA New York chapter president Alexandria Davis president-elect Christin Weaver and vice president of professional development Jason Lazarz; Arjav Shah senior designer and associate principal at Perkins & Will; Paul Makovsky editor in chief of Architect magazine; and architecture and design editor Linda C “It was a joy hosting my colleagues from the IIDA New York chapter and the media at our booth during ICFF,” said Rottet “Creating spaces and events for some of the best brightest and most forward-thinking minds in the industry to gather is the true purpose of New York Design Week and I am overwhelmed by the support from this community.” and especially so in professional athletics Over the course of a long and arduous MLS season Austin FC’s players sustain plenty of bumps and bruises Athletic Trainer Satoshi Iida plays a key role in keeping them healthy and performing to the best of their abilities Iida moved to the United States from Japan – where he completed his undergraduate degree – in 2013 and attended the University of Arkansas to complete his master’s degree with Iida still taking a handful of education courses every year to improve his knowledge and skill set and provide the best possible care to Austin FC’s players When a player goes down injured on the field you’ve likely seen him run out and treat the player through a well-rehearsed process “The priority is – and it doesn’t happen often – but the first thing I need to rule out is any kind of emergency situation,” said Iida the list of serious injuries comes to my mind and I’m going to check all the boxes to rule out any serious injuries I decide or assess how severe the injury is and determine if the player can continue playing or if they need to come off.” It’s not just injuries that Iida has to worry about With the COVID-19 pandemic causing major disruptions in professional soccer around the world Iida helps implement team health and safety protocols and tries to limit the team’s total number of cases and exposure “I think the biggest challenge with COVID is that there are so many unknowns,” said Iida “It’s hard because it’s not black-and-white there are a lot of gray areas we need to make decisions on you cannot physically see it and you don’t know when it’s coming We have to adapt and adjust quickly to keep the guys healthy.” Iida is a member of the Club’s high performance staff which deals with the many challenges of keeping the team as mentally and physically prepared as possible for matchdays collaborating with the other members of his department is one of the higlights of the job “Being part of a team and working together to achieve the same goal is something I really enjoy,” said Iida “Even just within our high performance department Everyone has a different discipline and expertise but at the end of the day we’re all trying to optimize players’ health and performance.”